Top 10 NYCountry Swag Moments of 2018

As we close out our third year,
New York Country Swag has counted down our Top 10 Favorite Moments of 2018…

 

10. Over 100+ NYC Country Shows – Kicking off the list, #10 goes out to the over 100+ shows that we have attended, covered and/or promoted in New York City and its surrounding areas this past year. Whether we organized the show, coordinated coverage, brought busloads of fans, or watched from the pit, live country music is why we do what we do. From rising artists to well-established ones, Madison Square Garden to smaller venues around the city, we have seen the best of the best of country music as they roll through the Big Apple.

 

9. Babes, Booze & Brunch in honor of National Women’s Day – On March 11th, our team hosted an event for our female friends and followers at Refinery Rooftop. Between a nail and braid bar, build your own mimosas and our Girl Power Playlist, this sold-out morning was one for the books for our company.  Rising artist Hannah Ellis performed along with local NYC artist, Lauren Davidson. For our full recap of the epic day, click here.

 

8. Hero Collection Collaborations – Taking our Hero Collection to the next level, we had the opportunity to partner with three incredible artists to honor their favorite charities. The Hero Collection by New York Country Swag is a line of merchandise inspired by the men and women of the Military, Fire & Police Departments across the country. We are dedicated to honoring their service and remembering their sacrifice. In 2018, we collaborated with Luke Pell, Lauren Davidson, and Clayton Anderson raising over 10,000 for various foundations including ANSWER THE CALL – New York Police & Fire Widows’ & Children’s Benefit Fund, Building Homes For Heroes, Wounded Warrior Project, Police Unity Tour, and Susan G. Komen Foundation.

 

7. Country Radio Seminar – In February, Stephanie and Christina flew to Nashville to take part in media coverage of CRS (Country Radio Seminar), an annual three-day convention where country music and the radio industry gather to exchange ideas, set trends, introduce brands, launch artists and make decisions that affect every aspect of the genre’s future.  The seminar includes new music from rising artists as well as some of the most established artists in the business.  During the seminar, we attended the Broken Bow Records industry event, the UMG Luncheon which takes place at the historic Ryman Auditorium, Sony Guitar Pull, and the highlight of the week was the New Faces Showcase featuring Luke Combs, Carly Pearce, Michael Ray, Midland, and Lauren Alaina. For our full recap of the seminar click here.

 

6. Taste of Country Festival 2018 – This year the NYCountry Swag Team set up shop once again at Taste of Country Festival in Hunter, New York. The weekend festival took place on Hunter Mountain, with a huge stage at its base where fans packed onto its grassy hills to listen to their favorite country artists. Our tent included merchandise from our shop, a chance to win an autographed Eric Church guitar, a Photo Booth and interviews + surprise photo opportunities with Jimmie Allen, Rodney Atkins and Dustin Lynch. The weekend was filled with meeting so many of our followers and making new friends that rocked our gear at the festival.  Between the great music and the perfect weather,  Taste of Country Music Festival 2018 was a huge success.

 

5. Woman of the Month Feature – One of our favorite features this year was our Woman of the Month interviews.  Here, we talked with women in the music industry in all different careers and learned what their day to day responsibilities are, what they loved about the music industry and some advice they had for young women pursuing their careers. Some of the women we highlighted were Diane Monk of Warner Music Nashville, JoJamie Hahr of Broken Bow Records, NASH FM 94.7 DJ Katie Neal, Nash Nights Live DJ Elaina D. Smith and Public Relations Guru Jensen Sussman. Click here to read about all of the incredible women we featured.

 

4. Swag Spotlights – Another feature, Swag Spotlights, were posted each Monday of 2018 on our blog, highlighting an interview with a rising artist in the genre. Over the course of the year, we featured artists like Jillian Jacqueline, Jimmie Allen, Teddy Robb, Trent Harmon and many more. Each interview started with their backstory, taking our readers back to the beginning where each artist got their start. It transitions into their decision to pursue country music and their influences that have shaped their musical inspirations over the years. Click here to check out each of our featured Swag Spotlights.

 

3. Swag Sessions – Continuing to promote rising artists, the New York Country Swag team hosted 20+ different artists in 2018 for our Live Swag Sessions series.  Taking place in Times Square, Mondrian Terrace, Park Avenue Tavern, Refinery Rooftop and other iconic New York City venues, we went live on Facebook and Instagram allowing each artist to sing their latest singles. After their performance, we chatted with each artist about their most recent endeavors including opening slots on big tours or about their new music. For all of our Swag Sessions click here.

 

2. Hiring Brand Ambassadors and Contributing Writers – Expanding our team across the country, we brought on 30+ brand ambassadors and 12 contributing writers to help spread the New York Country Swag brand.  Each member of our new team are passionate about country music, but also want an experience where they can learn more about the industry and put in the work it requires to help grow an incredible brand from the ground up. Our writing team works tirelessly to bring the best of country music news and new music to our blog and our readers. We were so happy to expand our team and look forward to welcoming even more members in 2019!  For more information on how to join our team click here.

 

1. You! Our Readers and Followers – And finally, we reach our number one spot in our Top 10 New York Country Swag Favorite Moments of 2018: YOU.  Our readers, followers, and friends are the best when it comes to what we are most grateful for this year.  Every show we attend or host we meet new friends and hug old ones, building our community of country lovers, which has reached nearly 20k+ IG followers in NYC this year!

We can’t wait to see where 2019 takes us and we thank each and every one of you for following our counry music journey and allowing us to live out our dreams!

 

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

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: