Country Thunder 2013

2013 Official Program Presented By

®

Come Check Out

WHAT’S NEW at at

SINCE 1970

Family Owned & Operated Since 1970

Mention Country Thunder And Receive Any Vehicle’s Lowest Advertised Price! *Must be presented prior to purchase.

4 Locations To Conveniently Serve You! MESA

PHOENIX

APACHE JUNCTION

AVONDALE

550 S. Country Club Drive

3110 E. Bell Road

837 W. Apache Trail

1321 N. Dysart Road

480-844-7071

602-971-7177

480-671-5600

623-466-6600

HOME OF THE

A+ RATING

www.azgohs.gov

Buckle Up Arizona...It’s the Law! cOUNTRY THUNDER 2013 3

Event Guide Index Florence Mayor’s Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Country Thunder Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Directions and FAQs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Camping at Country Thunder . . . . . . . . 12 Charity/The 100 Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Hosts: Williams & Ree . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

The Musicians

F L O R E N C E

Living the Western Dream

u

A R I Z O N A

Chris Janson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Sweetwater Rain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Kip Moore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Brantley Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Greg Bates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Jana Kramer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Love and Theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Tracy Lawrence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Eric Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Morgan Frazier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Parmalee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Diamond Rio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Lee Brice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Toby Keith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 High Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Aaron Lewis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Jerrod Niemann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Justin Moore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Lady Antebellum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Electronic Country/DJ DU . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Run Boy Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Dry River Yacht Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Gospel Claws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Tramps & Thieves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Banana Gun/Kongos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Entertainment Attractions & Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Moonshine Willy’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 College Times Tent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Furniture Barn: 480.575.1357 General Store: 480.575.7025 In the Heart of Historic Cave Creek

6602 E. Cave Creek Road www.BigBroncoCaveCreek.com www.B ww ww ww.

4 COUNTRY THUNDER 2013

Published by 4M Publishing, LLC. 480.396.8886 • info@ecollegetimes.com Photos by Ryan A. Ruiz and/or courtesy of their respective properties Distribution is limited to one copy per reader. ©2013, 4M Publishing, LLC.

Welcome from Mayor Tom J. Rankin

5/31/13.

Howdy, partner! Welcome to Florence, Ariz., and the 2013 Country Thunder Festival. This year’s event is packed full of great music, including the newest music stars and some familiar faces that we have all enjoyed over the years. There are many unique vendors and attractions to go along with all this great music.

The Town of Florence really appreciates that you choose to be here in Florence, this weekend. We are proud to welcome you with a tip of the hat. We have a proud tradition of farming, cattle ranching and a great appreciation for country music.

Florence is home to the world’s oldest kids rodeo, the Junior Parada, which takes place every year on Thanksgiving weekend. Our town is rich in western heritage and is the perfect location for the Country Thunder festival.

If this is your first time in Florence, be sure to visit our historic Main Street and take a step into the past. Our friendly historic downtown is home to a number of restaurants, shops and residents with stories to tell. Take a look at the historic buildings and the way they have been, or are being, restored. We preserve our past, live in the present and look forward to the future.

And be sure to check out the many other events that are happening throughout the year here at Canyon Moon Ranch. This place has a lot to offer!

Have a great time and we hope to see you again next year, Sincerely,

Mayor Tom J. Rankin Town of Florence

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cOUNTRY THUNDER 2013 7

Since 1981 Dear Country Music Fans,

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Must present coupon at time of drop off.

Expires 5/15/13.

DillonsRVcity.com 480-986-0100 Toll Free: 800-618-6678 10310 E. Apache Trail Apache Junction, AZ 85120 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm Sat 8:30am-1:30pm Closed Sundays

8 COUNTRY THUNDER 2013

Welcome to the 20th Annual Country Thunder Music Festival! We would like to start off by thanking you for attending our festival and helping to make this the best year yet; our festival is only as good as its fans and we believe we have the best fans around!

Whether this is your first Country Thunder experience or you have been with us since the beginning, get ready F L O R E N C E u A R I Z O N A to let loose, make new friends, and begin your four-day vacation under the sun, filled with today’s top country artists.

While you take in all there is to see at Country Thunder, you’ll notice that in addition to a rockin’ line-up, we have dozens of food and retail vendors for your enjoyment, along with numerous sponsors that have all contributed to the success of this year’s festival. You will find them featured throughout this program, so be sure to take a look and also stop by their location to show your appreciation for their help in creating such an amazing event.

We hope your weekend is filled with memories to last a lifetime, made with friends new and old, and we look forward to seeing you at the festival for many years to come. Thanks again for choosing to spend your time with us.

Get ready to take in more music, sun and good times than one person can handle . . . that is unless you’re part of the Country Thunder Family!

Sincerely, The Country Thunder Team

COME TASTE WHY

SMASHING IS BETTER AND TRY OUR BEER + BURGER PAIRING MENU

AT ONE OF OUR 12 VALLEY LOCATIONS

cOUNTRY THUNDER 2013 9

WELCOME TO COUNTRY THUNDER! Frequently Asked Questions DISABLED PATRONS Do you have a disabled seating area? How do I get to it?

We do offer disabled seating to the left of the stage (if you are looking at the stage) within the VIP/RSVD area. Out of respect for limited amount of space available, we invite disabled fans and ONE attendant to use this viewing area.

I am bringing a family member who has trouble walking. Is there a service to get them to the disabled seating area?

Unfortunately, no. Though we welcome everyone, it is an outdoor festival and weather sometimes is an issue. We provide handicap parking, which is quite close to the event. If you are unable to walk, you are welcome to bring a wheelchair or a medical scooter (no golf carts please) to get around. Again, the festival site is large and is earthy (not paved), so please keep this in mind as you are planning your visit.

GATES When do gates officially open?

If you are a camper, you can load in as early as Wednesday, April 10, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Gates will re-open at 9 a.m. Thursday, April 11. If you arrive at Country Thunder after 10 p.m., you will have to wait outside the gate until the next morning, so please plan accordingly.

What are the front gate hours?

Wednesday, April 10: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Thursday, April 11: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Friday, April 12: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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Saturday, April 13: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sunday, April 14: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. **The exit gate is open 24 hours for anyone wishing to leave the site.

What are the gate times for the festival bowl?

Thursday, April 11: 3 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Friday, April 12: 12 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Saturday, April 13: 12 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Sunday, April 14: 12 a.m. to 2 a.m.

GENERAL Do you have a Country Thunder program?

Yes, and it is complimentary to you as a patron!

Programs can be found at the main festival entrance as well as the information tent. Please grab a program to view festival maps, artist biographies, stage schedules, partner sponsors and more!

OMG, I’ve lost an item! How can I find it?

Lost and found is located in the information tent on-site. Although we would like to think that everyone is our friend, it is not often the case. Try to hold onto your things, but if you do happen to lose something, check out the information tent to hopefully find your belonging.

OMG, I’ve found an item! How can I return it to its rightful owner?

You are a good soul. We would like to thank you ahead of time for returning what isn’t yours to the information tent to await its owner. If you’ve ever lost your keys and have to get towed, you can feel their pain, so thanks!

PURCHASING Why am I getting an address verification error when trying to place my order online, and did it go through?

This happens when the address on your card does not match the address for your account.

Please check both of these to make sure that they match. If you feel that you have entered the correct information and you are still receiving the error message, please contact issuing bank to triple check.

Why do I have a charge of $1 on my card?

If you just placed an order today, and noticed that your card was charged $1, this is because we are checking your account to make sure that funds are available. This charge will be refunded to you within 24 hours.

TICKETING What happens if I break or lose my wristband?

Can I get a replacement?

Unfortunately, we do not replace lost or stolen wristbands. Also, because wristbands are cloth, they tighten easily. Please be careful with your wristband as you will not be allowed anywhere on site without one.

Do you offer one-day VIP or RSVD tickets?

No. These tickets are Four-Day weekend tickets and are only sold as such. The only single day tickets that we sell are General Admission.

Can I split my four-day, VIP or RSVD Ticket?

Unfortunately, we do not split four-day tickets into single days.

How can I renew my VIP, RSVD or camping ticket?

For renewing your VIP/RSVD and camping tickets, please visit the information tent between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. Thursday or 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday. If you do not renew your tickets by 9 p.m. Sunday, they will be available to the public starting at 12 p.m. Tuesday, April 16.

WHERE AM I?

I purchased tickets but am now unable to attend the event. Can I return them for a refund?

Unfortunately, no. We do not offer refunds, as all sales are final. Helpful hint: Advertise your ticket at www.facebook.com/countrythunderusa to notify other patrons of your situation.

Is there re-entry with a one-day ticket?

Yes, you may exit and enter the site at your leisure, as long as you are wearing the correct day wristband.

F L O R E N C E

u

A R I Z O N A

Country Thunder USA is held at Canyon Moon Ranch 20585 E. Price (Station) Road Florence, AZ 85232 From Phoenix: Take U.S. Highway 60 to State Highway 79 south. The Canyon Moon Ranch is near the intersection of Price (Station) Road and Highway 79, just north of central Florence.

From Tucson: Take Interstate 10 to State Highway 87 north. At Coolidge, take State Highway 287 east to State Highway 79 north. The Canyon Moon Ranch is near the intersection of Price (Station) Road and Highway 79, just north of central Florence.

Alternative route: Take State Highway 77 north to State Highway 79 north.

cOUNTRY TRY THUNDER DER 2013 11

CAMPING RULES AND REGULATIONS Camping can be a fun and enjoyable experience; please make sure it’s this way for everyone by reading the following rules and regulations.

What are the registration hours?

Wednesday, April 10, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Thursday, April 11, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Friday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturday, April 13, from: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sunday, April 14, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Departure: Monday, April 15, 8 a.m.

ALCOHOL Is alcohol allowed on site?

If you are of the age and plan to drink alcoholic beverages, please carry your age identification (i.e., driver’s license) with you at all times (even after being wrist-banded) as you may be stopped by undercover patrol. No exceptions.

What about underage drinking?

Underage drinking will NOT be permitted in the campgrounds or on the event grounds. Anyone found participating in or contributing to underage drinking will be brought to the attention of local law enforcement personnel, and will be evicted from the grounds immediately without refund.

GARBAGE How is garbage handled?

Please place all bagged and tied personal and campsite garbage in containers for 6 a.m. pickup.

A garbage-filled campsite is grounds for eviction.

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HOURS What are the quiet hours?

Big Rig: 1 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Canyon: 2 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Crazy Coyote: 2 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Crown: 2 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Encore: 2 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Last Chance: 2 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Road Runner Family: 1 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Road Runner Adult: 2 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Starlight Preferred: 1 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Sidewinder: 2 a.m. to 7 a.m.

All gas/diesel generators must be turned off by 1 a.m.

PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHERS When can I start loading in my campsite?

