Country music fans came out in droves for the first ever Summer Country Showdown. Due West opened the weekend while Jake Owen closed it out.
Due West may not have had the largest crowd, but they had a lot of fun on stage.
Even back in July, Colby Acuff was excited to be back in Moscow. “No matter where they put us in the lineup, I know that we’re going to have a lot of support there,” Acuff said before a show in Great Falls, Montana. Throughout the whole set, that support was apparent, but the energy was unmatched once the opening for “Moscow Drinking Team” hit.
Night two featured the whole spectrum of country music from the 1990’s to today. It started with Thompson Square, who topped the charts in 2011 with their song “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not.”
The second artist up was Mark Wills, who had multiple hits in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.
Hailey Whitters was the current artist for night two. Her hit song “Everything She Ain’t” not only topped the charts in 2022, but it was also a top song of the whole weekend.
The second-to-last group was Shenandoah. Their top song, “Two Dozen Roses” was big in 1989, but even 34 years later, fans loved dancing and singing along.
Jake Owen was the final act of the night, and Moscow made sure to end the weekend on a high note. A large portion of the lower bleachers were filled, and fans flooded towards the front of the stage.
Just before Jake Owen took the stage, an announcement was made by UI President Scott Green. With the success of the 2023 Summer Country Showdown, it will be making a return next year, with artists already in the works.
James Taurman-Aldrich and Aaron Serio can be reached at [email protected]