Bayfront Country Jam 2019 Photos and Recap

The first ever Bayfront Country Jam took place Friday, July 5 at Bayfront Festival Park, bringing four acts and several hours of country music to Duluth's outdoor venue. While scattered rain showers pressed through during the show, it didn't deter fans from coming out and having a fun time.

Local act Whiskey Trail opened the evening of music, followed by Texas native singer-songwriter Chase Bryant. Bryant played a set of covers and originals, including his radio singles "Little Bit Of You" and "Take It On Back". He also paying homage to acts like Brooks & Dunn and fellow Texas act ZZ Top, during which he had an impromptu singing contest with a couple members of the crowd.

The senior-most act of the night, Joe Nichols, followed Chase Bryant with a very singalong-friendly set mostly of his hits from a career that spans back into the 1990s. Between songs like "Brokenheartsville", Yeah", "The Shape I'm In", and "Sunny and 75", Nichols admitted that he enjoys being tongue-in-cheek with some of his music. He admitted to having goofy songs and song titles like "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" (which he said was about his grandma) and "Size Matters"; but also acknowledged his version of rap music with a rendition of "Baby Got Back", which he also recorded a studio version for his 2017 album "Never Gets Old".

Headlining act Chris Janson brought the night to a close with an energetic set, during which he rarely stayed in one place. Janson bounced around the stage through most of the night, enthusiastically singing songs like "Redneck Life", "Everybody" "Fix A Drink", and "Good Vibes". Midway through the set, Janson invited those in general admission to come into the VIP area to bring the rest of the party right next to the stage area.

While most of Janson's set was a full-on party, he did slow things down a couple times; talking about his wife and children and how they inspired his song "Holdin' Her", and spending a little time behind a keyboard, playing and singing a set of covers like Billy Joel's "Piano Man" and Journey's "Don't Stop Believing".

Janson ended the night with the same energy he had as he took the stage, finishing with a medley of covers from Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Georgia Satellites, and Hank Williams Jr. and his big hit "Buy Me A Boat"