Spotlight On 2010 COUNTRY THUNDER
FESTIVAL Story by Cathalena E.
Burch Photos by Glenda S. Paradee More
photos available at: http://countrythunder.smugmug.com
http://countrythunder.smugmug.com/Music/Country-Thunder-Arizona/
FLORENCE
- Hollywood glitz, hillbilly chic and Texas twang made for perfect
bedfellows at the 2010 Country Thunder Festival at the sprawling
Canyon Moon Ranch April 14-17, 2010.
The Hollywood connection
came on the third night of the four-day festival with movie star
Kevin Costner fronting his Modern West band in the opening slot for
headliner Keith Urban. Urban brought his own Hollywood baggage: He's
married to Hollywood star Nicole Kidman.
Costner's show
walked the fine line of vanity venture and true grit, with the actor
showing off some flashes of true musical talent. He showed off
rough-hewn vocals that nearly growled on his post-Hurricane Katrina
rocker "Five Minutes to America"; a lusty growl on the sultry "Long
Hot Night"; and a gently worn baritone on the pop-country ballad
"Let Me Be the One," which he sang with his daughter, Lily. But
halfway through his hour long set and his voice seemed to fail him,
losing much of the strength that had won over some of the skeptics
in the audience of 16,000.
Urban closed the night with a
long-awaited encore to his only other Country Thunder Arizona
appearance in 2000. Back then he was an early-in-the-day opener with
a handful of songs to his credit. He returned last Friday as one of
the biggest stars in country music, and put on a show worthy of that
title. In addition to a rich catalog of pop-country No. 1 hits,
Urban has the most amazing guitar chops in the genre, and he
employed them with wonderful flourishes on rock-worthy
solos.
Other highlights of the festival:
Miranda
Lambert headlined the first full day April 15 in a show that people
were still talking about Saturday night. Energy, sass, an amazing
set list culled heavily from her Academy of Country Music
award-winning album "Revolution," and enough sex appeal to tantalize
all the single men in the crowd of 15,000. She was the real deal plus
some, and those of us who saw her in her inspired performance here
knew she would sail into Las Vegas and snag the coveted ACM Female
Vocalist nod three days later.
Randy Houser dished up more
than an hour of hell-raising Southern rock that brought fans in from
the festival grounds to witness his afternoon set.
Gary
Allan, opening for Lambert, was a glorious mess of rocking country.
Swigging a beer and drinking from a bottle of Jack, he struck the
pose of country's old school meeting the 21st century.
What
would Country Thunder be like without our favorite rocking poster
boy Neal McCoy kicking in some "Beverly Hillbillies Rap." McCoy
headed a pared down lineup of three acts on opening night April 14.
The intent of the Wednesday night concert is to quietly welcome the
campers and die-hard fans to the festival, and organizers expect to
draw a fraction of fans that will show up for the other three days.
But in a testament to McCoy's drawing power, 9,000 people showed
up.
Finally, rap-rocker/Southern-fried-hellraiser Kid Rock
headlined the final night April 17, drawing the same crowd (16,000)
that showed up to see Urban. His show shot the heck out of the
warm-fuzzy homefront sentiments expressed by most of the other
artists throughout the weekend. But everyone in the audience
expected Kid would do just that.
What started out as a
raucous rock show quickly segued into a country throwdown with
sizzling countrified rock odes and soaring ballads done Kid
Rock-style - an f-bomb here, an off-color, sexually charged phrase
there. Sorry to the kids, he apologized at one point. In his country
songs, you never cry over lost love; you move on, quickly, and what
you find is ultimately better.
Country Thunder hosts its
Wisconsin show July 22-25. The lineup includes Kenny Chesney,
Lambert and Sugarland.
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The stars signing the Harley
Davidson motorcycle donated by
Superstition Harley Davidson for the 100
Club of Arizona raffle. |
 Kid Rock
signature |
 Maranda
Lambert |
 Maranda
Lambert |
 Luke
Bryan |
 Kevin
Costner |
 Chris Young |
 Chris
Young |
 Chris
Young |
 Big
Kenny |
 Big
Kenny |
 Big
Kenny |
|
 The
Grascals |
 Eric
Church |
 Neal
McCoy |
 Neal
McCoy |
 Gary
Allen |
 Gary
Allen |
 Jo Dee
Messina |
 Jo Dee
Messina |
 Collin
Raye |
 Miranda
Lambert |
 Miranda
Lambert |
 Miranda
Lambert |
 Miranda
Lambert |
 Miranda
Lambert |
 Miranda
Lambert |
 Miranda
Lambert |
 Love &
Theft |
 Love &
Theft |
 Trailer
Choir |
 Randy
Houser |
 Luke
Bryan |
 Luke
Bryan |
 Kevin
Costner |
 Kevin
Costner |
 Kevin
Costner |
 Kevin
Costner |
 Kevin
Costner |
 Keith
Urban |
 Keith
Urban |
 Keith
Urban |
 Keith
Urban |
 Keith
Urban |
 Kate &
Kacey |
 Chris
Young |
 Big
Kenny |
 Big
Kenny |
 Willie
Nelson |
 Willie
Nelson |
 Willie
Nelson |
 Willie
Nelson |
 Willie
Nelson |
 Auction on
stage |
 Kid
Rock |
 Kid
Rock |
 Kid
Rock |
 Kid
Rock |
 Kid
Rock |
 Kid
Rock |
More photos available at:
http://countrythunder.smugmug.com
http://countrythunder.smugmug.com/Music/Country-Thunder-Arizona/
The 17th edition of Country Thunder USA was held in Florence, AZ
on April 14-17, 2010.
