Happy Valley Jam Brings Country

Happy Valley Jam kicked off its first year at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pa., and featured some of the biggest acts in country.

bby Drey/Centre Daily Times via AP – Happy Valley Jam
The first ever concert at Beaver Stadium, in University Park, Pa

The concert July 8 featured Adley Stump, David Ray, Big & Rich, Chris Young and Blake Shelton, reports Centre Daily Times.

Happy Valley Jam was also a first for Beaver Stadium, which normally only hosts Pennsylvania State football games and other sporting events.

Phil Esten, deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer of the university, told the Centre Daily that the goal was to sell at least 30,000 of the 70,000 seats available.

“When you look at stadium concerts nationally, those that are in the 30,000-40,000 range are doing really, really well, and we’re confident in that and happy with what we’ve done so far,” he told the paper.

Penn state partnered with Basis Entertainment to organize Happy Valley Jam. They decided to bring country to the stadium after seeing the popularity of Blake Shelton at the city’s Bryce Jordan Center.

“Blake Shelton was one of the best-selling tours in the country,” Esten told the paper. “Given how well country music (does) at the BJC, and how popular it is in central Pennsylvania, we wanted to bring this here.”