Fans of country music star Jason Aldean packed into The Wharf Amphitheater on Saturday as the Macon, Ga., native brought his rocking style of country music to the Gulf Coast.
Aldean has been busy during the past year, opening for Brooks and Dunn’s Last Rodeo tour, and will be touring again in the fall following the release of a new album, which he has been recording during the past several months.
With attitudes of locals still gloomy due to the economic effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, many were happy to see the 10,000 plus that filed into the areas’ largest outdoor concert venue.
Opening for Aldean at The Wharf was Colt Ford, a former professional golfer turned country music singer from Athens, Ga. Ford, who was born Jason Farris Brown, played on the Nationwide Tour and worked as a golf instructor before getting into music. Although his style is much edgier than your typical country music star, the fans in Orange Beach stayed on their feet throughout his performance, featuring songs “No Trash in My Trailer,” and “Chicken & Biscuits.”
Aldean, who learned to play guitar from his dad Barry, kept the party going with his hour-and-twenty minute set.
Early on he performed “Amarillo Sky” followed by his first No. 1 hit “Why.” During the mid part of the show, Aldean wowed the crowd with two Bryan Adams songs, “Heaven” and “It Cuts Like a Knife,” which he had performed on CMT Crossroads in 2009.
Aldean brought the show to a close with hits “Johnny Cash,” a song that made it to No. 6, “She’s Country,” and his debut single, “Hicktown.”
The crowd at The Wharf wasn’t going anywhere until Aldean and his band hit the stage for an encore, performing “Big Green Tractor,” Aldean’s third No. 1 hit.
