FORT SILL, Okla. (July 3, 2013) -- It's not too late to get tickets for the 2013 Army Concert here July 5 featuring award winning country music star Trace Adkins, with special guests the Josh Abbott Band and Bri Bagwell.
The concert kicks off the Fort Sill Independence Day celebration on Polo Field. The show will end with a spectacular fireworks display.
TICKETS
The concert is open to the public and advance tickets to the show, presented by Fort Sill Family and MWR, are available until 2 p.m. on the day of show.
Tickets can be purchased at area EZ Go stores and both Adventure Travel locations in the Welcome Center on Fort Sill and downtown in Central Mall locations. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.sillmwr.com or by calling 800-999-2987. Advanced ticket price is $30; tickets will cost $35 at the gate. Children 6 and under are free.
Michele Flanagan, Family and MWR marketing director, said all ticket outlets will be open on the day of show.
"Advance tickets will be available for $30 at all the ticket outlets until July 5 at 2 p.m. After 2 p.m. concert-goers can still get their tickets at the gate," she said. "Concert-goers with will-call tickets can pick them up at the booth at the south end of the field."
GETTING THERE
For all general admission ticket holders, parking will be on Conklin Field, located south of Polo Field. Drivers should come on post through Gate 2, off Rogers Lane, to access general admission parking. Gate 2 will open July 5 at 1 p.m. Conklin Field can hold around 4,000 vehicles for parking, but concert goers should plan on wearing comfortable shoes because there is a little bit of a walk from the parking area to the concert venue.
Concert goers who park on Conklin Field will have to walk from the field, through a low-water crossing onto the field. Key Gate east and west, off I-44 will close July 5 at 12:30 p.m.
Preferred and handicapped parking will be at the parking lot next to the Polo Club with overflow parking at the Field Artillery Museum across Sheridan Road from Polo Field. Volunteer parking will be at the museum.
Drivers parking in preferred, handicapped or volunteer parking can enter post from Scott Gate (Fort Sill Boulevard), Apache Gate or Bentley Gate on Sheridan Road.
All traffic exiting the concert will go through Gate 2 or Scott Gate, said Lt. Billy Allen, Fort Sill Police Department. "We will have a parking detail in the parking areas to direct traffic to the parking areas."
All bags, backpacks, folding chairs and like items will be checked by MPs at event entry points.
There will be two holding areas at both the north and south gate entry points with a live radio remote at the south holding area, and food and beverage. Concert-goers can start entering post and parking for the show after 2 p.m. when the holding areas open. "We want to ensure that all attendees have time to get in the venue in a timely manner so we'll open the holding areas at 2 p.m. to get them in, banded and through the gate," said Flanagan.
Some of the things attendees should plan on bringing include folding chairs or a blanket to sit on and sun screen. Items not allowed in the venue are cameras and/or recording equipment, pets, glass or weapons, including small knives and leatherman tools.
Also, coolers and similar containers are not allowed, but refreshments will be available at a variety of concessions.
Public consumption of alcoholic beverages is restricted to the concert area only. Beer will be served only to patrons displaying an alcohol wristband. Wristbands are available at no charge at the concert entry gates.
SINGLE SOLDIER SHUTTLE
For those single Soldiers who live in on-post barracks, the Directorate of Logistics will provide a shuttle service from five areas on post to the venue and back to barracks after the show.
The shuttles will run from 5-7 p.m. to drop off and pick up single Soldiers at the corner of Gruber and Sheridan roads near Polo Field. There will be several buses running throughout the event with pickup and drop-off points at buildings 913, 2437, 3426, 3720, 4402 and Building 2755.
THE SHOW
The concert opens at 7 p.m. with Bri Bagwell, who learned to gain a crowd's attention with her beautiful voice, singing songs she wrote. Her first CD, "Banned from Santa Fe", released June 2011, sold through the several printings, and is gaining traction very quickly among music fans.
Bagwell was the only female artist on the Texas Music Chart for a few weeks with her single, titled "Banned from Santa Fe" and her song "Whiskey" became her first top 15 hit and has passed 30,000 YouTube views on the single's video. In the internet age with music coming at you from every type of media, it is harder and harder for artists to get attention. Bagwell is not only gaining attention, but she is also drumming up excitement; and, she does it all without a million-dollar budget.
After Bagwell, the Josh Abbott Band will take the stage. Abbott's band plays American Texas Country and Red Dirt music composed by Abbott, Austin Davis, Preston Wait, Edward Villanueva, James Hertless and Caleb Keeter. They started touring in 2008 and released their first album "Scapegoat," in 2009. A second album, "She's Like Texas," followed in 2010. That album made the Top Country Albums charts. It included the single "Oh Tonight," which debuted at No. 59 and peaked at No. 42 on the Country Songs chart in early 2011. Michael Berick of Allmusic rated the album four stars out of five, comparing it to Steve Earle.
They recorded their first official sell-out crowd at the World's Largest Honky Tonk, "Billy Bob's Texas," located in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards on Feb. 10, 2010, which sold 6,000 tickets.
The band's third CD, "Small Town Family Dream," was released April 24, 2012, and peaked at No. 5 on the charts. Singles from the CD include "Touch," which peaked at No. 41 on the charts, "I'll Sing About Mine," and "She Will Be Free."
The main event begins when country superstar Trace Adkins takes the stage. Adkins, whose powerful baritone has put him at the top of country music charts with hits such as "You're Gonna Miss This," and "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk." Adkins recently released his 11th studio album "Love Will..." which features collaborations with two-time Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat, the Harlem Gospel Choir and Rock/Country veterans Exile.
The Grammy-nominated member of the Grand Ole Opry is a television personality, actor and author. This is Adkins' third concert at Fort Sill and he is a long-time supporter of the military, recently recording several radio public service announcements with his new song, "Tough People Do."
He is also a spokesman for the Wounded Warriors Project, and he was a past honoree at their Courage Awards and Benefit Dinner, where he was recognized for his efforts to help raise awareness for the men and women who have been wounded in service to their country.
He's performed on seven USO tours in the past 11 years; most recently in December in Okinawa and at U.S. bases on the Japanese mainland.
Adkins made his debut in 1995 with the album "Dreamin' Out Loud." He recently won on the reality show "Celebrity Apprentice."
Adkins has released nine studio albums and 30 singles on the Country charts. His songs include; "Every Light in the House," "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing," "I Left Something Turned On at Home," "Rough and Ready," "Ladies Love Country Boys," "Marry For Money," "Brown Chicken, Brown Cow," and "Ala-Freakin-Bama," among others.
Adkins has racked up more than 30 hits on the singles charts, four Grammy nominations and five Academy of Country Music and Country Music Television awards in his 17 years as a country artist.
"KLAW 101 will play all three performers' music for the 24 hours up to the concert," said Flanagan.
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