This was the second time to the Craven Country Jamboree for Ray and I, and the first time with friends rather than with a radio station. Having to line up with the masses and camp in the back was not as discouraging as other moments, but I'll touch on that after a quick review of the first night in the beer gardens!
We arrived just as the Kentucky Headhunters broke into song and we sang along with every song we knew, especially their cover of Norman Greenbaum's 1969 hit Spirit in the Sky, but it was Jo Hikk that stole the show with their rocking country tunes and more classics from Doucette, The Doobie Brothers and Neil Diamond.
It was a later night than expected and my guy didn't even get to bed for an hour and a half before having to get up at 4 am for the gohper run. We joined them at 8am to finish off their 6 hour wait to get a seat near the front. Even as taxing as that was for 3 days in a row, our crew is ready to make up t-shirts that say "2009 Craven Gopher Run Champs!" Friday's performances were seen from the 4th row.
After a nap, it was the old hippies, The Bellamy Brothers singing their country, crossovers and some classic rock.
Charlie Daniels traditional country
was classic and of course everyone was stomping along to Devil went down to Georgia.
Kellie Pickler's dressed down, down home charm won us over as much as her big voice from her little frame.
And the guy to the right is Moose Jaw's Country 100's morning man and my young friend Dustin Dion who was the host of the main stage for the day.
Taylor Swift's big time, big show dramatics was impressive but impersonal.
No beer gardens this night. It was straight to bed and up at 4 am for the gopher run for the girls who had the first row seats for the wait, and got 2nd row seats for the shows, a little too close as my neck was sore from constantly looking up but it was fantastic none the less.
Joe Diffie was awesome and I even g
ot one of his picks and of course the minute he commented that it's not going to rain, it did, but only for a little while.
Joe Nichols was handsome and humble, singing songs he wrote about his wife in his low and sexy voice, looking just as sexy in a Fabio kinda way.
Williams & Ree were hilarious and the"attention Walmart Shoppers" comment was directed at our group in the funky hats.
Rodney Atkins was a simple country boy singing simply awesome songs about tractors, the south, his wife, and of course his little buckaroo.
C
lint Black was freezing. He got the night with the cold north wind and was sharing hot shots with the band to keep their hands warm. Even in the cold, he performed perfectly on the guitar and even entertained us on the drums.
For Sunday's gopher run we were not as aggressive, wanting to be back a little from the stage so we could see the big screens better. 11th row was perfect with polite people in front for a change.
Jake Owen was all about whiskey, women and song
Doc Walker, the pride of Portage La Prairie, were singing through smiles as big as the prairie.
Billy Ray Cyrus was a tad over dressed. I wondered if Clint texted him to tell him to bundle up for the cold Canadian nights. Within minutes his leather jacket, scarf and over shirt were off, but by the end of his show, they were back on as it cooled down fast when the sun lowered in the sky, but thankfully not as cold as the night before. His voice varied from song to song, from raspy and deep for his harder edged newer songs to the young clarity of his older hits, of course Achy Breaky Heart a must for the crowd.
George Strait was and is all about the music. With more than 50 number 1 hits, he couldn't fit them all into one show, but we still got an ear full of his finest!
That's Craven 09 under our belts and next up, all the music and events at Sturgis 09! Just hope there aren't as many disrespectful drunken idiots like there were in Craven. (yeah right)
We arrived just as the Kentucky Headhunters broke into song and we sang along with every song we knew, especially their cover of Norman Greenbaum's 1969 hit Spirit in the Sky, but it was Jo Hikk that stole the show with their rocking country tunes and more classics from Doucette, The Doobie Brothers and Neil Diamond.
It was a later night than expected and my guy didn't even get to bed for an hour and a half before having to get up at 4 am for the gohper run. We joined them at 8am to finish off their 6 hour wait to get a seat near the front. Even as taxing as that was for 3 days in a row, our crew is ready to make up t-shirts that say "2009 Craven Gopher Run Champs!" Friday's performances were seen from the 4th row.
After a nap, it was the old hippies, The Bellamy Brothers singing their country, crossovers and some classic rock.Charlie Daniels traditional country
was classic and of course everyone was stomping along to Devil went down to Georgia.
Kellie Pickler's dressed down, down home charm won us over as much as her big voice from her little frame.
And the guy to the right is Moose Jaw's Country 100's morning man and my young friend Dustin Dion who was the host of the main stage for the day.
Taylor Swift's big time, big show dramatics was impressive but impersonal.No beer gardens this night. It was straight to bed and up at 4 am for the gopher run for the girls who had the first row seats for the wait, and got 2nd row seats for the shows, a little too close as my neck was sore from constantly looking up but it was fantastic none the less.
Joe Diffie was awesome and I even g
ot one of his picks and of course the minute he commented that it's not going to rain, it did, but only for a little while.
Joe Nichols was handsome and humble, singing songs he wrote about his wife in his low and sexy voice, looking just as sexy in a Fabio kinda way.
Williams & Ree were hilarious and the"attention Walmart Shoppers" comment was directed at our group in the funky hats.
Rodney Atkins was a simple country boy singing simply awesome songs about tractors, the south, his wife, and of course his little buckaroo.C
lint Black was freezing. He got the night with the cold north wind and was sharing hot shots with the band to keep their hands warm. Even in the cold, he performed perfectly on the guitar and even entertained us on the drums.For Sunday's gopher run we were not as aggressive, wanting to be back a little from the stage so we could see the big screens better. 11th row was perfect with polite people in front for a change.
Jake Owen was all about whiskey, women and song
Doc Walker, the pride of Portage La Prairie, were singing through smiles as big as the prairie.
Billy Ray Cyrus was a tad over dressed. I wondered if Clint texted him to tell him to bundle up for the cold Canadian nights. Within minutes his leather jacket, scarf and over shirt were off, but by the end of his show, they were back on as it cooled down fast when the sun lowered in the sky, but thankfully not as cold as the night before. His voice varied from song to song, from raspy and deep for his harder edged newer songs to the young clarity of his older hits, of course Achy Breaky Heart a must for the crowd.
George Strait was and is all about the music. With more than 50 number 1 hits, he couldn't fit them all into one show, but we still got an ear full of his finest!That's Craven 09 under our belts and next up, all the music and events at Sturgis 09! Just hope there aren't as many disrespectful drunken idiots like there were in Craven. (yeah right)
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