Month: March 2022

Categories
Country Daypop

Ashley McBryde and Elle King team up for performance of ‘Long Haired Country Boy’ at the Ryman

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Elle King invited Ashley McBryde on stage to perform a cover “Long Haired Country Boy” at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.  King’s concert at The Ryman included songs from her own catalog, as well as some classic covers.

Fans were pleasantly surprised when King invited McBryde up to the stage. King said to McBryde. “Come on out! I just haven’t seen you in so long and I heard you were here. You know this song…You look good, girl.”  King then addresses the audience: “I’ll tell you what, she’s can help me sing this. She didn’t know about this.”  The artists performed their version of “Long Haired Country Boy” by the Charlie Daniels Band, originally released in 1974.   You can take a look at McBryde and King’s performance – here.

Also joining King on stage was Miranda Lambert, who teamed up with King for their duet “Drunk and I Don’t Wanna Go Home” (which you can see here.)  King also debuted a new song with Dierks Bentley, who came on stage to help King perform “Worth a Shot.” (which you can take a look at – here.)

Elle King Brings Out Ashley McBryde For Surprise Performance Of “Long Haired Country Boy” At The Ryman

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Machine Gun Kelly set to become a playable character in ‘WWE 2K22’

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Machine Gun Kelly is set to become a ‘playable character’ in a downloadable content pack, as part of the WWE 2K22 video game.

MGK joked on Twitter: “So now you can slam me through a table as much as you want.” MGK is also serving as Executive Soundtrack Producer, selecting a 12-song tracklist featuring Bring Me The Horizon, Poppy, KennyHoopla, Turnstile, Royal Blood, and more.

Neil Lawi, Senior Vice President and General Manager at WWE Music Group, said in a statement: “Machine Gun Kelly has been an integral part of the WWE family for more than a decade. He has curated a unique soundtrack for WWE 2K22 that includes not only his own music but a diverse array of artists from The Weeknd to KennyHoopla. The 12-track soundtrack is the perfect complement to this edition’s enhanced gameplay.”

Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Megan Thee Stallion and AmazeVR announce virtual reality ‘Enter Thee Hottieverse’ concert tour

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Megan Thee Stallion, and the virtual reality concert platform company ‘AmazeVR,’ have announced their partnership on a 10-stop tour titled ‘Enter Thee Hottieverse,‘ billed as the first-ever VR concert tour.

Said Megan: “Virtual reality has always been an interest of mine and I’m glad that we’ll be able to make history with this experience. My hotties will get to watch me perform in a completely different and unique way and I appreciate the AmazeVR team for helping me to bring this VR vision to life. I can’t wait to see the Hotties show up to the tour.” Fans can expect a multi-song performance from Megan, with the AmazeVR team promising both a safety-focused and seamless blend of reality and imagination.

The Enter Thee Hottieverse U.S. tour kicks off with dates in Los Angeles before making its way to Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, and more.  Tickets go on sale on March 2 on AmazeVR.com.

Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Go Country 105

Nashville notes

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Florida Georgia Line‘s interview at the Country Music Hall of Fame about their new exhibit premieres tonight at 8 p.m. ET on the Museum’s Facebook and YouTube pages.  

Priscilla Block is making her debut on The Ellen DeGeneres Show March 3 with a performance of “Just About Over You.”

Eli Young Band is performing a surprise concert on March 3 at honky tonk The Hideout as part of the Houston Rodeo. 

Tim McGraw will appear on the season-two premiere of Clint Black‘s series, Talking in Circles with Clint Black, on the Circle Network on March 12 at 10 p.m. ET.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Caitlyn Smith is “grateful” to find a place in country music, and the women who helped pave the way

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Caitlyn Smith still remembers being a kid in Minnesota, watching country music award shows like the ACMs, so she’s in awe of the fact that she’s now a nominee for New Female Artist of the Year. 

“My manager told me, and I remember a surreal feeling of ‘pinch me is this a dream? Is this real?'” she describes. “I grew up watching the ACMs and all the award shows, so I’ve definitely dreamed of this for a very long time. It feels very weird to finally be ‘it’s here now.’ It feels crazy.”

Though she’s been part of the Nashville scene for several years, Caitlyn recently scored her first top-40 country hit with the Old Dominion collaboration, “I Cant.” She says that when she first signed her record deal in 2017, country radio was lacking in representation of female artists, with only Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert in the top 20. But Caitlyn’s grateful for the shift she’s seen in recent years that’s allowed her to make her mark in country music. 

“A lot has changed in the last five years. I came here to write country songs, but I didn’t know there was a place for me in country music when I first started recording music,” she explains. “In that time, so many incredible females like Maren [Morris], Ingrid Andress, Kelsea Ballerini, they’ve all paved this way in country radio for there to be more room for women. It’s a place that I’ve always wanted to be and not knowing if I’ve had a space, and thank goodness for all those women.”

Caitlyn continues, “I feel like I finally do have a space, and I feel grateful for Old Dominion for hopping on the song and really bringing me out on the road and helping me out.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Kelsea Ballerini and Dolly Parton share photo from ACM Awards rehearsal

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Kelsea Ballerini and Dolly Parton are getting ready for the ACM Awards — and they have a sweet picture to show for it.

