Luke Bryan, Lee Brice and Cole Swindell take over Lon Helton’s Country Countdown USA this weekend. They’re on the road together on Luke’s That’s My Kind of Night Tour, and are giving fans a preview of their chemistry backstage. You’ll learn what happens behind-the-scenes of the tour, plus find out who got locked in Lee’s bus moments before their stadium show in Pittsburgh.

Dierks Bentley is set to headline the post-race concert at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 20th. His show will immediately follow the Bush’s Beans 150 Whelen Modified race and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200. Part of Dierks’ performance will be filmed by CMT for their upcoming Mountain Dew CMT Summer Concert finale. Fans who purchase a $30 ticket will have access to both races and the Dierks Bentley concert on August 20th.

Scotty McCreery visited patients and performed at Nashville’s Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt Tuesday.

Jon Pardi is scheduled to perform on the BMI Stage at the Austin City Limits Festival in Texas October 3rd.

Kacey Musgraves will play the historic Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas, on October 23rd.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Thursday, July 31, 2014) – Country artist Sam Hunt is responding to the overwhelming fan demand for new music by releasing X2C to all digital partners on August 12.  X2C, a four-track preview to his major label album debut due out October 27 on MCA Records Nashville, includes Hunt’s current Top 25 and climbing single, “Leave The Night On.” 

“I’m can’t wait to share a few early tracks from the album,” explains Hunt. “We’ve been having so much fun with the music out on the road and I’m excited to get this music out to our fans.”

Since the June release of “Leave The Night On” to country radio and digital partners, the single has sold over 197,000 tracks and has consistently been Spotify’s No. 1-streamed country artist in the U.S. and a Top 30-streamed artist across all genres.

Hunt, recently named one of Rolling Stone’s “10 New Artists You Need to Know: Summer 2014,” has earned recognition as a songwriter with credits including Kenny Chesney’s No. 1 smash “Come Over,” Keith Urban’s Top 10 single “Cop Car” and Billy Currington’s latest Top 5 hit “We Are Tonight.”  Continuing to build a name for himself as a songwriter, Hunt co-wrote all of the tracks on X2C and the upcoming album which was produced by Zach Crowell (Keith Urban) and Shane McAnally (Kacey Musgraves).

X2C Track List:

1. Leave The Night On (Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)

2. Ex To See (Sam Hunt, Josh Osborne, Matt Ramsey)

3. House Party (Sam Hunt, Zach Crowell, Jerry Flowers)

4. Breakup In A Small Town (Sam Hunt, Zach Crowell, Shane McAnally)

Hunt has shared the stage with country stars including David Nail and Little Big Town and this fall, joins Kip Moore and Charlie Worsham on CMT On Tour: Kip Moore Up In Smoke, a 21-market run kicking off in New York City September 25th.

For additional information, music, images, tour dates and more, please visit www.SamHunt.com.

Nashville, TN – July 28, 2014 – Country Music Star Dierks Bentley made an unforgettable run of 2014 RISER TOUR dates across the west coast this weekend, beginning with a capacity crowd at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater on 7/23. The tour’s biggest weekend yet also included full houses at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre and San Diego’s Sleep Train Amphitheatre.  The highlight for the weekend, however, was the Grammy nominated singer’s return to his hometown of Phoenix to perform for more than 17,000 fans at the Ak-Chin Pavilion.   

In total disbelief, Bentley told the enthusiastic hometown crowd, “For those of you who don’t know me, you’re participating in the best night of my life right now.”  Bentley went on to humbly dedicate both of his GOLD certified No. one hits “I Hold On” and “Home” to his friends in the Valley and to the families of the fallen Granite Mountain Hot Shots, who perished a year ago in the Yarnell Hill Fires.

Music critics echoed the fan enthusiasm over the weekend, declaring Bentley “rose to the occasion like a pro, as though headlining Ak-Chin Pavilion is what the man was born to do.”   – Arizona Republic

“Bentley stormed the stage…his red solo cup and lively stage presence reverberated off the rocks in perfect
melody.”   – Denver Post

“High-energy and emotion-packed” – San Diego Union-Tribune

Bentley has the undeniable radio hit of the summer with “Drunk On A Plane,” flying up the Top Five at radio now and continuing to sell an average of over 65,000 singles a week.  So far, his critically acclaimed and commercially successful new album RISER counts more than 1.5 million digital track sales. The 2014 RISER TOUR continues this week with upcoming stops in Mountain View, CA (7/31) and Sixes, OR (8/3). For a full list of upcoming tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

Photo Credit: Joseph Llanes

“Love You Like That” is more than the title of the new single from singer-songwriter Canaan Smith – it’s also a collection of four words he lives by! You see, Canaan popped the question earlier this year…and he makes a point of guaranteeing that fiancee’ Christy feels loved and wanted. “I’m definitely a romantic guy,” Canaan reveals. “I have no problem buying her flowers and stuff like that, but I’d rather show her I love her [by] taking her out on a cool date somewhere, being creative.” With the growing demands of his career – which often means time on the road, away from Christy – Canaan knows that’s important. “She’s the inspiration for a lot of my songs,” he says. “I try to make sure I’m coming home as the man that she needs.”

Canaan, who first hit the charts a couple of years ago with a song called “We Got Us,” debuted this week with his new single, “Love You Like That.”

Canaan Smith (real romance) OC: …she needs. :21

“Oh, I’m definitely a romantic guy. I just, I have no problem buying her flowers and stuff like that, but I’d rather show her I love her just with taking her out on a cool date somewhere, being creative like that and…even though she’s the inspiration for a lot of my songs, I don’t get cheesy with it, you know what I’m saying? I try to make sure I’m coming home as the man that she needs.”

