Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt Break Records + NYCountry Swag Tailgate…

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A busload of NYCountry Swag Fans Head to Luke Bryan + Sam Hunt at MetLife Stadium

A busload of NYCountry Swag Fans Head to Luke Bryan + Sam Hunt at MetLife Stadium

The humidity and sun beating down didn’t stop Luke Bryan’s fans from packing out Metlife Stadium this past Saturday.  New York Country Swag headed to the New Jersey venue by the busload, bringing 50 fans from Rockaway Beach to tailgate and get to experience the record-breaking concert “What Makes You Country” event.  The lineup included four absolute powerhouse country artists: Morgan Wallen, Jon Pardi, Sam Hunt and finally headliner, Luke Bryan.

As the fans filed in from their tailgates, Morgan Wallen performed his huge single “Up Down” and Jon Pardi sang songs off his critically acclaimed album California Sunrise including “Heartache on the Dancefloor” and “Dirt on my Boots”.

Next up, Sam Hunt took the stage opening with his latest “Downtown’s Dead” then played all of the songs from his album Montevallo. He also took time to slow things down, grabbing a guitar and playing some old school country music acoustically. He closed his hour long set with “Body Like A Backroad”, to which every single person in the audience was singing along.

 

 

Finally, as the sun set, Luke Bryan took the stage with a pyrotechnic show as well as fireworks, opening his set with “Country Girl (Shake It For Me).  Bryan entertained for nearly two hours, at one point even rolling a giant cooler onto the stage and throwing Miller Lite beers out to the crowd.  It was the largest stadium crowd he has ever played for and his energy and vocal ability thrilled New York and New Jersey fans, singing songs from all of his albums that have gotten him to where he is today, a total superstar.

As if the spectacle wasn’t enough, he closed with “Rain is a Good Thing” before coming back for a two song encore. As the final song came to a close, like magic the skies opened up and rain droplets covered the crowds as they cheered and walked to their cars or buses on a total high.

 

 

Catch the What Makes You Country tour as it makes its way across the country.  For tickets and more info click here.

 

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NYCS Swag Spotlight: Craig Campbell

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Craig Campbell

Photo Credit: Kelly Marie Photography

Blending traditional country with a modern twist, Craig Campbell is our next Swag Spotlight.  Growing up in Lyons, Georgia, he was a country music fan from a very young age, even winning a singing contest when he was fifteen years old.  “That’s when I realized I really loved being on stage, and so fast forward a few years I graduated high school, I worked a few years as a correctional officer then I put a band together and we played nationally at bars and honkey tonks,” he tells us. His influences that have shaped his sound include 90’s country, Travis Tritt, Clint Black, Tracy Lawrence, and Brooks and Dunn which is what his brother would always play in the car on their way to school.  “I think the early 90s was the best era of country music,” he laughs.

After playing in a band for two and a half years, Campbell decided to make the move to Nashville to further pursue his career, singing demos for other songwriters, playing on lower Broadway and even playing piano for artists on tour including Luke Bryan. Fast forward to last summer, Campbell was invited to be an opener on Luke Bryan’s tour.  “It was great, being able to say I was in his band and then to fast forward and then get to open his shows, it was pretty cool and being able to go out on that big tour with one of my buddies was even more special,” he tells us.  “I watched every show and learned that the bottom line is when people pay to come see you play, they just want to have a good time and no matter what it takes, it’s up to the artist to be an entertainer and make it happen and I took it to heart.”

Campbell has had success over the years by releasing songs to country radio and is gearing up to release his next EP this Friday, June 8th.  The EP will feature two versions of the heartfelt “Outskirts of Heaven” as well as his latest single, the flirtatious “See You Try”.  After his record label played the song which was written by James McNair, Bart Butler, Jordan Schmidt, and Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line, Campbell knew it was a great song and wanted to quickly record it before any other artists had a chance to get their hands on it.

As if releasing his new EP this week isn’t exciting enough, Campbell is hosting the 6th Annual Craig Campbell Celebrity Cornhole Challenge in Nashville during CMAFest. The annual event has raised over $300,000 for FIGHT CRC (Fight Colorectal Cancer), a nonprofit organization working to increase awareness, education, and research on colorectal cancer – the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among adults in the U.S.  The cause is close to Campbell’s heart who lost his father to the disease when he was just eleven years old.

