[August 19, 2011] Rising star, Georgia native Jason Aldean offers the right mix of music for fans Tweet Aug 19, 2011 (The Times-Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Jason Aldean has a simple formula for pitching a song idea. Basically, he said, if it sounds like something "I'd like to hear riding around in my truck," then it's worth recording. Given his recent track record, it seems Mr. Aldean's taste and that of the general listening public are very much in tune. During the past couple of years, the newly minted country superstar has been churning out one hit single after another. He'll be playing them all when he brings his "My Kinda Party" tour to Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain on Thursday, Aug. 25. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m., and will also include performances by Chris Young and Thompson Square. Best-selling album To date, "My Kinda Party" is the biggest-selling country album of the year, yielding three No. 1. singles thus far, including the title track and the ballad "Don't You Wanna Stay," which Mr. Aldean recorded as a duet with Kelly Clarkson. "This is kind of been the year I've waited on forever," Mr. Aldean said with a during a recent phone conversation. "It's been crazy, but crazy in a good way. It's been kind of like the perfect storm. Everything just kind of fell into place." That being said, he's not about to coast. He's still trying new and interesting things, like his current smash, "Dirt Road Anthem," which finds Mr. Aldean trading raps with hip hop stalwart Ludacris. "Things like that are shocking to fans. They look at the two of us and go, this is so (strange). There probably couldn't be two more different people," said Mr. Aldean of the song, which was written by Colt Ford and Brantley Gilbert. "I'm a fan of (Ludacris). And he's a fellow Georgia native. I loved it, man. To me, this song is perfect, because it's not like anything else." If anything, the song is a reflection of the eclectic musical tastes Mr. Aldean cultivated growing up outside Macon, Ga. One minute, he was listening to Waylon Jennings. The next, Guns N' Roses. The next, Tupac. "I just grew up with an appreciation for music in general," he said. "To me, music is music." So it makes a lot of sense when Mr. Aldean says he's tried hard in his career "not to paint myself into a corner" artistically. While plenty of his songs are up-tempo rockers, he has no qualms about doing ballads like "Don't You Wanna Stay." Clarkson adds to song In the case of that song, his management reached out to Ms. Clarkson when Mr. Aldean felt it could benefit from a female voice. "Kelly, she's such a great singer. One of the best singers of this generation," Mr. Aldean said. "She just brought a whole new aspect to that song." It's that sort of balance that long careers are made of, and Mr. Aldean is intent on seeing his already impressive following continue to grow. "It's cool knowing the audience is there to see you," he said of his headliner status. "It just makes you proud, knowing where you started from. Going from 15 people to 25,000 people a night, that's something I'm really proud of. It's pretty amazing." Contact the writer: [email protected] you go Who: Jason Aldean Where: Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain When: Thursday, Aug. 25, 7:30 p.m. Details: Tickets are $40.50 to $76.65 and can be purchased at the amphitheater box office, by phone at 800-745-3000 and online at www.livenation.com. To see more of The Times-Tribune or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://thetimes-tribune.com/. Copyright (c) 2011, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]