TODAY Show Reveals 2018 Citi Summer Concert Series Lineup…

/in /by

 

The ‘Today’ Show announced its 2018 Summer Citi Concert Series lineup, which includes some of our favorite country music acts playing live in New York City including Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Lady Antebellum & more.

Each concert will take place outside of the NBC Today Show Studios on 49th Street & Rockefeller Plaza. The summer series will kick off May 15th with Meghan Trainor.

Don’t miss a single summer concert! See the full schedule below and get full details on how to attend.

Concert Schedule –

May 15th – Meghan Trainor

May 25th –  Darius Rucker

May 28th – Troye Sivan

June 1st – Shawn Mendes

June 8th – Kelly Clarkson

June 12th – Dierks Bentley

June 15th – Christina Aguilera

June 22nd – 5 Seconds of Summer

June 25th – Dan + Shay

June 29th – Panic at the Disco

July 6th – Lady Antebellum

July 13th – Maroon 5

July 20th – Charlie Puth

July 27th – Julia Michaels

August 2nd – Keith Urban

August 10th – Jason Mraz

August 17th – Cole Swindell

 

*Dates for Alessia Cara and Why Don’t We to be announced.

 

All shows (except when noted) will be broadcast Friday mornings on the Today show.  Fans looking to see the concerts in person should go to 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza by 6am ET for the best spots.  Viewing is provided on a first-come, first-served basis outside Today’s window-on-the-world studio.

For more information click here

 

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC!

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 Swag Spotlight: Home Free

/in , /by

Initially, the country music genre’s only all-vocal group Home Free was formed back in 2000 but were really thrust into the scene after participating and winning the 4th season of the singing competition, The Sing Off.  The group which is made up of five vocalists, Austin Brown, Adam Chance, Tim Foust, Rob Lundquist and Adam Rupp are our Swag Spotlight this week, as we focus on their unique brand and their beautiful harmonies.  Rob Lundquist spoke to NYCounry Swag about their tour, their sound and their niche corner of country music. “We have our own niche in this market for sure, nobody else is doing a cappella country, we get to be trailblazers in our own right, we figure out what we want to do and we can always try something else, it’s liberating,” he explains.

Although the majority of their music are covers with a twist on well-known country songs, they also dabble in writing, producing and creating their own original music. They have garnered over 215 million views on YouTube. “We try and put out two YouTube videos a month, we are not on the radio so that is our way to stay relevant and keep people engaged,” he tells us. “We were lucky enough to get with a pretty great management team, Works Entertainment and after the show is where we really started working, touring, making music videos and recording new singles all of the time and that’s really been why we’ve been able to hang around and keep growing.”

Most recently they covered Russell Dickerson’s “Yours”, and Lundquist told us that it was a no-brainer to cover that incredible love song.  As far as picking which songs to cover, he lets us know that it is a democratic process, each member must love the song in order for them to create an arrangement specific for them and their sound. They mainly think about what their fans will want to hear, what they think will reach new markets as well.  Their original song “Timeless” is a catchy tune with an amazing video, showing couples reenacting photos that were taken of them when they were much younger. Take a look at the touching video below.

Their Timeless Tour has hit over 30 cities over the country, including a sold-out stop at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium. The quintet will also perform at CMA Fest this year on the Riverfront Stage. Then continue the summer playing with The Oak Ridge Boys. “Tour has been great, we are all over the country.  People are coming out, we are playing some new markets that we haven’t played and it’s been really fun,” Lundquist tells us.

In a time in country music and music in general when the production and the instruments can sometimes overtake the lyrics of a song, Home Free has managed to push past needing that, creating their own brand using only the beautiful voices they were given.  For more information and tour dates head to www.homefreemusic.com

 

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC!

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 Wallen Debut Album ‘If I Know Me’

/in , /by

Morgan Wallen

Big Loud Records recording artist Morgan Wallen is not only wrapping up his first headlining tour,  but he is playing Stagecoach festival, releasing his debut album today and made his late night TV debut on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night to sing “Up Down” joined by Florida Georgia Line and “Whiskey Glasses”.  Talk about an eventful weekend for the rising star who is excited to finally release this new music that he has been working on since he got to Nashville.

One thing that is undeniable about Wallen and his sound, is his accent.  His first single which was released early last year, “The Way I Talk” was an important message for the rising star to be true to himself, and although If I Know Me dabbles in southern rock, r&b, and pop country vibes, his southern accent makes any song sound traditional.