The all-star lineup for the challenge this year includes Russell Dickerson, Lindsay Ell, Walker Hayes, Brett Kissell, Nascar driver Scott Lagasse Jr, LOCASH’s Chris Lucas and Preston Brust, Jerrod Niemann, Taylor Phillips, Dee Jay Silver, Tegan Marie, The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston and Kelby Ray and Brett Young.  “It all started when I got my own platform if you will, I wanted to do something I guess looking around there were a lot of free shows to raise money, golf tournaments, and fishing tournaments and nobody was doing a corn hole tournament and everyone loves cornhole and it is a game that everybody can play so I felt like doing this tournament to raise money for colon cancer was perfect,” he tells us about the decision to co-host the event.  Each artist will be teamed up with a fan who won an online auction to attend the event, all of the proceeds benefitting FIGHT CRC.

For more information about the event or to learn more about Craig Campbell, head to his website here. Be sure to follow Craig on all of his social platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Russell Dickerson Sells Out New Jersey Venue

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Russell Dickerson New Jersey

Located right near the beach in New Jersey, House of Independents is a venue that isn’t well known for their country nights.  Russell Dickerson was only the third country act to play at this particular venue and boy did the fans show the owners of the venue what country music fans can do, selling out the venue and packing both floors.  Before heading out on tour with Darius Rucker and Lady Antebellum for the summer, Dickerson is making a few stops around the east coast this weekend and the New York Country Swag team wouldn’t miss an opportunity to see a full band, full set show.

Our Swag Spotlight from last month Abby Anderson was the supporting act for last night’s show, performing to a room full of Russell Dickerson fans and definitely introducing her unique sound to a new fan base. She sang her current debut single “Make Him Wait” and the crowd erupted in cheers at the conclusion.

After a quick set change, Dickerson took the stage, his high energy set included songs from his debut album including “Float”, “All Falls Down”, “twentysomething” and “Every Little Thing”. “Did anybody come to dance tonight, or get a little funky?” Dickerson said to the crowd before performing “Would You Love Me” which was co-written by Hannah Ellis, our Babes, Booze & Brunch performer from earlier this year.

He closed the night with three of his biggest hits thus far including a mash-up of “MGNO” and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” where he ran through the crowd just to kiss his beautiful wife Kailey who was watching from the soundboard.  He then performed his next single, “Blue Tacoma” and although it just hit radio stations, the entire crowd sang along. Head to our Instagram to see an exclusive clip of the crowd belting out the last chorus. “I appreciate you guys from the bottom of my heart, this song has completely changed my life,” Dickerson said before playing his breakout hit “Yours” to end the night.

After recalling when he played to very small crowds in New Jersey before his album was released, he was humbled and expressed his gratitude for all of his fans that have been there since the start of his career.  Now with a number one song, Dickerson is heading out on a huge tour this summer, sure to garner plenty new fans across the country.  Grab your tickets to any of Russell Dickerson’s upcoming shows here.

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NYCS First Impression: Michael Ray Releases ‘Amos’

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Michael Ray Amos

Michael Ray’s sophomore album,  Amos, was named after his beloved grandfather who inspired his love for music.  The record features eleven tracks that encompass Ray’s love for country music while still remaining current with the trends in the genre. “To say I’m excited that Amos is officially out would be an understatement,” Ray explains in a recent press release. “This album means so much to me personally because of the namesake and to finally be able to share these songs with fans is such a great feeling. Before the album was even out our fans were singing the words to so many of the new songs. It’s incredible to see them share their personal stories of what each new song means after hearing it live. Watching our fans living and loving these songs is what it’s all about.”

After reaching the top of the charts with “Think A Little Less” and “Kiss You in the Morning” from his debut self-titled album, Ray took time to focus on what his sophomore album should sound like, channeling the passion that his grandfather instilled in him for a great lyric and conviction in country music.  Amos features flirty love songs such as “Fan Girl”, “You’re On” and “One That Got Away” while also telling a more serious story in “Her World or Mine” and “I’m Gonna Miss You”.

