30 years in business… and it’s not hard to see why.
This past weekend, some of the biggest names in country music, and the best fans in the Midwest, packed into the Shadow Hill Ranch for Country Thunder Wisconsin. Located in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, just over the Illinois border, Country Thunder Wisconsin has been called the crown jewel of country music in the Midwest, and has had modern-day superstars like Miranda Lambert, Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, and Chris Stapleton perform in the past, as well as country music icons like the late, great Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, and more.
And more great country artists added their names to that already impressive list… Gavin Adcock, The Red Clay Strays, Riley Green, and Keith Urban headlined the four-day event this past weekend, with support from Gretchen Wilson, Ian Munsick, Nate Smith, Shaboozey, Mark Chesnutt, George Birge, Corey Kent, and many others.
Conditions were not exactly ideal as Canadian wildfire smoke blanketed most of Wisconsin, combined with 90-degree temperatures, but that didn’t stop fans from flocking to Twin Lakes for four days of great country music. Gretchen Wilson and Gavin Adcock kicked things off on Thursday night with the kind of rowdy sets that had fans begging for more. Friday saw the great Mark Chesnutt take fans on a nostalgic journey back to the ’90s, followed by Wyoming native and Packers fan Ian Munsick delivering a rousing set of country tunes, ’90s pop anthems, and even some campfire bluegrass. Although he found out the hard way that there was a healthy Chicago Bears crowd when his Brett Favre jersey was met with a bevy of boos. He took it off…
Finally, the Red Clay Strays took the crowd to church with a masterclass set… With rippin’ guitars, Brandon’s captivating vocals (and surprising shaggy hair), and a powerful and encouraging message in each and every song, the Red Clay Strays proved why they’re one of the brightest shining stars in the country music industry right now.
Saturday picked up right where Friday left off with an impressive set from the Jack Wharff Band; legendary ’90s band Lonestar, who played the inaugural Country Thunder Wisconsin festival 30 years ago; and a full-throttle set from Nate Smith, who brought more than a dozen fans on stage to sing Lit’s 1999 hit, “My Own Worst Enemy.”
And finally, headliner Riley Green drew an absolutely MASSIVE crowd, and they were ready to party. Green brought his mix of country drinkin’ tunes, breakup songs, and even some spirited Toby Keith covers, but it’s hard to deny his ability to sit down with a guitar, completely alone, and have a rowdy festival crowd hanging on his every word. Weaving seamlessly between different emotions and energy levels, Riley left no doubts about his headliner status in the country music scene right now… and his stock is only going up.
Sunday capped things off with Annie Bosko, Tyler Nance, Corey Kent, Shaboozey, and Keith Urban, who brought a bevy of hits, some yacht rock classics, and Natalie Stovall shredding the fiddle—plus, he had some choice words for AI in music.
“There’s no substitute for a shared communal experience like we’re having right here tonight. Feeling emotion, feeling passion, feeling like a human… f*** you AI.”
And for those worried about the language (I saw a few comments about the F-bomb), Keith was a headliner who played well past 11 p.m…. very few kids, if any, were still left in that crowd at that moment:
Aside from the music, there were great food options, a line-dancing tent for all ages, tons of merch vendors, and the Bucking Thunder bull-riding exhibition that drew quite the early crowd before the music got underway. But overall, Keith Urban was exactly right… “communal” is exactly what you got from Country Thunder Wisconsin over the weekend. It might be a little cliché to say that a festival atmosphere feels like “family,” and a lot will try to claim that vibe, but at Country Thunder Wisconsin, that’s really the feel you get when you walk in the door.
Security and staff are incredibly friendly from the moment you get there. The crowd is rowdy and ready for a good time, but still full of that Midwestern hospitality and kindness. There were plenty of kids and families present, even in the pit… but it’s just not hard to see why it’s one of the premier country music festivals in the world, one that has been in business since the ’90s.
In an age when “blue dot fever” is plaguing the entertainment world and festivals are dropping like flies, Country Thunder Wisconsin continues to set the standard and is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
