Blake at the Lake

BY NANCY STETSON Florida Weekly Correspondent No one could ever accuse Blake Shelton of not having a sense of humor. After all, he appeared in a cameo in Craig Morgan's

Blake Shelton comes to Lakes Park Saturday, Dec. 8. music video "Redneck Yacht Club." (He's standing in a boat, fishing, when Morgan rides by on a jet ski, soaking him with a wave from its wake.)

He named an album "Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill" and had a No. 1 single called "Some Beach," a play on the phrase SOB. And he named his latest album "Pure BS."

Of course, if you ask him, he'll just say it stands for "Blake Shelton," says Troy Stephenson, promotions director of Gator Country 101.9 FM. Gator Country is the radio sponsor of the First Annual Lakeside County Bash to be held Saturday, Dec. 8 at Lakes Park. Gates open at noon, concert starts at 1:30 p.m., rain or shine.

Blake Shelton headlines the concert, which also includes Josh Gracin, Jennifer Hanson, James Otto and Southern Fried Beach Bums with Brad Conner.

"He's one of those performers everyone should see at least once," Stephenson says about Shelton. He's seen him twice before in concert. "He's the ultimate party guy for an outdoor festival. Everyone has a good time. He's just one of us: a down-home, down-to-earth guy. Blake Shelton's very entertaining."

Christine Chitwood, senior supervisor of Lakes Regional Park, has also seen him in concert.

"Blake Shelton is awesome," she says. "He has a lot of energy. He brings the house down, he really does. He has a great band. He really cares about the audience."

Shelton, who moved to Nashville right after high school, at 17, had a No. 1 hit with his first single, "Austin." He followed it up with "Ol' Red," "The Baby," "Playboys of the Southwestern World," "The Truth About Men," "Some Beach" and "Nobody But Me," among others. He also has two singles from his latest CD: "Don't Make Me" and "The More I Drink," in which a hapless narrator confesses that "the more I drink, the more I drink." He gained more fans in 2005 when opened for Rascal Flatts. The tour came to Germain Arena in Estero, but after Shelton and other opening acts performed, it was announced that Rascal Flatts' lead singer Gary Levox was ill, and the concert was cancelled.

Shelton participated as a celebrity judge earlier this year on TV's "Nashville Star." He was initially hesitant to participate, but agreed once he was told he could use his trademark humor.

Unfortunately, Shelton was unavailable to do interviews for this upcoming concert because he was filming for NBC's new show, "Clash of the Choirs," in which a number of performers (Michael Bolton, Patti LaBelle, Nick Lachey, Kelly Rowland and Shelton) go to their hometowns and put together a choir. The choirs will all gather in NYC to compete. The show airs Dec. 17-20.

Saturday's opening acts include the Tampa group Southern Fried Beach Bums with Brad Conner and Jennifer Hanson.

Stephenson describes Hanson as "an upand coming country girl" with a couple hits out, including "Beautiful Goodbye," and, more recently, "Joyride."

"She's a well-known Nashville songwriter," says Chitwood. Hanson's written hit songs for others, including "A Different World" for Bucky Covington.

And Josh Gracin, another opening act, was an "American Idol" runner-up. He had a No. 1 hit with "Nothing to Lose."

COURTESY PHOTO Josh Gracin is one of the opening acts at the Lakeside Country Bash. He was an "American Idol" runner-up and had a No. 1 hit with "Nothing to Lose." But it's James Otto that Stephenson is most excited about. Otto's a member of the Muzik Mafia along with Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson and Cowboy Troy.

"People will never forget him. He will blow you away," Stephenson says, describing Otto as "a powerhouse singer with a deep, raw, baritone voice. The people will leave there saying, 'Wow, he's the real deal.'"

The First Annual Lakeside Country Bash is being held to benefit the non-profit group Lakes Park Enhancement Foundation. Chitwood says the foundation consists of "people who literally live around the park, so they have a vested interest in it." Money raised from Saturday's concert will go into beautification projects and recreational and educational programs at the park. They hope to raise $50,000, and say that Saturday's all-day concert is just the beginning of a long tradition of annual country concerts.

COURTESY PHOTO Troy Stephenson, promotions director for "Gator Country" and Lakeside Country Bash performer James Otto show off their "Muzik Mafia" member rings. FLORIDA WEEKLY MAP