Hampton Beach Country Fest 2023: What to know about free Chris Janson concert

HAMPTON BEACH — Country star and platinum-selling recording artist Chris Janson, known for such hits like “Buy Me a Boat,” “Fix a Drink,” and “Done,” is headlining Country Music Fest at Hampton Beach on Thursday, July 13.

Country Fest, also known as Country on the Coast, consists of three nights of music that "brings country stars to the beach."

The festival kicks off Tuesday, July 11, with Kevin White and his Garth Live - The Ultimate Tribute Band followed by New Hampshire native April Cushman on Wednesday, July 12. Opening for Janson on July 13, is Boston country singer Alec MacGillivray, known for his song "Bad Day to be a Bud Light."

"I'm really looking forward to it. Chris puts on from what I have heard, a very high energy, almost rock show," said Amanda Morneault, who is the entertainment director for the Hampton Beach Village District. "I'm really looking forward to hearing some of the new songs off of his brand-new album 'The Outlaw Side of Me.'"

How much is admission?

Country Fest, like all the other nightly music shows on the Seashell Stage, is free and paid for by the taxpayers of the Hampton Beach Village District.

"We are expecting a large crowd," Morneault said. "So, I would allow time for arrival at the beach, parking and grabbing some food from all of our wonderful restaurants at the beach."

This is the fifth Country Fest after taking a hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first two years were headlined by Nashville star William Michael Morgan. In 2022, Rodney Atkins, known for such hits as “If You’re Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)” and “Watching You,” was the main event while last year Maddie & Tae, fresh of their CMT Music Awards win, took center stage.

What we know about Chris Janson

Chirs Janson is a three-time Country Music Award nominee, a five-time Academy of Country Music Awards nominee, and has over 1.7 billion global streams of his music.

Rolling Stone called him a "live legacy in the making" and DJ radio host Bobby Bones named him among the "greatest performers in country music."

While he has been putting out music since 2010, Janson first made his national debut in 2015 with his chart-topping, double-Platinum smash "Buy Me A Boat." The song with the lyrics "I know everybody says money can't buy happiness … But it could buy me a boat" was a Top 5 hit on the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts.

Janson took home the trophy for ACM Video of the Year in 2019 for his Gold-certified, song “Drunk Girl,” which talks about treating women with respect. In addition to his own successes, Janson was a co-writer for Tim McGraw's “Truck Yeah” and Hank Williams Jr.'s "God Fearin’ Man.”

Janson will take the stage at 8 p.m., on Thursday, July 13.

Who is opening for Chris Janson?

Singer-songwriter Alec MacGillivray takes the stage at 6:30 p.m., July 13. His songs have been streamed millions of times and been featured on Spotify’s “Wild Country”, “Next in Country”, and “New Music Nashville” playlists. His hit “Bad Day to Be a Bud Light” has become a viral party anthem with over 2 million streams in 60+ countries.

MacGillivray formed the rock band The Ultra from 2018-2019. The Ultra’s EP climbed to the Top 10 on the Billboard Heatseeker chart. Following the success of the EP, the band toured nationally and had its follow-up single, “Hightail” featured on Spotify’s “Hard Rock” playlist.

What we know about April Cushman?

Cushman, who was recently named the 2022 New England Music Awards' Country Act of the Year, will take the stage at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 12.

The Swanzey native said she has a "passion and love" for country music that started at the age of 5.

"I have been singing and playing for as long as I can remember," she told Country 102.5 in a 2022 interview. "I was heavily inspired going to and singing in the children's choir at church when I was really young."

Her debut album "The Long Haul" was released in November 2021, and was funded via a Kickstarter campaign raising $11,000 and reached No. 16 on the iTunes Country Album charts.

Cushman has opened for artists like Kip Moore, Rodney Atkins, Scotty McCreery, and Lonestar. Other career highlights include performing the American and Canadian National Anthems at Gillette Stadium for the New England Revolution and at the TD Garden for the Boston Celtics.

Who is kicking off Country Fest?

Kevin White is the man behind Garth Live - The Ultimate Tribute Band. He will perform at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11.

White is no stranger to the Hampton Beach Seashell Stage, having played at Country Fest in 2019 and 2021.

White has toured the country paying tribute to Brooks singing covers of his hits including "Friends in Low Places," "Much Too Young to Feel This Damn Old," and "If Tomorrow Never Comes."

When are free line dancing lessons?

Before each concert, free line dancing classes taught by Michelle Jackson-White, the owner of Nashville Line Dance, will be offered to get everyone ready for the shows. Line dancing lessons will take place from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, lessons will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton Beach Country Fest 2023: Chris Janson headlines free event