It was the biggest single-day country music event in local history, drawing more than 40,000 concertgoers with a lineup featuring Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich, Dierks Bentley and Tacoma-bred Blaine Larsen. Stadiums previously have been the near-exclusive domain of such rockers as the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, U2 and Metallica.
The day was filled with surprises, from the appearance of four Vietnam veterans who survived a 1965 ambush to Wilson's two-song tribute to Led Zeppelin and local rockers Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. African American country-rapper Cowboy Troy joined Big & Rich, and Uncle Kracker (of Kid Rock fame) even showed up for a duet with Chesney on the marimba-flavored "When the Sun Goes Down."
