Our next stop on our Country Music Adventures in NYC brings us to Hill Country BBQ for Nash FM’s Up Close & Country Series. This series brings select listeners to intimate shows featuring different Country Artists. The shows generally last an hour or so and are usually held on a week day evening, or lunch break. They take place in a room downstairs of the venue, complete with a full bar, stage and standing room with a few hi-top cocktail tables.

A quick scope of the room and you will run into a few familiar faces like Radio hosts, Jesse Addy & Shila Nathan.

So, how do you get into these awesome events? It’s kind of simple. Follow Nash on social media. Sign up for their email blasts. Listen & Call in. They host several contests to win tickets and really do the best they can to take care of their biggest fans.

This particular show featured up & comers and one of Rolling Stone’s, ‘Top 10 New Country Artists You Need to Know in 2016’, LANco. The group consists of five guys, singer-lyricist Brandon Lancaster, bassist Chandler Baldwin, multi-instrumentalist Jared Hampton, drummer Tripp Howell and guitarist Eric Steedly.

A lively and energetic group, the guys kicked off the show with one of their own songs, Trouble Maker, from their first, self-titled, EP. (Download it here.) The set consisted of some of their own distinctive jams as well as a few covers, like Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ and Walk The Moon’s, ‘Shut Up & Dance With Me.’ Throughout the show, lead singer, Brandon Lancaster, consistently thanked the crowd, elaborated on the stories behind each song and shared memories of how LANco first began.

So, what does LANco stand for? Lancaster & Company, of course. The idea behind the name is to create a connection to a community built by the bonds of music. “We are LANco, and so are you,” says Lancaster.

LANco, recently signed by Sony Music Nashville, is currently working on their upcoming, full-length debut album. Keep up with the group here & be sure to hit a show when they are in town!

Check out more pictures from the show on our Facebook & don’t forget to follow us on snapchat (NYCOUNTRYSWAG) to catch a glimpse of our Country Music Adventures in NYC. While you’re at it – give us a follow on instagram & twitter as well!

Want to rock a NYCountry Swag snapback? Get yours here.

PS – Have you heard? We’re hosting Country Night at Bungalow Bar on Friday, June 24th! Get your tickets here. There will be special guests & some awesome surprises.

Peace, Love & Country Music,
NYCountry Swag

One of our favorite things about NYC is that you never know what’s around the corner. This proved to be true tonight, Tuesday, May 17th, when Jennifer Nettles stopped by Bryant Park for a Surprise Pop-Up Set!

The Grand Ole Opry, as part of their Opry Circle Throwdown, organized the surprise set at the Southwest Porch in Bryant Park, just after 8PM. The idea behind the throwdown is to have artists like Jennifer Nettles (or Kelsea Ballerini or Chase Bryant, who visited us in Bryant Park back in September) throw down a replica of the famed six-foot Opry circle of wood and perform to bring a taste of the Opry to new cities. The circle of wood symbolizes the oak center stage at the Opry House and has traveled around the world for planned and impromptu sets. The set also includes the famous Grand Ole Opry Microphone Stand.

If you’ve ever seen Nettles live, then you already know her fun, sarcastic & bubbly personality that she puts into each show. Tonight was no different. She performed a full set featuring some of her new songs like ‘Unlove You’ and ‘Hey Heartbreak‘ from her new album, ‘Playing With Fire.’ She also incorporated some of her old and well-known songs from her former trio, turned duo, Sugarland, like “Baby Girl” and “Stay.” In between songs, Nettles kept the crowd entertained with stories and pointing out guests she had recognized from Twitter.

By the end of her set, Nettles had accumulated quite the audience, with guests filling the porch as well as the surrounding area. She sure knows how to entertain a crowd and certainly brought the energy to Bryant Park. If you haven’t downloaded Jennifer Nettles’ new album already, What are you waiting for!? Click HERE to download it. Also, Check out our Facebook for more pictures from the show! While you’re at it, Don’t Forget to follow us on Instagram!

Peace, Love & Country Music,
NYCountry Swag

January 16, 2016, NYCountry Swag kicked off it’s very first event with none other than a country music themed brunch at lower east side nightclub, Libation NYC.

The New York Country Swag Team got to Libation early Saturday morning to double check guest lists, floor plans, set-ups and made sure everything was absolutely perfect for our big day.

At 10AM the star of our show, Russell Dickerson, arrived with his beautiful wife, Kailey. For those of you who do not know him, Russell is a Nashville native & Belmont University alumnus. This past summer his latest single, Yours, was picked up by Sirius XM’s The Highway Find program. The program picks up new & often unsigned artists and showcases their music to country music lovers across the nation. Competing with hits by artists like Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, Dickerson’s power ballad peaked at number 15 on the radio stations Hot 45 Countdown.

NYCountry Swag Founder, Stephanie Wagner, caught Russell Dickerson’s set last November on the Florida Georgia Line Cruise and was immediately hooked. When thinking of a special talent for our first event, Russell Dickerson immediately came to mind.

As Russell & Kailey walked in to Libation, we were both equally excited & nervous for what’s to come. When Russell asks where he is playing, we take a look at the bar & with a nervous laugh ask, “How do you feel about playing on top of that?…” To us, this was a total “New York City Meets Country Music” vibe. Russell agreed.

We got through soundcheck, a few last minute adjustments and before we know it the doors were opening and the line of guests to our sold out event began trickling in.

Within the first twenty minutes, we had all three floors of Libation BUMPING with Country Music, Country Fans & Country Love. We had two DJ’s, Johnny A & Timmy H of DJ’s @ Work, a photobooth, a photographer, endless props of cowboy hats, bandanas & blow up horses. We had line dancing and cornhole with Nash fm & a very special guest host, from Nash fm’s ‘Ty, Kelly & Churck’, Kelly Ford. Mimosas were flowing, sparklers were flaring and everything we had taken weeks to plan was unfolding perfectly right before our eyes.

Russell performed two acoustic sets. Playing everything from new music from his EP, Yours, including our personal favorites “Every Little Thing” and “Blue Tacoma,” to covers like “Friends in Low Place”s by Garth Brooks mixed with a bit of Drake’s, “Hotline Bling” & Fetty Wap’s, “Trap Queen”. There was something for everybody in Russell’s set. If you weren’t a fan of Russell before our Brunch, you certainly were after.

Like all great things, our big day quickly came to an end. Wrapping up the event was bittersweet. As much as we did not want it to end, we smiled knowing it was only the beginning for NYCountry Swag. We couldn’t have asked for a better kick-off party and are looking forward to all of the amazing events we have planned for the future.

Now head to our Facebook page & check out all of the awesome & hilarious pictures from the big day! While you’re there, be sure to give us a follow, as well as on our Instagram & Twitter, so you do not miss any of the fun & new things coming up!

Finally, We want to send a big Thank You to those who made our big day so special. To the lovely Kelly Ford & our friends at Nash FM – Thank You for bringing Country Music back to NYC & co-hosting our event! We are honored to call you friends.

To Russell & Kailey Dickerson – Thank You for bringing your contagious energy, optimism & love to our event! It was an honor & pleasure to work & spend time with the two of you. You have lifetime friends & fans in us!

To Libation – Thank You for trusting in our event, for your support & for providing an amazing & accommodating venue & team!

And to all of you, our GUESTS! Thank YOU for being a part of the NYCountry Swag family. We loved meeting & getting to know all of you and look forward to rocking with each and every one of you at future events!

Peace, Love & Country Music.

-NYCountry Swag