Chase Rice Joins Forces With ESPN & Taco Bell To Find The Nation’s Best Student Section During College Football Season

A former Division I linebacker himself, Chase Rice now joins ESPN & Taco Bell in their search for the nation’s best student section this college football season.

The multi-Platinum entertainer joins an elite team of ESPN analysts to evaluate college student sections week after week, culminating with one lucky school taking home the top honor of Live Más Student Section of the Year.

Click here to check out the promo video featuring Chase Rice.

“College football season is my favorite time of year,” shares Rice. “As a former player, I know how much of an impact the crowd can have on a game – especially with a rowdy student section leading the way. I’m honored to join this committee to help celebrate some of the greatest fans in the country.”

“When Taco Bell asked me what country artist we should consider bringing to the panel, I felt like Chase was an obvious choice,” adds ESPN reporter and fellow committee member Marty Smith, who shares a close friendship with Rice. “He played the game at a high level and understands the passion and tradition that separates college football from everything else. I felt like he was a perfect addition – plus this will allow us another reason to bust each other’s chops every weekend.”

For more information, visit livemasstudentsection.com and follow Rice all season long on Twitter and Facebook or on Instagram @ChaseRice to see how the contest is shaping up.

Chris Lane Has Big Big Plans This Fall With Headlining Tour

PLATINUM-certified hitmaker Chis Lane follows his rocket-fueled summer with the launch of a huge headlining tour, announcing his BIG, BIG PLANS TOUR today (9/3), presented by Ones To Watch and produced by Live Nation.

Set to kick off October 31 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the BIG, BIG PLANS TOUR will find Lane blitzing 29 cities from coast-to-coast with supporting acts Gabby Barrett, Blanco Brown and Ernest (on select dates). It’s just the latest BIG, BIG news from a star who continues to outpace expectations. 

A case in point, his red-hot current single “I Don’t Know About You” has just cracked Country radio’s TOP 10, a can’t-get-enough romantic jam which is already certified GOLD with more than 222 MILLION streams to its credit. It’s Lane’s fourth-straight GOLD or PLATINUM single, and another driving force behind his career total of over 1.1 BILLION streams. 

“After a top-notch summer touring with Brad Paisley, I couldn’t be more excited for my Big, Big Plans tour to kick off! Having artists like Gabby, Blanco, and Ernest out with me will make it a fun show from start to finish,” says Lane. “I’ll be bringing the energy and may even have some surprises in store. We’ve amped up the production to a new level and I can’t wait for people to see it!”

Tickets for Lane’s BIG, BIG PLANS TOUR will go on sale to the general public this Friday (9/6) at 10 a.m. local time. Here’s a complete list of dates and cities on the next-level run:

October 31 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s^
November 1 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom^
November 2 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre^
November 7 – Morgantown, WV – Metropolitan Theater^*
November 8 – Freehold, NJ – iPlay America’s Event Center^*
November 14 – Columbia, SC – The Senate^*
November 15 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz^*
November 22 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues^*
November 23 – Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues^*
December 7 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall^*
December 8 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot^*
January 9 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts (TLA)*+
January 10 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore Silver Spring*+
January 11 – Boston, MA – House of Blues*+
January 16 – Fort Wayne, IN – The Clyde Theater*+
January 17 – Rosemont, IL – Joe’s Live*+
January 23 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works*+
January 31 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues*+
February 1 – Los Angeles, CA – Belasco Theater*+
February 5 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren*+
February 6 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues*+
February 7 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades*+
February 8 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore*+
February 13 – San Antonio, TX – The Aztec Theater*+
February 14 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues*+
February 15 – Houston, TX – House of Blues*+
February 20 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues*+
February 21 – Grand Rapids, MI – 20 Monroe Live*+
February 22 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit*+
^ with Gabby Barrett
* with ERNEST
+ with Blanco Brown

Presales for fans purchasing a VIP ticket package begin today (9/3) at 12 p.m. EST, along with presales for Citi Cardmembers. Meanwhile, ticket presales for Spotify users begin Wednesday (9/4) at 10 a.m. local; Live Nation, Live Nation Mobile App and Ticketmaster presales kick off Thursday (9/5) at 10 a.m. local.

