Night two of Nashville’s Music City Rodeo was everything a rodeo fan could have hoped for. Some of the best rodeo cowboys and cowgirls put on an absolute show last night Bridgestone Arena. The best in the world were all on the venue that sits on Broadway to compete in the second day of the three day event put on by the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA). It’s the largest rodeo east of the Mississippi and the largest in the entire Southeastern Circuit. Oh, and it’s also important to note that the 2026 Music City Rodeo has been designated as an official Cinch Playoff Series Rodeo. What does that mean? Well, that designation brings in the top rodeo stars like Stetson Wright, Kade Bruno, Hailey Kinzel, and over 30 other World Champions. Chase Crane showed off his skills in the steer wrestling portion of the night, bringing down the steer in just 4.1 seconds… and then celebrating accordingly: View this post on Instagram The night was chock full of exciting events, like mutton busting, roping, and bull riding, and after a full and exciting slate of rodeo competitions, the dirt that was laid down on the floor of Bridgestone Arena turned into a pit for a performance from Charley Crockett. The “Son of Davy” delivered a lot of his hits to the Music City Rodeo crowd, and even provided an update on his latest, disappearing album Clovis (more on that in a second). But most importantly, Crockett was just grateful to be a part of the rodeo event in downtown Nashville, as he said himself during the show: “I’m happy to be here at the Music City Rodeo. I’m really happy to see rodeo culture taking over here in the great state of Tennessee. I think it’s on the rise all over America and I, for one, am really glad to see that.” View this post on Instagram And for fans that were in attendance hoping for an update on Clovis – Crockett’s album that disappeared off streaming shortly after it was surprise dropped – the country singer did provide some news on that shortly before breaking into “Hallelujah Trail,” the leading track off the no-longer-available project: “I’m sorry about that record I put out a little ways back that got pulled down. I promise y’all I’m gonna get it back on the street in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.” For those unfamiliar with that phrase… it just means something will happen very quickly, or in a short amount of time. That’s obviously some good news from Charley, and he continued to bring the good vibes throughout the night. The crowd really enjoyed his “Jamestown Ferry” cover when he broke into that Tanya Tucker classic later on in the set list: View this post on Instagram Never gets old. Throughout the night, it was abundantly clear how much of a match rodeo and country music are. When we sat down with rodeo stars Kade Bruno and Rocker Steiner earlier this year, they both said that Music City Rodeo acts as the perfect crossroads. As Rocker Steiner described, the sport and the genre have shared the same thread throughout the years: “You’ve got to think, for the last however many decades, country music has been written about rodeoing. Look at ‘July in Cheyenne’ by Aaron Watson, ‘I Can Still Make Cheyenne’ and ‘Amarillo By Morning’ by George Strait. A lot of country songs are written around rodeo. Really, we live the same lifestyle. We really kind of have the same attitudes… if you love country music, rodeo really is a part of you.” And Kade Bruno had much of the same to say. The saddle bronc rider stated that there’s a lot of overlap when it comes to the fanbases of the rodeo and country music. In his mind, and in the mind of many other rodeo stars, if you like one, there’s a great chance you like the other: “We go hand in hand. 90% of our fans are also country music fans, and vice versa. If you are a rodeo fan through and through, you are probably listening to country music.” @whiskeyriff @Rocker Steiner @kadebrunoooo @musiccityrodeo #whiskeyriff #whiskeyriffraff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff And there’s still one night to go of the Music City Rodeo. Jon Pardi (May 30) will be the headliner for tonight’s show, and the world’s best rodeo stars still have one night of competition to leave everything out there. Simply put… the cowboys have taken over Broadway and Bridgestone Arena, and we’re now at grand finale portion of the proceedings. You can hear Rocker and Kade talk more about the event in our full interview below. Check it out on YouTube or make sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. Audio Video The post Charley Crockett Confirms The Return Of ‘Clovis’ During Night Two Of Nashville’s Music City Rodeo first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Riley is been on a rocket ship to stardom for the last few years. Continue reading…

Guess they’re gonna need a new piano for tonight. Last night, Morgan Wallen played night one of his two-show stand in Denver, Colorado at Empower Field at Mile High with Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason. He walked out with Broncos legend John Elway to kick things off: The Duke joined @morganwallen for Night 1 of his Still The Problem tour at @EmpowerField! pic.twitter.com/hz70Q549vR — Denver Broncos (@Broncos) May 30, 2026 But when he got to the part where he plays the piano for “Sand In My Boots,” things went a bit awry, and Morgan was having some issues with his piano. Apparently, he couldn’t hear it in his in-ear monitors, which means he couldn’t hear what he was playing. It seemed like the fans, at least according to comments I saw on some of the videos, could hear it, but obviously, it’s hard to play the instrument well if you can’t hear it… and Morgan had enough. I’m sure his sound people tried their best to fix it, but this is live music, so Morgan decided to sing “Sand In My Boots” A Cappella, and while the fans didn’t mind at all, I’m sure it’s frustrating as the artist putting on such a massive show, that people paid a hell of a lot of money for, for something like that to go wrong. This part of the show has become a fan-favorite because it’s one the more stripped-back, intimate moments, but the Denver crowd ended up getting something even more unique, so there’s that. I’m pretty sure a lot of the time on tour it’s really just a keyboard in a piano shell, as many artists don’t regularly move big