Country Jam 2011 came to a close last night.

It was a great weekend full of country music – new and old. Legends like Joe Diffie and Martina McBride took to the stage to entertain with their endless number of hits.

Newcomers like David Nail, Jason Jones, Easton Corbin and Zac Brown Band showed why they’re the future of country music. Zac Brown and his band really showed how they’ve become major stars in country music in just a few short years. These guys are the real deal and show no signs of slowing down as they continue their ascent to superstardom.

Blake Shelton was probably the highlight of the weekend. His latest album debuted at #1 earlier this week. He’s coming off a string of top hit songs and his appearance on The Voice has only elevated his status as a country star.

Country Jam 2011 – Day 3

We arrived at Jam Day 3 at about 2:30pm. Jason Jones was on stage. He played a bunch of rock classics and a couple of his original songs. We headed over the shade to take cover from the summer heat, but we could hear Jason and he sounded confident with strong vocals. He could be one to watch in the coming year or so. If he has a hit up his sleeve people could start taking notice.

The rest of the afternoon was mixed with blazing sunshine, thunderstorms, and plenty of great music. The schedule was rearranged a bit and confused us, but in the end everything worked out just fine.

David Nail – Country Jam 2011

I’ve been looking forward to seeing David Nail in concert since Jam announced him in the lineup for 2011. Over the last year or so it’s been great hearing David on the radio with hits like Red Light and [easyazon-link asin=”B004L9WQLW”]Let It Rain[/easyazon-link]. Throughout the entire show David didn’t disappoint one bit. He played all the hits, a few covers, and some of the great songs from his first album release.

The highlight of the show for me was when he played the song [easyazon-link asin=”B002KOPT3W”]This Time Around[/easyazon-link]. I’ve heard it before while listening to his album, but was reminded in concert just how good it is. I’ve been playing it ever since last night.

David played his hits and pleased the fans. He was up on stage for about 45 minutes, which seemed to be short. It was almost like he got cut off. Perhaps it was the heat. And unless I missed something he never played [easyazon-link asin=”B002KOOSEI”]Turning Home[/easyazon-link]. I’m not sure what happened. David was forced to take the stage 15 minutes behind schedule because of rain earlier in the day.

I’m not really sure what happened, but for the 45 minutes David was on stage things were great. He has to be one of the most talented singers in country music right now.

David Nail – Are You Sure Hank – Live

David Nail – I’m About To Come Alive

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Zac Brown Band – Country Jam 2011

Everybody was waiting for Zac Brown all week. The guy and his band are at the top of country music right now. It seems they’re reached the top of the charts every time out since they debuted in 2008. In fact, 7 of their first 8 singles have reached #1 on the charts with the lone miss being a #2 on the charts.

Not a bad start. It’s no wonder the guys have headlining status after only about two years in mainstream.

After David Nail’s show ended at about 4:15pm we headed home for some dinner and rest. It was hot out and we were still getting over a sickness. We came back and entered the grounds at about 7:30pm or so. As we walked up the hill to the entrance we could hear someone on stage and it sounded a lot like ZBB.

It turned out the field was packed and the guys were already playing. We were just able to sit down as they started in on my favorite song of their’s – [easyazon-link asin=”B0042GKKN0″]Colder Weather[/easyazon-link].

It turns out with the storms in the morning and a strong storm that rolled through about 5pm things got a little messed up on the schedule. Zac Brown was there with a few acts from his record label and they must have just decided to play one big show instead of three separate shows.

We just missed a few minutes so it wasn’t too bad. We didn’t hear [easyazon-link asin=”B001KVVI04″]Whatever It Is[/easyazon-link], but that’s alright. We got over 2 hours of great music from the guys and their guests Sonia Leigh and Blackberry Smoke.

It was almost overwhelming how much music these guys played. There was little conversation with the crowd, which was fine. ZBB played all their hits and some popular album cuts. They also had some great performances with their guests.

It made for one of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen and everyone around seemed to agree.

ZBB rocks and they’re the kings of country music right now.

Sweet Annie – Zac Brown Band – Live

Zac Brown Band – You Get What You Give

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