CMR Exclusive: Drew Baldridge’s “Middle Of Nowhere Kids” Sets The Tone For New Music Ahead

Artist on the rise Drew Baldridge recently released his brand new single, “Middle of Nowhere Kids,” to country radio and digital music outlets. Since its release, the new track has been quickly embraced as country listeners immediately gravitate toward the relatable song.

Baldridge’s new track is the lead release from his forthcoming studio album, and “Middle of Nowhere Kids” serves as a solid theme for what is ahead from the talented artist.

“It definitely sets a new tone for this new music I’ve been making and I think fans and friends are really gonna see the growth we’ve done over the last couple years” Baldridge shares with us. “This new music is the most “me” music I’ve ever made. All of these songs have the same theme of telling a story about life!”

As recently stated, Drew Baldridge is a valuable addition to the country music format. As he embarks on this new chapter, there is no doubt that he is moving forward toward a breakthrough career experience with his new music ahead.

Click here and check out Drew’s brand new track “Middle of Nowhere Kids.”

Stay connected with Drew Baldridge by visiting his Official Website, and following him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Nominees Revealed for the 53rd Annual CMA Awards

The Country Music Association has announced the final nominees for the 53rd Annual CMA Awards. Winners will be revealed and celebrated during the 53rd Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday, November 13, live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. The awards will be televised live on the ABC network at 8|7c. See below the full list of nominees for the 53rd Annual CMA Awards.
 
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR  
  • Garth Brooks  
  • Eric Church 
  • Chris Stapleton 
  • Carrie Underwood 
  • Keith Urban
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s), and Mix Engineer 
  • “Burning Man” – Dierks Bentley Feat. Brothers Osborne  
    Producers: Ross Copperman, Jon Randall, Arturo Buenahora, Jr.  
    Mix Engineer: F. Reid Shippen 
  • “GIRL” – Maren Morris  
    Producer: Greg Kurstin 
    Mix Engineer: Greg Kurstin 
  • “God’s Country” – Blake Shelton  
    Producer: Scott Hendricks 
    Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank 
  • “Millionaire” – Chris Stapleton  
    Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton 
    Mix Engineer: Vance Powell 
  • “Speechless” – Dan + Shay  
    Producers: Dan Smyers, Scott Hendricks 
    Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano  
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist and Producers
  • Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett   
    Producers: Dann Huff, Jesse Frasure, Thomas Rhett, Julian Bunetta, The Stereotypes, Cleve Wilson  
  • Cry Pretty – Carrie Underwood   
    Producers: David Garcia, Jim Jonsin, Carrie Underwood  
  • Dan + Shay – Dan + Shay 
    Producers: Dan Smyers, Scott Hendricks  
  • Desperate Man – Eric Church   
    Producers: Jay Joyce, Arturo Buenahora, Jr.   
  • GIRL– Maren Morris    
    Producers: busbee, Maren Morris, Greg Kurstin 
SONG OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Songwriters 
  • “Beautiful Crazy”  
    Songwriters: Luke Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III, Robert Williford 
  • “GIRL”  
    Songwriters: Maren Morris, Sarah Aarons, Greg Kurstin 
  • “God’s Country”  
    Songwriters: Devin Dawson, Jordan Schmidt, Michael Hardy 
  • “Rainbow”  
    Songwriters: Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves 
  • “Tequila”  
    Songwriters: Dan Smyers, Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds 
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
  • Kelsea Ballerini 
  • Miranda Lambert 
  • Maren Morris 
  • Kacey Musgraves 
  • Carrie Underwood 
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
  • Dierks Bentley 
  • Luke Combs 
  • Thomas Rhett 
  • Chris Stapleton 
  • Keith Urban 
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
  • Lady Antebellum 
  • Little Big Town 
  • Midland 
  • Old Dominion  
  • Zac Brown Band 
VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
  • Brooks & Dunn 
  • Brothers Osborne 
  • Dan + Shay 
  • Florida Georgia Line 
  • Maddie & Tae 
MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artists and Producer(s) 
  • “All My Favorite People” – Maren Morris (feat. Brothers Osborne) 
    Producers: Maren Morris, busbee 
  • “Brand New Man” – Brooks & Dunn (with Luke Combs) 
    Producer: Dann Huff 
  • “Dive Bar” – Garth Brooks & Blake Shelton 
    Producer: Garth Brooks 
  • “Old Town Road (Remix)” – Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus  
    Producers: YoungKio, Michael Trent Reznor, Atticus Matthew Ross 
  • “What Happens In A Small Town” – Brantley Gilbert & Lindsay Ell  
    Producer: Dann Huff 
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s) and Director
  • “Burning Man” – Dierks Bentley Feat. Brothers Osborne  
    Director: Wes Edwards 
  • “GIRL” – Maren Morris 
    Director: Dave Meyers 
  • “God’s Country” – Blake Shelton 
    Director: Sophie Muller 
  • “Rainbow” – Kacey Musgraves 
    Director: Hannah Lux Davis 
  • “Some Of It” – Eric Church 
    Director:  Reid Long 
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
  • Cody Johnson 
  • Ashley McBryde 
  • Midland 
  • Carly Pearce 
  • Morgan Wallen 
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
  • Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle 
  • Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar 
  • Mac McAnally, Guitar 
  • Ilya Toshinsky, Banjo/Guitar 
  • Derek Wells, Guitar

