After three months of planning, the lineup, location and sponsorships have been confirmed for the biggest outdoor music festival in the state.Bulldog Bash will be headlined by up-and-coming country musician Eric Church and R&B star Bobby Valentino.
The headliners were confirmed early Thursday morning to the Student Association’s planning committee for the event. The group is made up of SA President Jeremy Johnson, SA external events chairmen, the SA executive board and faculty advisers.
Top billing goes to Church, a North Carolina native who signed with Capitol Records Nashville. His debut album Sinners Like Me includes chart singles “How ‘Bout You,” “Two Pink Lines” and “Guys Like Me.”
Church recently performed at the 2007 Country Music Awards and is currently touring the U.S.
The other primary act is Jackson native Bobby Valentino, who first hit the Billboard charts in 2005 with “Slow Down,” a track from his self-titled debut album released by Island Def Jam Records under rapper Ludacris’ Disturbin’ tha Peace label.
Valentino released his sophomore album, Special Occasion, in May. The album includes the tracks “Turn the Page” and “Anonymous.”
In the past, Bash planners typically reserved a top spot for a rock band as well, but Johnson said they wanted to try something different.
“The biggest thing is, you want to find what you feel people are going to like,” he said. “We felt like this would be a good direction to go in. We’ll have smaller rock bands to open up. We wanted to try something different, see how it turns out.”
Another change includes the elimination of the Bulldog Deli stage. Johnson said a lack of interest in past Bashes led the committee to nix the stage. One less stage also means less acts. Two less acts will be featured, and this year’s Bash will feature four bands on the Grill stage instead of three, with the usual number featured on the main stage located next to the “Big Blue Building” in the heart of the Cotton District.
Starkville locals Red Hill City, Jamie Davis and Soul Gravy, and the Kitchen Blues Band have been confirmed as secondary acts.
Johnson said others are still in the confirmation process.
Despite significant changes, Johnson said the committee remains confident in the event.
“We think we’ve got a good lineup,” he said. “We’ve got something for everybody. With Eric Church, he’s an up-and-coming artist, and a lot of people in the area listen to country. He’s a star on the rise, so it’s nice to give him a little exposure and give people the music they like.”
“Bobby Valentino sounded like a good fit, so we went after him and he fortunately accepted our bid,” Johnson added. “It was a little stressful at times, but it worked out.”
Bulldog Bash will take place Sept. 21 in the Cotton District starting at 5 p.m. with an MSU fanfare and pep rally. Music will start at approximately 7 p.m. at the Grill stage.
The event is sponsored by almost 20 local businesses, Johnson said. The top sponsors are the SA, Cumulus Broadcasting and the State of the Future campaign.