Summery weather, hot red dirt bands heat up Pryor’s Country Fever
Wade Bowen
From Friday’s The Oklahoman.
Fever pitch is raised at Country Fever Music Festival
PRYOR - Intense summer weather and hot red dirt bands sent the mercury soaring Thursday, the first day of the Country Fever Music Festival.
“In case you can’t see us because of the heat waves, we’re No Justice,” quipped guitarist/lead vocalist Steve Rice as the Stillwater band took the stage.
After playing the opening set on the huge main stage, Texas singer-songwriter Jackson Taylor described the heat up there as “horrific hot, Africa hot.”
“When you see people out there in the heat, you know they’re hot too, and if they’re willing to stand out there in the heat to listen to you, we’re willing to play,” the wisecracking Taylor said in a rare serious moment at a post-performance press conference.
No Justice guitarist/vocalist Brandon Jackson pointed out that last year’s event had a different problem: “We were … in the nice rainstorm. We swam around backstage.”
The glaring sun and 90-degree-plus temperatures weren’t the only elements heating up the seventh annual Country Fever. Artists and fans warmly received the switch from a mainstream country approach to a full lineup of red dirt/Texas performers.
“Last year we had one day of all red dirt artists and from what I understand, it was one of the best nights they’ve had here at Country Fever,” Jackson said. “For them to decide to … devote it all to the red dirt/Texas music artists is just a great thing to show where this genre’s going.”
In the past, Country Fever brought in big names out of Nashville, like Trace Adkins, Carrie Underwood, Brooks & Dunn and Reba McEntire. This year the lineup includes Oklahoma/Texas artists such as Cross Canadian Ragweed, Stoney LaRue, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Thursday night’s headliner, Robert Earl Keen.
“It’s cool. A whole lot of them are my friends or people I like a whole lot,” said Alan Orebaugh, guitarist for Norman-based Mama Sweet, after playing one of the three side stages. “I think it’s cooler that they did this rather than have a bunch of Nashville acts.”
Weatherford residents Ryan Teply and Staci Eustace hauled their travel trailer on the three-hour drive and camped out Wednesday night so they could see the bands, mostly groups they have watched before. They said they prefer the red dirt bands to mainstream country artists who perform songs written for them by someone else.
“These songs, the stuff they’re singing about, it’s stuff you can relate to,” Teply said. “They sing about partying, relationship problems … like driving on the back roads just driving around and listening to music. I can relate to that.”
Bill and Linda Edlin of Bristow love both country and country-rock music, so they didn’t mind the switch to red dirt bands, who often are described as too rock for country and too country for rock. Bill Edlin said he was looking forward to watching icons Walker and Billy Joe Shaver perform.
“These guys are definitely giving their all … to put on a good show,” said Bill Edlin while watching Taylor perform his new brand of outlaw country. “Big names sometimes cut corners when they’re entertaining.”
Attending their first Country Fever, the Edlins said they traveled to Pryor for the party as well as the music. The couple and friends have been camped out at the Catch the Fever festival grounds since Sunday to get a head start on the festivities.
“I’m just looking forward to having a good time, hearing some new bands … new music I can listen to in the truck,” Linda Edlin said.
The red dirt artists at the event hope more people will be discovering their music. The red dirt/Texas music scene lately has been getting more attention from the country establishment; for instance, Eli Young Band, who will play Country Fever Sunday, performed Tuesday at the CMT Music Awards in Nashville.
“It’s just a sign that it’s (the music is) getting out to so many more people,” said Thursday night performer Wade Bowen. “I think it’s great for the whole scene, I think it’s great for all of us, I think it’s really helped me and helped people open up their eyes and come to my shows.”
Country Fever Music Festival
When: Today through Sunday, beginning at 1:30 p.m. each day.
Where: Catch the Fever festival grounds, four miles north of Pryor.
For information: (866) 310-2288 or www.feverfest.com.
-BAM
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