If you go
› What: Boyd’s Speedway summer concert featuring Chris Janson, Fairview Union and Matt Stillwell.› When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 14.› Where: Boyd’s Speedway, 1481 Scruggs Road, Ringgold, Ga.› Admission: $22 general, $50 VIP (includes two free tickets and premium seating).› Website: www.ticketmaster.com.› Note: Canned goods will be accepted for the Walmart Fight Hunger Campaign.
Matt Stillwell has had radio and video hits with “Shine,” “Sweet Sun Angel,” “Dirt Road Dancing” and “Ignition.” His newest single is “Hey Dad.” In addition to headlining his own shows, he has opened for most of today’s country superstars.
Fairview Union is a hard-rocking country band fronted by husband-and-wife duo Chad and Kelli Wilson. They have shared the stage with Rascal Flatts, Brett Eldredge, Tyler Farr, Chase Rice, Tracy Lawrence, Blackberry Smoke and The Black Lillies. In early June, they’ll return to the Chattanooga area for gigs at Bud’s Sports Bar and the Riverbend Festival.People who live or travel near Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, Ga., are used to sounds emanating from the dirt-track raceway, but on Saturday, May 14, those sounds will be a little more melodic in nature.
For the first time, Boyd’s will host a concert featuring country music performers Chris Janson, Matt Stillwell and Fairview Union.
The idea behind the concert is simple, says track spokesman Greg Thompson. Co-owners Dale McDowell and Kimberly and David Duplissey want to introduce a whole new group of fans to dirt-track racing.
Someone who knows all about fast cars and racing is Janson. The new country star with two No. 1 hits in “Buy Me a Boat” and “Holdin’ Her” likes everything about the idea of performing at Boyd’s.
“I grew up on drag-strip racing,” he says. “I think it’s going to be fun as all get-out. That’s my demographic.”
Janson is currently touring the country and riding high on life these days. His songs are selling well, he’s happily married to Kelly Lynn and they have four kids, including two from her previous marriage.
He also has a record label that to date has given him unquestioned support, which is almost as rare as a happy family life among celebrities. So-called “bro country” is the hot sound in Music City these days, and in a town known for milking a trend till the last drop, it says a lot about Janson’s relationship with Warner Music Nashville that executives didn’t balk at the idea of putting out such a personal track as “Holdin’ Her.”
“We have a great team, and that’s what we are,” Janson says. “They’ve supported me 100 percent.”
“Holdin’ Her” is a celebration of how close Janson is to his wife and kids, and the whole family is featured in the video. It’s a song about how Janson’s life has gone from hard-partying to the straight and narrow because of his relationship with his wife.
Janson calls it his favorite song, and fans have taken to it as well. It and “Buy Me a Boat” have made him a star, but Janson says his family keeps him grounded and focused. Having two kids in diapers also keeps him humble, which can happen when you say goodnight to several thousand fans at the Grand Ole Opry and then go home and change a diaper.
“Or you change a diaper at the Opry,” he says with a laugh. “I’m not kidding.”
Janson says his main focus these days is to keep moving forward, continue to work hard and to remember what’s important.
“It’s unbelievable how much your life can change and will change with having successes,” says Janson, who has gone from hitting the road as an independent artist to having one of the biggest record deals in town.
“The speed of everything increases,” he says. “That might be the biggest thing, but I work with my wife and she works with me and we have the kids in tow.
“It’s a lifestyle, and it’s a good lifestyle.”
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.
Did you know?
Chris Janson isn’t just a fan favorite. He’s also impressing critics and his country music peers with his stage presence.› Rolling Stone ranked Janson’s performance at the 2016 American Country Countdown Awards as one of the show’s best moments.“We’ve heard Chris Janson’s breakout single ‘Buy Me a Boat’ so many times, the dream-big anthem was in danger of taking on water — and even Janson himself knew it. So instead of turning in one more traditional performance of the radio hit on national TV, the singer-songwriter stripped the song down to its bare essentials and showed off his musical versatility while he was at. The Missouri native, who can already give a master class in how to command a stage, said to hell with a band and backed himself up: playing guitar, harmonica and kick-drum all at the same time. On a show of often overly rehearsed productions, Janson played like an actual musician, placing spontaneity and a devil-may-care attitude front and center.”› A review at countrymusichalloffame.org notes his standout performance at the recent We’re All for the All concert in Nashville.“Chris Janson, another artist enjoying his first taste of success, proved especially adept at rousing the crowd. His rowdy version of his debut hit, “Buy Me a Boat,” drew one of the loudest, most visceral responses from the crowd, who lit up the Bridgestone Arena with lighted cellphones and ecstatic cheers. Janson kept the energy high by bringing a punk-rock intensity to “I Ain’t Living Like This,” a 1980 Waylon Jennings hit written by Rodney Crowell. The high-speed arrangement gave [Vince] Gill and [Keith] Urban a chance to shine with crisp guitar solos. Janson extended the song by calling out to Jerry Lee Lewis and playing a harmonica solo based on the Killer’s wild piano style.”› Additionally, Cindy Watts of The Tennessean noted:“Chris Janson turned in a performance so enthusiastic and engaging at last week’s All for the Hall that fellow country singer and event organizer Keith Urban dubbed the up-and-coming hit maker an entertainer of the year — the country genre’s top honor.”
Chris Janson will headline a country music concert Saturday, May 14, at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, Ga. He was last here in February for the Heart Strings for Hope concert with Cole Swindell, Dustin Lynch, Justin Moore and Kelley Lovelace at the Tivoli Theatre.