Campers can start loading in Wednesday, April 10, at 9 a.m. when front gates officially open. If you are dropping off a camper/RV for another patron and do not have a four-day wristband, you will be allowed to do so on Wednesday ONLY. In addition, you will be asked to leave collateral at the will call booth (i.e., driver’s license or wallet).

GENERAL Who is responsible for the camp site?

Every campsite must be registered to one responsible adult. This person MUST be 18 years of age or older. They also must accept full responsibility for the campsite. Any rules broken may mean eviction with NO REFUND, absolutely NO EXCEPTIONS.

Who is allowed in the camping areas?

Everyone entering the campgrounds must have a four-day event wristband on. Singleday ticket holders do NOT have access to the campgrounds.

Can I have a campfire?

Unfortunately, campfires are not allowed at the 2013 festival. Gas and charcoal burning grills are permitted.

Can I sell items on site?

No soliciting on site. This includes, but is not limited to, food, beverage, merchandise and entertainment. Unauthorized selling of items will result in seizure of merchandise, eviction and possible prosecution.

DO’S AND DON’TS The following are OK: • Charcoal or gas/propane barbecues • Generators (turned off during quiet hours) • One sleeping quarters per site, two motorized vehicles The following are not OK: • Wood burning fires • Glass bottles/containers • Weapons • Cruising • Fireworks • Live music performances • Swimming pools • Dance floors • Staging/other structures • ATVs • Golf Carts • Mopeds • Bicycles • Skateboards • Rollerblades • On-site soliciting What are your eviction policies?

Country Thunder reserves the right to evict any persons on the grounds of but not limited to: • No four-day event wristband • Garbage-filled campsite • Drinking and driving • Aggressive pets • Excessive noise • Unauthorized sale of food, beverage or merchandise on site The facility reserves the rights to refuse admission or eject any person without refund who is violating the facility, local, state or federal laws or whose conduct is deemed illegal, disorderly or offensive by management.

PETS Should I bring my pet?

We love our pets, but Country Thunder strongly recommends that you leave your pets at home.

The crowds at events like Country Thunder cause distress to many animals, and animals have been stolen at similar events around the nation. If you do bring a pet to Country Thunder, you are responsible for your pet. Pets must be LEASHED and must be kept at your campsite at all times.

You are responsible for cleaning up after your pet. Please keep your pet safe and secured on your campsite. No pets will be allowed into the festival bowl at any time. Aggressive pets are not allowed, and will be removed from the campground. Violators are subject to eviction from the event and campgrounds without a refund.

VEHICLES AND PARKING What is considered an oversize camping unit?

Oversized camping units are considered larger than 35 feet. ALL OVERSIZED camp units MUST purchase two campsites. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If the site next to your original campsite is not available for purchase, you will be moved to a special location that can better accommodate your oversized camper.

What vehicles are allowed on the grounds?

No ATVs, golf carts, mopeds, bicycles, skateboards, scooters or any other similar devices are allowed with the exception of those permitted for handicap transportation.

Unauthorized vehicles may be impounded and Country Thunder accepts no responsibility for such vehicles.

What about motorcycles?

Country Thunder considers motorcycles to be vehicles therefore should you choose to bring a motorcycle as a vehicle to Country Thunder it must have the appropriate tag, whether it be your primary vehicle or you purchase an extravehicle pass for it. All motorcycles found without the appropriate credential will be impounded.

cOUNTRY TRY THUNDER DER 2013 13

Our Charity: 100 Club

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Lisa Wargo still cries when she thinks about the longtime support that the 100 Club has provided her and her sons.

In 2003, Wargo’s husband, David, was working an off-duty job in security at Safeway when a man who was parked in front of the store became belligerent and sped off with David hanging from the car’s window.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputy was so seriously injured that he spent years in a vegetative state before dying in May 2012, surrounded by his loving family.

However, two to three days after David was injured, 100 Club Executive Director Sharon Knutson-Felix showed up on the Wargos’ front step with a check to cover necessities.

“She didn’t really say a whole lot,” Wargo says. “She said her name and who she was with.

‘This is money for you to pay your bills and take care of anything you need to take care of.’ At that time, I didn’t know of the 100 Club. I was like, ‘OK.’ I don’t remember the amount. When you don’t know where you’re income is going to come from, you don’t know if your husband’s going to make it, it is a relief to say, ‘I can pay my bills.’ It was very, very, very helpful.”

The 100 Club’s mission is “to provide immediate financial assistance to families of public safety officers and firefighters who are seriously injured or killed in the line of duty, and to provide resources to enhance their safety and

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welfare,” Knutson-Felix says.

Knutson-Felix’s own experience with the 100 Club began in 1998, when her husband, Officer Doug Knutson, was killed in the line of duty. She received financial support from the organization.

She became executive director in 2001 with the goal of expanding the range of services the 100 Club provides.

“They invited me to be their guest at their annual banquet that year, so in March 1998, I met the members of the 100 Club to thank them for their support. I quickly became a member. In 2001, they asked me to lead the organization as their executive director. I was offered the position and accepted it and it’s all history now.”

Knutson-Felix says she’ll never forget the story of the Wargo family, with whom she has become good friends.

“Typically, you meet the family when someone’s killed or injured or died off duty,” Knutson-Felix says. “You don’t normally have such a long relationship with them.”

David Wargo’s injury affected the family for nine years, during which the 100 Club was very involved with Lisa.

“She’s someone I just highly admire and I have a deep respect for her commitment to her husband. She has the sweetest boys and everything. They’re just good people,” KnutsonFelix says.

For more information or to make a donation, visit the 100 Club booth.

cOUNTRY THUNDER 2013 15

Williams and Ree Bruce Williams and Terry Ree, “The Indian and the White Guy,” have sustained a career over 40 years packing casinos, clubs and arenas from Niagara Falls to Las Vegas with their ever-changing routine that—more times than not—steers away from the off-color Indian jokes that originally established the duo.

Williams and Ree met in 1968 at Black Hills State College in Spearfish, S.D., where they began playing together in a band where they often filled time between their songs with their unique brand of humor.

After realizing that the humor became a bigger draw than the music, the comedy team was born. Polishing their performances at venues such as the world famous Comedy Store in Los Angeles during the 1970s and testing new material with the likes of Robin Williams and David Letterman, Williams and Ree discovered their natural ability to play off one another. They have since shared the stage with acts such as Garth Brooks, The Oak Ridge Boys and Tim McGraw in addition to hosting “Country Kitchen” with Florence Henderson.

The show entertained audiences for more than 10 years.

The recent resurgence of comedy shows such as the “Blue Collar Comedy,” “Last Comic Standing,” “Whose Line Is It Anyway” and TBS’ “Minding The Store” proves that audiences nationwide are still entertained by comedians who have the innate ability to find humor umor in everyday life.

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Looking for a meal? Support one of these vendors spread throughout the festival bowl: Aston Concessions Big Bubba’s Bad BBQ Buzz N Beez Good Food C&E Concessions LLC Chinese - Chans Concessions Chef Du’ Jour, LLC (Campground Cafe) Grill - Cardinali Family Concessions Ice Cream - Goldmark Concessions J-Licious Tasty Teazy Tacos Jimbo’s - GCF Foods

JLT Concessions Just A Sweet Thing Kabob Shack Lotz-A-Fun Fry Factory Niki’s Fry Bread Pizza - Cardinali Concessions Sissy’s Specialty Foods SW Concessions Sweet Pickins Kettle Corn The Hillbilly Grill The Pit - GCF Foods Toms BBQ Pig Rig World’s Best Lemonade Co.

Retailers at this year’s Country Thunder include: Arizona Republic Arizona Shady Hats LLC AZ Family Events AZ Tubes Bling It On Casual Cuffs Cowboy Xtreme DAG Fashions Deep South Barrels Desert Bling Designlines Down N Dirty Hat Co. DS Johnson Enterprises Freedom Pro Baseball League Glen Powell Artworks Gold Duster Outfitters Hat Palace Henna Envy Hicktown Couture Hodown Apparel

It’s A Girl Bling Thing Licorice/Candy - Dollface Company Origami Owl Ozuna Boots Psychic On Central Pump Bottle Misters Reyo Fashions Silverwolf Enterprises Smoking Vapor So Cute Boutique Stage Coach Bags & Collectibles Strictly Western Synergy Organic Clothing The Good Stuff The Nutty Bavarian Together Farms LLC X-Treme Apparel Yosemite Sign Co.

Chris Janson Main Stage Thursday, April 11 4 p.m.

A fortunate few come to Nashville and find a home in the city’s historic honky-tonk district.

Then there are those incredibly rare talents who manage to set it on fire.

Chris Janson is one of the latter.

Janson came to Nashville at age 18 and pleaded with the doorman at the legendary Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge for the chance to sing one song with the house band. Not long after he’d finished “Folsom Prison Blues,” the bar’s owners offered him a job.

Virtually overnight, Janson became the talk of the Nashville music scene. Crowds packed Tootsie’s to experience this Missouri-born musician, who could own an audience the way just a handful of his idols, a compelling and charismatic group of country and rock greats that range from Waylon to the Ramones, could do.

For the next year, he played four shows a day.

Janson began performing at the age of 11, although he didn’t choose music as a career path until the summer after high school. He earned a scholarship to attend college to study veterinary medicine but decided to try Nashville instead. With his parents’ blessing, he took off with a few hundred dollars and swiftly landed the Tootsie’s gig.

His audience quickly began to include celebrities. Director Jonathan Demme saw Janson and offered him a small part in the Neil Young concert film “Heart of Gold.” Young, Rob Reiner, members of Guns N’ Roses and many

others came by to watch him perform. On one memorable night that looked like a convention of Music Row executives, he was offered publishing, booking and management deals.

Janson, has toured Europe and hit the U.S. trail with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams Sr., Sugarland, Jamey Johnson, Shooter Jennings and James Otto.

He has shared the stage singing and playing with Hank Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd, Velvet Revolver, and Otto. He is most impressive on stage, bringing an array of strengths into the spotlight.

He is an accomplished singer/songwriter, a dynamic multi-instrumentalist, a compelling vocalist and dynamic entertainer.

The music, while drawing on a range of influences, is nonetheless solid country and unmistakably Chris Janson. Janson is signed to the Bigger Picture Group label, sharing the roster with Zac Brown, Craig Campbell, among others. Upon inking his deal, he began working with producer Keith Stegall. Janson’s first single for Bigger Picture, “Better I Don’t,” entered the charts in February 2013.

Director Jonathan Demme saw Chris Janson and offered him a small part in the Neil Young concert film ‘Heart of Gold.’

cOUNTRY TRY THUNDER DER 2013 17

Sweetwater Rain Main Stage Thursday, April 11 5:30 p.m.

