The OFFICAL BLUESTONE TICKET BOX OFFICE
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Aaron Lewis Live at The Bluestone July 28th
Aaron Lewis “Sinner Tour” at The Bluestone
**NEW MEET AND GREET PACKAGE AVAILABLE ** Does NOT include Admission to the Show
PURCHASE YOUR MEET AND GREET HERE
Opening Artist: Travis Marvin
Doors open at 7pm
Tickets are $35
Tickets on Sale Friday, April 7th at 10am
PURCHASE HERE
RESERVED LOFT TABLE SEATING
RESERVED TABLE PURCHASE DOES NOT INCLUDE ADMISSION TICKETS TO THE SHOW.
Admission tickets must be purchased separately.
- Loft Lower Tier: $250 (seats four people-no exceptions)
- Prime view of stage!
- Includes first bucket of Miller or Coors Light
- Server
- Exclusive Private Bar access
-
Loft Upper Tier: $200 (seats four people-no exceptions)
- Includes first bucket of Miller or Coors Light
- Server
- Private Bar Access
- May be Obstruction in View
*All Reserved tables located in the loft area
ALL SALES ARE FINAL
Grammy nominated and multi-platinum artist, Aaron Lewis is set to release his sophomore solo album later this year on Big Machine Label Group’s DOT Records.
The former Staind front man first made his country debut in 2011 with certified gold single “Country Boy” followed by the release of his first full length solo album, The Road. “Country Boy” featured Charlie Daniels on fiddle and a booming verse from George Jones as well as Chris Young striking a balance between classic and modern country.
Lewis’ introspective, personal and relatable lyrics are proof that country music is about lifestyle and values, not necessarily where you were raised. And as Country Weekly exclaims “…make no mistake, he is a truck-drivin’, gun-totin’ country boy.” Lewis attributes country as something that has always inspired him. Growing up in rural Vermont the singer/songwriter spent summers with his WWII veteran grandfather hunting and fishing. During that time, he developed a love for the land, the woods, and the simple life, which still permeates everything he does.
And there was one specific soundtrack to those times. “I was raised on Country music,” Lewis says. “My grandfather listened to Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, Hank Jr., and all of the greats.”
And those influences are evident on stage in his new songs and in Staind hits he often performs such as “Outside,” “It’s Been Awhile,” and “So Far Away.”
Country Artist, JOE NICHOLS, will be performing LIVE at The Bluestone
on Thursday, September 14th
Doors for the show will open at 7pm
Opening Artist: McCoy
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 day of show
Tickets will go on-sale Friday, June 16th at 10am
PURCHASE HERE
RESERVED LOFT TABLE SEATING
RESERVED TABLE PURCHASE DOES NOT INCLUDE ADMISSION TICKETS TO THE SHOW.
Admission tickets must be purchased separately.
- Loft Lower Tier: $250 (seats four people-no exceptions)
- Prime view of stage!
- Includes first bucket of Miller or Coors Light
- Server
- Exclusive Private Bar access
-
Loft Upper Tier: $200 (seats four people-no exceptions)
- Includes first bucket of Miller or Coors Light
- Server
- Private Bar Access
- May be Obstruction in View
*All Reserved tables located in the loft area
ALL SALES ARE FINAL
Aaron Watson will be performing live at The Bluestone on Thursday, October 5th
Doors for the show will open at 7pm
Opening Artists: Jon Wolfe and Dave Kennedy
Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 day of show
Tickets go on-sale Friday, June 2nd at 10am
PURCHASE HERE
RESERVED LOFT TABLE SEATING
RESERVED TABLE PURCHASE DOES NOT INCLUDE ADMISSION TICKETS TO THE SHOW.
Admission tickets must be purchased separately.
- Loft Lower Tier: $250 (seats four people-no exceptions)
- Prime view of stage!
- Includes first bucket of Miller or Coors Light
- Server
- Exclusive Private Bar access
-
Loft Upper Tier: $200 (seats four people-no exceptions)
- Includes first bucket of Miller or Coors Light
- Server
- Private Bar Access
- May be Obstruction in View
*All Reserved tables located in the loft area
ALL SALES ARE FINAL
Josh Abbott Band
live at
The Bluestone Thursday, November 16th
as part of their
“Until my Voice Runs Out tour”
Doors for the show will open at 7pm
Opening Artist: TBD
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of show
PURCHASE HERE
RESERVED LOFT TABLE SEATING
RESERVED TABLE PURCHASE DOES NOT INCLUDE ADMISSION TICKETS TO THE SHOW.
Admission tickets must be purchased separately
The loft is located on the second level of The Bluestone
- Loft Lower Tier: $250 (seats four people-no exceptions)
- Prime view of stage!
- Includes first bucket of Miller or Coors Light
- Server
- Exclusive Private Bar access
-
Loft Upper Tier: $200 (seats four people-no exceptions)
- Includes first bucket of Miller or Coors Light
- Server
- Private Bar Access
- May be Obstruction in View
*All Reserved tables located in the loft area
ALL SALES ARE FINAL
When Josh Abbott Band recorded “Ghosts” for its fourth album, Front Row Seat, Abbott expected to redo the vocals. The final chorus had some technical imperfections, and he figured he could improve on the performance once his heart settled down. Producer Dwight Baker, one-half of the Austinbased duo The Wind and The Wave, wouldn’t let Abbott retouch it.
“I was actually crying my eyes out during that last chorus, and that’s why there’s a couple of notes in the beginning of that section that don’t really explode like normal,” Abbott says. “Dwight was like, ‘We’re keeping that. That’s real.’”
Real is the operative word for Front Row Seat, a 16-track song cycle that represents the most ambitious and emotionally challenging project yet for JAB, a highly melodic six-piece ensemble that’s managed to keep a foot in both the Texas music scene and the national country world. The band won four times during the inaugural Texas Regional Radio Awards behind an upbeat brand of country that still leans on classic instrumentation – particularly banjo and fiddle – to effect a raucous, roof-raising attitude.
The band has lobbed three singles onto the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart – including “Oh, Tonight,” the first charted track to feature Grammy-winning Kacey Musgraves – and nabbed a Top 10 album with the 2012 release Small Town Family Dreams and reached No. 12 with the 2014 EP Tuesday Night.
But Front Row Seat steps beyond the band’s honky-tonk inclinations for a more personal journey as the album traverses the emotional course of Abbott’s first marriage and subsequent divorce. It was not his original intention to depict his private life in a public way, but as he wrote the songs for Front Row Seat, beginning before the split actually occurred, he naturally mined his emotional life for a set of songs that were profoundly honest and revealing. It was only as they began recording the material at Baker’s Matchbox Studios outside of Austin, that they realized they had the germ of a tangible plot.
“We started looking at the music we’d done and had a whole bunch of other songs that we really loved and we were like, ‘Man, we could put this together and make a really neat story out of it,” fiddler Preston Wait recalls. “Especially with the song ‘Front Row Seat,’ we basically just made it kind of like you’re watching a movie and it’s your front row seat to this life.”
