On April 15, Commerce Casino and Hotel hosted the third annual Commerce Country Fest, with performances by Tim Hurley, Tigirlily Gold, Dylan Schneider, and Chris Young. Hosted in a tent adjacent to the casino, fans were ID’d and given wristbands before they were given the freedom to roam the area. The event, sponsored by Go Country 105, featured booths, games, drinks, photo opportunities, and line dancing before and in between performances. Many fans were decked out in typical country concert attire: jeans and cowboy boots with a western hat and beer in hand. 

First up was Nashville based singer-songwriter Tim Hurley. While Tim has yet to officially release a full project, he entertained the crowd by singing a mix of his original music and covers including megahit “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw. In between sets, the DJ played a mix of great country hits, while fans sang and participated in line dancing around the venue. Performing second was country duo Tigirlily Gold. Sisters Kendra and Krista first formed their band in high school and after touring across the midwest and gaining some traction, were signed to Monument Records. The experience was obvious as they performed both original and unreleased tracks for the audience. Their voices harmonized melodically which Krista accompanied on her acoustic guitar. The duo is set to release their new EP, Blonde on June 23. During their performance of their first single “Shoot Tequila” from the upcoming project, fans in the back of the crowd line danced to the beat of the song. 

Next up was up and coming country star Dylan Schneider. Named “Country Music’s Next Rising Star” by Billboard, Dylan has toured with  Florida Georgia Line, Dan + Shay, Morgan Wallen, Granger Smith, Mitchell Tenpenny, Chris Lane, and most recently, Niko Moon. In early 2022, Schneider released his debut EP under his record deal with BBR Music Group called College Town. Schneider performed mostly original music, including TikTok viral song and recent single “Ain’t Missing You,” which got an excited reaction from the crowd. He also performed Dustin Lynch’s song “Momma’s House,” which he co-wrote. After he finished performing, Dylan greeted his fans next to the stage and posed for selfies. While many people were respectful of the other artists, it was clear that most of the crowd was there to see Chris Young. As it drew nearer to his performance, the areas close to the barricade began to get tighter and tighter. When country superstar and singer-songwriter Chris Young finally entered the stage, several audience members yelled in excitement. Fans were delighted to hear acoustic renditions of songs such as “Gettin' You Home,” “Famous Friends,” “Aw Naw,” “You,” and new songs such as “Looking for You.” 

The Commerce Country Fest is a great way to see some of country music’s rising talent, as well as support your local radio station! Mark your calendars for next year’s festival!

Commerce Country Festival

Review & Photos by: Nicole Ditt

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