The Party in the Grove, a tailgating and concert event before MTSU football games, started with a bang this fall as country star Lauren Watkins performed her hit songs in front of a crowd of students and alumni on Saturday.
Former Student Government Association President Michai Mosby launched the tailgating series in 2024 to boost student engagement. Held four hours before football games, the events feature the Band of Blue, live music from local artists, food, drinks, games and a parade leading the Blue Raiders to Floyd Stadium.
That mix of school spirit and entertainment set the stage for Watkins, a Nashville, Tennessee, native.
Hundreds of Blue Raiders swallowed Walnut Grove in blue jeans and white shirts as Watkins took the stage with her newest hits, including “Average Joe & Plain Jane.”
Watkins’ fans felt right at home when she brought her Blue Raider spirit and mentioned her sister and band member Joe Compton being a Blue Raider.
“We’re rooting for the home team today,” Watkins said on the tiny blue stage in the center of Walnut Grove as fans cheered.
The country star and her band charmed the audience with warm country vocals and acoustic guitars with oldies like “Shirley Temple” and upbeat tunes like “Soak Up the Sun.”
The band set the tone as they jammed across the stage in their jeans, decked out with brown accessories and guitars.
Before introducing everyone to her band, she drove attendees into high spirits by telling them to let go and enjoy the now through a collective toast with the audience.
“If you came here with something bitter, something that’s bothering you, something that’s breaking your heart, we’re going to let it go right now,” Watkins said. “Give me a ‘Go Blue Raiders’ on three. It’s getting real close to game time. I can’t believe football season is here.”
Fans responded with a jolly “Blue Raiders!” before MTSU alum Compton, aka “Average Joe,” stole the show with an electrifying riff on his guitar that captivated onlookers.
From sharing her nostalgic memories with the crowd to embracing the start of football season, Watkins welcomed home the Blue Raiders and led them into their first game with a splash of humility and ease.
She opened her song “Marlboro Man” with a heart-to-heart conversation with the girls, who exalted a sense of intimacy between her and the crowd.
“I’m always reminiscing on the good old days,” Watkins said. “Girls, I don’t know if you can agree with me, but I feel like what we used to have a lot more of was real men.”
In warm spirits, Watkins closed out the show with “Anybody But You” and entertained a long line of fans at the merch table.
Watkins said she was drawn to MTSU by game day, her love for football and country music. She hopes students found a connection to her music, she said.
“I’m so happy to be a part of this day, especially to be able to be here to share country music, which is one of my favorite things in the world,” Watkins said. “Hopefully, we uplifted some people today or made some people feel like they could relate to our music. We hope we just helped everybody have a good time.”
Correction, Sept. 2, 2025: An earlier version of this story incorrectly named the Lauren Watkins song, “Average Joe & Plain Jane,” along with incorrectly naming her cover of the Sheryl Crow song, “Soak Up the Sun.” The story has been updated.
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