Jake Owen, Joe Diffie and More Highlight Country on the River 2015 Day 2 [Pictures]
From midday to well after sundown on Friday (Aug. 7), Day 2 of Country on the River 2015 was jam-packed with country music, country music and, yes, more country music.
Self-described "happy, secure hillbilly" Tylor Bailey began the music in the early afternoon, followed by '90s country hitmaker Joe Diffie, who tells Taste of Country that he's always happy to play for festival crowds.
"It’s just always a good atmosphere, lots of fun," Diffie says. "... We have a great time, have a great band. We’ve been lucky to have a lot of hits over the years, so we have a lot of fun with it ... We figure, if we’re enjoying ourselves, the audience will, too.”
Craig Morgan took the stage around dinnertime. The "Wake Up Lovin' You" singer notes that shows in Wisconsin are always a good time because "the Wisconsin fans are some of the most hardcore." Big & Rich — also briefly joined by Diffie and Morgan — rocked the crowd as night fell, soaking in the "air of happiness" that the duo's Big Kenny says is always present at summer music festivals.
"I love that so many people all come together to celebrate music for days at a time," he explains. "It's a lifestyle and a commitment to joy."
Friday night headliner Jake Owen ended Day 2 a mere few hours after the announcement of his divorce from wife Lacey Buchanan. Click through the photo gallery above to see crowd and stage shots from throughout the day.
Dierks Bentley, Randy Houser, Jerrod Niemann, Blackjack Billy and American Young will help close out Country on the River 2015 on Saturday (Aug. 8).