always summer blog

Tour news, live music news and reports from the road. Helping you make music moments (and not miss 'em, either).

[alwayssummerblog]

Brett Eldredge Lands 2019 Bud Light Dive Bar Tour Show

As the Bud Light Dive Bar Tour enters its fourth year, Brett Eldredge joins the lineup for a headlining show in St. Louis on May 16, this will also mark the first time a country artist headlines a Dive Bar Tour concert!

Other artists featured in the Dive Bar Tour lineup include alt-band Judah & The Lion and pop artist Fletcher with several artists yet to be announced. 

The Bud Light Dive Bar Tour will give fans a chance to see their favorite artists in an intimate setting, aiming to be a music-centric experience fans can share with their friends. 

Of course the Bud Light Dive Bar Tour won’t be your only chance to catch Brett Eldredge in the flesh in 2019! The superstar will wrap up a tour down under in on May 2 before heading back stateside to perform a series of live dates that includes festivals. Check out the full list of Brett Eldredge 2019 live dates below!

Brett Eldredge 2019 Live Dates:

Apr25 - Winton's Way Out West Festival 2019 Winton, NSW, Australia Apr26 - Winton's Way Out West Fest Winton, QLD, Australia Apr28 - Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre South Brisbane, QLD, Australia Apr29 - Enmore Theatre Sydney, NSW, Australia Apr30 - Tamworth Regional Entertainment And Conference Centre Tamworth, NSW, Australia May02 - Forum Melbourne Melbourne, VIC, Australia Jun09 - Taste Of Country Music Festival Hunter, NY, US Jun14 - Sahlen Field Buffalo, NY, US Jun15 - Rose Music Center At The Heights Huber Heights, OH, US Jun16 - Tailgate N' Tallboys Peoria, IL, US Jun21 - Innsbrook After Hours Glen Allen, VA, US Jun22 - Citizens Bank Park Philadelphia, PA, US Jun27 - Northern Quest Casino Airway Heights, WA, US Jun28 - Cove Creek Outdoor Pavilion Billings, MT, US Jun29 - Greeley Stampede Greeley, CO, US Jul04 - Let Freedom Sing! 2019 Nashville, TN, US Jul26 - Pnc Waterside Pavilion Solomons, MD, US Jul27 - Long Island Community Hospital Amphitheater Farmingville, NY, US Aug03 - Wisconsin State Fair Park West Allis, WI, US Aug09 - Cape Cod Melody Tent Hyannis, MA, US Aug10 - South Shore Music Circus Cohasset, MA, US Aug18 - Tailgate Fest 2019 Silverlakes Park Corona, CA, US Aug19 - Wente Vineyards Livermore, CA, US Aug24 - Nebraska State Fair Park Grand Island, NE, US

[alwayssummerblog]

The CMA Fest Lineup is Here!

It’s that time of year again! CMA Fest is returning to Nashville for its 48th year this summer, with musical performances and fan-oriented experiences taking place at numerous locations across downtown Nashville. Taking top billing is Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert and Dierk Bentley.

The nightly Nissan Stadium stage this year are superstars Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Pistol Annies, Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.

The Chevy Riverfront Stage returns once again with a fantastic lineup that will keep crowds rocking from 10 AM-5:15PM each day including performances by A Thousand Horses, Lauren Alaina, Jimmie Allen, Danielle Bradbery, Lee Brice, Easton Corbin, Jordan Davis, Devin Dawson, Jessie James Decker, Gavin DeGraw, Russell Dickerson, Eli Young Band, Lindsay Ell, Tyler Farr, Gone West, Riley Green, Hunter Hayes, Walker Hayes, High Valley, Home Free, Ryan Hurd, LOCASH, Maddie & Tae, Ashley McBryde, Scotty McCreery, Eric Paslay, Carly Pearce, Cassadee Pope, RaeLynn, Mason Ramsey, Michael Ray, Tyler Rich, Runaway June, Dylan Scott, Granger Smith, Mitchell Tenpenny, Morgan Wallen and Aaron Watson.

The Budweiser Forever Country Stage will also take place from 11AM-4:45 PM daily. Featuring some of the biggest names in Country Music from recent decades, this year’s lineup includes Keith Anderson, Deana Carter, John Carter Cash, Joe Diffie, George Ducas, Charles Esten, Andy Griggs, Halfway to Hazard, Ty Herndon, Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence, Little Texas, Lonestar, The Marshall Tucker Band, Kendell Marvel, Neal McCoy, Montgomery Gentry, Lorrie Morgan, The Nelsons, Jerrod Niemann, Jamie O’Neal, The Road Hammers, Ray Scott, Shenandoah, Sister Hazel, Ricky Skaggs, Kiefer Sutherland, Thompson Square, Uncle Kracker, Mark Wills, Rita Wilson and Darryl Worley.

View this post on Instagram

We're excited to announce new additions to the nightly concerts! @BillyRayCyrus, @TheChrisJanson, @JoDeeMassina, @DavidLeeMurphy, @MartyStuart and @BrettYoungMusic will be joining the Nissan Stadium at #CMAfest lineup! Get your four-day passes now before they sell out! cmafest.com/tickets

A post shared by Country Music Association (@cma) on Apr 10, 2019 at 8:20am PDT

CMA Fest runs Thursday, June 6, through Sunday, June 9, in Nashville, Tennessee. Proceeds from ticket sales help benefit the CMA Foundation and its goal of funding music education programs in the United States.

[alwayssummerblog]

[Watch] Rascal Flatt’s Bring Us ‘Back to Life’

You may have already heard Rascal Flatts beautifully uplifting song of devotion “Back to Life,” featured off their most recent studio album, Back to Us. However, you haven't heard it anything like this. A new video has been released via Vevo, which features a live rendition of the country stars’ “Back To Life,” and allows viewers a closer look into a more intimate, stripped-down version of the song.

Check out the new video below:

Written by Cary Barlowe, Niko Moon, Shay Mooney and Fred Wilhelm, “Back to Life” has a gentle rhythm that helps to emphasize love in all its shapes and sizes, from dancing around the living room to falling asleep while watching a movie. “She puts that beat in my chest, pounds like a drum, shakes me like thunder,” sings Gary LeVox, backed by bandmates Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney.

“The first moment we heard this song, we knew it was meant for us,” says LeVox in a release. “There are so many little things that add up to making someone so uniquely special to you, and this song captures that love and conveys all the good feelings that come along with it.”

For more on the talented trio, find them on tour this summer, with upcoming dates listed below!