pianos on tour because their heavy and don’t stay in key well through travel. Some also rent them from local dealers or music stores so they don’t have to travel with them. Either way, I hope there’s a piano store close to Mile High stadium, because Morgan is back there tonight for a sold-out show with Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock and Vincent Mason. Fans have been sharing video of Morgan flipping the piano, which he did after he got through the whole song, and from how he did it seems to me like he’s probably had some incidents with this thing before, probably at some other stops on the tour if I had to guess… he was OVER it: @gems.mom Morgan Wallen gets upset and knocks over piano at Denver night 1 show! #morganwallen #denver #morganwallenconcert #country #morganwallentiktok ♬ A Memory That Stays – Maxenrd Here’s a closer angle: @evalyntt I wish I was the piano #morganwallen #wallen ♬ original sound – Eva Toshkova Here’s how that moment is supposed to go… “Sand In My Boots” ‘Still The Problem’ Tour Dates May 29 || Denver, Colo. || Empower Field at Mile High w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason May 30 || Denver, Colo. || Empower Field at Mile High w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason June 5 || Pittsburgh, Penn. || Acrisure Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 6 || Pittsburgh, Penn. || Acrisure Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 19 || Chicago, Ill. || Soldier Field w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 20 || Chicago, Ill. || Soldier Field w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 26 || Clemson, SC. || Clemson Memorial Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat June 27 || Clemson, SC. || Clemson Memorial Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High nHeat July 17 || Baltimore, Md. || M&T Bank Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 18 || Baltimore, Md. || M&T Bank Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 24 || Ann Arbor, Mich. || Michigan Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten July 25 || Ann Arbor, Mich. || Michigan Stadium w/ HARDY, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten July 31 || Philadelphia, Penn. || Lincoln Financial Field w/ ​​Brooks & Dunn, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten August 1 || Philadelphia, Penn. || Lincoln Financial Field w/ Ella Langley, Hudson Westbrook, Blake WhiteThe post Morgan Wallen Flips His Piano Over After Some Technical Difficulties During “Sand In My Boots” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Not exactly a Fourth of July anthem. Martina McBride has caused quite a stir the past few days, after first being announced as a headliner for the Great American State Fair taking place this summer to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, before backing out just a day later following online outrage. The fair is part of the celebrations being planned by Freedom 250, which is a non-partisan organization responsible for putting together all the festivities to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The group was appointed by President Donald Trump execute his vision for the festivities. However, there’s also a congressionally-appointed group called America 250 that was established in 2016 to organize events for the nation’s birthday, which has led to criticism of the Freedom 250 group as being an attempt by Trump to politicize the celebration. The result has been that, so far, at least 5 of the 9 artists announced by Freedom 250 to perform at the Great American State Fair have backed out of the event, including of course Martina McBride. In announcing her withdrawal, McBride claimed to have been misled about the event: “I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading. I asked lots of questions and was assured this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states and also bring people together in a way that only music can. I saw it as just a bigger version of so many state fairs I have performed at over the years, celebrating community and what makes each state special. Sounds fun, right? Wholesome even. Yesterday, things started changing and what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening. I’ve spent my entire career singing songs about real people with real issues.” Of course now that she’s backed out of the event many on the right have criticized McBride, given that the fair isn’t meant to be a political or partisan event. And many have even pointed to the irony of withdrawing from a patriotic celebration when one of her biggest hits is “Independence Day.” The woman who got rich and famous off of the song Independence Day won’t show up for the 250th anniversary of America on the National Mall in Washington D.C.? And then used some PR firm to put out this copy and pastestatement ? Pathetic. https://t.co/9RmCjyQKj6 — Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 29, 2026 I didn't think celebrating the birthday of the greatest country on Earth, America’s 250th, was POLITICAL… but here we are. @martinamcbride bails on singing for the nation because it’s on the National Mall under President Trump?Ma’am, you made a career off "Independence Day"… — Kate (@kate_p45) May 29, 2026 The 1993 hit is a popular song on Fourth Of July playlists. And obviously I know why people include it and why it’s a popular song for…well, Independence Day. It does take place on the Fourth of July, after all. And the chorus is enough to get any red-blooded American fired up: “Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing Let the whole world know that today is a day of reckoning Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong Roll that stone away, let the guilty pay It’s Independence Day” And I mean, sure, if that’s the only part of the song you hear you might think that it’s a song about celebrating the Fourth of July. But the verses make clear that it’s about something very different – and much more dark: “Well, she seemed all right by dawn’s early lightThough she looked a little worried and weakShe tried to pretend he wasn’t drinkin’ againBut daddy left the proof on her cheekAnd I was only eight years old that summerAnd I always seemed to be in the waySo I took myself down to the fair in townOn Independence Day” The song’s about an