Max Geers grew up along the Little Miami River, worked on farms and played pubs across Greater Cincinnati. On Aug. 6, the 26-year-old country singer will be the first performer to take the stage at the Voices of America Country Music Festival in West Chester, sharing a four-day festival bill with headliners Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and Jordan Davis.

Geers, who calls himself a "river rat," was born in Alexandria, Kentucky, and crossed the Ohio River as a kid to grow up along the Little Miami. His music career started almost by accident: a friend posted a video of him singing after a day of farm work to TikTok, and the clip took off. His original song "Spitting Bullets" has racked up roughly 700,000 streams on Spotify.

He recently performed at Bishop's Quarter in Loveland and Ghost Baby in Over-the-Rhine. Now he's jumping from bar patios to a festival that drew about 150,000 people over four days last year.

The road to Thursday's stage has been marked by loss. About five years ago, Geers's best friend died. Then in August 2025, right after that year's VOA Festival, his 28-year-old brother Jon was killed in a car accident.

"I also don't want to sit here all the time and pout about losing my brother. I want to remember my brother for the light he brought into a room," Geers told WLWT in an interview published Aug. 4.

Geers said the festival moment feels like a payoff for years of grinding. He described his pre-show nerves with a laugh, saying his ADHD will have him running around backstage trying to figure out where to go, but that he's thrilled with the opportunity.

The 2026 VOA Country Music Festival runs Aug. 6–9 at Voice of America MetroPark, 7850 VOA Park Drive in West Chester. Thursday's card also features Scotty McCreery, Easton Corbin and Logan Michael, with Paisley headlining that night, according to the festival lineup. General admission parking is $51.99 per day; VIP parking is $88.99. Tickets remain on sale at voacountrymusicfest.com.

After the festival, Geers is scheduled to perform at Covington's Oktoberfest in September 2026.