[Watch] Scotty McCreery Reads Hilarious Fan Tweets

/in /by

There are few things funnier than an artist or other public figure reading mean tweets about themselves. Following in the trend is Scotty McCreery, reading tweets about his upcoming The Seasons Change Tour. In the video, posted to his social media accounts, McCreery reads some of his fan’s best reasons to attend his upcoming Seasons Change Tour, as well as some hilarious reasons NOT to attend.

A few highlights include “dat ass!!!” and “I always get a front row seat to see his chest hair.” The only thing funnier than the positive tweets are the negatives, including “Since when did the dude from the Mad Magazine cover get a singing career?” and “That’s 5 more minutes of my life I’ll never get back.”

Watch the hilarious video below!

The Seasons Change Tour will also feature special guests Jimmie Allen and Heather Morgan and will kick off on November 29 in Dallas. The show will make its way to New York on January 26 at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury.

Seasons Change Tour Dates:

Nov. 29 Dallas, TX House of Blues
Nov. 30 San Antonio, TX Aztec Theatre
Dec. 1 Houston, TX House of Blues *
Dec. 7 St. Paul, MN Myth Live
Dec. 8 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room *
Dec. 9 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Dec. 13 Cincinnati, OH Bogart’s
Dec. 15 Grand Rapids, MI 20 Monroe Live
Jan. 17 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre
Jan. 18 Charlotte, NC Fillmore
Jan. 19 Raleigh, NC The Ritz
Jan. 25 Boston, MA House of Blues
Jan. 26 Westbury, NY NYCB Theatre at Westbury

(*) Dates without Jimmie Allen
Texas singer/songwriter Mike Ryan will perform on Dec.1 in Houston, Texas.

 

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

Chuck Wicks Releases Brand New Single “Better Than Flowers”

/in /by

Chuck Wicks Better Than Flowers

It’s been nearly two years since Chuck Wicks released new music, but today, he’s back with “Better Than Flowers,” a romantic track that’s definitely better than wilting agriculture. On the track, Wicks vows to “make love to you for hours,” and promises that it’ll be “better than flowers.”

The sexy track was written by Wicks, Jeffrey East, and Michael Lotten. “Three guys in a room…working with these lyrics…we were all definitely looking down while writing it to avoid eye contact with each other,” he laughs while discussing the provocative lyrics.  “It’s been a while since I’ve put out new music, but I’ve been writing and recording a lot lately,” the singer-songwriter shares in a statement. “When I went back in the studio to record, I decided once something was ready I’d go ahead and release it…why not?”

The video for “Better Than Flowers” features Olympic Gold Medal Gymnast Nastia Liukin in the role of Wicks’ love interest, and together, the pair steam up a barn located just outside of Nashville and the screen.  Watch the video below.

In addition to releasing new music, Wicks is probably best known for his role as co-host on the Nationally Syndicated radio show “Ty, Kelly and Chuck,” heard in over 50 cities across the United States. He is also competing as one of only 11 contenders in NBC’s “IRONMAN: Quest For Kona,” set to air this fall.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

NYCS First Impression: Jimmie Allen ‘Mercury Lane’

/in , , /by

Jimmie Allen Mercury Lane

Last November, during our Swag Session with Jimmie Allen, we said we couldn’t wait to watch his career blossom, as he garnered more and more fans and mainstream success. Today (10/12) marks an incredible milestone for the singer-songwriter. His debut album, Mercury Lane is now available everywhere music is sold. Mercury Lane is truly a passion project for the singer. The record shows perseverance and versatility, two characteristics that describe Allen too. It is clearly personal to the Stoney Creek Records recording artist, as the record is named after the street in Delaware, where he grew up and learned the lessons that have led him to this point in his career.

The record is a complete body of work, offering a song for all music lovers. Allen, who NYCountry Swag named a 2018 Artist to Watch,  adds some flavor to mainstream country music, mixing in some rock, pop, and R&B influences into the album, produced by Ash Bowers and Eric Torres. From love songs to inspiring songs to songs to drink to, the singer is proving that he is the full package. The recording artist co-wrote on eight of the fifteen tracks, including “Make Me Want To,” Back of Your Mind,” and his hit single, “Best Shot,” with some of Nashville’s hottest songwriters.

