The best and worst of Country Thunder 2024 from Jelly Roll to tattoos and TikTok stars

Country Thunder Arizona 2024 took over Canyon Moon Ranch near Florence and it was an absolute scene.

Headliners included Lainey Wilson on Thursday, Eric Church on Friday, Jelly Roll on Saturday and Koe Wetzel on Sunday, and the music ran from early afternoon to late night on three stages.

But some of the best and worst things you'll see at Country Thunder don't happen on the main stage — or even the newly appointed Songwriters Showcase. They happen in the campground, the vendor and food areas and the parking lots.

Here's a look back at the highlights and lowlights of Country Thunder Arizona 2024.

High: Diamond Rio brought the romance

Grammy Award-winning country band Diamond Rio has been around for more than three decades and got the crowd much more excited than any of the earlier acts on Sunday.

Lead singer Marty Roe had no problem hitting those low notes, making it seem effortless and the songs light and airy. As cigarette smoke filled the air, fans were heard yelling “yee-haw.”

The band brought the romance for performances of “Imagine That” and “One More Day,” which had couples slow dancing, kissing and holding each other as they listened on.

“We know we got great country fans in this part of the world …  we are blessed to have so many great hits, what a great problem, so we are going to try to get through all of them,” Roe said.

— Dina Kaur

High: Jelly Roll took 'em to church

Jelly Roll drew a huge crowd for the weekend’s most anticipated set at Country Thunder Arizona, taking the stage with arms outstretched to thunderous applause as he launched his performance with “Halfway to Hell,” the gospel-tinged country-rap anthem that opens his first full-blown country album, last year’s “Whitsitt Chapel.”

“I’ve been dreaming of headlining Country Thunder, y’all,” he shouted at the song's conclusion, grinning ear-to-ear, before following through with “The Lost," one of several highlights that spoke to the spiritual side of the Jelly Roll phenomenon.

"I've been known to find my kind of people that ain't at home underneath church steeples," he sang with the soulful conviction of a true believer. "You'd be surprised the places I find Jesus. That ain't the regular crowd."

It was actually quite moving. And theatrical.

— Ed Masley

'Everything I dreamed': How Jelly Roll inspired at Country Thunder Arizona

High: Upside of fun on carnival rides

If you’re in need of something to do while you wait for the next act that’s not sunbathing or drinking, you can head over to the carnival rides for a quick hit of adrenalin and a much-needed bit of artificial breeze. The Blackout ride will set you back $10 per person while Speed will set you back $15 and takes you upside down.

— Meredith G. White

Low: Even the employees can't figure out the parking

If you're driving to Country Thunder Arizona, study the Canyon Moon Ranch parking map carefully before heading out. While some parking lots are clearly marked, others are not, and event staff members — while friendly — haven't been properly educated on the parking lots and how to direct festivalgoers. One staff member said, "I won't be working this event again" after I asked him for directions and he was regretfully unable to assist me.

— Meredith G. White

Low: Pungent Porta-Potties

The Porta-Potties are the only bathroom option for regular ticket holders. There are dozens of them situated throughout Country Thunder and they include hand-wash stations. While there are no lines, there definitely is a pungent smell. They are not clean by any means. But what else can you expect from a Porta-Potty? At least they are abundant.

— Dina Kaur

High: The new Songwriters Showcase is an intimate addition

Alana Springsteen was joined by Will Weatherly, Benjy Davis and Ryan Beaver at the new Songwriters Showcase on Friday. Weatherly, Davis and Beaver have worked on songs with Springsteen.

It was an intimate session with each artist playing acoustic guitars and taking turns signing a song of their choice.

“This is a songwriter round so we like to tell stories while we sing these songs,” Springsteen said.She performed “You Don’t Deserve a Country Song” and “Feel Good,” a song coming out this year on her sophomore album.

It was a small stage with a few chairs and it was easy for those who showed up just before things kicked off to grab a seat. The setting ensured that fans could hear the true vocals of the artists without the noise of the crowd drowning them out.

This is the first time Country Thunder Arizona has offered the Songwriters Showcase and it was a highlight for fans and performers.

“First time in Arizona, this is awesome,” Springsteen said. "I love it here. I can’t wait to come back."

— Dina Kaur

Low: Fans give a talented Jacob Morris the cold shoulder

There was no real love for the iHeart Radio stage near Electric Thunder. As Jacob Morris was performing Friday, there were maybe a handful of people lingering around and seemingly not even paying attention but rather talking among themselves.

