though Kickstarter. It quickly caught on and rose to No. 22 on the Billboard Top Country Album chart, leading to a contract with RCA Nashville. On his 2022 album Different Man , he and wife Katelyn Brown collaborated on the love song, “Thank God.” And there’s another duet from the couple, “Body Talk” is on Kane’s recently released album The High Road. Dustin Lynch Dustin Lynch closes the festival Sunday, June 29. The Tennessee native’s self-titled 2012 debut album reached number one on the Top Country Albums chart and he’s never looked back. His sixth album, Killed the Cowboy , came out in 2023 Ian Munsick Ian Munsick performs Sunday, June 29. Munsick grew up on a ranch in Wyoming, hailing from a long line of cowboys, ranchers and musicians. That western upbringing serves as the inspiration for much of his music. At age 10 he began playing alongside his father, Dave, and older brothers Tris and Sam as The Munsick Boys. His second album is 2023’s White Buffalo . The lead single, “Long Live Cowgirls,” is a duet with Cody Johnson and was named among the Amazon Music Best Country Songs of 2022. Gabby Barrett Gabby Barrett is performing on the festival’s June 17 opening night. She and musician husband Cade Foehner met in 2018 as contestants on American Idol. (Both ended up in the top five.) They married in 2019 and have three children. Barrett followed her American Idol appearance with the release of the single “I Hope.” The song caught the attention of singer-songwriter Charlie Puth and together they did a remix that was nominated in 2020 for single of the year by the Country Music Association. Barrett’s most recent album is 2024’s faith-inspired Chapter and Verse. An album single, “You’re My Texas,” co-written with Miranda Lambert, is a tribute to husband Cade. Mitchell Tenpenny Mitchell Tenpenny takes the stage Saturday, June 28, bringing his brand of country-pop to Santa Rosa. The Nashville-born singer- songwriter has released such chart-making songs as “Drunk Me” and “If the Boot Fits.” His most recent album, The 3rd , came out in 2024. ….. Special setting, special moments “Many of our artists are used to performing in large outdoor arenas before crowds of 40,000 to 60,000 people,” Amaturo says. “Our setting at the fairgrounds is more intimate. There’s fewer people and excellent acoustics. There’s a raised ramp that extends out from the stage where performers can move out and sing along with the fans.” Country Summer is known for its special moments. One of those occurred when Blake Shelton performed at the 2022 festival. “That just happened to be his 46th birthday,” Amaturo says. “And to everyone’s surprise [Shelton’s spouse and No Doubt singer] Gwen Stefani appeared on stage, presented Blake with a cake and sang ‘Happy Birthday.’ Doesn’t get much better than that!”
For Santa Rosa’s Valerie and Eric Andersen, the festival has become a family affair—an event looked forward to every year. “We’ve been fans of country music our entire lives,” Valerie says. “Our first date was a Tyler Farr concert.” The couple has attended nearly every festival since its inception. (She missed 2014, though Eric made it.) “What keeps us coming back is the great live music so close to home. You can’t beat driving 15 minutes to see performers like Toby Keith, Blake Shelton, Eric Church and Lynyrd Skynyrd.” The Andersens have their own special festival moment. Backstage, following a Tyler Farr meet-and-greet in 2018, they got engaged. “I’d been wanting to propose to Valerie for a very long time,” Eric says. “Country music and concerts were a huge part of our lives. So, I came up with an idea and with the help of the amazing Froggy staff, I was able to pull it off.” Valerie adds, “Seeing Tyler Farr on our first date and Country Summer being something we look forward to every year, it all made sense!” And now the festival has become a family affair. When Tyler Farr came back to the festival in 2023, he got to meet the Andersens’ 5-month-old son Charlie. “It was his first concert,” Eric says. “Since then, Charlie has been to two more festivals” Adds Eric, proudly: “And this year he’ll be joined by baby brother Johnny.”
Now, that truly is a Country Summer family. For info and tickets, visit countrysummer.com . g
Country Summer Set List Country Summer 2025 takes place June 27 to 29 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. Headliners include Sam Hunt (Friday), Kane Brown (Saturday) and Dustin Lynch (Sunday. The full lineup is at countrysummer.com . General admission three-day pass is $225; single day tickets are $85. Reserved seating three-day pass is $450, $600 and $690; reserved single day are $175, $215 and $250. Additional viewing options in The Pit, on the Platinum Viewing Deck, in AJ’s Signature Row and as a Country Club VIP are available as well. Visit countrysummer.com for information. The Sonoma County Fairgrounds are at 1450 Bennet Valley Road in Santa Rosa.
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28 NorthBaybiz
April 2025
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