Waylon’s Pick for 2nd Best Country Jam Ever

Here it is, the first day of Country Jam 2019. I've been thinking back on my close to 30 years of Country Jams and selecting my favorite years. I already posted about my favorite Country Jam. Here's my pick for the 2nd best Country Jam Colorado.

My pick for the very best Country Jam was 1993. You know me, and how much of a purist I can be. I'm "Old School" for the most part. Okay, so 1993 with Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, and Chis LeDoux was my favorite. Which year comes in 2nd place?

In my opinion, the 2nd best Country Jam ever would be ... wait for it ... wait for it ... here it comes ... the 2nd best Country Jam would be ... 2011.

That was an awesome year. The 2011 lineup included:

• Thursday, June 23: Lady Antebellum, Josh Kelley, Joe Nichols
• Friday, June 24: 20 Year Country Jam Celebration, Clint Black, Western Underground
• Saturday, June 25: Alan Jackson, Rodney Atkins, Sawyer Brown
• Sunday, June 26: Blake Shelton, Little Big Town, Neal McCoy (awesome guy), LoCash Cowboys

The irony of 2011, Little Big Town had made it big, but many felt they weren't quite "headliner" material. Look at them now! They've been back to the Jam twice since 2011.

Look at the other acts: Lady Antebellum, Rodney Atkins (who's is back in 2019), Sawyer Brown (super nice guys), and Alan Jackson. Okay, between you and me, Alan Jackson was a real pain backstage. His manager got into a heated argument with both the stage manager Billy and me. Oh well, that's history.

The 2011 Country Jam is also the year when the crowd was presented with an American Flag which had been flying in Afghanistan when Osama Bin Laden was taken out. We had a big ceremony on stage during which the flag was presented to the audience. Shortly afterward, the flag was put on display at the Grand Junction Police Department.

One minor note: 2011 was the year where I was asked to be the main stage announcer. That was the ultimate treat.

Here it is, Country Jam 2019, and I can feel it in the air. Seriously, while hosting the Campground Kickoff Party last night, I felt the same vibe I felt back in 2011. It's going to be a great year. See you at the Jam.