Country Thunder Iowa Day 1
Country Thunder Takes Northern Iowa Friday through Sunday with an excellent lineup featuring many country artists. Many different vendors gather for the weekend to bring different foods, drinks, and shopping. The sweet southern boutique Trendy Southwest Hippie displayed a variety of trendy rhinestone shorts, leather purses, and accessories to fashionable cowgirl boots.
Friday night's lineup includes Jackson Dean, Sawyer Brown, Michael Ray, and headliner Lee Brice.
From living in a one-room shack to making it to the big stage, Country Thunder Iowa kicked off Friday afternoon with the man behind the mic, Jackson Dean. As the crowd started slowly filing in, Dean mentioned
“Let me tell you what, we drove a long damn way yesterday.”
Dean didn’t cease to bring his deep Maryland charm. Behind the microphone with guitar in hand Dean had quite the set from opening with Trailer Park to covering The Chain and closing with Red Light where he stepped away from the guitar and engaged in the crowd. Once Dean heads back home after his tour he plans to return back to his one-room shack. Maybe to write a few more of these classics that we heard at Country Thunder or...
“I might even stay a night.”
Click The Photo For Jackson Dean's Full Photo Album
Jackson Dean Set-List
Trailer Park
Fearless
The Chain
Heavens To Betsy
Don’t Take Much
Wings
What’s Up
GreenBroke
1971
Don’t Come Lookin’
Red Light
Click The Photo For Sawyer Brown's Full Photo Album
Sawyer Brown had been a successful country group after appearing on Star Search in 1983 to taking the Country Thunder stage Friday afternoon.
“We are the original American Idols.”
The high-intensity stage presence had the growing crowd up on their feet from the opening song, The Boys and Me. Mark Miller, lead singer, and songwriter of Sawer Brown announced
“We’re going to play 38 years' worth of music”
as they proceeded into a medley showcasing their 18 studio albums to concluding their set with Thank God For You, The Race Is On, made famous by George Jones, and Some Girls Do.
Sawyer Brown Set List
The Boys And Me
Drive Me Wild
This Time
Cafe On The Corner
The Walk
All These Years
Mission Temple Firework Stand
Smokin' In The Rockies/Leona
Step That Step
Betty's Being Bad
The Dirt Road
Six Days On The Road
Thank God For You
The Race Is On
Some Girls Do
Click The Photo For Michael Ray's Full Photo Album
The heavy crowd favorite Michael Ray took the Country Thunder stage Friday evening.
“I’m on tour with my great friend, Lee Brice. The only reason I get that is because some man and woman strapped up boots and fought for us and made this happen.”
The heartthrob Florida native opened his set with a powerful vocal of Holy Water. Ray engaged his crowd with charismatic energy singing his cut of Jason Aldean’s Small town Small to his most popular songs, Think A Little Less, Her World Or Mine, Whiskey And Rain, Kiss You In The Morning, and Get To You. Ray concluded leaving every girl in the crowd to think, she was The One That Got Away.
Michael Ray Setlist
Holy Water
Fan Girl
Whiskey And Rain
Kiss You In The Morning
Get To You
Small Town Small
Runaway With You
Just The Way I Am
Her World Or Mine
Didn’t Know I Was Country
Another Girl
Rodeo (Garth Brooks Cover)
Think A Little Less
Higher Education
One That Got Away
Click The Photo For Lee Brice's Full Photo Album
The powerful and emotional, storytelling Lee Brice headlined the Country Thunder stage Friday night.
“I’m thankful to the people who have always fought for us from the beginning who do now and always will protect and serve.”
Brice continued by listing several including military, law enforcement, energy services, medical professionals, as well as school teachers making the ultimate sacrifice.
“They don’t ask for a thank you, they say, man, it’s my job.”
The lights then dimmed off the stage as roaring fans lit up their phones for an acoustic, emotional rendition of I Drive Your Truck. Brice then went back to the full band to finish the night with Drinking Class, and Parking Lot Party. Fans knew Brice wasn’t finished when he snuck back on stage, and sat behind the piano, with minimal lighting striking the chords to I Don’t Dance and concluding with One Of Them Girls.
Lee Brice Setlist
More Beer
Hard to Love
Soul
Memory I Don't Mess With
Little Things If You
Love Like Crazy More Than a Memory (Garth Brooks cover)
Boy
Crazy Girl (Eli Young Band cover)
What Keeps You Up at Night
Good Man
I Hope You're Happy Now
I Drive Your Truck
Drinking Class
Parking Lot Party
Encore:
I Don't Dance
Rumor
One of Them Girls
