4 highlights from Coastal Country Jam’s return to Long Beach – Orange County Register

Sep 17, 2023 | Canyon Crest Guide Newspaper | 0 comments

For country artist and actress Mackenzie Porter, there’s really nothing like performing a diverse set of of tracks — ranging from a cover of TLC’s “No Scrubs” to her own standouts including “Pickup” and “These Days,” to playing new songs off of her forthcoming sophomore album — to a crowd of Southern California fans.

Porter put on an early set during the first day of the two-day Coastal Country Jam, which made its return after a four-year hiatus to a new location at Marina Green Park in Long Beach on Saturday, Sept. 16.

“If I was going to play any pop or R&B classics to a crowd, it sure as hell was going to be here in the West Coast,” Porter said with a laugh backstage just after her 40-minute turn. “It’s one of the best crowds to kind of tweak your set, just have fun and go for it. I feel like I’m able to just play what I want and that’s what I wanted to do today.”

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Though she hails from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, she found a sense of belonging and comfort in California, giving her lots of excitement to work with while playing to the crowd on Saturday. She said that this Coastal Country Jam set marked one of the first opportunities to showcase tracks from the upcoming album. Judging by the new songs she played, the fans seemed to embrace it as they cheered and screamed along to Porter’s infectious country-pop tunes.

“This new record has so many levels to it, with pop-country as being the influence,” she said. “But it’s deeper than that. It also has the singer-songwriter part of me which I haven’t done in a while. I think this time I was able to write more freely and from the heart. It’s seriously the best collection of songs I’ve done. This record is holding a collection of 20 songs that I wrote throughout last year and it just feels like the right timing to put this out now.”

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Coastal Country Jam, an event that began in 2016 at Huntington State Beach, ventured into new territory this year by relocating and expanding as a two-day festival format in Long Beach. The change proved successful, as the spacious grounds allowed attendees to relax in lawn chairs, grab a drink or two, and explore the blocked-off streets on Shoreline Drive which were filled with vendors, cornhole competitions and a dance Honky Tonk area.

Here are some highlights from day one of Coastal Country Jam. Day two will continue on Sunday, Sept. 17 with Tim McGraw Maren Morris, Scotty McCreery and others.

Blake and Gwen

Though country singer-songwriter and coach on NBC’s “The Voice,” Blake Shelton was the star atop day one of Coastal Country Jam, the real big moment in his set came when he was joined by his wife, pop star and former No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani.

Shelton started the magic by strumming a few chords to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” before transitioning to No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak.” The crowd curiously looked around as Stefani walked out on stage to join her husband.

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“You know I had to bring out the queen, Gwen Stefani, for this night,” Shelton said right before she took the mic to belt out the entirety of the rock ballad.

Though Shelton was absent during Stefani’s headlining hometown set on Sept. 9 at Honda Center in Anaheim, fans were excited to see the pair on stage together. They screamed along to the chorus as Stefani worked the entirety of the stage, putting in some face-to-face time with the lucky ones in the front rows. When that song ended, Shelton hollered at her to stay on stage and the duo performed their popular country hits “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere.”

The two definitely have chemistry on stage and delivered a sweet moment as they gazed into each other’s eyes while singing.

“Everybody, Gwen Shelton, my wife,” Shelton said after planting some smooches on his bride and she ran off stage.

Shelton carried on the show with hits “Sangria,” “Honey Bee,” “Ol’ Red,” “God’s Country,” “God Gave Me You” and “I’ll Name The Dogs.”

Dustin Lynch lets loose

“This set is one of the last that we don’t play new music from the new record in, so this feels kind of like a nice goodbye, but also a time to just party with fans and play tracks that feel a bit older that can get the crowd going which I’m honestly excited about,” country star Dustin Lynch said before his mid-day set. “We’re leaning a lot more into the interaction and party aspect with the crowd since fans can actually see us and making the most of that.”

He delivered just that during his hour performance. He interacted with the audience, tossing a few beers into the crowd and organizing sing-along sessions to classics like Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time,” Vanessa Carlton’s “Thousand Miles” and the beloved Neil Diamond hit, “Sweet Caroline,” which had the entire crowd on their feet. Lynch also brought out Porter for their chart-topping hit, “Thinking ‘Bout You.”

Lynch made sure to include favorites like “Cowboys and Angels,” “Stars Like Confetti” and “Small Town Boy.”

His next record, “Killed the Cowboy,” drops on Sept. 29, with singles “Chevrolet” featuring rapper-turned-country star Jelly Roll and the title track “Killed The Cowboy” already hitting country radio. For the Tennessee native, the record represents a new chapter in his life, exploring the challenges of being single and navigating life independently, while also celebrating the beauty that comes with it.

“It’s a conversation that I’m having with myself in this record, and this album really lifts up the newly single people of the word or the forever single, whatever it may be, but also navigating the emotions of having that other plus one,” Lynch said. “It goes into all spaces of that, and I feel comfortable now expressing that truth to the world.”

Brooks & Dunn party it up

Brooks & Dunn wasted no time revving up the crowd with their classic hit “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” a song from the duo’s 1991 debut album, “Brand New Man.” Whether in the VIP sections or among the general admission folks in the back, everyone was seen on screen singing or enjoying a dance with a partner. The energy was palpable from start to finish for this set, with hits like “Play Something Country,” “Neon Moon” and “My Maria” keeping everyone on their feet.

“Man, every time we come to Southern California we always wonder why we even left to begin with, the crowds here are our favorite to play every time it never changes,” Kix Brooks, half of the country music duo said as they wrapped their first few songs. “We love playing in California, there’s just nothing like it.”

Fresh off a powerhouse set at this year’s Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio, the duo made sure to bring the same energy to Long Beach.

At one point, nearly every lawn chair was empty, with attendees standing up with a drink in hand.

“I don’t think we want to leave,” Ronnie Dunn said before the final songs.

These fans seemed to agree as they screamed for more.

Festival attractions

While the music was the primary draw, fans were able to enjoy plenty of activities during the all-day event. Mechanical bulls offered photo ops and cornhole matches provided a lot of fun for more competitive attendees.

The Honky Tonk was busy throughout the day with instructors teaching fans different dances to songs. Though some of the moves were a bit complex, attendees seemed to merely enjoy the camaraderie of dancing to Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” without caring how good the dance moves looked.

Adding to the fun, Coastal Country Jam brought back its signature Ferris wheel. Though the lines were long, it did move quickly. Once on, the views were breathtaking as it overlooked some of the main stage action, the marina and the nearby Queen Mary.

Coastal Country Jam

When: Saturday, Sept. 16

Where: Marina Green Park, Long Beach

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