BamaJam lineup announced for 2009

BamaJam Music Festival organizers are not scrimping on entertainment for the 2009 festival, despite the economy.

Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson and Taylor Swift will headline the second-year festival in Enterprise, according to Billy Graham, acquisitions and finance director for Ronnie Gilley Enterprises.

Also confirmed for the three-day festival are Montgomery Gentry, 38 Special, Charlie Daniels, Jamey Johnson, and Heidi Newfield, former singer with Trick Pony.

“Even though the economy is struggling, Ronnie didn’t want to cut back on talent,” Graham said. “He wanted to make ‘09 bigger than ‘08. When Ronnie throws a party, he wants to throw a party. This is going to be phenomenal.

“We are just excited as we can be and really looking forward to it. Some of these are my all-time favorite acts. The alternatives we are talking to are phenomenal – 2009 will be bigger and better.”

Graham said at least 35 acts will perform at next year’s BamaJam, which drew more than 100,000 people its first year. Many alternative acts have been contacted but haven’t signed contracts yet.

“It’s been a real challenge to get artists to confirm for ‘09,” Graham said. “Many are on tour now and don’t want to think about next year. Some don’t know who they will be on the road with next year and some of our older rock groups don’t know if they will tour at all next year.”

He expects a complete roster of entertainment by January. Organizers are doing away with the Bluegrass Stage and expanding the Alternative Stage. Bluegrass acts will still be on the roster, but will play the Alternative Stage.

Next year’s festival, set for June 4-6, will be at the same site — a 700-acre field just off Highway 167 and Boy Scout Road, eight miles north of Enterprise. Tickets will go on sale this week for $139 for a three-day pass; there will be no single-day event tickets. Tickets will increase to $189 next year.

More amenities are being added to attract campers. The camping area is being expanded to establish 2,500 camp sites, a shower facility is being added, a small executive golf course and club house is under construction, permanent power lines are being run, and the entire site has been seeded with grass seed.

“When we got that special legislation passed to get the project wet in a dry county, it was going to be the Country Crossing site,” Graham said. The proposed country music entertainment destination has since been relocated to south of Dothan off U.S. 231.

“We want people to come live out there,” he said, “and we want to keep everybody on site.”

Taylor Swift will be the headliner for Thursday night. Montgomery Gentry and Alan Jackson will play Friday and Brooks and Dunn will be the big act for Saturday night.