Consisting of singer-songwriters Danny Rivera, Ruth Collins, Fred Stallcup and Thomas Hewlett, Sweetwater Rain delivers its lead single, “Starshine,” an infectious tune narrating the exploration of destiny.

Rivera, whose strong vocals play to the musical mix of country and rock, has made performing a life’s passion from a young age, as did guitarist/vocalist Stallcup and bassist/vocalist Hewlett. Quite possibly the girl next door, Collins adds with conviction a soothing blend of harmony within the entire band.

The final component came when they met for a writing session with songwriter and producer

Anthony Smith, who has written chart hits for George Strait, Montgomery Gentry, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Rascal Flatts, “We really hit it off,” says Rivera, and Smith signed on to produce Sweetwater Rain’s first album.

“We want to captivate and entertain fans with our music,” adds Rivera. “That’s our hope and what we’re all about.”

It showcases the band’s instrumental strengths and keen sense for not only songs that touch vibrant emotional places but also delivering them with the fullest impact and appeal.

The emerging group, signed to Curb Records, makes its debut on, “Starshine,” a track full of stirring harmonies and visuals that play loosely on the children’s classic “Where The Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak.

• Debut single, “Starshine,” hit Billboard Top 50 Spring of 2013 • Social media totals over 10,000 • More than 75 touring dates a year • More than 65,000 views on official YouTube channel • Opening for The Band Perry in the spring of 2013 • The music video for “Starshine” has been averaging 25 spins per week on CMT, GAC & TCN • “These guys are going to be huge stars. I love everything about them,”John Paul, vice president/programming for Dial Global Radio Networks

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Kip Moore Main Stage Thursday, April 11 7 p.m.

Singer-songwriter Kip Moore explored his own experiences of growing up in a small Georgia town and working diligently for years to achieve his musical dreams to create his MCA Nashville debut album, “Up All Night.”

The album poetically captures those unforgettable coming-of-age moments, especially for those longing for a life beyond a small town’s borders, as well as the roller coaster of love and heartbreak at any age. He delivers these honest and deeply personal lyrics with a gravelly voice weathered by life’s detours and disappointments and strengthened by his dreams and unyielding determination.

“Up All Night,” which includes the hit “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck,” is infused with relentless intensity, both of passion and frustration, that is earning rave reviews from critics. His energetic live shows are quickly drawing a large and enthusiastic fan base.

Moore chose “Up All Night” as the album’s title for multiple reasons.

“I spent so many late nights writing this record,” he says. “I was up until 3 or 4 in the morning listening to records and practicing and writing songs and being engulfed in the whole process for years. I had a lot of dark moments along the way and spent late nights crafting these songs. But it can also mean just the late nights on the road having a good time. It means

a variety of things, and that’s why I went with that title and the song is one my favorites on the album.”

Moore, who had a hand in writing all 11 songs on the album, isn’t interested in depicting a fairytale kind of love.

“I am drawn to the real-life experiences between a woman and a man. I try to sing about the way it is, but yet at the same time, what you can hope for between a couple. I don’t intend to paint a picture of what it’s really not.”

“Up All Night” reveals some of the contradictions that he grapples with personally.

Although he’s from a large family and enjoys musical collaborations and performing onstage, he’s an introvert who is often more comfortable being alone.

“There’s a combativeness to the music, too, a fight within,” he says. “With ‘Faith When I Fall,’ I know how bad I need that spiritual realm, but yet I find myself on this other end a lot of times.”

Despite its edge, his music remains desperately optimistic.

“I am hoping for what I have yet to become,” he says. “I feel like it’s hopeful for what I’ve yet reached, how I look forward to feeling, but I haven’t gotten there yet.

“I have truly lived my music to a sense, even the milestones I haven’t reached yet,” he says. “I have been in those moments. I’ve been at those crossroads with a girl: ‘Are we going to take that next step?’ I look forward to taking that next step, but I haven’t wanted to yet. I look forward to being ready for that.”

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Brantley Gilbert Main Stage Thursday, April 11 9 p.m.

Stop and listen to any of Brantley Gilbert’s lyrics and you’ll know a little about him. Listen to his albums and you will feel like family.

Gilbert was born and raised in the small town of Jefferson, Ga., just outside of Athens. It is that upbringing and small-town influence that Gilbert credits toward allowing him to cultivate his unique sound. Gilbert’s taste in music always swayed toward a Southern country rock feel, but his true-to-life testimony of heartache, trials, triumph and success found a home in country music.

Gilbert’s career began on the stage: Night after night, he played acoustic sets at various venues in his hometown and slowly began to notice familiar faces in the crowds. Gilbert soon realized that his acoustic shows—however intimate—didn’t satisfy his audience’s thirst for his rock-infused country music.

“We went from these acoustic shows to a bona fide country-rock-soul show that is wide open,” he says. “Even when we play a ballad, it’s high energy.”

While on the road the past five years, Gilbert has built his brand through his compelling lyrics and dynamic live show—a combination that attracted a strong underground band of believers who shared Gilbert’s passion for life and music; pretty soon his following had taken on a life of its own. As Gilbert tells it, “(W)e don’t have fans, we have friends. I like to think that those people

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in the crowd are just like me. They listen to the songs, they get the meaning and get the purpose and they get something out of it.” It is this rabid fan base that became the first members of what is now known as the BG Nation.

These dedicated fans and their insistence on new music from Gilbert encouraged him to bring his unique style to Nashville, where he soon signed with Warner/Chappell Publishing and began to develop music for a debut album release on an independent record label.

On March 16, 2010, Gilbert released his sophomore album, “Halfway to Heaven,” the follow-up to his debut national release, “A Modern Day Prodigal Son.” The sophomore effort peaked at No. 2 on the iTunes Country Album Charts and at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Album Chart for all genres.

“The Best of Me,” a song from Gilbert’s first album, was recorded by country superstar Jason Aldean and earned a spot on his iTunes release “Wide Open.” Then, in August 2010, Brantley’s song “My Kinda Party” became a No. 1 smash for Aldean, as well as the title track to Aldean’s platinum-selling album. The superstar’s single, “Dirt Road Anthem,” was also written by Gilbert.

In February 2011, Gilbert passed another career milestone when he signed with Big Machine Label Group’s imprint The Valory Music Co.—home to superstars Reba McEntire and Jewel as well as No. 1 chart-topper Justin Moore.

Gilbert is in the studio with award-winning producer Dann Huff working to finish his first album for The Valory Music Co. for a late summer release.

Greg Bates Main Stage Friday, April 12 2:30 p.m.

Like gold in the Cumberland River, Greg Bates is that rare find of an artist: One born and raised right in Nashville. In the most genuine sense, he is a true product of Music City, motivated not by the trappings of country-music stardom, but by the reward of a well-written lyric.

For Bates, it really did all start with a song.

“I was crazy about reading liner notes,” says the 24-year-old singer, guitarist and songwriter who is working on his debut full-length album.

“I started picking up patterns of certain songwriters and hearing them in the music, and that was always the coolest thing to me.”

Traditional ’90s artists like Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam and Alan Jackson were an inspiration to Bates. While studying the ins and outs of the music business at Belmont University, the Nashville native played a showcase during his freshman year and word quickly began to spread about his gift for turning a phrase. By the time he became a senior, Bates was meeting regularly with publishers eager to hear his work.

“The first day that I figured out that you can tell a story with three chords in three minutes and just kill somebody emotionally, I was hooked,” he says. “The stories are what really drew me to country music.”

And what eventually drew him to the stage as a performer. With his younger brother on bass, Bates and his band played assorted venues

around town, entertaining crowds with George Strait covers and original material. Still, his primary goal was not honky-tonk domination, but earning his degree from Belmont.

With that mission accomplished, Bates committed himself to his craft.

“All I wanted to do was write,” he says, likening his creative process to one of selfimposed isolation. “Once I graduated, it’s like I went into a cave and wrote for about a year and a half. And that’s where the majority of this record comes from.”

Produced by Jimmy Ritchey, who also oversaw Bates’ original demo, the hook-filled album is a tight and often twangy collection of 10 songs, all written or co-written by Bates.

“For me, this album is about getting back to country music,” Bates says. “There’s nothing wrong with what’s on the radio nowadays, but I think there is a huge hole where that traditional sound used to be.”

And with instantly memorable fare like the chicken-picking rave-up “Go Time,” grooving first single “Did It for the Girl,” and the explosive “I’m On It,” Bates is ready and able to fill that void.

“The writing process is so much fun to me.

For a creative person, it’s the epitome,” he says.

“It’s all about writing and playing the kind of music that I grew up on. I know there are other people out there who love it as much as I do,” says Greg. “I just want to get out and bring it to them.”

In other words, it’s “Go Time.”

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Jana Kramer Main Stage Friday, April 12 4 p.m.

If you ask Jana Kramer to describe her life in this very moment she would say, “Dreams really do come true.” The singer/songwriter/actress has already had success with four songs that were featured on The CW’s “One Tree Hill,” where she played the firecracker actress, Alex Dupre.

Kramer is no stranger to the bright lights with her impressive string of movie and television roles, but she credits her break into the music industry as her most important accomplishment to date.

“I love acting, but my heart and soul is in singing,” Kramer says. “I’ve been terrified to pursue this dream because it’s so personal to me.

If someone tells me they don’t like my voice, it’s a lot harder of a hit to take. This is what I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve wanted to do music my entire life.”

Growing up in the northern suburbs of Detroit, Kramer is no stranger to the rich history of country music, crediting one of her favorite memories to baking cookies with her grandmother while listening to Patsy Cline. These little moments are one of the many reasons why Kramer is sharing her music with others.

Kramer, who is engaged to fellow country artist Brantley Gilbert, is lighting up country music with her emotionally moving songs and sweet, country vocals, selling more than 150,000 digital singles in the first six months. All eyes are on Kramer as she boldly graces country music with a

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fresh, new sound and powerful new music.

Kramer’s self-titled debut album, which hit stores in June 5, 2012, through Elektra Nashville, hit No. 19 on The Billboard 200 and No. 4 on the Country Albums chart, while “Why Ya Wanna” was a Top 5, gold-certified hit. Her latest single is “Whiskey.” The collection was produced by Scott Hendricks, who has worked with Blake Shelton and Brooks & Dunn.

She has found success with “Jana Kramer.”

She earned three American Country Award nominations in 2012. This year she won an Academy of Country Music Award for Best New Female Artist and is nominated for Best New Artist.

On the media front, last year she was named one of “Summer’s Hottest Artists” by People Country and one of the “Season’s Biggest New Names” by Billboard. Kramer spent last year on the road in support of her album with Brad Paisley’s “Virtual Reality Tour,” performing on the Virtual Opry stage.

“Country music is in my blood. I love country music because it tells a story and I have a lot of stories to tell.”