Each track shows a different part of the singer’s personality and range as a vocalist, songwriter, and as a human being. “Deserve To Be,” one of the slower songs on the record tells the story from Allen’s perspective about a girl, who deserves to have the most fulfilling life and be treated like someone’s “world.” The track is sure to resonate with the millions of fans, who already fell in love with the lead single “Best Shot”, which is climbing up the charts.  The singer expresses another side of his personality with “Underdogs.” With its catchy hook and smooth beat, the song is bound to be a fan favorite. It is Allen’s take on an anthem for people, who are different, and trying to push through adversity. Although the singer didn’t write this one, we can see how the lyrics relate to his 10-year journey to ‘make it’ in the music industry.

If you’re looking for a new tailgate song, don’t worry, Mercury Lane has that too. The soulful track, “County Lines,” which Allen recently released a lyric video for, is sure to become a staple at summer tailgates. “County Lines” has an R&B vibe, with a catchy chorus that keeps listeners wanting to tap their toes and sing along from first listen.

Following the release, the Delaware native announced via his Twitter, three album listening parties, beginning in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 14th. After a short stint in the U.K. with Chase Rice, Allen will embark on Scotty McCreery’s tour, which hits New York on January 26th and Kane Brown’s tour in November, where he will definitely be playing music off his new record.

Mercury Lane Track List & Songwriters:

  1. “American Heartbreaker” — (Jimmie Allen, Lance Miller, Chris Stevens, Ash Bowers)
  2. “Make Me Want To” — (Jimmie Allen, Paul Sikes, Jennifer Denmark)
  3. “Deserve to Be” — (Jimmie Allen, Danielle Blakey, Tripp Howell)
  4. “How to Be Single” — (Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally, Jimmy Robbins)
  5. “Wait for It” — (Ash Bowers, Thom McHugh, Steve Williams)
  6. “High Life” — (Lance Miller, Brett Warren, Brad Warren, Chris Stevens)
  7. “21” — (Brandon Hood, Josh Jenkins, Ash Bowers)
  8. “Underdogs” — (Ash Bowers, Brandon Lay, Jonathan Singleton)
  9. “Like You Do” — (Jimmie Allen, JP Williams, Josh London, Jason Mizell)
  10. “Back of Your Mind” — (Jimmie Allen, Matthew McVaney, Devin Tolentino)
  11. “Boy Gets a Truck” — (Ash Bowers, Aaron Scherz)
  12. “County Lines” — (Brett Tyler, Ben Burgess, Matt Dragstrem)
  13. “Best Shot” — (Jimmie Allen, Josh London, JP Williams)
  14. “Warrior” — (Jimmie Allen, Casey Beathard, Ash Bowers)
  15. “All Tractors Ain’t Green” — (Jimmie Allen, Brandon Hood, Tim Nichols)

Mercury Lane is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

For future tour information, upcoming news and announcements from Jimmie Allen, visit jimmieallenmusic.com, and follow the rising star on his journey via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

 

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

NYCS First Impression: Morgan Evans ‘Things That We Drink To’

/in , , /by

Morgan Evans

Since the 2017 release of his debut American single “Kiss Somebody,” Australia’s Morgan Evans has been lauded as one of country music’s next big things. Today, Evans released his debut album on Warner Music Nashville, Things That We Drink To. While much of the album reads as a love letter to Evans’ wife, Kelsea Ballerini, and believe me, it’s swoon-worthy, the overall body of work is a solid and diverse debut.

Evans, who NYCountry Swag named a 2018 Artist to Watch, co-wrote all eleven songs on the album with producer, Chris DeStefano and a handful of Nashville’s hottest hit-makers including Josh Osborne, Ashley Gorley, Josh Kear, Jaren Johnston, and Jon Nite. Additionally, Evans joined forces with DeStefano to play every instrument on the LP.

“My album is a collection of songs that I wrote over the last two years,” said Evans in a statement. “It’s my story. It’s leaving behind everything and everyone you know to chase down a country music dream on the other side of the world. It’s the excitement of the unknown, it’s the fun, it’s the loneliness and it’s the struggle. It’s losing someone and finding the strength to keep your head up and make them proud. It’s meeting a girl, falling hopelessly and marrying the love of your life. It’s the Things That We Drink To.”

