Tag Archives: country music

All You Need is a ‘Six String Session’ to Know Southerland

Matt Chase and Chris Rogers started their careers as two solo acts that often shared a stage at bars in college towns around the country. Eventually, the inevitable happened as they officially linked up to form the duo, Southerland. The pair’s debut EP, ‘Six String Sessions’ was released Friday, August 23rd and serves as an introduction of the band to the world. The acoustic, three-song collection is lyrically driven, as Matt and Chris view themselves as songwriters first, artists second. “We wanted the songs to speak for themselves,” Chris said. “It all goes back to how we started this.”

Chase and Rogers met in the writing room and quickly became buddies. After a couple of years playing small gigs together, the guys decided to head down to Florida for the Key West Songwriters Festival. They secured a late night residency at a local spot to perform for a few hours after the BMI shows wrapped up each night. “We had a lot of buddies down there so we had them come show up and hop on stage and play some songs,” Matt said. One of these guys was Luke Combs, who was right in the middle of his ‘Hurricaine’ success. Combs was accompanied by an explosive energy from the crowd and Lynn Oliver-Cline, the founder of River House Artists. She was so blown away by Chris and Matt’s performance that night, she offered up a deal on the spot for the pair to be signed as a duo. Although flattered, Rogers and Chase politely declined the offer. 

“Neither one of us wanted to be a duo,” Matt said firmly. They had both put so much time and effort into their own careers. Chris added, “It almost felt like you were throwing away those five years, which is not the right way to look at it, now that we know what we know now. Everything I did up to that point was preparing me for this. We were slowly developing ourselves as a duo without knowing it.” So a couple years later, after Lynn’s unwavering persistence, they ended up caving in and signing on to officially give the duo thing a shot. 

Through  songwriting and putting together their debut EP, Matt and Chris knew they wanted to be 100% authentic. “The songs that we have been writing have leaned towards that lyric-based music. We wanted that to shine through and not to get the songs muddied up with a ton of production,” Chris said, supporting the decision of releasing an acoustic EP. The stories that live within country music songs are what Matt and Chris fell in love with at the beginning. It’s what drove each of them to move to Nashville and pursue this career. Putting out this acoustic collection shifts the focus to truly allow fans to fall in love with their songs. 

As the writers behind all of Southerland’s music, fans are getting an honest glimpse into Chris and Matt’s  lives and personalities. On the ‘Six String Sessions’ EP, each of the three songs are slightly different in subject, “All of them still make sense to our voices, we’re not trying to do something we’re not. Being songwriters we want to write about so many different things.” Matt described. “This is our showcase for the world, you only get one chance to make a first impression… We wanted to show people a little bit of a 360 view.” The three tracks most authentically showcase who Southerland is. “I want people to walk away knowing who we are and what type of music to expect. The thing that we pride ourselves on is that we want to sound exactly how we do on that EP in a live setting,” Chris said. 

What you hear is what you get with Southerland and some local fans can account for that. The pair recently made a stop with Ray Fulcher and Faren Rachels at Six String Grill and Stage in Foxboro, MA. “Thing is about being the opening slot is you do you 40 minutes then get to hang out,” said Chris. “We love performing but we almost love even more watching other people do their craft,” Matt added. The guys had the chance to do a formal Meet & Greet before their set, and stuck around during the show giving them plenty of opportunities to get to know some of their New England fans. The two raved about the venue and it’s proximity to the legendary Gillette Stadium. If you missed out on this show, be sure to catch Southerland next time they’re in the neighborhood. 

To listen to Southerland’s ‘Six String Sessions’ click here. 

Be sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook to stay up-to-date!

The Unofficial Kick Off to Summer With Chris Young!

Memorial Day may be the unofficial kick-off to summer but Chris Young’s Raised on Country tour with Chris Janson and Dylan Scott just kicked off the summer of country concerts at Xfinity Center in Mansfield this past Friday night. We’re not sure if we could have asked for a better day besides maybe the show being on a Saturday but we’ll let that one go.  The sun was shining, tailgates were down and the country music was blasting!

