Nordstrom and Karen Fairchild (of the Grammy-winning band Little Big Town) hosted world-renowned designer Christian Louboutin at Karen and Jimi’s private home in Nashville for an exclusive and intimate cocktail event on Tuesday night. Karen, an icon in both country music and the Nashville fashion scene, feted the designer’s inaugural visit with the city’s biggest country music stars, music industry executives and fashion influencers. James “JC” Curleigh, CEO of Gibson guitars, presented Mr. Louboutin with a custom Gibson guitar in signature Louboutin red. The party concluded with a musical performance by Nashville rising stars The Brummies, Fancy and Lucie Silvas. Some of the famous faces who attended the party included Martina McBride, Jesse James Decker, Kellie Pickler, the Brothers Osborne John Osborne, Old Dominion’s Brad Tursi, Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler, among others.

The party celebrates the Christian Louboutin Optical Illusions Spring/Summer 2019 collection at Nordstrom. Nashville is Mr. Louboutin’s second stop in a three-city Nordstrom personal appearance tour, including Nordstrom Topanga, Nordstrom The Mall at Green Hills, and Nordstrom Michigan Avenue.

The second round of performers for this year’s ACM Awards have been announced. Dierks Bentley and Eric Church have been added to the list of performers, along with Brooks & Dunn, Brandi Carlile, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line and Ashley McBryde. They join previously announced performers Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Little Big Town, Reba McEntire, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett, Miranda Lambert and Kane Brown.

Dierks Bentley received four nominations, including his fourth nod for Album of the Year for The Mountain. Dierks is also nominated for “Burning Man” (featuring Brothers Osborne) in both the Music Event of the Year category and Video of the Year category. He is also nominated for Male Artist of the Year. If he were to win for Video of the Year this year, it would mark his third win in this category.

Eric Church is nominated in the Album of the Year category for his recent collection, Desperate Man. Eric who has seven ACM Awards to his credit, last won the Album of the Year category in 2013 with Chief. The North Carolina native is making his way across the country with his Double Down Tour, which include his next stops in Chicago, Milwaukee and Dallas.

Additional acts and presenters for the ACM Awards will be announced in the coming weeks.

The 54th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba, will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 7th at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

George Strait has announced he’ll headline a show at Gillette Stadium August 17th. Blake Shelton, Cody Johnson and Caitlyn Smith will open for King George, but we’re not entirely sure Blake is aware he’ll be supporting one of his musical idols (see video below). Tickets for the stadium show will go on sale Friday, March 29th at 10am ET.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvL_0WphJLL/

George is zooming up the country charts with his song, “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar,” from his brand new album, Honky Tonk Time Machine, which is available March 29th.

Eric Church had a busy weekend on his Double Down Tour in Greensboro, North Carolina this past weekend. For one, the Granite Falls, North Carolina native went out front on the concourse of the Greensboro Coliseum before doors opened to hang with fans.  he also played over three and a half hours both Friday and Saturday night and paid tribute to NASCAR Legend, the late, great Dale Earnhardt, with his No. 1 song, “Talladega.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvJtx1iBVfw/

Eric also paid tribute to NASCAR Legend, the late, great Dale Earnhardt. He brought out a flag emblazoned with the No. 3 on it (signifying Earnhardt’s car) and sang his No. 1 hit, “Talladega.” The race car driver’s son — also a NASCAR champ — Dale Earnhardt Junior — responded to fans and Eric on Twitter saying, “Dad would love this. All his fans and family certainly appreciate the respect @ericchurch”

Dad would love this. All his fans and family certainly appreciate the respect @ericchurch https://t.co/VvYVUqzUVu

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) March 16, 2019

Eric is climbing the country charts with his latest song, “Some of It,” which is from his Desperate Man album. Eric takes his Double Down Tour to Chicago and Milwaukee next.

Since announcing his plans to no longer tour in the traditional sense: city-after-city, night-after-night, American music icon George Strait has redefined what it looks like to entertain crowds in the 21st century. From his 22-and-counting sell-out shows at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, to one-off performances at New Orleans’ Superdome and Austin’s Frank Erwin Center, to his upcoming March 30 performance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the man The New Yorker calls “country’s most consistent hitmaker” has discovered an entirely different way to engage and entertain his fans with select 2+ hour shows throughout the year. His latest: tonight’s show in Houston, Texas, on the heels of RODEOHOUSTON® and Strait’s 30th performance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™.

As the Texas native stepped onto his signature in-the-round stage, he greeted the crowd with a wave and a smile having been told moments before he had set a new record for a concert event at NRG Stadium with 80,108 fans in attendance, besting his previous attendance record set in 2013 of 80,020. The Houston Chronicle calls Strait “a living legend among country music greats,” adding of tonight’s show, “there was energy and enthusiasm in every verse and lyric,” before further noting he is one of five entertainers to have performed in front of more than 1 million RODEOHOUSTON fans.

Strait kicked off the night with one of his crossover No. 1’s “Write This Down” before covering a setlist spanning his 30 studio albums.

