Day: July 29, 2025

Luke almost couldn’t finish the song. Continue reading…

​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Tour set all kinds of records. Continue reading…

​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

Gavin Adcock leapt off stage mid-song to confront Nickelback’s sound guy who was allegedly harassing his dad. What happened next? Let’s just say someone got escorted out. Continue reading…

​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

Kelsea Ballerini and Maren Morris are writing songs together after years apart — and it’s giving major girl power energy. Continue reading…

​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

Zac Brown is betting big on his band’s future. The Zac Brown Band frontman recently opened up about the group’s recently announced residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, and while it’s set to be a career milestone, he also revealed it’s turning out to be a serious financial risk.

The six-show run is set to kick off on December 5, the same day the band’s new album Love & Fear is scheduled to drop. Zac Brown Band will serve as the second country act ever to perform at the one-of-a-kind venue, following Kenny Chesney’s residency earlier this year.

Though Brown didn’t reveal the exact cost of putting on a show inside the high-tech venue, which is known for its 360-degree immersive experience, he made it clear it hasn’t been easy on his bank account.

“Just going into debt to make it happen,” Brown told Us Weekly.

The Risk Is Worth The Reward

Still, despite the financial challenge, Brown believes that taking this risk will be worth it in the end. He hopes that this experience will be a defining moment in the Zac Brown Band’s live legacy.

“Whatever adversity, I’m like, ‘Okay, bring it,’” the singer stated. “There’s lots of forces that are always trying to distract you from what you’re doing, and you just got to keep plowing, keep going.”

He continued, “It’s a big moment in time and it’s like, for us, I want to be among the names of the Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones and the bands that take that lifelong career impact fan journey to be able to do that. This is our statement to try to step into that.”

What Fans Can Expect

With their first Sphere show still a few months out, Zac Brown Band is using every moment between now and December 5 to craft the most unforgettable concert experience possible.

Brown explained to Us Weekly that both the upcoming Love & Fear album and the immersive live show will take fans on a powerful emotional journey. He hoped that every person in the audience will “feel this sense of awe” when they make their way inside the Sphere.

“I hope they feel wonder,” he continued. “Unpredictability is something we use in our live shows a lot. I love pulling out covers that no one would ever expect us to play, that’s super fun. This is the same thing visually, sonically — everything we’re doing.”

Finalizing The Show

So far, all the audio for the show has been completed, and now they are working to finish assembling the video components, which is arguably one of the most important aspects of this unique concert setting.

The Sphere boasts the world’s highest resolution LED display that surrounds the audience from all sides to create a fully immersive visual experience. It’s also equipped with Sphere Immersive Sound, the most advanced concert-grade audio system in the world that’s designed to deliver a clear and precise sound to every seat in the house.

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Once opening night approaches, the band will be ready to give the fans an inside look into Brown’s real-life stories and experiences through their music and visual aspects. From heartbreak and hardship to growth and redemption, the show is expected to showcase Zac Brown’s ongoing journey, not just as an artist, but as a human.

“I’m finishing the story,” Brown explained. “I’m telling a lot of personal things about my life that I’ve never shared before. Everything that’s hard that we go through as human beings always ends up making us better in some way.”

Newly Added Dates

Following the December 5 show, Zac Brown Band will continue to take the stage on December 6, 12 and 13. Plus, they recently announced the addition of two new dates on January 9 and 10, making for six concerts in total.

The set list is set to include select songs from the band’s seventh full-length studio album alongside their classic, beloved hits. The latest song to be shared from the upcoming project is “Let It Run (feat. Snoop Dogg),” which follows the album’s lead single, “I Ain’t Worried About It.”

Throughout the collection, fans will hear themes of healing, raw emotion and real-life experiences told through 13 tracks, including features special guests Snoop Dogg, Dolly Parton, and Marcus King.

Tickets to Love & Fear are available now at ZacBrownBand.com. Travel VIP packages, which include a concert ticket and two-night stay at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, the resort connected to Sphere, are also available for purchase.