Country music is in my blood. I love country music because it tells a story and I have a lot of stories to tell.

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Love and Theft Main Stage Friday, April 12 5:30 p.m.

Love and Theft may be celebrating the release of its second studio album, but to the ACM-nominated country duo, the 2012 self-titled release might as well be its first.

And in a way, it is. Love and Theft is Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson’s first album since joining RCA Nashville, the home to many of their musical inspirations.

“The history of RCA Records is incredible,” Liles says. “Just knowing that we are on the same label as some of our biggest influences, like Elvis Presley, is an awesome feeling.”

That excitement is palpable throughout the 11 songs that comprise the album, a fluid mix of country melodies and sing-along choruses, all driven by Gunderson’s earthy voice and Liles’ high-altitude tenor. The guys share lead vocals, harmonize like a church choir, and bolster their songs with their own guitar playing.

“We sound like brothers when we sing,” says Gunderson. “Stephen and I have always been on the same page as far as the vision for the band, and we feel like we have made the record we’ve always wanted to make.”

Produced by Josh Leo (Alabama, Nitty Gritty Dirty Band), “Love and Theft” is a nod to the duo’s varied influences. “She’s Amazing” evokes the brilliant harmonies of the Eagles. The seductive “Amen” channels all the yearning of Roy Orbison. And the rollicking first single “Angel

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Eyes”—which scored the twosome their first CMT Music Awards nomination for Duo Video of the Year—brings to mind Elvis Presley’s “(You’re the) Devil in Disguise.”

Coincidentally, Gunderson and Liles—who didn’t meet until they were in their early 20s— were practically raised in church. Liles’ father is a pastor and Gunderson’s father is a worship pastor. Their respective fathers fed them a steady diet of gospel, oldies and country.

“Our parents didn’t want us listening to secular music that much,” explains Gunderson.

“But they’d let us listen to Elvis, Roy, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. It was cool to grow up that way, and that’s still my favorite kind of music.”

Gunderson and Liles’ experiences growing up in the Bible Belt help inform the album, especially on the wild-child single “Angel Eyes.”

“Preachers’ kids seem to have the most rebellious side and get in trouble more,” Gunderson admits with a laugh. “That was kind of the inspiration for that. We wrote it from a personal place.”

With a renewed emphasis on organic sounds, the album has brought Love and Theft closer to what it set out to be: a band that writes, records and performs honest, soulful country music.

“This record represents the way we sound live,” says Gunderson, before—like the musical brothers they are—Liles completes the thought.

“It shows a more mature, evolved Love and Theft but the core is still the same,” he says. “Our sound will always be driven by harmonies.”

Tracy Lawrence Main Stage Friday, April 12 7 p.m.

The latest Tracy Lawrence album is titled “The Singer,” but the collection is much more than a showcase for one of the most unforgettable voices in contemporary country music.

“I’m at a time in my life where I am about to blossom, artistically—as an artist, as a songwriter, as a producer and all these things,” says the multi-million-selling entertainer. “I’m learning how to express myself more, in many ways.”

Lawrence co-wrote six of the new CD’s songs. He co-produced the entire record.

And perhaps most significantly, he created a striking new sound for himself. In an era when rock-influenced bombast and cluttered over production seem to dominate Nashville’s country recordings, Tracy Lawrence is offering a refreshing, stripped-down, “unplugged” record that throws the spotlight on songs’ lyrics and his beautifully resonant voice.

“This was such an easy record to work on,” Lawrence comments. “There’s something to be said for going back to being understated, taking a breath and getting back to basics.”

He has been silent on disc for more than two years. Along with fellow stars John Anderson, Lorrie Morgan, Darryl Worley and a number of others, Lawrence was trapped in a contract with a label that sank.

He decided to head into the studio and record an acoustic project for his fans.

“Originally, I just intended it to be a

‘bridge’ project, to have something out there while we worked on the next, full-production album. But as it started coming to life, I realized we have something special here. The fans told us how unique it was and how much they liked it. So now we’ve realized that we have something really refreshing in the market. I think it’s something that is needed.”

“The Singer” includes the haunting story song “Saving Savannah,” as well as the tonguein-cheek “Pills.” On the relationship front, there’s the heartache of “Cloud of Dust,” the romance of “Tender Enough” and the enigma of “Roswell and Marilyn Monroe.” The philosophical “Jealousy,” the deeply painful “Heaven for Awhile” and the timely “Hard Times” are all illustrations of Lawrence’s new maturity as a songwriter. The album’s title tune and debut single seems strikingly autobiographical, as does the restless “Whole Lotta Me.” Rounding out “The Singer” are lovely new versions of 2004’s “Paint Me a Birmingham” and 2006’s “Find Out Who Your Friends Are,” two major hits that brought Tracy Lawrence renewed popularity in the new millennium. All 12 of the tracks collected on this extraordinary disc ring with emotional authenticity and country conviction.

“I think everybody else seems to so busy trying to be pop stars that they’ve forgotten what they came here for,” Lawrence observes. “I didn’t come here to be a pop star. I came here to be a country singer. I’ve been passionate about country since I was a kid. I still love it, and I’m desperately trying to hold onto it, in spite of what the marketplace says is ‘fashionable.’”

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Eric Church Main Stage Friday, April 12 9 p.m.

Revolution has cast a spark in mainstream country music, and outlaw rebel Eric Church is to blame. Since the 2006 release of his first album, “Sinners Like Me,” Church has led his pack one-by-one through retrospective songwriting, invigorating live shows, and a hard-boiled attitude soaked in blood and sweat, and ice cold beers. Perhaps that’s why his recent No. 1 singles “Drink In My Hand” and “Springsteen” have accomplished RIAA Gold and Platinum certification, respectively, and his first headlining arena tour, aptly titled “Eric Church: The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour,” experienced record-breaking sales and prompting rave critical reviews. Church is bringing his raucous live show to stadiums and arenas in 2013.

“Normally, you have No. 1 singles before you have No. 1 albums and arena tours, but for us, it was the other way,” says Church.

Cultivating a devoted fan base without sacrificing musical integrity and self-expression, Church has built up his following slowly, but the hard work is finally proving to have paid off.

Reflecting on his creative process when crafting the game-changing album “Chief,” Church used his opportunity to make a new record provided by his success to push his creativity and live show even further. “I have a theory that all of us only get a small window of

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time to make records when people will really listen and care,” he says. “It’s up to us to move the needle. People like Waylon and Cash or Garth and Strait—they all took the format and said ‘We’re going over here,’ and they all changed the direction of the music a little bit.”

Although his debut album, “Sinners Like Me,” established him as one of the most acclaimed new songwriters in country music; and the follow-up, 2009’s RIAA Gold Certified “Carolina,” produced the singles “Love Your Love the Most” and “Smoke a Little Smoke,” which—along with the continually escalating popularity of his hardcharging live show—elevated Church to the top ranks of today’s country stars in early 2011 at which point Church decided to take a step back to give some thought to his next creative direction.

“I took about a month off and went to a cabin in North Carolina,” he says. “We’ve always blazed our own trail and I was trying to figure out where it needed to go and, honestly, I wasn’t sure.

So, I didn’t go anywhere for a month. Writers came out and we just wrote songs all day and all night. That really stoked the creative flame.

Then, I spent the next six months on tour writing whenever I could.”

When it came time to record the album, Church had a sound in mind that felt different from his first two releases. “This record, more than anything else I’ve done, is breathing and alive,” he says. “There’s a wildness to it. It’s untamed and not very harnessed.”

Morgan Frazier Main Stage Saturday, April 13 2:30 p.m.

At a time when country music is experiencing a virtual drought when it comes to women’s voices on the radio, Morgan Frazier has arrived.

It’s a confident statement, but the Breckenridge, Texas, native is truly a breath of fresh air for the format.

Success, even the drive to succeed, wasn’t immediate. Her first public appearance came at the age of 5 and it was, to put it mildly, a disaster. She explains, “I sang ‘When You Say Nothing At All,’ at a local talent show, but I grew up Church of Christ, which was no music. It’s all a cappella singing. So that’s where I learned to sing. But at this talent show I had to sing to tracks, which I had never done before. I got up there and I got off the beat of the music, because I didn’t know how to sing with tracks, so I performed with my head down the whole time.

When I got off stage, I told my mom, ‘I’m never, ever singing again.’”

The tot managed to score a People’s Choice award, and that was enough to ignite a fire in her to continue performing. And her parents were delighted to chauffeur Frazier to those Texas jamborees.

In the process of performing at jamborees, talent shows and rodeos, the aspiring artist wasn’t just honing her performing skills, she was also becoming an entrepreneur. On the advice

of concert goers who heard her sing and wanted to take that voice home, the 9-year-old’s parents paid $2,000 for their daughter to make a CD to sell at shows. But that wasn’t quite enough for the go-getter.

“I was doing the rodeo queen circuit around the same time and you had to go door-to-door and sell rodeo tickets. That’s how you get into that whole thing. Whoever sells the most tickets wins,” she explains. “So, I thought, ‘I can get rid of these CDs by selling them and instead of going house-to-house, I’ll go storeto-store.”

It worked. She sold 30,000 CDs at $10 a pop.

They packed up the entire clan in a travel trailer and began taking Frazier and her music across the country, eventually landing in Nashville. And that’s when the whirlwind began.

She met John Northrup, who would eventually become her manager. He persuaded her to move back to Nashville and also offered to pair her with songwriting friend Dean Dillon, who has written most of George Strait’s biggest hits.

She’s come a long way from that first performance at 5 years old, to writing her first song at 7 years old (“In the Gates of Heaven”—a gospel song she sang at Show and Tell) to writing and signing with Curb Records’ sister label, Sidewalk Records, at 16. And the evolution has been gradual and subtle because the talent was always there—the innate talent of a natural born performer whose destiny was inevitably under the spotlight.

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Parmalee Main Stage Saturday, April 13 4 p.m.

From a tiny town that’s home to a gas station, two blinking yellow lights, and a small tin-roofed barn dubbed Studio B, country rockers Parmalee launched their long journey to Nashville.

A near-fatal robbery Parmalee experienced after a show would have destroyed most bands.

But brothers Matt and Scott Thomas, cousin Barry Knox and longtime friend Josh McSwain didn’t call it quits. Instead it reinforced their intense motivation.

The Thomas brothers grew up near Greenville, N.C., watching their father, Jerry, front a popular local southern rock blues band. From this they learned how to integrate their own style into the songs they were playing. Knox, a drummer, joined them. The practice paid off one night when Matt and Scott, then teenagers, snuck into a club to watch their father perform.

“The guitar player got too drunk before the gig and didn’t show,” Matt explains. “I knew all the songs so my dad called me on stage. I was in the band from that point on.”

