Mind = blown. Tracy Lawrence is one of the most underrated artists of the ’90s, with a catalog that’s STACKED with hits like “Time Marches On,” “Alibis,” “Texas Tornado,” “If the Good Die Young,” and so many more. One of his biggest hits, though, was his 2004 single “Paint Me a Birmingham.” Written by Buck Moore and Gary Duffy, the song was surprisingly never a #1 single despite continuing to be one of Tracy’s signature songs even 20+ years after it was released. But every few months, people are shocked to find out that the song has nothing to do with the city of Birmingham, Alabama. @kayla_may8 Wait, I didn’t know this song is about a style of Lakehouse… not Birmingham, AL. #fyp #tracylawrence #paintmeabirmingham #flabbergasted ♬ Paint Me A Birmingham – Tracy Lawrence Honestly, I had no idea either until a couple years ago when Tracy explained the real meaning on an episode of The Justin Moore Podcast: “Birmingham is a style of lake house… it’s got the porch going all the way around, man. If you’ve listened to it since then, it makes more sense. That was one of the magical things about that song because it can have multiple meanings. Obviously, the people living in Alabama though it was about Birmingham and the people that are architecturally knowledgeable know that it’s about a style of house. But it was really about longing to be back with that person that you missed being with, and you know you messed up, and that time and place is gone forever… you just want that back.” If you’re just learning this for the first time, don’t feel too bad: In fact, Tracy Lawrence himself didn’t even realize the song wasn’t about the city in Alabama when he recorded it. During an interview with Whiskey Riff, we asked Tracy about his signature song, and he explained that it took him a while to learn the real meaning: “I don’t think I really knew that full side of it. I kinda learned as I went through the process, but I wasn’t familiar with what a “Birmingham” was either.” Regardless of its meaning though, he knew he had a hit on his hands: “But I knew that was a big record. I knew that that lyric was really stout.” And at the end of the day, Tracy says that’s part of the beauty of the song: It can mean anything you want it to mean. “That’s the great thing about that song: Being able to write a lyric that can have multiple meanings, that just opens the interpretation up to your audience.  It can mean anything they want it to mean. Or they can argue about what it means. If one person disagrees, that song can mean anything you want it to mean. It can be about living in Birmingham and wanting to get back there, it can be about that house and that situation that you left, it can mean anything you want it to.” It’s also remained one of his biggest hits, despite never topping the charts: “Of all the #1s that I had, “Paint Me a Birmingham” was probably the biggest impact record I ever had. That song by itself was massive. And it was just top 5. It died at #4, it never got up there. But it doesn’t matter. We close with that song every night, and the intensity from the crowd, it’s like what they wait for. It’s my closer and will be ’til I die.” Amen, TL. @whiskeyriff @tracy_lawrence ♬ Paint Me A Birmingham – Tracy Lawrence The post Did You Know The Tracy Lawrence Hit “Paint Me A Birmingham” Isn’t About The City In Alabama? first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

It’s an approach I wish more artists would take, honestly. Today, Riley Green released a new song called “Think As You Drunk,” in addition to announcing his new album That’s Just Me will be out everywhere this fall, on September 18th. In interview with Billboard, he explained that he wanted to include a sample of Toby Keith’s 2005  hit, “As Good As I Once Was,” which Riley says his dad used to joke was about him. It’s a really fun song and upbeat way to kick off the album promotion, and in addition to talking about his farm in Alabama, a little bit about his dating life, and he also explained some about why he stays far away from sharing his political opinions publicly, and certainly not on stage during concerts. When his headlining appearance at Rock The Country in Ashland, Kentucky this summer was brought up, he talked about how he doesn’t ever consider the politics behind playing a festival, only whether it makes sense for him to do financially. Some artists backed out of playing at some of the Rock The Country tour stops due to its association with Kid Rock, and even Jason Aldean, both of whom are outspoken supporters of President Trump. But Riley says him playing that festival in particular has nothing to do with his political leanings, and he went on to say that he doesn’t “see any benefit” in making anything political at his concerts no only in the United States, but in countries all over the world as he’s played in both Europe and Australia over the last couple of years. He’s also refreshingly honest about the fact that if a festival is paying good money, he’ll probably do it. Riley explained that he wants anyone to be able to come to his show and feel welcome, and that it should be an escape from the stresses of daily life, not a chance to shove his own beliefs down everyone’s throats: “I mean, the simplest way I can put it is, if somebody calls me and wants me to come play a festival and financially it makes sense, then I’m probably gonna go do it. I don’t ask a lot of questions beyond that. Rock the Country sounds like a fun festival, I’ve certainly played all over the country, and now several other countries, and I don’t see any benefit in me making anything political as far as where I go play at. I think people go to concerts to try and get away from their