Wallen spent time opening for Florida Georgia Line who collaborated with him on his breakout hit “Up Down”. The track has now garnered over 92 million spins on Spotify, just recently was certified gold and is ready to break into the top 10 on the country charts. The Tennesee native took time to chat with New York Country Swag last Fall, about recording the single and his relationship with the duo.

The album is filled with tracks that are radio ready and primed to become singles, especially “Happy Hour”, “Whiskey Glasses” and the title track “If I Know Me”. Even the slower-tempo more emotion-driven songs “Redneck Love Song”, “Little Rain” and “Chasin’ You” have a certain charm about them.

Listen to the full album below or grab your copy on iTunes.

 

Joining Luke Bryan’s What Makes You Country tour that is hitting major stadiums all over the country this summer, Morgan Wallen is showing no signs of slowing down as his career takes off.  Tickets and tour dates available at www.morganwallen.com

 

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC!

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: Keith Urban ‘Graffiti U’

/in , /by

Keith Urban has been making his mark on the country music genre for the past two decades, always finding ways to reinvent his sound while staying relevant to the changes in the business and the fluidity of music itself.  In his latest release, Graffiti U certainly stays current while still highlighting Urban’s signature guitar skills as well as his ability to keep his fans engaged and singing along.

The project begins with his duet “Coming Home” written by Urban with pop star Julia Michaels, famed songwriters Nicolle Galyon and J.R Rotem.  While Galyon and Urban bring their country flair, Michaels and Rotem who have thrived in the pop and r&b worlds bring a progressive feel to the song which opens with Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried”.  Michaels is also a co-writer on three other songs on the project, “Way Too Long”, “Parallel Line”, and “Gemini”.

The opening track sets the tone for the rest of the album, classic country Urban vocals with hints of pop, reggae, and r&b. Furthering his crossover power, Urban cut a few outside tracks, among those”Parallel Line” which was written by Ed Sheeran, Benjamin Levin, Johnny McDaid, Julia Michaels, Amy Wadge and produced by Sheeran and “Horses” which was written by Matt Rad, MoZella, Jamie Scott who have all had major success in the pop world.

A standout on the record is when Urban goes back to his country roots for “Texas Time”.  The intro has Urban fiddling with his guitar and saying “You know what we need right now, we need a song about Texas.”  Another stand out is “Drop Top” which leans away from the country genre sonically and has the line “She’s going to Coachella with feathers in her hair” but features the epic pipes of Kassi Ashton on the chorus and simply put is the perfect summer, roll your windows down anthem.

Urban was most recently nominated for ACM Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year for “Female” and won for Vocal Event of hte Year for “The Fighter” which featured Carrie Underwood.  “Female” which is one of the slower songs on Graffiti U takes a stab at the #MeToo movement, empowering women.

Keith Urban

 

The Graffiti U Tour is hitting 58 cities across the country and kicks off June 15th at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St. Louis, Missouri. Kelsea Ballerini is the supporting act for all tour dates.  The tour stops at Barclays Center on October 27th. For all tour dates and more info head to www.keithurban.net. 

 

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC!

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:

Swag Sessions: Featuring Drew Baldridge

/in , /by

Drew Baldridge

 

On this perfect spring day, Drew Baldridge hung out with New York Country Swag to chat about his new music and his non-profit organization W.E.R.D.  Baldrige played his brand new single “Gentleman” and “Guns and Roses” live from The Refinery Rooftop before heading to Nash FM and Opry City Stage for his show tonight. Tune in to the live stream below.

 

 

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC!

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:

 

Carly Pearce Shares Personal Note From 14-Year-Old Self…

/in /by

If your 14-year-old self had a future note for you, what would it read? Would your dreams be the same? Would you have accomplished the goals you once had as a child?

Yesterday (Apr. 24), rising country star Carly Pearce celebrated her 28th Birthday with a personal note from her 14-year-old self. In a post on her Instagram, the note dated June 9, 2004 read:

Carly Pearce - Instagram

Photo via @CarlyPearce on Instagram

“Dear Self,

Wow. I have a lot of memories in my life so far. Who knows what I will be doing when I open this letter. Hopefully I will be on my way to becoming a famous recording artist in Nashville.”

 

The note continues with…

Photo via @CarlyPearce on Instagram

“My main goal in life is to become a famous recording artist in country music. I want to sing on the Grand Ole Opry so bad! Music means the world to me and I know that one day, if I push myself, I will share my voice with the world.” 

