Jason Aldean and longtime tour manager Jake “Charlie” LaGrone join the Try That In A Small Town podcast for a no-filter look behind the curtain of one of country music’s biggest road operations. From kidney stone chaos and EMT horror stories, to high-stakes bus hockey, stolen putters, and firing disloyal crew, this episode is wall-to-wall backstage gold.
Jake walks through his journey from Lori Morgan, Reba, Rascal Flatts, and Alan Jackson to running Jason Aldean’s 80-person touring machine with 11 semis and 6 buses. The guys talk loyalty, crew culture, why good bus and truck drivers are everything, and how one bad attitude can poison an entire tour. They also dig into touring during COVID, the fallout from “Try That In A Small Town,” AI in music, new artists skipping “club years,” and what true longevity really looks like in country music.
You’ll hear:
• Jake’s first-ever ambulance ride thanks to a vicious kidney stone
• Why a 5mm stone had the whole camp on edge
• The legendary Bahamas bus-hockey game that cost Jake a $640 Scotty Cameron putter
• The New Zealand Maori tribe welcome that ended with Jason singing the Star-Spangled Banner and touching noses with the chief
• Real talk on firing crew who bad-mouth the artist while riding his bus and eating his catering
• How Jason’s camp builds “lifers” and keeps turnover insanely low
• Why stadiums aren’t the money machines people think they are
• The difference between viral success and being able to carry a 90-minute headlining show
Perfect for fans of Jason Aldean, road stories, and anyone curious what it REALLY takes to keep a big-time country tour on the rails.
Timed Highlights (YouTube Chapters / FB Reels Cues):
2:18 Meet Jake “Charlie” LaGrone, Jason Aldean’s tour manager
3:25 Jake’s resume: Lori Morgan, Reba, Rascal Flatts, Alan Jackson and more
4:13 Leaving Alan Jackson for Rascal Flatts and triple the money
4:39 Alan Jackson not taking the news well
4:47 “Down a putter and up a stone” – the night everything went sideways
5:00 Jake’s first-ever ambulance ride from a show
5:35 The 450-pound EMT and a long, painful ride to a small-town hospital
6:30 Computer crash, no CAT scan results, and Jake signs himself out
7:16 The pain hits: FaceTiming his granddaughter, then “twins breach” level agony
8:39 The diagnosis: a 5mm kidney stone and a long bus ride home
9:41 “You gotta have a pretty big Willie to pass that” – the guys pile on
10:59 Still hasn’t passed the stone… might need a “C-section”
11:18 Original Glory beer sponsor segment
11:44 Patriot Mobile sponsor segment (PatriotMobile.com/smalltown)
13:17 Why the tour can’t function without “Charlie”
15:11 Jason and the band admit: when Charlie’s down, everyone is lost
17:00 What a tour manager really does: the fireman who puts out problems without anyone knowing
17:42 80 people, 11 semis, 6 buses – Jake explains the operation
18:47 The crew “lifers” who’ve been there 15–20 years
19:57 Delivering bad news: losing songs, losing soundcheck, and weather delays
22:01 High-stakes bus hockey: how $25 games escalate to $200 a night
22:58 The Bahamas trip: tequila, fishing, golf, and late-night hockey
23:37 Jake’s $640 Scotty Cameron putter story
24:44 The all-or-nothing bet: $500 vs the $640 putter at 1 a.m.
