Animal Country: Rodney Atkins headlines zoo's Rock and Roar concert for hundreds of fans

Who knew the Abilene Zoo really knows how to rock?

Award-winning country music artist, Rodney Atkins, made a trip out to West Texas June 14 to perform as the headliner for the Abilene Zoo's Rock and Roar concert.

Zoo staff revamped the front lawn to create an impressive stage and set-up. VIP fans sat in a safari-themed tent to peacefully watch the concert while excited fans rushed the stage.

The crowd of nearly 500 fans had waited an extra 90 minutes to see Atkins perform after technical difficulties with the sound system delayed the concert that night.

As darkness fell, even young children waited past his original start time of 9 p.m. to see him take the stage just after 10:30p.m. Friday night.

Atkins sang his heart out to the crowd's delight, and members of his band interacted with the fans.

Atkins is "an avid supporter of our military, with over 14 million records sold, over 1.5 billion on-demand streams, and multiple #1’s, Atkins has become a backbone of country music," according to his official website.

He appeared to fit right in here in Abilene, home of Dyess Air Force Base and Rodney Atkins fans alike.

Scotty McCreary's concert is up next Adult summer bucket list, Abilene edition

More: A day in the life: Abilene's zookeepers tend to lions, giraffes, rhinos and more

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Rocking and Roaring at the Abilene Zoo with Rodney Atkins