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Debbie Ingram
For The Corner News

Well before the party started, the party got started at the third annual Verizon Wireless BamaJam Music & Arts Festival.

More than 1,000 campers and RVs pulled through the gates of BamaJam on Tuesday and Wednesday and another 200 tent campers were already staked out by late afternoon Wednesday in anticipation of the start of one of the largest outdoor music festivals in the U.S.

“The crowd is going to be every bit as big as the last two years,” said BamaJam Director Joe Gomez as he watched camper after camper pull inside the gates.
BamaJam is a three-day camping and musical event with about 75 artists and bands set to perform on four stages in a peanut field north of Enterprise. It is a location that is ever appropriate for a town which celebrates the boll weevil for its contribution toward the establishment of the peanut as king among crops in these parts.

BamaJam attracts more than 100,000 music fans from across the country, and was created by Ronnie Gilley of Enterprise. It is primarily a country and Southern rock event, but includes various genres of music including blues, rap, alternative and rock.

It is known both locally and regionally as a red neck party complete with girls in short shorts and cowboy boots and a few thousand good ole’ boys with rebel flags proudly displayed on their pickup trucks.

The parking lot expected to have a few extra pickup trucks this year, as ticket sales are up.

Gilley told hundreds gathered for a ceremonial raising of the American flag to kick off the event, that tickets have been sold to residents in 43 states and four foreign countries.

“Three years ago everybody said BamaJam is impossible,” Gilley said. “But this area has a huge demographic to pull from and it fills an entertainment void.”

After two successful events, Billy Graham, vice president of acquisitions for Ronnie Gilley Properties, said a lot has been learned. Stages have been enlarged and relocated and there are many new additions, including a VIP tent, reserved seating and more bathrooms.

Set-up for the festival was completed early this year, making for less of a last-week push.

“We are way ahead of ourselves compared to the last two years,” Graham said. “We’ve learned a lot about how to put on a great show.”

Blackberry Smoke serves up country fried rock

Lance Griffin
For The Corner News

It doesn’t take long to figure out the kind of music Blackberry Smoke plays.

There’s the long, straight hair. Boots. Champion mutton chops from a couple of members. Mirror sunglasses.

And then there’s the story they love to tell about their recent tour in Europe where a star struck fan approached them after the show and, in broken English, showed them the rebel flag tattoo on his arm and tried to apologize for getting the colors wrong.

It is hard to take music back 35 years, strip it naked and return it to the gritty sounds of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Marshall Tucker Band, yet somehow make it sound fresh.

That is the appeal of Blackberry Smoke, an instant BamaJam sensation after their appearance last year and ready to build on their appeal at this year’s festival.

“People will never get tired of that kind of music,” said Charlie Starr, who does vocals and music for the Atlanta-based band. “And right now, they don’t have a lot to choose from.”

Although the band is currently enjoying its greatest success – its single “Good One Comin’ On” was number one on Country Music Television’s Pure Country Countdown for two weeks running in May – the band has actually been touring for almost 10 years.

The band recently signed with Ronnie Gilley’s BamaJam records.

BlackBerry Smoke’s newest album “Little Piece of Dixie” epitomizes its Southern Rock roots with songs like “Sanctified Woman and “Up in Smoke.”

But while the band unashamedly claims its Southern Rock niche, there have been several influences on the band’s music.

Along with Skynyrd and Marshall Tucker, the band claims some bluegrass influence from Bill Monroe and has an affinity for jazz, blues and funk.

“Anything that’s good,” Starr said.

The band said legendary ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons gave them the best piece of advice they have ever gotten in the music business. First, Gibbons told the band to get rid of the music monitors from the front of the stage because it obstructs the vision of the people who paid big money for front-row seats.
Second, Gibbons told them to wear boots.

They also plan to heed the advice of country music guitarist Lee Roy Parnell, who once told them “Don’t change, no matter what.”

“It’s not like we were planning to,” Starr said.

Miss BamaJam 2010 crowned
Jim Cook
For The Corner News

BamaJam has a new queen.

Shaleah Bass was crowned Miss BamaJam Saturday evening after a swimsuit competition and a grueling interview segment that makes the Mensa entrance test look like a true false quiz in Home Ec.

Bass, of Miltonville, Fla., beat nine other contestants from around the Southeast for the crown. Here are a few highlights from the competition.
Number of visible tattoos: Four.

