A look into the crowd, and as far as the eye can see were girls in bikini tops and rolled down cut-offs, jumping and screaming next to their men with the no-sleeved t-shirts and a pair of muddy work boots. People shrieked as they were flung off the mechanical bull and over the hill. A few people were mud wrestling. Budweisers in hand, fans sang along to all their favorite songs. This was The Country Fest 2011.
Friday
The show may not have started until 6 p.m., but people were pre-gaming by noon. The camping area was full of people who already had their sites set up. They sat back and enjoyed a few beers, waiting for the concerts to start. Families ventured back from the water park wrapped in towels while other campers played a few rounds of corn hole.
They knew it was time to go down to the stage when the crowd started screaming. As they approached the gates chants of “chug, chug, chug,” could be heard as no outside beverages were permitted in the concert area. And chug they did, not wasting a drop because beer was $5 inside.
Josh Kelley ran from one end of the stage to the other, entertaining the crowd with his voice and his energy. The audience gave a giant “aww” when he sang his song “Naleigh Moon” about his daughter.
The crowd grew as Joe Nichols took the stage, wearing a baseball cap and his million-dollar smile. Girls swooned as he belted out “Gimmie That Girl,” wishing they were that girl.
Miranda Lambert was next. Despite there being an hour break before she started, most people didn’t move from their spots. Some people even slowly inched their way closer to the stage. Good things came to those who waited. Miranda came out 15 minutes early. The screams of girls probably echoed for miles as the lights came up on Miranda, singing “Only Prettier.”
She had the whole crowd sing happy birthday to her new hubby, Blake Shelton. She also thanked everyone about a million times for her success. She closed with “Gunpowder and Lead,” and the girls’ screams got louder.
By this point, most of the guys had disappeared to find some beer. She encored with what she called “a little rock ‘n’ roll” and a duet with Josh Kelley, as this was their last show together for a while.
Saturday
Christian Simmons’ performance at 2:45 p.m. was too early for most. A much smaller crowd was accumulated for him. Most people were still swimmin’, slidin’ and drinkin’.
The Ashton Shepard crowd was a little bigger. As each artist sang, more people gathered to listen. Teenage girls and grown women alike sang Ashton’s tell-it-how-it-is song “Look it Up.”
Craig Morgan drew an even larger crowd, most slightly more drunk than they were the night before. When Craig asked how many people had gotten stuck behind a tractor, hands flew in the air with a resounding yell of agreement as he started up the song, “International Harvester.”
Montgomery Gentry was the band everyone was really there to see on Saturday. “Daddy Won’t Sell the Farm,” “Hillbilly Shoes” and “My Town” blasted from the speakers with the crowd singing along to every word. It had just rained, but people were drenched with sweat more than anything else as they packed in, each touching at least six other people.
“This is the awesomest concert ever,” one tipsy girl said.
Gary Allan closed the weekend’s musical events. Many people left after Montgomery Gentry, but the audience was still a considerable size for Allan. His set list included “Get Off On The Pain,” the title track from his most recent album.
As the concert came to a close, people ventured back to their campsites. Others made a bee-line for their cars to head to the bar to continue their weekend of beer and dancing. Some still covered in mud, some barely able to walk, some carrying their passed-out children. It was obviously an exciting and successful weekend.