Dylan Scott started the night with ‘Hooked,’ ‘Ball Cap’ and ‘Nothing to Do Town’ which got the crowd going. He slowed it down a bit with ‘Nobody’ and then honored his 90s country artists with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Fishin In the Dark,’ ‘I Like it, I love it’ by Tim McGraw, David Lee Murphy’s ‘Dust on the Bottle,’ and George Strait’s infamous ‘Check Yes or No.’  Rounding out with what would soon become the theme song of the night, he played a favorite of his, Keith Whitley’s ‘When You say Nothing At All.’ He wrapped his set with the single that put him on the map and the song that he wrote about his high school sweetheart who is now his wife, ‘My Girl.’

The crowd continued to fill in as Chris Janson took the stage.  Let us just say, if you haven’t seen Chris Janson live before, we highly recommend adding him to your concert lineup!  Janson won our very own NECM Laurel over as a fan when she saw him open for Sam Hunt.

The entertainer he is, opened with ‘Redneck Life’ and ran around the stage showing off his harmonica skills.  Followed by ‘Everybody’ and his second #1, ‘Fix a Drink!’ He followed those up with his new single ‘Good Vibes’ and then slowed it down. He introed ‘Holdin’ Her’ by explaining how he may be portrayed as a wild man on stage but regardless of his image, he is a Christian man who loves the Lord, his wife and his kids.

Referencing his recent Rolling Stone article, Janson proudly claimed the title of the most open minded redneck stating ”I was raised to not care what others think about me.”  And that he doesn’t. Soon after, he was making pterodactyl and bald eagle movements on stage asking the crowd to join him. Janson’s stage presence isn’t something you’ll get every show and we loved every minute of it!

Wrapping up his set, he killed another harmonica solo which transitioned into Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’ where Janson had a harmonica headset and just a keyboard. It was only right that he played his ACM award winning ‘Drunk Girl,’ as Boston was very first place he played it live.

He joked with the crowd as he stepped up to the drum set, “bet you’d never seen a country boy play the drums like Tommy Lee from his time in Motley Cru.” A jack of all trades, Janson killed the drums and then ended his set with his first #1, ‘Buy Me a Boat.’

As the crowd waited for Chris Young to take the stage, the Chris Young Dance Cam panned over the crowd catching those who were blessed with happy feet. Happy feet quickly turned into finding those with full beers and a chugging contest.

Finally, it was time for the main act. The baritone started the crowd off on a slow set, making the girls swoon with a run of “Hangin’ On,’ ‘Getting You Home,’ ‘Lonely Eyes,’ ‘Losing Sleep,’ and ‘Who I Am With You.’  And just like that, a better man dropped to his knee and we had a front row proposal!! Wishing you the best Brittany and Justin wherever you are! Taking a brief detour from the set list, Young covered the theme song of the night singing Dylan’s Scott’s favorite again, Keith Whitley’s ‘When You Say Nothing At All.’

The stage design and graphics definitely kept the crowd hooked as ‘I Can Take It From There’ and ‘Hold My Beer’ rolled on through.

A video montage of artists including Brad Paisley and Florida Georgia Line came on, all sharing a tid bit of how they were raised on country music ending with Chris explaining his love for country and how he was raised on country music! The montage was a perfect transition into Chris addressing the crowd recognizing this was his first amphitheater tour on his own, he couldn’t thank the crowd enough. “This song did it. It’s almost like a graduation for me to be on this tour.” The crowd began to sing along with ‘I’m Comin’ Over!’

Chris introed his next song by sharing the story of one of the first concerts he attended. His mom had won tickets to a show at the Starwood Amphitheater in Nashville. They sat on the grass, watched Vince Gil and he thought how great it would be to do exactly that.  Little did he know, he would work with Vince himself on one of his very own songs. ‘Sober Saturday Night’ led into ‘Life of the Party’ as Cassadee Pope sang along behind him on the big screen. Fans started slow dancing in aisle as ‘Good Man’ started and the security lit their way with his flashlight.  Country music is something special that’s for sure.

Chris was all smiles from the second he took the stage until he closed out with the exception of playing his new song. He shared how it was about a friend of his who passed away unexpectedly in a car accident.  With just some keys and guitar, the lyrics were relatable to anyone who has lost someone. ‘Today’ was REAL.