The post Zac Brown Admits He’s ‘Going Into Debt’ To Bring Epic Sphere Residency To Life appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

In 1989, a young Tim McGraw made a decision that would change his life forever. With a “repertoire of about 50 songs,” the Louisiana native dropped out of college, liquidated his assets, and bought a one-way bus ticket to Nashville.

Now a bona fide superstar with 47 chart-topping singles to his name, McGraw recently looked back on that life-altering choice — and his mom’s surprisingly supportive reaction.

At the time, McGraw had been taking pre-law courses while playing local shows around his college town.

“I started playing for tips at a local restaurant and then I put a band together. And then there was less and less of going to class and more and more going out and playing music at night until it became unsustainable on the class level,” he explained in an interview with NPR. 

At this time, he took a leap of faith. 

“I sold everything I had. I sold my car. I sold my shotguns. Everything that I had, I sold. And I was going to buy a bus ticket to Nashville and have enough money to be in a hotel for a couple weeks if I needed to,” he recalled. 

With his mind made up and his heart set on Nashville, McGraw faced the hardest part:  breaking the news to his mom.

“I had to call my mom and let her know that I was dropping out of school, which scared me to death, because I knew she didn’t graduate high school because of me. She didn’t get the opportunities in life that she wanted because of me, because I was born and she had that responsibility and she was in an abusive relationship, probably because she thought she needed help and needed the support. So for all of these reasons, she wanted me to succeed and I wanted to succeed for her,” he said. 

He was “scared to death” to make the call, but his mom’s response took him by surprise. 

“And when I finally got the nerve to do that, I called her and said, ‘Mom, I’m just letting you know that I’m dropping out of college and I’m moving to Nashville to play music.’ And there was silence on the line. And of course, I expected, ‘Hell, no, you’re not!’ but what I got back from my mom was, ‘Well, I’m surprised you haven’t done that already.’ And she said, ‘You need to go do it, otherwise you’ll always wonder if you could have made it.’” 

We all know now that Tim McGraw ultimately made the right decision. 

He got on that bus and never looked back, arriving in Nashville on May 9, 1989,  the very same day his musical hero, Keith Whitley, tragically died of acute alcohol poisoning.

The post Tim McGraw Reflects on the Leap of Faith That Launched His Career: ‘I Sold Everything I Had’ appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

In the wake of devastating floods across Texas Hill Country, George Strait rallied fans and fellow artists for a night of music, generosity, and healing that raised over $6.25 million (and counting) for those in need.

Held at Estancia at Thunder Valley on Sunday, July 27 and presented by Strait and his longtime Vaqueros del Mar partner Tom Cusick, the sold-out benefit concert welcomed 1,200 guests to Estancia at Thunder Valley in Boerne, Texas.

The evening kicked off with a set from the Texas Jamm Band, featuring members of Strait’s Ace in the Hole Band, followed by performances from Kyle Park, William Beckmann, Hudson Westbrook, and Ray Benson. Strait and Cusick then took the stage to welcome attendees followed by a prayer and remarks from Pastor Max Lucado.
 
“I have a bookmark that a friend gave me that’s embroidered,” Pastor Lucado shared. “On one side, it’s nothing but irregular threads. Different lengths, different colors, a lot of knots. But if you flip it over, the message embroidered says ‘God is love.’ Facing a tragedy is learning to face it from the right side. One side is irregular – it’s just knots, it doesn’t make sense. And during a time of tragedy, it’s essential that we do our very best, as difficult as it may be, to see everything from God’s perspective.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott also addressed the crowd, praising the tireless work of first responders and encouraging continued support for recovery efforts. 

“There’s a saying that we’ve all repeated many times: pray as though everything is going to be taken care of by God, but act as though everything is up to you,” Governor Abbott remarked. “While we have prayed endlessly, I want you to know that we have acted endlessly also. Texas first responders have rescued or evacuated more than 1,000 people. Lives were saved because of those first responders. Give it up for our fearless first responders.”

