Ella Langley, Morgan Wallen tributes kick off two weekends celebrating some of modern country’s biggest names
Forget “Choosin’ Texas” for one night. Country fans can choose Folsom for the start of the weekend as Ella Nation rolls into Crawdads on the Lake, bringing the songs and Southern swagger of country sensation Ella Langley to the waterfront.
The Nashville-based tribute act takes the stage Friday, Oct. 2, from 9 to 11:30 p.m., opening what Crawdads is billing as a two-week run of Nashville tribute bands. The series will bring the music of several of today’s biggest country and crossover stars to Folsom over consecutive weekends.
First up is Ella Nation, a tribute built around an artist whose rise has been difficult for country fans to miss. Langley broke through nationally with “You Look Like You Love Me,” her duet with Riley Green, and has continued building a catalog that blends traditional country influences, Southern rock attitude and a modern Nashville sound.
Among the songs featured in Ella Nation’s performances are “Choosin’ Texas,” “You Look Like You Love Me,” “Weren’t for the Wind,” “Be Her” and “Paint the Town Blue.”
Based in Nashville, Ella Nation has taken the tribute show to festivals, fairs, casinos, theaters and concert venues across the country. The act is designed to recreate not only Langley’s music, but the grit, attitude and stage presence that have become part of her rapidly growing profile in contemporary country music.
That means Friday’s Crawdads crowd can expect a show that moves between hard-driving country anthems and slower ballads while leaning heavily into the Southern style and outlaw-country influences associated with Langley.
And Ella Nation is only the beginning as a Nashville tribute takeover comes to Crawdad’s.
Crawdads is turning the next two weekends into something of a modern-country tribute festival, with four different acts celebrating artists whose music has become a major part of today’s country landscape.
After Ella Nation opens the series Friday night, Wallen Nation takes over Saturday, Oct. 3, with a tribute to Morgan Wallen.
Wallen’s catalog provides plenty of material for a Saturday-night set, spanning country, rock and pop influences and a lengthy list of hits. Songs such as “Whiskey Glasses,” “7 Summers,” “You Proof,” “Last Night,” “Thought You Should Know” and “Love Somebody” have helped make Wallen one of the most commercially successful country artists of his generation.
The Crawdads series then returns the following Friday, Oct. 9, with Lainey Nation, celebrating the music and unmistakable style of Lainey Wilson.
Wilson’s rise has brought a different flavor of modern country into the mainstream, combining Louisiana roots, traditional country storytelling and Southern rock influences. Her catalog includes “Things a Man Oughta Know,” “Heart Like a Truck,” “Watermelon Moonshine,” “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” and “4x4xU,” along with numerous collaborations that have expanded her audience well beyond country radio.
For fans who like their country with a little more crossover mixed in, the two-week run wraps up Saturday, Oct. 10, with Post Nation, a tribute to Post Malone.
Malone’s move into country music brought one of popular music’s most recognizable performers into the Nashville world, highlighted by collaborations with country artists and songs including “I Had Some Help,” his hit with Morgan Wallen. His country work has blended Nashville instrumentation and songwriting with the pop, rock and hip-hop influences that defined his earlier career.
Together, the four shows give Crawdads a pair of weekends built around some of the names and sounds currently driving contemporary country music — from Langley’s Southern swagger and Wallen’s crossover catalog to Wilson’s Louisiana country style and Malone’s genre-bending approach.
Festival-style shows along the lake
The concerts at Crawdads will be presented festival-style, making the waterfront patio part of the experience. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and purchasing a concert ticket does not guarantee a table for dinner.
Crawdads is recommending dinner reservations for concertgoers who want to dine at the restaurant as part of their evening.
For Friday’s opener, Ella Nation takes the stage from 9 to 11:30 p.m. at Crawdads on the Lake, 9900 Greenback Lane in Folsom.
The venue offers onsite parking for dining guests, with valet service available on select days. Those coming from Historic Folsom also have another option, with a free shuttle available between the Historic District and Crawdads.
With four Nashville tribute acts packed into two weekends, Crawdads is giving local country fans plenty to choose from. But Friday night belongs to Ella Nation — and this time, “Choosin’ Folsom” may be the appropriate refrain.
Additional information and tickets are available through Crawdads on the Lake.
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