Bulldog Bash’s headliner may be rock band The Black Crowes, but country artist Chris Young keeps at least a third of the night rooted in the festival’s Southern roots.
Young is an artist who recently rocked his way to the top of the country music world. According to “Ace Showbiz,” Young started his trail of fame when he won “Nashville Star,” a country music reality singing competition, in 2006. Since then, he has become a country music powerhouse. He has won numerous awards, including accumulating five Billboard Number One hits, “Breakthrough Artist of the Year” and “Single of the Year” at the 2011 Country Music Awards.
Justin Cooper, co-director of Bulldog Bash, said the booking of Young happened so smoothly it was almost fate.
“The routing for Chris Young worked out perfectly,” he said. “We knew we wanted a country artist, and we were more than happy to see he was available. It was kind of a perfect circumstance.”
An artist’s stage presence is vital, as his or her demeanor dictates the atmosphere of the concert. One reason Young was a sought after for Bulldog Bash is his electric stage presence and his talent for delivering cutting edge, modern country music.
Brett Harris, Mississippi State University Student Association chief programming officer, said Young will provide a buoyant night for those trekking into the streets for his show.
“I think Chris Young will bring a fun energy to the crowd,” he said. “He is a great performer, and I assume that he will have no problem relating to the audience.”
Amanda Fones, co-director of Bulldog Bash, said the charisma Young has to offer, combined with The Black Crowes’s longevity and loyal following, give this year’s Bulldog Bash the potential to draw its largest crowd yet.
“Chris is a fairly young artist, so he has a pretty large fan base. His songs are very popular on the radio,” Fones said. “All of these avenues provide people with access to his music recently, so I imagine he will bring large amounts of people to the district on Friday to listen to him.”
Modern country music lovers all over Mississippi have the opportunity to bombard the Cotton District to hear Young at 8 p.m. According to Cooper and Fones, Young will have no problem exceeding the expectations of concertgoers flocking to crowd the stage tonight.
