THE ACADEMY BRINGS THE MUSIC TO NFR
Dirt, mud and dust. Bibles and beer. Outlaws, barbed wire, saddles and steers. It's a simple life; it's sacred ground. And neither hard times nor high winds – including 47 mph gusts and sandstorms – brought any cowboys down at the 50th Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
Sin City transformed into Cowboy Town December 4 – 1, 2008, as rodeo finalists and more than 17,000 fans flocked to the Thomas & Mack Center for the granddaddy of them all: the world’s premiere professional rodeo, where the top 15 contestants in each of eight categories competed for their share of the $5.625 million purse. But while bullfighters and bronc riders took center stage in the arena, 10 up-and-coming country artists stole the spotlight at the Academy of Country Stage in the Cowboy Corral, a special area created by Las Vegas Events in the venue's Cox Pavilion. Each act performed two sets, one before and one after the rodeo, and several also scored a spot in the arena performing either the opening song or the national anthem.
Country trio Trailer Choir got rodeo-goers riled with energetic sets on Dec. 4, also opening the night's events with their single "Off the Hillbilly Hook." Jake Owen and American Idol finalist Kristy Lee Cook packed in the numbers on Dec. 5 and 6th, with Cook staying late to sign autographs at the ACM booth. Aaron Watson inspired some Texas-style two-stepping with twangin’ performances on Dec. 7, followed by Crystal Shawanda on Dec. 8 and The Carter Twins on Dec. 9.
New artist Whitney Duncan graced the stage on Dec. 10, sporting appropriate colors during her anthem performance for the rodeo’s annual "Tough Enough to Wear Pink Night" in honor of breast cancer research and awareness. Every year, iconic western-industry brands and professionals join forces to support the Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign, donating significant funds to the cause in a special presentation at the Wrangler NFR.
The final three days in Cowboy Town finished strong as the competition got harder and the music got louder. Randy Houser rocked the ACM Stage on Dec. 11 with songs from his much-acclaimed debut album Anything Goes, including the appropriately titled “Wild Wild West.” Hot on Houser’s heels came the Zac Brown Band on Dec. 12, which brought the house down in both the Cowboy Corral and the arena with its rendition of the recent No. 1 hit "Chicken Fried."
Reigning ACM Top New Male Vocalist Jack Ingram closed out the event with two sets and the opening song, turning the Cowboy Corral into a full-swing honkytonk by the time the last cowboys rode – or drove – away.
"It was killer," Ingram said of his NFR experience. "This was the first time I’ve been to the actual rodeo. I've played in and around them before, but to be a part of it with the ACM and then to go out and watch all of those guys that really go out and lay it on the line every night - it was really cool." Stephanie Rew