Summer Playlist Tour Dates:

5/16 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverband Music Center 5/17 — St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre 5/18 — Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre 5/23 — West Palm Beach, FL @ Coral Sky Amphitheatre 5/24 — Tampa, FL @ Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre 5/25 — Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre 6/9 — Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center 6/27 — Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion 6/28 — Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park 6/29 — Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loan Amphitheater 7/5 — Orange Beach, AL @ The Wharf Amphitheater 7/6 — Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater 7/25 — Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre 7/26 — Sacramento, CA @ Toyota Amphitheatre 8/1 — Irvine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre 8/2 — San Diego, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre 8/3 — Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion 8/22 — Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center 8/23 — Philadelphia, PA @ BB&T Pavilion 8/24 — Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live 8/29 — Sugar Land, TX @ Smart Financial Centre 8/30 — Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion 8/31 — Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP 9/12 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage 9/13 — Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater 9/14 — Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center 9/19 — Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre 9/20 — Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center 9/21 — Burgettstown, PA @ KeyBank Pavilion

[alwayssummerblog]

Mumford & Sons Extend Delta World Tour

Thriving off of the success of their recently launched worldwide Delta Tour, Mumford & Sons announced they will extend their trek into the summer. The new leg will find the guys visiting iconic venues across the west coast including L.A.’s Banc of California Stadium, Portland’s Moda Center, Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium, George, WA’s Gorge Amphitheatre, Missoula’s Ogren Park at Allegiance Field, Salt Lake City’s USANA Amphitheatre and Denver’s Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre. 

Mumford & Sons' new album, Delta, dropped on November 16 and follows their 2015 release, Wilder Mind. The band’s guitarist and banjo player Winston Marshall jokingly describes the project as the group's "emo album."

View this post on Instagram

We can finally share that #DeltaTour is hitting 7 new stops in the US & Canada. We’ll be joined by @portugaltheman and @LordHuron as our special guests. The music, all coming together… this is what it’s all about. This summer is going to absolutely epic. Tickets go on sale on Friday, March 15th, 10am local. Click link in bio for pre-sale info & local timings.

A post shared by Mumford & Sons (@mumfordandsons) on Mar 11, 2019 at 10:14am PDT

Verified fan pre-sale begins this Thursday, March 14 at 10AM local time with general on-sale starting Friday, March 15 at 10AM local. Full details are available via the guys official website HERE!

Mumford & Sons Delta Tour Dates:

March 11—Columbus, OH—Nationwide Arena* March 12—Lexington, KY—Rupp Arena* March 14—Pittsburgh, PA—PPG Paints Arena* March 16—Charlottesville, VA—John Paul Jones Arena* March 17—Raleigh, NC—PNC Arena* March 18—Charleston, SC—North Charleston Coliseum* (SOLD OUT) March 20—Atlanta, GA—State Farm Arena* March 22—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena* (SOLD OUT) March 23—Birmingham, AL—Legacy Arena at The BJCC* March 25—Indianapolis, IN—Bankers Life Field House* March 27—Detroit, MI—Little Caesars Arena* March 29—Chicago, IL—United Center* (SOLD OUT) March 30—Madison, WI—Kohl Center* (SOLD OUT) March 31—Milwaukee, WI—Fiserv Forum* April 25—Lisbon, Portugal—Altice Arena  April 27—Barcelona, Spain—Palau Sant Jordi April 29—Milan, Italy—Medialanum Forum (SOLD OUT) May 1—Munich, Germany—Olympiahalle  May 3—Vienna, Austria—Stadthalle (SOLD OUT) May 5—Basel, Switzerland—St. JakobshalleMay 7—Paris, France—Zenith (SOLD OUT) May 8—Luxembourg, Luxembourg—Rockhal (SOLD OUT) May 9—Amsterdam, Netherlands—Ziggo Dome (SOLD OUT) May 11—Berlin, Germany—Mercedes Benz Arena  May 13—Frankfurt, Germany—Festhalle  May 15—Cologne, Germany—Lanxess Arena  May 17—Copenhagen, Denmark—Royal Arena  May 18—Gothenburg, Sweden—Scandinavium (SOLD OUT) May 19—Oslo, Norway—Spektrum May 21—Stockholm, Sweden—Ericsson Globe June 1—London, U.K.—Gentlemen of the Road X All Points East Festival June 2—Liverpool, U.K.—Echo Arena June 4—Sheffield, U.K.—Fly DSA Arena June 6—Manchester, U.K.—Manchester Arena June 10—Cardiff, U.K.—Motorpoint Arena (SOLD OUT) June 14-15—Dublin, Ireland—Gentlemen of the Road presents Malahide Castle June 21-23—Scheessel, Germany—Hurricane Festival June 21-23—Neuhausen Ob Eck, Germany—Southside Festival June 27-30—Werchter, Belgium—Rock Werchter Festival August 3—Los Angeles, CA—Banc of California Stadium† (tickets on-sale 3/15) August 5—Portland, OR—Moda Center† (tickets on-sale 3/15) August 7—Vancouver, BC—BC Place Stadium† (tickets on-sale 3/15) August 9—George, WA—Gorge Amphitheatre† (tickets on-sale 3/15) August 11—Missoula, MT—Ogren Park at Allegiance Field† (tickets on-sale 3/15) August 13—West Valley City, UT—USANA Amphitheatre† (tickets on-sale 3/15) August 15—Greenwood Village, CO—Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre‡ (tickets on-sale 3/15)

*with special guest Cat Power †with special guest Portugal The Man ‡with special guest Lord Huron

[alwayssummerblog]

Dierks Bentley’s Seven Peaks Festival Is Back!

Last year, Dierks Bentley partnered with Live Nation to bring the country community a music festival like no other. Hosted in Buena Vista, Colorado the three day musical event is on Labor Day weekend, August 30 - September 1. 

The lineup hand-picked by Bentley will include Luke Bryan, Maren Morris, Jon Pardi, Mitchell Tenpenny, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Ryan Hurd, Steep Canyon Rangers, The War and Treaty, Tenille Townes and Caylee Hammack. In addition, Friday’s 90s-themed Hot Country Night, which was an instant highlight in the festival’s inaugural year, will host Travis Tritt, Tracy Lawrence, Diamond Rio and Deana Carter with a special performance by Bentley’s own Hot Country Knights. With other stages to be announced in the coming weeks, passes will go on sale March 15 at 10AM MT at sevenpeaksfestival.com.

View this post on Instagram

you know where to find me this Labor Day Weekend. #TheMountainsAreCalling #SevenPeaks Passes on sale Friday, March 15th at 10am MT http://bit.ly/7Peaks

A post shared by Dierks Bentley (@dierksbentley) on Mar 4, 2019 at 6:30am PST

"I am so happy and grateful we get to come back to Buena Vista for the second Seven Peaks Music Festival,” said Dierks Bentley. “And I know I speak for everyone that has worked so hard to make this festival a reality when I say that. Even with the huge success of the first year, no one is taking anything for granted. If anything, we are all working harder than ever to make sure this year meets and exceeds the expectations of our returning ‘Peakers' and completely blow away our first-time festival goers."

Get more information on the upcoming festival on the official website HERE!

[alwayssummerblog]

Reba McEntire Announces 54th ACM Awards Nominations

This morning, country queen Reba McEntire announced the 2019 nominations for the ACM Awards. Returning to host the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards for the 16th time in April, McEntire revealed the nominees for the biggest awards. 

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It was so fun watching our #ACMawards host, @reba, reveal this year’s nominees on @cbsthismorning! For the full list of nominees and categories, visit acmcountry.com/noms.

