FLORENCE — Blame it on the badonkadonk.
That "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk."
Big and Rich may have been headliners at Thursday night's Country Thunder USA, but it was Trace Adkins' song about bubbly bottoms that came out on top in the end.
Hip-hop-tinged lyrics like "With that honky tonk badonkadonk/Keepin' perfect rhythm, make ya wanna swing along" had women in the crowd shaking their backsides proudly to the music and men cheering just as loudly for the women's dancing as for Adkins.
"I was wondering something," Adkins said before going into the song. "How do you reckon Eve got Adam to eat that apple? I got a good idea."
The popular ditty was raucous and fun and fit perfectly with the rest of the day's mix of traditional and contemporary country acts.
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Decked out in shades and a shirt as red as his guitar, Gary Nichols showed off a little bit of his Muscle Shoals, Ala., upbringing with Southern-fried country songs like "That's the Way We do it Down South" early in the afternoon.
Fresh face Jason Aldean picked through his debut self-titled album on Broken Bow Records with popular singles like "Why" and "Hicktown."
He also managed to slip in songs by rocker John Mellencamp and longtime country group Alabama.
Big and Rich's outfit the Muzik Mafia — sans the duo — provided an unusual blend of pop, country, jazz and soul, living up to the mantra "country music without prejudice."
And longtime country face Rhett Akins road-tested a few songs due out on a new album in August for a sparse afternoon Country Thunder audience.
"You don't have to be from way down South to be country as hell, and if anybody out there has a problem with you being country, you can't just tell them to do this," Akins declared before kicking into his new tune, "Kiss My Country A**."
Of course, it was the big man of country, Adkins who commanded the show.
Aside from "Badonkadonk" the baritone singer reached deep into his collection of hits from "(This Ain't) No Thinking Thing" and "Big Time" right up to his current album's title track, "Songs About Me" — one of two primary tracks that helped the release earn double platinum status (1 million units sold in the United States) in December.
"Country Thunder huh?" Adkins boomed at the beginning of his set. "I am country thunder."
And with that the musician summed up the entire evening with a single line.
● The music continues today, beginning at 1 p.m., at Canyon Moon Ranch, 20585 E. Price Road, off Arizona 79, Florence. Headliners include Larry the Cable Guy and Sawyer Brown. 1-520-868-9711.