On Tuesday, the “Peter Pan” hitmaker shared a photo of her and the country legend backstage at rehearsals for the show next week. “Just a couple of east tennessee girls getting ready to sing together at the @acmawards,” Kelsea writes alongside the snap that shows her lovingly embracing Dolly as the two beam at the camera. 

“See you in Vegas!” the official ACM Awards account replies, with Dolly herself commenting with a single heart emoji. 

The superstars are teaming up for a performance of “Big Dreams and Faded Jeans” off Dolly’s upcoming album of original songs, Run, Rose, Run, ?based on her book of the same name. Kelsea lends her voice to the ??Run, Rose, Run ?audiobook, where she voices the character AnnieLee. 

The ACM Awards air live from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on March 7 commercial-free on Amazon Prime Video.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Dierks Bentley and Elle King debut new song at the Ryman Auditorium

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Dierks Bentley and Elle King are teaming up for a new song. 

On Monday night, Elle headlined the Ryman Auditorium and brought her “Different for Girls” duet partner out as a surprise guest to perform a new song they’re releasing. Fans at the show have shared videos where Elle can be heard saying that the title of the track is “Worth a Shot.” 

“Jumped up on stage with my buddy @ElleKingMusic at @theryman last night! So fun to debut a new song we have together. love you Elle!” Dierks writes alongside a candid shot of them performing. 

“Love you Dierks!!” adds Elle. 

“Different for Girls” was released in 2016 as the second single off Dierks’ Black album. It scored them a Grammy nomination and win for Vocal Event of the Year at the CMA Awards. 

Elle is currently climbing the country charts with Miranda Lambert, as “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” is in the top 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Thomas Rhett stars in first Fritos ad in 20 years

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Country music fans that catch the new Fritos ad on TV will see a familiar face in Thomas Rhett.

The country star busts out his acting chops in the chip company’s first ad in 20 years, according to People, quizzing his friend on a game of “this or that” while snacking on a variety of Frito’s.

“Chips?” Thomas asks his friend as they stroll past bags of Fritos in the grocery store aisle.

“Fritos, man,” TR replies. “Back roads or highways?” Thomas asks while munching on Flavor Twists, followed by “mild or spicy” as he pours hot sauce into a bag of original Fritos.

“Ok, which Fritos?” he asks at the end of the video as they return to the grocery store aisle.

“This is a tough one,” his friend says. The two then grabg as many bags as they can off the shelves.

“They gave me full rein to just be super me,” Thomas explains to People about being part of the ad. “It brought back a lot of memories from my childhood, and everything about it just felt really nostalgic to me.”

Thomas is set to release his new album, Where We Started, on April 1. His current single, “Slow Down Summer,” is currently climbing up the top 20 on country radio.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
News Daypop

Airbnb announces they will provide free temporary housing for Ukrainian refugees

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Airbnb said Monday it would provide free temporary housing to as many as 100,000 refugees leaving Ukraine. The announcement came shortly after the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said Monday that more than 500,000 refugees have now fled Ukraine. That number has increased from the 150,000 that had crossed Ukraine’s borders by Saturday.

Airbnb said in a statement that the housing will be provided by the company along with donors to its refugee fund, with along with “the generosity of hosts” on the platform.  The company has sent initial letters offering its assistance to countries including Poland, Germany, Hungary and Romania.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said in a statement on Twitter that the company needs more help from people who can offer their homes and provided a link for those who would like to sign up to be involved.   He added: “We know that hosts and guests on Airbnb around the world will be eager to stand up and assist this massive effort to help those fleeing Ukraine. Airbnb.org will work directly through nonprofits on the ground, who are responsible for booking and coordinating stays for refugee guests, regardless of nationality, race, ethnicity, or how they identify.”

Editorial credit: Mo Photography Berlin / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Multiple states, including California, Oregon, and Washington, to end school mask mandates

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Students in California, Oregon and Washington will no longer be required to wear masks at school as part of new indoor mask policies all three states announced jointly on Monday. The three governors said in a joint statement: “With declining case rates and hospitalizations across the West, California, Oregon and Washington are moving together to update their masking guidance.”  Separately, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said Sunday that the statewide school mask mandate will end Wednesday, March 2nd.

The new guidance will make face coverings a recommendation rather than a requirement at most indoor places in California starting today (Tuesday, March 1st) and at schools on March 12, regardless of vaccination status. In Washington and Oregon, all the requirements will lift on March 12. Federal mask requirements will still apply in high-risk indoor settings such as public transportation, airports and taxis. Rules for other high-risk indoor settings could also vary by state.

The announcement also comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased the federal mask guidance Friday, saying the majority of Americans don’t need to wear masks in many indoor public places, including schools. The new CDC guidance bases recommendations for restrictions such as masking on a new set of measures, with less focus on positive test results and more on what’s happening at hospitals. Under the new system, the CDC said that more than 70% of Americans live in places where the coronavirus poses a low or medium threat to hospitals and therefore can stop wearing masks in most indoor places. The CDC had endorsed universal masking in schools regardless of virus levels in the community since July, but it now recommends masks in schools only in counties at high risk.

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/california-oregon-washington-end-school-mask-mandates-83162388

Editorial credit: David Tadevosian / Shutterstock.com