It was another great year. The lineup
for the festival was The Grascals, Eric Church, Neal McCoy, harry
Luge, Rio Grand, Randy Rogers Band, Collin Raye, Jo Dee Messina,
Gary Allan, Miranda Lambert, Love & Theft, Trailer Choir, Randy
Houser, Kevin Costner & Modern West, Keith Urban, Jason Jones,
Kate & Kacey, Chris Young, Big Kenny, Willie Nelson, and Kid
Rock.
The four-day festival draws 100,000-plus music
fans yearly to a 50-acre site near Florence with its good-time mix
of twangy tunes, vendors selling everything from cowboy hats to hot
tubs and fresh country air.
Big-time fans camped out among
the 4,000 sites.
Music icon Willie Nelson performed the
final night delivering an impressive set of old-school
country.
Nelson was the standout of the closing trio, still
sounding great at 77.
With his wrinkled face alternately
looking out from beneath a cowboy hat and a bandanna, Nelson came
out sounding energetic, playing brisk versions of "Whiskey River,"
"Still Is Still Moving To Me" and "Beer For My
Horses."
Nelson nailed a version of "Me and Paul," which
tells the story of crazed travels with his longtime drummer, Paul
English.
"Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain" was mellow but
emotional, and "Always on My Mind" was poignant.
Nelson's
sister, Bobbie, dropped fun honky-tonk piano into several tunes,
including Hank Williams' "Hey Good Lookin'" and "Will the Circle Be
Unbroken." The latter included hot harmonica work by another
longtime Nelson sideman, Mickey Raphael.
Nelson hit most of
the high spots of his career, and he managed to avoid being bored by
such well-traveled classics as "Mamas Don't Let You Babies Grow Up
to Be Cowboys" and "On the Road Again."
Kid Rock and his
Twisted Brown Trucker Band brought bushels of energy and attitude to
the stage.
Opening with the driving rocker, "Rock n' Ross
Jesus" and the rap-rock of "Son of Detroit," Kid Rock made it clear
he wouldn't be changing much in his normal concert set just because
he was playing at Country Thunder.
He dedicated "Lowlife
(Living the Highlife)" to "all the hillbillies here" and had
everyone waving their arms and hats to the country-rap of
"Cowboy."
The Southern-rock-flavored "Only God Knows Why"
and "All Summer Long," as well as "Picture," featuring a nice duet
with one of Kid Rock's backup singers, also connected with fans
whose taste leaned more toward country."
Country Thunder has
teamed up with the 100 Club of Arizona and Superstition Harley
Davidson®.
A Harley Davidson® Softail Night Train was raffled
off to help reach the 100 Club's goal of $100,000. The drawing will
take place Monday, April 19th after Country Thunder. The winner will
be posted on the 100 Club website (100club.org) Monday April 19th at
9am.
Largest Country Music Festival in the Southwest
Announces Charity Goal of $100,000 for the 100 Club of
Arizona
Country Thunder chooses local public safety non-profit as its
2010 charity of choice.
Country Thunder, the largest country
music festival in the southwest USA, aims to raise $100,000 for the
100 Club of Arizona, a non-profit that provides assistance to the
men and women of public safety, at its Arizona festival in Florence,
April 14 – 17,
Country Thunder has partnered with the
100 Club to raise money for public safety officers and firefighters
who are seriously injured or killed in the line of duty. "The
opportunity to benefit from this great event will greatly help the
cause of the 100 Club which is to provide support to the families of
public safety when they need it most. It allows us, the 100 Club to
be the first to respond to our first responders when tragedy
strikes," said Sharon Knutson-Felix, executive director of the 100
Club of Arizona.
Country Thunder hosted a live auction
between sets featuring memorabilia signed by various country music
artists including a fridge from SRP with all proceeds benefiting the
100 Club.
"Over 100,000 people will attend Country Thunder
this year and they hope to raise $100,000 for the 100 Club of
Arizona. Providing great entertainment for a great cause makes for a
perfect event and we are honored to be a part of it," said
Knutson-Felix.
The 100 Club of Arizona is a nonprofit
organization that provides financial assistance to public safety
officers and firefighters when they are seriously injured or killed
in the line of duty, and to provide resources to enhance their
safety and welfare. It was started in 1968, and has given more than
four million dollars in financial support to Arizona's men and women
who stand behind the badge. For more information, please visit www.100club.org or email info@100club.org.
Thanks For The Music! |