Chris Janson made Wild Horses, his most recent album, in a cabin on a farm along the Harpeth River in Franklin, Tennessee. He lit good cigars, co-wrote every one of the 15 tracks, and cut most vocal takes in one or two passes. “We just do it the old-fashioned way,” he said of the process. For an artist who began playing instruments at age 9 and performing professionally at 12, that is the only approach that makes sense, and it is what makes his live show worth the drive.
About the Show
Janson comes to Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe on Friday, February 12, with Wild Horses behind him and a reputation as one of the most engaging live performers in country music. He is a Grand Ole Opry member, inducted in 2018 by Garth Brooks, with five number-one country hits to his name, among them “Buy Me A Boat” (5x Platinum) and “Fix A Drink” (Platinum). A self-taught multi-instrumentalist who plays more than 10 instruments — banjo, harmonica, guitar, piano, drums, and bass among them — he has also written for Hank Williams Jr. and Tim McGraw, and two of his compositions earned NSAI “Top 10 Songs I Wish I’d Written” honors.
Wild Horses (Warner/Harpeth 60, August 1, 2025) is described as the most genuinely personal album of his career. The 15-track collection covers wide emotional ground: “Hardest Hunting Season,” a duet with Jamey Johnson written in memory of a lost hunting companion; the title track, co-written with his wife Kelly Lynn and the late Pat Bunch; and “The Bride,” in which Kelly Lynn appears alongside footage from their original wedding video. Janson co-wrote and co-produced every song on the record. The Penn’s Peak date is currently the only 2027 show on his announced calendar.
Venue & Logistics
Penn’s Peak occupies a mountaintop in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, serving audiences from across the Hudson Valley region and into the surrounding area. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., with Janson on at 8:00 p.m.
Tickets
Tickets are priced at $56.00 (Pit) and $46.00 (Regular Reserved Seating). General on-sale begins September 11, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Sneak Peak Club members received early access beginning September 8. Buy tickets