- Jamey Johnson: Yeah, he's as badass as he looks
The folks behind the Vans Warped Tour are taking a similar approach to their new Country Throwdown Tour, which mixes established and emerging artists on three stages (one main, two side). The tour’s headliners are Montgomery Gentry and Little Big Town, but you’ll also want to check out Jamey Johnson (who wrote George Strait’s “Give It Away” and scored his own hit with the wistful “In Color”) and Jack Ingram, who was named ACM’s 2008 Best Male Vocalist. There are several promising new acts too, like Eric Church and the Lost Trailers. Plus, honky-tonker Tyler Reeve, versatile Texan Ryan Bingham (who won an Academy Award recently for his Crazy Heart song), and the road-tested Jonathan Singleton & the Grove. Two female solo acts complete the bill: scrappy ex-Trick Pony singer Heidi Newfield, who grew up listening to Ernest Tubb and AC/DC, and Emily West. Bringing an unprecedented number of artists on tour, while breaking new acts at an affordable price — sounds like a twangy Warped Tour we can get behind. The show starts at 1 p.m. at Blossom Music Center. Tickets: $21-$41. —Tierney Smith
Review the show at clevescene.com/concertscene