When Strait introduced the lead single “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar” from Honky Tonk Time Machine, his new album due out March 29th on longtime label home MCA Nashville, the crowd erupted, singing along from the first verse. Strait’s grandson, Harvey, also joined the troubadour on stage for a special performance of “God and Country Music.”

Strait produced his forthcoming 30th studio album alongside Chuck Ainlay and wrote 8 of the 13 songs including a co-write and feature with Willie Nelson marking the first time the two have collaborated on a song. Album pre-order is available HERE and fans can hear new songs including the title track, single “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar,” “Código,” “God and Country Music” and latest, “The Weight of the Badge,” now.

Honky Tonk Time Machine track listing:
1. “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar”
Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
2. “Two More Wishes”
Written by Jim Lauderdale and Odie Blackmon
3. “Some Nights”
Written by Bubba Strait, Brice Long and Phillip White
4. “God and Country Music” (with Harvey Strait)
Written by Luke Laird, Barry Dean and Lori McKenna
5. “Blue Water”
Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
6. “Sometimes Love”
Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
7. “Código”
Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
8. “Old Violin”
Written by Johnny Paycheck
9. “Take Me Away”
Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
10. “The Weight of the Badge”
Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon
11. “Honky Tonk Time Machine”
Written by Bubba Strait, Brice Long and Bart Butler
12. “What Goes Up”
Written by George Strait, Bubba Strait and Jeff Hyde
13. “Sing One with Willie” (featuring Willie Nelson)
Written by George Strait, Willie Nelson, Bubba Strait and Buddy Cannon

With an unmatched 60 singles hitting the top of the charts – more than any other artist in any genre – during the span of his 30-year career, Strait has collected 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums, more than any country artist and ranking third across all genres behind only The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait is the only act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades and has sold nearly 70 million albums and earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards, including induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

The Country Music Hall of Famer recently played his 21st and 22nd sold-out shows at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The “Strait to Vegas” series began with six shows in 2016 and extended with 10 more in 2017. In 2018, Strait headlined Bayou Country Superfest to a sold-out Mercedes-Benz Superdome crowd in New Orleans, Louisiana, two nights in Tulsa, Oklahoma and one night in Austin, Texas. This year, fans can catch Strait at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on March 30, Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on June 8, four additional engagements of “Strait to Vegas” at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on August 23 and 24 and December 6 and 7, and Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas on November 22 and 23. For more information, visit www.GeorgeStrait.com.

After a rousing start to his Double Down Tour, Eric Church spoke directly to his faithful Church Choir in a video message, announcing 13 added shows across eight cities (with multiple nights in select arenas) to his 2019 trek, Sept. 13 through Nov. 23, to follow the 19 cities previously announced this spring.

Yesterday, March 14, the ACM Album of the Year nominee told his fans “I don’t want to be two months from the end of this thing – so we’re going to play a little more… I can’t thank you enough for what this is and what I’m seeing every night. I appreciate everybody giving me everything they’ve got and I look forward to seeing you on the road!”

Church has set a new standard for touring with his back-to-back stands in each city of the Double Down Tour, with Rolling Stone pointing out each night’s unique “set list that dwarfs those of his country peers… where loose, funky explorations [are] given just as much space as the singer’s radio hits” and the Kansas City Star noting that the concept works “to showcase Church’s expansive range.” Thus far, Church has performed almost his entire catalogue from the span of his six studio albums, continuously introducing first-time performances as the tour progresses to make every show completely its own. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch also praised this structure of the tour, proclaiming “it was perfection. And then, after two hours and 45 minutes of music, it was over. Until the next night.”

In addition to unique set lists, each night of the tour has also seen elements specific to the host locations themselves. Church’s references to local venues he played in his earliest days and tribute-filled medleys have won crowds over in every city thus far – from Fenway Park classic “Sweet Caroline” in Boston to the falsetto notes of Prince’s “Kiss” in Minneapolis and a twangy version of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” in Detroit – leading Forbes to declare, “It’s a show where paying tribute to Merle Haggard in the first set and Queen in the second set feels natural.”

Church himself has also made a point to surprise unsuspecting fans with tickets to the pit encapsulated by the stage itself at various shows, handing out passes on the streets of Boston and in the top rows of the arena in Minneapolis.

A pit ticket pre-sale for all added shows except the Oct. 25 Little Rock, Ark. show (additional details below) begins on Tuesday, March 19 at 9:30 a.m. through the Eric Church Official App with an additional pre-sale for paid fan club members running from Tuesday, March 19 at 10:00 a.m. through Thursday, March 21 at 10:00 p.m. and tickets on sale to the general public on Friday, March 22 at 10:00 a.m. All times are local.

As Church takes over each added city, there will continue to be many new and exciting events happening throughout as well as unique merchandise available. As in the past, fans have the opportunity to pre-order These Boots by Lucchese or to purchase their own pair on site in the venue concourses. New this year, Jack Daniel’s has debuted an exclusive Eric Church Edition Single Barrel bottle, available at select liquor stores along each stop of the tour with engraving trucks set up for fans to personalize their bottles. Proceeds from this bottle will help support The Chief Cares Fund. For more details on Jack Daniel’s locations and how to pre-order These Boots, be sure to visit ericchurch.com.

