The Downtown Country Jam will be staged at the corner of Central Avenue and Ninth Street on Sept. 22.

“The Downtown Country Jam has a different feel than our summer shows,” Craig Schlienz, Shellabration board member, said. “It brings a little different audience and energy.”

More than 3,400 attended the first Downtown Country Jam in 2017.

Schlienz said the atmosphere of the show is special.

-Submitted photo
Earl Dibbles Jr., Granger Smith’s alter ego.

“At the corner of Ninth and Central and the way we position the stage and the thrust that comes out — the intersection part is all standing room only,” he said. “The crowd packs it in, has a good time, singing and dancing to the music. It’s a different kind of energy than the summer show.”

He added, “It’s great to see that different mix of people to enjoy that country theme.”

Schlienz said he hopes to continue to grow the country music scene in Fort Dodge.

“The country music genre is kind of untapped,” he said. “No one is really tapping that market right now and we feel there is a lot of potential to keep growing it.”

Jim Reed, Shellabration president, added, “What differentiates Country Jam from Shellabration is we got to highlight a public space that everyone was familiar with, but for one moment in time we made them see it in a dramatically different light.”

-Submitted photo
Cody Hicks band.

At 19, Granger Smith recorded his first album, “Waiting On Forever,” as a freshman at Texas A&M University.

From 2005 to 2012 he released albums including “Memory RD.”, “Pockets of Pesos,” “Livin’ Like a Lonestar,” “We Bleed Maroon,” “Don’t Listen to the Radio,” “Live at the Chicken,” and “Poets & Prisoners.”

“Dirt Road Driveway” was written, recorded, and produced by Smith in his home studio in 2013.

That project included a pair of tracks, “Country Boy Love” and “The Country Boy Song,” attributed to Smith’s comedic alter ego, Earl Dibbles Jr.

Smith’s portrayal of the redneck “Earl” went viral on YouTube and has become incredibly popular among fans on tour.

The year 2015 saw Smith release “4×4,” a four-song EP, which peaked at No. 6 on the Country Albums chart and rose to 51 on the Top 200 Albums listing, while “Backroad Song” became a Top Ten country single, peaking at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay charts.

In January 2016, Smith was named Hottest Artist to Watch in 2016 by the online magazine “Taste of Country,” and his major-label debut, “Remington,” saw release in March 2016. The following year saw Smith issue his ninth full-length outing, “When the Good Guys Win,” which features the single “Happens Like That.”

Tickets went on sale July 2. They cost $20 on or before Sept. 9, increasing to $25 beginning Sept. 20.

Should there be any tickets remaining, they will be sold at the gate for $30.

Tickets will be available online at www.ticketweb.com or by phone at 866-468-3401.

They will also be available for purchase at Hy-Vee in Fort Dodge. Additional local retail ticket outlets include Citizens Community Credit Union, Availa Bank, Northwest Bank and Great Western Bank.

Kids 12 years of age and under will be admitted free if accompanied by an adult. All tickets are general admission, festival-style seating. Bring your own chair.

More information regarding either the event or organization is available at the Shellabration Inc. Facebook page, by calling Jim Reed at 515-570-0176 or by email at shellabration@frontiernet.net.