Owing to that silver-screen character, JAB employed screenwriting technique by assembling the project with the five elements of plot structure: the exposition, or beginning; an inciting incident; the climax; a falling action (in this case, a breakup); and the resolution.
The story begins with “While I’m Young,” in which a college-aged Abbott lives a typically carefree existence, spending much of his discretionary income in bars and living for the moment, an ideal that’s captured authoritatively in the anthemic “Live It While You Got It.” As the album progresses, he meets a woman who commands his attention for more than one evening, finding himself by track 7, “Crazy Things,” mulling what it is that would make a woman who’s dang-near perfect fall for someone so flawed.
By the time the album concludes, his once-ideal relationship has turned sour, and the two are no longer one. The fracture becomes apparent through the resignation of “Born To Break Your Heart,” and he discovers in “Ghosts” that all the memories that once lived with such passion and revelry continue to haunt his memory, taunting him with whispers of a past he can never reclaim. As Front Row Seat closes with “Anonymity,” Abbott sings a spare dirge with acoustic guitar and fiddle, fantasizing that he could return to the start of the relationship and live it out right.
Wcol Winter Wonder Jam with
Michael Ray as part of his “Get To you Tour”
Special Guests: Love and Theft, Devin Dawson
Doors for the show will open at 8pm
Tickets just $30 in advance, $35 day of show
Tickets On-Sale November 6th at 10am
PURCHASE HERE
Michael Ray Roach (born April 29, 1988), best known as Michael Ray, is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is signed to Warner Music Nashville, for which he has released his debut single, “Kiss You in the Morning“. The song has reached No. 1 on Country Airplay. Before this single’s release, Ray was mentored by John Rich of Big & Rich on the singing competition The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep, which he won. He and Rich co-wrote Big & Rich’s 2015 single, “Run Away with You“.[1]
In March 2017, it was reported that Ray would put his acting chops to the test when he revealed that he landed a guest role on CMT’s show, Nashville.[2]
Love and Theft is an American country music group founded by Stephen Barker Liles, Eric Gunderson, and Brian Bandas, all three of whom alternated as lead singers and acoustic guiarists. Signed to Lyric Street Records subsidiary Carolwood Records in 2009, Love and Theft made their chart debut in early 2009 with the single “Runaway,” which reached the Top 10 on Billboard Hot Country Songs. The band’s debut album, World Wide Open, was released on August 25, 2009.
In 2011, following the departure of Bandas, Love and Theft continued as a duo consisting of Gunderson and Liles. The duo moved to RCA Records Nashville that year and released the single “Angel Eyes“, which became their first number 1 single. It and the Top 40 singles “Runnin’ Out of Air” and “If You Ever Get Lonely” all appear on their second, self-titled album.
Devin Dawson is an American country music singer-songwriter.
Devin Dawson first became famous after filming a mashup of Taylor Swift songs, which gained popularity on YouTube.[2][3][4] His debut single “All on Me” is also his first hit song.[2] With the help of producer Jay Joyce, he signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2017.[5] Dawson’s “All on Me” has charted on the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts.
Dawson has also toured with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.[6]
CHRIS JANSON will be performing live at The Bluestone on Friday, January 12th
Doors for the show will open at 7pm
Opening Artist: Jacob Powell
Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 day of show
Tickets will go on-sale Wednesday, December 6th at 10am
PURCHASE HERE
Chris Janson LIVE at The Bluestone
RESERVED LOFT TABLE SEATING
RESERVED TABLE PURCHASE DOES NOT INCLUDE ADMISSION TICKETS TO THE SHOW.
Admission tickets must be purchased separately.
- Loft Lower Tier: $250 (seats up to four people-no exceptions)
- Prime view of stage!
- Includes first bucket of Miller or Coors Light
- Server
- Exclusive Private Bar access
Loft Upper Tier: $200 (seats up to four people-no exceptions)
Includes first bucket of Miller or Coors Light
- Server
- Private Bar Access
- May be Obstruction in View
*All Reserved tables located in the loft area
ALL SALES ARE FINAL
Chris Janson Performs LIVE at The Bluestone Friday, January 12th 2018.
Start your New Year off right by coming out to see Chris Janson at the
Bluestone. Doors open at 7:00pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.liveatthebluestone.com!
Chris Janson is a country boy from Perryville, Missouri who now lives in
Nashville, Tennessee. He is best known for his single “Buy Me A Boat” that
reached platinum and was a Top 5 hit on US Country carts. His personal and fun lyrics
draw fans in and will have you singing along all night!
Not only is Chris Janson a singer, but he is also a songwriter who has written songs for
Tim McGraw, Justin Moore, Randy Houser and Tyler Farr. He has even played
harmonica for Lee Brice’s song, “Beer”. Janson is multitalented artist who plays guitar,
bass, piano and drums. He is sure to have everyone clapping and stomping
their boots when he wails on his harmonica.
His latest album, Everybody, features a more vulnerable side of Janson with
tracks like “Drunk Girl” and “Bein’ a Dad”. Janson’s music is real and relatable to
anyone who listens. The latest album “Everybody” has a little something for everybody with his
upbeat favorites like “Fix a Drink”.
Be sure to mark your calendars for January, 12th 2018. It will be a party you won’t
want to miss! Janson is bringing the “Power of Positive Drinkin’” for a fun filled
night at The Bluestone.
Tyler Farr will be performing live at The Bluestone on February 1st, 2018
Opening Artist: Lewis Brice
Doors for the show will open at 7pm
Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 day of show
Tickets On-Sale Wednesday, December 15th at 10am
PURCHASE HERE
Tyler Farr will performe LIVE at the Bluestone February, 1st 2018
“Maybe I’m addicted to pain…Wha
There’s definitely
but it’s hard to explain, though everybody knows it.
“Probably I’m a hopeless romantic,
but sex can make that complicate
“You know you want to be in love, but that’s a tricky thing to find.”
Tyler Farr’s a thinker, an observer of the human condition,
From the wracked hangover of what you don’t see coming in love “Withdrawa
Tyler Farr is from Garden City, Missouri and attended Missouri State University for voice. He is a real life country success story coming from a farm family and making it in Nashville. He represents all things honky-tonk as a whiskey loving and tractor truck driving redneck who achieved the American music dream.
He is a class act telling the stories of heart break and good times through songs like “C.O.U.N.T.R.Y”, “Our Town”, “Better in Boots” and “Whiskey in My Water”. His first album, Redneck Crazy, debuted in 2013 and featured singles “Hot Mess” and “Hello Goodbye”. His second album, Suffer in Peace, was released in 2015 and included “A Guys Walks Into a Bar” and “Withdrawals”.