A post shared by Academy of Country Music (ACM) (@acmawards) on Feb 20, 2019 at 12:16pm PST

Dan + Shay are tied as the most-nominated artist overall with six nominations, four of which earned for  Dan Smyers work as a songwriter and producer. Their nominations include Duo of the Year for the sixth consecutive year, as well as their first-ever Album of the Year nomination for Dan + Shay and first-ever Song, Single, Video and Music Event nominations for “Tequila.” “We’re proud to feel the love in a big way from our country music family this morning,” said Smyers in a statement. “Still trying to process it all, but wow. We sure are grateful for the opportunity to tell our stories and chase our childhood dreams every single day. Also, it’s pretty cool to be mentioned in the same headlines as Chris Stapleton. We’ll brag to our kids about that someday!”

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PLAYED A SHOW IN VEGAS LAST NIGHT- GOT BACK TO NASHVILLE AT 4.30am THIS MORN- AND WOKE UP TO THESE INCREDIBLE ACM NOMS!!!!!!!!!!! THANK U THANK U ALL- #ELATED!!! - KU #ACMawards

A post shared by Keith Urban (@keithurban) on Feb 20, 2019 at 9:11am PST

Speaking of Stapleton, he and Keith Urban lead in the top categories with nominations for both Male Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year - a category notably lacking any female nominees. "It doesn't make me very happy because we've got some very talented women out there who are working their butts off," McEntire said of the male-dominated category.

Unfortunately, last year's nominees for EOTY were also all male and In 2015, 2016 and 2017 only one woman made it into the category. The last woman to win entertainer of the year was Taylor Swift in 2011.

McEntire also shared some details about her hosting gig, which she promised would be politics-free. "We've got to keep it light. We've got to keep it fun. No politics. This is fun. This is entertainment. We are in the entertainment business, and that's what we're going to be doing," she said.

Check out the full list of nominees below:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Jason Aldean

Luke Bryan

Kenny Chesney

Chris Stapleton

Keith Urban

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Miranda Lambert

Ashley McBryde

Maren Morris

Kacey Musgraves

Carrie Underwood

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Dierks Bentley

Luke Combs

Thomas Rhett

Chris Stapleton

Keith Urban

DUO OF THE YEAR

Brothers Osborne

Dan + Shay

Florida Georgia Line

LoCash

Maddie & Tae

GROUP OF THE YEAR

Lady Antebellum

Lanco

Little Big Town

Midland

Old Dominion

SONG OF THE YEAR

"Break Up In The End," Cole Swindell Songwriters: Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill and Jon Nite

"Broken Halos," Chris Stapleton Songwriters: Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton

"Meant To Be," Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line Songwriters: David Garcia, Tyler Hubbard, Joshua Miller, Bebe Rexha

"Space Cowboy," Kacey Musgraves Songwriters: Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves

"Tequila," Dan + Shay Songwriters: Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers

"Yours," Russell Dickerson Songwriters: Casey Brown / Russell Dickerson / Parker Welling

NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Danielle Bradbery

Lindsay Ell

Ashley McBryde

Carly Pearce

NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Jimmie Allen  

Luke Combs

Jordan Davis

Michael Ray

Mitchell Tenpenny

NEW VOCAL DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR

High Valley

LANCO

Runaway June

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

"Dan + Shay," Dan + Shay

"Desperate Man," Eric Church  

"From A Room Vol. 2," Chris Stapleton

"Golden Hour," Kacey Musgraves

"The Mountain," Dierks Bentley

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

"Down to the Honky Tonk," Jake Owen

"Heaven," Kane Brown

"Meant To Be," Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line

"Most People Are Good," Luke Bryan

"Tequila," Dan + Shay

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

"Babe," Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift

"Burn Out," Midland

"Burning Man," Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne

"Drunk Girl," Chris Janson

"Shoot Me Straight," Brothers Osborne

"Tequila," Dan + Shay

MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR

"Burning Man," Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne

"Drowns the Whiskey," Jason Aldean featuring Miranda Lambert

"Everything's Gonna Be Alright," David Lee Murphy featuring Kenny Chesney

"Keeping Score," Dan + Shay featuring Kelly Clarkson

"Meant To Be," Bebe Rexha Featuring Florida Georgia Line

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

Ross Copperman

Ashley Gorley

Shane McAnally

Chase McGill

Josh Osborne

[alwayssummerblog]

Tim McGraw & Keith Urban Set To Headline Hometown Rising

Some of the biggest names in country music are heading to Louisville, Kentucky for the new Hometown Rising Festival. Set to kick off September 14 and 15, superstars Tim McGraw, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan and Keith Urban will headline the exciting musical event. The festival will also feature some of the region’s signature bourbons via tastings and workshops with distilleries like Old Forester, Four Roses and Evan Williams.

Other artists fans can expect to see are Dwight Yoakam, Brett Young, Jake Owen, Jimmie Allen, Lindsay Ell, The Steel Woods, Clare Dunn and even more, with names still to be announced. The Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Expo Center will host the festival, with Danny Hayes of Danny Wimmer Presents, acting as the event’s production company.  “I’m excited to be expanding our portfolio with a genre and a place that are both close to my heart,” Hayes said in a press release. “I can’t think of a better location to launch a country music festival than right here in bourbon country.”

Weekend passes start at $99.50 and daily passes start at $69.50. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 15. For additional info about tickets, go to https://hometownrising.com/tickets.

Saturday, September 14: Tim McGraw, Little Big Town, Dwight Yoakam, Frankie Ballard, The Cadillac Three, Jimmie Allen, Lindsay Ell, The Steel Woods, Clare Dunn, Gabby Barrett, Kassi Ashton, J.D. Shelburne, Raelyn Nelson Band, Alice Wallace, Imaj, and one more artist to be announced

Sunday, September 15: Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Brett Young, Jake Owen, Bret Michaels, Lauren Alaina, LoCash, Drake White and The Big Fire, The Wild Feathers, Mason Ramsey, Noah Guthrie, Everette, Lauren Jenkins, Jeffrey East, Hannah Ellis, Kendall Shaffer

[alwayssummerblog]

[Watch] FGL Hangs Out With Jason Derulo In New Music Video

Florida Georgia Line continue to showcase their versatility with a new collaboration featuring superstar Jason Derulo. Their new single, “Women,” pays tribute to the wonder females in their lives and is the third song from FGL’s upcoming album, Can’t Say I Ain’t Country. 

View this post on Instagram

Got something pretty special headed y’alls way. Made this with one of our best friends

A post shared by Florida Georgia Line (@floridageorgialine) on Jan 30, 2019 at 9:19am PST

Written by Brian Kelley, Tyler Hubbard, Jason Derulo, along with David Garcia and Josh Miller, the guys recently released their coinciding music video. The new black and white music video is a behind the scenes look into the creation of the song while they hangout at NightBird recording studio in West Hollywood to work on the new track.

The country duo tweeted, it was “an honor to have Jason Derulo on this one. It's a song that just puts women on a platform like they so deserve. ‘Women’ is a tribute to all the women out there. We wouldn't be here without them.” 

Check out the video below:

Longtime producer Joey Moi is again behind the desk on the forthcoming, 19-track album alongside Florida Georgia Line, who take their first co-producer credit. "Women" will appear on the country duo’s fourth studio album Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, due out this February. Fans can find FGL on their 36-city Can't Say I Ain't Country Tour, slated to kick off this summer.

