Mitchell Stadium - Second Chance Rocks The Two Virginias

Second Chance Rocks The Two Virginias

In 2011, Mitchell Stadium hosted a music festival called "Second Chance Rocks the Two Virginias." The festival was organized by partners of the Second Chance Learning Center, Erik Robinson and former MLB all-star pitcher Billy Wagner. Second Chance Learning Center gained most of the proceeds, in order to benefit area youth. The festival included country and country-rock acts, including Dierks Bentley, Montgomery Gentry, Craig Morgan, Justin Moore, Brantley Gilbert, Easton Corbin, and the local band Taylor Made. A group of teenagers also won a competition to be the opening act at the festival.

Second Chance Rocks was a success, with almost 20,000 people in attendance, and was scheduled for a second year. The revised lineup for 2012 included Eric Church, Jake Owen, Lee Brice, and Folk Soul Revival. The Second Chance Learning Center held a YouTube competition for another opening act and it was won by Andy Crawford. A Nashville-based Bluefield native, Sarah Allison Turner, also opened the festival. June 29, 2012 recorded the hottest temperature in Bluefield history. A massive storm hit the festival shortly after Lee Brice's set, and the stadium was quickly evacuated. Jake Owen posted on his Twitter, "One of the very few nights in my career where we had to cancel due to weather. Sorry y'all. WV, we'll make it up to ya." It is still unknown if Eric Church or Jake Owen will come back and finish the concert.