Month: April 2022

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Go Country 105

“An extra little glitter in the air”: Kelsea Ballerini talks bringing “Heartfirst” to the Grand Ole Opry

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Kelsea Ballerini made a stop at her “home away from home” — the Grand Ole Opry — on Tuesday night, and her performance was extra special for one big reason: She debuted her new single, “Heartfirst,” on the hallowed stage.

“I'm always excited to play here, but whenever I get to play a new song for the first time, there's an extra little glitter in the air,” Kelsea explained backstage before the show.

“I'm playing my new single, Heartfirst,' not only for the first time with my band, ever — truly, ever — but for people for the first time,” she goes on to say.

Kelsea was planning to debut “Heartfirst” at the 2022 CMT Awards — a show she was also set to co-host — but at the last minute, a positive COVID-19 test kept her at home. With the magic of virtual technology, Kelsea was still able to co-host over video chat, and she performed “Heartfirst” the same way. Still, it's not the same as standing onstage in front of a crowd.

“I'm really excited,” the singer added. “Come along.”

“Heartfirst” came out in early April and is expected to be the first single off a new project.

Kelsea's been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2019. She was inducted by Carrie Underwood.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Vegas McGraw talks Brea Bonanza Days with Adam Bookbinder

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Brea Bonanza Day is coming to Downtown Brea May 13-15, with headliner Vegas McGraw on Saturday, May 14 at 8:30pm.

He spoke with Adam Bookbinder about what we can expect from his upcoming show on the main stage.

Learn more about Brea Bonanza Days here.

Go Country 105 Interviews · Vegas McGraw talks Brea Bonanza Days with Adam Bookbinder
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Go Country 105

Sam Hunt, Tim McGraw to headline the inaugural GoldenSky Country Music Festival in California

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Sam Hunt and Tim McGraw are leading the bill of a brand-new festival this fall, according to Billboard.

The event, called the GoldenSky Country Music Festival, will take place October 15-16 in Sacramento's Discovery Park. Other country acts joining the lineup include Brothers Osborne, Midland, Carly Pearce, Parmalee, Michael Ray, Lindsay Ell, Brian Kelley — solo artist and one half of the now-defunct Florida Georgia Line — and Diamond Rio.

Sacramento's local culture will be on full display, with an area of food options and souvenirs on offer, plus a beer festival component featuring over 100 regional craft beers, ciders and seltzers. Admission to the beer fest is free with purchase of entry to see the music, until May 6. After that, beer fest admission can be tacked on to a festival pass for an extra cost.

Festival-goers can also avail themselves of the Loud Lounge, which is geared towards the cannabis community, or catch NCAA and NFL games at the Fieldhouse sports bar. GoldenSky also features the River City Saloon and Dance Hall, which will provide daily line-dancing and partner two-stepping, plus lessons in both styles.

Passes go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. PT.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Darius Rucker mounts a new festival, Riverfront Revival, in his South Carolina hometown

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Darius Rucker is giving the gift of music to his hometown, Charleston, South Carolina.

The singer just announced a new music festival that'll take place in the city for the first time this year. Called the Riverfront Revival festival, the two-day event will take place in the city's Riverfront Park, and will spotlight local food, art and culture as well as great music.

“Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Charleston,” Rucker says in a statement. “For years now, I've had this bucket list dream of bringing together a bunch of friends to perform in a way that also showcases this incredible city and all it has to offer.”

Darius will perform a headlining set, and he's bringing some of his superstar friends to the party, too. Brothers Osborne will take the stage, as will Jimmie Allen — an artist who's got a hometown festival of his own, the Delaware-based Bettie James Fest, now in its second year.

The bill isn't just mainstream country hitmakers: Beloved bluegrass/folk outfit Trampled by Turtles will perform, as will Texas singer-songwriter Charley Crockett and Charleston-based rock group SUSTO.

Other performers include Larry Fleet — who's currently on tour with Morgan Wallen — plus Maggie Rose, The War and Treaty, Lauren Jenkins and many more.

The Riverfront Revival will take place October 8 and 9. Tickets go on sale to the general public starting May 4, with a Darius-exclusive fan pre-sale starting May 2 and a Riverfront Revival pre-sale beginning the following day. One dollar from each ticket sale will benefit the Medical University of South Carolina's Arts in Healing program, which offers art and music therapy to adults and children.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Garth Brooks' Stadium Tour is headed up north for a show in Canada

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Garth Brooks is bringing his Stadium Tour up to Canada. The singer just announced a stop in Edmonton, Alberta, which will be the only Canadian stop on his current tour.

Garth was most recently in Edmonton in 2017, when he played shows for more than 160,000 fans. This time around, he's hitting the city's Commonwealth Stadium, marking the first time he's ever played that venue.

The show will take place June 25, following back-to-back dates in Salt Lake City. It's also one of the only international dates currently listed on his Stadium Tour calendar, along with a whopping five sold-out shows in Dublin, Ireland that Garth's got planned for September.

Tickets for the Edmonton show go on sale beginning May 6, and though the venue has a capacity of over 60,000, fans should hurry: Garth's stadium shows have been selling out in record time. After his now-sold out June 18 Salt Lake City date went on sale, fans snapped up 50,000 tickets in just 45 minutes.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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News Daypop

Vice President Kamala Harris tests positive for COVID-19

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The White House announced on Tuesday that Vice President Kamala Harris has tested positive for COVID-19. CNN reported that the vice president’s positive test results rerouted her plans to attend an intelligence briefing Tuesday at the White House, where she was initially tested.

