Jason Aldean dreamed of going to see a Georgia Bulldogs football game at the University of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium as a kid, but his family didn’t have the money for tickets. He finally got to a game when he was about 20 years old, but on Saturday night, Jason surpassed any of his wildest childhood dreams when he actually played a concert on that football field in Athens, GA.
More than 60,000 fans packed the stands as Jason headlined a concert bill featuring fellow Georgia native and Bulldogs fan Luke Bryan, Jake Owen and Thomas Rhett. Jason also welcomed Ludacris onstage during his set to perform their remix of “Dirt Road Anthem,” and Luke and Jason delivered a rowdy version of their #1 hit “The Only Way I Know.” In addition to his huge arsenal of hits, including “Big Green Tractor” and “My Kinda Party,” Jason also employed multiple, moving LED screens and massive amounts of pyrotechnics to deliver a visually stunning show.
The show was captured by HD cameras and a camera man in a helicopter flying over the venue, so there is a good chance fans will get to see that concert footage released in some form in the coming months. Before the concert, Jason had a film crew following his every move, from the time he first saw the massive stage setup at the stadium, to his surprise visit to hang with some fans tailgating before the show.
During an interview just outside the stadium, Jason said, “This place for anybody from this state and a fan of this team, that is like a church over there. I mean, that is sacred ground, and the fact that we can walk in there and our stage is set up in the endzone. I’m sitting there thinking to myself, like, when did this happen? Like, when did it get to this point?”
Jason had plenty of family from Georgia in the crowd too. He says, “I have people I didn’t even know I was related to that apparently I am. They’re here.”
Sharing this concert with his pal Luke Bryan was very sweet for Jason, especially since they both won big at the ACM Awards recently. Luke opened for Jason up until last year, and Jason is in awe of how hot his friend’s career has become lately.
“He’s on fire right now,” Jason says of Luke. “Everywhere you turn you see teeth. I mean, it’s crazy.”
Jason adds, “You know, he’s got one of the hottest tours out there right now. So, I’m a little jealous of him, but I’m happy for him too.”
Before the show, Luke was too nervous to even go in and look at the stage setup in the stadium. He finally got over his fears and turned in a set featuring “Drunk on You,” “Country Girl (Shake It for Me),” “Country Man” and the new single, “Crash My Party.”
As for Jason, he has two more stadium shows coming up, including Boston’s Fenway Park on July 12 and 13 and Chicago’s Wrigley Field on July 20.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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Kix Brooks has signed on to host The Tug McGraw Foundation’s 2nd Annual Celebrity Sporting Clay Pro-Am Tuesday, June 4 at the Nashville Gun Club in Music City. The event brings together stars from the country music and the sporting clay communities for the competition. Proceeds go to The Tug McGraw Foundation in their work to improve the lives of service members who have been affected by post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.
