Gary Allan entertains the crowd at the LES Country Fest. (Lake Erie Speedway photo)

NORTH EAST, Pa. -- Fans poured into Lake Erie Speedway on Sunday to enjoy a day and night filled with country music, dancing, and some memorable performances by every band involved in the 2004 LES Country Fest.

The show was kicked off at 1 p.m. by Showdown, who was followed by Next of Kin Coyote Joe, and then Tombstone. Cowboy Crush, a rising all-female band, took control of the stage next. Their set actually ran long, but both the band and the fans were into the music so much, that everyone wanted more. Lead singer Trenna Barnes and the rest of the band whipped the crowd into a frenzy with each passing song, getting them ready for the next band, the PovertyNeck Hillbillies.

A packed house enjoys a night of great country music at Lake Erie Speedway. (Lake Erie Speedway photo)

The Hillbillies came on stage to a huge ovation. They are a Pittsburgh-based band, and have a huge following throughout the area. In the front areas of the infield, several devoted followers were seen square-dancing to every song, and encouraging other to join in. They covered several country hits, and then played songs off of their own CD – “Hillbilly State of Mind.” That was the title song off of that CD, and it had fans singing in agreement with lyrics; many wanted to buy their own CD to hear the song again.

Gary Allan was next on stage, and the female contingent in the crowd was positively smitten with every lyric he sang. Even more fans were inside by now; when he started into his tune “Songs About Rain,” as a light drizzle was falling, everyone, from the fans to Gary himself, had a big laugh at mother nature’s expense. “Tough Little Boys” was also a fan favorite, and “Nothing on but the Radio” was also a popular track. After Gary was done, there was only one band left to play: Rascal Flatts.

Rascal Flatts rocks the house. (Lake Erie Speedway photo)

It was dark by the time Rascal Flatts took to the stage, and all the stage lights went out at the start of the show. A great laser light show welcomed the band onto the stage, and when the stage lights came back up, the band immediately set out to give fans their money’s worth. The band played for over an hour straight, singing all their big tunes like “Mayberry,” and “I’m Movin’ On,” along with some of their other songs, such as “Shine On,” and “These Days.”

The 2004 Lake Erie Speedway Country Fest was a big success, and fans are already looking forward to next years concert events, along with ZZ Top, which is coming up on September 5, 2004. Tickets for that concert are now available at all Ticketmaster locations and the Lake Erie Speedway ticket office. Contact Ticketmaster at 412-323-1919 or the LES box office at (814) 725-3303 or 1-866-LES-RACE.