As the night started to come to an end, Chris jokingly asked how he was supposed to transition to the next song after that one and decided that he needed to cover Garth Brook’s ‘Papa Loves Mama’ instead. Followed by his own ‘You,’ ‘Save Water, Drink Beer’ and introed his band. The lights dimmed and ‘Tomorrow’ started. A perfect way to close out the night and kick off the weekend, Chris ended with ‘Aw Naw’ singing about buying a shot of patron and how we’ve all gotta be up early.

We are so happy to say that summer of country concerts is back. There’s nothing like the country community, from tailgates to chugging contests and dancing in the aisles at shows, we all share our love for country music!

What shows will you be attending this summer!?

Super Bowl LIII Was The Perfect One for a Country Halftime Show…

We’re just days away from Super Bowl LIII. Our New England Patriots will be facing the Los Angeles Rams at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on this coming Sunday evening. While I’ll be watching for the game, many others tune in for the commercials and many others tune in for the halftime concert. And this year will be no different. But the NFL had the chance to do something they hadn’t done before for a Super Bowl halftime show- country music.

There are very few NFL stadiums in the heart of American where country music lies supreme. Obviously, Nashville is number one. But behind Music City, Atlanta probably is next in line to be home to an NFL franchise AND have thick roots in country music. And Nashville will probably never host a Super Bowl. No offense to Maroon 5, Big Boi or Travis Scott, but c’mon NFL, pay homage to country music for once. Atlanta was the perfect Super Bowl host to do it- unless you decide to play with Mother Nature again and grant Nashville a Super Bowl- which is unlikely.

And who could the NFL have tapped from country to put on one helluva Super Bowl… Well, we’ve been lobbying for Kenny Chesney to play the Pepsi Halftime Show for years. He is one of the few artists of any genre who can headline and sell out NFL stadiums across the country every summer. And let’s face it, he may already have plans to be in the building as he has strong ties with Robert Kraft and the Patriots organization. He was seen in Mr. Kraft’s suite in past Super Bowls.

But there’s also a plethora of Georgia born and bred country artists that would put on a great show. Alan Jackson and Travis Tritt are two icons that come to mind. And we know the argument will be that traditional country would struggle on national television because a lot of people don’t like country. But guess, what!? A LOT OF PEOPLE DO LIKE COUNTRY.

And if that is the argument, we can all be real here. Country music as played on country radio today definitely straddles the genre lines with influences and sounds of pop, rock and hip hop. So why not take modern country artists who flirt with other genres!? Again, the list artists from Georgia who are ruling in the modern country world but can appease the masses is pretty long. Artists like Cole Swindell, Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett, Brantley Gilbert, Kane Brown, Kip Moore, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan, to name a few. Hell, throw Florida GEORGIA Line out there with Bebe Rexha to perform their 2018 smash hit, ‘Meant To Be.’ Give us SOME country music.

The last time that the NFL had a halftime show that exclusively featured country artists, it was 1994. Yes, 25 years ago. Seems like long enough. That show featured Travis Tritt, Tanya Tucker, Clink Black and The Judds. And only fittingly, that Super Bowl was also in Atlanta! So 25 years later, we’re back in Atlanta for a Super Bowl…

Nearly every year, the NFL has pop stars playing the halftime show. Let’s change it up. If there was any Super Bowl to feature some of country’s biggest stars, it was this weekend. Here we are 25 years later, we’re back in Atlanta for a Super Bowl. What better year could it have been to have had a country halftime show.

The truth is… the NFL dropped the ball here. Pun intended.

The Country Megaticket is BACK in Hartford!

Live Nation Connecticut is proud to present The 2019 Country 92-5 Megaticket Presented by Pennzoil. 

This is your season ticket to four of the best country concerts this summer at XFINITY Theatre in Hartford.  You’ll see the biggest superstars in country music, plus the superstars of tomorrow! 

Your four shows in Hartford on the Megaticket are:
June 15th: Chris Young with Chris Janson and more!
July 19th: Florida Georgia Line with Dan + Shay, Morgan Wallen and Hardy
August 15th: Dierks Bentley with Jon Pardi and Tenille Townes
August 29th: Brad Paisley with Chris Lane and Riley Green

Ticket Types:

Gold Seat Ticket (Reserved)

  • One reserved ticket in the lower or mid pavilion for each of the four country shows for $599
    • The same seat for each show.
  • One Premier parking pass (for each pair of tickets) for each show.
  • Access to the 2020 Megaticket Presale.