Florida Georgia Line’s Can’t Say I Ain’t Country Tour Dates:

6/13 — Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP* 6/14 — Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion* 6/15 — Southaven, MS @ BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove* 7/11 — Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center* 7/12 — Boston, MA @ Xfinity Center* 7/13 — Philadelphia, PA @ BB&T Pavilion* 7/18 — Bangor, ME @ Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion* 7/19 — Hartford, CT @ XFINITY Theatre* 7/20 — Jones Beach, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater* 7/25 — Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach* 7/26 — Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park* 7/27 — Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion* 8/1 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center* 8/2 — Pittsburgh, PA @ KeyBank Pavilion* 8/3 — Washington, D.C. @ Jiffy Lube Live* 8/8 — St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre* 8/9 — Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre* 8/15 — Syracuse, NY @ St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview+ 8/16 — Scranton, PA @ The Pavilion at Montage Mountain+ 8/17 — Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium+ 8/22 — Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre+ 8/23 — Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center+ 8/24 — Darien, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater+ 8/29 — West Palm Beach, FL @ Coral Sky Amphitheatre+ 8/30 — Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre+ 8/31 — Atlanta, GA @ Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood+ 9/7 — Indianapolis, IN – Indianapolis Motor Speedway @ FGL Fest 9/12 — Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre+ 9/13 — Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre+ 9/14 — Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater+ 9/19 — Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion+ 9/20 — San Diego, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheater+ 9/21 — San Bernardino, CA @ Glen Helen Amphitheater+ 9/26 — Sacramento, CA @ Toyota Amphitheatre+ 9/27 — Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre+ 9/28 — Irvine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre+

*HARDY +Canaan Smith

[alwayssummerblog]

Dierks Bentley Earns 18th Career  No. 1 with ‘Burning Man’

Dierks Bentley earns his 18th No. 1 single with “Burning Man” (featuring country duo Brothers Osborne) today, January 28, as the track tops the Country charts this week. Serving as the second consecutive chart topper from Bentley's ninth studio album The Mountain, the track also inspired his Burning Man Tour that will continue with shows in both Canada and the states.

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Burning Man #1! So Awesome. Thank you @brothersosborne for all the kick ass you both added to this song. Thank you #CountryRadio! So much gratitude for country fans that have embraced Burning Man. hard to describe how personally attached I am to this song. the connection grows stronger with every show. Thank you and congrats @lukedick #bobbypinson. Thank you @arturobuenahora for sending my way dude! Thx @rosscopperman @jonrandallmusic.

A post shared by Dierks Bentley (@dierksbentley) on Jan 27, 2019 at 7:17pm PST

In a press release, Bentley shared how happy he is that fans and the country community are connecting with “Burning Man.”

“I felt an authentic connection to this song the first time I heard and my attachment to it has only strengthened night after night as I watch our fans connect with it. It is as much their song as it is mine...we all face that push and pull of who we are as people. As always, I’m very grateful to Country Radio for continuing to help share this journey.”

Check out the remaining tour dates below:

Dierks Bentley’s Burning Man Tour Dates:

1/28 - Kelowna, BC @ Prospera Place 1/29 - Vancouver, BC @ Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena 1/31 - Spokane, WA @ Spokane Arena 2/01 - Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome 2/2 - Eugene, OR @ Matthew Knight Arena 2/14 - Ontario, CA @ Citizens Business Bank Arena 2/15 - Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center 2/16 - Reno, NV @ Reno Events Center 2/21 - Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena 2/22 - Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena 2/23 - Columbia, MO @ Mizzou Arena 2/28 - Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford PREMIER Center 3/1 - Wichita, KS @ INTRUST Bank Arena 3/2 - Omaha, NE @ CHI Health Center Omaha 3/7 - Moline, IL @ TaxSlayer Center 3/8 - Duluth, MN @ AMSOIL Arena 3/9 - Grand Forks, ND @ Alerus Center 3/28 - Toledo, OH @ Huntington Center 3/29 - Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena 3/30 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena

[alwayssummerblog]

Maren Morris Releases Music Video For New Single ‘Girl’

Maren Morris released the music video for her new single “Girl” and it’s a beautiful message that fully fits in with the cultural climate women are experiencing today. It showcases women from all different ages and backgrounds experiencing the real life pains, frustrations and even self-loathing that women often face in their everyday lives.

Check out the beautiful and gritty video below:

The "My Church" hitmaker has also just announced the Girl: The World Tour, that will feature fellow powerhouses Cassadee Pope and RaeLynn. Kicking off this March, Morris will bring her new single and other fan favorite tunes around the world with dates in North America as well as Europe and Australia. 

Check out her tour dates below and get your tickets, which are available now!

Maren Morris' 2019 Girl: The World Tour Dates:

3/9 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre+ 3/13 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium+ 3/15 - Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland+ 3/16 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion+ 3/18 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium+ 3/19 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union+ 3/21 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom+ 3/23 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo+ 3/26  - San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic+ 3/28 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues Anaheim+ 3/30 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern+

4/11 - Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy* 4/12-14 - Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Tortuga Festival 4/18 - Houston, TX @ Revention Music Center* 4/19 - Dallas, TX @ Bomb Factory* 4/20 - New Braunfels, TX @ Whitewater Amphitheatre* 4/25 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE* 4/26 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore* 4/27 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues Boston*

5/2 - Washington, DC @ Anthem* 5/3 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel* 5/4 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5* 5/9 - Saint Louis, MO @ The Pageant* 5/10 - Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room at Old National Centre* 5/11 - Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit* 5/17 - Berlin, DE @ Columbia Theatre* 5/18 - Cologne, DE @ Kantine* 5/19 - Zurich, CH @ Mascotte* 5/21 - Hamburg, DE @ Gruenspan* 5/22 - Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso* 5/24 - Dublin, IE @ The Academy* 5/25 - Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy Leeds* 5/26 - Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy Glasgow* 5/27 - Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall* 5/29 - Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy Bristol* 5/30 - Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute* 5/31 - London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall*

6/15 - Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival 6/21 - Chicago, IL @ LakeShake Festival

7/19 - Brooklyn, MI @ Faster Horses 7/20 - Eau Claire, WI @ Country Jam USA

8/2 - Merritt, BC @ Merritt Rockin’ River Festival 8/3 - Duncan, BC @ Sunfest Country 8/8-11 - Oro, ON @ Boots and Hearts Music Festival 8/16 - Auckland, NZ @ The Logan Campbell Centre 8/17 - Christchurch, NZ @ Town Hall 8/19 - Brisbane, AU @ Brisbane City Hall 8/21 - Melbourne, AU @ Forum Theatre 8/22 - Sydney, AU @ Enmore Theatre 8/23 - Canberra, AU @ UC Refectory 8/30 - Grand Island @ Nebraska State Fair

+Denotes Cassadee Pope as opener *Denotes RaeLynn as opener

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Tucker Beathard’s Ride On Tour Dates

Tucker Beathard announced he will return to the road with the Ride On Tour, kicking off in Charlotte, North Carolina on February 22. The string of dates will see Beathard back where he thrives the most, and connecting with fans through his music in clubs. The trek will include stops in many of the major cities in the U.S. including New York and Boston. 