Raised More Funds With A Live Auction

A live auction was also held before the night’s headlining performances from Wade Bowen, Randy Houser, Dean Dillon, Riley Green, and Jamey Johnson. This portion of the night helped raise even more funds benefitting the victims of the Hill Country flood.

Strait treated those in attendance to a full set of fan favorites and surprise collaborations. He opened with “The Weight of the Badge” and was joined by Garth Brooks for a rousing performance of “The Fireman” in honor of first responders. Jamey Johnson also joined Strait for “Give It Away,” while longtime collaborator Dean Dillon and Strait’s son Bubba took the stage for “Here For A Good Time.” The country icon closed things out with his poignant ballad, “The Cowboy Rides Away.”

George Strait’s Setlist:

“The Weight of the Badge”
“The Fireman” with Garth Brooks
“All My Exes”
“Give It Away” with Jamey Johnson
“I Remember You”
“The Book”
“Here For A Good Time” with Dean Dillon and Bubba Strait
“Waymore’s Blues”
“The Chair”
“Goin’ Goin’ Gone”
“Codigo”
“Amarillo by Morning”
“Troubadour”
“Take Me Back To Tulsa”
“Milk Cow Blues”
“The Cowboy Rides Away”

Where To Donate

The intimate evening not only paid tribute to the region’s resilient spirit but also offered critical aid to families hit hardest by the floods. Proceeds from the event benefit the Vaqueros del Mar Texas Flood Relief Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to distributing direct aid to affected families and ongoing recovery efforts.
 
Additional contributions can be made at: https://donate.stripe.com/3cI14maf08Pf0vc7AV5Vu00.
 

The post George Strait Raises Over $6.25 Million for Texas Flood Relief at ‘Strait To The Heart’ Benefit appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

To Hudson Westbrook, being loyal to his home state of Texas is important both on and off the stage. With his debut album Texas Forever out now, the rising artist shares how staying true to his roots shapes everything he does.

That commitment to the Lone Star State comes through loud and clear when Westbrook talks about how he approaches his live shows and his songwriting.

“So, loyalty to Texas would mean, so to me, I’ll never run tracks in my songs. It’s going to be real drums, real everything. And if I can’t stop my live band in the middle of the show without a track playing, then I’m done making music. I don’t like tracks…Do whatever you want, whatever, but not hating. And then just melodies matter a lot, and topic of songs,” he told Apple Music’s Kelleigh Bannen on Today’s Country Radio.

Westbrook also wears his roots with pride by starching his jeans but stays true to his own style by often skipping out on donning a cowboy hat. For him, being a true Texan ultimately isn’t determined by what you wear or the way you sing, what’s really important is always showing up for the communities of his home state when tragedy strikes.

He is currently putting his words to action by donating all proceeds from his merch sales through the end of July to Kerr County flood victims via the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. Plus, he’s made it a point on his newest record to not just say he’s country but rather to show it through his lyrics.

“That’s loyalty to Texas. It’s not… A lot of times people are like, ‘Texan brah, come on.’ I think it’s more. There’s a certain thing that if you’re from Texas, you don’t say that you’re country. You know what I mean? You don’t have to say… Nothing on my album is like, ‘I’m country.’ It’s like, ‘I’m drinking beer on a…’ It’s like, ‘Woke up this morning’ in boots and jeans.’ It’s just topics, you know? And I think that’s my favorite thing to write. I mean, if I did like writing about beer drinking, I definitely would sing a song like that. I don’t care,” he admitted.

Westbrook co-wrote each of the 17 tracks on Texas Forever alongside a close-knit group of collaborators. Together, they assembled a collection of songs that perfectly pay tribute to Texas while also representing what the emerging act’s life has looked like over the past year.

Reflecting on finally being able to share the album with the world, Westbrook stated, “It’s super special because you’re like, ‘Dang, I really worked on this since…’ There’s some songs on here from a year and a half ago, you know? And you’re like, these are the headspace I was in when I wrote that song and the headspace I was in when I wrote this song. And it’s so weird how life changes and how you look back on your album. I mean, it is who I am now, but just why every song was written is so different than why I would write them now.”