Price per ticket: $599 plus applicable service charges

Silver Seat Ticket (Reserved)

  • One reserved ticket in the rear pavilion for each of the four country shows
    • The same seat for each show
  • Access to the 2020 Megaticket Presale
  • Skip The Line pass for each of the 4 shows

Price per ticket: $375 plus applicable service charges

Lawn Ticket

  • Spread out a blanket and enjoy each of the four country shows under the stars. 
  • Guaranteed lawn ticket for each show.  
  • Access to the 2020 Megaticket presale.
  • Skip the Line pass for each of the 4 shows

Price per ticket: $99 plus applicable service charges

Gold level packages include premier parking and Skip The Line privileges!

*Available while supplies last. No refunds, exchanges or transfers. All shows are performed rain or shine.  All acts are subject to change

Previous Buyers Pre-Sale: Tuesday, January 22 at 10am  –  Thursday, January 24 at 10pm

CITI Cardholder Members Pre-Sale: Wednesday, January 23 at 10am – Thursday, January 24 at 10pm

Live Nation/Radio/Ticketmaster Pre-Sale: Wednesday, January 23 at 10am – Thursday, January 24 at 10pm 

General Public On Sale: Friday, January 25 at 10am

PACKAGES WILL NOT BE SOLD AFTER MAY 30TH AT 4PM! DON’T MISS OUT!

https://www.facebook.com/XfinityTheatre/photos/a.198584647011803/1143803602489898/?type=3

Garth Brooks Announces 2019 Stadium Tour- Hints at Gillette

BREAKING NEWS: Country megastar Garth Brooks announces a stadium tour that will start in 2019 and will stop at 30 stadiums- approximately 10-12 per year…

From Taste of Country:

Garth Brooks just announced his biggest tour ever. The Country Music Hall of Famer will tour stadiums in 2019.

During a press conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame on Wednesday (Oct. 17), Brooks revealed that the tour will begin in the spring at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Mo. He also indicated there will be 30 stadiums on his tour, with 10 to 12 per year.

The second venue will be State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. (Phoenix). Five shows will go on sale before Christmas 2018, and while Brooks couldn’t reveal the remaining three stops, he strongly insinuated he’ll be playing Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., and AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Yes, you read that right. He insinuated he’ll be playing at Gillette Stadium sometime during this tour. I mean, of course he is. His buddy Kenny Chesney probably told him how crazy the New England country music fans are- making it one of the must-play stadiums on the tour. It sounds like Mr. Kraft brought and his team to the stadium to pitch the notion of him playing at the home of the Patriots!

Garth says, “So this is gonna give one of the cities away for sure, but I want to thank the Kraft Family up in New England, with the Patriots. They were the ones who kind of flew us out to the stadium to see and really encouraged us to think about stadium shows.“

Encouraged Garth to think about stadium shows? Soooo, Robert Kraft is the one responsible for this tour? Either way, Garth is coming to Foxborough in the future!

LOCASH HITS THE ROAD THIS FOOTBALL SEASON ON FIRST-EVER PEPSI TAILGATE TOUR

NASHVILLE, TN  Sept. 4, 2018 – Today ‘Feels Like a Party’ for Wheelhouse Records’ LOCASH, as Pepsi announced that the Country duo is teaming up with the mega-brand for its first-ever Pepsi Tailgate Tour this football season. The traveling celebration will bring generations of passionate football fans around the country a new way to enjoy game day with live performances from LOCASH and other special surprises. With stops at key college and NFL matchups across the U.S., fans will be able to watch their favorite teams compete, and gather with friends and family to enjoy music, food, games and ice-cold Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Zero Sugar products.

Adding to the celebration, LOCASH also made their BBR debut at Country radio with their new single, ‘Feels Like A Party,’ becoming the No. 1 Most Added song in the format. Written by LOCASH’s own Preston Brust and Chris Lucas along with the track’s co-producers, Corey Crowder and Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard, the single emits undeniable party vibes with a laid-back groove.

