Festival of the Bells announces exciting entertainment lineup
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
The weather may still be rainy and cold, but the Festival of the Bells committee is in full swing preparing for hot summer nights of music, food and family fun in the streets of downtown Hillsboro.
Committee president Michael Bradford and entertainment committee chairperson Rick Williams have announced the entertainment headliners The Band Perry, and Easton Corbin, with the Thursday Christian artist Matthew West.
Last week the Hillsboro City Council approved the festival dates for Thursday, June 30, Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2.
Williams said The Band Perry, who will perform during the Friday night show, is a band of two brothers and a sister, whose song "If I Die Young" has been certified platinum and hit number one on the Hot Country Songs charts, according to the band website.
"I saw them at the Kentucky State Fair, and I was very impressed," Williams said. "I had the same feeling about them as Lady Antebellum. And we all know what they've done in the last two years since they were at the festival."
During the 53rd Grammy Awards, Lady Antebellum's hit song "Need You Now" took home five awards, including song of the year.
The Band Perry was nominated for a Grammy for best country song for "If I Die Young." They are also up for several Academy of Country Music Awards, including top vocal group, song of the year and single record of the year.
Williams said the band's concert T-shirts list tour dates and will include Hillsboro in the list.
"That's something that doesn't happen every year," he said. "Brad Paisley did it, and Rascal Flatts did it. It's a nice souvenir to have, and we get a cut of the profits."
Williams said Saturday night headliner Easton Corbin is being touted as "the next George Strait."
Corbin's song "Roll With It," according to Williams, had originally been written for Strait.
"George didn't record it for whatever reason, and then Easton Corbin got it, recorded it and made it a number one song."
Corbin's song "A Little More Country Than That" also hit number one in 2009.
At the 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards, Corbin was named breakthrough artist of the year, and "A Little More Country Than That" won best music video by a new artist and best single by a breakthrough artist.
"It's going to be a great time in downtown Hillsboro," Williams said. "We were lucky to get the artists we did this year."
The Thursday night show, sponsored by the Hillsboro Ministerial Association, is now in its sixth year. Matthew West is known for such songs as "The Motions," "Only Grace," and "You Are Everything."
Last year's concerts with Jason Michael Carroll and Justin Moore each brought in crowds between 10,000 to 12,000, Bradford and Williams said, while the top night of festival history remains the Emerson Drive/Taylor Swift concert in 2008 when there were 18,000 to 20,000 people.
In addition to the main stage concerts, Bradford said there are several other new additions to the festival this year, including "The Whip Guy," Chris Camp, who performs stunts using a bullwhip. He has made appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and has been featured in the "Guinness Book of World Records" and "Ripley's Believe It Or Not."
"He performs tricks and demonstrations, like taking a volunteer from the audience and from 25 feet away slicing off a piece of a cigarette in their mouth with a bullwhip," Bradford said.
Williams said there will be old favorites, such as the outhouse races and the human tractor pull, along with other local artists.
Bradford said vendors interested in booths should contact the festival committee.
Information is available at festivalofthebells.com.
"We've talked about this before, but where else can you go and for nothing but the cost of food go and enjoy such quality entertainment, that is family-friendly, so close to home," Bradford said.
The annual parade will also be held on Thursday, June 30 at 6 p.m.
"We just get bigger and better every year," Bradford said.[[In-content Ad]]
Committee president Michael Bradford and entertainment committee chairperson Rick Williams have announced the entertainment headliners The Band Perry, and Easton Corbin, with the Thursday Christian artist Matthew West.
Last week the Hillsboro City Council approved the festival dates for Thursday, June 30, Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2.
Williams said The Band Perry, who will perform during the Friday night show, is a band of two brothers and a sister, whose song "If I Die Young" has been certified platinum and hit number one on the Hot Country Songs charts, according to the band website.
"I saw them at the Kentucky State Fair, and I was very impressed," Williams said. "I had the same feeling about them as Lady Antebellum. And we all know what they've done in the last two years since they were at the festival."
During the 53rd Grammy Awards, Lady Antebellum's hit song "Need You Now" took home five awards, including song of the year.
The Band Perry was nominated for a Grammy for best country song for "If I Die Young." They are also up for several Academy of Country Music Awards, including top vocal group, song of the year and single record of the year.
Williams said the band's concert T-shirts list tour dates and will include Hillsboro in the list.
"That's something that doesn't happen every year," he said. "Brad Paisley did it, and Rascal Flatts did it. It's a nice souvenir to have, and we get a cut of the profits."
Williams said Saturday night headliner Easton Corbin is being touted as "the next George Strait."
Corbin's song "Roll With It," according to Williams, had originally been written for Strait.
"George didn't record it for whatever reason, and then Easton Corbin got it, recorded it and made it a number one song."
Corbin's song "A Little More Country Than That" also hit number one in 2009.
At the 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards, Corbin was named breakthrough artist of the year, and "A Little More Country Than That" won best music video by a new artist and best single by a breakthrough artist.
"It's going to be a great time in downtown Hillsboro," Williams said. "We were lucky to get the artists we did this year."
The Thursday night show, sponsored by the Hillsboro Ministerial Association, is now in its sixth year. Matthew West is known for such songs as "The Motions," "Only Grace," and "You Are Everything."
Last year's concerts with Jason Michael Carroll and Justin Moore each brought in crowds between 10,000 to 12,000, Bradford and Williams said, while the top night of festival history remains the Emerson Drive/Taylor Swift concert in 2008 when there were 18,000 to 20,000 people.
In addition to the main stage concerts, Bradford said there are several other new additions to the festival this year, including "The Whip Guy," Chris Camp, who performs stunts using a bullwhip. He has made appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and has been featured in the "Guinness Book of World Records" and "Ripley's Believe It Or Not."
"He performs tricks and demonstrations, like taking a volunteer from the audience and from 25 feet away slicing off a piece of a cigarette in their mouth with a bullwhip," Bradford said.
Williams said there will be old favorites, such as the outhouse races and the human tractor pull, along with other local artists.
Bradford said vendors interested in booths should contact the festival committee.
Information is available at festivalofthebells.com.
"We've talked about this before, but where else can you go and for nothing but the cost of food go and enjoy such quality entertainment, that is family-friendly, so close to home," Bradford said.
The annual parade will also be held on Thursday, June 30 at 6 p.m.
"We just get bigger and better every year," Bradford said.[[In-content Ad]]