Eli Young Band and LOCASH will be performing LIVE at The Bluestone
Friday, February 9th, 2018
Special Guest: Muscadine Bloodline
Doors for the show will open at 7pm
Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 day of show
THIS SHOW IS SOLD OUT
PURCHASE HERE
LOCASH Meet & Greet Upgrade (Ticket to Show Not Included)
- Exclusive meet & greet with LOCASH
- Personal photograph with LOCASH
- Private and intimate acoustic performance by LOCASH
- Q&A session
- Autographed tour poster
- Exclusive LOCASH merchandise item
- Official meet & greet laminate
- Limited availability
To purchase, click here: http://future-beat.com/event.cfm?id=274095&cart
For questions, please contact info@future-beat.com
Eli Young Band Will Perform Live at The Bluestone
This is an All Ages Show
Three Great Artist one Night of Music!!
Eli Young Band
Somewhere in the midst of 10,000 towns, along a lonely highway between packing clubs in their native Texas years ago and more recently performing stadiums on one of country music’s hottest tours, the Eli Young Band became more than a band. They became a brotherhood. Camaraderie and creativity fused into an intoxicating cocktail that has propelled the talented foursome to the vanguard of contemporary country music.
With three No. 1 hits under their belt as well as a Grammy nomination and an Academy of Country Music Award for Song of the Year for their hit “Crazy Girl,” the Eli Young Band approached their second Republic Nashville album, 10,000 Towns, with a sense of confidence and purpose. “We were genuinely excited about making this new record,” says bassist Jon Jones. “People talk about the sophomore record being really tough to make and in a lot of ways this felt like our sophomore record even though it’s technically our fifth record as a band.”
“We learned over the progression of those records our strong points in the studio, and we were confident,” adds drummer Chris Thompson, “We knew what we wanted and how to get what we wanted.”
LOCASH
It’s an exciting time to be LOCASH these days. That might very well be one of the biggest understate
Recently signed to Reviver Records, the duo is joining forces with some of the biggest names on the Country Music business landscape.
Musidine Bloodline
Unapologetically Alabama. There’s a new force making major waves in country music. Natives of Mobile Alabama, Gary Stanton and Charlie Muncaster came together to form Muscadine Bloodline in early 2016. With three single releases under their belt and a schedule full of shows spanning from coast to coast, they’ve hit the ground running from day 1. Nashville took notice the first time these two stepped on the stage and it’s no surprise the rest of the music world is quickly catching on. Charlie’s [contemporary] vocals complimented by Gary’s harmonies and masterful guitar licks, MB is a powerfully refreshing mix of talent, passion and unfiltered authenticity. Infamously undaunted by the big stage, their sound intertwines the brash irreverence of early southern rockers with the seductive quality of 90s country love songs. Captivating hooks heard in songs like “Porch Swing Angel” and the aggressively anthemic “Shut Your Mouth” stand as a testament to MB’s wide ranging music-making capability. Every song and every show is a moving experience but at the same time, unmistakably Muscadine Bloodline.
Get your tickets now!
Columbus Brewgrass Festival will take place at The Bluestone
March 2nd and March 3rd
Doors Open at 6pm
Ages 18+
Tickets On-Sale Now
PURCHASE HERE
Morgan Wallen will be performing live at The Bluestone on March 22nd, 2018
Opening Artist: Ray Fulcher
Doors for the show will open at 7pm
Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 day of show
Tickets On-Sale Friday, December 15th at 10am
PURCHASE HERE
Morgan Wallen Live at The Bluestone
He’s a passionate singer with a unique sound, who grew up in Appalachia, and you’ll be hearing a lot more of MORGAN WALLEN before 2017 is over. Currently out supporting Florida Georgia Line’s explosive DIG YOUR ROOTS TOUR, followed by select dates on THE SMOOTH TOUR 2017, he is climbing Country radio with his Top 30 “The Way I Talk” on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and has racked up over 7 million Spotify streams (and counting). Offering up the first real taste of his Big Loud Records EP – also titled THE WAY I TALK – Wallen’s drawling, fun-loving anthem penned by hit-makers Ben Hayslip, Chase McGill and Jessi Alexander, plays off the young star’s dynamic vocal delivery and features a sound straight out of the modern South, combining elements of both country and rock
Back when Wallen moved to Nashville in July 2015, he was not sure what he would find, but convinced that he should at least give his dreams a legitimate shot. Less than a year later, he’d already been signed to Big Loud Records, recorded some initial tracks with producer Joey Moi (Florida Georgia Line, Jake Owen) and hit the road on his first radio promotion tour.
It might appear that Wallen’s on the fast track, but it took him a while to get there. Born in Sneedville, Tennessee (a town that also lays claim as the birthplace of bluegrass pioneer Jimmy Martin), to a hard-rock-lovin’ preacher and contemporary-Christian-devoted teacher, he showed his musical interests early, singing in front of the local congregation at age three and asking for a violin for his fifth birthday. He would soon switch to piano and later add guitar to his arsenal, though he never really imagined it was possible to make a career of it.
“I didn’t think that was realistic because I had no clue about how the music business worked,” Wallen admits. “Even living three hours away, I had no idea about Nashville.”
Instead, he focused his efforts on baseball and he was pretty good at it. Playing shortstop and pitcher for Gibbs High School in Corryton – the same school where Kenny Chesney graduated. Wallen earned an offer to continue playing at a major college.
But fate intervened. While pitching during his senior year, he felt a pop in his right elbow and would undergo a tendon replacement procedure. While he was able to continue playing guitar and piano, it proved to be the end of his baseball career.
“Looking back, I’m glad it happened the way it did, because I really actually loved music more than I ever did baseball,” he shares.
The kind of music almost didn’t matter. Rock, hip-hop, country – he loved it all,
particularly the emotional connection that it created between the musician and the listener. But when he wrote, the music was invariably country.
“Writing music was a way for me to get my feelings out,” he explains. “I don’t really express my feelings very much and I guess it was just a way for me to let some of that go. It’s my safe place.”
During extended time in California, Wallen met Sergio Sanchez, the lead singer and writer for Jive Records’ hard-rock band Atom Smash. While Sanchez initially served as Wallen’s vocal coach, they hit it off and started co-writing regularly back in Knoxville. Sanchez brought the music to the attention of producer Paul Trust and partner Bill Ray, who in turn produced an initial batch of songs. From there, things moved quickly. Wallen’s managers, Dirk Hemsath and Mike Bachta of Working Group Artist Management, set him up to play for William Morris Endeavor’s Kevin Neal, agent for Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line. Neal signed him on the spot. Hemsath and Bachta next sent demos to Big Loud Shirt’s Seth England, hoping to land some co-writing opportunities with songwriters at the publishing company. England was so impressed that he brought Wallen in to audition for his partners in Big Loud Records: Craig Wiseman, Clay Hunnicutt, Kevin “Chief” Zaruk and Joey Moi. They signed Wallen to both the label and the publishing company.
Wallen started woodshedding as a songwriter, working with the likes of Wiseman (“Live Like You Were Dying”), Rodney Clawson (“Dirt”), Chris Tompkins (“Drunk On A Plane”), the Warren Brothers (“Highway Don’t Care”), Tommy Cecil (“Home Alone Tonight”) and Matt Dragstrem (“Sippin’ On Fire”). Meanwhile, Big Loud Records proved that it was big-league – while Wallen worked on his own music, the label’s first-ever single, Chris Lane’s “Fix,” shot to #1, an unheard-of start for a brand-new label.
