LUKE COMBS’ NEW SONG “JOE” OUT TODAY

Country superstar and reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Combs’ new song, “Joe,” written by Combs, Erik Dylan and James Slater, is out today. Listen/share HERE

Of the song, Combs shares, “There have been some folks in my family that have struggled with alcoholism and addiction through the years, I’ve got buddies who live a sober lifestyle, and I’m sure y’all know someone who has struggled with these types of things, or maybe you yourself do. This song is really important to me for that reason. Our genre has so many songs about drinking and partying, hell, I’m probably one of the worst culprits of it. There’s nothing wrong with that I don’t think, but sometimes I wonder what someone in the crowd who doesn’t drink or struggles with addiction is thinking or feeling when there’s thousands of people around them screaming ‘Beer Never Broke My Heart’ or ‘1, 2 Many.’ I’ve always wanted a song for those people to have for themselves. To have a song they can sing at the top of their lungs and feel like they’re not forgotten. When Erik Dylan sent me the work tape of this a few years back, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. So, if you’re reading this and this song speaks to you, I hope you love it. This one’s for you.” 

“Joe” is the third song unveiled from Combs’ new album, Gettin’ Old—a companion to his acclaimed 2022 record, Growin’ Up—which will be released March 24 via River House Artists/Columbia Nashville (pre-order here). Produced by Combs, Chip Matthews and Jonathan SingletonGettin’ Old is Combs’ fourth full-length album following Growin’ Up, 2019’s 3x Platinum What You See is What You Get and his 4x Platinum debut, This One’s For You. Across these eighteen tracks, including a rendition of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” Combs continues to establish himself as one of music’s most authentic and powerful voices, as he explores themes of family, legacy, love and personal growth. 

Ahead of the release, Combs has unveiled two additional album tracks: “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” and “Love You Anyway,” of which The New York Times praises, “His bellow is more stable, his emotional presence more dignified. But there’s still something of a purring engine inside songs like ‘Love You Anyway,’” while Billboard declares, “it immediately sounds like one of his strongest to date.”

Reflecting on the album, Combs shares, “This album is about the stage of life I’m in right now. One that I’m sure a lot of us are in, have been through, or will go through. It’s about coming of age, loving where life is now but at the same time missing how it used to be, continuing to fall for the one you love and loving them no matter what, living in the moment but still wondering how much time you have left, family, friends, being thankful, and leaving a legacy. Me and so many others have poured their hearts and souls into this record, and I hope you love it as much as we do.”     

Furthermore, Combs will kick off his massive World Tour next month with sixteen North American stadium shows, all of which sold out immediately. With 39 shows across 3 continents and 16 countries, the record-breaking run is the largest tour ever for a country artist. The upcoming trek includes shows at Arlington, TX’s AT&T Stadium, Nashville’s Nissan Stadium and Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium, as well as stops in Australia, New Zealand, U.K., Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, France and Belgium. See below for complete tour itinerary. 

A member of the Grand Ole Opry and an 8x CMA, 3x ACM, 3x Billboard Music Award-winner, Combs is in the midst of a historic series of years. Most recently, he was named CMA Entertainer of the Year for the second-consecutive year this past November and recently earned his record-setting, fourteenth-consecutive #1 single with “The Kind of Love We Make.” Continuing his monumental run at country radio, Combs’ current single, “Going, Going, Gone,” is currently top 3 and rising. Additionally, with his 2019 release, What You See Ain’t Always What You Get, Combs reached #1 on Rolling Stone’s Top 200 Albums chart, Top 100 Songs chart and Artists 500 chart—the first country artist ever to lead all three charts in the same week and first to top the Artists 500. 

GETTIN’ OLD TRACK LIST

1. Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old

2. Hannah Ford Road

3. Back 40 Back

4. You Found Yours

5. The Beer, The Band and The Barstool

6. Still

7. See Me Now

8. Joe

9. A Song Was Born

10. My Song Will Never Die

11. Where the Wild Things Are

12. Love You Anyway

13. Take You With Me

14. Fast Car

15. Tattoo on a Sunburn

16. 5 Leaf Clover

17. Fox in the Henhouse

18. The Part

Lindsay Ell Crushes Day 3, at Stagecoach

As the sun began to set on Stagecoach 2022, a familiar voice rang out from the Mane Stage. Lindsay Ell took the stage, on day three, and put on a high energy performance, filled with guest appearances and her latest chart topping hits, which got the 75,000 fans on their feet and singing along, prior to headliner Luke Combs, taking the stage.