The album opens with “American,” an anthemic up-tempo about an American girl who enchanted Evans from the get-go. It’s immediately evident that the track is about Ballerini, without ever veering into cheesy. He credits feeling at home whenever he’s with his American girl.  “She’s American, making my world better than it’s ever been,” He sings. “One part Norma Jean, and one part Marilyn. She’s making me fall in love with everything…American.”

The album continues up-tempo with the aforementioned “Kiss Somebody” and “I Do,” both which provided Evans’ with his initial introduction to the U.S. country scene. There’s “Day Drunk,” which like the former two tracks appeared on his EP, and is easily one of the ear-wormiest tracks on the album. The song celebrates living in the moment and getting day drunk, enjoying happy hour on the hour. It’s sure to be a staple of Evans’ live shows and merchandise for years to come, and we fully expect this to be the song that the crowd sings back at the top of their lungs, drinks buoyantly raised in the air.

 

While other songs simply allude to Evans’ relationship with Ballerini, the golden-voiced blonde lends her vocals to the album’s first ballad, “Dance with Me.” Written by Evans and DeStefano, the romantic track is easily a future first-dance classic. Using Ballerini on background vocals here makes it all the most personal, but also adds a haunting hint to an already sweet track.

Other highlights of the album include the title track, “Things That We Drink To,” a sparse piano ballad made uber-powerful by an anthem of voices in its chorus. “We Dream” creates another compelling moment, using a choir of children’s voices to emphasize the song’s wishful meaning. They remind us, “When we look at the world and don’t like what we see, we close our eyes and we dream.”

The album concludes with “Young Again,” which has been a favorite of ours since we first heard it. Channeling his inner Ed Sheeran, “Young Again” celebrates a perfect night out with friends that just can’t last long enough. “So what the clock says 3am?” Evans asks, “We will never be this young again.”

With Things That We Drink To, Morgan Evans has released a stellar debut album, cementing himself as Australia’s most exciting country music export since Keith Urban.

Things That We Drink To Track List & Songwriters:

  1. “American” – (Morgan Evans, Chris DeStefano, Josh Osborne)
  2. “Kiss Somebody” – (Morgan Evans, Chris DeStefano, Josh Osborne)
  3. “I Do” – (Morgan Evans, Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley)
  4. “Song for the Summer” – (Morgan Evans, Chris DeStefano, David Hodges)
  5. “Day Drunk” – (Morgan Evans, Chris DeStefano, Lindy Robbins)
  6. “Dance with Me” feat. Kelsea Ballerini – (Morgan Evans, Chris DeStefano)
  7. “Me on You” – (Morgan Evans, Chris DeStefano, Josh Osborne)
  8. “Things That We Drink To” – (Morgan Evans, Chris DeStefano, Josh Osborne)
  9. “We Dream” – (Morgan Evans, Chris DeStefano, Jaren Johnston, Jon Nite)
  10. “Everything Changes” – (Morgan Evans, Chris DeStefano, Blair Daly)
  11. “Young Again” – (Morgan Evans, Chris DeStefano, Josh Kear)

Things That We Drink To is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

Evans hits the New York area in December for Chris Young‘s “Losing Sleep Tour” along with Dan + Shay. Tickets and more information here. For upcoming news and announcements from Morgan Evans, visit morganevansmusic.com, and follow the rising star on his journey via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

New Music Friday – The Playlist 10/12

/in , /by

It’s a big day for new music. Two of our NYCountry Swag 2018 Artists to Watch, Morgan Evans and Jimmie Allen each release their debut albums. Check out our “First Impression Reviews” of Evans’ Things That We Drink To and Jimmie Allen’s Mercury Lane. In addition, we see new music from Old Dominion, Chuck Wicks, Mitchell Tenpenny, Randy Houser, Justin Moore, Pistol Annies and more. Check out our Spotify New Country Music Playlist below and be sure to follow for updates each and every Friday:

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

Cody Johnson Releases New Video & Makes Album Announcement

/in /by

CoJo Music/Warner Music Nashville recording artist, Cody Johnson has some exciting news for fans. His smash hit “On My Way To You,” off his anticipated album, Ain’t Nothin’ To It, continues to rise on the country charts, and has already reached Number 1 on the iTunes Top Songs Chart (all genres), as well as, Top Country Singles Chart. The singer just released a music video for the track, premiering simultaneously on CMT and online at People.

Johnson’s music video beautifully embodies the essence of the single and its lyrics. The relatable love song speaks to the singer-songwriter’s journey to find his true love, which the musician shared on his Twitter. The visuals showcase multiple couples reconnecting with one another, as well as, some groups of friends. The smiles and love on each person’s face are evident in the way the video was filmed. The music video ends with Johnson’s actual wife, Brandi, coming outside on their porch and greeting him with a beer and a kiss, effortless and simple.

Watch the video above.

If premiering a music video wasn’t enough, the singer officially announced the release date of his first major-label studio album, Ain’t Nothin’ To It, giving CoJo Nation fans, even more to be excited about.

Johnson shared with Billboard, “I cannot wait for January. I’ve never been more excited about a set of music. It’s different from any other record I’ve ever recorded. Ironically enough, you would think that the record that had the most songs that I wrote on would be the one I’m excited the most about, but it’s not. This is the most excited I’ve ever been about any music. I feel like it’s gonna change some things for me. I think it’s going to change some things for the music industry. It’s always been a goal of mine, is to be able to make a mark, and to change the industry in a positive way. So, I guess we are about to find out, aren’t we?”

 The record drops on January 18th, 2019 and will be available for pre-order beginning October 26th. Fans, who pre-order the album will receive an automatic download of the lead single, as well as, four additional tracks.  Johnson will continue to tour around the United States, at various venues, such as honky tonks and rodeos, making a special stop in Nashville at Marathon Music Works on October 19th for a sold-out show. For more information head over to codyjohnsonmusic.com.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

Best Country Music Concerts in NYC This Fall

/in /by

Although it may still feel a bit like summer out there, the summer concert season is now behind us. Break out the pumpkin spice everything and get ready for fall with the amazing line up of artists coming through NYC and its surrounding areas this season. Mark your calendars now for awesome shows and great entertainment.  The following concerts are going to be happening within the next few months that will be sure help get us through the long, cold months!

Best NYC Fall Country Concerts

Keith Urban – Barclays Center Brooklyn, NY
October 27th, 2018

Former Entertainer of the Year nominee, Keith Urban with special guest Kelsea Ballerini is bringing his Graffiti U World Tour to Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday, October 27th. Be sure to expect an unbelievable show filled with energetic sing-alongs to classic fan favorites and Top 10 singles such as his latest, “Coming Home.”

Best NYC Fall Country Concerts

Pistol Annies – Town Hall, NYC
November 2nd, 2018

Pistol Annies ft. Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley are back together in New York City for a special album release show. Only three cities were chosen, so if you score a ticket consider yourself extremely lucky! The concert is taking place at Town Hall in NYC on November 2nd, the same day their second album “Interstate Gospel” is released.  For a sneak peak of their album, go to www.pistolannies.com to listen to 3 new tracks.

Best NYC Fall Country Concerts

Chris Stapleton – Madison Square Garden, NYC
November 2nd, 2018

Who wants to see one of the most powerful voices in country music? Fortunately for us city folks, we will be graced with Chris Stapleton’s voice at Madison Square Garden on Friday, November 2nd for his All-American Road Show Tour. Stapleton will bring along special guests Marty Stuart & Brent Cobb.

Best NYC Fall Country Concerts

Kane Brown – Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, NYC
November 7th, 2018

In light of his new album dropping November 9th, Kane Brown is bringing Clare Dunn along with him out on the Live Forever Tour making a stop at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Wednesday. November 7th.

Best NYC Fall Country Concerts

Randy Rogers Band, Gramercy Theatre, NYC
November 17th, 2018

Randy Rogers Band is bringing a bit of Texas to the Big Apple alongside Parker McCullum for a guaranteed good time at Gramercy Theatre in Manhattan on Saturday, November 17th.