Scott replaced the drummer, and Knox learned bass. The lineup became the newly minted The Thomas Brothers Band. The band met McSwain through the music scene and the foursome clicked immediately on stage. The band played its first gig and Parmalee was born.

The band developed a devout regional following based on the intensity of their live

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shows. But, the guys knew to turn their dreams into reality they would have to leave North Carolina. Their journey took them all over the country and eventually to songwriter David Fanning, who introduced Parmalee to BBR Music Group President/CEO Benny Brown. Brown was impressed and asked to see a showcase in Nashville. Parmalee put together a short North Carolina tour to fund the trip back to Music City.

But after the first show, plans changed.

After their Sept. 21, 2010, show, McSwain and Knox were packing gear in the venue while Thomas brothers were outside loading their RV when two armed men knocked on the door. The men put a gun to Matt’s head and demanded money. Shots were fired. Scott, who possessed a concealed weapons license, fired back. One of the gunmen died and Scott was shot three times.

One bullet hit Scott’s femoral artery causing him to nearly bleed to death.

By February 2011, Scott was well enough to get behind a drum kit for the first time and the band finally performed their promised label showcase. “We wouldn’t tell everybody how bad off I was because there was no way I wasn’t going to play that show,” Scott says.

Through sheer willpower, the band nailed the set and landed a deal with Stoney Creek Records, home to Thompson Square and Randy Houser.

Looking back on their experiences, the members of Parmalee have no regrets about the path they chose. “All the obstacles and craziness we’ve been through allowed us to help find our home in Nashville,” Matt says.

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Diamond Rio Main Stage Saturday, April 13 5:30 p.m.

Formed in 1984, Diamond Rio features lead singer Marty Roe, guitarist Jimmy Olander, drummer Brian Prout, keyboardist Dan Truman, bassist/harmony Dana Williams and Gene Johnson on mandolin/harmony.

The band signed with Arista in the early ‘90s and embarked on one of the most successful careers in country music. The band has sold more than 10 million albums earning three platinum and five gold records and won the Country Music Association’s Vocal Group of the Year award four times as well as netting two Academy of Country Music Awards in the top Vocal Group of the Year category and 13 Grammy nominations.

When they debuted in 1991 with the hit “Meet in the Middle,” Diamond Rio became the first group in the history of country music to have a debut single reach No. 1. They continued to place 32 more singles on the Billboard chart, including “How Your Love Makes Me Feel,” “Norma Jean Riley,” “Beautiful Mess,” “Love a Little Stronger” and “One More Day.” The band members are longtime supporters and national spokesmen for Big Brothers Big Sisters. They have raised more than $1.5 million for the charity to date through annual events including golf tournaments and Team Rio, a marathon and half group.

Recently, Diamond Rio’s Olander and Johnson celebrated firsts while participating

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in the St. Jude’s Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon. Olander completed his first full marathon (26.2 miles) and Johnson completed his first half marathon (13.1 miles). Team Rio 2012 had more than 100 adult runners and 60 Team Rio Kids participants from several local schools.

New this year, Team Rio added a spinning component to the fitness and fundraising efforts at the official Team Rio cheer station, FIT in the Gulch. Situated at the two-mile marker, spinners participated by spinning 13.1 miles, while DJ Silver spun his own musical mashups to help pump up not only the spinners, but the passing marathon runners.

Diamond Rio’s musicians are no strangers to accolades. Six-time Vocal Group of the Year, Diamond Rio, won its first Grammy for its first Christian album, 2009’s “The Reason,” on Word Records. It also garnered the band its first Dove Award.

During a recent tour stop in Calgary, Alberta, the band received an official accolade and was presented with the prestigious white hat honor bestowed on visiting musicians, actors, dignitaries, heads of state, prime ministers, presidents and royalty since 1948. The white hat is a symbol of friendship and western hospitality on behalf of the City of Calgary and The Calgary Stampede.

Recent notable recipients include: the Dalai Lama, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (William and Kate), former U.S. presidents Clinton and Bush, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Rolling Stones.

Lee Brice Main Stage Saturday, April 13 7 p.m.

On Lee Brice’s sophomore album, “Hard 2 Love,” the multiple Academy of Country Music nominee demonstrates a new maturity and patience, both in his songwriting and vocals.

“I made my first album, ‘Love Like Crazy,’ over six years,” explains the South Carolina native, lifting his trademark backward ball cap and rubbing his forehead. “It didn’t feel like a cohesive record, but more like a lot of different songs. And six years later, I’ve grown as an artist and a writer.

“Everything on the new album is very pertinent to who I am right now and where I am in my life. I have some very personal stuff on there, and I had to be really honest with it.

Hopefully, folks will see that.”

Radio listeners are aware of “A Woman Like You,” a married couple’s starkly honest take on love and devotion. As “A Woman Like You” suggests, Brice presents himself throughout the album as a man who fully knows who he is and steps up to own it. He co-produced every track.

“At 32, I’m growing up, and I’ve done a lot more singing, not just in the studio but live. I’ve done about 200 shows a year for the last five years, and I realized that you can move people and peel their faces back without necessarily screaming at them. I’m just learning there is a patience that you gain with experience and I’m trying to dig in.”

As co-writer of eight of the 13 tracks on “Hard 2 Love,” Brice has aimed for strong melodies and smart, emotional storytelling that aims straight for the heart.

The amiable and (at 6-foot 3-inches) imposing artist has already made history twice. Garth Brooks’ “More Than a Memory,” which Brice co-wrote, became the first song on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart to debut at No. 1.

Then, the title track off of his own album, “Love Like Crazy,” was named Billboard’s most played country song of 2010.

Writing since he was a child growing up in Sumter, S.C., Brice was fascinated by music.

By age 7, he’d balance himself at his Aunt Henrietta’s upright piano to plunk out gospel tunes and make up his own melodies. Filled with the joy and power of music, he performed first for his family and then at church.

Later, recalling a spring break in Nashville when producer Doug Johnson promised to help him should he move to town, he left school and packed his bags. Johnson made good on his offer, later arranging a writing deal for him with Curb Music Publishing.

The first year, Brice co-wrote 150 songs. With his knack for inhabiting and not just delivering a song, the buzz around town was that Brice was a talent on the rise. His tours with Willie Nelson, Jamey Johnson and Luke Bryan bore that out.

“Hard 2 Love” is the album on which Brice finally gets to say, “Here’s who I am, in all sides of my personality. I hope you’ll like me.” Chances are, you already know the answer.

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Toby Keith Main Stage Saturday, April 13 9 p.m.

There are few safe bets in life, even fewer when it comes to entertainment. A new Toby Keith album, however, is as close to a sure thing as can be found. When he released “Hope on the Rocks,” Keith was coming off yet another No. 1 country album—“Clancy’s Tavern”—which included the biggest viral event in the genre’s history, “Red Solo Cup.” That effort was just the latest in a long run of chart-topping albums and singles that form an unmatched model of consistency. So much so as to fuel and attract other notable endeavors.

Keith’s tours are annually among the nation’s top draws. His I Love This Bar And Grill restaurants are perhaps the fastest growing of any such celebrity chain. And his signature Wild Shot Mezcal has almost single handedly stoked growth in an entire segment of the spirits industry. Those successes led Forbes to regularly rank Keith, whose tours have a long-running association with title sponsor Ford Trucks, as one of the top-earning musicians in the industry.

Remarkable as they are, however, those achievements pale in comparison to the singular vision behind an astonishingly focused creative process. The principal songwriter behind the incredible career of Toby Keith has been and remains Toby Keith—to the tune of more than 75 million airplay performances, according to BMI. That number puts him among the top songwriter/ artists of all time in any genre.

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“Hope on the Rocks” is an accumulation of a career’s worth of experience, craftsmanship and a deep understanding of how to channel inspiration.

“I write all year and record at the end of the year,” he says. “Once in a while an outside song like ‘I Wanna Talk About Me’ or ‘Red Solo Cup’ comes along and I’ve always said I’m not going to pass up a hit that sounds like I wrote it.

“But most of the time it’s just me cutting whatever I wrote in the last year. So there's never a theme or a pre-conceived plan.”

Music aside, Keith has found success as an actor and producer with feature films “Broken Bridges” and “Beer For My Horses” several album cycles ago. Keith says he's not likely to reprise those roles.

And that experience may have informed his decision to pass on a judge’s chair on “American Idol.”

“That was a flattering offer in a huge primetime spot with a lot of money and all of that,” he admits. “Ten years ago I probably would have done it. And I've been offered sitcoms by all five major networks. I always sit down with them and after three months of negotiating end up turning it down. It’s a lot of time, production and prep.”

As he considers what he most enjoys away from his work, Toby Keith includes songwriting.

Which makes the notion that a year from now there will be another batch of ten impeccably crafted songs—and another handful held out in hopes of being singles someday—a pretty sure thing.

High Valley Main Stage Sunday, April 14 2:30 p.m.

When it comes to illuminating simple truths and tapping into universal emotions there’s nothing like a great song, and country music has long been known for its rich legacy of powerful story songs. When a great collection of songs merges with a band of gifted communicators, the impact is considerable.

It’s that one-two punch of powerful songs and potent performances that makes High Valley one of the most impressive new acts.

“The overall goal of the record is to make people think,” says lead vocalist Brad Rempel, who along with his brothers Bryan and Curtis comprises High Valley. “You don’t have to listen to too many songs on the record to see that there are songs about challenges. We want people to think about their lives and to think about their loved ones and to ask: ‘What am I doing with my life?’”

As a result, High Valley’s self-titled album is a collection that is entertaining and thoughtprovoking.

“We wanted a mixture of feel-good tunes and we wanted faith-based songs as well,” says Brad of meeting with Nashville’s top writers and publishers to cull the best material for the record.

High Valley’s last album, “Broken Borders,” was named Album of the Year at the 2007 GMA Canada Covenant Awards in the country category while their hit “Back to You” was honored as Country Song of the Year.

In recording their latest project, the trio turned to Canadian country superstar Paul Brandt and Nashville-based Shawn Neff to produce the set.

Paying homage to Brandt’s considerable influence, the trio covered “When You Call My Name.”

The Canadian-born siblings grew up in Alberta on a farm in the rural community of La Crete.

The Rempel family relocated to Canada in a rather unusual fashion when the siblings’ paternal grandfather loaded his family onto a truck and drove them from Mexico to Canada.

“Our parents were both born in Mexico in a Mennonite colony where they rode horse and buggy and had no electricity,” says Brad. “Then our grandfather bought an old gray truck and as a result, he got kicked out of the colony because that was against the rules to have a vehicle. So he packed up the family and immigrated to Canada with the family in the back of this truck. There were two families, four adults in the front and 20 children on the box and that’s how they made their move all the way to Canada.”

Brad was only 12 when the group began performing and Bryan was 9 years old. Curtis, the youngest sibling, joined the group later on.

