As the east coast welcomed in the near-perfect weather, The Voice star Blake Shelton celebrated by drawing in more than 60,000 concertgoers to the beaches of Atlantic City for a free concert.
Philly.com reports that once taking to the stage, the country star livened up the already energized audience with his token charm. "I didn't drag my ass out here today to play volleyball or go swimming or build sand castles," he said. "I came here to drink and play country music. Come on!"
Atlantic City's Mayor Don Guardian was understandably in high spirits, saying, "You could be sweating in Philadelphia or you could be chilling in A.C. It's our Super Bowl, and we get two in one weekend." The "two" refers to the fact that yet another free concert is coming this Sunday, August 3. That one, however, will feature Lady Antebellum.
Shelton's free concert took place near The Pier at Caesars Casino, Billboard reports. Produced by Live Nation and presented by The Atlantic City Alliance, the show was one in a series of free concerts that Atlantic City is promoting in order to attract more visitors to the New Jersey town.
"We view this as an opportunity to show what Atlantic City is about," said Liza Cartmell, president of the Atlantic Alliance. "People often come here to enjoy the beat and the Boardwalk, the shows, the entertainment. Yes, it's tough because three of the properties will have to reinvent themselves," she noted, referring to the casinos that face possible closure. "But there's a lot more to do here than gamble."
Before Shelton, famed leader of the Parrotheads Jimmy Buffett was brought in last year to perform a free show. During his set, the rock star drew in roughly 50,000 fans.
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