Tiger twang – Bayou Country Superfest returns

This Memorial Weekend, thousands of cheering fans will flood Tiger Stadium, but instead of memorable first-down chants or the Tiger Band blaring “Hey Fightin’ Tigers,” some of the biggest names in modern country music will blast their biggest hits.

The third annual Bayou Country Superfest returns to Baton Rouge May 26 and 27, featuring 10 of the genre’s powerhouses, including Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood.

The two-day festival kicks off Saturday, May 26, with singer-songwriter Jerrod Neimann, followed by Grammy nominee Little Big Town. The afternoon continues with 2011 Academy of Country Music Award winner Eric Church before five-time Grammy Award recipient Carrie Underwood takes the main stage.

Saturday evening will mark superstar Keith Urban’s return to Bayou Country Superfest. Urban appeared at the inaugural festival—sporting an LSU T-shirt—in 2010.

Sunday afternoon continues the who’s who of country music, with Joe Nichols kicking things off. Double platinum artist and 2011 CMA Female Vocalist of the Year nominee Sara Evans will keep the crowd warmed up before Dierks Bentley fires off fan favorites and new tracks off his 2012 release Home. Rascal Flatts caps off the festival with its effects-heavy show that should prove why the band consistently sets venue attendance records.

Along with the music, festival organizers are encouraging an out-of-season return of traditional LSU tailgating. While theatrics and noise fill Death Valley, the parking lots surrounding the stadium will be filled with ancillary events, food and music.