The brothers performed at church camps then graduated to opening dates for major country acts.

“In 2001, we recorded for the first time in Nashville,” says Brad, “and the following year we spent 110 days on the road, even though we were still in school and had part-time jobs.”

With their new album starting to generate buzz on both sides of the border, the brothers are ce. looking forward to expanding their audience.

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Aaron Lewis Main Stage Sunday, April 14 4 p.m.

If you want to get to know Aaron Lewis, just listen to “The Road.” On his first full-length country album, the Grammy Award-nominated, multi-platinum singer, songwriter and guitarist tells one story after another. Echoing traditional country, some of those tales are hilarious and heartwarming, while others are pensive and personal. Nevertheless, they’re all equally powerful, vibrant and unforgettable.

For Lewis, “The Road” continues to surprise like it always has. In 2011, the Staind frontman formally arrived in the country world with the release of his debut EP, “Town Line.” Highlighted by the success of gold-selling single “Country Boy” featuring the legendary George Jones and Charlie Daniels, the seven-song EP reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and No. 7 on the Billboard Top 200 upon release.

Lewis also received two Academy of Country Music nominations for Vocal Event of the Year for “Country Boy” (for his work as artist and as co-producer) as well as two CMT nominations— one for USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year and another for Collaborative Video of the Year.

Simultaneously, the music video for the single stirred similar fan fervor, surpassing 12 million views on YouTube and 3 million on CMT.com.

After a whirlwind year, Lewis began working on what would become “The Road” in the fall of 2011.

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While balancing a solo run and a tour supporting Staind’s self-titled seventh studio album, he carved out intermittent pockets of time to record in Nashville. The result is a natural progression from “Town Line.” The album’s 10 songs unfold with a classic grit and an invigorating energy all directly from Lewis’ heart and soul. The first single, “Endless Summer,” recalls an idyllic day in the sun with his daughters.

“It proves I can write a happy tune,” Lewis said with a laugh. “It’s a story about me and the family going to our beach cottage on the weekends. It’s all true. We drive down there, cook striper on the grill and dig our own clams.”

Then there’s “Forever,” a true product of “The Road” itself. It captures the longing and loneliness of life on the tour bus, while reflecting the immortality of true love. It’s touching and thought-provoking all at once.

On the other end of the spectrum, his sense of humor shines through on the propulsive highway anthem “State Lines” and swaggering old-school good-time of “Party in Hell.”

In many ways, “The Road” brings things full circle for Lewis. In Staind, he has made an indelible mark on hard rock. The group has sold 13 million albums worldwide, yielding four consecutive top 3 debuts on the Billboard Top 200 as well as numerous radio hits. Their single “It’s Been Awhile” also remains the most-played rock song of the decade. Still, this new chapter proves cyclical for Lewis, actually bringing him back to the first style of music he’d heard: country music.

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Jerrod Niemann Main Stage Sunday, April 14 5:30 p.m.

While writing and recording his new album, Jerrod Niemann immersed himself in country music’s history. A former performance art technology student at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, Niemann pondered a question that is heard frequently these days: Just what exactly constitutes country?

His answer to that query can be found in the groundbreaking “Free The Music.”

“This album is my interpretation of how I feel about country right now,” Niemann says.

The follow-up to his Sea Gayle Records/Arista Nashville debut “Judge Jerrod and the Hung Jury,” which debuted at No. 1 and yielded the hits “Lover, Lover” and “What Do You Want,” Niemann’s sophomore album emphasizes the early instruments that have shaped the genre: acoustic guitars and bass, fiddles and even horns.

“The pedal steel guitar has come to define country music, but there were years and years of country being made before that instrument was even invented,” Niemann says.

The result is an adventurous release that redefines the listening experience. “Free the Music” is a sonic journey through a multitude of styles, including country, rock, honky-tonk, Dixieland jazz and reggae.

While exploring these sounds, the Kansas native says he sought inspiration in the approach of two seminal outlaws.

“Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings were very progressive in their day, and they were

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getting harassed by people who said, ‘Hey, that’s not country,’” Niemann says.

“But the mistake many artists make when they first come to Nashville is that they want to be those guys so badly that they get stuck in time. It’s our duty to have our own voice and come up with our own way of saying something.”

On “Free the Music,” Niemann either wrote or co-wrote the songs. From the funky opening title track to sun-drenched first single “Shinin’ on Me,” the songs represent an artist committed to stretching musical boundaries while simultaneously honoring country’s past.

The empowering “Get on Up” employs a unique ascending-and-descending guitar riff and a surprisingly well-fitting Mellotron. “Real Women Drink Beer,” combining elements of reggae with the Bakersfield Sound, would sit nicely on a Dwight Yoakam album. “Honky Tonk Fever” has prominent jazz horns and remarkably different tempos. And “I’m All About You,” featuring Grammy-winning vocalist Colbie Caillat, is a piano-driven, laid-back love song.

But it is the knockout ballad “Only God Could Love You More” that, for the first time, truly showcases Niemann’s voice as the nuanced instrument it is.

“Some people sound the same on every song, but I like to be a chameleon, like an actor in a role. For ‘Only God Could Love You More,’ we didn’t put any harmonies on it and used my original tracking vocal.”

For Niemann, it’s all about the song.

“You can put all the bells and whistles on an album that you want, but if the songs aren’t there, it’s not going to work,” Niemann says.

Justin Moore Main Stage Sunday, April 14 7 p.m.

When Justin Moore tells fans at concerts that he’s “proud to be from small town USA,” it’s from the heart. The Poyen, Ark., native grew up in a town with a population of 272, the sign with that declaration sits in his grandparents front yard. He graduated from high school with 37 classmates.

He started his career by being true to himself, in the way he lives and in the songs he writes.

When he sings about growing up in Poyen in his No. 1 hit, “Small Town USA” and that “some people called it prison when I was growin’ up, but these are my roots and this is what I love,” he means every word of it.

He had the type of childhood most people would envy, loving grandparents on both sides of the family tree, aunts and uncles, cousins, best boyhood and lifelong friends, Sunday meals after church with family and friends, summers on the lake fishing with his buddies, ball games on Friday nights and supportive and nurturing parents who taught him wrong from right and the importance of being a good Christian.

His parents, Tommy Ray and Charlene Moore, noticed he could sing on key and memorize songs in almost an instant when he was 2 years old.

The family realized he had a special gift when

Moore was asked to sing all the solos in church on Sundays.

After high school, he enrolled in college on a sports scholarship. With the blessing of his parents and current manager Pete Hartung of L3 Entertainment, he left college after two weeks and moved to Nashville.

He met fledgling producer/songwriter Jeremy Stover, and Moore and Stover realized they had found the perfect fit. Stover became Moore’s writing partner and producer and when they had written the songs they thought they needed for an album they took it to Scott Borchetta, president of the Big Machine Label Group. In August of 2009 Moore released his first album, “Justin Moore” on The Valory Music Co. label.

Moore spent all of 2009 and 2010 touring with the biggest names in country music. In 2011, he supported Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton and Eric Church. His headlining shows have sold out in clubs across the country.

Moore’s sophomore album “Outlaws Like Me” debuted at No. 1 upon its June 21, 2011, release and quickly landed him his second No. 1 along with a top 15 and then his first love song, “’Til My Last Day” became his third No. 1 in December 2012.

Moore is working on his third studio album and also preparing for his first headlining tour starting first quarter of 2013.

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Lady Antebellum Main Stage Sunday, April 14 8:30 p.m.

Lady Antebellum’s truth is in the music.

But the alchemy that forged this seven-time Grammy Award-winning trio extends beyond its signature vocal blend and heartfelt songwriting gifts. With a self-titled double platinum debut album and triple platinum second effort—“Need You Now”—it’s easy to applaud their amazing achievements.

“That’s the core of our group, how we started,” says Dave Haywood, harmony singer and multi-instrumentalist. “What spawned our friendship was that special writing chemistry.

That’s when we are the happiest, just sitting in a room together making music.”

Co-lead singer Hillary Scott agreed.

“Maybe it’s a self-preservation kind of thing,” she says. “Especially, on the road we have to work to nurture our relationship. I write so much from about what is happening in my life and the people closest to me, so knowing my friends care about what is going on in my life outside of Lady A, makes me more likely to pour it all out into a song.”

“Writing lets us chill and slow down a bit,” says Charles Kelley whose edgy lead vocals merge and weave with Scott’s velvet tone.

Lady Antebellum formed in 2006. Scott and Kelley decided to try writing together after meeting at a Nashville music spot. Kelley and Haywood were living with Kelley’s brother, singer osh. Th Josh.

Through late-night songwriting sessions,

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the group discovered the remarkable emotional effect that was created when Kelley and Scott’s vocals blended. With Haywood’s harmony sounds and instrumental prowess added to that mix, the three young musicians realized they might not just be writing songs for other people, but perhaps would get to perform them, too.

Soon key tastemakers began to believe in the group. By April 2007, Capitol Nashville signed Lady Antebellum to a record deal and the trio scored powerful hits such as “Love Don’t Live Here” and “I Run To You.” The group’s second album, 2010’s “Need You Now” took the band to an even larger audience.

To date, the album has sold more than five million copies worldwide, spawning three multi-week No. 1 hits (“Need You Now,” “American Honey” and “Our Kind of Love”), and scored five Grammy Awards. It has also received more than a dozen other award show trophies.

Lady Antebellum’s third album, “Own the Night,” hit stores Sept. 13. The 12-cut set features the band’s fastest-rising single to date, “Just a Kiss,” plus 11 other tracks. Kelley, Scott and Haywood wrote or co-wrote 10 of the songs, including “We Owned the Night.” “‘We Owned The Night’ opens the album,“ says Dave excitedly, “and I really love this song.

We reworked the title slightly to make it present tense for the album title–‘Own The Night.’ When people come out to our live show it’s a call to action. Be confident, live in the moment and enjoy the experiences you’re going through— own them. That’s the premise of what we wanted to say.”

DJ DU

DJ DU Crown Royal’s Electric Thunder Nightly 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Born Duhamel Wayne Cassell in New York City, DJ DU is an American DJ and remix producer.

At the early age of 13, DJ DU started his career by spinning records for his friends and family in the Infamous Basement in East Windsor, N.J. His brother Yo-el Cassell would practice dance while DU would remix everything from dance and rock to show tunes and Latin music.

Yo-el has gone on to become an accomplished dancer, choreographer and a winner of a Tony Award.

Being from a multi-cultural household, DU was exposed to an unbelievable amount of musical influences from a young age. Growing up in the shadow of New York City, Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore, DU started appearing at clubs and parties in his teens. DU teamed up with hiphop artist YZ (Tony Hill) in high school where they produced their first album at Jam All Productions Studios in Philadelphia.

