JACKSON, Wyo. — Night number two of the Cowgirls at the Cowboy music festival treated viewers at the sold-out show to a taste of Nashville’s emerging artist scene.
Festival hostess Jenny Tolman opened with an hourlong set of songs that showcased her characteristic witty lyrics and honky-tonk vibes. Tolman kept the energy high with clean vocals and popular tracks like “Till My Tank is Empty,” “High Class White Trash,” and “Married in a Honky Tonk.”
Co-headliner Mackenzie Carpenter anchored the second half of the evening with her signature country pop sound, bouncy guitar riffs and a voice that filled the room. She opened her first-ever show in Jackson with the sweetheart summer anthem “All in Already” that dropped in April. Her humor kept the audience engaged in between songs.
“When I was trying to figure out what to sing tonight, I realized there are stereotypes of country music,” she told the crowd, listing trucks and beer as common male country singer tropes. “But there are girls in country music. They sing about murdering their husbands – ‘Goodbye Earl?’ ‘Gunpowder and Lead?'” Then she dove into her parallel rendition “Gone Fishing” from her debut album.
Carpenter grew up writing songs with her brothers and singing at church in Hull, Georgia. She has been songwriting in Nashville for the past decade, contributing numerous songs to Megan Moroney’s catalog. In 2025, Carpenter released her debut album, which featured 13 songs including “I Wish You Would” featuring Midland. The music video for that song on YouTube has 2.3 million views. She was listed on Country Music Television’s “Next Women of Country” in 2023, and named to Spotify’s “Hot Country Artists to Watch” list in 2024.
Her set was a fusion of raw emotional perspective and relatable lyrics. Each song carried something reminiscent of a vintage sound, while fresh hooks were woven throughout. Carpenter played about 15 songs, including “Nothin’ Crazy,” “Don’t Mess with Exes,” “Only Girl,” and “High Pony.”
