Wisconsin State Journal (June 17th 2007)
For the love of country
If it’s summer in Wisconsin, it’s time for a country festival.
Each year, the summer concert season is dominated by high- profile tours in big stadiums and amphitheaters dotting the nation's largest cities.
But throughout Wisconsin there is a phenomenon that bucks the trends of those glitzy tours. Each summer, country music fans around the state pack their gear to spend multiple days in large grassy fields listening to the largest names in the genre.
From Richland Center to Twin Lakes, Cadott to Rhinelander, Wisconsin hosts seven major multi-day, camping-based country music festivals in unlikely tour stops for major acts.
"To me," said country star Blake Shelton, "the festival shows are my favorite shows throughout the touring year."
Shelton headlines Richland Center's Star Spangled Celebration on Saturday. He also will appear at Country Jam in Eau Claire on July 19.
"I would pick either of those shows over a big concert in the middle of a city like Los Angeles," Shelton said. "I just don't fit in in those big metro areas. Those aren't my people.
Country Continued from Page G1 My people are in the rural areas of the country, so it makes sense for me to get out there and have a good time with the folks that understand me.
"Country music is the people's music," he added. "For a lot of folks, that creates a real bond among the fans, so why not have a big party, camp out and listen to music that they all like."
Ron Rynes, Star Spangled Celebration's executive director, said that he has seen that bond in festgoers since the event's inception as a one-day, two-performer bill in 1994. Since then, it has grown to a three-day event that he said will draw more than 10,000 people for each of its three days at Krouskop Park and will utilize more than 1,000 volunteer staff members.
"Country music fans are very loyal," Rynes said. "They are both loyal to us and to their favorite performers. We'll have folks come out looking to see a specific performer and enjoy all of the other acts. And we'll have people who are just really dedicated fans looking for good country music."
For the Star Spangled Celebration, Rynes said nearly 90 percent of the fans in attendance will camp for the whole event, while the remaining attendance is made up of single-day passes. For other festivals, that breakdown varies, but they all offer both attendance options.
The other similarity among the festivals in Wisconsin is the consistently impressive lineups of nationally-recognized talent. This summer, fest rosters feature superstars Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood and Dierks Bentley; classic artists Ronnie Milsap and Mickey Gilley; and newcomers Kellie Pickler and Heartland.
Even Kenny Chesney, who has a full schedule of big-city stadium shows lined up, will perform at Country Thunder USA in Twin Lakes on July 22. Michelle Van De Bogert, the festival's general manager, said she isn't surprised that an artist of Chesney's stature would appear at a rural Wisconsin event.
"The big production quality is still there in our setting, along with more of a sense of a one-to-one connection between fans and artists," Van De Bogert said. "At Country Thunder USA, we have a runway off of our main stage, where artists seem to enjoy venturing out through our VIP seating and right into the general seating area to shake hands with the fans. There is a real sense of community."
Country Thunder USA on the larger end of similar events in the state with a daily attendance of 35,000 to 50,000 has been around for 15 years. The festival has also expanded into events in Texas and Arizona. When it comes time for booking acts, Van De Bogert said they have an in-house team whose goal is to book "the biggest and best country music acts available."
As the head of a non-profit community festival with a smaller budget, Rynes said the Star Spangled Celebration works with a Nashville booking agent who started setting up this year's lineup last October. Rynes explained that the other festivals in the state don't serve as competition, but actually help by creating beneficial routing opportunities.
County fairs, many of which have long been a mainstay of Wisconsin's summer country music performances, remain in the mix, too.
Karen O'Reilly, entertainment chairperson for the Rock County 4- H Fair in Janesville, said the festivals haven't presented any challenges to the fair's country lineups, which this year includes George Jones, Rodney Atkins and Josh Gracin.
Rising new artists also take advantage of performing in front of thousands of Wisconsin country fans at major festivals. One such act is Chris Young, the winner of the 2006 season of the USA Network's "Nashville Star."
Young, who released his self-titled debut at the end of last year, will perform in Richland Center on Friday and later Country Thunder USA and Rhinelander's Hodag Country Festival in July.
"For a younger artist like me, these festival shows are an invaluable opportunity," Young said. "To be able to get up onstage in front of a whole lot of people who either haven't heard of me, or don't know much about my music is amazing. Hopefully, we can show them what our live show is all about and leave them wanting to go home and get the CD."
Shelton admits there is an unspoken competition among acts on the same bill to have each night's standout show. He also said festivals work well because country acts like the atmosphere.
"If I weren't out working most weekends," Shelton said, "I'd be right out there in the crowd at a festival like these listening to country music for days."