“The past four years of my life have mainly been spent on the road, so for me, it’s where I feel most at home” said Beathard. “I think it’s going to be even more exciting this time around with the first half of the double album out there and having the music I’ve wanted the fans to hear, to tour behind. I see touring as a way to connect with fans one by one and I can’t wait to get going!” The tour will serve as fans’ first chance to hear songs from the first installment of Beathard’s debut double album, Nobody’s Everything, live. Tickets for the tour will go on sale beginning January 25 at 10AM local time at www.tuckerbeathard.com. RIDE ON 2019 TOUR Official Dates: 2/22  Charlotte, NC @ Coyote Joe's 2/23  Raleigh, NC @ City Limits Saloon 3/1    Macon, GA @ The Crazy Bull 3/2    Valdosta, GA @ Bluewater Bar & Grill 3/7    Pittsburgh, PA @ Tequila Cowboy 3/8    Columbus, OH @ Tequila Cowboy 3/9    Lansing, MI @ Tequila Cowboy 4/10  New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge 4/11  Boston, MA @ Loretta's Last Call 4/13  Annapolis, MD @ Union Jack's Annapolis

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Jason Aldean’s Ride All Night Tour

Jason Aldean announced details today, January 14, for his 2019 Ride All Night Tour launching May 3 with back to back nights in Uncasville, CT, after kicking off the 2019 touring season headlining Tortuga Music Festival and Stagecoach.

Named after one of his tracks from his latest album Rearview Town, Aldean has tapped Kane Brown as direct support for the full-throttle run along with Carly Pearce and Dee Jay Silver as they trek to over 30 cities nationwide. Fans can purchase tickets beginning January 25 for select cities as part of Live Nation’s Country Megaticket at www.Megaticket.com and additional dates will continue to rollout over the coming weeks.

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Me and my boys are about to bring the NOISE!! Can’t wait to hit the road on the “Ride All Night Tour” this year with @kanebrown_music @carlypearce and @deejaysilver1. Ya’ll come see us!! 🤘🏼

A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) on Jan 14, 2019 at 12:51pm PST

Jason Aldean’s Ride All Night Dates:

4/12 - Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Tortuga Music Festival* 4/28 - Indio, CA @ Stagecoach* 5/03 - Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena 5/04 - Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena 5/09 - Evansville, IN @ The Ford Center 5/10 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena 5/11 - Toledo, OH @ Huntington Center 5/16 - Syracuse, NY @ St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview 5/17 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion 5/18 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center 6/28 - Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest* 7/19 - Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion 7/20 - Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion 7/25 - Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater 7/26 - Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre 7/27 - Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre 8/09 - Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center 8/10 - Canandaigua, NY @ CMAC Performing Arts Center 8/22 - Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center 8/23 - Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center 8/24 - St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre 9/05 - Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center 9/06 - Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater 9/07 - Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live 9/12 - Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion 9/13 - Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park 9/14 - Burgettstown, PA @ KeyBank Pavilion 9/19 - Scranton, PA @ The Pavilion at Montage Mountain 9/20 - Boston, MA @ Xfinity Center 9/27 - Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre 9/28 - Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre *Lineup May Vary

[alwayssummerblog]

2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards Country Nominees

The nominees for the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards are in with our pop friends leading the way in nominations, such as Cardi B, Drake, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Post Malone, Maroon 5 and Imagine Dragons, who have all received multiple nominations this year.

For our favorite country stars, Maren Morris leads the pack with four nominations, three of those are outside the country category. Maren is nominated for Country Song of the Year (“Rich”) and overall Song of the Year, Best Collaboration and Dance Song of the Year for her performance of “The Middle” with Zedd and Grey. Carrie Underwood is also nominated and is going against the male dominated category for Country Artist of the Year. She will be vying for the trophy along with Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett.

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TOMORROW. 9AM ET. #iHeartAwards

A post shared by iHeartRadio (@iheartradio) on Jan 8, 2019 at 12:02pm PST

Fans can vote for their favorites starting January 9 through March 7 on Twitter using the appropriate category and nominee hashtags or by visiting iHeartRadio.com/awards.

The 2019 iHeart Music awards will air live on FOX from Los Angeles Thursday, March 14 from 8-10PM EST.

The nominees are:

Song of the Year:

“Better Now” – Post Malone “Girls Like You” – Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B “God’s Plan” – Drake “Perfect” – Ed Sheeran “The Middle” – Zedd, Maren Morris, Grey

Female Artist of the Year:

Ariana Grande Camila Cabello Cardi B Dua Lipa Halsey

Male Artist of the Year:  

Drake Ed Sheeran Kendrick Lamar Post Malone Shawn Mendes

Best Duo/Group of the Year:

5 Seconds Of Summer Imagine Dragons Maroon 5 Panic! At The Disco twenty one pilots

Best Collaboration:

“Finesse (Remix)” Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B “Girls Like You” – Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B “I Like It” – Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin “Meant To Be” – Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line “The Middle” – Zedd, Maren Morris, Grey

Country Song of the Year:

“Heaven” – Kane Brown “Meant To Be” – Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line “Most People Are Good” – Luke Bryan “Rich” – Maren Morris “Tequila” – Dan + Shay

Country Artist of the Year:

Carrie Underwood Jason Aldean Luke Bryan Luke Combs Thomas Rhett

Best New Country Artist:

Carly Pearce Dylan Scott Jordan Davis LANCO Russell Dickerson

Best New Pop Artist:

Bazzi Lauv Marshmello MAX NF

Alternative Rock Song of the Year:

“Africa” – Weezer “Broken” – lovelytheband “Happier” – Marshmello featuring Bastille “High Hopes” – Panic! At the Disco “Natural” – Imagine Dragons

Alternative Rock Artist of the Year:

Imagine Dragons lovelytheband Panic! At The Disco Portugal. The Man Thirty Seconds To Mars

Best New Rock/Alternative Rock Artist:

AJR Badflower Billie Eilish lovelytheband Two Feet

Rock Song of the Year:

“Are You Ready” – Disturbed “Bulletproof” – Godsmack “Devil” – Shinedown “Safari Song” – Greta Van Fleet “Zombie” – Bad Wolves

Rock Artist of the Year:

Five Finger Death Punch Godsmack Greta Van Fleet Shinedown Three Days Grace

Dance Song of the Year:

“Friends” – Marshmello and Anne-Marie “Happier” – Marshmello featuring Bastille “One Kiss” – Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa “Remind Me To Forget” – Kygo featuring Miguel “The Middle” – Zedd, Maren Morris, Grey

Dance Artist of the Year:

Calvin Harris Kygo Marshmello The Chainsmokers Zedd

Hip-Hop Song of the Year:

“God’s Plan” – Drake “I Like It” Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin “In My Feelings” – Drake “Nice For What” – Drake “Psycho” – Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign

Hip-Hop Artist of the Year:

Cardi B Drake Kendrick Lamar Post Malone Travis Scott

Best New Hip-Hop Artist:

