Country Thunder Day 1 in pictures
- Updated
Locash (Chris Lucas, singing, Preston Brust at the piano) finally made it to the nighttime lineup at Country Thunder. The pair last year played in the middle of the day, but after a pair of No. 1 singles, they earned the promotion to primetime.
- Cathalena E. Burch / Arizona Daily Star
The audience swelled from several thousands to 25,000-plus by the time Terri Clark took the stage.
- Cathalena E. Burch / Arizona Daily Star
The guitar's not a prop, the hat's not window dressing and Canadian country singer Terri Clark proved that chicks with guitars bring fans to their feet.
- Cathalena E. Burch / Arizona Daily Star
Brandon Ray had the honor and the curse of being the first act on the 2017 Country Thunder lineup. That meant there weren't a whole lot of people in the reserved seats, but those who were there gave him a warm welcome.
Terri Clark and her violinist were on Country Thunder's opening lineup Thursday. She was one of three female acts on the 2017 festival lineup.
- Cathalena E. Burch / Arizona Daily Star
Throughout the festival, there will be a line at the Country Thunder merch tent with fans anxious to get the 2017 festival T-shirt.
- Cathalena E. Burch / Arizona Daily Star
Jackson Michelson made good use of the catwalk during his show, his debut at Country Thunder.
- Cathalena E. Burch / Arizona Daily Star
Locash (Chris Lucas, singing, Preston Brust at the piano) finally made it to the nighttime lineup at Country Thunder. The pair last year played in the middle of the day, but after a pair of No. 1 singles, they earned the promotion to primetime.
- Cathalena E. Burch / Arizona Daily Star
1990s country superstar Terri Clark was the only female artist on the opening night lineup at Country Thunder.
- Cathalena E. Burch / Arizona Daily Star
Californians Paola Ramos and Kaycee Fontes grabbed a pair of inflatable canoes to relax on the lawn at County Thunder Thursday.
- Cathalena E. Burch / Arizona Daily Star
Nicki Chasteen of Tucson took a twirl with Graham Klisares, a veteran Country Thunder fan who has sat in the same reserved seat for the past 10 years.
- Cathalena E. Burch / Arizona Daily Star
A fan handed LoCash's Preston Brust a giant flag that he waved to the crowd packed into Country Thunder Thursday night while he and his duo partner sang their American anthem "The Fighters."
- Cathalena E. Burch / Arizona Daily Star
Preston Brust made good use of the Country Thunder stage Thursday night.
- Cathalena E. Burch / Arizona Daily Star
Country Thunder's audience started out as a few thousand early on, but by the time Terri Clark hit the stage at 6:30, the crowd number 25,000 and counting.
- Cathalena E. Burch / Arizona Daily Star
As featured on
Opening act LoCash are also new to playing Country Thunder's nighttime lineup.
More information
- A chick with a guitar rocks Country Thunder
- Thunder's rolling in Florence, and it's a hot one
- ‘Baby act’ Jackson Michelson makes Country Thunder debut
- Superstars, newbies, sunshine in line up for '17 Country Thunder music festival
- Border Patrol casts agent recruiting net at fairs, rodeos
- Luke Bryan marks 10th anniversary of first Country Thunder Arizona
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