After high school, DU joined the U.S. Air Force and flew around the world, including the Gulf, as an aircrew member on C-141s and KC-10 aircraft. During his service DU expended his musical taste by visiting clubs in Europe and South America. After completing his service

DU immediately returned to college at Rowen University in New Jersey during the days and spinning at clubs at night in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia with a newfound passion for all types of music.

After being recruited during college to move to Phoenix, DU was offered a chance to DJ at the Rockin’ Rodeo, a country and top 40 nightclub in Tempe, after a corporate executive saw him performing at Phoenix Live. This was DU’s first experience in the country music market. After only a few weeks DU was recruited again to take over entertainment at the Cactus Moon in Tucson, where he infused country and top 40 music together in a way to attract crowds of every musical preference. He created one of the busiest clubs in the Southwest.

After many years, DJ DU departed the Cactus Moon and it opened him up to pursue other endeavors in music and style.

DU has worked on shows with and from Avicii, Central Park Rock Festival, Country Thunder USA, ACM Awards, Buckcherry, LL Cool J, Rascal Flatts, Eric Church and Brad Paisley.

He recently appeared on The American Country Awards on Fox performing “Beer Money” and “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck” behind country superstar Kip Moore.

DU has been heard as a live remixer for several radio stations in Arizona and New Jersey.

He is also an accomplished guitar player, sound/ light engineer and an award-winning entertainer.

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Run Boy Run College Times Stage Thursday, April 11 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Formed in the summer of 2009, Run Boy Run has emerged as “a prevalent force in the desert music scene.” After winning the coveted Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Contest in 2011, Run Boy Run performed throughout the Southwest and built a growing catalog of traditional, original and familiar material.

The unique sound of Run Boy Run is rooted in the traditional music of the Appalachian South.

Bands like Nickel Creek and Crooked Still have paved the way for the music of Run Boy Run: dynamic, orchestral and overflowing with beauty.

Run Boy Run exists in the tension between tradition and frontier. Three strong female voices weave a spectacular tapestry of sound. Awardwinning fiddle cuts a path for a tightly formed rhythmic front. Every arrangement is—at its core—beautiful.

Brother and sister, Matt (fiddle, guitar) and Grace Rolland (cello, vocals), have fiddle music running through their blood. Raised with bow and rosin on every bedside table, Run Boy Run was a natural fit. Sisters, Bekah (fiddle, vocals, guitar) and Jen Sandoval (mandolin, vocals), grew up deeply ingrained in the bluegrass festivals of Arizona, so they too found a home in Run Boy Run. Jesse Allen (bass) was brought up on opera and western swing, and grew to love the natural fusion inherent in American music. The whole truly exceeds the sum of the parts as touches classi off classical, jazz and folk express themselves

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through the old-time core of Run Boy Run’s unique sound.

On March 19, the band self-released “So Sang the Whippoorwill,” which was recorded at Jim Brady Recording Studios in Tucson. The 12-track collection was produced by Run Boy Run and Jim Brady.

The album features three traditional songs— “Down in the Willow Garden,” “Red Rocking Chair” and “Silver Dagger”—one cover, “Get Up Jake” and eight original tunes. Garrison Keillor of “A Prairie Home Companion” provided the liner message.

The album name is inspired by the Mexican Whippoorwill, a nocturnal “nightjar” bird found in Tucson and the southwestern United States.

The song of the whippoorwill, once heard in the still desert night, is not easily forgotten, even well into the morning after the night has faded away.

Allen described it as “unexpected, beautiful, haunting and giving comfort even on the darkest night.”

“That, in a small and symbolic way, is what we hope to accomplish with our music,” Allen said.

The unique sound of Run Boy Run is rooted in the traditional music of the Appalachian South.

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Dry River Yacht Club College Times Stage Friday, April 12 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

The creation of Dry River Yacht Club was simple. In the fall of 2007, a group of friends came together in a Tempe living room to create the band.

Dry River Yacht Club mixed an assortment of musical references and high-energy execution to create a sound that’s eclectic and entirely its own.

Now it’s 5 1/2 years later, and the band members have invested countless hours playing late gigs, touring in broken down minivans, and coping with lineup changes. However, Dry River Yacht Club’s collective musical heart beats stronger than ever.

During the past several years, Dry River Yacht Club has been fortunate enough to share the stage with such notable acts as Devotchka, Calexico, Paper Bird, Megafaun, March Fourth Marching Band, Grupo Fantasma, Del the Funky Homosapien, Pretty Lights, Loverboy, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, The Mother Hips, Bowerbirds, Yann Tiersen, Balkan Beat Box, Lindsey Stirling, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and The Shins.

The band is extremely honored and excited to be playing along with some of country music’s biggest acts at Country Thunder this weekend.

When it’s not performing, Dry River Yacht Club is recording with renowned producer Craig Schumacher of Wavelab Studios in Tucson— definitely a dream come true for Dry River Yacht Club. The band realizes that Schumacher’s alent and an experience will push it to create its talent

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best work to date. It is also collaborating with River Jones Music Label, which has guaranteed the new album the very best in promotion and distribution.

The band members say they hope patrons will join Dry River Yacht Club for one of their sets at Country Thunder. It will be the only dance party all weekend where you can see a nine-piece band featuring bassoon, bass clarinet, viola, violin, bass trombone, acoustic guitar, drums, electric bass guitar and siren-esque vocals.

The band members say they hope patrons will join Dry River Yacht Club for one of their sets at Country Thunder. It will be the only dance party all weekend where you can see a nine-piece band featuring bassoon, bass clarinet, viola, violin, bass trombone, acoustic guitar, drums, electric bass guitar, and siren-esque vocals.

Gospel Claws College Times Stage Friday, April 12 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Gospel Claws formed in 2007 when lead singer and guitarist Joel Marquard left the indie pop band Dear and the Headlights to return to his day job as a delivery driver in Tempe.

But his full-time work didn’t interrupt his writing process. Marquard amassed quite a catalog of new material, and began collaborating with his friend Sloan Walters. The two then recruited John Mulhern, Wesley Hilsabeck and Scott Hall to fill out the band.

Gospel Claws released its first studio recording in 2009, a self-titled EP on friend Chuckie Duff’s Common Wall Media label. They received a bit of buzz on these first five songs, but their 2010 full-length, “C-L-A-W-S,” really solidified Gospel Claws’ sound and songwriting.

The record spent five weeks in the top 100 on CMJ200 and four weeks on the FMQB Submodern charts with the album peaking at No. 2. The band was also featured on NPR’s “All Songs Considered” program, and in March 2011, it played an official showcase and a handful of parties at SXSW. Throughout 2012, the group returned to Flying Blanket recording studio with Producer Bob Hoag (Joel Plaskett, Black Carl, The Format) to record songs for its second LP, “Put Your Sunshine Away.”

Gospel Claws called on their friends, family and loyal fans to help fund the project through the online crowd-sourcing website Kickstarter.

Thanks to the overwhelming support, the

Kickstarter campaign exceeded the group’s original goal. The album continued to develop with songs influenced by ‘50s doo-wop and further exploration of vintage sonics and recording techniques.

Early in 2012, Marquard was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The Phoenix music community rallied on his behalf with a benefit show and compilation CD. After treatment, Marquard made a full recovery and is now cancer-free.

Also during the year, Mark Erickson (Colorstore/ ROAR) replaced Hilsabeck who had relocated to Portland. Tragically, Erickson died before he could contribute to the recording process.

Jef Wright of Colorstore jumped in to fill Hall’s role on drums and Hall moved to second guitar.

Gospel Claws returned to the stage to celebrate the release of its song “I Want It All” on 7-inch split with local cohorts ROAR on the newly formed President Gator Records. “Put Your Sunshine Away” was released on Nov. 20 from Common Wall Media. It has been received well with a return feature on NPR’s “All Songs Considered” as well as making the list of “The 10 Best Things I Heard in 2012” by the Phoenix New Times.

[Gospel Claws’ songs are] influenced by ’50s doo-wop and further exploration of vintage sonics and recording techniques.

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Tramps and Thieves College Times Stage Sunday, April 14 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Arizona’s Tramps and Thieves formed in 2003 and have maintained its original line-up in an ever-changing independent music scene.

The band is made up of four members: dual lead singer-guitarists J. Scott Howard and Emmett DeGuvera, bassist Andy Jensen and drummer Ryan Ferguson.

With their unique southwestern sound, Tramps and Thieves have become a cherished staple in the Arizona music scene. The band is working on its fourth independent release, following up previous efforts “Mill Ave. Cowboys,” “Spittin’ Into the Wind” and “Perennials.”

Tramps and Thieves continue to play to packed audiences around the Valley, including shows with Jason Isbell, Los Guys, Shurman, Ghetto Cowgirl and Arizona’s treasured rock band, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers.

Tramps and Thieves remain one of the few Arizona bands that release authentic, independent music with their original lineup. Fusing rock ‘n’ roll with alternative, folk, Americana and country music, Tramps and Thieves developed a sound that fits in well in the Southwest.

Taking their name from the Cher hit, “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves,” Tramps and Thieves count Tom Petty, Black Crowes, The Jayhawks, Waylon Jennings, The Band and Wilco as influences.

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If they sound familiar, you might have heard their hit, “Porcupine Jacket,” in the 2008 teen comedy major motion picture release “Sex Drive.”

Although they are based in Tempe, Tramps and Thieves are committed to making their way to as many people and places as they can.

Tramps and Thieves remain one of the few Arizona bands that release authentic, independent music with their original line-up.

Fusing rock ‘n’ roll with alternative, folk, Americana and country music, Tramps and Thieves have developed a sound that fits in well in the Southwest.

Banana Gun

Kongos

College Times Stage Saturday, April 13 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

College Times Stage Sunday, April 14 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Founded in 2009, Banana Gun is an amalgamation of two Valley favorites—Fat Rabbit and Ghost of America.

The two bands came together with the intention of experimenting with songwriting in a direction different than their previous collectives.

They yearned to move away from the dark, heavy guitar-driven music that was plaguing them and turn to bluesy, funky soul riffs with bluegrassinspired acoustic music thrown in.

The experiment felt inspiring and exciting. To fill out this new sound, Banana Gun sought horn players and auxiliary percussionists.

Several personnel experiments later, Kyle Woo emerged as the right fit for the group. Her singing ability and sax playing complemented her ability to handle four guys. After a year of rehearsing, Banana Gun began performing locally and regionally. Banana Gun is a hardworking, enthusiastic group that performs with great energy. Regardless of the crowd or venue, people will dance to Banana Gun. And critics agree.

“Banana Gun’s live show is enriching and rewarding,” wrote Mitchell L. Hillman, journalist for Java Magazine in its July 2012 issue.

“Their gigs are pretty amazing and what’s more, the members of Banana Gun seem to have an amazing time doing what they do best, which is getting people dancing to their eclectic musical stylings.”