A few of the songs he particularly called out for holding new meanings now compared to the time they were written includes the title track and his debut single that’s climbing its way into the Top 10 at country radio, “House Again.”

“I wrote ‘House Again,’ didn’t even think about my I, and then I was like, ‘Hmm, where did that thought stem from?’ Then I’m like, ‘Oh, wow.’ I moved houses when I was seven years old, and then it turned into that. And then ‘Texas Forever’… Flood hits Texas, and now that the flood’s hit, ‘Texas Forever’ means something totally different this week than it ever did,” he explained.

A lot has changed for Hudson Westbrook over the past year. But one thing that will never waver, is his pride for Texas and his knack for writing songs rooted in Red Dirt.

“I’m proud to be from Texas, and I carry that with me everywhere I go. Thank you for everything – Texas Forever,” he shared via press release.

Just before releasing the album, Westbrook crossed off two major bucket list shows. He made his Grand Ole Opry debut on Tuesday night (7/22), and then delivered his first-ever Nashville headline show at Marathon Music Works on Wednesday (7/23).

He’s set to continue building the momentum on his current headlining 2025 Summer Tour, and will open select dates for Parker McCollum, including a bucket list performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre this Thursday, July 31.

The post Hudson Westbrook Defines Texas Pride His Own Way appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Over the weekend, two of country music’s biggest stars, Morgan Wallen and Luke Bryan, experienced alarming encounters with fans who crossed the line with their behavior. These types of crowd interactions appear to be happening more frequently, possibly fueled by social media trends, but regardless of the reason, it’s not okay. Artists should never be put in a position where they feel unsafe or disrespected on stage.

On Friday, Morgan Wallen was grabbed by a fan while walking through the crowd and giving high fives during his concert at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. In fan-captured videos, an audience member is seen yanking Wallen’s hand aggressively. Clearly taken aback, Wallen turned to confront the fan before continuing toward the stage alongside security. He went on with the performance and thankfully, there were no additional incidents that night. 

@ravi3802 A fan pulled Morgan Wallen at his concert in Seattle. #morganwallen #seattle #Imtheproblem #lumenfield ♬ original sound – Interesting Things

This marks the second recent incident involving overly aggressive fans at Wallen’s shows. The week prior, during a similar walk through the crowd at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, another fan grabbed onto Wallen’s shirt and tugged him as he passed by. Judging by his reaction caught on video, he was visibly unhappy about the interaction.

Meanwhile, Luke Bryan was performing at the North Dakota State Fair when a ball, around the size of a softball, was thrown at the stage. It struck him in the head mid-song during “Country Girl (Shake It For Me).” Though he appeared to be annoyed, Bryan paused briefly before resuming the show.

@mysterious..username Absolutely CRAZY. #luke #lukebryan #ndsf #ndsf2025 #concert #fyp #viral #wtf@Luke Bryan ♬ original sound – mysterious..username

These two incidents follow a string of unruly behavior at concerts in recent months. Last fall, Megan Moroney dodged a flying hat and continued her performance of the “28th of June” without missing a beat. 

And during her HEARTFIRST Tour in 2023, Kelsea Ballerini was hit in the eye by a flying bracelet. The country star stopped the show and addressed what happened while on stage. 

“Can we talk about what just happened? All I care about is keeping everyone safe, so if you ever don’t feel safe, please let someone around you know,” she said.. “There’s security everywhere tonight. If anyone’s pushing too much or you just have that gut feeling or anything, just always flag it. Don’t throw things, you know! I just always want shows of mine — every show, for every artist — but I’m in control of this one. I just want it to be a safe place for everyone. … Can you help me do that tonight?”  

As fan behavior continues to get out of hand, moments like these are a clear reminder that respect and boundaries matter, for the safety of the artists and to protect what makes live music so special. And honestly, who wants to spend hundreds of dollars on a concert just to get kicked out for making a bad decision? Let’s do better, people!

The post Morgan Wallen Grabbed, Luke Bryan Hit With Object in Back-to-Back Concert Incidents appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now