Wallen hopes to build a similar story. His end goal is to continue to be onstage, making that emotional connection with his distinctive sound, as well as releasing his anticipated forthcoming debut album of Big Loud Records.
“We’ve just really been trying to get the focus on the music,” he concludes. “If we don’t have that, then there’s no point in playing.”
Aaron Lewis at The Bluestone Two Nights, BACK TO BACK!
*August 23rd, 2018 and August 24th, 2018 (SOLD OUT)
*Opening Artist: Travis Marvin
*Doors for the show will open at 7pm each night
*Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 day of show
(Ticket is only valid for admission for the date printed on the ticket)
Tickets are on-sale NOW!
PURCHASE THURSDAY, AUGUST 23rd TICKET HERE
Lewis has been performing solo acoustic shows since he was 17 and still does today. He has written and performed many songs that have never been officially released such as “Angel”, “Something Like Me”, “Bonghits for Breakfast” (originally performed with J-CAT), and “Sleeping at the Wheel”.
In July 2010, Lewis finished recording a country music EP entitled Town Line that was released March 1, 2011 on Stroudavarious Records. It features seven tracks including three versions of the first single “Country Boy” featuring George Jones, Charlie Daniels, and Chris Young, as well as the songs “Massachusetts”, “Vicious Circles”, “The Story Never Ends”, and a re-recording of “Tangled Up in You” originally from The Illusion of Progress.[5] Lewis said in a July 2011 interview that he was introduced to country music as a child by his grandfather, but his interest was recently rekindled when he toured with fellow rock turned occasional country singer Kid Rock.[6]
Lewis performing at the House of Blues in Cleveland in 2013
Lewis released his first full solo album, The Road, in November 2012. Its debut single, “Endless Summer”, has also made the country charts. Lewis wrote every song on the 10 track collection, except for “Granddaddy’s Gun” which was penned by Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins and Bobby Pinson, marking the first time Lewis has recorded outside material for an album.[7] In an interview with Broadway’s Electric Barnyard, Lewis said he recorded “Granddaddy’s Gun” as both a compliment to a friend, and because he was pressed for time.[8]
Lewis wrote songs for his second solo album whilst touring in support of The Road, often performing the unreleased material in his live sets.[9][10] The album, dubbed Sinner, was mostly recorded in a single 18 hour session, with many tracks done in one take. Aaron’s daughter Zoe also provides guest vocals on one song.[11] It was released on September 16, 2016, with the lead single, “That Ain’t Country”, released on 17 June. Country artist Willie Nelson is featured on the album’s title track as well.
Aaron Lewis will be performing at The Bluestone Two Nights, BACK TO BACK!
*August 23rd, 2018 and August 24th, 2018 (SOLD OUT)
*Opening Artist: Travis Marvin
*Doors for the show will open at 7pm each night
*Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 day of show
(Ticket is only valid for admission for the date printed on the ticket)
Tickets are on-sale Friday, May 4th at 10am
PURCHASE THURSDAY, AUGUST 23rd TICKET HERE
PURCHASE FRIDAY, AUGUST 24th TICKET HERE
SOLD OUT
Lewis has been performing solo acoustic shows since he was 17 and still does today. He has written and performed many songs that have never been officially released such as “Angel”, “Something Like Me”, “Bonghits for Breakfast” (originally performed with J-CAT), and “Sleeping at the Wheel”.
In July 2010, Lewis finished recording a country music EP entitled Town Line that was released March 1, 2011 on Stroudavarious Records. It features seven tracks including three versions of the first single “Country Boy” featuring George Jones, Charlie Daniels, and Chris Young, as well as the songs “Massachusetts”, “Vicious Circles”, “The Story Never Ends”, and a re-recording of “Tangled Up in You” originally from The Illusion of Progress.[5] Lewis said in a July 2011 interview that he was introduced to country music as a child by his grandfather, but his interest was recently rekindled when he toured with fellow rock turned occasional country singer Kid Rock.[6]
Lewis performing at the House of Blues in Cleveland in 2013
Lewis released his first full solo album, The Road, in November 2012. Its debut single, “Endless Summer”, has also made the country charts. Lewis wrote every song on the 10 track collection, except for “Granddaddy’s Gun” which was penned by Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins and Bobby Pinson, marking the first time Lewis has recorded outside material for an album.[7] In an interview with Broadway’s Electric Barnyard, Lewis said he recorded “Granddaddy’s Gun” as both a compliment to a friend, and because he was pressed for time.[8]
Lewis wrote songs for his second solo album whilst touring in support of The Road, often performing the unreleased material in his live sets.[9][10] The album, dubbed Sinner, was mostly recorded in a single 18 hour session, with many tracks done in one take. Aaron’s daughter Zoe also provides guest vocals on one song.[11] It was released on September 16, 2016, with the lead single, “That Ain’t Country”, released on 17 June. Country artist Willie Nelson is featured on the album’s title track as well.
The Big Bad Blues Tour: Billy F. Gibbons Featuring Matt Sorum and Austin Hanks.
Opener is Benton Blount
$34.50 in advance, $39.50 day of show on Sale Tuesday Aug. 14 2018 www.liveatthebluestone.com or www.Eventbrite.com
Bluestone Tickets
Ticket purchase includes free album download. Instructions for download will be emailed to all ticket buyers approximately 2 weeks after ticket purchase. Questions about album download can be directed to: help@musicredemptions.com
Billy F. Gibbons at The Bluestone
Price $275.00 Per Package (Limited amount)
(1) General Admission Ticket
– Meet & Greet with Billy Gibbons
– Photo Opportunity with Billy Gibbons
– A Copy of “Big Bad Blues” CD
– Billy Gibbons Tote Bag – exclusive to VIP Packages
– Billy Gibbons Guitar Pick Set
– Commemorative Meet & Greet Laminate
Billy F. Gibbons Premium VIP Package
Selling Price $150.00 Per Package (Limited amount)
(1) General Admission Ticket
– A Copy of “Big Bad Blues” CD
– Billy Gibbons Tote Bag – exclusive to VIP Packages
– Billy Gibbons Guitar Pick Set
– Commemorative Meet & Greet Laminate
Billy Gibbons had plenty of help getting the blues for his upcoming second solo album, The Big Bad Blues; both from his assortment of musical collaborators and, on the track “Missin’ Yo’ Kissin’,” from Gilligan Stillwater, the woman he affectionately (and legally) calls Miz Gibbons.
“That was a gift,” the ZZ Top mainstay tells Billboard about the track, whose lyric video premieres exclusively below. “We had gotten maybe five (songs) recorded, and my lovely sweetheart Gilligan was scribbling away on the couch. I was, ‘Omigod, she’s reading the Chanel catalog. Hide the credit card!’ Then she took a break and the engineers kinda glanced over the scribbling and said, ‘Hey man, this looks pretty good. This could be nice and bluesy if we put something to it,’ which we did.
“Of course, I was like, ‘Why does that say ‘Missin’ Yo’ Kissin’?’ I hope she’s writing it about ME!'”
Devin Dawson will be performing LIVE at The Bluestone as part of his “Stray Off Course Tour” on
February 7th, 2019
Doors for the show will open at 7pm
Opening Artist: Jillian Jacqueline
Tickets are $15 in Advance and $20 day of show
Tickets On-Sale Friday, November 9th at 10am
PURCHASE HERE
Devin Dawson is a country singer and songwriter with a keen ear for clever turns of phrase and a knack for splitting the difference between rootsy and contemporary. A native of Orangevale, California, Dawson spent his formative years soaking in the sounds of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Alan Jackson, Marvin Gaye, and Johnny Cash. In 2012, he packed his bags and headed to Nashville, where he became ensconced in the Music City songwriting machine, penning songs for other artists. After spending a few years honing his chops, he decided to strike out on his own, and enlisted the help of producer Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Little Big Town, Brothers Osborne). He inked a deal with Warner Music Nashville and released his debut single, “All on Me,” which reached the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs chart. The track was included on his 2018 full-length debut, Dark Horse, which also included collaborations with songwriters Luke Laird, Josh Kerr, Seth Ennis, and others.
Zach Bryan at The Bluestone October 29th, 2021
The Bluestone Presents
Zach Bryan
Ain’t for Tamin/@zachlanebryan/zachbryan.com
SOLD OUT
Zach Bryan’s success is found in his raspy voice, a mix of classic folk melody and outlaw country with a raw edge that cuts to the bone.
His breakthrough moment makes all that clear as day. In the video for “Heading South,” shot by phone outside of his Navy barracks in humid 95-degree heat, Zach’s passion echoes off the strings of his trusted Guild. Drenched in sweat and belting words, Zach Bryan is a singer/songwriter from Oologah, Oklahoma, proud of his small-town roots and whose music is fueled by a desire to stay true to himself. The 25-year-old served 7 years in the Navy before being honorably discharged. had written minutes earlier; the moment is authentic, brutal, and real. Millions of fans have now seen that video without any industry assistance, and millions more have connected to the tender, sincere songs found on Zach’s 2019 debut album “DeAnn. A man of simple words, Zach’s ability to create depth in his work is rivaled by few artists. He believes that who you are only extending to the person you are today, an ideology reflected in everything he creates.
WEBSITE: www.zachbryan.com
INSTAGRAM@zachlanebryan
YOUTUBE: @ Zach Bryan https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwK3C8Vgphad4PweezfUBAQ
Steel Panther Live December 9th, 2021 7 PM
The Bluestone
Columbus, Ohio
https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/05005B59EDEA422F
Steel Panther is headed to Columbus, OH to The Bluestone December 9, 2021.
Tickets on sale Friday, October 29 at 10 AM!
- Website: http://www.steelpantherrocks.com/
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/steelpanther
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Steel_Panther
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/SteelPanther
- YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/SteelPantherVEVO
About Steel Panther
For the uninitiated, Steel Panther was formed in 2000. Hailing from Los Angeles, the epicenter for rock n’ roll in all its debauchery and glamour, Steel Panther has established themselves as the world’s premier party band, melding hard rock virtuosity with parody and criminally good looks. Steel Panther is a global phenomenon with four full-length albums, touring across the world, platinum-level You Tube status and high-profile television appearances such as Jimmy Kimmel Live, Larry King Now, and FOX NFL Sunday.
Rolling Stone avowed, “There’s a reason Steel Panther have transcended their origins as a cover band playing the Sunset Strip,” while Metal Sucks declared, Steel Panther’s concept is genius…their songwriting is…preposterously snappy –and relatable.
Top of the World Tour
LAUREN ALAINA
Presented by maurices
March 25, 2022 7 PM
at The Bluestone
Columbus, Ohio
Tickets $20
Artist Biography
Lauren Alaina | Sitting Pretty on Top of the World
Ten years into her Nashville career, Lauren Alaina is in the upper echelon of country music’s most authentic voices, beloved personalities, and open hearts. She’s earned a reputation as one of the genre’s most compelling storytellers by boldly incorporating her struggles and heartache into her critically acclaimed first two albums. Lauren’s third studio collection, Sitting Pretty on Top of the World, is an artful evolution of immaculately penned, unflinching reflections of the mountains and valleys on her journey.
Sitting Pretty on Top of the World opens with the telltale sound of a needle dropping down on a record, and with that, Lauren sets the tone for some of the most captivating music of her career. Lauren was inspired to lean into the tenets of classic country music for this project and on the albums lead track, “It Was Me,” she offers a timeless country ballad filled with heartsick self-reflection. Lauren’s voice emotionally soars through the aching, introspective lyrics: “It wasn’t you I didn’t love, it was me.”
“The other person isn’t always the bad guy,” Lauren concedes. “On ‘It Was Me,’ I’m taking full ownership of being in the wrong. It was really hard to admit that I was the one at fault and to realize that I didn’t love myself enough to allow someone else to love me.” But the vulnerable “It Was Me,” co-written with Hillary Lindsey, is a song Lauren considers to be one of the best she’s ever written.
Lauren takes pride in the exposed transparency of her songwriting on this project, and though most writing sessions took place via Zoom, Lauren was crafting verses and choruses alongside the likes of award-winning songwriters including Liz Rose, Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey, Emily Weisband, David Garcia, Jordan Reynolds, Ben Johnson and Kennedi Lykken. She co-wrote 14 of the album’s 15 songs, much of it inspired from recent life experiences including two impactful break-ups, the loss of her stepfather, and like much of the world, Lauren struggled with despondency as she adapted to life in the pandemic.
The album’s title track “On Top of the World” delves into the dark reality behind polished facades. Writing the song with Jordan Reynolds and Sasha Sloan after the pandemic forced her to stay home for the first time in a decade, Lauren, in a heightened emotional state, revealed how she felt enveloped in loneliness and sadness.
“I’ve been on the road and touring for 10 years and having that taken away so suddenly felt like an abrupt stop to everything I’ve been working for, and that was a really scary thing for me,” she says, “but the whole world stopped for everybody, and I needed to find new ways to connect with people.”
Lauren applies that same honest vulnerability throughout the album from the harrowing ballad “What Do You Think Of?” featuring Danish Pop Star Lukas Graham, to the pensive flow of “I’m Not Sad Anymore,” to the beautiful simplicity of “Good Ole Boy” with its scaled back production that truly allows Lauren’s vocals to shine.
“This whole thing [album] is about loving yourself and being brave and being strong,” Lauren says. “I was faced with all these trials, and I hope people feel themselves in these songs. I think we all live the same stories with different characters. And maybe people realize new beginnings can be good.”