BlocBoy JB Juice WRLD Lil Baby Lil Pump XXXTENTACION

R&B Song of the Year:

“Boo’d Up” – Ella Mai “Finesse (Remix)” – Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B “Medicine” – Queen Naija “Sky Walker” – Miguel featuring Travis Scott “When We” – Tank

R&B Artist of the Year:

Daniel Caesar Ella Mai H.E.R. Miguel SZA

Best New R&B Artist:

Brent Faiyaz Ella Mai H.E.R. Queen Naija TK Kravitz

Latin Song of the Year:

“Clandestino” – Shakira featuring Maluma “Dura” – Daddy Yankee “Échame La Culpa” – Luis Fonsi and Demi Lovato “Me Niego” – Reik featuring Ozuna and Wisin “X” – Nicky Jam and J Balvin

Latin Artist of the Year:

Bad Bunny Daddy Yankee J Balvin Maluma Ozuna

Best New Latin Artist:

Lele Pons Manuel Turizo Mau y Ricky Nio Garcia Raymix

Regional Mexican Song of the Year:

“Entre Beso y Beso” – La Arrolladora Banda El Limón “Me Dejé Llevar” – Christian Nodal “Mejor Me Alejo” – Banda MS “Mi Sorpresa Fuiste Tú” – Calibre 50 “Mitad Y Mitad” – Calibre 50

Regional Mexican Artist of the Year:

Banda Carnaval Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga Calibre 50 Christian Nodal Gerardo Ortiz

Producer of the Year:

David Garcia Frank Dukes Louis Bell Marshmello Noah “40” Shebib

Best Lyrics (Socially Voted Category)

“Consequences” – Camila Cabello “Girls Like You” – Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B “God’s Plan” – Drake “In My Blood” – Shawn Mendes “thank u, next” – Ariana Grande “Without Me” – Halsey

Best Cover Song: (Socially Voted Category)

“A Million Dreams” – P!nk and Willow Sage Hart “Africa” – Weezer “Crying in the Club” – Niall Horan “Fast Car” – Khalid “In My Blood” – Charlie Puth “Lucid Dreams” – Halsey “Me, Myself & I” – Zayn “Natural Woman” – Ariana Grande “Rewrite the Stars” – Anne-Marie and James Arthur “You’re Still The One” – Harry Styles and Kacey Musgraves “Under Pressure” – Shawn Mendes and Teddy Geiger “Your Song” – Lady Gaga

Best Music Video (Socially Voted Category)

“Delicate” – Taylor Swift “Dura” – Daddy Yankee “Finesse (Remix)” – Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B “Freaky Friday” – Lil Dicky and Chris Brown “Girls Like You” – Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B “God’s Plan” – Drake “I Like It” – Cardi B featuring J Balvin and Bad Bunny “One Kiss” – Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa “Psycho” – Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign “Taki Taki” – DJ Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna and Cardi B “thank u, next” – Ariana Grande “This Is America” – Childish Gambino

Social Star Award (Socially Voted Category)

Agnez Mo Bhad Bhabie Dylan Minnette Joji Lele Pons Loren Gray Mason Ramsey Queen Naija Tana Mongeau Trixie Mattel

Cutest Musician’s Pet (Socially Voted Category)

Asia – Lady Gaga Edgar – Brett Eldredge Goodwin – Sabrina Carpenter Gracie – Lauren Jauregui Hatchi – Perrie Edwards Mooshu – Alex Pall from The Chainsmokers Piggy Smallz – Ariana Grande

Best Solo Breakout (Socially Voted Category)

Ally Brooke Dinah Jane Lauren Jauregui Normani Tiffany Young

Song That Left Us Shook: (New Category – Socially Voted Category)

“Here Comes The Change” – Kesha “I’ll Never Love Again” – Lady Gaga “One Day” – Logic featuring Ryan Tedder “thank u, next” – Ariana Grande “This Is America” – Childish Gambino “Youth” – Shawn Mendes and Khalid

[alwayssummerblog]

Miranda Lambert Year in Review

Miranda Lambert has had a stellar year full of enviable accomplishments. From her Livin’ Like Hippies Tour where she promoted her latest album The Weight of These Wings, her work with animals with her MuttNation foundation to her stylish fashion line, there’s truly nothing this talented country star can't do.

Take a look back at Lambert’s exciting past year and relive all the wonderful moments that continue to make us love her!

Livin’ Like Hippies Tour

Just following the holiday season and the new year, this hardworking woman was back on the road, kicking her eighth headlining tour into gear by mid-January. This was the second of the two tours she embarked on in support of her sixth studio album, The Weight of These Wings. With a healthy dose of fringe, rhinestones and leather, the Lonestar state native wowed in every town.

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Livin’ Like Hippies Tour fitting today. My friends @tiffanygiffordstyle and @aubreyhyde killed it. Custom made fabulousness! Kicking off next weekend💗 #Livin’LikeHippiesTour #hillbillysuperhero #weshouldbeFRINGE

A post shared by Miranda Lambert (@mirandalambert) on Jan 12, 2018 at 7:17pm PST

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Orlando. Night 2. 📸: @bfluke #fringefanatic #livinlikehippiestour

A post shared by Miranda Lambert (@mirandalambert) on Jan 20, 2018 at 1:48pm PST

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That’s a wrap! Livin Like Hippies Tour 2018. Thank you to the best Band and Crew on the road! 💗 #family #livinlikehippiestour

A post shared by Miranda Lambert (@mirandalambert) on Mar 25, 2018 at 9:00am PDT

Inspiration from MuttNation

A longtime champion for animals, particularly dogs in need of loving homes, Lambert leveraged her success in music to build quite the influential organization. One of the foundations slogans speaks for the entire mission, “You can’t buy love but you can rescue it.” Clearly a cause very close to her heart, it seems as though her foundation is never off her mind. Dog owners will also be excited to know that as of this year MuttNation has new pet products for sale, with “every purchase helps fund the mutt Rescue and adoption programs of mutt NATION foundation.” Now that’s shopping dog lovers can feel good about.

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Delta & Cher have a very important announcement.... new @muttnation toys are here! All of my proceeds from the line benefit @muttnationfoundation and help dogs in need. (Shop at link in bio) #musicandmutts #theytakeaftertheirmama

A post shared by Miranda Lambert (@mirandalambert) on Dec 7, 2017 at 1:34pm PST

The Bandwagon Tour

Clearly a lover of life on the road, just after wrapping her headlining tour, she announced, much to fans delight, that she’d be teaming up with Little Big Town for a co-headlining fall 2018 tour. Previously having invited the group to join her on the track “Smokin and Drinkin,” the two acts were no strangers to collaborating, and neither were their fans.

