Swag Sessions

Swag Sessions Spotify Playlist

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Swag Sessions

 

On our latest Spotify Playlist, we feature all of the songs that have been performed during our LIVE Swag Sessions with artists including Adam Doleac, Lucas Hoge, Scooter Brown Band, Jo Smith, Mitchell Tenpenny, Jimmie Allen and Brown and Gray. Check out the playlist below.

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Ryan Kinder Mercury Lounge

Ryan Kinder Grooves at His First NYC Show at Mercury Lounge

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Ryan Kinder Mercury Lounge

Ryan Kinder, Warner Music Nashville recording artist played his first official full band show in New York City Tuesday night.  Kinder took the stage at Mercury Lounge in lower Manhattan to perform his music for a full room of fans.

His 60-minute set included a rockin’ song called “Alabama”, a heavenly cover of Al Green’s “Love and Happiness” and of course his latest single “Still Believe in Crazy Love” which Kinder then led the crowd in a full-blown sing-a-long of the last chorus.  For fans who have been following his career, he played his debut single from 2014, “Kiss Me When I’m Down” which quotes New York in the lyrics. (“And now I’m flying high / Just crossed over the New York lights / Where are you tonight? / Am I too late to make this right? / Will you hold me, touch me / Say that you forgive me / Save me when I hit the ground / Will you kiss me when I’m down?”)

Ryan Kinder Mercury Lounge

His smooth vocals along with his undeniable guitar playing make Kinder a definite one to watch for the new year.  His sound is unique, taking the best parts of country music songwriting and sonically mashing that with John Mayer, rootsy vibes.  Kinder was also joined on stage by two incredible background vocalists, Kristen Rogers and Stephcynie who enhanced each song with sass and powerful harmonies.

When we sat down with Kinder in September, he told us that his debut full-length album is definitely in the works.  “We don’t have a date. I’m taking my time on it because I want to get it right,” he explained. Looking forward to the new year and new music, be sure to follow Kinder on social media, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

NYCountry Swag Birthday

NYCountry Swag Celebrates its 2nd Birthday with a Special Surprise Message…

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In case you missed it, New York Country Swag turned 2 years old this weekend! Our managing editor and videographer surprised our founder with a special video full of messages from some of the artists and industry leaders we’ve worked with so far including Adam Doleac, Jo Smith, Nash Nights Live (Elaina D. Smith & Shawn Parr) Ty, Kelly & Chuck, Jimmie Allen, Brown & Gray, Brandon Ray, Katie Neal and Jesse Addy of Nash fm 94.7.

Check out the special video message below and make sure y’all follow us on Instagram for upcoming event announcements!

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Luke Bryan NYC Album Release

Luke Bryan ‘What Makes You Country’ NYC Album Release Week

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Luke Bryan Getty Images

(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Pandora)

Luke Bryan is no stranger to success when releasing music, whether the track makes you move your body or moves your soul, his singles climb the charts and he sells out arenas.  His last album, Kill the Lights was the first in history to have six singles reach No. 1 on the Country Billboard charts and his “Huntin’, Fishin’ And  Lovin’ Every Day” tour has packed arenas all over the country this past year. His newest album, What Makes You Country, which is available everywhere today brings Bryan back to his roots.  Blending his own unique brand of country music which combines pop-country with traditional lyrics.  For his 6th studio album, Bryan gave fans more of what he knows they love, songs that will translate well in his live shows as well as radio-friendly hits.

Luke Bryan Pandora

(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Pandora)

To celebrate the release of the album, Bryan took NYC by storm this past week.  First up, New York Country Swag headed to The Altman Building to catch Pandora’s Up Close With Luke Bryan presented by FedEx Wednesday night. The line of fans wrapped around the long city block, hoping that they would make the first come-first serve cut into the venue.  Once inside, fans were treated to free Luke Bryan t-shirts, a photo booth backdrop and a close spot in front of the stage. Although this was an album release party, fans were excited to hear plenty of Bryan’s hits from his ten-year career including, “That’s My Kind of Night”, “Play It Again” “Fast” and of course closing with a high octane version of “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)”.