“Getting Good,” a duet with Trisha Yearwood, is the only song Lauren didn’t write on the album. Penned by Weisband, the song is a poignant truth-telling about choosing to be happy. Drawn to the concept, Lauren says, “Life is all about perspective, and you sometimes you have to shift your perspective.”
Lauren punctuates the lovelorn with the playful yet forthright “When the Party’s Over” and with the propulsive yet nostalgic “Run.” She also teamed up with Emily Weisband and the album’s producer Paul DiGiovanni to write the lighthearted, here-for-the-fun, rebound tune, “Getting Over Him,” featuring country star Jon Pardi. Lauren rounds out the album with the beautifully hopeful “Change My Mind,” which she co-wrote with Seth Ennis and Cameron Bedell.
Then with the familiar crackle of a vinyl record nearing its end, the album comes to a close. A journey from start to finish. Lauren explores life in these unique times and Sitting Pretty on Top of the World is the salve and the soundtrack for anyone traversing their own personal quest for hope and new beginnings.
Dorothy
ft. Joyous Wolf & Classless Act
April 24, 2022 6 PM
at The Bluestone
Columbus, Ohio
DOROTHY
Gifts From The Holy Ghost
Roc Nation
Dorothy Martin’s life changed forever when she was forced to face death on her tour bus some three years ago. After her guitar technician had taken an overdose, and the light began to lift up and out from his body, Dorothy instinctively began praying for his survival. While he may have temporarily died, the technician was astonishingly, miraculously restored back to life as Dorothy and her crew formed a prayer circle near his body. It was this moment that seemed to bring Dorothy to life too. She was gifted a rebirth with a divine intervention that caused a radical and spiritual awakening in the singer, the result of which can be heard on Gifts From The Holy Ghost, Dorothy’s third studio album as front woman for the pseudonymous, blues-rock band Dorothy.
Gifts From The Holy Ghost is the album she’s always wanted, and has perhaps been destined to make. Born from a sense of divine urgency, it is Dorothy’s most bombastic and gloriously, victorious rock and roll work yet. Each song built on triumph—the unshackling of chains, the slaying of demons with a sword of light—the album is a healing and remedial experience, made to unify listeners and point them towards a life full of purpose. It is Dorothy’s greatest gift yet. “This album had to get made, I felt like I had a mission,” she said.
While the band’s first, irreverently named album ROCKISDEAD, was made on a combination of whiskey and heartbreak—inspiring Rolling Stone to name them one of rock’s most exciting new acts, and Jay-Z to sign them to his label Roc Nation—Gifts was built on recovery, health, and holiness, in a way that reverses the clichéd ‘good girl gone bad narrative’.
With the combined powers of Keith Wallen, Jason Hook, Scott Stevens, Phil X, Trevor Lukather, Joel Hamilton and the legendary ear of Chris Lord Alge, Gifts From The Holy Ghost is made from a musical palette which seems to encompass each of the musician’s influences, as well as many of the essential sounds of rock music’s history—from swampy blues to ‘90s alternative —in a way that makes the case for rock and roll itself. Not only is the genre alive, but it’s more invigorated than ever.
“I think this album is going to speak to a lot of people, it’s meant to be healing, unifying, eye-opening, ear-opening, heart-opening and celebratory,” Dorothy said, adding: “I wanted to make the realest album I could make, and I went in with the question does this make me feel alive? Does it make me feel free? If a song didn’t give me chills or make my heart soar, then it didn’t make the cut.”
Born in Budapest, Hungary, Dorothy has always been an instinctual writer and artist. Throughout her life, she’s been asking the big questions, both in and outside her art: ‘What’s the meaning of life? Why are we here? How are we here?’ When she couldn’t find the answers to those questions, she’d numb out the empty uncertainty with drugs and alcohol. She was eventually admitted to rehab and a new chapter was opened in her spiritual journey. Now, with angels whispering in her ear and the spirit moving her steps, she’s found her answers. “I’m just here to impart inspiring messages to people while having fun and rocking out!”
You can hear Dorothy’s powerful resilience across the album, particularly on “Big Guns”, which finds the singer at her boldest; sauntering over slide guitars as she steps into combat. Anthems like “Rest In Peace” bring a sweeping cinematic scope to the album, whereas “Black Sheep”, a rallying cry for unity, explodes with layered gang vocals: “we are blood, we are family,” Dorothy breaks curses, going toe-to-toe with the blistering guitar riffs.
The album’s lyrics are a perfect balance of specificity and generality, so that the listener can attach their own darknesses and triumphs to the songs, while still getting a sense of Dorothy’s own. “We are all one human family.” she declares.
Does that mean Dorothy has overcome all of her own adversities? “It’s a journey and it’s about progress not perfection,” she responds. “I’ve had a lot of deep revelations about my life, stuff I hadn’t been able to cope with until now. Now I’m learning new tools.” With Gifts From The Holy Ghost, Dorothy identifies her purpose as an artist. She conquers darkness with light, numbness with feeling, disharmony with unity—all while delivering one of this year’s most fun rock & roll records.
Joyous Wolf Bio
A gritty howl opens Joyous Wolf’s upcoming debut LP, Enigma, and it’s the perfect introduction since the band plays rock & roll at its most primal and passionate. Guitarist Blake Allard’s bluesy riffs harken back to the classic hard rock of AC/DC, Cream and Deep Purple while still packing a thoroughly modern wallop, while frontman Nick Reese’s voice seems to come from deep in his gut as he sings about everything from warring kingdoms to a tribute to a fallen friend. Together, with bassist Greg Braccio and drummer Robert Sodaro, Joyous Wolf’s members work together to create some of the most exciting, promising and unwieldy back-to-basics rock to come out of Southern California in recent years.
Whether nimbly navigating the swaggering, powerful groove of their go-to concert opener, “Mountain Man,” or digging into their instruments for a jammy, funky guitar solo “Major Headthrob,” the group has an unpredictable quality – a sort of unique freedom within rock & roll – that makes Enigma compelling. Part of the credit for this goes to producer Val Garay (Santana, Neil Diamond, Reel Big Fish) who came aboard at the last minute to help them achieve the record’s raw sound, which captures how Joyous Wolf sound live. But mostly, the electric feeling that defines Enigma is just something in the band’s DNA.
“When I’m playing rock & roll, it’s the only time where I feel indestructible,” Reese says. “When I heard Elvis sing ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ for the first time, I knew exactly what my heart wanted and what I wanted.”
“I think people are starting to realize the overproduction and fakeness of pop music, which is why rock is coming back,” Allard says. “We love being a rock band.” Joyous Wolf formed in November 2014, but their roots stretch back to sixth grade when Reese first crossed paths with Sodaro by fate – they had to assemble next to each other because their names were alphabetically side-by-side. Reese recalls a middle-school battle of the bands where neither he nor Sodaro was playing, but Reese declared that one day he was going to be “the best singer ever” and that Sodaro would play drums. It would take a few years, but after stints where both musicians duked it out playing in punk and alternative bands (“all of that crap,” Reese adds) they fulfilled Reese’s prophecy. The singer drafted Allard, whom he’d met randomly in the acoustic room at a Guitar Center when the two jammed on CCR’s “Born on the Bayou,” and Sodaro brought in his high-school friend Braccio to play bass.
