Month: August 2021

Country trio Midland are trying their hand at the podcasting world beginning this month. They're the hosts of a new Amazon podcast called Set It Straight: Myths and Legends, a series that will take a deep dive through the annals of country music history and lore.

“Set it Straight: Myths and Legends is a chance for us to dive into the fascinating folklore and fables in and around country music and gives us an excuse to hang and informally chat with some of our biggest musical and artistic heroes,” says band mate Mark Wystrach. 

First up, Garth Brooks will regale the Midland guys with the story of his infamous 1996 Fan Fair Meet and Greet, in which he wound up signing autographs for 23 hours straight. 

Then, over the course of the podcast's first season, guests like Darius Rucker and Wynonna Judd will share the remarkable stories of how they got their starts. Martina McBride will also tell the improbable story of how she got her big break while on merch duty on Garth Brooks' tour.

“This is a real-life Cinderella story: Martina McBride went from selling merch for Garth Brooks to opening for Garth Brooks seemingly overnight,” comments Midland's Cameron Duddy. “Is it true? We had to talk to the legend herself to find out.”

Set It Straight: Myths and Legends launches August 25, but you can hear a trailer for the show now.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Chris Young and Mitchell Tenpenny will take the stage to perform their duet “At the End of a Bar” on NBC's TODAY with Hoda & Jenna on Thursday morning. The song comes off Chris' just-released album, Famous Friends. 

Toby Keith and Alabama have been announced as co-headliners for the “Country Kickoff to Labor Day Weekend,” a drive-in show that will air at multiple venues on September 2. For ticketing details and more information, visit Encore Drive-In Nights' website.

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By now, Chris Young fans all know about the all-star cast of musical buddies that helped make the singer's new album, Famous Friends, what it is today. There's Lauren Alaina, Kane Brown and Mitchell Tenpenny, all of whom served as duet partners on the collection of songs. 

But fans might be surprised to learn about another Famous Friend who stepped up behind the scenes to help Chris' new project come together: Brad Paisley. 

According to a new behind-the-scenes video from People, Brad helped Chris and Mitchell when they were filming the music video for their duet, “At the End of a Bar.” The two singers planned to film the clip in various bars in downtown Nashville, and the shoot day happened to fall right after Brad's downtown Music City July 4th concert. 

“The city of Nashville and Brad were like, Yeah, we'll leave our stuff up there. You can use it. And then we'll just tear it down after y'all film,'” Chris recounts, adding that the extra stage equipment available upped the glam factor of their shoot in a way that he couldn't have dreamed of.

“That scale of shot does not happen without the city of Nashville being as amazing as they are,” Chris continues. “And with Brad being able to donate that stuff and let us use it? Everything kind of fell into place perfectly.”

Also lending his talents to the video was Tracy Lawrence, who joined the pair of singers at the shoot. 

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The Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam, scheduled for September 3-5 in Panama City Beach, Florida, will not take place this year after all. Instead, the festival has been moved to June 3-5, 2022, according to a statement from festival organizers.

The postponement comes amid the current uptick in COVID-19 cases in Bay County, where the festival was set to be held, as well as across the country. 

It's the second time the Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam has been postponed. It originally rescheduled its 2020 lineup to 2021, keeping previously-booked headliners Lynyrd Skynyrd, Luke Bryan and Brad Paisley on the lineup for the makeup dates. It’s not yet clear whether those artists, or the others scheduled to perform, will be a part of the event in 2022.

The news from Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam comes as many festivals and events are implementing different levels of COVID-19 safety protocols. Last week, Live Nation announced they'll give touring artists the option to mandate proof of vaccination or a current negative test from anyone attending their shows. 

This week, Milwaukee's all-genre Summerfest and Bonnaroo both decided to enact that policy for their events this year. A few artists, such as Jason Isbell, are also beginning to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test at their shows. 

Tickets for this year's Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam will be honored in 2022; alternately, concertgoers can request a refund on the event's website. 

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Jordan Davis and Luke Bryan take a ride out in the country in their cinematic “Buy Dirt” music video, a clip that offers a visual element to the perspective-finding title track of Jordan's latest EP.

In the video, Jordan and Luke take turns dropping wisdom in the song's verses, getting to the heart of what's important in life — family, faith and a relationship with a plot of land — over gently lilting acoustic guitars. 

“Luke isn't just a great entertainer; he's a great dad, a great husband and a great friend, too,” Jordan explains of his decision to invite the country superstar to join him on the track. “That's what Buy Dirt' embodies. When I wrote Buy Dirt,' I knew he could relate to the song's message.”

“Buy Dirt” also lends its name to Jordan's upcoming headlining tour, which launches in September. In addition, he's one of the opening acts for Kane Brown's Blessed and Free Tour, which begins in October.

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