Just before Josh hit the stage, Coop sat down with him to talk about life’s most important things, family, music and Michigan!

Check out the video interview and more photos HERE!

myFOXdetroit.com - Detroit has gone country! The annual Downtown Hoedown got underway Friday in Hart Plaza.

The largest, free country music festival in the country runs through Sunday, May 15. This year's lineup includes Josh Gracin, Steel Magnolia and Jas on Aldean.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

Twenty-eight years after that inaugural Downtown Hoedown, the annual event has become a Detroit institution, reliably packing the 50,000-capacity Hart Plaza with curiosity seekers and committed country fans.

But it won't be Tanya Tucker and Mel Tillis atop the bill this time: Reflecting the evolution that has transformed country music from Americana into big-time American entertainment, this weekend's Hoedown will pulse with the beat of pop, rock and even a touch of hip-hop, as a new generation of Nashville hit-makers takes the stage.

Headliners Joe Nichols, Josh Gracin and Jason Aldean lead a cast of 27 main-stage artists, while about 20 local acts will play during daylight hours at the secondary riverside stage. And the good news for old-school fans: You'll still find some traditional country sounds in the mix.