Before long, the quartet was jamming in Sodaro’s folks’ garage, annoying the neighbors and entertaining the local authorities. “Once on Halloween, we were rehearsing at 11 p.m. writing songs, and we faced Nick’s monitors out the window toward a canyon full of houses,” Allard recalls. “Then we saw this car at the front gate, and it’s the sheriff. He comes into the practice room and goes, ‘Hey guys, I hate to shut you down because it sounds really good, but we got a complaint from across the canyon that it was too loud.’ We still practice but not like that anymore.”
One of the first songs they played together was “Sleep Weep Stomp,” Enigma’s slow-burning, sludgy blues burner. It’s the style of music that Reese feels closest to. “I’m a blues singer, 100 percent,” he says. “That’s my everything.” The singer grew up on blues, jazz, and Fifties rock & roll. “When my dad showed me, Elvis, that was the end of it,” he says. “I needed to hear every artist that inspired Elvis and then the people who inspired them. Suddenly I had a record collection. It all felt natural: B.B. King made me want to scream my pain away. You hear all these people and you want to express all the things you love. I don’t care if people think it’s old or not current. It doesn’t matter to me.” By his own estimation, he didn’t hear anything “current” until he was 13 and borrowed his sister’s Discman only to hear the Strokes’ “Is This It”. Similarly, Allard was raised on classic rock. “My dad taught me my first song ever, ‘Sunshine of Your Love,’ by Cream,” he says. “I always went back to that kind of old blues-rock music. Even if I was into metal or hard rock, I always went back to the classics like B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin.”
These influences shine through on Enigma. “Killing the Messenger” begins with some crushing classic heavy-metal riffs before giving way to a boogieing verse riff where Sodaro and Braccio can bash out their rhythms freely while Reese yowls a tale about two warring kingdoms, and how an evil monarch tricks one of his most popular subjects into delivering a nasty message to the other kingdom only so he would be executed. Reese says the moral Is “life isn’t fair and it isn’t always a happy ending.” The beat-heavy “Mountain Man,” whose lyrics lambaste one of Reese’s former less-than-refined coworkers at a coffee shop, whom the singer says claimed he could “carve a knife out of the tree,” began with a guitar riff that was so forceful that the band couldn’t deny its power. “He had this little riff and we were laughing because it was so stupid-simple,” Reese says. “And it is. It’s our quote-unquote ‘dumbest song,’ but when we used it to open at the Viper Room, the audience response became one of our staple songs.”
The band is also able to channel more somber tones. The acoustic “Remember By” showcases thoughtful performances by both Allard and Reese, who wrote the song in tribute to a friend of his who had taken his own life. It came from a moment of pure inspiration. “I recorded us when we were fooling around, and it was perfect,” Reese says. “I pushed for us to record that song so hard. I said, ‘Please do it exactly like you did it. Please.’ That was me saying goodbye.”After they put out their Daisy EP in late 2015, it took the band about two years total to fine-tune and perfect Enigma. And while songwriting was a big chunk of that (the ominous riff for “Turning Blue” took them six months to perfect), they went through several passes of mixing and mastering it to get it to sound like it does. When Garay finally came aboard, they were able to establish the right mixture of nuance and directness. “It’s so much more animal,” Reese says, using the perfect adjective, to describe the way Enigma turned out. That “animal” sound has earned Joyous Wolf some notable gigs, including performances at L.A.’s famed Whisky a Go-Go, the Viper Room and the Regent Theater, where they recently opened for Eagles of Death Metal. Now they’re ready to move on to even bigger stages. “When we play a show, we go out and we kick ass,” Reese says, sounding confident. “We’re headhunters”. Headhunting on the road will now be even easier, with their upcoming record Enigma, an album that demonstrates what Reese calls Joyous Wolf’s “mojo.” – Kory Grow Rolling Stone Magazine 2017
Classless Act Bio
When they released their debut single “Give It To Me” in the summer of 2021, Classless Act were immediately praised for their ability to sound both fresh and timeless. Loudwire instantly added the song to their “Weekly Wire” Spotify playlist, identifying it as one of the top new releases of the summer. And other iconic outlets, like SPIN Magazine, were early to show support. It was a fitting public introduction to a band who embody what it means to be modern rock stars.
The band – consisting of members Derek Day (Vocals), Dane Pieper (Guitar), Griffin Tucker (Guitar), Franco Gravante (Bass), and Chuck McKissock (Drums) – initially formed in 2018 after connecting and bonding virtually by their love and passion of music. Now in Los Angeles, they’ve united on a mission to be the next great generation-defining act, drawing inspiration from classic rock acts of the 70’s and alt-rock groups from the 90’s. Their music echoes the hallmarks of previous generations – anthemic rhythms, shreddy guitars, soaring vocals – but punches its way into the future with clever arrangements, sharp musicianship, and proficient songwriting.
Already making noise in the industry, the band has been in the studio with world-class producers like Bob Rock, Michael Beinhorn and Joe Chiccarrelli, who have helped craft hits for the likes of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Soundgarden, and The White Stripes. The band recently landed a deal with Better Noise Music, Mediabase and Billboard’s #1 rock label for 2020. Their debut album is expected in 2022, when the band will be hitting the road with Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, and more, on their Summer Stadium Tour.
Ian Munsick
with Ryan Charles
May 13, 2022 7 PM
at The Bluestone
Columbus, Ohio
ABOUT IAN MUNSICK
Breathing fresh Rocky Mountain air into the Nashville music scene, Ian Munsick is pioneering a new brand of country. The Wyoming-born singer / songwriter’s upbringing was a mix of working the ranch and working crowds. Under the tutelage of their fiddle-playing father, Munsick and his two older brothers grew up playing everything from bluegrass to The Beatles. Incorporating elements across genres, he has now begun to establish himself as a progressive artist with an old soul. Captivated by traditional lyrical truth and the modern soundscape, Munsick followed his ear to Music City.
In 2017 he released a self-titled EP, winning iHeartRadio’s Rocky Mountain Song of the Year for the rootsy “Horses Are Faster” and becoming the only artist who simultaneously qualified two tracks as finalists in the NSAI/CMT songwriting competition. Since then, Munsick has signed a major label record deal with Warner Music Nashville, earned more than 100 million global streams and been named one of Spotify’s inaugural Hot Country Artists to Watch. His debut album Coyote Cry features his mile-high tenor underscoring self-penned songs that conjure equal parts epic adventure and down-to-earth wisdom. The record marks the dawn of western pop-laced country, pulling a thread straight from Chris LeDoux through Post Malone. Munsick hit the road in the fall alongside labelmate Cody Johnson and his own sold-out, headlining dates. He wrapped the year with his Grand Ole Opry debut and is starting 2022 strong as a MusicRow Next Big Thing artist. Fans are finding that with Ian Munsick, western country is reborn.
