American Idol winner Scotty McCreery will be coming to Athens for his second time since 2014.
“I’ve grown up a little bit (since winning American Idol) and learned a little bit more about the world,” McCreery said. “I’m trying to put that in my music and hopefully folks enjoy what they hear.”
McCreery will perform Thursday at the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $55 for the first 10 rows, $35 for the remainder of the floor and $25 for balcony seats.
Since McCreery’s reality-show victory in 2011, he has had one top 10 hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. “See You Tonight” peaked at No. 10 and his first single, “I Love You This Big,” reached No. 15.
McCreery said he likes “to hit all of the bases” when he performs by playing new and old country tunes. He added that he likes to perform songs by Tim McGraw, Johnny Cash and the late Merle Haggard, who died in April.
“My favorite cover that we’re doing right now is a Merle Haggard song, ‘Mamma Tried,’” McCreery said. “He passed recently so it’s kind of cool just to pay homage to him.”
McCreery recently became an author when he released his autobiography Go Big or Go Home: The Journey Toward the Dream. He said he sees it more as a “travel log of sorts of people I’ve met, places I’ve been and things I’ve learned.” McCreery said he hopes to write a follow-up book sometime in the future because he has more stories to tell.
“I just felt like it was a cool way to expand on my story and show folks a little bit more about me and where I come from,” McCreery said.
Andrew Holzaepfel, the senior associate director of student activities at the Campus Involvement Center, said the “audience loved the show” when McCreery was here the first time with Danielle Bradbery.
“The first time around was so successful and well received,” Holzaepfel said. “When we saw an opportunity to bring (McCreery) back and package him with a different artist, we jumped on it.”
McCreery will be accompanied by fellow country artist Jana Kramer, who Holzaepfel has been wanting to bring to OU, he said.
“She’s an awesome talent, an awesome girl,” McCreery said. “She’s got some big songs on the radio so it’s always fun to play a show with those folks and see the crowd singing along.”
Kramer did not get her start in country music, but rather in acting. She portrayed Alex Dupre on the television show One Tree Hill.
One Tree Hill often featured music from its cast members, including Kramer. The country artist has had two top 10 singles on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart — “Why Ya Wanna” and “I Got The Boy,” which peaked at No. 3 and No. 5 respectively.
McCreery said he likes to play in small college towns because he feels like he is “playing (for) friends.” He added that he and his band occasionally “walk around after the show,” so fans of the musician’s music might see him on Court Street after his performance.
Kylie Beazley, a freshman studying pre-nursing, said she was interested in the concert because she saw Kramer perform this summer and wanted to see her again.
“I’ve been to a lot of concerts and country music concerts are nicer,” Beazley said. “They’re more relaxed.”
