Arenas & Sheds Concerts Festivals Merriweather Post Pavilion

Sunday In The Country 2011

Posted on October 21, 2011

COLUMBIA, MD - October 16th, 2011: Kimberly Perry and her brothers Neil Perry and Reid Perry of The Band Perry perform at the 2011 Sunday In The Country festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. The band's single "If I Die Young" reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/FTWP)

Sunday in the Country is an annual festival held at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. It features 9 or 10 on-the-verge country acts, generally right before they are about to blow up. For instance, the headliner last year was Lady Antebellum. This year the last three acts were The Band Perry, Joe Nichols and Josh Turner.

COLUMBIA, MD - October 16th, 2011: Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry performs at the 2011 Sunday In The Country festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. The band's single "If I Die Young" reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/FTWP)

COLUMBIA, MD - October 16th, 2011: Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry performs at the 2011 Sunday In The Country festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. The band's single "If I Die Young" reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/FTWP)

The Band Perry have big things ahead of them. They reminded me of Lady Antebellum in that they lean more in the pop realm and are not afraid to focus on those influences. And unlike Lady Antebllum, they have an actual stage presence! They were a blast to shoot.

COLUMBIA, MD - October 16th, 2011: Joe Nichols performs at the 2011 Sunday In The Country festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. He has had three number one singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart over the course of his career. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/FTWP)

COLUMBIA, MD - October 16th, 2011: Joe Nichols performs at the 2011 Sunday In The Country festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. He has had three number one singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart over the course of his career. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/FTWP)

COLUMBIA, MD - October 16th, 2011: Joe Nichols performs at the 2011 Sunday In The Country festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. He has had three number one singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart over the course of his career. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/FTWP)

Joe Nichols was next. He’s your general good-time cowboy country singer. I enjoyed his set but it was nothing I hadn’t seen before. COLUMBIA, MD - October 16th, 2011: Joe Nichols performs at the 2011 Sunday In The Country festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. He has had three number one singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart over the course of his career. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/FTWP)

COLUMBIA, MD - October 16th, 2011: Joe Nichols performs at the 2011 Sunday In The Country festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. He has had three number one singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart over the course of his career. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/FTWP)

 

COLUMBIA, MD - October 16th, 2011: Joe Nichols performs at the 2011 Sunday In The Country festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. He has had three number one singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart over the course of his career. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/FTWP)

Josh Turner was this year’s headliner, although after a nine hour day, many of the people in attendance were heading for the exits at that point. His songs were mostly mid paced tunes that didn’t really work as a headliner. Sadly this was the last show of the year at Merriweather. I shot around 10 shows there over the course of the summer. Can’t wait to return next year!


Sunday in the Country 2011 – Images by Kyle Gustafson

Kyle Gustafson is a freelance photographer based in Washington, D.C. His work appears weekly in The Washington Post. Complex Magazine named him one of the 50 Greatest Concert Photographers Right Now.

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