BY MELISSA RUGGIERI/AJC Music Scene
Jason Aldean wanted to go big for his first concert at SunTrust Park, so he's enlisted a bunch of pals to share the bill.
Fellow Georgians Lauren Alaina and Luke Combs will be part of the July 21 stadium blowout, as well as Hootie & The Blowfish.
Aldean said he and Brian O'Connell, president of country touring for Live Nation, were discussing "that one more act to add" and the band - which reunites on occasion - came to mind.
"(Hootie frontman) Darius (Rucker) is a friend of both of ours, so it was easy to have that conversation," Aldean said Wednesday morning at a press conference at the Braves' park. "They were all for it."
Aldean and Alaina were given a surprise when Braves Hall of Famer Chipper Jones appeared to present them with customized jerseys.
Aldean, a Macon native, is also a lifelong fan of the baseball team and said this upcoming show at SunTrust Park, along with his 2013 performance at Sanford Stadium in Athens, will be career highlights.
O'Connell pointed out that Aldean is the only artist to have played University of Georgia stadium as well as the home of the Braves.
"It is important to him as a performer to pay tribute to his Georgia roots," O'Connell said.
Plans for the stage production have been underway for a couple of months, but expect it to be memorable.
"We want to come in and make a statement show," Aldean said.
Tickets to the concert are $40.50-$89.75 and will go on sale at 10 a.m. March 23 at www.livenation.com.
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