The Comstock Music Festivals are held on the 2nd Wind Ranch, north of the small community of

Comstock, Nebraska Comstock is a village in Custer County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 93 at the 2010 census. History Comstock was established in 1899 as a water stop on a new railroad line. It was named for W. H. Comstock, a storekeeper. Geograph ...

. The annual

music festivals A music festival is a community event with performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock, blues, folk, jazz, classical music), nationality, locality of musicians, or hol ...

, include Comstock Rock (Classic Rock), Comstock Windmill Festival (Country), and Godstock (Christian). These are

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

's largest music festivals, with Comstock Rock ranking among the largest in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, attracting over 50,000 attendees through the 4 days in mid July. During the festivals, 2nd Wind Ranch is the host to music goers from all over the country.

Background

The first Comstock Windmill Festival in June 2000 featuring country star

Brad Paisley Bradley Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting with his 1999 debut album ''Who Needs Pictures'', he has released eleven studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nashvil ...

was the first installment of an annual event that would bring in country acts from all over the country. Comstock Windmill Festival 2001 expanded into a four-day festival. In 2002 a variety of rock bands took part in a multi-day festival, dubbed Comstock Rock. The rock festival has featured many of the biggest names in classic rock which draws people from all over the nation. The first Godstock took place in August 2003 and featured some of Christian music's biggest names. In 2005, one death and several injuries, in addition to a large number of minors charged with possession of alcohol, brought negative attention to alcohol consumption at the Rock festival. The State of Nebraska halted the liquor licensing process before the 2006 season following allegations of underaged drinking, and the organizers were forced to modify the rules for vending of alcoholic beverages for the 2006 festival season. Vendors were forced to comply with the new rules in order for the festival to receive the required liquor licence. About 45 security and 20 local law enforcement officers were on site for the 2006 festival as well as

EMTs An emergency medical technician (EMT), also known as an ambulance technician, is a health professional that provides emergency medical services. EMTs are most commonly found working in ambulances. In English-speaking countries, paramedics are ...

. After the 2006 Comstock events, financial pressures caused a delay in booking and announcement of the 2007 line up. There was a question of whether the Comstock Windmill Festival would even continue. Those concerns were laid to rest with the announcement that Viaero Wireless, a cellular service provider, would sponsor and invest heavily to ensure its financial viability. In early 2007 Viaero Wireless became a sponsor of the Comstock Music Series and announced its first country headliners:

Big and Rich Big & Rich is an American country music duo composed of Big Kenny and John Rich, both of whom are songwriters, vocalists, and guitarists. Before the duo's foundation, Rich was bass guitarist in the country band Lonestar, while Kenny was a solo a ...

and the return of

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted m ...

. The Viaero Wireless Sponsorship ended after one year. In 2008 after questions of whether the festival would continue or not, the festival gained new ownership. Concerts were held in June and July under new management. These events are now being called Comstock Music Series which include both country and rock events.

References

External links

Comstock Music Festivals

Comstock Music Series
{{coord, 41.5973, -99.2325, type:event, display=title Rock festivals in the United States Music festivals in Nebraska Tourist attractions in Custer County, Nebraska