According to the vice president’s press secretary Kirsten Allen, Harris is fully vaccinated with Moderna and has also received two booster shots — her first booster was administered in October, and her second booster in early April.  Harris is not symptomatic after receiving results from rapid and PCR tests, said Allen, adding: “She has not been a close contact to the president or first lady due to their respective recent travel schedules.”   Harris’s last in-person contact with President Joe Biden was during April 18’s Easter Egg Roll, according to an official, after which she left for California.

Harris will continue to work from home at the Naval Observatory, and plans to return to the White House upon testing negative.

Editorial credit: Maverick Pictures / Shutterstock.com

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News Daypop

Dow falls over 800 points, Nasdaq plunges 4% as tech and consumer stocks sell off

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On Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2.4% – over 800 points — while the S&P 500 lost 2.8%, and the Nasdaq Composite 4%. The market’s losses adds to what has already been a big sell-off so far in April: The Dow is down over 4%, the S&P 500 roughly 8% and the Nasdaq nearly 13%.  Following Tuesday’s losses, the Dow is down 4.2% for the month of April, while the S&P 500 has dropped 7.8% and the Nasdaq has plummeted 12.2% for the period.

Microsoft and Google parent, Alphabet, were both down during regular trading, declining 3.74% and 3.59% respectively as both reported earnings after the bell.  However Alphabet reported near misses on revenue, which grew 23% to $68.01 billion in the first quarter, down from 34% in 2021. The company’s stock fell nearly 6% after the bell.

U.S. markets followed major indexes in Europe and Asia amid concerns that COVID-19 outbreaks and corresponding lockdowns in China could harm the global supply chain. And shares of Tesla fell 12.18% as the company has a factory in Shanghai and faced continued pressure from CEO Elon Musk’s decision to purchase Twitter for $44 billion.

Editorial credit: nyker / Shutterstock.com

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Go Country 105

Cole Swindell and Lainey Wilson agreed that “Never Say Never” would “change things for both of us”

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When it came to recording his first duet, Cole Swindell wanted to be intentional with selecting his partner, and he had a feeling that Lainey Wilson was meant to be the one on “Never Say Never.”

The Georgia native reveals that “Never” was written years prior to him and Lainey taking it to #1 on the country charts, but notes that it was waiting for the right person to pitch the song to.  

“I’ve always loved this song…but we knew it had to be a duet, so we knew we had to find the right person. I can’t even imagine anybody else singing on this song than Lainey,” Cole professes, noting that he already was a fan of her hit “Things a Man Oughta Know.”

“I was like, ‘This just makes sense,'” Cole recalls. “I didn’t know how our voices were going to sound together, any of that. I just knew I was a fan of her.” 

In trusting that instinct, Cole sent the demo of the track to Lainey while she was on vacation in Mexico. Cole was hesitant at first to send it, but once he did, both singers knew it was going to be an important song in their careers. 

“After I sent her the song, the next three minutes felt like three hours. I was waiting to see what she thought about it, but her response was, ‘I’m in. This sounds like a big song,'” he remembers. “She knows that as much as she’s thankful I asked her to be on it, I’m thankful that she agreed to do it. We’ve said from the minute we heard the final mix of it that this is gonna change things for both of us.” 

“Never” is Cole’s 11th #1 single. 

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Country Daypop

Cole Swindell earns his 11th career No. 1 with his duet with Lainey Wilson, “Never Say Never”

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Cole Swindell earned his 11th career No. 1 single with his duet with Lainey Wilson, “Never Say Never.” The duet is No. 1 on both Mediabase and Billboard country singles charts this week, and the follow-up to his No. 1 “Single Saturday Night.” The two back-to-back No. 1 singles are from Swindell’s fourth album, Stereotype.

“Never Say Never” was the most added song at country radio the week of release, giving both Swindell and Wilson their biggest radio add day of their careers.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

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Country Daypop

Chris Stapleton’s “A Concert for Kentucky” stadium show raises over $1 million dollars for his home state

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Chris Stapleton raised over $1 million to help residents in his home state with ‘A Concert For Kentucky’, held on Saturday night (April 23). The sold-out ‘A Concert For Kentucky” was the first concert ever held at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field, and featured performances by Stapleton alongside with Willie Nelson and Family, Sheryl Crow and Madeline Edwards.

The funds raised at the concert will to go towards the ‘Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund’ created by Stapleton and his wife, fellow singer-songwriter Morgane Stapleton and administered by the Blue Grass Community Foundation. The fund supports a variety of causes including The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation and pledges to the American Red Cross, UK Healthcare Kentucky Children’s Hospital, the Community Foundation of Western Kentucky’s Disaster Relief Fund and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Additional Hometown Fund grants will continue to be made throughout the year, according to a press release.

Chris Stapleton said in a press release: “Every night we walk on a stage, we do our best to help people forget their troubles or celebrate or remember or hope or heal. Every night we play, a portion of those profits always goes to charity. As a musician I can’t think of a greater honor than reaching a point where we can play a show for 40,000 people and give all of the profits back to a community that has been so unfailingly loyal and supportive. It is a tremendously pure and rewarding moment to get to provide the medicine that is music in that space. I’m grateful to everyone who came to the show and to all of the musicians, managers, agents and crew members that made this moment possible.”  Morgane Stapleton also posted on Instagram: “It took 3 years to get back to you all & I’m so thankful this night finally got to happen. It was magic!”

Stapleton is currently in the midst of his extensive All-American Road Show Tour featurin support from Elle King, Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs, Margo Price, Dwight Yoakam, Marty Stuart, Nathaniel Ratcliff & The Night Sweats, Morgan Wade, Madeline Edwards and more on select dates. You can purchase tickets at the link – here.

Chris Stapleton Raises Over $1 Million For The Home State With His “A Concert For Kentucky” Show

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