Festival-goers rush to stake their spots as the gates open just after 11am.

 
Alexis Jones-Roberts and the Jones Family Singers open the WaMu stage.

 
Dan Dyer gets the AT&T blue room stage off to a soulful start.

 
Asleep at the Wheel opens its annual benediction with "Miles and Miles of Texas."

 
Rodney Crowell jams with Will Kimbrough in a "no bass, no drums" show.

 
Rodney Crowell makes a political statement with a t-shirt reading "America Don't Worry, Israel Is Behind You."

 
Artist Mike Ming demonstrates his technique in the Dell Dome.

 
With the workday winding down, the festival crowds (here watching Del the Funky Homosapien) begin to build.

 
A faraway shot of James Young, Mike Eli, and Jon Jones from the Eli Young Band.

 
Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova, and the Swell Season battled instrument problems yet managed to pull off an incredible set.