Posted: Wed, 7 Jul 2010 06:49 PM - 116 Readers

By: Tom Roland

The Fourth of July might be history, but people who live in Texas have a second straight major weekend ahead of them as Brad Paisley readies AquaPalooza on Lake Travis in Austin.

The free event, now in its fifth year, offers a concert on the water with boaters anchored in the middle of the lake while Brad performs from a stadium-sized stage. Sponsored by Sea Ray, the signature AquaPalooza concert is actually one of more than 100 AquaPalooza programs held annually around the country. The signature event, which featured Alan Jackson last year and twice has been headlined by Taylor Swift, moves to a different lake each summer. This year, it was perfect for Brad, who’s currently at No. 1 with his single “Water” and in the midst of his H2O World Tour.

“It’s pretty wild,” Brad says. “Alan Jackson did it last year, and I loved what I saw. When they came to me this year — I don’t know whose idea that it was to ask me, but it’s good timing. And so I really was thrilled to get to do that. It’s so right up my alley, and it’s so perfect for this. There’s something about seein’ these people sitting on inner tubes and boats in the middle of a lake listenin’ to you play that I just can’t think of a better setting to play a music program.”

Also on the bill for the daytime concert are Lee Brice, Matt Stillwell, Joanna Smith and Jerrod Niemann, who already has a good idea of how the day will unfold.

“After I get done playing, I’m probably gonna sit back in a redneck lawn chair, chug a six-pack of beer, and then just listen to every darn note Brad Paisley sings, and enjoy it, and have a blast in Texas,” he says. “I probably will wake up with fourth-degree burns.”

If you can’t get to Lake Travis, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to see what happened during the day somewhere down the line. Brad’s working on a documentary of his H2O Tour, and it will likely include footage from AquaPalooza as well as his Aug. 21 concert at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts and material that was shot as he was working on the recent GAC special Brad Paisley Underwater, which re-airs at the end of this month. If you want to see the Aquapalooza with Alan, you can watch it on GAC this weekend, Saturday, July 10 at 10 p.m. Eastern.

*  Story Contributed by: Tom Roland