To give you an idea of the concerts. Each music set at the festival averages 5 to 6 songs each.
On Thursday we went to the Riverfront stage and watched 4 of the eight acts on that stage (four different stages). Then that evening we went to the concerts at LP Field with 50,000 others and watched: Glen Campbell, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Zac Brown Band and Brad Paisley. It was over about 12:30!
Next three nights we repeated with other stars from Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood to Faith Hill and Alan Jackson. There were many we liked and many we put up with!
Things I learned:
1. You CAN rhyme "Tail gate and George Strait". I heard that in two different songs by too different artists.
2. We saw the singer, Josh Thompson, sing on Thursday. He sung about being genuine country and being third generation farmer, driving tractors and eating corn bread, and being a real southern red neck. One of his songs says You haven't seen country because real country is John Wayne, Johnny Cash and John Deere.
Well, Mr Thompson was born and raised in Milwaukee! His dad was a concrete contractor and Josh worked for him and split for Nashville. No proof that he has ever set on a John Deere! Aren't song writers crafty.
3. There are a whole crop of Georgia red neck country rockers (Jason Aldean, Brantley Gilbert, Kip Moore, Luke Bryan and on and on. They all sing the same type of songs about dirt roads, getting drunk at bonfires, driving tractors, tail gates, coming from small towns, dipping snuff, and having sex with every red neck girl. It is real deep stuff. I guess they will be singing this when they are 70! they all mention either George Strait, Hank Williams or George Jones at least once in a song. BUT they sound NOTHING like them. On the Radio, the songs have fiddles, and banjos but live the have three electric guitars and a drummer with spiked hair (Like George Strait!), It is over-amped rock music that is loud so that the singer can not be understood! Weird
4. Glen Campbell opened the Thursday Night show and tried to sing his giant hits. It is so sad that it should not be allowed. He has advanced Alzheimers and gets disoriented. The first song went ok but when it finished he tried to leave the stage and his daughter had to stop him and tell him he had more songs. His mic was on and you could hear the conversation enough. It happened after every song and as the set progressed he forgot lyrics and his voice got weaker. It was one of the most uncomfortable and sad things that I have witnessed of a super star. I have good memories of the past and that is enough.
5. We went to a screening of a documentary of the making of Kenny Chesney's new CD. It will be great!
6. We went to a celebrity softball game Saturday morning and got to see Vince Gill, Carrie Underwood and other country stars and Titan pro football players. The highlight though was the Major League caliber fielding of the singer David Nail. He is a great athlete!
7. We ate well also. There is a family style breakfast-dinner place called Monell's. You set at tables seating 12. Bowls and platters are passed: grits, corn chowder, bacon, ham and sausage, pan cakes, potatoes, eggs, home made preserves, biscuits, gravy, fruit, cinnamon rolls, and I might have left out something. You don't order it just comes and keeps coming!
The other place was Demo's downtown. It is a Steak, Pasta, and Seafood place with famous homemade rolls. The prices are as unbelievably cheap as the food is unbelievably good. It was a one hour wait but well worth it.
8. We saw Great entertainment as well!
9. Our surprises: Little Big Town, Dierks Bentley and the Mavericks are GOOD.
10. Faith Hill and Alan Jackson are as strong as ever.
11. Oklahoma singers are on top. Carry Underwood, Blake Shelton, etc.
12. My Favorites are still my favorites: Brad Paisley, Zac Brown Band and Jarrod Niemann.
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