For the third consecutive year, the annual country music festival brings fans and artists together to help kick off Mid-Michigan’s summer time fun in the capital city.

With clouds in the sky above and a threat for rain in the early hours of the morning, the eager fans didn’t let the wet forecast scare them away as they started to congregate and line up in front of the gates just before noon.  By the time the gates opened at 4 pm the skies opened up with bright sunlight and lines had already filled with thousands of country music fans anxiously waiting to race to their desired locations for the evening’s show.

The 2017 Taste Of Country Lansing event is the third annual country music festival type held at Cooley Law School Stadium.  The stadium is most generally the home to the Lansing Lugnuts, a minor league baseball team to the Toronto Blue Jays of the MLB.    

Taste Of Country Lansing is arranged and put together by host radio station, Lansing’s own WITL Today’s Best Country! 100.7 and its flagship Townsquare Media along with local sponsors to promote.

This year’s event starts off with the playing of the “National Anthem” by lead guitarist Kurt Stone of the local opening band Brian Lorente and the Usual Suspects.  Kurt is also joined on stage by the U.S. Marine Corps. color guard and a grand salute by the crowd.

At the conclusion, Kurt is reunited with his band as they enter onto the stage for a short musical set of covers and original songs written by Brian and the band.  As a local favorite in the country music genre, many fans come out to support the band as they take to the big stage.  Brian takes the time to thank all of his friends and family for coming out to support him, his band and the show as he is honored to be up there performing in front of so many people he has come to know.  With 2017 being his last year touring before hanging up his traveling shoes this fall he performs a few songs from his upcoming fourth studio album along with the fan favorite “2:45.”

With the next act ready to take to the stage, the female crowd showed their presence as they forced their way to the front for that chance to catch an eye by the heart-breaking and good looking Michael Ray.  In return, Michael showed off himself with songs from his self-titled debut album before getting the ladies all excited with his first #1 single “Kiss You In The Morning.”  He ended his set with his just announced second #1 hit “Think A Little Less.”

Eric Paslay the six-foot red-headed singer-songwriter performed next with songs from his two studio albums Eric Paslay and Dressed In Black.  Song choices in his set consists of “Friday Night,” “Song About A Girl,” “She Don’t Love You” and “High Class.”  As a songwriter, Eric has penned hit songs for other artists that he has added to his show that include “Angel Eyes” by Love And Theft along with “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” by Jake Owen.

This year’s Taste Of Country event is the first time the festival has had two headliners.  The evening’s first co-headliner Randy Houser comes to the stage showing off his guitar talents and bellowing out his baritone vocals.  With four studio albums to back him and such songs as “Boots On,” “How Country Feels,” “Runnin’ Out Of Moonlight” and “Like A Cowboy” Randy keeps the crowd dancing and singing along throughout his whole set.   As an added bonus for his Michigan fans, Randy brings his long-time friend Johnny Galecki to the stage as Johnny jumps up to share his drumming talents behind the drum kit.   Johnny is an actor best known for his roles in The Big Bang Theory and Roseanne.

Closing out this year’s festival is the second co-headliner, Justin Moore.  Justin is out on tour promoting his fourth studio album by Valory Music Group Kinda Don’t Care with his latest single “Somebody Else Will.” With a whole stage production and his own extravagant light show, Justin came to Lansing with plans of entertaining the fans at no expense.  During his 90 minute set, Justin performs all the songs that his fans have gotten to know from him.  From his rock and rowdy, hold no prisoners “I Could Kick Your Ass” to the tender acoustic of “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away,” Justin is set to entertain all ages in attendance while including everyone with his debut hit single “Small Town USA.”

At the conclusion of the night, everyone left feeling happy as they walked out singing their favorite songs from tonight’s artists and sharing stories to their friends of their evening.  Just one more example of music bringing people together and making them feel happy.

To follow along and stay up to date with any of the artists at this year’s event or to stay updated for next year’s Taste Of Country show, follow each of them by clicking on the links below.

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Randy Houser
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Eric Paslay
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Michael Ray
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Brian Lorente and the Usual Suspects
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Taste Of Country Lansing
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Event Date: 09-JUN-2017