Luke Bryan Stage 17

(Photo by New York CountrySwag.com)

Thursday, Bryan stopped by NASH FM 94.7’s Stage 17 studio to perform more singles off his forthcoming album including “Hooked On It” and the title track.  The performance and interview, curated by Mike Allan, assistant program director for NASH FM 94.7 was broadcasted live across the country.  DJs Katie Neal and Jesse Addy chatted with Bryan about writing the new songs and asked him to describe what he thinks “Makes You Country?” “An overall way that you view life, the way that you approach life with humility and honor and compassion and faith and belief.” the singer explained.  A small group of audience members and winners from NASH FM were treated to stripped down, acoustic versions of the songs and the intimate setting was the perfect place for Bryan to be his goofy self, joking about his shirt being too tight and popping a button off. He ended his visit by taking pictures with his biggest fans.

Although all 15 tracks work well together to create a cohesive country record, a few highlights on the album include “Land of a Million Songs” a true testament to the struggles that Nashville songwriters go through to create your favorite music.  Another stand out is “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset” which was written by Ryan Hurd, Chase McGill and Zach Crowell.  Hurd took to Instagram hours before the album was released to express his gratitude to everyone involved, especially for his fiance Maren Morris, for who he says the song was written about.

The final track on the record, “Win Life” was written by husband and wife songwriters Nicolle Gaylon and Rodney Clawson along with Ross Copperman.  It fits right into Bryan’s wheelhouse, as a dad, a country superstar, and a husband just trying to do his best with the time he is given.

Luke Bryan GMA

(Photo by New York CountrySwag.com)

For Bryan’s biggest appearance during his album release week in NYC, he took the stage at the brand new Opry City Stage in the heart of Times Square for his live performance on Good Morning America.  Joined by Robin Roberts and GMA’s leading meteorologist, Ginger Zee, Bryan performed his latest single “Light It Up”,  as well as another track off What Makes You Country, “Most People are Good” and other hits for the select few in the studio audience.  Finally, Bryan’s fans across the country were able to hear some of the songs live and head to their favorite outlet to purchase the full album.

Grab What Makes You Country on iTunes and head to our Instagram for more from the album release week.

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Arena Breaks Out in Garth Brooks Sing-A-Long After a Power Outage Affects the Show…

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Garth Brooks, Prudential Center

 

Moments into the opening set, a power outage struck New Jersey’s Prudential Center Sunday night as a crowd packed the venue for a Garth Brooks concert.

Leaving fans in the dark, the crowd quickly joined in unison for an impromptu sing-a-long of Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places.” Check out the clip below….

 

 

 

 

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Swag Sessions: Featuring Brown & Gray…

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Before opening for Carly Pearce, Brett Young and LOCASH at My Country 96.1’s Secret Holiday Show, new country duo, Brown & Gray, joined us in front of the cozy fireplace at NYC’s Refinery Rooftop for some Christmas tunes and their debut single, “Top Down.”

Check out our LIVE Swag Session below, then grab Brown & Gray’s music here.

 

 

 

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

 

Swag Sessions: Featuring Mitchell Tenpenny…

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Before opening for Dustin Lynch at NYC’s Playstation Theater, country newcomer, Mitchell Tenpenny joined us in Times Square for an afternoon of music, laughs and.. jingle bells! Check out our LIVE Swag Session here and download Mitchell’s EP on iTunes.

 

 

 

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

 

MyCountry 96.1 Secret Show

Long Island Packs Stereo Garden For Secret Holiday Show

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Brown and Gray

Each year MyCountry 96.1, a country radio station out on Long Island puts on a secret show.  The artists remain a secret until they hit the stage which is an exciting way to attract their listeners and fans.  The opening act, Brown and Gray took the stage as the venue filled up.  They played their latest Christmas song, “It’s Not Christmas (’til you come around)” along with their debut single “Top Down” which has been spinning on the radio station for the past few months.  For more about the duo check out our Live Swag Sessions.

Carly Pearce

A quiet hush came over the crowd as MYCountry’s DJ’s Phathead and Jay Letterman took the stage to announce the next secret act to take the stage. Already having an incredible year, adding another accomplishment on Monday, having her single “Hide the Wine” go most added to radio, Carly Pearce was announced.  Pearce sang songs off of her debut album, Every Little Thing including “Color”, “Careless” and of course her first single which hit the top of the charts “Every Little Thing”.

Brett Young Secret

As the DJ’s took the stage again, the surprise was a little anti-climatic when high pitched screamed interrupted their introduction because one of country’s biggest rising stars, Brett Young walked onto the stage.  Young who’s voice is smooth and unique in this genre performed songs off his debut album including his number one hit “In Case You Didn’t Know” and his debut single “Sleep Without You”.  He also sang a haunting version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”.  He spent time thanking country radio, specifically MyCountry 96.1 for not only playing his music but for helping him achieve so many accolades over the past year.

