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Luke Bryan Joins American Idol Judges on Live with Kelly & Ryan

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Earlier this week, country music megastar Luke Bryan and his fellow American Idol judges, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie appeared on Live with Kelly and Ryan to get ready for Season 2 of the show. The judges decided to have a little pre-Halloween fun and came out dressed as animals. Bryan was dressed as an eagle, while his fellow judges were dressed as a blow-up sloth and panda. The three also played a game of ‘Who’s Most Likely’ with host Ryan Seacrest. Bryan voted for himself as most likely to sing in the shower. You can watch the interview here.

The three judges looked very cozy together after only working together for one season. Going into the first season of American Idol, the three didn’t know each other very well or had ever really worked together. They now consider each other family.

“I didn’t really know Luke,” Perry said “I had seen him hosting the CMAs and singing ‘Huntin’, Fishin’…’” “She had seen some of my online shaking,” Bryan says with a laugh.  The show has brought the two very close that they even seek advice from one another.  “I call Lionel about my kids,” says Bryan. “I’m like, ‘Lionel, what do I do now? What do I do with this latest thing?’ Lionel has got all the knowledge.”

Bryan’s had a very busy year outside of his American Idol gig. He recently wrapped up his touring year for 2018, where he hit multiple stadiums around the country as well as other big name venues. He also scored two No. 1 hits in 2018 with “Most People Are Good” and “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset,” both from his most recent album, What Makes You Country. He also released the title song as his latest single. Make sure to check out the newest season of American Idol coming in 2019.

 

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Luke Bryan Releases Steamy New Video for “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset”

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Few things sum up summer like sunrises, sunburns, sunsets, and Luke Bryan. Year after year, the country superstar gives us songs that provide the quintessential soundtrack to our barbecues and beach parties, and 2018 is no exception. This week, Bryan released the music video for his latest single, “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset.”

The video tells the tale of a young couple who have found a sun-tanned kind of love, showing them swimming, boating, and sharing sun-burnt kisses. The video was directed by Michael Monaco and filmed at Sunset Marina on Dale Hollow Lake near Byrdstown, Tennessee. The marina provided a picturesque backdrop for Bryan and his ode to summer romance.

“‘Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset’ is, it’s a perfect song in my opinion,” said Bryan in a statement. “It’s reflective. It talks about love in a summer and summer love. It doesn’t get any better than summer love way back when. And then when you say ‘Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset, Repeat,’ that’s what you do in the summer. You wake up. You go get your tan on, and the sun goes down and you do it over and over.”

The sentimental summer song was written by country hitmakers Zach Crowell, Ryan Hurd and Chase McGill.

This past weekend, Luke became the first country artist to headline and sell out Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles as part of his What Makes You Country Tour, tweeting, “Dodger Stadium changed my life tonight. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here.”  He’ll continue the trend of sold-out show, shake it, stadium, repeat, hitting the road with upcoming tour stops in Denver, Indianapolis, St. Louis, San Antonio, and Chicago.  Click here to read about the What Makes You Country Tour stop at MetLife Stadium.

While Bryan may be reveling in the warmth of summer, he’ll be back under the bright lights of Hollywood alongside Ryan Seacrest, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie for the second season of ABC’s American Idol reboot.

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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!

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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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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!

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NYCountry Swag Partners with Swerve for a Country-Music-Themed Fitness Class…

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NYCountry Swag x Swerve Fitness

This past Saturday, New York Country Swag teamed up with Swerve Fitness in Midtown Manhattan to host a country-music-themed spin class.  Swerve classes are unlike other cycle classes in that each bike is positioned in a team setting, blue, green or red and lights above the bikes go off during the class defining your teammates.  Combining teamwork and technology, Swerve allows riders to become a part of a team and work towards a specific goal that is displayed on the boards in the front of the room. You feel accountable and motivated to spin to the best of your ability and that aspect makes the classes unique and fun.

During our country ride, riders spun along to Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” feat. Nelly, Shania Twain’s “Man, I Feel Like A Woman” and Luke Bryan’s “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)”. Our followers enjoyed the fitness class with their favorite music.  Thanks to our friends at Swerve for working with us to create such a fun class and a great way to kick off our morning! Stay tuned for more fun events from New York Country 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

 

 

#TBT Luke Bryan’s Very First Number One Single “Rain Is A Good Thing”

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Luke Bryan is celebrating his 20th number one single this week with “Most People Are Good”, off his recent album, “What Makes You Country,”  In honor of the moment, Let’s take a look back at the video for his very first number one single, “Rain is a Good Thing”.

