The Anderson Bash is growing bigger, and so are the country stars it attracts.
Now in its third year, the concert will last two nights, instead of one. And its lineup features country hitmakers Lonestar and Terri Clark.
It will take place Friday-Saturday, July 23-24, on Anderson family land along County Road 45 in southwest Alexandria.
Fans from the 1990s and early 2000s will recall Lonestar's "Amazed," from 1999, or the band's heart-tugger "I'm Already There" from 2001. Expect a different sound though, as lead singer Richie McDonald left the band in March, and his silky vocals have been replaced by the lower-pitched, more conventionally country voice of Drew Womack.
“Honestly, we think that the sound quality of the new band is better,” said Joey Anderson, one of the organizers. "Diehard, true country followers" might not like it, he said, but the footage he watched of the band's concerts with Womack as lead singer show enthusiastic audiences.
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Terri Clark has had a half dozen No. 1 country songs, including "Girls Lie Too" from 2004. Although she hasn't had a top song since that time, she still commands respect from critics and continues to put out albums. The Canadian-born singer also hosts a syndicated radio show, Country Gold with Terri Clark, which airs on more than 100 stations in the U.S. and Canada.
Other well-known and up-and-coming performers include the Bellamy Brothers, who performed at the last Anderson Bash in 2019; Shane Martin, who is also returning to Anderson Bash; Brianna Helbling of Mandan, North Dakota; the Canyon Cowboys, a country rock band from Minneapolis; the Shalo Lee Band, a female-fronted southern rock group from Minneapolis; and local performer Connie Lee.
Anderson said they expect 2,000 to 3,000 people to show up. And while the event is growing, “We’re not sure where it’s going to go" in the future, he added.
Presale tickets cost $20 for Friday and $30 for Saturday, and gate prices are $30 for Friday and $40 for Saturday.