About Ryan Charles
Western rapper Ryan Charles hails from the valley of Buffalo, WY. Similar to his hometown, once referred to as the most lawless town in America, Charles brings a style all his own — meshing the cowboy lifestyle with flow of 2000’s rap. A natural-born entertainer, Charles quickly became one of the most skilled freestyle rappers on the school bus, eventually making the move to Seattle, WA to pursue his music career more seriously. As an artist, Charles has released a few singles, including the jiggy buckaroo bop “Gettin’ Western” in 2020 and most recently, “Old Dirt Fancy” in 2021. Known for his signature fashion sense, light hearted twang and high-energy live shows, Charles continues to work on new music in Nashville, TN.
Paul Cauthen
May 19, 2022 7 PM
at The Bluestone
Columbus, Ohio
Want to get a bead on Paul Cauthen?
Good freakin’ luck — especially on his third album, COUNTRY COMING DOWN.
Suffice to say that the singer, songwriter and proud son of Tyler, Texas — steward of a rich, resonant, bass-leaning tenor dubbed Big Velvet — covers a lot of ground and embodies a lot of characters. He’ll tell you right off the bat that he’s “Country As Fuck,” throwing down a wad of “Fuck You Money” and heading into the night to “Cut a Rug.” His “Country Clubbin'” has as much to do with swinging as his swing. But a song or two later dude’s vowing to be loving his wife “Till the Day I Die” and, in COUNTRY COMING DOWN’s title track, dreams of living in “a cabin in the country, far away from the city lights” where “life is slow and easy.”
The fact that all of that exists within the same guy, who’s full of good humor, sharp wit and a heart as big as his home state is what makes Cauthen someone who’s easy, and exciting, to spend 10 songs with.
“Y’know, you got your bangers and you got your ballads,” Cauthen acknowledges. “You got your meaningful songs where you’re opening up more of your vulnerable side, and then you’re putting on a fucking show — all in one album. And it’s all honest, I’ll tell ya that. Everything on there is something I’ve felt or thought before.”
COUNTRY COMING DOWN has been in motion awhile, actually. The title track, one of several co-writes with good Nashville pal Aaron Raitiere, has been around since before Cauthen’s dark sophomore album ROOM 41. Its sense of campfire calm and “damn near off the map” idyll set a bar, for both music and lifestyle, that Cauthen aspired to, while the rest of the new album, recorded at Modern Electric Sound Recorders in Dallas with regular collaborators Beau Bedford (Texas Gentlemen) and Jason Burt (Medicine Man Revival), shows that Cauthen was able to get there without losing any of the playful “hot dog holly golly dagnabit” good-time spirit that rolls off his tongue like a tumbleweed in the west Texas panhandle.
As he promises in “Country As Fuck,” “I ain’t gotta sell my soul. If I want it then I grab it.”
“I’m having fun,” Cauthen says. “I’ve finally figured it out. I’m more settled and comfortable. I know I’m good at making records and great at entertaining. That’s my gift more than anything, to be able to get up there and deliver these songs to people.”
That gift is part of Cauthen’s DNA, of course, from a family deeply steeped in music. Texan on both sides, his paternal grandfather went to school with Hank Williams while his maternal grandpa, who worked with Buddy Holly and the Crickets during his youth, introduced Cauthen to singing. His grandmother taught him to play piano, while his grandfather and great uncle were the song leader and preacher, respectively, of the local Christian Church of Christ.
“Yeah, I had no choice, really” Cauthen says now. “(Music) is what I call my birddog trait; You don’t have to tell a birddog to jump in the river and grab the duck and bring it back to you. And you don’t have to tell me to get up on stage and perform. That’s what I’m supposed to do. My family enjoyed watching me perform when I was a kid; I would get up in front of everybody at Christmas with my guitar and play ‘Jackson’ with my grandmother. I learned my trade, y’know?”
Cauthen pursued that trade into young adulthood, showcasing at Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos and forming the duo Sons of Fathers, whose early albums were produced by Lloyd Maines. After the group ran its course, Cauthen set off on his own in 2016, recording MY GOSPEL partly in Muscle Shoals, AL.; The album made Rolling Stone’s list of Top 40 Country Records that year. 2018’s HAVE MERCY EP began his association with Bedford and featured contributions by other members of the Texas Gentlemen, and also led to Cauthen’s Grand Ole Opry debut as a solo artist on June 22, 2018.
The critically acclaimed ROOM 41, meanwhile, chronicled and exorcised a rough period in Cauthen’s life, marked by a romantic breakup, substance abuse, depression and anxiety issues. “My growing years were like going to college,” Cauthen confesses. “I just got screwed so many times by so many different people on this whole freakin’ journey. I had this void I was trying to fill in my heart, with booze or any type of, just, abuse. I made every stupid mistake you can make in the business, and in life, in order to learn ’em all.
“I don’t feel that hurt anymore. I’ve changed.”
Marriage helped, he says. So did cleaning house and restructuring the business operation that surrounded him. That allowed Cauthen to plunge into COUNTRY COMING DOWN with a lighter heart and wicked humor — one that allowed him to find the profound meaning in a “schmoozie bougie brouhaha.”
If you want to know what that sounds like, tuck into the album’s sonic array, an austere, sinewy attack that puts Cauthen’s vocals dead center in the ride. “We’ve really unleashed Big Velvet in this situation, which I love,” he says. Nowhere is that more true than “Country As Fuck,” with a taut groove and loping gait tailor made for a 21st century honky tonk. Cauthen, Bedford and Burt play with that template throughout COUNTRY COMING DOWN, punctuating “Caught Me At a Good Time” with a sharp guitar solo, “High Heels” with a tasteful Wurlitzer break and the satiristic “Country Clubbin'” with a disco beat and chorus of female backing vocals.
But just when you buy in — and happily convert — to Cauthen’s brand of unapologetic hedonism, the soul comes out. “Till The Day I Die” smoothes his raw heart with the promise of true and lasting love, while the stock-taking “Roll On Over” takes a wistful look in his rearview mirror. And “Country Coming Down” realizes a dream of calm — although not exclusive of the next sojourn with “Champagne & a Limo.”
I’m always on a quest, sonically,” Cauthen explains. “I was wanting to go at this just serving the song, more, ‘What does this call for?’ rather than worrying about genre or sonic palette or any certain sound. I had a lot of these songs brewing for a long time, and we just let them grow on their own.”
His muse fully engaged, Cauthen is looking towards doing more of that in the future, with a few conceptual ideas up his sleeve about what he might do next. No matter what direction he takes, however, he won’t be abandoning that cabin in the hills or the “Country Clubbin'” life; Cauthen will just be adding more to the mix he’s stirred together.
“It’s just about looking at yourself in the mirror and knowing that what you’ve done to this day has been in good standing, with good morals and a good compass in life, driven the right way,” he says. “Legacy is all we have — that, and try to be a good person as well. If you get all that together, then you can do whatever the fuck you want and it’ll be alright.”