Additionally, fans can prepare for upcoming tour dates with Apple Music’s new “Get Ready to Double Down” exclusive playlist and keep the celebration going all year long with “The Party Never Ends,” both available as part of a free three-month trial for new Apple Music subscribers (terms apply).

For more information visit www.ericchurch.com, download the Eric Church Official App and follow on Facebookand Twitter @ericchurch and on Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

Upcoming Double Down Tour Dates
March 15 & 16 – Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, N.C.*
March 22 & 23 – Allstate Arena, Chicago, Ill.*
March 29 & 30 – Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wis.*
April 12 & 13 – American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas*
April 19 & 20 – Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio*
April 26 & 27 – Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, S.C.*
May 3 & 4 – PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pa.*
May 10 & 11 – Pepsi Center, Denver, Colo.*
May 17 & 18 – STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, Calif.*
May 25 – Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.*
June 28 & 29 – The Gorge Amphitheatre, George, Wash.*
Sept. 13 & 14 – Resch Center, Green Bay, Wis.
Sept. 20 & 21 – Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
Oct. 11 & 12 – Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pa.
Oct. 25 – Verizon Arena, Little Rock, Ark.**
Nov. 1 – SNHU Arena, Manchester, N.H.
Nov. 2 – XL Center, Hartford, Conn.
Nov. 15 & 16 – The Anthem, Washington, D.C.
Nov. 22 & 23 – Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, Calif.
*previously announced dates

**The pit ticket pre-sale for the Oct. 25 Little Rock, Ark. begins on Tuesday, March 26 at 9:30 a.m. through the Eric Church Official App with the paid fan club member pre-sale running from Tuesday, March 26 at 10:00 a.m. through Thursday, March 28 at 10:00 p.m. and tickets on sale to the general public on Friday, March 29 at 10:00 a.m. All times are local.

Eric is currently making his way up the country charts with his latest hit, “Some of It.”

Jordan Davis is scheduled to perform on ABC’s Good Morning America for the first time on Wednesday (March 20th). According to him, appearing on GMA is the one thing that would convince his grandmother he’s a successful recording artist, even though he’s scored two No. 1 songs and scored several awards nominations.

“That’s the text message that kind of gives you chill bumps when you look and see you’re getting a chance to do something like Good Morning America,” says the Louisiana native. “To be honest with ya, in the eyes of my grandmother, I’ve officially made it. In her eyes, I’m on GMA, I might as well be in the Musicians Hall of Fame over here, you know?”

Jordan, who was just named Best New Country Artist at the iHeart Radio Music Awards and was recently named Billboard’s Top New Country Artist of 2018 as well as Country Aircheck/Mediabase’s Most Heard New Artist of 2018, is currently on the road with Old Dominion as part of the Make It Sweet Tour with upcoming stops in Madison, Wisconsin, St. Louis, Missouri and Omaha, Nebraska. He’ll join Rascal Flatts in July.

George Strait pays tribute to police officers with “The Weight of the Badge,” a song from his upcoming album, Honky Tonk Time Machine. He wrote the song with his son, Bubba, and frequent collaborator Dean Dillon.

“The Weight of the Badge” joins Strait’s current song, “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar,” as well as “God and Country Music” from the new album, available March 29th.

In addition to a few more shows at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas later this year, he will also play a show at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in Atlanta, Georgia, along with Chris Stapleton, Chris Janson and Ashley McBryde.

If you’re ever hanging out with your family, and you’ve exhausted other forms of entertainment, turn to board games. It could be Monopoly, Apples to Apples, Candyland, Chutes & Ladders, Scrabble, Battleship, Backgammon, Checkers, Life…or in Travis Denning‘s case, Sorry.

“My favorite board game is Sorry, and I think I love Sorry because it’s low-key savage. I mean, you could be about to win, and your mom or dad just completely ruin it. And I love being the person that ruins it for other people, so I’m going with Sorry.”

Travis, who just returned to the States after performing during the C2C Festival in the U-K, is making his way up the country charts with his latest song, “After a Few.”

Reigning Duo of the Year and Video of the Year winners, Brothers Osborne earned four nominations in three categories at this year’s ACM Awards, including a nod for Duo of the Year, which they’ve won three consecutive times.

The guys are thrilled just to be in the running with other such talented pairs. They’re nominated alongside Dan + Shay, Maddie & Tae, Florida Georgia Line and Locash.

“One of the things I love about the country music genre is that it’s a family,” says John Osborne. “We’re all really, really close. We’re all a bunch of misfits thrown together. We’re all a little different, but we love one another and respect one another, and I’m just honored for the both of us to be a part of this awesome family.”

TJ agrees. “I will say to add on that, it sounds cliché to say it’s an honor to be nominated, but it really is.”

The guys, who are making their way up the country charts with “I Don’t Remember Me [Before You],” are also nominated for Music Event of the Year for “Burning Man” with Dierks Bentley. Additionally, John and TJ are nominated twice in the Video of the Year category for songs “Shoot Me Straight” and “Burning Man.”

The 54^th Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 7th at 8pm ET on CBS.