Morris's vocals were great, he had impressive guitar skills and he and his band delivered great vibes for dancing. Unfortunately, fans didn’t seem to care. My heart went out to Morris. The organizers should do a better job promoting this stage and smaller artists, as it was a little tricky to find and hard to know who was performing.

— Dina Kaur

High: Randall King's set was the best of the day

Randall King was midway through one of the strongest sets we’ll likely see a relatively unknown artist do at Country Thunder Arizona 2024 when he told the crowd: “If you love old-school country music, then I got a song for you.”

If you love old-school country music, he’s actually got a solid 60 minutes' worth of songs for you, if Friday’s set was any indication, from the song in question, “Mirror, Mirror,” to the hopped-up honky-tonk swagger of “Coulda Been You” and the anthemic "Into the Neon."

It’s doubtful anyone who caught King's set at last year’s festival would be at all surprised to hear that.

He’s the real deal, a true believer in the church of country music whose heroes have always been cowboys. He spoke with conviction about country music coming from the heart, which certainly appeared to be the case for King, especially on highlights as heartfelt as “You in a Honky Tonk” or “I Could Be the Rain,” a set-closing triumph that ended in his bandmates jamming out on “Purple Rain” as King was signing autographs.

— Ed Masley

High: Who needs T-shirts? Real fans get Country Thunder tattoos

Some fans want to commemorate their time at Country Thunder Arizona 2024 with new body art or bling and The Enchanted Dragon is there to serve.

Based out of Tucson, piercer Lia Dylan said the shop is offering piercings for about $40 and tattoos starting at $80. They normally get super busy as soon as the sun goes down, though they're open from the time the gates open and until they close. She said it's their fifth year at Country Thunder Arizona.

While tattoo options include cowboy hats and mermaids, the most popular choice is a bull skull tattoo in honor of Country Thunder’s logo, Dylan said.

— Dina Kaur

High: First female headliner in years

Lainey Wilson took the stage at Canyon Moon Ranch Thursday as the first headlining artist of the four-day weekend and the first female artist to headline Country Thunder Arizona since Miranda Lambert did the honors in 2014.

And she was every bit the Entertainer of the Year Award the Country Music Association would have you believe. Donning her gold lame vest and matching bell bottoms, she set the tone for her performance with a rowdy “Hold My Halo."

— Ed Masley

'You'd better hold my beer': Lainey Wilson owns the Country Thunder stage

High: Stephen Wilson bared his soul and cracked jokes

As Stephen Wilson Jr. was about to take the stage, we were advised that “he calls himself Death Cab for Country,” a reference to indie-rock’s Death Cab for Cutie. There were definitely textures going on that would have felt right at home on an indie-rock record, with Wilson squeezing cinematic, U2-worthy soundscapes from a classical guitar so weathered Willie Nelson might have thrown it out.

But it still felt like country music at its core, from the lived-in Southern Indiana twang of Wilson’s vocals to the hill country stomp of the drums and the more bluegrass-flavored touches Wilson brought to his guitar work.

It even felt country when Wilson and his bandmates, including two brothers from Yuma (Jonny and Scotty Murray), turned up the distortion on the suitably Nirvana-esque, Kurt Cobain-referencing “Year to Be Young 1994,” which opened and closed on a Nirvana riff. They followed that one with an actual Nirvana cover, “Something in the Way,” which was, as promised, “dancier” than the original.

Wilson is an enigmatic presence who bared his soul about losing his father and told the day’s goofiest joke while tuning his guitar. “My wife calls me Tuny Soprano,” he said “I prefer Antunio Banderas. But who am I to choose my own nickname?”

— Ed Masley

High: Flatland Cavalry rocks with conviction to spare

Flatland Cavalry felt especially mellow coming out of Stephen Wilson Jr., who brought his speaker-melting set to an electrifying climax with the aptly titled “Holler From the Holler” after covering Nirvana. But sometimes going in the opposite direction with conviction is its own reward.

Flatland Cavalry even went unplugged at one point, with guitar-playing vocalist Cleto Cordero and fiddle ace Wesley Hall sending their bandmates away for a cover of George Strait’s “Ocean Front Property.” Then Hall left the stage to Cordero, who turned in a beautiful reading of “Sleeping Alone,” which built to a breathtaking finish with Hall and guitarist Reid Dillon rejoining him.