The video starts out by testimonials from real farmers who spent their entire lives in the fields. “Sixty-something’ years, this has been my livelihood all my life, and it all depends on the water,” a farmer says from his front porch. The video is a clip from Bryan’s ‘Welcome to the Farm Tour’ on Hurricane Plantation in Claxton, Georgia back in 2009.

The video ends with Bryan singing during a huge rainstorm and everyone dancing along. Check it out 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 Spotlight: Jon Langston

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Jon Langston Swag Spotlight

 

Recently it seems like there is something in the water in Georgia, country artists like Luke Bryan, Cole Swindell, and our next Swag Spotlight, Jon Langston all hail from small towns in Georgia and are making big waves in Nashville and the country music genre.  Langston was a big football guy growing up, always loving music, but focusing his sights on a football career.  When too many concussions in college forced him to hang up his pads for good, he ultimately grabbed a guitar and started writing songs.  With so much free time after stopping football, finding a new passion was just a fun hobby for the “Forever Girl” singer until YouTube changed his life.

 

 

“Forever Girl” was the very first song Langston wrote back in 2012. He remembers sitting on his porch his junior year of college, writing the whole song himself after jotting down a few ideas during class.  He posted an acoustic version of the song to YouTube and the rest is history. The song spread, people loved it, and he started to realize he might be on to something.  Playing frat parties and local bars around town, Langston got his feet wet in the entertainment industry.

“I saw that social media was the greatest tool you could have, free advertising and free marketing for me.  I was using the platforms to my advantage and I found ways to reach out to people and get my music out there,” he explains.  Although his music lived on YouTube for almost five years, when he moved to Nashville and got his publishing deal with Sony ATV he put the songs on Spotify where they have now garnered over 30 million spins.

 

Continuing his journey, writing and releasing new music to his fans, Langston is gearing up for a busy 2018 filled with festivals and gigs in markets he hasn’t played before. “We are traveling to new places we’ve never been and playing shows that fans have been begging us to get there, we are finally able to spread our wings a little and get out there,” he tells us.

On Friday (Feb. 23), Langston was signed to Universal Music Group with a record deal, presented to him by his mentor and friend, Luke Bryan.  Check out his ultimate surprised reaction in the video below.

 

 

Follow Jon Langston on his socials including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

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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

Top 10 NYCountry Swag Moments of 2017 – #2: Luke Bryan Album Release Week…

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The countdown continues as we give you our Top 10 New York Country Swag Moments of 2017. Bringing us to favorite moment #2: Luke Bryan Album Release Week.

 

 

Growing up in a small waterfront community in Queens, New York, our founder Stephanie wasn’t always a big country music fan.  Although a lover of music and live events in general, Stephanie enjoyed everything from Pop to R&B to EDM. It wasn’t until attending her first Luke Bryan concert a few years ago that Stephanie discovered her true love for country music.

“I think it was the live show and the energy in the room that really drew me in. Florida Georgia Line and Thompson Square were the opening acts that night. Although not knowing many songs, from beginning to end I found myself bopping along and enjoying the night. It’s safe to say I was completely hooked. From then, I started going to more and more shows and my love for country music grew,” Stephanie says.

(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Pandora)

As an events manager for In Good Company Hospitality, Stephanie began curating “Country Night” events back in 2014. After the success of several country music themed events, Stephanie saw the audience she was tapping into and truly discovered her niche. This is where the idea of New York Country Swag would stem from.

Today, Stephanie credits that first Luke Bryan concert as where it all began for New York Country Swag. Fast forward nearly 5 years later to where things truly came full circle when Stephanie and the New York Country Swag team had the privilege of covering Luke Bryan’s Album Release Week. Bryan’s busy NYC week included a Close Up With Luke Bryan for Pandora, an intimate show at Nash FM’s Stage 17 and his early morning set live for Good Morning America at the brand new Opry City Stage.  For more about our Luke Bryan filled week click here.

 

For more of our favorite moments of 2017, make sure to be following us daily as the countdown continues!

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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

[Watch]#TBT Carrie Underwood’s Idol Audition

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In honor of American Idol making its return, here is one of our all-time favorite auditions just in time for Throwback Thursday. Carrie Underwood not only sings an incredible rendition of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” but she charms the judges, even when they make her cluck like a chicken.

Underwood went on to win season 4 of the most popular singing competition back in 2005 and has gone on to win a whopping 174 worldwide awards including 7 Grammys.  Exactly 15 years after its inception, Idol is back on a new channel with all new judges.  ABC will be the new home of the singing competition. Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and country music’s very own Luke Bryan will sit in the judge’s chairs.

The new season will kick off in 2018 on ABC.