Yeah, sure, the current bevy of beauties in country music – acts such as Shania Twain, Jo Dee Messina and Faith Hill – may be easy on the eyes and ears, but for pure excitement, leave it to the fellas.Nobody is better at foot-stompin’, hard-rockin’ pure country than the men of country music. Not all of them – Garth Brooks and Trace Adkins can check their schmaltzy ballads at the door – but there are a few who bring back memories of Hank Jr., Charlie Daniels and David Allen Coe, fellas who could rock the house with the best of them.Three of them were in attendance at the George Strait Country Music Festival Saturday night at the Horseshoe – John Michael Montgomery, Tim McGraw and George Strait – and they kept the crowd rocking and rolling late into the night.While Asleep at the Wheel, Lila McCann, Lee Ann Womack and Faith Hill put on good, solid shows, the three closing acts stole the show with their ground-pounding music – the kind of music that reaches deep inside of you, grabs hold and demands that you watch right this very minute.Montgomery hit the stage to the strains of “Be my Baby Tonight” and followed with “Beer and Bones,” which struck a definite chord with the mass of 71,000 people in attendance, the largest audience to date on the tour.He slowed it down for a while and then closed with “Cowboy Love,” “Kick it Up,” and “Sold” in quick succession.Montgomery then left the stage before reappearing to pick up an electric guitar. After a few seconds of fooling around, Montgomery nailed the opening chords of “Sweet Home Alabama,” sending the crowd into a frenzy. A rollicking, 10-minute version of the Skynnrd classic closed out Montgomery’s show.Tim McGraw hit the stage next, opening with “Indian Outlaw” and following with “All I Want is a Life.” McGraw kept rolling, tearing through several songs before slowing down with “Just to See You Smile.” McGraw alluded to the headliner by switching a lyric from “Down on the Farm.” Instead of “Old Hank crankin’, way up loud,” McGraw threw in George Strait’s name, electrifying the crowd.Things then got a little weird, as McGraw’s band launched into War’s “Low Rider.” After about a minute, McGraw bounced back on the stage as the band launched into “Refried Dreams,” “Hard on the Ticker” and “Don’t Take the Girl.” The band then ripped off “Renegade” before McGraw, backed only by two acoustic guitars, began “It’s Your Love.” The crowd waited expectantly and exploded as Faith Hill – McGraw’s wife and duet partner – appeared from back stage and the two belted out the emotional duet. Hill then left the stage as McGraw’s band reappeared and finished with “I Like it, I Love it.”While that was all well and good, everybody in attendance was waiting on one thing – the current King of Country, Strait.Strait led country music out of the hideous “Urban Cowboy” phase of the early 80’s and is again leading the charge as country music experiences unprecedented popularity. You won’t find any of Strait’s ballads on a Disney soundtrack for one reason – they’re too real. Instead of singing of love as a force that will conquer all, Strait lays it on the line. His ballads ring true with love as something that will tear your heart out and knock you off the mountain, while at the same time taking you higher than you’ve ever been before. While Brooks may be the most popular country artist in America, Strait is the standard-bearer for everything country symbolizes ‹ real people with real problems.Strait can still rock, however, as he proved by firing off “Adelidah,” “The Big One,” “Blue Clear Sky,” “Check Yes or No” and “Heartland.”While he’s been around a long time, Strait is still the man that unifies country music fans. His albums have gotten better and better as the years have gone by, as his recent string of success with “Carrying Your Love with Me,” “I Want to Dance with You” and “If I Hurry I Can Still Make Cheyenne” has proven.The Festival was an unbelievable experience. Strait still rules the stage, and he proved he’s not getting older – he’s getting better.