As the sun found its way home in the western sky, Saturday night darkened Death Valley.
Tiger Stadium hosted the third-annual Bayou Country Superfest on Saturday with “a line-up many country fans dream of,” according to Mayor-President Kip Holden.
“It’s tough to take a look at this list and keep track of the awards without losing count,” Holden joked before the festival. “The fact that we are able to secure such large acts draws a very large crowd every year.”
But the large crowd didn’t wait until 5 p.m. on Saturday to begin the celebration. Thousands of revelers lined the streets surrounding the stadium in preparation for a long day of tailgating before opening act Jerrod Niemann took the main stage.
Niemann brought an original musical arrangement to the Bayou Country Music Festival. As he sang of beer, honky-tonk fever and “booty calls,” a horn section backed him up. He was also joined by an electric keyboard guitar.
“I have always wanted to come watch a football game here, so being able to play here is crazy to me,” Nieman announced to the crowd.
Little Big Town followed, with a set that included a rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.”
Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne took a moment to address the crowd between performances.
“Tonight the eyes of the country music world are on Baton Rouge,” Dardenne said. “But, let us not forget what this weekend is all about. Let’s give a hand to our brave men and women who risk their lives every day fighting for our freedom.”
With the sun setting and the crowd building, Eric Church took the stage vowing to “Burn [Tiger Stadium] to the ground.”
Church began his performance by ripping open a can of beer and throwing it into the crowd as the vibes from his lead guitarist penetrated the walls of the stadium. His antics didn’t end there. Church jumped around the stage, beat on his chest and hopped on boxes that would later spew smoke.
He also told stories of his first concert experience.
“We weren’t old enough to drink, so we had to steal some beers from an older couple near us,” Church said. “I had my eye on this one girl from the beginning of the show. By the end of the night we had locked lips a few times.”
Carrie Underwood slowed things down after Church’s high-energy performance. She didn’t use props or antics to entice the crowd. Instead, she entertained the Tiger Stadium with her big, soulful voice.
Throughout Underwood’s performance, camera flashes and the backlights of cell phones lit up the crowd. She sang of true love and faith with songs such as “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”
However, it was a microphone stand in section 303 that drew the most interest from fans. Many thought Keith Urban would emerge from the crowd to begin the final performance of the night.
He did not begin his set in the crowd. Urban entered the crowd later in his performance, donning an LSU shirt and singing the crowd into Sunday morning.
 
____ Contact Joshua Bergeron at [email protected]