LoCash Secret Show

The final act to play the secret holiday show was LoCash, the duo who enjoyed their first number one single “I Know Somebody” earlier this year.  They sang their radio hits as well as a cover of a song they wrote that Keith Urban cut “You’re Gonna Fly” and a venue-wide sing-a-long of Garth Brooks’ classic “Friends in Low Places”.

Listeners of the station stayed well into the weeknight to dance and sing to their favorite artists all thanks to MyCountry 96.1.  For more on the radio station click here.

 

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Dustin Lynch Plays for Sold Out Crowd at Playstation Theater

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Dustin Lynch Playstation

Broken Bow recording artist Dustin Lynch brought his Ride or Die Tour to NYC this weekend with opening acts Mitchell Tenpenny and Ryan Hurd. Fans who waited on line to enter the venue rushed the stage once the doors were open and filled the space from the first song till the last.

Mitchell Tenpenny Playstation

Warming up the crowd, Mitchell Tenpenny sang songs off of his debut EP, Linden Ave including “Bitches” and “Truck I Drove in High School”.  You can catch an exclusive performance of those songs from our Swag Sessions with the rising singer-songwriter here.

Next up was Ryan Hurd, who sang “City Girl”, “Love in a Bar” and even his own version of a song he wrote for Lady Antebellum, “You Look Good”.

Lynch, who recently released his third full-length album, Current Mood, took the stage combined old hits and new ones, opening with “Here We Come” and going right into “Hell of a Night”.  His 75-minute set gave his die-hard fans every one of his radio singles as well as album cuts and an energetic live show that they will be talking about for a while.  “Thank you all for this,” he said. “All that matters in life right now is the present moment. Tonight’s about singing and dancing. Can we do that New York City?” and the crowd which was filled with a mix of young and old and men and women responded by giving the artist exactly what he asked for.

Dustin Lynch Playstation

Lynch proving his staying power in this genre, flawlessly transitioned from his first single, the tender “Cowboys and Angels” into his brand new single “I’d Be Jealous Too” and the audience sang along to every word.

A highlight of the night was when he paid homage to the huge country acts who gave him a chance to open for them in the past.  He did a medley of Brad Paisley’s “Mud on the Tires”, Keith Urban’s “Somebody Like You”, Luke Bryan’s “Play It Again” and Florida Georgia Line’s “H.O.L.Y”.

He closed out the night with his most recent number one smash, “Seein’ Red”. Check out the remaining tour dates below.

Dec. 7 — Stockton, Calif. @ Bob Hope Theatre
Dec. 8 — Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Novo
Dec. 10 — Las Vegas, Nev. @ The Cosmopolitan
Dec. 17 — Grand Rapids, Mich. @ 20 Monroe Live

Dustin Lynch with NYCountry Swag

 

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

DBradbery Cover

NYCS First Impression: Danielle Bradbery ‘I Don’t Believe We’ve Met’

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Danielle Bradbery NYCS

From first listen, Danielle Bradbery’s latest album is a remarkable testament to the artist who is finally choosing her own path. “I didn’t know myself as a person back then,” Bradbery says of her teenage years. “I didn’t know my sound yet. Now I want to talk about real things. I want to be honest.” the singer says of evolving after her stint on the singing competition The Voice.  As a 16-year-old, Bradbery took the reality competition by storm with her strong vocal ability and sweet nature.  Now, 21, she understands the importance of being honest with yourself and making the music that you feel represents you.

At her album release party in NYC on Wednesday night, Bradbery explained to us before taking the stage  “This album is a huge growing up process, for this album, 16 to now 21 is a huge gap that you have to figure out and that is exactly what I did.”

The Texas native co-wrote 7 of the 10 tracks on I Don’t Believe We’ve Met, making each lyric personal to her story. The most intimate song, “Human Diary” is an intimate look at a breakup and all of the things you lose, feeling exposed and raw.  The lead single “Sway” is a perfect groove, introducing the new sound from The Voice alum.

“What Are We Doing” could easily find itself on any pop music chart sitting next to Justin Beiber, highlighting the back and forth of a modern-day relationship. Bradbery’s vocal chops bring new life to the simplest lyric including the female empowering, “Worth It”, her favorite on the album.  Fans of all ages can relate to the message Bradbery is singing about.  Sonically, the project fits in perfectly with the pop-country vibes that have catapulted young female artists to the country charts including Lauren Alaina and Carly Pearce. Be on the look out for more great things from this emerging country artist and grab I Don’t Believe We’ve Met on iTunes.

 

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag