Waterloo Revival “Front Row” EP Review

Rising country duo Waterloo Revival recently released their debut EP – Front Row. Comprised of George Birge and Cody Cooper, the duo has been named on several 2016 Artists to Watch lists, including ours, and the release of this new EP further confirms our sentiment.

George and Cody not only showcase their talented vocals on the album, but they also leave their mark on each song as songwriters. George co-wrote all six songs on the album, while Cody co-wrote three songs including “I Could Get Used To This,” “That Damn I Didn’t Give,” and “Meet Up In The Middle.”

Starting the album off with the upbeat track “Summer Thing,” Waterloo Revival sets the ambience as we transition in to the summer months. To the contrary of the title, you’ll be grooving along to the song all year long as it’s “more than a summer thing!”

“I Could Get Used To This” and “Meet Up In The Middle” are both smooth tracks that would make for a perfect addition on country radio, and on the charts. “That Damn I Didn’t Give” is a powerful song that captures several elements of emotions, and gives the duo the upper hand on this album.

The boys showcase their country roots with “Backwood Bump,” a track that is no doubt a fan favorite during their live performance, while “Front Row” is not a song about sitting in the front row at a concert. However, it is a flirtatious single that is delivered tastefully with a compelling arrangement, and accompanied by strong lyrical imagery.

The well-balanced album delivers a solid vibe throughout, not only with a strong song selection, but also with song placement as the project runs smooth from start to finish. This new release could potentially serve as a significant game-changer for the duo, and we couldn’t be more excited for them.

Front Row is available on iTunes now, and will make for a great addition to your country music playlist. Grab your copy HERE.

Keep up with George & Cody during their exciting year ahead, and follow Waterloo Revival by visiting their Official Website, Like them on Facebook, and Follow them on Twitter & Instagram.

First Round of Performers Announced for the American Country Countdown Awards

Country music hitmakers Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line and Thomas Rhett are set to perform on the AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS airing Sunday, May 1 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX, live from the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, CA.

The two-hour event is the first country music awards show to air live from Los Angeles in more than 10 years. It will honor the year’s best country music with awards, performances, special moments and additional surprises. This year’s host, additional performers and award finalists will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for the AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS at the Forum go on sale to the general public Tuesday, March 22, at 10:00 AM PT at www.ticketmaster.com.

The AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS is based on country music’s longest-running radio countdown show (43 years), “American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks,” and honors country music’s biggest stars, based on album sales and radio airplay. The 2014 inaugural AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS featured performances by Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Kelly Clarkson, Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Hank Williams, Jr.

Kenny Chesney Rocks Key West with Keg Show at Sloppy Joe’s

Word started to spread Friday: a keg show at Key West’s iconic Sloppy Joe’s March 21. Fans stood in line all night long, and by 6 a.m. Duval Street was blocked off for what local officials knew would be an overflow crowd that would shut the street down. By the time “Mas Tequila” rolled at 5:02, the fans were primed and ready as Kenny Chesney and band swung into “Beer In Mexico” with a vengeance.

A quick tumble down and through a blazing “Til It’s Gone,” a lilting “Summertime” and a reggae-undertowed “Pirate Flag” got the party off to a musically robust start with the crowd singing along as loud as the man The Los Angeles Times called “The People’s Superstar.” Arms aloft, giant smile on his face, Chesney welcomed the so-far-beyond-capacity crowd with a witness about how much these keg shows mean.

“We’ve been off, and we’re getting to know each other again,” Chesney proclaimed. “Nothing gets us as in the mood to go out and play music for you all summer long quite like coming down to the Florida Keys and doing this show: old songs, new songs, we may even make up some songs before the night is over.”

Before it was over the night included Eric Church sitting in for several songs, including “Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand” and a stripped down, Chesney-requested “Mr. Misunderstood.” Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey joined the eight-time Entertainer of the Year for The Big Revival’s three-week No. 1, “Save It For A Rainy Day,” which he co-wrote. In addition, Chesney and band covered a plethora of artists they revere: the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me,” Willie Nelson’s “Whiskey River,” John Mellencamp’s “Hurts So Good,” Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Pride & Joy,” George Strait’s “The Fireman” and “Carried Away,” a double-time version of Alabama’s “Dixieland Delight” featuring Jon Conley on fiddle and a jubilant culmination of the Eagles’ “Take It Easy.”

From a young girl on her mother’s hip to NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr., NFL players to 4th Generation Conchs, an eclectic audience turned out for the (un)official kick-off of Chesney’s tour. Dressed in a sleeveless green Boston t-shirt, the night – which lasted more than three hours – felt as good to the East Tennessean as it did to the crowd.

“There is nothing after several months off,” Chesney said after the show. “Like coming together, hitting a bar and just playing ’til we wanna drop, to remember every single thing you love about music: how it feels, what it means, the way it charges people up. There is no feeling like it, and to do it with friends, fans and the No Shoes Nation, well, it tells me it’s time to get out there and start rocking America.”

Chesney’s Spread the Love Tour kicks off April 23, where it will be the first concert at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. On Thursday, March 24, Chesney’s “Noise,” about the sonic and mental overload of today’s world, hits radio hard. With a special Facebook event slated for 3:45p CT/ 4:45p ET, Chesney is just getting started on the year ahead.

Dylan Scott Fights Hotel Boredom with Online Concert

Dylan Scott is certainly a man committed to his profession – and truth be told, it’s something that drives him so much that he can’t imagine life without it – regardless of the situation or the location.

The Curb recording artist was in the middle of a road trip recently and had the unique position of having some rare down time in his hotel room – three days worth! With boredom setting in, the Louisiana native decided to do what he does best – perform.

Scott took to social media, and told his followers on Facebook Live that he would be performing a live concert from his hotel room in two hours. As has become a trend, the fans came out for the show – in droves! Scott’s viral performance gained over 100,000 views, and maintained over 5,000 viewers for the entire hour – peaking at 6,000 at one point. Fan reaction to Scott’s show came in on a immediate level, with over 17,000 people commenting on the performance, and asking questions.

Hotel Acoustic Jam

Posted by Dylan Scott on Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Dylan Scott is currently on the road opening up for his labelmate Lee Brice, and is watching as his current single “Crazy Over Me” continues to climb the Billboard Top Country Songs chart, where it presently sits at No. 36.

Be sure to follow Dylan Scott on his social media channels, (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) you never know when he might get bored again!!

Zac Brown Band Scores 15th #1 With “Beautiful Drug”

Zac Brown Band scored their 13th #1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with “Beautiful Drug”, becoming the Country group with the most career #1 singles, and their 15th #1 overall.

“Beautiful Drug” marks the fourth consecutive #1 single off JEKYLL + HYDE alongside “Homegrown,” “Heavy Is The Head” and “Loving You Easy.”

Released last April, GOLD-certified JEKYLL + HYDE (Southern Ground/John Varvatos Records/Big Machine Label Group/Republic Records) debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, earning the GRAMMY Award-winning band its third consecutive summit.

Zac Brown Band will kick off their sixth headlining US concert tour on Thursday, May 19 at Hartford’s XFINITY Theatre. The tour’s name is inspired by a lyric from “Tomorrow Never Comes” off their latest album JEKYLL + HYDE. The 26-date tour includes shows at both stadiums and amphitheaters and sees the band returning to Alpine Valley Music Theatre, Citi Field and Fenway Park. Drake White with his band The Big Fire will serve as direct support.