Comstock Ready For A Comeback

The Comstock Is Back concert will be July 23-24 at 2nd Wind Ranch with one day of country music and one day of rock with hopes of having a series of festivals in 2017, according to a statement. Artists on the bill include Jackyl, Randall Zwarte Band, Collin Raye and Charlie Daniels Band with more to be added. Henry Nuxoll founded the country music Windmill Festival in 2000 at his 2nd Wind Ranch outside of Comstock.

Shortly after he added Comstock Rock and Godstock. In 2003, a storm caused $200,000 worth of damage to the stage, which led to financial trouble for Nuxoll and in 2008 he pleaded no contest to writing bad checks and was sentenced to four years of probation and $100,000 in restitution, according to the Grand Island Independent.

The original festivals were created to support the restoration of the 2nd Wind Ranch’s windmill collection, Long Wood country schoolhouse and the Dempster house, built by a homesteader.

The goal of the current concert is to continue the original mission and to pay back those who are still owed. Comstock is a town of fewer than 100 people and thousands of concertgoers from 37 states have attended the festivals in the past, which featured artists including Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Def Leppard, Peter Frampton and Third Day.

Fun facts from the festival website include: the festival doesn’t have VIP, it’s EIP (everyone is important) and the stage is set in a slightly sloped canyon where the website says everyone has the “best seat in the house.” Past attractions included extreme bull riding, hot air balloons, parachutes and helicopter rides. They called it the “world’s largest pasture party.”