Farm-City Days is still six months away, but organizers are upping the ante for a musical extravaganza this summer.
The inaugural FCD Summer Concert Series will be headlined by country blues rocker Frankie Ballard.
The concert is set for July 14 on a makeshift stage that will be set up in the soccer fields in the Davis Addition.
Aaron Franklin, Farm-City Days committee member, said the committee has been encouraged by community members to expand its music performances.
Ballards name is growing more prominent by the day.
He burst onto the country music scene in 2008 by winning the Next Big Star competition hosted by country superstar Kenny Chesney.
From there, he sang as the opening act for Chesney, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Georgia Florida Line, Uncle Kracker and Bob Seger. (Segers musical influence is readily apparent in Ballards music.)
Since then, Ballard has produced three chart-topping country songs, Helluva Life in 2013, Sunshine & Whiskey in 2014 and Young & Crazy in 2015, according to Billboard Magazines country airplay listings.
Hes sold nearly a half-million records and had his songs downloaded via Spotify 2.2 million times.
We feel fortunate to be able to bring the musical talent as well as the showmanship that Frankie is known for in the music industry, for in the music industry, Franklin said.
While Ballards name doesnt carry the same weight as a Tim McGraw or Jason Al-dean, his music does.
People hear the songs, and then say Oh, yeah, I know him. I like him, Franklin said.
EARLY bird general admission tickets are on sale for $20, with the price jumping to $30 after May 15. Tickets at the gate sell for $40 apiece. Additionally, VIP tickets will sell for $75 each.
Tickets can be purchased online at farmcitydays.com farmcitydays.com, at Jump Start in Iola, via the Farm-City Days Face-book page or through other ticket distributors throughout southeast Kansas.
Other music acts will be lined up to perform at the same event, Franklin noted.
