IIt's just after quarter past as we leave the border between Dallas and Collin Counties. We drive north on US-75 to visit Lainey Wilson.

We pass McKinney, Melissa, Anna and make our way out of Collin County into Grayson County where we make a quick stop for dinner. Back on the road, the sun is setting in the west. Orange burns over the horizon. My son flips through country music on his playlist.

I love live music. In my late teens and early twenties, I watched show after show. It could have been local shows in Deep Ellum, sneaking home really late but making it to high school in time for the first bell, or road trips to New York and Toronto during college. Returning to Texas meant concerts like Billy Joel in big venues like AT&T Stadium – yes, a truly amazing place to see a show.

But as we reach Oklahoma, I keep thinking about the parts of the experience that I'm less and less excited about, namely the traffic and parking. The journey was quick and painless. We arrive in Choctaw at 7:26 p.m., walk around the parking lot, find a spot and park for free. Within minutes we are inside for the 8pm show.

TThe theater is full. Last night Megan Moroney graced the stage. Tonight it's Lainey Wilson's turn. Two of country music's greatest performers, here, back to back. Incredible. Both are headlining, along with Foreigner, the Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant's first-ever Choctaw Music Fest.

“Country is cool again,” says Lainey Wilson on stage at Choctaw’s Grand Theater. It is. I remember listening to and liking country music as a child in Texas. But after my middle son became so interested in the country, I started listening.

Wilson kicks things into gear for a powerful show, bell-bottoms and all, singing tracks like “Wildflowers and Wild Horses,” “Things a Man Oughta Know,” “Watermelon Moonshine,” and of course “Heart Like a Truck” – the last one Piece she sang from a rotating truck on stage in front of a projected screen showing various rural American landscapes.

Song after song follows climax after climax, but one of the most moving and intimate moments of the evening is when Wilson performs an acoustic version of “Save Me,” the Jelly Roll song on which she features.

WWhen the lights come on, and we shuffle out after a moving show, I think about the incredible performance we just witnessed. I think about the last time I saw a show at the Choctaw and how special that was. I think about how this venue is really making a name for itself as a place to see not only incredible country musicians, but artists as well. And I think about all the traffic we avoided as we got in the car, circled the parking lot, and were on our way home within minutes.

We thank Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant for their hospitality. The Grand Theater is located at 4216 US-69 in Durant, Oklahoma.

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