His most poignant moment is the album closer, “Drink One For Me”, which is a tribute to our military.  “Drink one for me on Friday night /  Throw ’em back and laugh and tip the band I like / drink one for me and remember why I’m doing what I’m doing when you raise ’em high / while I’m where I need to be, drink one for me”  The midtempo will touch the hearts of Americans all over the country.

Ray offers a cohesive, well-rounded album with songs that slows down in all the right spots but also will be a great soundtrack for your summer.  Take a listen to Amos and let us know what your favorite song is in the comments.

Don’t miss Michael Ray this Monday, June 4th in New York City at Opry City Stage. We’ve got your chance to win tickets and meet + greets. Head to our Instagram here to enter to win.

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NASH FM 94.7 Presents Chris Janson at Opry City Stage

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Chris Janson Opry City Stage Nash FM

Wednesday night (May 30) the newest inductee to the Grand Ole Opry, Chris Janson made his Opry City Stage debut for an intimate performance for NASH FM 94.7 winners.  Janson took the stage after being introduced by NASH FM DJ Jesse Addy to tell stories about his songwriting, his latest album Everybody and to play some of his biggest hits to date.

“I write all of my own songs. I only write and record my own songs no matter what and I am so thankful that it has paid off, thanks to NASH FM especially, it’s paid off,” Janson says at one point during his performance, as he discussed with the audience the origins of his songs “Everybody” and the song he wrote with Preston and Lucas from LOCASH, that they then cut and was a top ten hit, “I Love This Life”.

He also played his breakout hit, and first number one song “Buy Me A Boat” and the title track to his latest album, “Everybody” along with his own version of a song that Tim McGraw recorded called “That’s How I’ll Always Be”.  The intimate setting on the fourth floor of Opry City Stage always allows artists to feel like they can share stories about their music instead of just playing them.  Janson admitted that he was first and foremost a huge punk rock fan growing up, wanting to rebel against his small-town life growing up in Perryville, Missouri.  He explained that he was a fan of The Ramones, Weezer, and Sublime and he knew that the New York City crowd would understand his love for those bands.  He mashed into his set “Undone” by Weezer and The Ramones, “I Wanna Be Sedated”.

Chris Janson Opry City Stage Nash FM

 

“All I can say is thank you, Jesus, and thank you NASH FM 94.7” he laughed as he explained how incredible it was to have a song of his go number one, right before singing his second number one, “Fix a Drink” then in true New York City fashion, sat down at the piano and played the unmistakeable chords on his harmonica to Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”, which had entire crowd swaying and singing along. As his set came to a close,  he performed his current single, “Drunk Girl”  as he told the crowd that he has four children, two daughters, and two sons and he hopes in the future that his daughters are taken care of like hte girl in the song but more importantly that his sons are good men and listen to the lyrics of the heartfelt song.

Ending the night with an upbeat, Janson version of “Folsom Prison Blues”, Chris Janson proved why he is not only the youngest living member of The Grand Ole Opry but also one of the best entertainers in country music.  Head to our Instagram for exclusive stories and videos from the show.

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Nash FM 94.7 Summer Shindig Kicks Off Memorial Day Weekend

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Nash FM Summer Shindig

Photo Via @NashFm947 Instagram

This past Friday (May 25.), was without a doubt the most beautiful day of the long weekend and New York Country Swag headed down to the Jersey Shore to celebrate the official summer kick off with Nash FM 94.7 and their Summer Shindig. Taking place right on the boardwalk of the New Jersey beaches, DJs, Katie Neal and Jesse Addy broadcasted live from Spicy Cantina prior to the concert event.  Fans gathered early rocking their bathing suits, American flag attire, and smiles as the boardwalk was filled with country music lovers and beachgoers alike.

Nash FM Summer Shindig

Photo Via @NashFm947 Instagram

As the tri-state area’s lifeline to new country music, Nash FM 9.47 brought a full line-up of incredible artists to the beach for their very first Summer Shindig including Jessie Chris, Michael Tyler, Carly Pearce, Chris Lane and Granger Smith. First up, Jessie Chris sang a few of her original songs before local high school student Bri Dorso took the stage to sing an incredible rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” with the American Flag waving behind her.

