Jake Owen Previews Coastal-Themed ‘Days Of Gold 2014’ Tour

Pictured (L-R): Sony Music Nashville Chairman and CEO Gary Overton; Jake Owen; Sony Music Nashville’s VP, Sales Caryl Healey; and Director, Digital Sales Alaina Vehec. Photo Credit: Rick Diamond

Jake Owen is gearing up for his Days of Gold Tour 2014, which will launch March 20 in Brookings, S.D., and will conclude with a hometown show for Owen in Vero Beach, Fla. Joining him on the 55+ city trek are Eli Young Band, Parmalee, Thomas Rhett (each on select dates), as well as The Cadillac Three.

During a tour preview at Nashville rehearsal space Steel Mill on Friday (March 14), the RCA Nashville artist invited a few hundred of his closest industry friends and colleagues to get a first glimpse at his amped up, coastal-inspired stage show. Owen’s has been a steady journey from opening act for artists including Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, and Kenny Chesney, to his first headlining slot on CMT On Tour Jake Owen: The Summer Never Ends 2012.

Before the Days of Gold Tour 2014 preview, Sony Music Nashville Chairman and CEO Gary Overton surprised Owen with two plaques, the first commemorating the Gold certification of Owen’s Barefoot Blue Jean Night project. The second was a nod to the 5 million downloads from the album, which garnered four chart-topping hits.

“You guys are invited here for a reason,” Owen told the industry crowd. “Thanks for helping me get here.”

Owen’s love of sun and surf keeps pace with that of current Country touring king Chesney, and Owen used every inch of his headlining stage to transform the venue into a tropical hotspot. Tiki bars flanked both sides of the stage. Some lucky fans at each tour stop will watch the concert from sidestage at the tiki bars, courtesy of Owen. Video screens filled the stage with continuous images of ocean sunsets, crystal clear waves, and white sandy beaches. The tropical atmosphere was made complete with weathered, roped posts and palm trees.

Clad in a T-shirt, jeans and sandals, don’t let Owen’s relaxed onstage demeanor fool you. Owen takes his onstage party seriously. His four-song preview included his hits “Days of Gold,” “Anywhere With You,” and current single, “Beachin,'” which sits at No. 30 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout chart. Each highlighted Owen’s robust, fervent vocal, which effortlessly coats lyrics like sun-warmed sand.

Sounds of waves crashing against the shoreline and birds chirping turned ominous as the sober strains of “Ghost Town,” began, and the carefree festivities momentarily gave way to a somber remembrance of a love that departed as swiftly as the summer waves out to sea.

At the conclusion of the brief preview, Owen thanked his band members for supporting his musical journey. “All the guys have been with me from the beginning,” said Owen. “To look around and see all the things we have and all the places we’ve been there’s no way I could make it without them.”

For more information, visit jakeowen.net.