Jon Pardi, country music’s California cowboy, has brought the West Coast to Nashville with four Top 5 albums on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, four platinum-certified No. 1 singles on the Country Airplay chart and six North American headlining tours since 2014. The Dixon, California native moved to Music City and cut his teeth opening for Dierks Bentley before releasing a slew of successful singles including 2012’s “Missin’ You Crazy” and 2013’s “Up All Night” ahead of his debut album Write You a Song in 2014. Pardi’s 2016 follow-up, California Sunrise, featured his first two Country Airplay No. 1 singles “Head Over Boots” and “Dirt on My Boots,” while 2022’s Mr. Saturday Night hosted his highest-charting song on the Billboard Hot 100, “Last Night Lonely.” In 2023, he became the first California native to be invited to join the Grand Ole Opry.
Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1988, country singer Jordan Davis has Southern music roots that run deep—not only is his brother also a country singer, but his uncle, Stan Davis, wrote multiple hits for Billboard-topping country singer Tracy Lawrence. It would be putting it mildly to say that Davis grew up around music, but, ironically, he didn’t pursue it as a career until after finishing his degree in conservation at Louisiana State University. Moving to Nashville in 2012, Davis would be exposed to a bright, hard-hitting world of singer-songwriters, citing John Prine and Jason Isbell among his favorites. Synthesizing his influences, Davis worked to come up with a smart, R&B-flavored brand of country rock, and he signed with Universal Music Group Nashville in 2016.
With Special Guests:
Ashley Cooke
Kenny Chesney has been one of country music’s most prolific crossover artists for almost the entirety of his three-decade career. The Tennessee native has not only notched 17 No. 1s on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, but has topped the mainstream Billboard 200 nine times, and has sold 35 million albums worldwide. After kicking off his solo career with 1994’s In My Wildest Dreams, Chesney nabbed his first of 23 No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with “She’s Got It All” from 1997’s I Will Stand. His 2003 single “There Goes My Life” remained atop the chart for seven weeks, while 2009’s “Out Last Night” marked his career peak on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 16. Chesney earned his first No. 1 album of the new decade with 2020’s Here and Now.
With Special Guests:
UT-IN-BAY, Ohio – Jelly Roll, who last week won Best New Artist at the Country Music Awards, will headline the first day of Put-in-Bay’s Bash on the Bay music festival in August.
He will join country star Hardy, who was previously announced as the headliner of the second day of the show.
Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, is a country and rap artist best known for songs including “Son of a Sinner,” “Dead Man Walking” and “Save Me,” a duet with Lainey Wilson. Also on stage on Aug. 21: Oliver Anthony, Warren Zeiders, Ashland Craft and Logan Crosby.
On stage Aug. 22 with Hardy: Ernest, Drake White & the Fire, Tigerlily Gold and Cory Farley.
Brantley Gilbert
Born in Jefferson, Georgia, in 1985, Gilbert grew up listening to a mix of Southern rock, alternative and country, but only decided to pursue a music career himself following a near-fatal truck accident at the age of 19. After initially performing as a solo acoustic artist, Gilbert assembled his own band to help bring his rowdy sound to life and in 2009 released his debut album, Modern Day Prodigal Son.
Follow-up Halfway to Heaven arrived a year later, but only found a large audience in 2011 when it was reissued by Gilbert’s new label, Valory Music Co. The record not only reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 but also spawned two US Country No. 1 singles, “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do” and “Country Must Be Country Wide,” both of which helped Gilbert pick up the CMA Triple Play Award in 2013. Gilbert consolidated his new-found success with wins at the ACMs and iHeartRadio Awards, and 2014’s chart-topping Just As I Am, which also sold over one million copies and produced two more No. 1 hits, “Bottoms Up” and “One Hell of an Amen.” Just like its predecessor, 2017’s The Devil Don’t Sleep peaked at No. 1 on the US Country chart and No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and was supported by a sell-out tour of the same name. Gilbert also has a strong social media presence, amassing over one million followers on both Instagram and Twitter, and 3.5 million on Facebook.
Cole Swindell is well known as a songwriter for some of country music’s biggest names, including Luke Bryant and Scotty McCreery, but with the 2013 release of his solo debut single “Chillin’ It,” Swindell scored a hit of his own and established himself as an artist in his own right.
The sunny, laid-back song became a summertime staple on country radio, cementing his place among country’s rising stars and earning him a host of supporting slots with big name acts. Before “Chillin’ It,” Swindell penned such hits as Craig Campbell’s “Outta My Head” and Scotty McCreery’s “Water Town Town,” both of which climbed the country charts and bolstered his growing reputation.
Swindell’s 2013 live concerts earned him praise as a young performer with promise, generating anticipation among ticket buyers for his 2014 full-length debut and appearance alongside Luke Bryan on the 2014 That’s My Kind of Night tour.
Rodney Atkins is as authentic as they come. Whether he’s working on his land, spending time with his family, or entertaining thousands of fans with one of his many mega-hits, Atkins expresses a refreshing simplicity and sincerity that reflects the values he holds so dear: Putting family first, making the most of what you have, and staying true to yourself in a rapidly-changing world.
When he’s not in the studio working on new music, Rodney is working hard out on the road, connecting with loyal fans in cities across the country. 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.
Brad Paisley Tour
Brad Paisley is a critically acclaimed singer, songwriter, guitarist and entertainer whose talents have earned him numerous awards, including three GRAMMYs, two American Music Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards and 14 Country Music Association Awards (including Entertainer of the Year), among many others. He has been a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2001. Paisley has written 21 of his 24 #1 hits and has accumulated over 20 million career total worldwide album sales, track downloads and streaming equivalents.
Connect with Brad at www.BradPaisley.com, www.Facebook.com/BradPaisley, on Twitter @BradPaisley, on Instagram @Brad Paisley, and YouTube at YouTube.com/BradPaisley.
Outlaw Music Festival Background
Spearheaded by no less iconic a figure than
Willie Nelson,
the Outlaw Music Festival started out in 2016 and turned into an annual shape-shifting celebration of roots-based music’s many forms. Dipping into rock, country, folk, blues and bluegrass, the festival has included Alison Krauss, Old Crow Medicine Show, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Sturgill Simpson, Van Morrison, Brandi Carlile, Sheryl Crow, Phil Lesh
Bob Dylan and Friends, Robert Plant & The Sensational Shape Shifters, Bonnie Raitt, Counting Crows and plenty more. The Outlaw Village that’s a part of each event date gives fans a chance to enjoy local foods and crafts and to commune with fellow music lovers while they’re not busy being bowled over by what’s happening onstage. Not every artist at The Outlaw Music Festival is American, but they’re all profoundly influenced by the many strands of music that make up the Americana tapestry.
& John Mellencamp