Number of “hell yeahs” requested from and given by the audience: One.

Most booed answer: Derek Jeter. When contestant Amanda Slaughter was asked who her favorite athlete was.

Audience’s favorite athlete: Ric Flair.

Best interview answer: “I would buy everybody a shot.” Answered by contestant Katy Matzke when asked what she’d do if she were given $50,000.

Runner up: “Kenny Chesney, because he thinks my tractor’s sexy,” answered by contestant Chelsie Trammel when asked who she was most excited about seeing.

Best overheard comment: “I don’t want to jump on the bar, that’s what the coyote girls are for.”

Most awkward comment by the emcee: “Kick me something honkey fresh, cuz.” To quote the esteemed Donnie Wahlberg, “Word to your motha.”
Winners: Shaleah Bass, Miss BamaJam; First Runner-Up, Brittney Crowell; Second Runner-Up, Kayla Rendell.

Chance these ladies would have with a big shot reporter like me: The odds are good, but the goods are odd.

As Hank sings, producer wants festival to become family tradition

Debbie Ingram
For The Corner News

BamaJam developer Ronnie Gilley takes off his Country Crossing ball cap and wipes sweat from his shaved head. He pulls up a folding chair in a media trailer adjacent to the main stage Saturday morning and says he’s pleased.

“Over 100,000 people have attended this year’s event,” he says, asking for a couple of energy drinks.

“That crowd was spectacular last night. Friday night exceeded last year’s Saturday night crowd. It is a wonderful thing we are trying to do here.”

He picks up his cell phone and makes a call. It’s confirmed: people from 48 states and 11 countries are at BamaJam this year. Only North Dakota and Oregon do not have a representative fan.

“What a great testimony for our Southern hospitality. Mix that with some good ol’ Southern fried classic rock and some country music, the heartbeat of America, and you’ve got the basis for success.”

Gilley peeps out the trailer window as two Gretchen Wilson semi-trucks pull in.

“We’ve taken a piece of land that for a hundred years was a farm and turned it into the greatest country music venue on planet Earth. And the fact that we have four stages and two natural amphitheatres that are God-built, makes it that much better. If there was ever a place the good Lord touched, it was this.”

BamaJam Executive Producer Tony Conway says everyone on staff is working hard to maintain the integrity of the land. He believes music fans can appreciate the outdoor venue, the pastures and the trees.

After all, country folks do love country music.

“It’s a park he’s created here,” Conway says. “People are out here picking up trash, keeping it as clean as we can.

“We want people to come to this festival and leave saying it was the nicest, safest event with the best sound and everything. Right now, I’d say it’s one of the top five festivals in the U.S.”

And officials are working hard to be sure the right people are on staff to help make that happen. At morning meetings, staffers are reminded to keep a smile on the face.

“We tell them to be hospitable,” he said. “We know it’s difficult sometimes with the heat and humidity. If they start getting ill over a situation, we tell them to let somebody know and take a break.”

It all comes back to the experience, and Conway said the last two BamaJams have been learning experiences. That’s how the number of portable toilets got doubled this year, the seating areas expanded, more gates opened and stages relocated.

Officials take criticism and suggestions to heart, but admit all the glitches are not worked out.

“After a show starts, I just walk out and talk to the audience,” Conway said. “They don’t know who I am. I ask them what they think, where they are from and how they heard about the festival. And I ask them what they’d like to see done differently.”

Conway says 95 percent of all comments are positive, and fans often come up with good ideas, like a cut-through from one side of the main stage to the other, between the stage and the sound system. It’s being considered.

“The fact that the pre-sale of tickets was up 40 to 45 percent over the last two years is a strong indicator that people love this festival and they want to come back,” said Conway.

Conway hopes the festival soon tops 200,000 in attendance.

“The thing about this place is there’s 1,200 acres and we’re only using about 800. We can get 200,000 in here. And as we grow, we explore adding things like magicians for the kids, a jazz tent, a comedy tent and more stages. We are getting the highest caliber entertainment.”

While no artists have been booked for BamaJam 2011 yet, Conway said he hopes generations will enjoy coming to the festival. As Hank croons — make it a family tradition.

“This is a festival we want people to look forward to, like Christmas. We want it to become a part of their lives, and 40 years from now their children and grandchildren are coming.”