Dressed in neon green, Lindsay began her set with an infectious amount of energy that spilled over to the crowd, who quickly began singing along to “Criminal” and didn’t stop until her final song, “What Happens In A Small Town“.

During her performance, the crowd of 75,000, was treated to Lindsay’s latest release, “Right on Time“. a song that Lindsay told me, was “near and dear to her heart, because of the constant pressure that is placed on women, by society, to fall in love, get married and have kids; all by a certain age.” She stated, “women are beautiful and should be empowered to live their life on their own timeline; write their own stories.” Before performing “Right on Time” at Stagecoach, Lindsay dedicated the song to women everywhere, as a reminder that they “can’t be late to their own party.” The statement was greeted cheers as the women, and some men in the crowd, recognized the realness of her statement.

Shortly after that song, Lindsay and her band, had a little fun with the crowd, by squirting them with water guns, then quickly returned to the stage to introduce special guests, Cheat Codes, for their next song, “How Do You Love“. The trio and Lindsay, proceeded to perform their smash hit, while the crowd danced, sang and throughly enjoyed the moment. The end of Lindsay’s set was capped, with her most popular song to date, “What Happens in a Small Town“, a song featuring Brantley Gilbert.

Although Lindsay’s performances are entertaining, because of her incredible guitar skills, crowd interaction, and high energy throughout the set, this one felt very different. Good different. This was, easily, one of my favorite performances of Stagecoach weekend. Lindsay’s energy provided an atmosphere that we hadn’t experienced since the beginning of the pandemic. Lindsay was captivating throughout and reminded us, of just how much fun live music can be, and how much we’ve missed it!

Thank you, Lindsay!

If you’d like to experience Lindsay Ell’s phenomenal performance for yourself, be sure to follow her on all social media platforms, and catch her opening for Shania Twain this summer.

For more info about Lindsay Ell, check out LindsayEll.com

Photo: @JesusRosasPhotos

Holiday State debuts Festival Anthem ‘Indio’

When the weather get’s warmer in the Coachella Valley, it only means one thing… Festival Season! This year, April marks the return of Coachella and Stagecoach, after a two year hiatus due to covid. Just in time for our local festivals, the country trio, Holiday State, has released the song “Indio”, which promises to be a festival-fan favorite for years to come.

Holiday State, is a pop-country trio made up of brothers Brandon, Brett & Bryan DeLaura. The group hails from Ranch Santa Margarita, California, and has released several singles throughout their career and expect to drop their first EP in fall of 2022. The brothers have stated that being of Hawaiian and Hispanic descent they find musical influence in their culture, as well as their music they grew up listening to during their childhood.

Holiday State’s latest song, “Indio”, is another addition to their catchy, feel good style, that instantly transports listeners into a festive, chill-vibe. The song has already been streamed over 15k times, and has been shared on social media, by none other than Waymond Fermon, the Mayor of Indio.

The trio’s list of feel good songs don’t end with “Indio”, the brothers have also released popular singles, such as “Friday Feelin” and “Where I Wanna Be“. It is easy to see that Holiday State is well on their way to becoming rising stars on the pop country scene, with more than enough talent to perform at Stagecoach, TailgateFest, or any number of country festivals throughout the US.

We look forward to future hits from Holiday State and forsee them headlining at a concert venue, near you.

Be sure to check out HolidayState.com for their latest music and upcoming shows.

Stagecoach Preview

Stagecoach Country Music Festival is 10 days away, and it promises to be an amazing weekend filled with phenomenal artists and activities throughout Stagecoach venue. This year’s festival continues Goldenvoice’s excellent run of Stagecoach headliners with Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Luke Combs. In addition to this year’s incredible lineup, fan favorites Guy Fieri’s Stagecoach Smokehouse, the SiriusXM Spotlight Stage and the Honkytonk Dance Hall are also returning to the festival.

As always, the headliners are a “Must Watch”, but we’ve compiled a list of several artists, that we look forward to watching during Stagecoach weekend.

Here’s a list of artists that we believe you “Must Watch”:

Walker County– Sisters Ivy Dene and Sophie Dawn create a unique blend of country music that was inspired by the sounds of middle America, which they group up on. Now having spent years honing their skills, Walker County is ready to carry on the heritage of country music with their modern-traditional blend. Walker County performs on the SiriusXM stage at 2:20pm on Friday

Jordan DavisJordan Davis has been named “Artist to Watch” by Billboard, Rolling Stone, CMT and several other outlets. His hits, “Cool Anymore”, Slow Dance in the Parking Lot” and “Buy Dirt”, have helped Davis accumulate over 2 billion streams worldwide.

