B reak out the western attire—the boots, denim, comes alive with performances by 24 of country music’s top performers and emerging talent. The event is a collaboration between Impact Entertainment and Santa Rosa-based Amaturo Sonoma Media Group (ASMG), parent company of Froggy 92.9 and several other local radio stations [as well as publisher of NorthBay biz ]. “This year will be the festival’s 10th anniversary,” says Lawrence Amaturo, president of ASMG. “It’s the largest country music festival in Northern California. In 2024, the event attracted 27,000 fans from 34 states and four countries.” From the time the first act steps onto the stage until the lights dim three days later, the music-filled event seemingly unfolds without a hitch. But to make it happen, much effort, coordination and teamwork are required—beginning not long after the encores wind down on the previous year’s festival. Over the course of nearly a year, artists are booked, vendors arranged and stages built. “It takes a village to make it all happen,” says Drew Jacoby, executive producer for Impact Entertainment. Stetsons and statement-making brass buckles. The North Bay is getting ready to rock, country-style. From June 27 to 29, the Sonoma County Fairgrounds Country music is cool again... It’s the fastest growing music genre in America. Spotify reports that country music listening has increased 110% over the past five years. According to music data tracker Luminate, streaming grew by 23.5% in 2023, adding 20 billion more country music streams.
Country is the fastest-growing genre in music, as these Country Summer fans can attest.
Last July, the Wall Street Journal reported, “Country music is having its biggest boom in 30 years, with an unusual number of artists topping the charts, dominating streaming, striking branding deals and selling out shows.” Several factors are at play behind the genre’s rapid growth. In the old days, record labels and country radio drove the business. Now streaming and social media, influenced by Gen Z and millennials, have made it easier for artists to bypass the record companies and jumpstart their own careers. “What’s different about this country boom is that it’s mostly fans in the driver’s seat,” says Melinda Newman, Billboard magazine’s executive editor for the West Coast and Nashville. “The audience is the gatekeeper. Country hasn’t been here before.” In addition to streaming and social media, the melding of genres and artist crossover has brought in new fans. Some say it began in 2006, when a 16-year-old Taylor Swift released her debut album Taylor Swift —a blend of traditional country and a youthful, modern sound, introducing her young followers to the country music genre. The album’s lead single "Tim McGraw" charted on Billboard’s Hot 100 and reached number six on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs. Though now a pop music superstar, Swift got her start touring as an opening act for Rascal Flatts, George Strait, Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Today, crossovers into country music are common. R&B, hip hop, pop artist Beyonce donned a cowboy hat and western attire for the cover of her 2024 album Cowboy Carter . The album reached number one on Billboard 200 and won multiple Grammy awards, including Best Country Album and Album of the Year. Last year
24 NorthBaybiz
April 2025
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