Jake Owen: Beachin’ It at Mandalay Bay, August 9, 2014

Let me take you on an enchanting journey. Picture this. Hot summer night in August in the middle of the desert. Temperature is still over 100 degrees. A sexy country singer on stage decked out in hot pink board shorts and a Tshirt. People around you wearing shorts, no shoes and ……swimsuits swaying and singing along to the music. “Wait. Where the hell am I?” you think to yourself as you take another sip of your double vodka mango lemonade. “Is that a wave that just crashed against the top of my thighs?” Hell yes it is!! You’re at a Jake Owen concert in the resort’s giant wave pool at the Mandalay Bay Beach in Las Vegas, baby!!

Jake was as easy going and friendly with the crowd as always. He seemed genuinely psyched to have been asked to play this incredibly cool venue and he was going to make sure everyone had a good time. He opened the show with “Beachin,” (but of course, right??), as well as showering us with “Anywhere with you,”Alone with You,” and a fun filled “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” sprinkled with a cover of “Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” as we all chanted along with those Will Smith lyrics that are permanently etched into our brains.
Jake could have been singing show tunes for all I cared, I still would’ve had the best time ever. How much cooler does it get? I mean really?! I cracked up as he called people out for getting frisky in the pool, and spotlighted the one lifeguard up in her chair who was so nonchalantly taking in this whole scene from above.
The Mandalay Bay Beach venue is beyond comparison, getting to play in the hotel’s ginormous wave pool, or hanging out on the beach if that’s more your style, really nice staff, (though incredibly long lines for beer and cocktails), unbelievably well behaved crowd and plenty of lifeguards on duty in case anyone got carried away on a wave. This was one big wet country music bash.
Without a doubt, THE ULTIMATE SUMMER CONCERT EXPERIENCE. EVER.