“Country music is the poetry of the American spirit.” – Steve Maraboli. America and country music go hand in hand. Panama City Beach was once again invaded by cowboys and cowgirls Labor Day weekend for the Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam 2015! This amazing country music festival in Panama City Beach, FL provided sensational “Country On The Coast” for the third year in a row. The Gulf Coast Jam is a highly anticipated event that brings a boom in tourism to Panama City Beach. The festival partners with the fantastic lodging locations, making it the ideal weekend for families and friends to enjoy a vacation along the gorgeous white sand beaches of the Gulf Coast. This unique festival spans three days, packing the weekend full of music from afternoon until late into the night. If you just can’t get enough country music, there was a secondary stage with performances held throughout the day and late-night performances from midnight to 2 a.m. each night at Dave and Busters.
In addition to country stars, aspiring country acts are drawn to the festival hoping to take home the title of the next Pepsi Southern Original. The 11 competition finalists from across the country battled it out on September 3rd at Dave and Busters during a singing competition before a panel of industry experts. The North Carolina native band Gal Friday took home the title! The band is unique, as it is comprised of three sisters who have performed together for nine years. The group’s unique sound is a mix of Southern rock, newgrass, country, funk and a little church choir. Part of their amazing prize package is a tour sponsored by Pepsi, that the sisters hope will guide them on the path towards becoming full-time musicians. In addition to being crowned the 2015 Pepsi Southern Original Winner, Gal Friday was given the opportunity of a lifetime, opening up on the main stage for the show-stopping headliner Keith Urban on closing night of the festival!
Music promoter Rendy Lovelady began the festival 3 years ago and it has continued to grow since then. Lovelady has a unique perspective on the music industry and brings years of expertise to the table. Even he couldn’t predict the immense success the festival has had, drawing in over 15,000 attendees each day last year. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes to put on a festival of this magnitude, and it wouldn’t be possible without all of the partners, sponsors, vendors, and staff that contributed to the event. “I promised the biggest lineup in Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam history and I think we’ve delivered,” Lovelady said. “This year we have a mix of chart topping acts, up-and-comers, and legends.”
The festival stage heated up with a superstar lineup of renowned country music headliners including Lady Antebelleum, Miranda Lambert, and Keith Urban! Friday night kicked off with rocking shows by Darryl Worley, Ronnie Milsap, Sam Hunt and Hunter Hayes. The fun continued on Saturday night with Kellie Pickler, Scotty McCreery and Dwight Yoakam and the weekend finished with boot stomping performances from Kirstie Lovelady, Tyler Farr, Gary Allan and Martina McBride. The weekend featured explosive performances in an amazing venue and was filled with days of fun in the sun and nights spent dancing under the stars!