“Good things sure do happen in pairs; THANK YOU, Country radio for embracing this song, we’re so honored and appreciate your support,” said Preston Brust of LOCASH. “This, on the heels of the Pepsi Tailgate Tour news made today an incredibly special day for us.”

“We’re super excited to be partnering up with Pepsi and being part of the Pepsi family,” said Chris Lucas of LOCASH. “Teaming Country music and football fans is the perfect combination for a party!!”

Pepsi Tailgate Tour: Multi-city stadium tour stops at key college and NFL matchups, including mainstage performances by LOCASH, a full gaming area featuring all-time favorite tailgate favorites like cornhole, ladder ball and giant Jenga. Special opportunities for fans to win Pepsi Stuff items, game tickets and more! There will also be surprise meet-and-greets with NFL legends and cheerleaders. Fans can visit www.PepsiTailgate.com to find out more details surrounding each stop.

 

  • 9/6 – Philadelphia, PA:(LOCASH performance at 3 p.m. ET at Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing during the 2018 NFL Kickoff Experience)
  • 9/15 – Arlington, TX: (Ohio State vs. Texas Christian University)
  • 9/16 – Arlington, TX(Cowboys vs. Giants)
  • 9/29 – University Park, PA(Ohio State @ Penn State)
  • 9/30 – Pittsburgh, PA(Steelers vs. Ravens)
  • 10/11 – East Rutherford, NJ (Giants vs. Eagles)
  • 10/14 – East Rutherford, NJ (Jets vs. Colts)
  • 10/21 – Landover, MD (Redskins vs Cowboys)

  • 11/4 – Foxborough, MA (Patriots vs. Packers) 

  • 12/2 – MiamiGardens, FL (Dolphins vs. Bills)
  • 12/8 – Philadelphia, PA (Army vs. Navy)

 

All season long, join the #PepsiTailgateTour conversation across social and visit YouTube.com/Pepsi to check out the latest information about the Tailgate Tour, television ads, exclusive content and more.

Known for their hits like their GOLD-certified hit, ‘I Love This Life’ and #1 smash, ‘I Know Somebody,’ as much as their high-energy live performances that bring crowds to their feet, LOCASH is one of the most exciting duos in the format today. The pair has been hard at work the past few years, in the studio and traveling the country as part of their own headlining tour as well as in support of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s SOUL 2 SOUL Tour.

For more information about LOCASH, visit: http://www.locashmusic.com/

Kane Brown, Cam, LANCO and WKLB Take Over Lansdowne

It was a warm June day as the sun beamed over Fenway Park and the surrounding area. A line of 8,000 strong had nearly completely wrapped around Fenway Park as it was time for what has become the annual party on Lansdowne Street known as the Country 102.5 Street Party. It’s one of the few days that the popular street is more crowded than on a Red Sox-Yankees game. And this past Sunday, June 3rd was no different as country fans came to see Kane Brown, Cam, LANCO, Brown & Gray, Stephanie Quayle and New England favorite Timmy Brown.

Timmy Brown kicked off the day with fan favorite ‘Lil Bit’ and of course a performance of ‘Sweet Caroline’ with the stage peering right at the fabled Green Monster. Following Timmy’s set was a couple rising acts including Stephanie Quayle who delivered an energetic set that included her single ‘Selfish’ and Brown & Gray who have been all over the airwaves with ‘Top Down.’

The energy continued when LANCO took the stage. The guys were fresh off an airplane from St. Louis where they had just played a show on Dierks Bentley’s 2018 tour the night prior. Their set consisted of ‘Troublemaker,’ ‘Long Live Tonight,’ ‘Pick You Up,’ and their current single ‘Born To Love You,’ which had fans singing along. They continued with ‘Singing At The Stars’ before playing the song their most known for, ‘Greatest Love Story,’ which included a crowd singalong. It was a quick day for LANCO in Boston but one that they took full advantage of as the crowd was buzzing after they left the stage.

