Country Concert Rewind

Only in America as Brooks & Dunn sang last Friday. I say only at Country Concert can you get a music festival value unlike anything else.

Today the calendar says we're just four weeks into summer. Yet every year around this time it begins to feel like my summer is almost over. That's because Country Concert in Ft. Loramie has concluded and for many folks like myself, we relish the anticipation of the "Midwest’s Premier Music and Camping Festival" all fall, winter and spring.

Both locals and those that caravan from across the United States typically all share rave reviews about their experience of attending Country Concert. They love the annual reunion with old friends, the acts are the best in country music, the value is unbeaten and the memories last a lifetime. I've probably been asked a dozen times since the concert closed last Saturday night, who was my favorite performer? Now that I've had a week to unwind and rewind, I'll serve up my answer to that question and other thoughts after three days of partying like a country star.. 

I only know one bail bondsman in this world. His name is Ron and he's sat next to me at Country Concert for the past four years. We don't have much in common at all. Yet we both call each other friends. This year we mourned the loss of Ron's 11-year old family dog back in Akron, which he put to rest last Thursday. As a result, Ron missed the first day of Country Concert and wasn't able to bring his homemade moonshine he traditionally gifts to me and other members of our concert crew. I always like to gift Ron a memento from my home in Russia. This year it was a souvenir baseball inscribed: Russia Raiders 2022 State Champions. It was also autographed by myself and other Russia neighbors that sit with us. Simple but thoughtful, just like our relationship. Ron and I might exchange one or two text messages until next Country Concert. Then we'll meet again like old friends do.

That's Ron in the glasses with the rest of our crew

On Day 2 of Country Concert I was anxious to get an early head start. I had my son drive me in from Russia and drop me off inside the grounds a hour before the rest of our group arrived. A long morning rain had just tapered off and I quickly discovered my walk to the concert area was going to be a little muddy. After a minute, an ATV motored up asking if I could use a ride to the VIP gate. I enthusiastically jumped in and identified myself as a Russia guy. The co-pilot introduced herself as Kathy Siegel and said the driver was her husband John. Kathy also informed me she reads my Fish Report website and that her son, Ben, advertises his business on the website. Ben's business is of course Siegel's Country Store in Covington and one of Siegel's slogans is "The welcome mat is always out". I now have no doubt that Ben's friendly work ethic was inherited from John & Kathy.

The Siegel's helped me out of a sticky situation

Back to the rain. Mother Nature is a factor with any outdoor event. When you have 500 acres of rolling hills like Country Concert does, rain makes puddles and puddles make mud (I think Luke Bryan once sang something similar). However, this isn't the first rodeo for the planning team at Country Concert. It's their 41st and they've dealt with every type of summer weather threat during that time. They were also proactive heading into this year's festival. Management added two new catch basins and filled in low spots of the general admission section to keep both that viewing area and the gold circle section dryer. In addition, they hauled in over 300 loads of gravel at over 5,800 ton and over $100,000. The fresh stones were used to touch up existing roads and the show area, as well as create new roads in their Vera side camping. Furthermore, they replaced 200 yards of concrete roads. All that reinvestment just proves Country Concert wants to be around a long time. It's also why a lot of rain makes little difference at Hickory Hill Lakes anymore.

Gravel roads and green grass everywhere (Picture via Facebook)

Country Concert is full of traditions and for my family and many others, our annual purchase of scrumptious Pizza Hut breadsticks is one of those. The combination of sweet dough, butter, garlic, cheese and tangy pizza sauce always seems to hit the spot. For the $9.00 price tag at any other concert venue, I'd expect a few sticks for myself and a duplicate order required for my wife. At Country Concert nine bucks got the two of us a family-sized portion that ended with both Stacey and I too full to eat the last breadstick. Yeah, I ate it anyway.

 

A snack the size of a dinner plate

I've viewed Country Concert from a variety of different sections inside the natural amphitheater over the years. Among those are general admission, gold circle, VIP, VIP plus and for the last four years, stage front. Fans prefer different locations for different reasons, but my personal favorite is our current panorama pictured on the left. Row 18, Seats 1 & 2 have many benefits, including a quick exit to the VIP restrooms with enough time to get back for the next song. I'd never give them up. Unless, the super-exclusive, impossible-to-obtain, you-might-as-well-be-on-stage, runway tickets become available. 

Runway ticket holders at Country Concert get a unique experience not available at a lot of other venues. Check out the picture below of Saturday's main stage opener, Niko Moon, and the fans just inches away. Compare that to many other runways that erect concert-grade barrier railing to create further distances between the spectators and entertainers. For example, Michigan has a similar 3-day country music festival coming up July 22-24 which is also pictured below. Unfortunately for their fans, headliners Tim McGraw, Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen won't be quite as intimate as the Country Concert closers. 

There's a close connection to the stars at Country Concert (Picture via Twitter)

The railing seen here in Brooklyn, Michigan is normal (Pictures via web)

Finally, back to the question about my favorite performer? I'll need to answer that the same way I have since last Sunday. I thoroughly enjoyed WAY too many acts to pick one favorite. A few highlights for me were a hot and humid Walker Hayes saloon show, Carrie Underwood's powerful and amazing vocals, homegrown Zach Rosenbeck packing the VIP Stage, Brooks & Dunn's patriotic encore, Niko Moon with his carefree good vibes, and Hardy's raucous opener. The main stage and saloon were definitely more star-studded than I can ever remember. Perhaps what I enjoyed most though was the constant variety of entertainment. Country music means different things to different people and when booking the lineups, the Barhorst family owned and operated team since 1981 obviously understands that as well. Well done and I'll look forward to that renewal form again this fall.

Smiles that will last all summer long