Independence Day, but not the kind that’s celebrated on the Fourth of July. It’s a dark tale about escaping from domestic violence from a child’s point of view, one where her mother eventually burns down their house and the daughter ends up getting sent to the county home after losing both of her parents. Yeah, not exactly celebrating America’s birthday. Of course it’s an incredible song. Written by Gretchen Peters, the song won the CMA Award for Song of the Year in 1995, and was named by Rolling Stone as one of the 100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time, despite only peaking at #12 on the charts. But over the years, the song has somehow gained popularity as a patriotic anthem, being used by politicians at rallies, in Fourth of July celebrations, and it was even used by political commentator Sean Hannity as the opening music for his radio show – something Peters objected to since it’s not a political song, but is one about escaping domestic violence. And as many have pointed out, McBride herself has embraced and benefited from the song being used as a patriotic anthem. Back in 2001, just weeks after the September 11th attacks, she delivered a fiery performance of “Independence Day” at Farm Aid on a stage adorned with American flag backdrops. So it’s not exactly hard to see why the song is seen as a patriotic anthem – and some of that can be traced back to McBride herself – despite the song’s actual message. Honestly, it’s always bugged me to be watching fireworks on the Fourth of July listening to a song like “Independence Day” that’s really about domestic violence, or even Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In the USA,” which is obviously an anti-war anthem about a veteran returning home disillusioned with his country after the Vietnam War. Obviously it’s disappointing that Martina backed out of performing at the Great American State Fair. But if you were looking forward to seeing her perform “Independence Day” to celebrate our country…well, maybe pick a different song.The post A Reminder That Martina McBride’s “Independence Day” Isn’t Actually About The Fourth Of July first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Ever wondered what it would be like to accidentally help write a monster hit song for a a country music superstar? Channing Wilson knows the exact feeling. The Georgia native recently sat down with us on the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast and talked about why he shifted from a songwriter to an artist, how “Bro Country” was a dark time in Nashville, the influences that have helped to shape his music over the years, and not being a fan of the social media upkeep that most artists have to endure. Wilson actually went on to tell us that, in order to avoid social media, he agreed to do the new singing competition series called The Road. He discussed his experience as a part of the show, told us about how his Landman and Yellowstone connections helped him get on it, and shared that he’s got a new album on the way. Songwriting also came up a good amount during our conversation, and there’s no doubt that Wilson is one of the most talented (and underrated) songwriters in the industry. So talented, in fact, that he once accidentally stumbled into a No. 1 hit with Luke Combs and Rob Snyder: “You never know who you are going to write a great song with… literally the Luke Combs story. Me and Rob Snyder are at an apartment together. We had been out the night before. I was drinking pretty heavy back then. I woke up and I believe I canceled on Ashley Monroe that morning, because I was just not having it. I walk through the living room probably in my boxers going to make a cup of coffee and Luke was walking into Rob’s apartment. I recognized him from a couple of weeks before… and I think Luke really dug my tunes, so he asked Rob, ‘Do you think Channing would write with us?’ Rob texted me from the other room like, ‘Dude, do you want to write?’ I was like, ‘No bro, I already canceled.'” Soon enough, Channing Wilson changed his tune. Mainly because Snyder asked Luke to sing Wilson a song, and once Combs put his signature, powerful voice on display, Wilson knew he had to sit down and see if he could help write something. Sure enough… that “something” came along rather quickly: “He put Luke on the spot, and Luke started playing a cover of something. When I heard him, I was like, ‘Man, what a voice.’ And he was such a nice kid and was really respectful to me. I was like, ‘Alright, give me just a minute.’ We sit down and we wrote ‘She Got The Best Of Me’ in about an hour or two. You never know, at the time, what it’s gonna be.” It went on to be Combs’ fourth consecutive No. 1 single, but it was actually a fan favorite long before that. Hilariously, the song did so well that Channing Wilson recalls running into Luke Combs not long after it’s release and getting a big time payday: “I remember, he came in one week and handed me like $300 cash. He just hands it to me and I’m like, ‘What’s this for?’ He’s like, ‘It’s your royalties.’ He was literally doing it punk rock, just paying me $300 bucks like a drug deal or something. I looked at Rob and said, ‘That’s the most money I’ve made at songwriting right there.'” @whiskeyriff @Carolina Country Music Fest @channingwilsonmusic #whiskeyriff #whiskeyriffraff #CapCut ♬ She Got the Best of Me – Luke Combs What a way to get rewarded for a No. 1 song that finally reached Diamond certification by RIAA in 2025. Oh, and I have to mention that while Channing Wilson was talking with us, the “Blues Comin’ On” singer also touched on his upcoming festival date at the Carolina Country Music Fest. Some of the best artists in country music – including Riley Green, Tucker Wetmore, Flatland Cavalry and Post Malone – will be there in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina June 4 through June 7. It’s four days of great country music, right on the shores of Myrtle Beach. Make sure to get your tickets while you still can! Channing Wilson will be there, and you can hear more from the country singer by checking out the interview on YouTube or making sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. Cheers, y’all. Audio Video The post Channing Wilson Details How He Accidentally Helped Write One Of Luke Combs’ Biggest Hits first appeared on Whiskey Riff.