 

Today, Pearce would make her 14-year-old self proud. The talented singer-songwriter made her Grand Ole Opry debut back in May 2015 and released her first studio album, Every Little Thing, a little over six months ago in October 2017. Days later, Pearce received her first number one single when the title track hit the top of the charts. While her second single, “Hide The Wine” continues to climb the charts, Pearce proves that talent, hard work, and passion can lead you in the right direction.

We named Carly Pearce as one of our “5 Artists You Should Be Listening To”  last September. You can listen to her music below and don’t miss her this summer on Rascal Flatts’ “Back To Us” Tour with Dan + Shay. The show hits the New York area on Friday, July 6th at Northwell Health Jones Beach Theater.

Happy 28th Birthday, Carly!

 

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC!

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:

 

NYCountry Swag Sends Lucky Winners to Meet Brothers Osborne at Nash FM 94.7

/in , /by
Nash FM 94.7's Katie Neal with New York Country Swag's Christina Bosch & Stephanie Wagner

Nash FM 94.7’s Katie Neal with New York Country Swag’s Christina Bosch & Stephanie Wagner

Coming off of their latest album release, Brothers Osborne stopped by the Hackensack Meridian Health Stage 17 at the Nash FM 94.7 studios last night (Apr. 24) to chat with DJs Katie Neal and Jesse Addy about their brand new album Port Saint Joe and the making of the new project.

Partnering with Nash FM, New York Country Swag hosted a giveaway for the event, inviting followers to attend the intimate concert through a ticket giveaway contest hosted on our Instagram. Stephanie and Christina, from the New York Country Swag team, hopped on stage with Katie Neal to greet the audience as well as introduce them to what New York Country Swag is all about before Brothers Osborne hit the stage.

The duo sang the debut single off the record to kick off the performance, “Shoot Me Straight” as well as “Weed, Whiskey, and Willie” and “Pushing Up Daisies”.  TJ announced that although they would be playing new record tracks, of course, they would play “some oldies, but goodies”. Chatting about the goals of the album, TJ explained that over the two years that have passed since Pawn Shop was released, they have matured a lot and played hundreds of shows. They are now confident in the artists they have become and feel this record is a more improved version.

They closed their performance with the song that really got everything started for them, “Stay A Little Longer” and you could hear the audience singing along to every word, then after asking for audience participation the boys sang their upbeat hit “Ain’t My Fault”.  Their hilarious banter along with their incredible guitar and vocal skills made for one of the best Hackensack Meridian Health Stage 17 shows Nash FM 94.7 has hosted. The audience was excited to be able to sit and hear stories about the recording process and then to finally get to meet the duo after their set.

Keep up with all things Nash FM on our social media pages and stay tuned for more giveaways for your favorite artists.

 

Brothers Osborne with NYCountry Swag

 

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC!

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:

 

Swag Sessions: Featuring Kalie Shorr

/in , /by

 

During her NYC visit, country-pop singer Kalie Shorr joined New York Country Swag for a Live Swag Session at Refinery Rooftop.  Shorr played her first single “Fight Like a Girl” which she said is about strong women, particularly her mom.  She also announced to our followers that she was about to sing her next single “Candy” which is about two things she can’t resist, a snickers bar and a boy in a leather jacket. Tune in below as she plays music and chats about her Grand Ole Opry debut, women in country music and what’s next for the rising star.

 

 

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC!

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:

 

Adam Doleac Debuts “Bigger Than Us” Music Video on CMT

/in , /by
Bigger Than Us

Photo Credit: Alex Mertz

 

Adam Doleac’s latest single, “Bigger Than Us” highlights the ups and downs that occur during a relationship.  His music video, which premiered exclusively on CMT today (April 24th), reinforces the battles couples go through to maintain their love.

The video takes place in a boxing ring, where the lead characters battle it out and Doleac plays the referee. Check out our Swag Session with Adam Doleac here then to watch the full “Bigger Than Us” video head to www.cmt.com…>>

 

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC!

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:

Win Tickets to The Studio at Opry City Stage…

/in , /by

New York Country Swag is committed to getting you into the hottest shows in New York City and beyond. That’s why we’ve teamed up with our friends at Opry City Stage to give away a few tickets to each of their upcoming events at The Studio.

To enter, head to our ticket giveaway page HERE and follow the instructions.

* One entry per person*