Next up was the sensational Cam- one of our favorite artists because of there powerful vocals and badass attitude. The California artist started her time off with ‘Road To Happiness’ and ‘Mayday’ before telling the crowd a story about a guy who she had an ‘adult relationship’ with and the next day, he didn’t talk to her or show her any respect. She later explained on social media, “Once upon a time a boy treated a girl with zero respect. So she learned from her Half Broke Heart and started talking with other women about how to handle situations like this. And she lived happily ever after.” With that story, she performed ‘Half Broke Heart.’ Her day continued with ‘Hungover on Heartache,’ ‘Palace,’ ‘Cold in California,’ ‘Sweet Dreams,’ and ‘Village’ before playing the song we were most excited to hear live- ‘Diane.’ Cam’s powerful vocals echoed beautifully down Lansdowne Street and fans were singing and dancing along to the raucous performance of this jam. Ending her day, Cam performed ‘Burning House’ before waving to the crowd and retreating backstage.

Ending the day was the ever so popular Kane Brown. Throughout the day, Kane would make his way to and from backstage to the radio room at House of Blues which would cause the crowd to start screaming when he walked by. It was apparent that the majority of the crowd was there to see Kane as the bass’ were cranked up and the crowd screamed even louder when he took the stage saying, “BOSTON! How we doing!?” He started off with ‘Found You’ and ‘Hometown’ which were massively popular with the crowd as it seemed they were singing every word back to him. And it only continued with ‘Used To Love You Sober’ and ‘What’s Mine Is Yours.’

The day continued with upcoming single ‘Lose It,’ ‘Better Place’ and ‘Cold Spot’ before Kane and his guitarist Alex gave the crowd an acoustic set that included a cover of Billy Currington’s ‘If I Fall.’ Brown would continue with a mash up that included covers of ‘Billionaire,’ ‘Ms. Jackson,’ ‘Over My Head’ and his own ‘Location.’ His day in Boston would continue with ‘There Goes My Everything,’ ‘Heaven,’ ‘Weekend,’ ‘Learning’ and ‘Closer’ before a two song encore that started with ‘Pull It Off’ and his Number One single, ‘What If’s.’

It was a great day in the Fenway as Country 102.5 always knows how to throw a great party. And if you missed this Street Party, don’t fret- they announced on stage that their fall edition would return on September 23rd. Lineup and details will be announced in the future- and we’ll share all the details when we have ’em!

 

My Biggest Gripe With the CMT Awards

Last night was the CMT Awards and I really enjoyed the show as a whole. We saw some new faces win awards. We saw some artists win awards that they so deserved to win- including a few surprises. There was also a bunch of great performances showing the immense talent that the country music family has. But there was one thing that really ticked me off…

Why in the world did the Backstreet Boys debut their new single on the CMT Awards!? The COUNTRY MUSIC TELEVISION Awards. And I know that country music isn’t what it used to be 10 years ago. This isn’t anything against BSB. Their song is good. My female friends from middle school loved it- they’re already posting about it all over their social media accounts. But the CMT Awards should be honoring country singers- giving the country artists center stage on the COUNTRY MUSIC TELEVISION Awards! BSB had the main stage for 5 minutes or whatnot to perform their brand new single while artists like Carly Pearce (who won an award earlier in the night), Lindsay Ell, Devin Dawson, LANco and more got a whole 30 seconds or so on the side stage before getting cut short for commercials. Seriously, they each got to sing one chorus of their songs, but Backstreet gets a whole song… We have so much talent in country and these artists could use the exposure on the CMT Awards. Backstreet Boys don’t need the exposure from the CMT Awards. They have more Facebook followers than Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line and Miranda Lambert. They legitimately did not need the CMT Awards to debut their new single. While artists like Carly and Lindsay and Devin could have definitely used a full set on the main stage on national television. So why not put a major spotlight on your talented rising artists instead of a pop group that didn’t need it!?

Rant over.

Main Photo: Debbie Murray (without the frustrated emoji)

2018 New England Country Music Festival presented by The Harbor Agency Returns to Portsmouth This Summer

August 12, 2018 will mark the 4th installment in the annual New England Country Music Festival presented by The Harbor Agency. This all-day, family-friendly event returns to the Redhook Brewery in Portsmouth, NH and will feature both nationally touring acts that fans can hear on country radio every day, along with some of New England’s best rising talent.

