His No. 1 song created nationwide controversy in July. He’s coming to Idaho for a big concert next year
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Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman
BOISE (Idaho Statesman) – A veteran country star who rode a controversial song to the top of the charts this summer is headed to the Boise area.
“Try That in a Small Town” singer Jason Aldean will headline a concert Sept. 6, 2024, at the Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater in Nampa. Tickets to the outdoor show become available to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday through fordidahocenter.com for $39.75 to $199.75. The opening acts at the 7:30 p.m. event will be Hailey Whitters, Chase Matthew, Austin Snell and Dee Jay Silver.
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Aldean, 46, landed his first No. 1 country hit, “Why,” in 2005. Since then, more than two dozen of his songs have topped the country charts. But it wasn’t until July that Aldean had a single reach No. 1 nationally — on the mainstream Billboard Hot 100.
Based on criticism that the song and video were violent and racist, “Try That in a Small Town” uncorked a media firestorm and racked up sales. The lyrics warn that repercussions for certain activities will be tougher in a small town than in a big city. “Cuss out a cop, spit in his face,” Aldean sings. “Stomp on the flag and light it up. Yeah, ya think you’re tough. Well, try that in a small town. See how far ya make it down the road.”
Still, it was the music video — released two months after the song — that opened the floodgates. It was filmed in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, where a Black teenager was lynched in 1927, and where a race riot occurred in 1946. CMT quickly pulled it. A Variety headline proclaimed: “Jason Aldean already had the most contemptible country song of the decade. The video is worse.” Supporters also materialized. Former U.S. President Donald Trump called the controversial hit “a great new song” on his Truth Social account.
“Try That in a Small Town” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 — the highest ever for an Aldean single — before rising the next week to become his first national No. 1 song.
The uproar eventually faded with the news cycle. In August, another polarizing tune, newcomer Oliver Anthony’s politically driven “Rich Men North of Richmond,” entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 1 and took over headlines.
In November, Aldean released his 11th studio album, “Highway Desperado,” along with a follow-up single, “Let Your Boys Be Country.” Filled with lyrics about hay fields, cold beer and trucks, it is decidedly tame.
Aldean sold out more than 40 headlining shows in 2023, according to a media release. Next year’s visit to the Ford Idaho Center will be part of an extension of his successful Highway Desperado tour.