Nash FM Summer Shindig

Michael Tyler photo via @NashFm947 Instagram

Michael Tyler was next to the stage after Nash FM 94.7 DJs Katie Neal and Jesse Addy welcomed the crowd to the event.  Tyler who sang his singles “Hey Mama” and “They Can’t See” also put a spin on a song he co-wrote for Dierks Bentley, “Somewhere on a Beach” which was fitting for the boardwalk, beach setting.  Tyler told PIX News 11 in an interview it was the first time he was singing the song actually on a beach.

Nash Fm Summer Shindig

Carly Pearce photo via @NashFm947 Instagram

After a short break, Carly Pearce was next up, wearing a tank top with the word “Wine” in a heart, which boded well considering it was National Wine Day and played perfectly when she sang her second radio hit “Hide the Wine”. Check out a clip from the song here.  Pearce sang album cuts including her very first single and number one song, “Every Little Thing”. “Thanks to stations like this one, shout out to NashFM 94,” Pearce exclaimed for helping her to achieve the accomplishment with “Every Little Thing”.

Nash FM Summer Shindig

Chris Lane Photo Via @NashFm947 Instagram

Chris Lane’s stage presence and energy brought Nash FM’s Summer Shindig to another level, performing his singles “Let Me Love You”, “Fix”, and even some throwback Tim McGraw with “I Like It, I Love It”.  The singer also invited a pint-size fan to the stage, she sat on a stool while he serenaded her with his love song “For Her”.  Lane asked the ladies in the audience to sing Tori Kelly’s part in his most recent smash hit “Take Back Home Girl”, check out our exclusive clip here.

Nash FM Summer Shindig

“Nash FM 94.7 knows how to throw a party, this is awesome!  Thank you guys for coming out here and letting us live our dreams tonight,” Granger Smith said after taking the stage as the final artist of the afternoon.  Smith sang songs from his latest album When the Good Guys Win including “Happens Like That” and in true Earl Dibble’s Jr. form, “Don’t Tread on Me” complete with “Yee Yee’s” from the crowd. Check out our exclusive from the stage video of “If the Boot Fits” here. 

Nash FM Summer Shindig

Nash FM DJs Katie Neal & Jesse Addy introducing each act to the stage. Photo via @NashFm947 Instagram

The blue sky and sunshine was the perfect setting for a day filled with American pride and great country music.  For more info on events that NashFM 94.7 is hosting this summer head to their Instagram or their website.

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NYCS Swag Spotlight: Natalie Stovall

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Natalie Stovall

Natalie Stovall had quite the different upbringing compared to other children her age.  She explained her backstory to New York Country Swag in a recent phone conversation.  When she was very young, she knew that she wanted to play music and be on stage for a living.  She started playing the fiddle when she was four years old, growing up in a small town about an hour outside of Nashville.  Her parents were very supportive, driving her back and forth to all of her lessons whether it was for the fiddle, acting or singing classes.

Since she spent so much time in the car, she recalls always listening to music through the car radio. “I was such a child of the radio, it didn’t matter if it was country or top 40, but I kind of knew every song on the radio. I would do homework and listen to music in the car,” she tells us. She was enamored by the making of Michael Jackson’s music video “Thriller” from a very young age, she explains “Thriller” and Cinderella were on repeat in her house.

“I grew up playing and when I was ten I auditioned for a show called ‘The Opry Land Kids Club’ it was kind of like the Mickey Mouse Club type of show, but it was in the same park as Opryland USA,” she told us.  From then on she took every opportunity to be on stage performing, singing and playing her fiddle for an audience. She attended college in Boston at a music school, perfecting her craft until she finally graduated, came right back to Nashville and has been writing and performing ever since.

She explains that most artists don’t spend as much time as she did on the road in the beginning, but right after college her love for being on stage has kept her traveling and playing gigs across the country. “I very quickly started playing over 200 days a year, I realized I had to start asking for days off or I would never be home,” she laughs. “I love being on the road, being on stage, that is where the magic happens and that’s where I want to be as much as possible.”

She has learned that balance is the key component in this industry, balancing her time out on the road with being home and writing new music as well as a balance between recording outside cuts that move her and recording her own songs.  “Nashville is the epicenter of great songwriters and incredible songs, there are more songs that have been written here that are just mindblowing, that will level you,” she tells us “That’s one of those things that Nashville has such an incredible wealth of music that I always want to be open to all sides of it.” When Stovall hears a song that she wishes she wrote, that is how she knows it should be something she should consider recording for her own projects.

Her latest single “Making Out in Cars” is one of those songs that she did not write, but knew right when she heard it that it should be recorded for the world to hear. “It’s messy and complicated but it’s also hopeful and it’s all of the emotions at once; it’s like a snapshot of someone’s life and I just think it’s such a cool song,” Stovall says about the song.

She is looking forward to continuing to release music a little at a time and get to support that music on the road this summer. For tour dates head to nataliestovall.com and be sure to follow Stovall on social media: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

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Walker Hayes Shares Thank You Letter About New Single, “Craig”

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If you haven’t heard Walker Hayes’ brand new single “Craig” yet, you should take a listen to the song that wasn’t originally meant for anyone to hear but Craig and his family.  Yesterday, Hayes shared on his Instagram a very personal thank you to his team and to everyone who has supported the song since his decision to put it on his debut album Boom. Click here to see the Instagram post, below are the incredible words he wrote regarding the song and his team for encouraging him to release it.

 

Walker Hayes Craig Letter via Instagram

Walker Hayes Craig Letter via Instagram

From Walker: 

“just a ripped out draft…help me clean it up

I felt a responsibility as an artist to put “Craig” out as my second single.
I know it’s not the easiest option for country radio to play…
I know it takes a listen or two for people to embrace the message…
I know it is alarmingly different and stylistically polarizing…
But it’s the truth…and every time I sing it, I mean it…I feel it…and I know it means something to someone listening.

It took me about 3 months to write “Craig.”
My sole intention was to say “thank you” to Craig for all that he means to my family and me.
I personally struggle with expressing emotions of love or gratitude to other guys…
It is very awkward and forced when I say “I love you” to my dad or my brothers…
I’m not sure why…it’s just always been like that…
I had told Craig thank you many times and that we loved him and his family, but it was always followed with a joke or a quick subject change…
This song was my thank you note.

The lyrics to “Craig” are exactly how the story went down.
Every line is the truth.
The church really is called Redeeming Grace…
I really did smell like beer…
We really did lose our van…
And Craig really did show up at the ballpark “after my sons game one night in two cars with his wife Laura watchin’ from the other…”

There’s at least 3 pages of story that didn’t make it in the song.
There was an entire verse about how…from the stage…I could always see Craig in the back of the bar…talking someone’s ear off.
I knew every time he was telling them how amazing he thought I was…how well I could write…that I’d be playing stadiums one day…
here was also a verse about how Craig wasn’t rich…how his gesture truly was a sacrifice for his family to make by offering me their own van.
There was so much to the story that I wanted to share…

Craig and his wife, Laura, appreciated the song so much…
They listened to it in their car in a movie theater parking lot and cried together.
Craig’s first text to me after hearing the song was…”speechless”
Craig and Laura didn’t play it for anyone.  That’s how humble they are.
They never told anyone they had given us a van. Not a soul.
Even Craig’s twin brother had no idea they had helped us.
The song was meant to be a gift for their ears only.  A thank you in song form.

But everything changed when I played the song for my producer, Shane McAnally.
He insisted that it go on the album and I was shocked…
The song is so specific and personal I wondered who could relate…
We took the original version and added an intro to it…
We were all “speechless” when the final edit was 3 minutes and 16 seconds long…
3:16.
I know…goosebumps right…

The reactions to “Craig” have spoken…
I’ve met countless people who are reminded of the “Craig’s” in their lives.
I’ve met countless people who are inspired to be like Craig.
I’ve met countless people who have been inspired by the song to give cars to families in need, pay it forward, adopting children, etc. in response to the song.
It’s crazy what the story of Craig and me is causing…
And as an artist…that’s what it’s all about…
Telling the world about things that change us…
That’s why I had to put this song out.

Craig and his family and their example mean everything to me.
I needed them.  I must tell y’all about em.
I want to introduce them to everyone.

I think my kids were safe cuz Craig was saved.”

 

The New York Country Swag team was honored to have Walker Hayes play a Swag Session with us recently when he was in town opening for Kelsea Ballerini.  Check out the full video below where Hayes gives even more of a backstory about “Craig” and grab the single here.

 

 

 

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