The festival will be headlined by Chase Rice who has drawn sold out crowds in Hampton, NH and Boston, MA (including this past January). Rice, with a pair of top 5 singles, and a brand new album (‘Lambs and Lions‘) has also had great success in the songwriting world including being a co-writer in one of the highest selling country singles of all time- Florida Georgia Line’s ‘Cruise.’

Joining Chase Rice will be Drake White- who had a few sold out shows of his headlining Spark Tour in New England just last year; plus, Sony Nashville recording artist Mitchell Tenpenny and Michael Tyler, who co-wrote Dierk’s Bentley’s ‘Somewhere On A Beach.’

New England’s own Timmy Brown and Annie Brobst- both 2x New England Country Music Local Artists of the Year award winners- as well as April Cushman will kick off the day.

More information on this year’s festival can be found at necmharbor.com. Tickets are on sale now and VIP tickets are already SOLD OUT. There is a limited number of PIT tickets still available for $45 (plus fees) and General Admission tickets are $40 (plus fees). Kids under 12 are free with the purchase of tickets. Tickets can be purchased here.

Fenway Park and Country Music

The 2018 MLB season has arrived and the season opener for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park will be today, Thursday, April 5th, but baseball isn’t the only thing that is played at the oldest major league ballpark in the nation. Country music has made its mark in Boston in recent years and what other way to spread the love of country music but to have a concert at the ball park.

Here are some of the country artists that have had the opportunity to perform for their fans at Fenway Park.

Jason Aldean

In July 2013 Jason Aldean made history by being the first country music star to play a concert at Fenway Park. Due to the selling out of his first night, of the 2013 Night Train Tour (with Miranda Lambert, Jake Owen and Thomas Rhett) in just seven minutes, a second show was added. Aldean followed up his 2013 appearance at the iconic ball park with another concert in September of 2016 when he performed for another two nights on his The Six String Circus Tour (with Kid Rock, Thomas Rhett and A Thousand Horses). “We’ve had this show circled on our calendar for quite a while,” said Aldean to cheers, “and I know you Bostonian’s have been drinking Sam Adams all day to get ready for this.” Jason was joined by Kid Rock for his 2016 show.

Photo Credit: Chris and Todd Owyoung

Zac Brown Band

Of all the country acts that have had the pleasure of playing at Fenway, the Zac Brown Band wins for the most appearances. In June 2014 The Zac Brown Band’s, The Great American Road Trip Tour played two nights to a sold-out crowd of 70,000 people. ZBB played for over 2 hours and sang 30+ songs. Because their 2014 shows were sold out and so successful ZBB decided to return to Fenway park the following year in August of 2015 for their Jekyll + Hyde tour. They performed for over 100,000 fans during the 3-day event. In August of 2016, ZBB came back to Fenway Park with the, Black Out the Sun Tour, for another two nights of country music. This event made Fenway Park history with the most tickets sold at a single concert, the most tickets sold over two nights of concerts by the same artist and the first band to sell-out seven consecutive shows over three years at the ballpark.

After skipping 2017 the ZBB will return to Fenway park in June 2018 for their Down the Rabbit Hole Live Tour. They will play two nights Friday June 15th and Saturday June 16th.

Florida Georgia Line

Florida Georgia Line headlined the first-ever stadium concert of their career July 7th 2017 at a sold-out show at Boston’s Fenway Park for their Smooth Tour. Joining FGL for their stop in Boston were the Backstreet Boys, Nelly and Chris Lane.

Luke Bryan

Adding to the list of famous country acts to have the opportunity to play at America’s Favorite Ball Park is four-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan. Bryan and his band are set to rock the historic ballpark on July 6th as part of their What Makes You Country Tour.  Joining Bryan will be superstar Sam Hunt, along with the award-winning Jon Pardi and the up-and-coming Morgan Wallen. Bryan had this to say about his stadium tours; “My excitement to play these iconic sports stadiums is truly uncontainable,” said Luke.  “Playing my music live is the reason I do what I do and the energy of the FANS is what pushes me year after year to deliver a bigger and better experience.  I’m so thankful to be in these venues and cities with some of the brightest names in country music. This lineup fires me up and I can’t wait to get this tour started!”

It’s exciting to see that country musicians are energized about performing at one of America’s oldest and most beloved ballparks and I’m sure there will be more country artists joining the ranks in the years to come.