Shellabration welcomes Granger Smith featuring Earl Dibbles Jr. as headliner for the Downtown Country Jam 2018. Staged in historic downtown Fort Dodge, this year's event builds on the momentum from last year's inaugural DCJ featuring LOCASH. Granger Smith’s recorded his first album, Waiting On Forever, at age 19 as a freshman at Texas A&M University. He signed a writing and publishing deal with EMI Music Publishing a couple of years later, leaving Texas A&M in his junior year to relocate to Nashville, where he learned the writing and recording ropes in Music City while continuing to gig in the local bars and clubs. From 2005-2012 he released several albums including Memory RD., Pockets of Pesos, Livin' Like a Lonestar, We Bleed Maroon, Don't Listen to the Radio, Live at the Chicken, Poets & Prisoners. Dirt Road Drivewaywas written, recorded, and produced by Smithin his home studio in 2013. That project included a pair of tracks, "Country Boy Love" and "The Country Boy Song," attributed to Smith's comedic alter ego, Earl Dibbles, Jr.Smith’s portrayal of the redneck “Earl” went viral on YouTube and has become incredibly popular among fans on tour. 2015 saw Smith release 4x4, a four-song EP, which peaked at number six on the Country Albums chart and rose to 51 on the Top 200 Albums listing, while "Backroad Song" became a Top Ten country single, peaking at number one on Billboard's Country Airplay charts. In January 2016, Smithwas named Hottest Artist to Watch in 2016 by the online magazine Taste of Country, and his major-label debut, Remington, saw release in March 2016. The following year saw Smithissue his ninth full-length outing, When the Good Guys Win, which features the single "Happens Like That". Granger's new single, "You're In It" will be released nationally on Monday, May 8th. It will be pretty exciting to see it rise in the charts prior to his appearance in Fort Dodge on September 22nd!      

Iowa's own Cody Hicks will serve as direct support for this year's Downtown Country Jam. Cody is a singer songwriter from Montezuma, Iowa. He has been writing original music since 2007 about his crazy life growing up in small town iowa, and more recently about his family (father of 3). Cody has been playing for years in cover bands, original bands, and also a solo acoustic show. Cody Hicks is just a small town guy with small town values, chasin' his dreams of the bright lights and big stages. Since forming a band Cody has been on many large stages opening up for national artists such as Trace Adkins, Granger Smith, Brothers Osbourne, Tyler Farr, Tucker Beathard, Josh Thompson, Casey Donahew, and many others. He found some success with the singles he has put out. In the morning, a summer boating anthem song, was the first release from the band, and gained the boys quite a following after they shot a video for it at Lake Ponderosa (miles from Cody's Hometown) on a double stacked pontoon.  Then came Cody's most successful track, Left Turn, a song that has become a staple at dirt tracks worldwide. Cody grew up in a racing family, his dad was a mechanic for a race team when he was very young. Cody's brother Dalton "Bubba" Hicks is a 2 time national ATVMX Champion, so this song was written to pay homage to the group of people out there that put their heart and soul into racing just like his family, and just like he does in his music.  

The Shellabration team is extremely excited to announce Fort Dodge's own Salty View Acoustic Review as the opening act for the second annual Downtown Country Jam on Saturday, September 22nd in historic downtown Fort Dodge. A perennial favorite from Fort Dodge to Okoboji to Iowa Falls (and all parts in between), this talented foursome will kick the party off right. Salty View Acoustic Review is a four piece all acoustic band. Playing contemporary country, with other twists here and there, SV plays the best in sing along drinking music. Four part harmony vocals, killer four piece vocal and guitar instrumental work. If you've never had the chance to hear them play, this will be the perfect chance in the perfect environment!