every day problems and enjoy country music, so I think I should kind of look at it the same way. I think people that are very, for lack of a better term, preachy, as far as their beliefs or political sidings or whatever on the stage, seem to me, they come off as somebody that thinks they’re the smartest person in the room, and I’ve never thought that about myself. I think that when people come to my show, they’re coming to have a good time and step away from whatever stresses they have in their life, and that’s my job to entertain them. My granddaddy Buford was one of the best in the world, he wanted everybody around him to feel comfortable and welcome, and I learned a lot from watching him run that little music hall we had out there in Pleasant Valley. Again, it’s my job just to make sure everybody has a good time.” Any artist is more than welcome to say whatever they want at their own concerts, but I tend to agree with Riley when it comes to the “politics at concerts” topic. Some artists are inherently political and it’s part of their music, and if they want to talk about that, again, it’s their prerogative. Most fans who go to those shows… Bruce Springsteen for example, know what they are getting. But in a world where it’s seemingly impossible to escape hearing about politics at every minute of the day, everywhere you turn, I very much appreciate a country concert where I can just enjoy the music and not have to hear about some celebrity, who I don’t even know personally, and their political views… even if I agree with them. I just want to go to a concert and enjoy live music. Has an artist going off about some social or political issue at a show, or just in general, ever changed your mind about anything? Yeah, me neither… Also, I think Riley’s smart from the standpoint of his wallet, because making everyone feel welcome is certainly good for the bottom line when you’re not icing anyone out. Most importantly, I think it’s just kind, and it makes a lot of sense to me that he took that lesson from his grandaddy, who had a ton of influence on him growing up. Country music is for everyone, and I genuinely mean everyone, and that’s the part about it that I love so much, and Riley puts on a really great live show so if you haven’t seen him before, I highly recommend it because he’s as country as they come… and you don’t have to worry about listening to him drone on about the news of the week, which is part of what makes it so fun. It’s truly an escape from the world, which is what live music is supposed to be. “Think As You Drunk” Riley is currently on the road for his Cowboy As It Gets Tour. Cowboy As It Gets 2026 Tour Dates: June 18th, 2026 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center#~• June 19th, 2026 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center#~• June 20th, 2026 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater#~• June 25th, 2026 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center#$* June 26th, 2026 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake#$* July 16th, 2026 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center#~• July 23rd, 2026 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre#~• August 6th, 2026 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater#/• August 7th, 2026 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center#/• August 8th, 2026 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live#/• August 13th, 2026 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion#/• August 14th, 2026 – Hartford, CT – The XFINITY Theatre#/• August 15th, 2026 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheatre#/• August 21st, 2026 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford#$*^ August 22nd, 2026 – Grand Forks, ND – Ralph Engelstad Arena#$*^ #Justin Moore ~Drake White $Mackenzie Carpenter •Hannah McFarland *Adam Hood /Zach John KingThe post “It’s My Job Just To Make Sure Everybody Has A Good Time” — Riley Green On Why He Doesn’t Talk Politics At His Shows first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The band from Mobile, Alabama has gotten where they are today without any help from the radio… so they feel comfortable saying that the medium doesn’t hold the weight that it once did. The Red Clay Strays – consisting of Drew Nix (electric guitar, vocals, harmonica), Zach Rishel (electric guitar), Andrew Bishop (bass), John Hall (drums), Sevans Henderson (keys), and frontman Brandon Coleman – has gone from up and coming to house hold name in just a couple of years. Their first two albums, Moment of Truth (2022) and Made by These Moments (2024), acted as stellar introductions into the world of music. Now that they are established and here to stay, there’s growing excitement and anticipation for their third album, Grateful, which is set to drop on June 5. They’ve obviously gotten a lot of attention in the country music space as of late, but funny enough, they don’t consider themselves a country band. Last year they took home the “Vocal Group of the Year” at the CMAs, and this year, they were awarded “Group of the Year” at the ACMs. So even though they don’t see themselves as a country group… they are being awarded as one. Coleman told Billboard that he and the band doesn’t really care what genre people think of them as… and threw out there that they see themselves as more so a rock and roll group: “(How we’re classified) doesn’t matter. I’ve always just said ‘rock’n’roll,’ because we don’t have any fiddles or anything like that. We’re just three electric guitars, bass, drums and piano. We’re definitely country boys with Southern heritage, but I just never really thought of ourselves as a country music band.” Red Clay