This was a religious experience

[AKSteveB]

OMG! I'm not sure how to begin and I'm just too bloody old to be a fanboi (I'm 46) but WOW. I didn't even start listening to country until 7 years ago or so, but this festival was the most fun I've ever had while wearing clothes! There wasn't a bad performance out there. 99.99 percent of the people were great and I even learned a few things.

1) I had NO idea Keith Urban was THAT good a guitarist. I mean Hendrix good.

2) There just is no more boundary between rock and country. Jason Aldean proves it.

3. Sugarland definitely has a sense of humor. Their version of "Heart Of Glass" was ...scarily ....dead on.

4. My gf and I each added one person to our "allowed to do" list. Phil Vassar for her Jennifer Nettles for me. Phil put on an amazing show, but didn't see much in the local press about it.

5. Ok one complaint, Merle should have either been on the Mane Stage, or at least not have had other acts playing at the same time. He was great, and I'm pretty sure there were more people watching him at the Palomino Stage than there were at Mane at the same time.

6. For me, the highlight of the fest was Brooks & Dunn. I guess they've been around so long that I had forgotten just how many hits they've had. I can't remember the last time I saw that much love between performers and their audience.

7. The closest thing to a disappointment for me was Toby Keith. Don't get me wrong, he and his band did a rockin set, but it seemed to me, that unlike B&D, Aldean, Sugarland, or even Billy Currington, he was just doing his normal thing, kind of disconnected from the rest of the festival. It would have been a great performance at any other place and time but Stagecoach.


Now for the big question for next year, how DO I get P1 seats! I bought my tickets about 3 minutes after opening and ended up in P2 Section 6, which of course was not shabby at all.

[Kymery]

I agree, Merle should of been on the mane stage, his crowd was huge and louder than the mane stage!!!

OMG...wasnt Sugarland awesome with Heart of Glass!! It was funny how the young ones were asking what that song was.

Jason, as usually is FRICKIN AWESOME!!

[AKSteveB]

Stupid question: Were past years this good?

[Rose]

Stupid question: Were past years this good?

YES. !

[unclefeiny]

Stupid question: Were past years this good?

I think the '08 and '09 were both better. There were more big names putting on great performances, but this year was awesome as well. Plus it was my first year camping which made it even more enjoyable for me, I'll never hotel it again.

[tgcali]

If you love Keith Urban's guitar playing (rightfully so, that man is TALENTED), you should also check out Brad Paisley. He is insanely good on the guitar!

Best part of '08 was that they added John Fogerty and The Eagles on Friday night!

Best part of '09 was Kid Rock! Hands down!!!!

[AKSteveB]

Oh yeah I'm a big Brad Paisley fan. Not only is he talented, but he is also seriously twisted! He's actually next on my "must see" list. Oddly enough speaking of talented musicians with twisted minds, two of my country must sees, Montgomery Gentry and Trace Adkins actually did shows up here in Anchorage.

If you love Keith Urban's guitar playing (rightfully so, that man is TALENTED), you should also check out Brad Paisley. He is insanely good on the guitar!

Best part of '08 was that they added John Fogerty and The Eagles on Friday night!

Best part of '09 was Kid Rock! Hands down!!!!

[Janell24]

Keith is that great and I was very impressed that he knew sign lanuage and he came out to the GA area I love him and this made me love him even more. I enjoyed everyone this year not one act I didn't like. I would go see them all again.

[cheezl74]

I got P2 - sect 2 row A. I think that I am learning the trick is not to take the first thing offered as they will offer sub par seats first. I try once and then go out and try again and for the most part I get better seats. It is a risk but worked great for us this year.

[deegee83]

Like I always say, KEITH ROCKS!

Converted another one.

[xzer01x]

ok, i mentioned something about Merle playing on one of the smaller stages to my GF, and this was her opinion as to why, and i kinda think it was dead on....

think about it.... WHEN wouldve merle played? chances are, BEFORE the sun went down right? not gonna argue about musical standing or legend status, but were they gonna put him AFTER any of the 4 main acts, while he maybe a legend and urban and sugarland arent, keith isnt, argueably BnD are, but in contribution to country, is their an argumnet merle has done more? no. BUT in popularity RIGHT NOW, merle prolly isnt as popular as the 4 main acts.

so in this line of thinking.... Merle prolly wouldve been doing his set, in DIRECT sunlight, in 90-95 degree weather. Merle isnt a young man anymore, throw in i beliebe the stories i read in the last 2 weeks about him being a little under the weather....

while it doesnt really make sense on the outside that Merle WASNT on the main stage, it DOES cause he got to play under a tent, in the early evening, without sun blasting him directly in the face, and with some shade.

i figured this was a valid explanation my gf offered. while YES merle SHOULDVE been on the mane stage, when he wouldve played prolly wouldnt have been beneficial to him at his age and health.

[AKSteveB]

I thought that he might have preferred the more intimate setting, it made more sense for his type of sound. I just wish they had carved out a time slot where there weren't other acts playing at the same time. I understand that often the traditional country acts and the modern ones appeal to different crowds, but Merle ..well ....pretty well appeals to everyone (I think).

ok, i mentioned something about Merle playing on one of the smaller stages to my GF, and this was her opinion as to why, and i kinda think it was dead on....

think about it.... WHEN wouldve merle played? chances are, BEFORE the sun went down right? not gonna argue about musical standing or legend status, but were they gonna put him AFTER any of the 4 main acts, while he maybe a legend and urban and sugarland arent, keith isnt, argueably BnD are, but in contribution to country, is their an argumnet merle has done more? no. BUT in popularity RIGHT NOW, merle prolly isnt as popular as the 4 main acts.

so in this line of thinking.... Merle prolly wouldve been doing his set, in DIRECT sunlight, in 90-95 degree weather. Merle isnt a young man anymore, throw in i beliebe the stories i read in the last 2 weeks about him being a little under the weather....

while it doesnt really make sense on the outside that Merle WASNT on the main stage, it DOES cause he got to play under a tent, in the early evening, without sun blasting him directly in the face, and with some shade.

i figured this was a valid explanation my gf offered. while YES merle SHOULDVE been on the mane stage, when he wouldve played prolly wouldnt have been beneficial to him at his age and health.

[WillieCash]

If I were Merle, I think I would have preferred to be where he ended up.

It's better to be the king of what was going on with the side stage than to be remembered as the "low energy act" in the company of artists that put on productions that aren't necessarily based on music.

I'm not saying that production heavy stage theatrics are bad. I'm just saying they are different. For example, I'm not too into Lady Gaga, Beyonce, or Pink in terms of music but I would love to see them live because of the theatrics of their shows. I think Kris Kristofferson is probably the greatest living songwriter America has, but he would look boring between a set by Gaga and Beyonce.

In terms of impact on the face of music in America, Merle Haggard could stroll onstage and cut a juicy fart into the microphone and contribute more than all four headliners combined. But I'm sure the crowd much preferred what ended up happening.

[DeltaSigChi4]

I mean Hendrix good.

E