Fans all over the country will head to Panama City Beach for the inaugural Kickoff Jam, taking place August 30 to September 1, but no one is likely as excited as one of the headliners, Garth Brooks. The singer, who shares headlining status with Carrie Underwood and Alabama, says he can’t wait to head south for three days of performances by some of country music’s biggest artists.
“How many times do you get to sing with Carrie Underwood and Alabama?” Brooks reflected on his weekly Inside Studio G Facebook series. “This will be the second time I’ll ever get to be associated with Alabama. We did June Jam as a younger artist, and then Carrie Underwood, maybe one of the greatest singers of our time.
“I’ve done more music with her husband than her,” he joked, referring to former professional hockey player, Mike Fisher, “so I’m so looking forward to it. They’re gonna love this. It’s really, really cool.”
It was Brooks who inducted Underwood into the Grand Ole Opry in 2008, a full-circle moment for the two singers, who at one time lived near each other in Oklahoma.
“That was quite an honor,” Brooks said. “I think because we were neighbors. In our retirement, she wasn’t ten miles from us. So she’s like the hero of all of Oklahoma … She is talented.”
Brooks no longer performs at many fairs and festivals, which is why the Kickoff Jam is especially important to him. He may not do many outdoor events anymore, but they still remain among his favorite places to sing.
“This is it,” Brooks reveals. “We’re going to do one. And come on, it’s in Panama City Beach. It’s gonna be so good … Any place where you get to go out, and you can’t hear yourself because it’s just too loud, and all day in the sun, that’s gonna be fun.”
The 62-year-old also added a reminder to fans that he is one of the headliners, but he is not in charge of the event.
“If you guys think this is a Garth concert, it’s not,” he shares. “We have nothing to do with it other than we’re playing. So the usual rules that happen at a Garth show, you won’t see them on this one. We’re just going. I love the fact that The Oaks are there, Houser — I think Randy Houser is one of the greatest singers we ever had.”
It was Brooks who made the official Kickoff Jam announcement earlier this month.
“If you’re me and you only get to do one outdoor gig a year, Panama City Beach,” Brooks said at the time. “Are you kidding me? Tickets available April 24. Carrie Underwood, Alabama, Garth Brooks — this should be country music at its best, in the best location. We’ll see you there.
Other Kickoff Jam performers include Lauren Alaina, Restless Road, Jamey Johnson, Pam Tillis and more. Randy Travis will also make an appearance. Tickets for the Kickoff Jam will be on sale beginning on April 24 at KickoffJamPCB.com.