On Thursday, March 19, 2026, San Diego’s Country Station 103.7 KSON brought its Kimo’s Kegger party to The Sound at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, with Rodney Atkins topping the bill and Southern California’s own Kylie Trout opening the night. A multi-generational crowd showed up at the still new Del Mar room operated by Belly Up Entertainment. KSON’s own John and Tammy introduced the concert as part of a sendoff celebration for longtime personality Kimo Jensen, which gave the evening a little extra hometown warmth beyond the usual country package-show energy.
That hometown feeling mattered. The Sound has quickly built a reputation as one of North County’s sharper live-music spaces, and it fit this event well: intimate enough for a radio-station showcase, and polished enough to hold a veteran hitmaker with real catalog power. Atkins arrived with exactly that kind of credibility. He continues to be one of country radio’s durable mainstays. With multiple No. 1 singles, heavy streaming numbers, and a new 2026 album cycle underway around True South, he came into Del Mar as more than a nostalgia act. He came in as an artist with history, but also momentum.
103.7 KSON:
Before that, Kylie Trout handled the opening duties. Trout is an artist still building upward, with 2024’s “Shooting Stars” highlighted across her channels and a growing Southern California profile. That made her a smart fit for KSON’s local audience: polished, contemporary, country-leaning, and familiar enough to regional listeners to feel like more than just filler before the headliner. For a room like The Sound, that matters. A good opener does not simply warm up the crowd; they make the handoff to the main act feel natural, and Trout’s presence on the bill made the night feel rooted in both Nashville tradition and SoCal country culture.
Kylie Trout:
Kylie Trout – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
As for Atkins, the appeal is straightforward and enduring: his songs are built for live singalongs because they are built from plainspoken, sturdy emotions. It was clear what kind of show fans were there to see: a greatest-hits-heavy night from an artist whose catalog still lands hard with country audiences. That lines up with the emotional center Atkins has long brought to the stage: family songs, faith-touched songs, blue-collar songs, and the kind of choruses that turn a room full of strangers into one singing crowd.
What has always separated Atkins from plenty of his peers is that his material does not need much decoration. The songs do the lifting. In a live setting, that gives him an advantage. He does not have to chase spectacle when tracks like “Watching You”, “If You’re Going Through Hell”, “Take a Back Road” and “These Are My People” already come preloaded with audience memory. At a radio-sponsored event like Kimo’s Kegger, that kind of repertoire is gold. It turns the show into something communal rather than merely performative. This was not about reinvention; it was about connection, and Atkins has made a career out of sounding like someone who means every word he sings. Atkins invited Kimo on stage to help him sing “If You’re Going Through Hell”, which added one final emotional touch to a very special night.
In that sense, Kimo’s Kegger seems to have hit its target exactly. It paired a respected country headliner with an ascending California opener, placed them in one of the region’s best new venues, and wrapped the whole thing in a local-radio celebration that gave the night some emotional texture. For San Diego-area country fans, that is a pretty good recipe: familiar songs, a strong room, local flavor, and just enough occasion to make the concert feel like an event instead of another stop on the calendar. Rodney Atkins may have been the marquee name, but the success of the night was really in the balance of all the parts around him.
Rodney Atkins:
Rodney Atkins: Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Sean Pauley – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Justin David – Violin, Mandolin, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Blake Hubbard – Bass, Backing Vocals
Kevin Rapillo – Drums
Rodney Atkins Setlist
1. Take A Back Road
2. He’s Mine
3. True South
4. Farmer’s Daughter
5. About The South
6. Caught Up In The Country
7. For What It’s Worth (Buffalo Springfield cover)
8. Cleaning This Gun
9. Long Haired Country Boy (The Charlie Daniels Band cover)
10. Friends With Tractors
11. Years Are Short
12. Watching You
13. It’s America
14. These Are My People
15. If You’re Going Through Hell
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Johnnie Crow is a lifelong music lover. He has photographed artists from every genre at concerts, festivals and cruises all across North America.