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#thebandwagontour This says it all. One of the most memorable tours of my life. Friends celebrating music together. It doesn’t get much better than that. Thanks to everyone who came out to see us! It means the world! See y’all down the road! @littlebigtown @tenilletownes @turnpiketroubadours @thesteelwoods @pistolannies 📸: @reid_long #musicismedicine #geton

A post shared by Miranda Lambert (@mirandalambert) on Aug 26, 2018 at 9:57am PDT

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ACM Celebration! @LittleBigTown jumps on the #glamjam bandwagon. @moanilee @apes_lewis @tiffanygiffordstyle @johnnylavoy @richardcollinshair #24kmagic @brunomars #acmawards #countrymusic #thebandwagontour #geton

A post shared by Miranda Lambert (@mirandalambert) on Apr 15, 2018 at 6:51pm PDT

Introducing Idyllwind

Since it seems there’s nothing this woman cannot do, we were hardly surprised when she announced she had partnered with Boot Barn to bring the world a collection in her spirit, titled Idyllwind. The clothing and boots all have her signature style written all over them, and girls with country flair will be coveting every piece.

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My new clothing & boot line @idyllwind is all about loving who you are and being comfortable in your own skin. Shop online at Idyllwind.com and in @boot_barn_official stores.

A post shared by Miranda Lambert (@mirandalambert) on Sep 12, 2018 at 10:25am PDT

Pistol Annie’s Return with Interstate Gospel

Beyond her extremely successful solo career, Lambert is a member of girl group Pistol Annies with longtime friends and songwriting partners Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley. Fans were overjoyed when the artist hinted that they could be writing new material, and within the year we had our third studio album from the Pistol Annies. Never ones to shy from real life or hard subjects, the 14 track Interstate Gospel is full of light, life, hurt and happiness, everything we’ve come to expect from these three women wise beyond their years.

“Dumb Blonde” Duet with Dolly Parton

In what we can only imagine to be an extremely exciting moment in Lambert’s life, she was asked by country icon Dolly Parton to join her on her reimagined version of a 1960’s song of hers, “Dumb Blonde.” In honor of the recently released Netflix original film Dumplin’, about a woman inspired by Dolly Parton. And what better sassy blonde to revamp the track than Miranda?

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Jason Aldean Year in Review

Jason Aldean is no stranger to whirlwind years. Since the release of his self-titled debut album in 2005, the Georgia native and singer-songwriter has dominated the country music industry. And while this year began shortly after the birth of his first son and third child, there was still so much to celebrate in his career, not just family life. And that’s not to mention the incredible news the couple shared this summer that Brittany was pregnant again, and that Aldean would be the father to a third girl, bringing his brood to a total of 4. With all that love enveloping the artist, it’s no surprise it gushed over into his work and made this year one of his best yet.

“You Make It Easy”

A song written from the artists’ heart by two of the couples closest friends as well as the members of Florida Georgia Line, the gentlemen were not secretive about the song being an homage to their beloved wives. That was exactly what Aldean had on his mind as he first heard it, and shared it with his wife Brittany. The heartwarming backstory behind the hit song makes it even sweeter, and a lot of us weren’t sure that was possible. A release like this one at the turn of the new year was a great way to kick off one of the artists best years to date.

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2018 is here and that means new music! Here is the first single from the new album 'Rearview Town,’ called “You Make It Easy.” Let us know what you think about it. ‪https://jasonaldean.lnk.to/easy‬

A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) on Jan 25, 2018 at 9:06pm PST

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#YouMakeItEasy is out now on @AppleMusic. You know I had to play it first for my No. 1 fan 🎸.

A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) on Jan 26, 2018 at 12:32pm PST

FOURTH No. 1 Album on Billboard 200

The release of Review Town marked the Georgia natives eighth studio album, and the fourth consecutive to debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200 charts.  One of only a few artists to achieve such a distinction, Aldean was sure to let his fans know how touched and humbled he was by their support.

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What a week! Thanks to everyone who has been listening to the new album! EOTY and a #1 album in the same week is pretty damn cool! Big thanks to my ALDEAN ARMY! 🏆💿

A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) on Apr 23, 2018 at 9:00pm PDT

Opening of Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar

Sometimes it seems as though all of country music’s living legends have a restaurant on Broadway in Nashville. From Redneck Riveria owned by John Rich of Big & Rich to Alan Jackson’s AJ’s to the newer FGL House owned by Florida Georgia Line and Blake Sheltlon’s Ole Red, it was only a matter of time before we saw something pop up from Jason Aldean. And that we did.

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Well its official...... @jasonaldeans is my new favorite place!!! thanks to everyone for coming out last night to help us open our new rooftop bar and restaurant. #cmafest #lowerbroadway #nashville. Photo Cred 📷 @josephllanes

A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) on Jun 7, 2018 at 1:20pm PDT

High Noon Neon Tour

This kick off of the High Noon Neon tour marked the ninth headlining tour of the artists’ career. With his wife and newborn son in tow, the singer crisscrossed the nation making over 30 stops. Joined by rising stars Luke Combs and Lauren Alaina, the group brought the party to town every night with no loss of enthusiasm.

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Just announced the High Noon Neon Tour today. We Have more big news coming your way soon. I have a feeling 2018 is gonna be a special one! #getreadyforit

A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) on Jan 18, 2018 at 6:17pm PST

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this kid is a trooper. We have packed him up and taken him all over the country this year. 2 more days on his first tour and we are headed home. ✌🏼

A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) on Sep 28, 2018 at 4:22pm PDT

A Bucket List Performance at Suntrust Stadium

Any Jason Aldean fan surely knows about his love for his home state of Georgia and the sports teams that also hail from the land of peaches. A lifelong Atlanta Braves fan, the platinum selling artist dreamed of playing in the stadium that hosted so many games he grew up watching. Earlier this year, that dream became a reality, and he was sure not to take a moment for granted. Getting to spend the afternoon there with his family was a “really special day” for Aldean.

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Been waiting to check this one off my bucket list for a long time. Atlanta here we come!!!#suntrustpark #homeofthebraves #atlanta

A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) on Jul 20, 2018 at 7:51pm PDT

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pretty cool moment getting to hang with the family at @suntrustpark today before the show. Really special day for me and my family. Cant wait to play for u guys tonite in the ATL. #lifelongbravesfan

A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) on Jul 21, 2018 at 1:00pm PDT

[alwayssummerblog]

Dierks Bentley Year in Review

As one of country music’s favorite artists, Dierks Bentley has never a shortage of stuff to keep busy with. The ever talented singer-songwriter seems to always be moving from one venture to the next, with no loss of enthusiasm or commitment to each of his projects. Perhaps the most impressive is his ability to create music and undertakings best suited to his lifestyle, brand and values. This past year was no different, from his introduction to the world of apparel to his sixteenth No. 1 country airplay hit to his latest restaurant opening, the 14-time Grammy nominated artist has seemingly done it all, and in only a year.

Nashville’s First Whiskey Row

The Arizona native got his introduction to the restaurant business in his home state, ultimately opening three of his “American Gastropubs” in Scottsdale, Tempe and Gilbert. However, in early January of this year, the artist made his restaurant debut in his current hometown, Nashville. Broadway is packed with legendary and historic bars and venues, as well as a healthy dose of places opened in recent years by some of Nashville’s biggest names. With the opening of Whiskey Row on Broadway, Bentley joined a club that includes Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan, to name a few. If you ever find yourself in Music City, they’re all worth checking out, if not just for a drink or their neon signs.

