Although I am from the Midwest, I have always believed that in another life, I would be a Tennessee native: always looking cute in cowboy boots, going to Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry or Bridgestone Arena to see my favorite country artists. As much as I wish this could be true, for years my dreams of being connected to country culture have gone unfulfilled. This summer, however, country artists from across the genre have decided to go on tour, and better yet, they are all stopping in the Midwest.
From Alan Jackson, a star in the 1990s and early 2000s, to artists popular with Generation Z, like Morgan Wallen and Megan Moroney, Midwestern country music fans are in for a star-filled summer. In the past, country artists often skipped major Midwest cities like Milwaukee, Chicago and St. Louis, or they have gone to smaller venues in towns so small you have to Google them. But this summer, even popular country music festivals like Windy City Smokeout in Chicago or Country Thunder in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, have star headliners, like Riley Green and Jelly Roll. These festivals further expand the number of artists coming to the Midwest in the summer and through the rest of the year.
As an avid country listener and concert connoisseur, there are many benefits to the wave of artists coming to tour in the Midwest. One of the benefits is that country fans can connect more deeply with their favorite artists and songs. My hometown friend group is full of avid country music fans, which was the reason our friendship began. As a freshman in college, being far away from my hometown friends has been difficult, but being able to connect on the concerts we want to go to once we are all back together has helped my friends who are not with me physically to stay connected through music. Further, this gives us something to look forward to: making memories and singing our hearts out. Additionally, growing up in a house where country music was always playing has influenced my love for the music and created an association between the music and being at home.
Another benefit of a variety of country artists touring the Midwest is that more fans can experience their favorite artists live. I will never forget the first country concert I went to. I originally decided to go because my friend had an extra ticket, but at the Luke Combs concert, the sound of thousands of fans singing their lungs out and the sight of smiling faces all over the arena made me realize that Combs had truly impacted lives with his music, which is something I had never seen at other concerts. This is one of the reasons I have become what I like to think of as not just a country music fan, but a country music lover. Seeing the singer who you might listen to every day and associate with the highs and lows of life is a powerful experience that can be life-changing.
Whether you are a country fan or not, the Midwest is about to have a summer filled with cowboy boots and bell-bottom jeans. I highly recommend taking part in this country music summer, which is sure to be filled with good times.