Lassen County Fair Manager Jim Wolcott has officially announced the headliner for this year’s Coors Light Country Night at the Lassen County Fair in July.
The Friday evening concert will feature country star James Otto, best known for his million-selling single ‘Just Got Started Loving You,’ along with Northern California and Nevada fan favorites The Chris Gardner Band who will open the grandstand show.
Otto first hit the Nashville scene as part of the Muzik Mafia along with superstars Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich.
“I had been one of the original founding members of Muzik Mafia, from the very first show, and that was where I started thinking I might still get a shot at making music the way I wanted to make it,” Otto says. “It was very influential in my musical thinking, allowing me to be much more adventurous musically than any record label was going to let me be.”
Here are two interesting facts about Mr. Otto; his brother-in-law is Rascal Flatts member Jay Demarcus and he was in the movie Roadhouse 2.
Otto has also been a successful songwriter for other artists over the years, penning numerous hits including Jamey Johnson’s ACM 2008 Song of the Year ‘In Color.’
The opening act
The Chris Gardner Band out of Sacramento are the real deal. This hard working five-piece has a new album out and they are playing more than 150 shows a year, gaining a wide following across the country.
“The fans know us for our show,” says Gardner, whose greatest influences include Alabama, Conway Twitty and Chrisʼ father, John Gardner. With great respect for any musician that performs, Gardner says, “we influence each other and I think its important that we support our fellow peers as much as possible.”
The band has opened for major country acts like Luke Bryan, Joe Nichols, Mark Chestnut and Josh Gracin. This year at Country in the Park, a fan festival in Sacramento, they opened up for Billy Currington and a sold out crowd of 17,000.
Tickets for Coors Light Country Night at the Lassen County Fair will go on sale soon.
