The live music business is valued at over 19 billion dollars with the country music genre representing nearly 15% of the total market share. Touring, ticket sales, and festival revenue account for the largest share of the multi-billion dollar industry. According to Google, approximately 35% of American adults—roughly 115 to 120 million people—attend at least one live concert or music event annually.
Concerts are put on in stadiums, arenas, outdoor amphitheaters and other venues. A country music artist may dream of performing at Nashville, Tennessee’s Historic Ryman Auditorium or on the Grand Ole Opry broadcast. Most get their start in smaller, local places that allow a more intimate experience for artists and fans. .
Goodhue’s Wheat Trail Festival, held on July 24-25, provided both big and small stages in a unique country setting. Fans from near and far cheered for headling act Eddie Montgomery, who has performed on big stages all over the country. It’s a thrill to hear him sing of rusty tractors in the hit song, “My Town” and relate to him saying, “I'm pretty damn proud of where I come from”.
Rising stars, Noah Hicks and Dylan Scott also took to the big stage over the weekend. The more well-known acts may hang out with each other backstage, but the average concert-goer’s personal interactions are limited to a look, a wave or a handshake. A few lucky ones will get to spend a few minutes and grab a photo with their favorites during a meet-and-greet.
It’s sometimes hard to remember that these artists are regular people that came from a country background and started on the smaller stages. Playing on Wheat Trail’s small stage was local favorite, Bryan Anderson. Anderson grew up on a Welch area dairy farm and works a regular job while pursuing his passion for music. You can find his music on platforms such as Spotify but you’ll still find him chatting with old friends and making new ones whether he’s entertaining at a local bar or sharing the big stage with a national act.
Also playing the side stage was Ryan Coleman, a country boy from Chalfont, Pennsylvania who felt right at home in rural Goodhue. Growing up on what he describes as “a gentleman’s farm” of seven acres, he had draft horses and showed sheep and pigs as a 10 year 4-H member. He also milked cows on the weekends until that neighbor converted to a beef operation. The Coleman family later bought that farm and continues to raise cattle along with a hay cropping business. Ryan’s two older brothers run the farm but he enjoys helping when he is home.
Ryan picked up a guitar at a young age, sang in church, and tried a little acting in college. He put together a band that practiced in the haybarn and decided to see if he could make a living with his talents. Starting out playing in the local scene four years ago, he says he loves the small venues where people can relate to the words and music. Putting his own experiences to music, he writes all his own songs.
Coleman’s efforts eventually led him to Los Angeles where he auditioned and earned a spot on season 25 of the TV show, The Voice. Picked up by team Dan + Shay, he was eliminated from the competition after round two but filming took five months, being on set two weeks at a time. Ryan describes being on the show as a career catalyst and great resume builder. He called it a great experience that gave him more name recognition.
Coleman’s song, “A Time or Two” got some radio airplay and went to number 62 on the Music Row Country Radio Charts. His latest release is titled, “4-Door Ford” and can be heard, along with more of his work, on streaming services such as Spotify and on his website, www.ryancolemanmusic.com.
Wheat Trail Festival was Ryan’s first experience in Minnesota. As a hunter, he looked forward to checking out its rumored plentiful white-tailed deer population. Getting here was not without complications and he arrived later than expected. The band missed the original scheduled flight following a show in Tennessee when their Uber driver failed to pick them up at the hotel, forcing them to catch a different flight out of North Carolina. Dylan Scott was also delayed due to having two flat tires on his tour bus.
Colman and Scott previously played shows together. That connection was one reason Ryan was booked for Wheat Trail Festival but he also had another connection. Ryan’s fiancé, Natalie, and her parents live in Florida where they are seasonal neighbors and friends to Steve and Ginger (Ryan) O’Neill. The O’Neills, Natalie, her parents and Ryan’s parents all made the trip to the festival held on Ginger’s home farm. The group camped on the grounds, spending the weekend supporting Ryan and enjoying all the other shows and activities.