Best NYC Fall Country Concerts

LANCO – Irving Plaza, NYC
November 29th, 2018

Fans of LANCO will have an opportunity to see them and special guest Travis Denning as they bring their “Hallelujah Nights Tour” to Irving Plaza in NYC on Thursday, November 29th. This is their first headlining tour and will give fans a chance to hear their album Hallelujah Nights all the way through!

Best NYC Fall Country Concerts

Ashley McBryde – Gramercy Theatre, NYC
December 6th, 2018

Ashley McBryde is headlining the “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” Tour this Fall and bringing Dee White with her. She will be playing at Gramercy Theatre on Wednesday, December 6th in New York City. This is a show you don’t want to miss, and its a nice way to break up the week!

Best NYC Fall Country Concerts

Chris Young/Dan + Shay/Morgan Evans – NYCB LIVE: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Uniondale, NY

December 7th, 2018

Nash FM’s “Nash Holiday Bash” with Chris Young ft. Dan + Shay & Morgan Evans is coming to NYCB LIVE: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY on Friday, December 7th! Get in the holiday spirit and get tickets on sale now, or you can try to win your way in by listening to Nash FM!

Check out this playlist below to get you ready for the Fall concert season in NYC!

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

Devin Dawson Makes His Bluebird Cafe Debut with Surprise Guest

/in /by
Bluebird

Photo via Warner Music Nashville Instagram

Bluebird Cafe is a magical place in Nashville, Tennessee, where fans get the true “in the round” experience, listening to artists take turns singing songs they’ve penned, songs they’ve loved, and of course telling stories. It is where many artists, such as Taylor Swift get ‘discovered,’ and home to a multitude of talented songwriters. Country newcomer, Devin Dawson made his Bluebird Cafe debut on Tuesday Night (10/9), accompanied by three of his favorite, talented songwriters, Jillian Jacqueline (one of our Swag Spotlight artists), Amy Wadge, and David Hodges.

The incredible team of musicians were sure to make the night unforgettable for the intimate crowd that gathered at the Bluebird; however, the night became even more special when superstar Ed Sheeran was noticed in the audience. Sheeran, who happened to co-write his hit “Thinking Out Loud” with Wadge, treated fans to a stripped-down version, during one of her turns.

Dawson was just as floored to have Sheeran present for his debut, and took to Twitter to express his gratitude and feelings about the epic night of music, “Unbelievable experience at @bluebirdcafetn last night. Honored to share it with some great friends & a special shout out to @edsheeran for the “Thinking Out Loud” cameo. Thanks to everyone who was a part of my first night at the sanctuary of songwriters. I’ll never forget it.”

If you find yourself in Nashville, make sure to check out the Bluebird Cafe for yourself and head over to devindawsonmusic.com to see if the artist is performing in a city near you. We caught him earlier this year on the will be  ‘The Long Way Tour’ with Brett Eldredge and Jillian Jacqueline, check out the full recap here.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

 

 

[Watch] Carrie Underwood Returns to Jimmy Kimmel Live!

/in /by
Carrie Underwood Jimmy Kimmel Live

Photo courtesy of Jimmy Kimmel Live’s Twitter & Facebook

Just two hours after receiving the American Music Award for Favorite Female Country Artist for the fourth consecutive year in a row and performing “Spinning Bottles” during the award show, Carrie Underwood took the stage at Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the debut performance of the track “Ghosts On The Stereo” from her sixth studio album, Cry Pretty.  Penned by Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey and the late Andrew Dorff, “Ghosts On The Stereo” tells the story of a person reclusively letting themselves emotionally fall apart at home due to a failed relationship one final time, before pulling themselves together and moving on.

Closing out the show, Jimmy Kimmel introduced the performance with a Cry Pretty vinyl in-hand, “This is her album, it’s called Cry Pretty. Here with her song “Ghosts On The Stereo”, Carrie Underwood.”  Backed by a full band, Underwood took the stage in a gorgeous metallic blouse that put her adorable baby bump on display.  The crowd began to sway along to every word but once the beat drop at the end of the first chorus hit, the audience transitioned into full-fledged dancing.  As always, her astonishing vocal range made this yet another unforgettable performance.  Off camera, the country superstar continued her outdoor mini-concert with two of her older hits, “Before He Cheats” and “Dirty Laundry,” as well as the new album’s title track, “Cry Pretty,” and powerful anthem “Love Wins.”

