Randy Houser, Eric Paslay added to LA’s Tailgate Fest

It’s the city’s first country music festival

Randy Houser and Eric Paslay round out the lineup for Los Angeles’ first country music festival, Tailgate Fest. Toby Keith, Nelly, Joe Nichols, David Nail, Jana Kramer and Parmalee were first announced as headliners of the two single day event taking place Saturday, September 1st, Labor Day Weekend, on the outdoor grounds of the Forum in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood.

Tailgate Fest is one good ole’ fashioned tailgate party that doubles as a star-studded country music festival that brings the stage right to the tailgate. The tailgating doesn’t stop when the show starts. No packing up the party to head inside, no need to stop that game of cornhole, no stuffing all your belongings into your pockets. Fans will be able fire up their own grills, crack open those coolers, set up games, and enjoy the show from their own tailgate or opt to head to the stage when they want, the decision is all theirs. Tailgate Fest brings the stage to the tailgaters to super serve the ultimate fan experience.

“Each person who sets up their tailgate party around their vehicle creates content. When you multiply that by thousands, you’ve erected a city of nothing but the content the world loves most: food, fun, music, friends even love. I believe that allowing that to continue while the greatest artists in country take the stage will be a sensory explosion. My hope is that Tailgate Fest will deliver some cerebral relief by doing the best job at delivering just a damn good time,” says Tailgate Fest creator, Melissa Carbone.

The tailgate party is among the most time-honored and revered American traditions, creating a sense of community and belonging. The environment of tailgating creates a feeding frenzy of celebration that is fun even for those who aren’t tailgating.

Fans can also park or rideshare in and watch the show stageside like they would at traditional music festivals in the massive standing room section at the stage or meet up with friends who are tailgating. Vehicles are not required. The option to keep tailgating through the festival, watch stageside, or even watch from the side stage swimming pool with a drink in your hand are all meant to give every fan exactly the experience they want while watching superstars Toby Keith, Randy Houser, Nelly, Joe Nichols, David Nail, Eric Paslay, Jana Kramer, and Parmalee! The choice belongs to the fan.

Headlined by superstar Toby Keith on his Should’ve Been A Cowboy Tour XXV presented by Ford F Series, the additions to the festival lineup feature some of the best musicians in country music. Randy Houser is a Country Music Association (CMA) Award, Academy of Country Music (ACM) Award, and CMT Award-nominated singer/songwriter and Eric Paslay is a RIAA certified gold singer/songwriter whose song “Friday Night” was a Top 5 hit on Country Airplay. The two join previously announced ACM Award-winning and Grammy Award-nominated Joe Nichols, ACM and Grammy Award-nominated country star David Nail, quintessential American country band Parmalee, Jana Kramer, whose platinum debut single “Why Ya Wanna” rocketed to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and St. Louis, Missouri-born rapper, singer, songwriter Nelly who has been ranked by the Recording Industry of America as the fourth best-selling rap artist in American music history, with 21 million albums sold in the USA.

In addition to the music performances, Tailgate Fest will also feature several genre-curated activities including The Tailgate Cornhole World Championships which will kick off early in the day at the “Extreme Cornhole Court” where tailgate groups can compete against each other for prizes. Those who want to flex their truck muscles can enter their spruced-up truck in the Jacked Up Truck Competition where a panel of judges will select the “Best in Show” truck of the day, with the winner taking home a brand new tailgating dream machine. Tailgate Fest will also feature the Two Step Honky Tonk for those wanting to show off their dancing skills and a Dunk Tank for those wanting to stretch out their pitching arms. Food and beverages will also be available for purchase on site.

Tickets start at $109 for General Admission all the way up to a Super VIP with reserved Lawn Chair Viewing, access to a stageside pool and access to the VIP Forum Club (plus any applicable fees). For some fans who are “Country AF” but don’t want to tailgate, General Admission stage-side and pit passes offer the more traditional experience to get up close to the stage. A Lawn Chair viewing platform, Terrace viewing and even a pool stage-side make Tailgate Fest perfect for every taste. A limited number of people can secure a pit and pool pass to kick back and keep cool while watching the best country music has to offer. Tickets can be purchased via latailgatefest.com.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com