Jason Aldean tries to outdo himself with ‘We Were Here’ tour

Country star Jason Aldean, who last came to Happy Valley in 2014, will bring his “We Were Here” tour to the Bryce Jordan Center on Feb. 26.. He will be joined by openers Thomas Rhett and A Thousand Horses.

Aldean’s currently playing the big rooms (arenas like Bryce Jordan Center are typical for Aldean and co.), but he likes to treat the large crowds just like a small intimate party where he is the host.

“Back in the day when we played a lot of smaller venues like bars and smaller theaters it was so cool,” Aldean said. “It’s been a while since we’ve played smaller shows. I grew up playing clubs, so any chance we got to play in a packed bar; that was just a lot of fun for me.”

Below, Aldean talks about his influences, success and how he tries to throw a party at every show.

Q: When did you realize you had a passion for country music?

A: My mom didn’t really listen to anything else — it was always country. That was sort of all she listened to, so I just grew up listening to it. As I got a little older, I kind of ventured out. I started listening to rock bands — Southern rock, rock ’n’ roll, blues — all that different kind of stuff. I don’t know, it just kind of always would come back around to country. Even though I was listening to those things at the time, I still really liked country music. It was always my favorite.

Q: Who are some of your biggest influences/favorite artists?

A: My biggest influences are probably George Strait and Alabama. Tracy Lawrence is a big one for me. A lot of the rock stuff like Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses, Bob Seger, Mellencamp — those would be the pretty big ones.

Q: How has the “We Were Here” tour differed from your past tours?

A: With us, we tour pretty much nonstop every year. Each year, there’s always new video and new sound and new lighting, etc. We’re always trying to change it up, make it a little bigger and a little better than it was the year before. So, I think you’re constantly trying to outdo yourself and what you did the previous year. Other than that, obviously you’re going to have different songs from the new album being in there.

Q: You’ve had 16 No. 1 songs, sold over 10 million records, been nominated for nearly every kind of award possible — what’s next for Jason Aldean?

A: I don’t know man, I’m going to try to do it as long as they’ll let me. (laughs) It’s definitely been a great run over the years. I still feel like I’m young, I’m not even 40 yet! I still feel like I got plenty of gas left in the tank for sure. We’re cutting a new album right now that will be out this year. We’re constantly working on that. We’re trying to get better with each album, with each tour, with everything we do.

To me, I look at guys like George Strait who’ve been around for 40 years. And, guys like (Kenny) Chesney and (Tim) McGraw who have been around a lot longer than me and they’re still having careers. Those are the guys I sort of want to pattern my career after. I think this is a business that the people dictate. If they want to see you, you have a career. If they don’t, that’s how you know it’s coming to an end. As long as people want to see me, I’ll be around.

Q: What advice do you have for aspiring musicians?

A: I think persistence is the key. Had I just walked away every time I got told “no,” I would’ve been gone a long time ago.

Q: Why should someone buy a ticket to the show?

A: You’re going to have a good time. Even if you’re not a country music fan, it’s going to be a good time. That’s the one thing I’ve always tried to do — for those shows, it’s like throwing a party and I’m the host for a couple hours. I know coming to a concert is an escape for some people. It’s a chance to put behind the week. If they had a bad week at work or school or whatever, this is a chance to get away from that and have fun for a few hours. That’s what it’s all about. If you’re a fan, you’re going to have a blast. If you’re not a fan, hopefully you will be by the end of the night. Regardless, you’re going to have fun either way.

This story was originally published February 25, 2016 at 3:19 PM with the headline "Jason Aldean tries to outdo himself with ‘We Were Here’ tour."