Reyna Roberts– With hits like, “Stomping Grounds”, 67 (Winchester), and “Raised Right”; Reyna Roberts is well on her way to super stardom. She is one of our most anticipated artists to watch during Stagecoach weekend.

Travis Denning– Hits like “After a Few”, “David Ashley Parker from Powder Springs” and “Red, White and Blue”, have made Travis Denning a fan favorite and one of the most anticipated artists to watch during Stagecoach weekend. His set promises to get the crowd on their feet and singing along, from beginning to end.

Hardy– His latest album “A Rock” is phenomenal!!! Just push play, sit back and enjoy it. We’re looking forward to seeing him live, for the first time.

Lindsay Ell– One of our favorite Bad Ass Women of Country, returns to Stagecoach! If you’ve never seen Lindsay shred on her guitar, LIVE… you’re missing out! She is one of the most talented guitarist we’ve ever seen. Be sure to watch her set… you will not be disappointed

Cody Johnson– Known for his explosive live shows and electrifying stage presence Cody Johnson’s set will be a party from beginning to end. CoJo Nation will be rockin’, singing and dancing on the last night of Stagecoach!

For set times, tickets and other info, check out StagecoachFestival.com

Stagecoach Line Dance Competition Recap

Another year of Stagecoach Line Dancing Competition is in the books, and this year’s competition was another welcome step towards normalcy. Over 25 competitors danced their way into the Stagecoach Festival competition, and at the end a few were offered an opportunity to join the Stagecoach HonkTonk Dance Team. Dancers from across Southern California converged on Fantasy Springs Resort Casino for the two hour competition with dreams of being one of the fortunate four winners.

As in years past, the event DJ was Big John Miller, who provided competitors and guests, current and classic line dance songs, to keep everyone dancing. Big John was also the MC of the event and called out the upcoming songs & dances for the competition.

In a surprising twist to the event, all 8 of the finalists were female, which caused one of the judges to jokingly add, that “the guys need to step their game up, for next year.”

When the final four winners were chosen, tears were shed, hugs were given and dreams were realized. It was an emotional conclusion to an action packed day.

(Video and photos of the event may be viewed on Big John Miller’s Facebook page or on Coachella Valley Country’s Instagram & Facebook pages)

Tickets to Stagecoach Festival can still be purchased from StagecoachFestival.com

Road To Stagecoach Begins Thursdays at Fantasy Springs Casino

Stagecoach Country Music Festival is next month, but the fun of the Stagecoach HonkyTonk has already begun! Every Thursday is Country Night at Lit Lounge, located inside Fantasy Springs Resort & Casino.

Along with great music, live bands, food and drink specials, guests also have an opportunity to win Stagecoach Festival wristbands. Three winners will be selected (one a week) leading up to the Stagecoach Line Dance Competition, which will be held on March 12, inside the Lit Lounge.

At the line dance competition, six winners will be selected by representatives from the Stagecoach HonkyTonk and may be asked to join the HonkyTonk Dance Team.

Dates and Details of the event can be found at StagecoachFestival.com

JIMMIE ALLEN DEBUTS MAGICAL NEW VIDEO FOR SINGLE “MAKE ME WANT TO” TODAY ON CMT

Breakout country star, Jimmie Allen made a splash in New York’s Times Square today with the premiere of his eye-popping new music video on Viacom’s Times Square billboard. The fun and fantastical video for his current single “Make Me Want To” also made its premiere today across CMT platforms as well. Watch the comical video HERE.

“I’m a huge fan of Disney, Harry Potter and ‘The Notebook.’ I wanted to create a video that showcased my love for all three,” Allen shared with CMT. “I feel like authenticity is celebrated today more than ever so with this video I really wanted highlight my quirky side.”

Shot in Franklin and Nashville, Tenn., the video CMT describes as “magical and positively effervescent” was conceptualized by Allen and directed by Justin Nolan Key. The special effects-laden and often humorous video spotlights both Allen’s creativity and natural comedic ability. From a fairy godmother to a magic wand and a romantic love connection to dancing in the rain, the video shares a unique and magical narrative that gives fans a look inside Allen’s subconscious.

“I love that the video focuses on the action and the music is in the background,” Allen continues. “Enjoy Chapter 1! This is the first of a five-part music video collection. Thanks to everyone for going on this journey with me and stay tuned for more!”

