Jason Aldean Gives First TV Interview Since Vegas Shooting

Aldean said in an interview with NBC’s TODAY show that thanks to his in-ear monitor, he thought a speaker had blown when gunfire first rang out.

“We wear in-ear monitors when we’re on stage and really all you can hear is the music and maybe your guys can talk to you on microphones that are on the side of the stage or whatever,” Aldean said.

“So when it first happened, I thought a speaker had blown. I had thought, it just sounded like a crackling something. And so, I’m kind of looking around like ‘what is that?’ I’m trying to figure out what that is. Then it stopped,” he continued. “So I was like they must have got it fixed and so I just kept doing my thing.”

Aldean said he continued on stage, unaware Paddock had opened fire from his suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort that overlooks the Las Vegas strip.

“It happened again and it lasted longer the second time,” he said. “So then I was actually kind of getting aggravated so I looked over at my monitor guy that’s on the side of the stage as if to say ‘what is that? and fix it’. When I turned to look, guitar player had run behind me and was telling me to move, to let’s go. And my security guy was running on stage telling me to run.”

The 40-year-old ran off stage and made it to a safe space without being injured.

Aldean’s full interview is scheduled to air Wednesday on the TODAY show.

Aldean performed Sunday night in Nashville at the Country Rising benefit concert. The star-studded concert included performances from artists like Aldean, Keith Urban and Chris Stapleton and was hosted to aide victims of the Las Vegas shooting and recent hurricanes.