ROCHESTER, Minn. — Booming chromatic bass lines resounded through the Olmsted County Fairgrounds Sept. 10, as flannel-clad country music lovers reveled in the second annual Harvest Jam.
Put on by Rochester country station Quick Country 96.5, the festival featured longtime popular artist Rodney Atkins as the headliner. Perhaps more importantly, it gave Midwestern country artists a chance to shine, and deservedly so.
Country music from Minnesota has a little different edge to it than from perhaps, say, Tennessee. That's where headliner Rodney Atkins is from. With his rousing performance, he showcased Harvest Jam as an accomplished festival, but with more potential still.
"We wanted a nice combination of local, regional favorites and established national acts," Townsquare Media general manager Caren Berry said. Townsquare supports Quick Country.
"I think we accomplished that. Rodney Atkins has been on the music scene for a very long time, producing six number one hits. People know him and love his music as evidenced by the crowd singing along to many of this tunes throughout the night. We also wanted an act that shared our respect and admiration for the American heroes we honored throughout the evening."
Atkins is an avid supporter of the American military, and with the festival being the day before 9/11, the respect paid to those who've served was certainly called for.
But it wasn't just about Atkins's beloved sound. Three local bands brought cheers from the crowd of about 1,000 as well.
The night started off with The Plott Hounds, who formed in 2014 and are active in the Twin Cities area. They proclaim that their music has a backbone of rock'n roll, and that certainly was the case at Harvest Jam, with a driving beat and energetic slide guitar riffs by Colin Wymore. Their songs told stories the way country music does best, while exciting listeners with their rock influence.
Next up, Rochester got a treat: local band JT & the Gunslingers. This was the second Harvest Jam for this four-piece group that's performing around Minnesota, and they made the most of it.
Lead singer JT Thompson, a small-town farm boy, has more of a traditional country sound than The Plott Hounds, but their fierce guitar licks kept it rocking. And he proclaimed love for Rochester with "Our Town."
Then Roadhouse 6 took the stage, who __have been lighting up the Twin Cities club scene since 2012. This all-Minnesotan group clearly finds great joy in playing together. Lead singer Kayla Rae has a Martina McBride-esque sound. The group is hoping to get more original songs, along with their selections written by vocalist and guitarist Jake Nelson. In any case, Roadhouse 6 gives the feeling of wanting to jump up and down and party.
Finally, Atkins finished the show strong with some of his greatest hits.
Berry said the event is a "nod to the end of summer and the beginning of fall season." Under the September sun, Harvest Jam lived up to its purpose.