26:05 Sudden-death OT: Jason’s “dirty” winning goal and the putter is gone
26:40 Claiming the putter off the golf bag at baggage claim in Nashville
27:22 Jason trolling Jake with couch photos and the “putter that never even posted”
28:02 Who’s the best bus hockey player? Trash talk erupts
29:22 “You will never own this putter again” – it’s in Jason’s will now
29:46 Jake buys the sister putter and trades tickets for a discount
29:53 Tully’s hurt feelings: Jake sending his ugly golf swing pic to Tucker
31:21 Tucker exposes his dad: “My dad sent me that picture of your swing”
31:53 Wrapping the Bahamas trip – great time, bad swing
32:18 Celebrating Jason’s 32nd No.1 and a rare second week at the top
32:45 How this No.1 climbed “organically” without a big radio push
33:09 Jason’s perspective: new album off to a hot start
33:54 Jake on the camaraderie of Jason’s camp and why this crew is unique
34:52 Why watching fans clap, dance, and smile keeps Jake going
35:36 The “lifer” crew – Snapper, stage managers, merch guys, techs and more
36:33 Jason explains why he hates seeing new faces and loves his long-time crew
37:15 Adding front-of-house engineer Chris Leonard – the missing piece
38:32 The NASCAR pit crew of country tours – fixing gear mid-show
39:12 Why each show must feel like someone’s first and only Jason Aldean concert
40:11 Low turnover starts at the top – how Jason and the band lead
41:04 The four-piece beginnings and building the team over 20+ years
42:11 Why the show doesn’t happen if the crew decides to take a day off
42:39 Tear-down in 50 minutes: 11 trucks loaded and gone
43:05 Jake shares a “difficult artist” story in D.C. over White House access
44:31 Firing versus fighting for people – when Jason saves a crew member
48:14 Jake’s loyalty and HR role: one team, respectful, politics off the clock
49:04 Keeping promoters and venues happy so you’re always invited back
50:24 Bus and truck drivers: the most important people on tour
51:00 If you get fired as a driver out here, you really did something
51:45 COVID, masks, and extremism bleeding into the crew culture
56:22 “Try That In A Small Town” backlash and crew disrespect – lines get crossed
57:29 Bad-mouthing the artist while on his bus? “You gotta go.”
58:17 How a few bad seeds can poison an entire tour’s culture
59:09 Jake’s reset meeting: respect, no agendas, one team or you’re out
1:00:44 The toll of road life, kids, and missing milestones
1:01:17 Why this business isn’t for “ordinary citizens”
1:02:23 Jason on touring: travel is the real grind, not just the 90 minutes on stage
1:04:13 New Zealand Maori tribe story – intense welcome ceremony
1:05:12 Choosing the Star-Spangled Banner as their “answer song”
1:07:37 Nose-touching with the chief – sealing the deal
1:08:27 The most awkward moment Jason, Tully, and the guys have ever shared
1:10:02 Proof you never really “see it all” on the road
1:11:01 Jason feels more settled than ever and still cutting some of his best music
1:13:16 Letting go of chasing industry awards and leaning into longevity
1:14:45 Why Jason values 21 years of career over a stack of trophies
1:17:08 How grinding through club years shaped the band and the show
1:19:29 The danger of young, viral acts skipping clubs straight to big tours
1:22:26 Knowing when NOT to headline yet – Jason’s Brooks & Dunn detour
1:23:48 Artists with only 1–2 songs trying to carry 90-minute sets
1:24:49 The streaming mirage: background noise vs real connection
1:25:39 Physical concerts vs AI and virtual “acts”
1:27:14 CMAs’ “human creators only” AI disclaimer
1:27:50 DJ-only arena shows and what’s coming next
1:28:47 Dip Shitty of the Week segment begins
1:29:09 Parking garage etiquette rant – stay on your side
1:30:15 Children’s toy box cutter – why is this even made?
1:32:15 “My current wife” – Neil roasts himself on a podcast slip-up
1:34:17 Jason’s public dipshitty: fans yelling “Aldean!” in grocery stores
1:36:15 Left-lane campers and bad drivers – Jake’s road rage
1:38:15 Bus “serial peer” mystery and bathroom etiquette
1:40:08 Kurt vs chatty cashiers and waiters who don’t write orders down
1:43:30 Ducking familiar voices backstage – social overload
1:45:09 Neil’s birthday surprise and gifts for the crew
1:46:10 Turkey call plugs and Peacemaker “Try That In A Small Town” coffee
1:47:15 Closing: thanks to Jason Aldean and Jake LaGrone, merch, and where to find more
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