Their entire set played to the strength of their material and musicianship (especially Hall and Dillon, whose slide-guitar work did exactly what a slide guitar should do). They had the audience singing along to “Country Is What Country Means to You,” Cordero’s good-natured flipping of the bird at the people who think he’s not country enough. They turned in a beautifully bittersweet cover of the Fleetwood Mac song “Landslide” after tipping a hat to Toby Keith with a spirited romp through “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.”

And when they finally let it all out on “The Provider,” it rocked with conviction to spare.

— Ed Masley

Low: Festival lacking its usual spark

The energy at Country Thunder is missing its usual spark! Despite the lineup of talented performers and the many activities, from diverse vendors to carnival rides, the atmosphere seems to be lacking the infectious excitement and enthusiasm typically associated with the festival.

Maybe because it’s just the first day, but attendees appear to be aimlessly wandering, unsure of where to find the excitement they came for.

— Tiffany Acosta

Flashback: Country Thunder Arizona's '90s origin story and the stars that made it shine

High: A Flagstaff TikTok sensation

Not many artists playing Country Thunder Arizona’s main stage can legitimately point to someone in the audience and tell the crowd “Guys, this is, like, a teacher from my high school.”

But TikTok breakout Avery Anna is from Arizona, as she told us several times during Thursday’s set.

She even mentioned her teacher by name before the set was through, clearly thrilled to be rocking a festival crowd that included a familiar face from high school.

Anna’s mom was also in attendance. They’re from Flagstaff.

After “Just Cause I Love You,” the ballad that made her an overnight TikTok sensation, Anna said she recorded the song in the bathtub at her mother’s house in Flagstaff during COVID-19, moving to Nashville when the song went viral.

What works on TiKTok may not always translate to the real world, but Anna made the leap without a hitch in a crowd-pleasing set that included the day’s second cover of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.”

— Ed Masley

High: Country merch galore

Forgot your hat? No worries, Country Thunder Arizona offers a one-stop shop with a wide array of merchandise for allof your cowboy needs. Whether you're looking to dress the part or simply want to take home a piece of the experience, the vendors seem to have it all, including offering memorabilia and merchandise specific to each artist.

And let's not forget about the official Country Thunder merch, providing attendees with the opportunity to commemorate the festival with branded apparel and souvenirs. It's truly a haven for country music enthusiasts looking to embrace the lifestyle.

— Tiffany Acosta

Low: Big rigs make it an ordeal to park

Parking at Country Thunder early Thursday proved to be a nightmare. It’s not for the weak! Circling the lot five times just to secure a spot was frustrating, especially when the area lacks designated parking spaces. The presence of RVs and big trucks further compounds the issue by occupying extra space.

— Tiffany Acosta

High: The party lies in the campgrounds

At Country Thunder, the true heart of the party lies not within the main stage area, but within the sprawling expanse of the campgrounds. Here, amidst a sea of RVs, the festival spirit ignites with unparalleled fervor: from impromptu gatherings around lawn chairs to spirited games of beer pong. The air pulses with the beat of loud music, drawing dancers into spontaneous displays of uninhibited celebration.

Bonds are forged as festival-goers mingle, swapping stories and talking about interests. Stepping into the campgrounds is to step into a world where the party never ends.

— Tiffany Acosta

High: You can get your mullet trimmed

Here's a Country Thunder hidden gem: a full-on barber shop/hairstyling stall. Festival-goers can get professional haircuts, beard trims and even personalized styling sessions.

A haircut and beard trim costs $50. If you're looking for a little razzle-dazzle, shiny tinsel additions can be added to your hair for $20 for a set of six.

“We are here to touch up everybody’s hair," said Stefani Annaliese, editorial hairstylist. "If they need their mullets trimmed, if they want to get their hair braided so it’s not dusty for the weekend, we have all the different colors, we have glitter strands and we also have little gems.

"We also are doing barbering, so if you need your beard trimmed, if you’re gonna need your hair faded, we can do that too.”

— Tiffany Acosta

Low: The food costs a fortune

There are food vendors galore at Country Thunder Arizona, from barbecue to tacos to elote to funnel cakes. Just be ready to pay dearly.

“Does this look like a plate that cost $25? These loaded fries are not worth $25,” Destry Maes said.

But for many, it's just part of the experience. “We’ve been coming for five years and it’s the same food every year. It’s just very overpriced,” Brianna Wood said.

— Tiffany Acosta

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Country Thunder Arizona: The best and worst of 2024 festival