Lisa Web from The Alternative Live Music Blog said, “From the moment they hit the stage, people had feet tapping, hips swinging and heads bobbing to the music. I dare anyone to keep still and not get into a Banana Gun set. Not gonna happen. The sound is uniquely their own, which I find very exciting for them.”

Banana Gun has a diverse sound ranging from 1970s rock, bluegrass, funk, and R&B, which reaches a broad audience who loves to dance and sing along with the music.

Kongos is a rock band comprised of four brothers (Johnny, Jesse, Dylan and Danny Kongos), the sons of South African/British singersongwriter John Kongos, best known for his two international hits “He’s Gonna Step On You Again” and “Tokoloshe Man.” Having grown up in London and South Africa, Kongos is based in Phoenix where it has received local acclaim for its self-released 2007 debut album. But the kudos do not stop with the Grand Canyon State.

After being playlisted on 5FM, the biggest Top 40 station in South Africa, the first single “I’m Only Joking” from its 2012 album “Lunatic” went on to hit No. 1 on the Tuks FM rock chart and was the most requested song for 11 weeks in a row. The band is on its seventh single, with five Top 40 hits and several No. 1/Top 10 hits on various charts, making the album a top seller and the No. 1 download for six weeks.

Kongos followed the South African release of the album with a sold-out tour of the country, which included headlining spots on several major festivals including the world-famous Oppikoppi Festival and Rocking The Daisies.

In July 2012, Kongos followed the “softrelease” of “Lunatic” with a North American tour that featured showcases in Los Angeles, Toronto, Ontario, New York City (CMJ) and two sold-out shows at the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix.

Kongos then returned to South Africa in November to open for Linkin Park on its stadium tour, playing to more than 100,000 people.

The band has just returned from its first European tour in January and February supporting Dispatch and AWOLNATION. Last month, Kongos performed several successful showcases at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, including those for Live Nation/ Skype, Crave and WholeFoods/Quantum Collective. It rounded out March with a performance at the McDowell Mountain Festival.

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Attractions Slingshot: Passengers are propelled up to 240 feet at speeds of close to 100 miles per hour.

Mechanical Bull: Ride ‘em cowboy (or girl). Rides are available 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. all other days.

Guest DJ: See page 39 for complete details Comfort Stations: Uncomfortable using a portable toilet? Check out the two ultra-luxe Comfort Stations in the festival bowl.

Festival Pedicabs: Cost to ride varies.

Camping Services Campground Info: Come ask your questions without walking into the festival. It’s open until 3 a.m.

Propane Sales: Arizona Propane will be onsite to service RVs in need of propane supplies. Check with the information tent for complete details.

Water for RVs: Jim’s Water Truck Service will provide water to RVs. For service and prices, call (480) 969-1882.

Pump Services: Pro-Em will offer onsite pump services for RVs for $35 to $50.

Shower Facilities: Near the general store, which is between Road Runner Family and Starlight Preferred campsites, as well as another location between Sidewinder and Canyon campsites.

Shower facilities are approximately $6 for 5 minutes.

Garbage Collection: Please bring garbage bags and place tied, full bags on your site. They will be picked up at 6 a.m. daily. See campground information for additional garbage bags.

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Freedom RV Services: Freedom RV will be providing parts and service for the four days at Country Thunder. We will have a full parts store available for any and all accessories you might need for your RV. We will also have technicians onsite to handle any issues you might have with your RV. Please call (520) 431-4169 with your name, spot number, phone number and what kind of service you need and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Medical Services/First Aid: If you have a medical need, we have an onsite medic team that can assist you with your needs. Please see the festival map on page 50 for location.

Information Tent: Our Information Tent is a onestop shop for all your festival questions. Whether you are looking for lost and found, just need to ask a question, file a compliment or complaint, or renew your tickets for 2014, this is the place to stop. Please see the festival map for location.

General Store: Did you forget headache medication, toilet paper and other camping necessities? Visit our general store located between Road Runner Camping and Festival grounds. See festival map for exact location.

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Photo by Andy Hartmark

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10 West Camelback that is...

Central & Camelback Road Phoenix, AZ 85013 • (602)230-0044 www.facebook.com/halojewelry

All year Sesquicentennial Activities.

150 Reasons to Visit Wickenburg!

So Many things to do“Out Wickenburg Way!” Visit our website at www.outwickenburgway.com for a complete list of scheduled activities, programs and events.

Photographs courtesy of (clockwise from top left) Julie Brooks, Eric Alan Smith, Seth Joel Photography

www.facebook.com/ Wickenburg150th

www.Wickenburg AZ150th.com

Call for information and your visitor’s guide 1-800-942-5242 Or online: www.wickenburgchamber.com

cOUNTRY THUNDER 2013 47

Moonshine Willy’s Moonshine Willy’s is Country Thunder’s onsite cantina. Generally set aside for VIP guests, the bar opens to the general public at 10:30 p.m.

Live music plays at the venue throughout the day. Among those scheduled to play: THURSDAY:

FRIDAY:

SATURDAY:

SUNDAY:

10:30p.m. – 1:30a.m.

THE AFTER PARTY – various live performances

10:30p.m. – 1:30a.m.

THE AFTER PARTY – various live performances

10:30p.m. – 1:30a.m.

THE AFTER PARTY – various live performances

10:30p.m. – 1:30a.m.

THE AFTER PARTY – various live performances

Need Country Thunder info?

Text us.

Can’t find the showers or need info on lineup?

Text one of the following keywords to 480.685.5707 to get the info you need.

2014 Food Lineup Showers Address GAC Lost Shuttle Alcohol Garbage Medic Store Beer Gate times Merch Times Chairs Gate hours Programs Vendors Collegetimes ADA Pumping Water Contests Ice Quiethours Wristband Electric Information Renewals Fires Leaving Restrooms Or ask us any question and we will answer as soon as possible!

48 COUNTRY NT THUNDER NDER DE 20133

Schedule of Events Thursday, April 11 3:30 p.m.: Run Boy Run 5 p.m.: Run Boy Run Friday, April 12 12:30 p.m.: Dry River Yacht Club 2:00 p.m.: Gospel Claws 3:30 p.m.: Dry River Yacht Club 5:00 p.m.: Gospel Claws Saturday, April 13 2:00 p.m.: Banana Gun 5:00 p.m.: Banana Gun

College Times Tent Looking to check out a few local bands? The College Times Stage provides opportunities for fans to learn about homegrown acts at Country Thunder.

Run Boy Run The unique sound of Run Boy Run is rooted in the traditional music of the Appalachian South.

Bands like Nickel Creek and Crooked Still have paved the way for the music of Run Boy Run: dynamic, orchestral and overflowing with beauty.

Run Boy Run exists in the tension between tradition and frontier. Three strong female voices weave a spectacular tapestry of sound. Awardwinning fiddle cuts a path for a tightly formed rhythmic front. Every arrangement is—at its core—beautiful.

Dry River Yacht Club Dry River Yacht Club mixed an assortment of musical references and high-energy execution to create a sound that’s eclectic and entirely its own. It’s 5 1/2 years since forming, and the band members have invested countless hours playing late gigs, touring in broken down minivans, and coping with lineup changes. However, Dry River Yacht Club’s collective musical heart beats stronger than ever.

Gospel Claws Gospel Claws released its first studio recording in 2009, a self-titled EP on friend Chuckie Duff’s Common Wall Media label. They received a bit of buzz on these first five songs, but their 2010 full-length, “C-L-A-W-S,” really solidified Gospel Claws’ sound and songwriting.

Banana Gun Banana Gun has a diverse sound ranging from 1970s rock, bluegrass, funk, and R&B, which

Sunday, April 14 12:30 p.m.: Tramps and Thieves 2:00 p.m.: Kongos 3:30 p.m.: Tramps and Thieves 5:00 p.m.: Kongos

reaches a broad audience who loves to dance and sing along with the music. Founded in 2009, Banana Gun is an amalgamation of two Valley favorites—Fat Rabbit and Ghost of America. The two bands came together with the intention of experimenting with songwriting in a direction different than their previous collectives. They yearned to move away from the dark, heavy guitar-driven music that was plaguing them and turn to bluesy, funky soul riffs with bluegrassinspired acoustic music thrown in.

Tramps and Thieves With their unique southwestern sound, Tramps and Thieves have become a cherished staple in the Arizona music scene. The band is working on its fourth independent release, following up previous efforts “Mill Ave. Cowboys,” “Spittin’ Into the Wind,” and “Perennials.” Tramps and Thieves continue to play to packed audiences around the Valley, including shows with Jason Isbell, Los Guys, Shurman, Ghetto Cowgirl, and Arizona’s other treasured rock band, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers.

Kongos Kongos is a rock band comprised of four brothers (Johnny, Jesse, Dylan and Danny Kongos), the sons of South African/British singersongwriter John Kongos, best known for his two international hits “He’s Gonna Step On You Again” and “Tokoloshe Man.” Having grown up in London and South Africa, Kongos is based in Phoenix where it has received local acclaim for its self-released 2007 debut album. Now it is pushing the collection, “Lunatic.”

cOUNTRY TRY THUNDER DER 2013 49

FESTIVAL MAP

F L O R E N

C E

u

A R I Z O N A

Thursday, April 11

Friday, April 12

Saturday, April 13

Sunday, April 14

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Sweetwater Rain

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Jana Kramer

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Parmalee

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Aaron Lewis

7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Kip Moore

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Love and Theft

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Diamond Rio

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Jerrod Niemann

9:00 - 10:30 p.m.

Brantley Gilbert

7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Tracy Lawrence

7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Lee Brice

7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Justin Moore

9:00 - 10:30 Eric Church

9:00 - 10:30 p.m.

Toby Keith

9:00 - 10:30 p.m.

Lady Antebellum

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Chris Janson

50 COUNTRY NT THUNDER NDER DE 20133

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Greg Bates

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Morgan Frazier

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

High Valley

Complimentary maintenance plan with roadside assistance.*

*Options shown. Covers normal factory scheduled service. Plan is 2 years or 25K miles, whichever comes first. The new Toyota vehicle cannot be part of a rental or commercial fleet, or a livery or taxi vehicle. See plan for complete coverage details. See participating Toyota dealer for details. Valid only in the continental United States and Alaska.

• Right Toyota is committed to reaching out and supporting local charities in hopes of improving the community.

• Right Toyota offers the latest specials, and we add to our list of money saving incentives regularly so that our customers can get the BEST VALUE POSSIBLE! • Our goal is to make as many Arizona customers as SATISFIED as possible, by TREATING PEOPLE RIGHT. Right Toyota distinguishes itself from other dealers throughout Arizona.

480-778-2200 RightToyota.com Located at 7701 E. Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard in Scottsdale, Arizona

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