CMR Exclusive: Catching Up With Levi Hummon

Nashville recording artist Levi Hummon is having an incredible year. The singer/songwriter recently released his latest single, “Drop Of Us,” opened for multiple country superstars, and played several times at the Grand Ole Opry.

Additionally, the singer/songwriter’s new music has been embraced by country music fans. With over 30 millions streams on Spotify alone, Levi Hummon is quickly making a solid impression on. The talented artist will also be headlining a show in his hometown of Nashville at the Exit/In on September 5. Tickets are available here.

We caught up with the artist on the rise to chat about his new track, “Drop of Us,” as well as the incredible year he has been experiencing. See below our exclusive interview with Levi Hummon.

Country Music Rocks (CMR): You recently released your brand new single, “Drop Of Us.” Give us a little insight and tell us about this brand new track.

Levi Hummon: We found out we were going on tour with Hunter Hayes this past November and I knew I needed some feel good uptempo songs in the set. I got with my writing buddies and just started working. “Drop Of Us” felt special in the writing room and I knew my fans would love it. It was an every night highlight on the tour and then fans started requesting it to be released.

CMR: You also released a new EP last fall, entitled PATIENT. Tell us about the inspiration behind this collection of music?

Levi Hummon: I just felt like I needed to begin carving out my lane as an artist and songwriter. I know deep down I have a really specific vision for the music and the vibe, but I believe the “Patient” EP is a really great foundation sonically of who I am right now. The funny thing about “Patient” as a title is that I’m the least patient person ever, so I’m really happy it’s out.

CMR: You’ve been playing some really huge festivals this summer. What are some of your favorite things to take away from a music festival?

Levi Hummon: I love just seeing fans sing along and watching how the music, the audience, and the live show is all growing show by show.

CMR: With 2019 already past its halfway point, what has been one of your most memorable moments so far this year?

Levi Hummon: Man o’ man. SO MANY. The entire Hunter Hayes Tour was unreal, but our show at Lakeshake in Chicago took home the win. It was an amazing experience. Having the opportunity to open for Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, and Lady A is also incredible; they are all my favorites and truly amazing acts.

CMR: Earlier this year, you joined Hunter Hayes on tour, what is one thing that you took away from your time on tour with him?

Levi Hummon: He’s such an amazing live performer. Just how he moves on stage is really captivating and he gives 100% at each show, and I try to do the same. By 100%, I mean he’s like totally giving himself; it’s really a legitimate workout!

CMR: Music, especially country music, leaves such a strong impact on our lives. What is a song that has made an impact on you, and whenever it comes on, it still resonates with you?

Levi Hummon: Hmm… recently I’ve been really moved by a throwback, “Live Like You Were Dying.” Wow.

Pick up Hummon’s latest track “Drop Of Us” and add it to your playlist. Be sure to keep up with Levi Hummon by visiting his Official Website, and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.