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#nashville tonight we make it official

A post shared by Dierks Bentley (@dierksbentley) on Jan 14, 2018 at 4:47pm PST

“Woman, Amen”

Kicking off the year with a single, and a No. 1 country airplay hit at that, Bentley wasted no time introducing us to his latest album, The Mountain, which was released in its entirety in June. This track is a rather personal one to the artist, telling Billboard it was inspired by his wife of thirteen years, Cassidy Black. As for her reaction to this grand gesture? “She’s been around me too long. I’ve come back from so many writing appointments over the past 12 years like ‘I wrote this song about you’ and she’s like, ‘Just because it’s a love song doesn’t mean it’s about me.’ She can see through things.” That sounds like the woman who stole Bentley’s heart. More seriously, he later explains the reason he chose this track to be the leadoff single, “I feel like it all starts at home with my wife. She is who grounds me, she is also the one who has helped me to grow as a person over all these years, so I feel if I’m going to tell these stories [on this album] right, I need to start with her.” Aww!

Debut Clothing Line, Desert Son

Never one to limit his scope of opportunity, when the possibility of a clothing line came in the picture, Bentley jumped at the chance with a self-proclaimed “really big yes.” Mens brand Flag & Anthem, as explained on their site “was started by two real guys, just like you.” Later extrapolating, “We want to be neither fashion victims nor executioners. And so we created Flag & Anthem to fill that void.” Sounds like a perfect fit for the “Burning Man” singer. And his collection, designed in collaboration with the brand, is a perfect representation of the star’s signature look. Ranging from the graphic raglan tees, hoodies, hats and a few shirts tailored to fit women, you’ll want it all, for yourself and gifts.

The Mountain High Tour

Bentley’s thirteenth headlining tour kicked off in spring of this year, and featured opening acts Brothers Osborne and LANCO.  With over 30 stops crisscrossing the United States, the boys made quite a splash at every stop. They finished the tour with a stop at the iconic Hollywood Bowl, an experience Bentley says he’s cherished ever since. When interviewed on the subject of the Burning Man Tour, his next headlining gig, he said “I’m still coming off the high of playing Hollywood Bowl and the last tour.” We probably would be too!

“Burning Man”

Bentley’s second single of the year, “Burning Man” hit airwaves on May 31 and featured singer-songwriter duo and real life siblings, the Brothers Osborne. The singer didn’t write this track himself, as he often does, but said in an interview with People that “I felt an immediate connection to the lyrics. The idea that we all are a little bit of everything… a little bit holy water and a little bit burning man… really resonated with me.” So how did the Brothers Osborne end up featured? In the same interview, he explained “I love Brothers Osborne both as musicians and people and I knew they would connect to the song like I did.” And that they did, he recalls reaching out to his tourmates, “I texted them up and they immediately texted back, like within two minutes.” Prior to the Mountain High tour, of which the Brothers Osborne opened for Bentley, the headliner said “We all can’t wait to hear the crowd singing along with us.”

Seven Peaks Music Festival

Over the Labor Day Weekend, the ever entrepreneurial artist debuted his Seven Peaks music and camping festival in Bueno Vista, Colorado. The three-day event featured a killer lineup with performances from the festivals creator himself, his former and future tourmates Brothers Osborne and Lanco as well as friends such as superstar Miranda Lambert and duo Dan + Shay. The event was a huge success with fans constantly asking if they can expect a sequel next spring. We think our odds are good.

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A brand new destination experience coming to Buena Vista, Colorado this Labor Day weekend! Join Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Brothers Osborne and many more for a weekend full of country music and camping! Passes on sale 4/20 at 10am MT. #TheMountainsAreCalling

A post shared by Seven Peaks (@sevenpeaksfest) on Apr 5, 2018 at 6:49am PDT

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2018 Highlights: MegaCountry’s Top Three Festivals Of The Year

This past year has been full of amazing shows and festivals and we decided to see which ones were your top favorites of 2018! Check out the highlights below and relive the best moments from three of this year’s most epic festivals.

1. Seven Peaks Festival 

Dierks Bentley partnered with Live Nation this past summer, to launch the inaugural Seven Peaks Music Festival. Set against the scenic mountain view of Buena Vista, Colorado, fans traveled from all over the world, coming together for three days of one of the most-uniquely curated festival lineups this year.

"It’s going to take a few days, maybe weeks, for me to process that Seven Peaks actually happened, and happened at the highest possible level,” said Bentley in a statement. "Everything about this journey was so special, from the initial seed of an idea, to the last song sung on Sunday night. I couldn’t be more proud of the team that came together to create this, and the fans that adopted the festival so quickly and easily, and have made it their own. Without a doubt I can say this festival is at the very top of any career achievements I’ve had.” “It’s been a long journey to get to this day, when we can say the inaugural Seven Peaks Music Festival is under wraps,” said Brian O’Connell, President Of Country Touring at Live Nation. “We wanted everything about this festival to be unique and so that meant that no stone was left unturned. I’m so proud of Dierks, his team and my team for this weekend. From the vibe, to the setting, to the first-class music, it is one we won’t ever forget.”

Artist: Dierks Bentley. Photo: Erika Goldring, Getty Images

Get the full gallery HERE!

2. Windy City LakeShake Festival 

After a long windy winter, Chicago opened itself up for a scorching summer and even hotter talent. And what better way is there to celebrate summer than with good food, friends and country music! On June 22-24, Chicago hosted one of the biggest country music festivals of the summer, LakeShake, and fans from all over crowded the Huntington Bank Pavillion and the surrounding area to see all of their favorite artists!

The 4th annual LakeShake festival included a variety of country stars, such as Blake Shelton, LANCO, Dierks Bentley, Florida Georgia Line and RaeLynn. LakeShake was also the perfect festival to check out up and coming acts such as Jillian Jacqueline.

Artist: RaeLynn. Photo: Barry Brecheisen, MegaCountry

Check out the official gallery HERE!

3. iHeartCountry Festival

For the fifth year in a row, country’s biggest stars came to the iHeartCountry Festival to impress a wide variety of country fans.

Taking top billing this year was Luke Bryan, Maren Morris, Keith Urban and Sugarland. The festival, sponsored exclusively by AT&T, took place at Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. Dustin Lynch, Cole Swindell, Luke Combs, Billy Currington, Dan + Shay, Jon Pardi and Brett Young were also on the bill.

The line-up featured a stellar mix of some of country music's established acts in Bryan and Urban, while also showcasing the new talent coming out of Nashville in artists like Luke Combs and Brett Young. iHeart's own, fan-favorite radio DJ, Bobby Bones, hosted the show. The festival's benefiting charity this year was St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which has had a longtime standing partnership with the country music community and continues to be the beneficiary of many various events throughout the year.

“What makes this Festival special is that it is the one night the A-list of Country Music comes together to perform live, collaborate with friends and spend time together as a family," said John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises for iHeart Media told Variety exclusively of the announce. “Everyone stays to support each other until the last band has walked off stage."

Artist: Luke Bryan. Photo: Gary Miller, Getty Images

Check out the full gallery from this year’s fest HERE!