WeFest: 2 stages, 18 acts, 48,000 memories

DETROIT LAKES, MINN. -- LOT O SUN, 2 MUCH FUN, GR8 MUSIC.

That's the TXT MSG summary of the 26th annual We Fest, which ended early Sunday morning. Here's the longhand wrapup of the camping-and-country festival featuring 18 acts on two stages over three days.

How Sweet It Is. Who gave the best performance? Sugarland. Jennifer Nettles, Kristian Bush and band rocked hard in a no-frills presentation as a tablesetter for Kenny Chesney. Nettles carried on like a sweaty barroom singer on a small platform in front of a packed nightclub rather than a big star on a mammoth stage in front of 48,000 people. Nettles sings hard, works hard and delivers her message with twangy emotion. As the rain arrived (the other two days were gorgeous), she responded by shifting into overdrive and bringing out Little Big Town to harmonize on Sugarland treatments of Dream Academy's "Life in a Northern Town" and Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me."

Ready, Set, Don't Go. Billy Ray Cyrus promised a special guest and delivered Minnesotan Ashlee Hewitt, who finished fifth on NBC's "Nashville Star," which he hosted this summer. He had her sing backup but didn't let her have a solo spotlight.

The eternally charming Cyrus (loved his rockin' sendup of himself, "I Want My Mullet Back") promised that his daughter Miley Cyrus would play a free concert next year at We Fest. "No ticket sales," he said. "Like she listens to me."

Whiskey Lullaby. While Brad Paisley was toasting "Alcohol" and all the crazy things that it makes you do, a tall, 30-something blonde plopped down two seats away from me, bent over and vomited. As she slept it off, her friends took photos of her. Life does imitate art.

A Moment Like This. In a performance reasserting her specialness, Wynonna Judd unleashed her magnificent, deeply soulful voice, spewed her philosophies about life and spontaneously turned on the charm with Festgoers near the front of the stage. She flirted with one young cowboy who shouted "I love you" and offered a rose. "What are you, 21?" she asked. "I could kick your butt with one hand tied behind my back. So meet me backstage." She then addressed the rest of the audience: "What a sweet thing to do. There's still love out there, girls."

That's What Friends Are For. Tracy Byrd joined Kenny Chesney for a twangy oldie that truly sparked the superstar's heretofore sluggish performance. When Little Big Town appeared for the encore with Sugarland, the already rockin' duo reached another level. Dierks Bentley appeared via video during Brad Paisley's concert, but they did share a jet ride back to Nashville after the Paisley party shut down.

Picture This. Two indelible visual images: Judd singing on the Jumbotron screen with the moon projected over her shoulder, and Taylor Swift, in a sequined teal dress, black cowgirl boots and flowing blonde curls, banging with drumsticks on a metal garbage can during "Shoulda Said No."

The Lonely Bull. It's not all about the music. It's also about the party. A new We Fest feature this year was the Bronco Bounce, a mechanical bull in an inflatable corral, sponsored by Fargo radio station BOB 95. It was a hoot watching Jody O'Brien, of Vergas, Minn., put down her beer, take off her shoes and ride the bull just to win a T-shirt that said "BOB" for her husband's friend, Bob Seado of Bemidji.

Jon Bream • 612-673-1719