“Make Me Want To,” which The Boot called “an infectious, romantic romp,” was most added at Country Radio with 61 stations reporting in its first week and is currently making its way up the chart. Written by Allen with Paul Sikes and Jennifer Denmark, the song is the follow up to his debut No. 1 “Best Shot,” and the second single off his Stoney Creek Records / BBR Music Group debut album Mercury Lane, an album Rolling Stone praises as “a sturdy, hits-packed collection that…challenges the narrowly defined model of what constitutes a next big thing in country music.”

The Delaware native recently wrapped runs on Scotty McCreery’s Seasons Change Tour and Kane Brown’s Live Forever Tour. Catch Allen on the road this summer as support on Chris Young’s Raised on Country Tour and Rascal Flatts’ Summer Playlist Tour.

For more information and tour dates, visit www.jimmieallenmusic.com.

About Jimmie Allen:
The epitome of the phrase “persistence pays off,” Jimmie Allen laid it all on the line to make his dreams a reality. Now signed to BBR Music Group’s Stoney Creek Records, Allen’s debut single “Best Shot” is a certified hit, claiming the top spot as the No. 1 Most Shazamed song in the format for eight consecutive weeks, and the No. 1 spot on Country radio for three weeks, marking the first time a black artist has launched a career with a No. 1 hit with their debut single on country radio. On the heels of that historic success, Allen is back with his latest single, “Make Me Want To” which was most added at country radio in its first week with 61 stations.

“Make Me Want To” is the second single off his Stoney Creek Records / BBR Music Group debut album Mercury Lane released Oct. 12, 2018. Named in tribute to the street he grew up on and the origin of his incredible journey, Mercury Lane was produced by Ash Bowers and Eric Torres and features a cutting-edge mix of country, rock, R&B and pop that draws upon the influence of his family and small-town upbringing of the critically-acclaimed rising star. Rolling Stone raved Allen’s debut “challenges the narrowly defined model of what constitutes a next big thing in country music in 2018” and The New York Times dubbed it one of 2018’s strongest, calling it “a conventional country album, filled with songs about the small details.”

The Southern Delaware native’s talent for songwriting is undeniable, having written a song that was featured in a Super Bowl commercial and appearing in a Diet Coke ad with megastar Taylor Swift. “Blue Jean Baby,” off his debut self-titled EP, immediately caught the attention of country music fans and critics alike with its soulful groove— rocketing it to the top of digital playlists, across all genres. Allen recently wrapped his run on Scotty McCreery’s Seasons Change Tour as well as Kane Brown’s Live Forever Tour.  He will also be hitting the road this summer as support on Chris Young’s Raised on Country Tour and Rascal Flatts’ Summer Playlist Tour. The hot newcomer was heralded as one of the top “artists to watch in 2018” by Rolling StoneBillboard, Pandora, Sounds Like NashvilleNY Country SwagCountry Music Rocks and New England Country Music and has earned spots in CMT’s “18 for 2018” Listen Up program and Bobby Bones’ Class of 2018. For more information, visit jimmieallenmusic.com.

Old Dominion at The NOVO, Los Angeles

On December 3, 2016, we were fortunate enough to attain a photo credential to photograph  Old Dominion and Steve Moakler during their performance at The NOVO in Los Angeles.

We entered The NOVO and immediately felt out of place. Almost everyone was wearing camouflage or plaid. I made a mental note to purchase more camo attire, next chance I got. We got in line to get pit passes, which are handed out to the first 500 people once you are inside the venue. While in, line we chatted up with a few people and enjoyed a drink.

Steve Moakler took the stage around 8pm and got the crowd pumped up. I had never heard of him until that night, but I quickly became a fan. The energy he brought that night resonated throughout the venue. He and his band put on a great performance.

By the time Old Dominion hit the stage, the crowd was amped up and feeling good. Old Dominion did not disappoint their fans. They had the right mix of music and crowd interaction, which kept everyone entertained the entire night.

After the show, the common theme that every fan I spoke with shared was that “These guys really love what they do.” I would have to agree. Matt, Trevor, Brad, Geoff and Whit really seem to love playing together and their confidence, love and passion for making music spills over into the crowd, who in turn, love what them in return.

This is by far one of my favorite concert experiences and I would definitely recommend everyone attend an Old Dominion concert, next time they come to a town near you.

 

You can see photos of Old Dominion in our gallery or at www.JesusRosasPhotos.photoshelter.com

(Very Special Thanks to Olivia Hanceri and Essential Broadcast Media, for allowing me to photograph the event)