Big & Rich [ tickets ]'s Muzik Mafia brought the hick-hop and piano-playing singer Phil Vassar [ tickets ] brought his sparkling personality to the Country Thunder [ tickets ] USA festival over the weekend (4/12-4/15) at the 50-acre Canyon Moon Ranch in Florence, AZ.

Muzik Mafia's redneck woman, Gretchen Wilson [ tickets ], opened for Big & Rich Saturday (4/14), leading 40,000 people on sing-alongs of some of her biggest hits, among them "All Jacked Up" and "Politically Uncorrect." During the latter song, the audience gave a roaring ovation when Wilson sang a line about troops serving overseas.

Arriving on stage to a party mix of Billy Squier's "Stroke Me" and Queen's "We Will Rock You," Wilson made her point subtly: she was there to rock. The crowd followed suit, with nary a person sitting in his or her seat while she performed.

"I don't know about y'all, but it's time for some drinkin' music," Wilson said before launching into a series of drinkin' songs: "One Bud Wiser," "All Jacked Up" and "When It Rains, I Pour."

Wilson also showcased material from her forthcoming album, "One of the Boys," due in stores May 15, including the rock-laden title track and the sexy ballad "Come to Bed," written by duet partner John Rich of Big & Rich, who also joined her to perform the song at Country Thunder.

Rich returned to the stage with his band and cast of characters: Cowboy Troy and Two Foot Fred. Big & Rich, who have turned critical skepticism into a full-fledged embrace, closed out Saturday night. With the exception of Wilson, most of the day's acts were met with fans sitting down enjoying the music. But with Big and Rich, the crowd joined the Muzik Mafia party as the duo blasted through "Comin' to Your City," "Six Foot Town," "Big Time" and "Love Train." Toward the end of the set, they were met by Cowboy Troy who performed his minor hit "I Play Chicken with the Train."

Vassar was an explosive bundle of energy during Sunday's (4/15) set. Like Wilson, he wasn't prepared to allow fans to sit down. From his opening number, fans were on their feet--as was Vassar, behind a piano.

"Let's rock, come on--let's have some fun," Vassar shouted from behind the grand piano. "Everybody's going to do a little bit of singing with me today. You look like you've been doing a little bit of partying this weekend. I like it."

He frequently took breaks during his songs to address the crowd of 25,000. As he broke down "In a Real Love," he yelled, "We've got a real love in the desert. That's what I'm talkin' about." Afterward, he utilized the runway that shot out midway through the VIP seating, something other artists failed to do.

During a rare moment, Vassar slowed it down for the somber yet poignant "The Last Day of My Life." Covers were heavy in Vassar's set. He and his band broke into a reggae-tinged version of "Stay" in the midst of "Six Pack Summer." Guitarist Jeff Smith served up his renditions of "Roxanne" and "You Shook Me All Night Long," before fiddler Matt Thomas offered his take on "The Devil Went Down to Georgia."

Vassar also introduced a new song to the audience, "My Baby Rocks," one that is tentatively to be included on a forthcoming album, titled "Save Tonight for Me Honey." The sexy, rollicking song was a hit among the crowd, which totaled 125,000 for the entire weekend.

Country Thunder--Literally

Storms dampened the first night of Country Thunder on Thursday (4/12), cutting short Jo Dee Messina's set and canceling Trace Adkins' headlining performance entirely.

Before the rain--and despite a sinus infection--country legend Lorrie Morgan plowed through her early evening set on the main stage. Her mood wavered between spirited ("Don't Stop in My World") and somber ("Mirror," from an as-of-yet untitled future album).

Leading into the ballad "Mirror," Morgan jokingly advised patrons--many of whom were cuddled in blankets due to the high winds and low temperatures--to take antidepressants to ready them for the song. She added, without elaborating, that the last couple years have been depressing.

Although not noticeable from the audience, Morgan complained to the audience that the winds were causing sound problems for her.

"It's making me hit bad notes," she said sniffling, before launching into a soulful rendition of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine." "It's a Woman Thing," which she dedicated to the men in the audience, was particularly strong.

Before the rain and the dust came, several acts were able to play the main stage. Last year's "Nashville Star" winner Chris Young performed a slew of songs, including "Flowers" and "You're Gonna Love Me." The all-female band Cowboy Crush impressed as well.

Warmer and less windy, Friday's (4/13) show marked Reba McEntire [ tickets ]'s first Country Thunder performance in two years. With her trademark smile, McEntire, 52, featured a string of her hits during her 90-minute set, including "Whoever's in New England," "Can't Even Get the Blues" and "Why Haven't I Heard From You." Seemingly excited about playing Country Thunder, McEntire performed the songs with a renewed enthusiasm that lacked during her show at US Airways Center two years ago.

Friday's show also featured the first solo performance by Alabama's Randy Owen, who is currently working on a solo album. Instead of delving into new material, he played Alabama hits such as "Mountain Music" and "Dixieland Delight," a treat for the 35,000-plus fans who arrived at Canyon Moon Ranch on Friday. Alabama hasn't been on the road since its 2003 farewell tour. Owen had the crowd in his hand, dancing during upbeat numbers and showing off his well-known baritone during ballads.

Blake Shelton warmed up for Owen with a set's worth of hits--"Playboys of the Southwestern World" and his first No. 1 song "Austin"--and fun, between-song banter.

Tanya Tucker had a special guest during her set: her 7-year-old daughter Layla, who sang enough to prove that she's inherited her mother's strong vocals.