The singer-songwriter undoubtedly gave fans watching Jimmy Kimmel Live! a taste of what’s to come on her ‘Cry Pretty Tour 360’ which will kick off next Spring with special guests Maddie & Tae and Runaway June. The tour will touch down in New York City on October 2, 2019, at the iconic Madison Square Garden. Tickets are available here.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

An Intimate Night with Walker Hayes and Hannah Ellis

/in , /by
Walker Hayes and Hannah Ellis, Mercury Lounge, NYC

Walker Hayes and Hannah Ellis, Mercury Lounge, NYC

Last night, New York country fans got to experience an intimate show at Mercury Lounge in lower Manhattan with two extremely talented singer-songwriters, Hannah Ellis and Walker Hayes. Prior to the show, Ellis joined NYCountry Swag for a Live Swag Session where she answered questions and sang two songs, check out the Swag Session below. This was Ellis’ first time opening for Hayes and judging by the way the crowd responded it hopefully won’t be the last. She started the night by saying, “How we doing New York!? I’m so excited to be here, my name is Hannah Ellis! I’m excited to be opening up for Walker Hayes! We are going to have some fun tonight, we are going to get you all warmed up!” Kicking off her set with the first song from her self-titled EP, “Temporary Feelings”.

The singer-songwriter got the crowd going by throwing in some cover songs to get everyone in the singing mood. She covered Lady Antebellum’s hit “Downtown” as well as The Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two” before going 90s R&B singing “No Diggity” by Blackstreet, getting the crowd excited for what’s to come. Before going any further, she took a moment in her set to talk about songwriting saying, “Selfishly we also get to go in there and kind of pour out our hearts and talk about where we’ve been and what we’re dealing with…it’s almost therapeutic for us and it’s just been really special to watch people kind of respond to this song.” Slowing down her set, she performed her unreleased song “Past The Past,” showing off her incredible vocals and vulnerability.

Hannah Ellis, Mercury Lounge, NYC

Hannah Ellis, Mercury Lounge, NYC

As her set was coming to an end, she couldn’t leave the stage without singing her current single “Home and A Hometown,” saying “It’s one of my favorite songs that I’ve ever written, it’s just my life story, it’s where I come from, where I ended up and where I plan to go.” The entire audience sang back the lyrics, making Ellis emotional saying, “I’m going to go cry about that later…Y’all are incredible!” Making her last two songs count, Ellis kept it upbeat singing her debut single “ILY So What” and closing out her set with “Friends Like These”.

Next up was the headliner himself, Walker Hayes, kicking off his set with his song “Prescriptions.” A couple of songs in, Hayes started talking to the crowd saying, “I was saying to the little VIP thing we did earlier, how much fans mean to me and y’all need to know, thank y’all for showing up, thank you for knowing words to songs that are only on 8Tracks not even albums…it’s been an incredible year for us, this show and our last show marks new material, we got new music coming out and I’m excited…but we still do the oldies but goodies.” Hayes performed 12 songs, covering his hits including fan favorites, “Beautiful,” “Beckett,” “Lela’s Stars”, and “Dollar Store.”

Walker Hayes, Mercury Lounge, NYC

Walker Hayes, Mercury Lounge, NYC

Keeping up the energy, the singer-songwriter performed his brand new single “90’s Country” for the crowd.  Read our exclusive interview with Hayes where he discusses the writing process for the song here.  As the night continued, Hayes surprised the crowd by bringing out opener Hannah Ellis for his song, “Halloween.” The two artists, took the stage, combining their talents to create one perfect duet. As the night was nearing the end, Hayes continued to get personal, telling everyone about his time working at Costco, having six kids, and the man who inspired his personal and emotional single “Craig”.  Be sure to take a look back at our Live Swag Session with Walker Hayes below.

As the night came to the end, Hayes said, “Let’s break it down…this song went Platinum last year just like I hope “90’s Country” will, let’s go crazy, feel free!” singing his hit song “You Broke Up With Me”. When it was time for the last song of the night, Hayes thanked the crowd for coming out and singing along, “This is how we go out”,  singing the song “Shut Up Kenny” about his favorite artist of all time, Kenny Chesney.

 

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook: