Jerrod Niemann to perform at Parkfest

Event organizers tap country music chart topper for Aug. 18 show

Country music chart-topper Jerrod Niemann will be the featured performer at the 2022 Parkfest to be held in the Medford City Park on August 18.

“We are very excited to have Jerrod come and we think he will put on a really great show for Taylor County,” said Sue Emmerich president of the Medford Area Chamber of Commerce.

Last summer Parkfest roared back after a pandemic hiatus with a new look and a headliner performer drawing a crowd of over 3,000 people to the area’s largest summer party.

Organizers sought to build on that momentum and have the event grow, which attracted them to Niemann’s proven track record as a crowd pleasing performer.

“It is so exciting to bring Park Fest back and keep it growing,” said Billie Hartwig, vice president of the Medford Area Chamber of Commerce.

About Jerrod Niemann

He has always been one of a kind. Since the day his chart-topping majorlabel debut, “Lover, Lover,” announced him as a truly original voice, Jerrod Niemann has been that guy—a little edgier, a little cooler, maybe just a bit off-center in the best possible way. Ten years in, he is making some of the most compelling music of his career. As the world hits reset for a moment, Jerrod has done the same.

“A lot has changed in the last couple of years,” he says. “I went through a divorce, and I took the opportunity to re-evaluate everything, personally and professionally, through the lens of what I do best—music.” That meant hunkering down in his Red Room, the writing room/studio/ Fortress of Solitude in his home where life becomes art, and where he could revisit the attitudes and techniques of the creative burst that led to his storied breakthrough record.

“When I made my first album, Judge Jerrod and the Hung Jury, my friend Dave and I recorded without much money or resources because we didn’t have much. But there was so much excitement. So this time, I went into my Red Room, which is a magical place—no matter what’s going on outside these four walls, it neutralizes all that and the creativity can flow. I never intended to play every instrument and sing every harmony, but as I tried one thing after another, it worked out that way. It was a learning experience, and I love learning, so it just felt right.”

The first fruits of that work are two songs that form the cornerstone of a growing project called Lost and Found. The first is “Ghost Rider,” a haunting song of loss with a feel that is contemporary yet pure Jerrod. The second is “Tequila Kisses,” an all-vocal extravaganza with orchestral richness and a vibrantly fresh sound.

“Taken together,” he says, “they’re about picking up the pieces and putting them back together in a new and better way, with a fresh coat of paint and a new sign out front. ‘Ghost Rider’ came as I thought about all the things you share with somebody over the years—memories, inside jokes, the things you build when you’re together. What a cool idea for a song, I thought, and as I started singing lines and melodies, it was almost like I’d heard it before. Then I sat down with the Warren Brothers and Lance Miller, and we made sure we took a complex idea and made it straightforward and mainstream.”

“Tequila Kisses” is a song he revisited and worked up a layer at a time, taking inspiration from heroes like the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson.

“That’s an older song I wrote with Lee Brice and Jon Stone,” he says. “Lee and I each thought about cutting it over the years, and finally I knew it was time for me to do it. I wondered if I could do an a cappella version. ‘Lover, Lover’ had all these vocal parts, and I hadn’t done a whole lot of that since. I did an organ part for pitch reference, and then I sang the lead and just kept adding to it as parts came into my head. There were 25 altogether, and I sang each one twice – so there are 50 parts! I did the shaker, the drums, the bass with my voice. I don’t know if I’d do it again!”

Together, they serve as the introduction to a powerful new chapter in his life and career – one that will continue to grow in the coming months.

“This is my heart and soul,” he says. “Every note is me. And I plan to add to them, releasing new songs as part of the project, which is the beauty of the digital age.”

Lost and Found turns a fresh page on a career that got its start in the writing rooms of Music Row. Jerrod’s songs have been recorded by Blake Shelton, John Anderson, Jamey Johnson, and Colbie Caillat, among many others, and he was invited to write three singles for Garth Brooks, including the chart-topping “Good Ride Cowboy,” at the time the highest-debuting country single since the inception of SoundScan.

Always willing to stretch country’s modern and elastic boundaries, he hit the ground running as an artist with a sound that stood out and a compelling visual presence. It didn’t hurt that he could count on the support of and synergy with friends like Randy Houser and Jamey Johnson, who both made cameos in the video for “Lover, Lover.” There followed a string of hits including “What Do You Want,” “One More Drinkin’ Song,” the chart-topping “Drink to That All Night,” and “A Little More Love” with his friend and sometimes touring partner Lee Brice.

He remains unabashedly forward-thinking in his approach to influences and production.

“Everybody is trying to be fresh,” he says. “There are ‘traditionalist’ fans who might push back, but the only reason I have the bravery to take these steps is because I know the music of country’s heroes and have deep reverence for them, and I know they were pushing the boundaries too. Willie and Waylon combined old and very new and yet they are regarded as the epitome of classic country. They were always about moving us forward. You’ve got to have a voice. It may as well be your own! I’m just making music that makes me feel something, and if you do that, people will feel it too.”

Lost and Found is music for a time when the world is ready to re-emerge.

“We’ve all been cooped up for a long time,” he says, “and everybody’d love to go on vacation. This is cabin fever music, something to let people escape for a bit, whether they’re venturing out yet or not.”

“I can’t wait to get back out on the road again,” he adds, “and that time will get here shortly. In the meantime, the way I connect with people is by turning life into music. I’m so glad to have this new work to share so we can renew that connection. It feels great.”

From Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association and CMT Award nominations, to headlining and touring with some of Country’s hottest acts – Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, and Keith Urban – Niemann continues to make his mark by creatively pushing boundaries while still offering a sincere nod to the legends before him.

VIP tickets to Parkfest are now on sale through the Medford Area Chamber of Commerce and the VIP package includes a commemorative folding chair, special VIP seating area and special access.

Jerrod Niemann