Strays bassist, Andrew Bishop, seconded that by revealing that their upcoming album – Grateful – will apparently step even farther away from the “country sound” that people associate with the band now. However, he admitted that they plan on staying country-adjacent, at the very least: “This new record is another step away from the country sound, but we always keep a toe in that country world.” And regardless of if they are a country band or a rock band, the Red Clay Strays haven’t really benefited from the radio with either genre. If you’ve ever tuned into the radio (and not a ton of people do anymore), chances are you’ve never heard RCS played over the radio waves. The group’s mega hit – “Wondering Why” was only on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for one week back in 2024. That’s their only entry on the chart… ever. Does that bother the Red Clay Strays at all? Nope. They are too busy selling out arenas, and Bishop says that they never had set out to have radio success: “It’s ­never been a goal of ours to make a radio song. Look how far we have gotten with no radio play. We got a CMA (Award) with three country radio stations playing us, and one of them is our local radio station. People are bending over backward for radio, and especially in the day of social media, I don’t think you have to have it. Honestly, I think radio is dead.” Frontman Brandon Coleman walked that quote from his bassist back a bit, and clarified that they would happily take some more love from the radio. That being said, that’s not going to happen because they change up what they are doing to better fit into the current radio model: “We’re certainly not going to change to try to get on the radio, but if the radio decides to start playing what we’re doing already, then we’ll take it.” At the end of the day, the Red Clay Strays don’t need the radio anyway. Like I said earlier, they are packing pretty much every venue they play. And if you want to get out and see the Red Clay Strays this year, scan the tour dates below to see if the Mobile, Alabama band is coming to a town near you. Grateful Tour Dates July 30 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart August 1 – Boston, MA – TD Garden with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart August 5 – Laval, CA – Place Bell with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart August 7 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at The Mann with The Revivalist & Brent Cobb August 9 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden with The Revivalist & Brent Cobb August 16 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk August 18 – Grand Forks, ND – Alerus Center with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk August 19 – Bismarck, ND – Bismarck Event Center with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk August 21 – Bozeman, MT – Brick Breeden Fieldhouse with Sweet Talk August 22 – Missoula, MT – Adams Ceter with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk August 26 – Spokane, WA – Numerica Veterans Arena with Wyatt Flores & Sweet Talk August 27 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena with Wyatt Flores & Sweet Talk August 29 – Portland, OR – Moda Center with Wyatt Flores & Sweet Talk August 30 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena with Wyatt Flores & Sweet Talk September 2 – West Valley City, UT – Maverik Center with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 4 – Stateline, NV – Lake Tahoe Amphitheater at Caesars Republic with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 11 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 12 – Ontario, CA – Toyota Arena with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 16 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena San Diego with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 17 – Phoenix, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 20 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center with Muscadine Bloodline & Sweet Talk September 30 – Toronto, CA – RBC Amphitheater – with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 1 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 3 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 7 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena with Shane Smith & the Saints & Brent Cobb October 14 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 15 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 17 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 18 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 22 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena with Brent Cobb & Sierra Ferrell  October 23 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena with Brent Cobb & Sierra Ferrell October 28 – Knoxville, TN – Food City Center with Wyatt Flores & Brent Cobb October 31 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at the BJCC with Shane Smith & the Saints & Brent Cobb November 5 – Baton Rouge, LA – Raising Cane’s River Center with Muscadine Bloodline & Brent Cobb November 6 – Bossier City, LA – Brookshire Grocery Arena with Muscadine Bloodline & Brent Cobb November 8 – Jonesboro, AR – First National Bank Arena with Muscadine Bloodline & Brent Cobb November 13 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena with Travis Tritt & Brent CobbThe post The Red Clay Strays Declare That “Radio Is Dead”… But They’d Still Be Happy To Get Some Radio Play first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Riley Green's new song "Think As You Drunk" lyrics do more than pay tribute to Toby Keith. Continue reading…

It was a hit for another all-time country great instead. Continue reading…