While many of us are enjoying a sunny, sultry summer, Eric Church has his eyes set on the fall, when he hits the road to play songs like “Cold One” with his band on his new The Outsiders World Tour. “I’ve never been five months out from a tour and had the anticipation that I have for this one,” Eric tells us. Part of the reason for that – Eric’s really excited to be bringing Dwight Yoakam on tour with him! “I’m a huge Dwight Yoakam fan. I grew up listening to Dwight’s music,” Eric admits. “I wish it was September right now!”

Brothers Osborne, the duo that you know from their new hit. “Rum,” will also be along for the ride this fall.

The Outsiders World Tour kicks off September 11th in Bossier City, Louisiana. It’s currently slated to run through year’s end, wrapping in mid-December in Birmingham, Alabama.

Keith Urban kicked off his Raise ‘Em Up Tour last week, and on Saturday night (July 26th), he played Boston, Mass. The “Somewhere in My Car” singer sends his love and gratitude to all who came to the show!

Nashville, TN – This morning Rolling Stone Country announced MCA Recording and GRAMMY-nominated artist David Nail’s upcoming Fall tour titled the I’m A Fire Tour. The I’m A Fire Tour, aptly named after the Missouri native’s third studio album released earlier this year, will take the singer/songwriter to 20+ cities including New York, Boston, Denver, New Orleans and Cleveland. Tickets for the I’m A Fire Tour go on sale August 1. Visit Nail’s website for more details on points of purchase. Opening for the I’m A Fire Tour is Show Dog-Universal Music country duo Native Run.

No stranger to the road, Nail has toured non-stop for the past year. In the fall of 2013 Nail took to the road on an extensive 30+ city headlining tour to try out his new songs that would eventually make up his 2014 album I’m A Fire. Upon the release of I’m A Fire in March; Nail went back out with his own headlining dates of 15+ cities with additional shows with Darius Rucker (True Believers Tour) and Lady Antebellum (Take Me Downtown Tour).

“It’s so much fun to open up for big acts and know that there’s going to be 5, 10, or even 15,000 people out there when you play, but it’s always difficult to only play for 35 minutes,” Nail tells Rolling Stone Country. “I’ve always felt like we benefit so much more when we can really lay back and play an entire 75 to 90 minute show. We can show the range of the past three records.”

9/12               New Orleans, LA        House of Blues                                             

9/24               Athens, GA                 Georgia Theatre                                           

9/26               Tallahassee, FL          The Moon                                                     

9/27               Orlando, FL                House of Blues                                             

10/9               Wichita, KS                 The Cotillion                                                 

10/10             Denver, CO                 Grizzly Rose                                                  

10/16             Tuscaloosa, AL          Jupiter Bar                                                    

10/17             Jacksonville, FL          Maverick’s                                                     

10/24             Columbia, MO            9^th Street Summerfest                                  

10/26             Cincinnati, OH            Bogart’s                                                         

10/29             Springfield, MO          Gillioz Theatre                                              

10/30             Tulsa, OK                    Cain’s Ballroom                                            

10/31             San Antonio, TX         Aztec Theatre                                                           

11/6               Rocky Mount, VA       Harvester Performance Center                  

11/7               Sayreville, NJ              Starland Ballroom                                        

11/8               Boston, MA                House of Blues                                             

11/9               New York, NY            Irving Plaza                                                   

11/11             London, ON                London Concert Theater                            

11/13             Cleveland, OH            House of Blues                                             

11/14             Grand Rapids, MI      The Intersection                                           

11/15             Green Bay, WI           Meyer Theatre                             

More dates to be announced soon

In March, Nail released his third and most personal album to date titled I’m A Fire. I’m A Fire, an album that Billboard calls “fiery” was produced by Frank Liddell, Chuck Ainlay and Glenn Worf and spawned the No. 1 massive hit and PLATINUM certified “Whatever She’s Got.” Nail’s follow-up to the hit is his current radio single, “Kiss You Tonight.”

Follow @DavidNail on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidnail #ImAFire
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidNail

Photographer Credit – Jim Wright

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Check out all the goofy shenanigans that take place backstage with Luke Bryan and his band. It’s all in the latest episode of LBTV. 

No matter what part of the country you’re in, there’s no denying that summer is in full swing…complete with heat, haze and humidity. But that’s no problem for Luke Bryan (though some may argue he generates plenty of heat on his own). He’s learned that performing outdoors at this time of year can take a toll, and you have to do what’s necessary to deal with it. “You just have to hydrate onstage and be mindful,” he says, adding, “In that scenario, I worry about the fans. They’re out there drinking beer all day, and you just worry about their safety and them being hydrated.” That said, Luke’s also the first person to urge everyone to have a good time, too. “I love gettin’ out there and sweating and working,” he tells us. “I grew up in South Georgia working in the heat, and I love getting out there and flushing all the old beer from last night out.””

Luke’s That’s My Kind of Night Tour hits Atlanta for a two-night stand this weekend, before heading to the Northeast for the first couple weeks of August.

AUDIO: Luke Bryan says a sunny, summer day can make for a great concert experience – you just have to plan accordingly!

Luke Bryan (summer heat) OC: …being hydrated. :40
“Well, with playing, you know, really, really hot amphitheaters, you just have to try to remember throughout the day what you’re fixin’ to have to get up there and do. And, I mean, for me – I love gettin’ out there and sweating and working and…I mean, I grew up in South Georgia working in the heat, and I love getting out there and flushing all the old, you know, beer from last night out. So it’s fun for me, but you know you do have to be really careful. You just have to hydrate onstage and be mindful. You know, in that scenario, I worry about the fans ‘cause, you know, really, they’re out there drinking beer all day, and, you know, you just worry about their safety and them being hydrated.”