Staff photos/ Andy Gray Conkle Brothers, featuring Kingsley Conkle, performed on West Federal Street on Friday as part of a pre-party before YLIVE at Stambaugh Stadium.

YOUNGSTOWN — Jason Aldean had a hit with “My Kinda Party,” but YLIVE concertgoers didn’t wait for Aldean to take the stage to get the party started.

Several downtown bars and restaurants were filled with people enjoying food and drinks before making the hike up the hill to Stambaugh Stadium for the first of two concerts this weekend.

Sophia Martini, owner of The Federal, described it as an “all hands on deck” situation to handle the anticipated crowds.

“When events are going on, I can have a full staff,” Martini said.

YLIVE continues Saturday night with Eric Church as the headliner. Tailgating in the Youngstown State University lots for the two-day event is not allowed, and the city created a pre-party downtown from 2 to 6:30 p.m. A portion of West Federal Street was blocked off, and the Conkle Brothers performed Friday on an outdoor stage. Hoss & the Juggernauts will play there Saturday at 4 p.m.

David Labra, special events coordinator for the city, said JAC Live, the promoter of YLIVE, suggested doing something downtown in conjunction with the concerts.

“They wanted to activate downtown businesses with YLIVE going back to Stambaugh Stadium and support the downtown and the business owners from it,” Labra said. “I think people like to come downtown early and get their food. That’s the goal — increase foot traffic and highlight local artists at the same time.”

Mark Canzonetta, owner of Casa di Canzonetta restaurant inside the DoubleTree Hotel downtown, has been outspoken about the obstacles downtown business owners have faced this decade, from the COVID-19 pandemic to multiple simultaneous road construction projects followed by more road closures caused by the Realty Tower explosion. Events like the pre-party help mitigate those problems.

“I think it’s a great thing JAC put that on,” Canzonetta said. “It’s a great way for downtown business owners, bars and restaurants, to attract people and encourage them to have a couple cocktails if they want, get it in a DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area) cup and head to the stadium with it. I’m glad they did it, and I hope they continue to do things like that.”

Canzonetta believes events like YLIVE and the pre-party can have a lasting impact beyond a one-day boost in sales.

“People see Youngstown is alive and well,” he said. “The roads are fixed. The restaurant and bar owners are ready to serve. It’s a great time for the real optics of Youngstown to be exposed. We’ve been hit left, right, Mike Tyson uppercut, and we’re still standing and we’re still here.”

Martini agreed.

“The whole idea is to give people a reason to come downtown,” she said. “When they see it’s fun, they’ll come back.”

Some of those at the pre-party make the outdoor concert an annual event. Nicole Weibel of Girard called it, “Parents night out,” as she gathered with friends at The Federal.

“It’s 10 minutes from home,” Weibel said. “It feels silly to miss this concert.”

Weibel said she was happy that YLIVE was returning to Stambaugh Stadium, which hosted the first events starting in 2017. Jessica Flanagan of Howland liked the open setting at Wean Park, which hosted the event in 2022, 2023 and the first two-night YLIVE last year, but she was happy for the opportunity to see Aldean anywhere.

“I love Jason Aldean,” Flanagan said. “He’s always been one of my favorite male country singers. And he’s patriotic.”

Jerry Sikora of Boardman, who was sitting at the bar at the Varsity Club with his daughter, Carsyn, also described himself as a big Aldean fan and has seen him live in both Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

“The first day they were on sale, I bought tickets,” Sikora said. “The same with Kid Rock (who played YLIVE in 2023). When they announced that, I was in my glory.”

Carsyn Sikora said she wasn’t a big country music fan, but was looking forward to seeing the crowd and experiencing the show.

Nick Wilson of Boardman also took advantage of the presale. He’s a longtime Aldean fan, but Friday would be his first time seeing him live.

“It seemed like whenever he came to Cleveland, I had to work,” Wilson said.

Wilson and his wife, Morgan, only had tickets for Friday, His parents, Larry and Melissa Wilson, planned to go both nights.

Charles Kennedy and his fiancee, Holly Nemeth, came up from Lancaster to see the show and stay overnight. While he described himself as an Aldean fan, Travis Tritt — who had his first hit in 1989 — was the main reason he bought tickets.

“I grew up on Travis Tritt,” he said.