Nothing Phony Here - Real Country Music Still Packs 'Em In


This appeared on ThisIsCountry.com - July 9, 2003

The Electric Barnyard Festival has hit those long, lonesome highways and could show up in a town near you any time now. The tour is purposely avoiding most major U.S. cities in order to bring a major country music show to the smaller towns and what Merle calls the "forgotten" people. If you're lucky enough to live within driving distance of one of the shows, don't miss it.

Picture all of this on the same stage: Hall of Famer, Merle Haggard, Grand Ole Opry members Marty Stuart and his wife Connie Smith, a fine young traditionalist group, The Old Crow Medicine Show - and, as an added bonus in some lucky towns, the remarkable Rhonda Vincent and the always fun BR549 join the show. And, just as great, there's no one in tight jeans, sleeveless muscle shirts and too-big cowboy hats - no young diva wannabe belting out AC music from center stage - and no Britney Spears lookalike pretending to be country.

They were in San Bernardino on Tuesday night and even CMT, seldom a protector of real country music, had nothing but good things to say about the show. Check it out here for yourself, but don't miss the show.

By Sam Houston


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