The New Era
Dustin Lynch has been announced as the third and final headliner for this year’s Oregon Jamboree, to be held July 31-Aug. 2.
Also added to the lineup is sister duo Walker County.
They join a lineup featuring previously announced headliners Old Dominion and Dierks Bentley, along with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Gabby Barrett, Niko Moon and Jessie Leigh.
Lynch has been a country music artist since his college days at Lipscomb University in Nashville, which he attended primarily because of its proximity to the Bluebird Cafe, where he got his start.
He has released four albums. The most recent are “Current Mood” and “Tullahoma,” The latter was released in January of this year and debuted at No. 4 on Billboard’s Top Country Album chart.
His singles “Where It’s At,” off the album of that name, went platinum in 2014, as did “Small Town Boy,” off “Current Mood,” in 2017.
Lynch has had other No. 1 hits: “Hell of a Night,” “Mind Reader,” “Seein’ Red,” “Good Girl” and “Ridin’ Roads,” the latter two off “Tullahoma.”
“He’s been around for quite awhile,” Shamek said, and he’s popular and relatively young. “He’s one of those highly requested artists.”
Demographics for the Jamboree are skewed, with no other festivals in the area, Shamek said. “I have to bring in younger artists to appease our entire crowd.”
Walker County, sisters Dene and Sophie Dawn Walker, bring Dolly Parton-like personas to the stage with their traditional country sound.
Growing up on a farm in Indiana, they started in Nashville as street musicians.
“They come as a recommendation out of Nashville,” Shamek said, and he’s trying to get as many up-and-coming artists as he can.
The duo has performed with numerous country acts, ranging from Dwight Yoakam, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn and Martina McBride to Old Dominion and the Eli Young Band.
The additions help round out country music’s diversifying sub-genres, he said. The lineup will feature everything from pop country and old school country to red dirt and alternative country.
“I’m branching out and trying to hit a few more of the genres,” Shamek said. Upcoming announcements will fill in some of the remaining blanks among the styles of country music.
The 2020 festival is selling well, Shamek said. “We’re doing good. We’re still up, even over last year, which is awesome.”
Sweet Spot tickets for the standing-only space directly in front of the stage, just went on sale, Shamek said. The event schedule will appear soon, and tickets are available for the April 2 Mystery Concert in Corvallis, which will feature openers Fogline and MaKayla Marie with a mystery headliner.
The Jamboree is gearing up for another summer concert series at the Veterans Home in Lebanon.
The Oregon Jamboree, a three-day camping and country music festival typically held the first weekend in August, was created by the Sweet Home Economic Development Group as a fund-raising tool for economic development projects in Sweet Home. Daily attendance roughly reaches around 13,000 to 15,000. A group of up to 900 volunteers help run the festival.
Artists who have performed at the Jamboree include Wynonna Judd, Hank Williams Jr., Kenny Rogers, Brooks and Dunn, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Gretchen Wilson, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood and many more.
For more information, call the Oregon Jamboree office at (541) 367-8800.