Red dirt bands taking over at Pryor’s Country Fever 2009

Posted by brandy

on June 17, 2009 at 8:00 am

Mike Eli of the Eli Young Band performs. (Associated Press photo)

A version of this story appears in Wednesday’s Life section of The Oklahoman.

Edgy red dirt sound of blazing guitars replaces traditional Nashville vibe at Pryor event

PRYOR - For the seventh year, fevered country fans will flock four miles north of Pryor to hear their favorite bands and singers.

But the 2009 Country Fever Festival, starting Thursday on the Catch the Fever festival grounds, isn’t piping in star power from the traditional Nashville mainstream.

Instead, festival organizers are planning a rowdy and raucous reunion of popular players from the red dirt/Texas music scene.

This year’s lineup includes Cross Canadian Ragweed, Robert Earl Keen, Stoney LaRue, Jerry Jeff Walker, Jack Ingram and more. The event also will showcase similar up-and-coming artists and popular local bands such as Hosty Duo, Bart Crow and Shawna Russell.

Past Country Fever stars have included Trace Adkins, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Brooks & Dunn and Big & Rich.

“Last year, we did one day of red dirt on Friday, and it was our biggest attendance we’ve had. And then the e-mails started flooding in that said ‘Why don’t you guys just do this all the time, for the whole entire four days?’ So, we said, yeah, we’re gonna do it,” said Mark Nuessle, president and general manager of Fever Fest Music Festivals.

Making the change to an all-red dirt slate may be a gamble, but he thinks it’s a smart bet. Great American Country cable network is going to film a 30-minute segment on the festival, as opposed to a 10-minute piece last year, and GAC’s Storme Warren, who grew up in Tulsa, will serve as the event’s emcee.

“We were a little concerned about changing … and they said that’s the most requested music they have,” Nuessle said. “He said it’s the big buzz in Nashville right now. … He’s excited about us switching because everybody’s got the traditional Nashville and he’s said no one’s doing anything different like we’re doing.”

With the Texas music scene’s dedicated fan base, he’s expecting 25,000 festival-goers a day during the four-day fest. The 2008 event averaged 18,000 attendees a day.

“They’ve all played at different places, but not this many of them have all played at one place together … and not on a stage this huge and this kind of sound system,” he said.

Although fans from all over the country have bought tickets, most Country Fever attendees come from a 300-mile circle in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas - and most of the artists come from the same five-state area.

“It’s a little bit too much country for rock and a little bit too much rock for country … so it’s an even younger, fun crowd,” Nuessle said. “It’s all about the party. They come in here and it’s just like one huge family. I mean, it’s just amazing.”

Mike Eli, frontman of the Eli Young Band, said the tight-knit musicians on the red dirt scene live for festival season, when they can all play together.

“A lot of us have kind of grown up together in this scene. … We’ve all known each other for so long, it’s just like one big family reunion. A messy one, at that, lots of drinking,” Eli said with a laugh during a recent phone interview.

Randy Rogers

Randy Rogers likened the event to a “redneck family reunion” with blazing guitars.

“It’s not your granddad’s country music that’s for sure. There’s a little bit more of an edge to it,” Rogers said in a recent phone interview.

That edgy red dirt sound has been making waves in Nashville this year, with Eli Young and Randy Rogers bands earning Academy of Country Music Awards nominations and playing late-night TV shows. Rogers said he is proud of the community’s “one-for-all mentality” and enjoys playing together at festivals.

“Bands and artists … wish that they could have what we all have, which is touring and playing music and a fan base and more than just a song, one song, a hit song or whatever. We have kind of a body of work, we’ve all made a bunch of records, we’ve all been touring,” he said. “I think the cream eventually rises to the top and hard work pays off.”

He credited the red dirt/Texas music scene’s stalwart fans with helping the bands find success.

“Definitely the biggest part of it (the success) is the fans of the music. So we’re gonna continue to stay true to our music and stay true to our fans, the one’s that have got us here. And we’re gonna just keep on truckin’. It’s still an uphill climb, you know, and that’s part of the fun,” Rogers said.

Going on

Seventh annual Country Fever Music Festival

When: Thursday-Sunday.

Where: Catch the Fever festival grounds, four miles north of Pryor.

Tickets and information: (866) 310-2288 or www.feverfest.com.

Main stage schedule

Thursday

10:30 p.m. Robert Earl Keen

8:15 p.m. Wade Bowen

6:30 p.m. No Justice

5 p.m. Jackson Taylor

Friday

10:30 p.m. Stoney LaRue

8:15 p.m. Randy Rogers Band

6:30 p.m. Jack Ingram

4:45 p.m. Mike McClure

3 p.m. Billy Joe Shaver

1:30 p.m. Brandon Jenkins

Saturday

10:30 p.m. Cross Canadian Ragweed

8:15 p.m. Jason Boland & the Stragglers

6:30 p.m. Reckless Kelly

4:45 p.m. Red Dirt Rangers

3 p.m. Ray Wylie Hubbard

1:30 p.m. Aaron Watson

Sunday

9 p.m. Jerry Jeff Walker

6:45 p.m. Eli Young

4:45 p.m. Johnny Cooper

3 p.m. Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses

1:30 p.m. Brandon Rhyder

-BAM