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| From the very start, there's been no better value in county music |
Another Country Concert is now history and as the slogan states, I've got a smile that will last all summer long! Country Concert in Ft. Loramie has been an annual pilgrimage for me, my wife, and friends for many years. This past weekend we thoroughly enjoyed three days of country music and people-watching, Thursday through Saturday, from our Stage Front seats. These are the same seats we've sat in the past eight years and will again in 2027. This year we weathered heat, humidity, and even some rain. It was all worth it and below are five of my favorite moments from the festivities.
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| Perhaps Rowdy Ron was looking my direction and remembering our conversation from a couple days earlier |
An emotional start to Country Concert. Prior to the opening ceremony on Thursday afternoon, I crossed paths with concert emcee "Rowdy" Ron Ackerman from Lima's T-102 FM two days earlier on Tuesday. I officially introduced myself by stating that my biological father used to emcee the concert once upon a time. Ron replied that he was co-workers with my father at the radio station. He also explained the two guys got into a lot of trouble together. So, it was pretty cool to see Rowdy Ron on stage for the opening ceremony with the president of Country Concert, Scott Barhorst. Scott delivered a heartfelt tribute on behalf of the Barhorst family to his brother Paul, who was sorely missed this year by everyone in attendance.
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| I'll be looking for the next opportunity to buy tickets for Graham Barham |
Most deserving to be on the big stage. I'll admit, coming into Country Concert I was already excited to see Louisiana-born singer-songwriter Graham Barham performing on the Saloon stage. Barham's music is unique, as it combines country, pop, and hip-hop. His hit single Oil Money is a perfect example of that sound collaboration and his entire set was full of energy. Barham didn't disappoint and was also wonderful at interacting with the concert crowd. He joked about being a 27-year-old still using TikTok and later jumped off the stage to get up close with his front row fans. Country Concert is a three-day party and Barham brought the fun already at the start of Day 1.
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| Hudson Westbrook is a bright young talent and wasn't afraid to get wet |
Well worth watching in the rain. One guy that I underestimated turned out to be one of my favorite performers of the weekend. At 4:00 on Saturday there was a steady rain falling on Country Concert with no relief in site. Hudson Westbrook took the stage and I convinced myself to get rained on for one song while my wife and friends ran for shelter. Hudson hooked me with his opener as I danced in the downpour and decided to hang around for his entire set. Fortunately, Shelby County United Way president Karla Young spotted me getting drenched and gifted me her extra rain parka. When the show was over, Hudson Westbrook gained a big fan in me.
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| Our camping group solicited new lawn chair donations and we received a total of two dollars along with a scratch-off lottery ticket |
There's more to Country Concert than just the music. There's also the camping and the fun. This year for the first time ever, we joined some friends for those latter two. Although we didn't actually sleep overnight, we split a campsite and camper with several other couples. This gave us a shield from the weather, a spot to eat together, and it also provided lots of belly laughs. Let's face it, most concert fans need a break at some point during each day. After all these years, we finally discovered a campsite is the perfect solution.
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| My view of the weekend's best show from Jason Aldean in my Stage Front seats |
Closing the weekend with a bang. After 45 years, Country Concert knows a thing or two about how to wrap up the weekend. The Saturday night headliner is almost always the best show and this year was no different. Jason Aldean is still one of Nashville's biggest stars at 49-years-old with a catalog full of hits. From his opener of "Hicktown" through his finale of "She's Country", I sang along to every one of them. This was Aldean's fifth year playing Country Concert and I've been to four of those five performances. This was his best yet. As I walked back to my car I thought to myself the same thing I did last year; what a great weekend and I wonder how Country Concert will top is again next year!
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| We'll see you in 2027 Country Concert! |
