From humble beginnings to chart-topping hits, Jason Aldean's journey in country music is anything but ordinary. Continue reading…

What a weekend at Wildwoods. Thousands of country music fans descended upon Wildwood, New Jersey this past weekend for Barefoot Country Music Fest. For artists, the festival is a chance to play in front of passionate fans, and for those fans, Barefoot is a chance for a bit of a vacation masterclass. How does it get any better than going to a music festival and pulling off a beach vacation at the same time? View this post on Instagram The festival took place right on the New Jersey coast, between the famous Morey’s Piers, and provided a picturesque backdrop for four nights of country music, along with plenty for festival goers to do during their vacation. Wildwood, New Jersey is the southern-most barrier island in New Jersey and has been recognized as the top family vacation destination at the Jersey Shore for decades. This year’s edition of Barefoot Country Music Fest boasted Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Post Malone and Eric Church as headliners, along with performances from Cole Swindell, Tracy Lawrence, Tucker Wetmore, Chase Rice, The Fray, Ty Myers, Colt Ford, Braxton Keith, Emily Ann Roberts, Lacy Kay Booth, and many, many more. Miranda Lambert got things kicked off on night one in style: View this post on Instagram   As the official media partner for Barefoot Country Music Fest, we here at Whiskey Riff got plenty of opportunities to sit down with some of the biggest artists that were up on stage during the weekend. Channing Wilson (who you might recognize from The Road) caught up with us at the Wildwoods Honky Tonk, and talked to us about his wardrobe for the beach festival on the Jersey Shore: View this post on Instagram And country music legend Tracy Lawrence was also nice enough to carve out some time in his schedule. He had dealt with tour bus troubles earlier in the day, but he was still excited to get up on stage in front of the thousands of country music fans… and talked to us before he went out about his country music mentors. Do the names John Anderson and George Jones ring a bell? View this post on Instagram That’s one heck of a Mount Rushmore tattoo right there. As Barefoot Country Music Fest rolled on, it seemed like the lineups and headliners got better and better. On Saturday night, fans were treated to a rowdy, pyrotechnic-filled performance from Post Malone. He mixed his hip-hop hits with his more recently released country music songs… and tipped his metaphorical cap to the great Waylon Jennings with his t-shirt: View this post on Instagram Posty knows how to put on a show. And you know who else does? The great Eric Church. Fans were buzzing all weekend long about seeing the Chief wrap things up on Sunday night at Barefoot. All that anticipation was worth it, because the “Johnny” singer brought the energy – and then some – with his finale performance. It was very fitting that those attending Barefoot Country Music Fest got to see Church on a Sunday. You could tell Church was grateful to be there, and mentioned during his set that he had played the festival a couple of years back, and enjoyed it so much that he’d be back any time he has the chance to be. This past weekend was one of those chances, and it was the perfect way to wrap up Barefoot Country Music Fest: View this post on Instagram Never gets old. It was four straight days of beautiful weather and top-tier country music… all right on the beach of Wildwood, New Jersey. If you were there this past weekend, I’m sure you had a blast (How could you not?). If you weren’t… go ahead and save the date for 2027: View this post on Instagram The post From Miranda Lambert To Eric Church: Barefoot Country Music Fest Was The Ultimate Beach Party first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Yikes… One of country music’s fastest rising stars, Bailey Zimmerman, is now facing a felony charge for allegedly destroying a hotel room ahead of his show in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on May 27th. In case you missed it, the “Backup Plan” singer caught a ton of criticism last month when he cancelled his aforementioned show just 40 minutes before doors. In an Instagram post, Zimmerman would claim that he wasn’t feeling well and was not able to give fans the show that they deserved. “Y’all know there’s nothing I love more than getting out on the road and playing these shows for you, so it’s so hard for me to have to say this, but I have to reschedule tonight’s (5/27) and Saturday’s (5/30) shows. I have not been feeling well and have tried to power through, but I’m not able to give you all the show you deserve. I hate letting y’all down and was really looking forward to these shows, but I gotta take care of myself so I can get back out there stronger. We will be announcing the rescheduled dates as soon as possible, and all tickets will be honored for the new dates. Love y’all so much, and I appreciate the prayers and understanding — I’ll see you real soon.” View this post on Instagram After cancelling the show, there were rumors swirling about Zimmerman allegedly trashing a hotel room at Sandia Resort and Casino the night before the concert on May 27th, and according to a new charge by the state of New Mexico, it looks like those rumors were true. As first reported by TMZ, and confirmed by Whiskey Riff via court records, Zimmerman was charged by Bernalillo County with a felony for criminal damage to property and a misdemeanor charge of falsely obtaining services, stemming from an unpaid bar tab of $400 at the hotel he was staying in. Additionally, TMZ is reporting that Zimmerman allegedly caused more than $16,000 worth of damage to the hotel room, damaging the TV, phone, coffee table and two chairs. A hole in the wall, stains on the carpet and additional chairs were also found missing in the room. According to the affidavit obtained by TMZ, the incident stemmed from a bender that resulted in Zimmerman stumbling on stage, throwing microphones and knocking a drum kit over during soundcheck. After leaving the soundcheck and spitting toward a nearby security officer, Zimmerman would then return to the hotel, with documents reporting that he was stumbling so badly that he lost a shoe and suffered a wound on his knee, and proceed to trash the room until he was kicked out. Upon getting kicked out, Zimmerman was reportedly cooperating, getting on the bus and being escorted off the property, according to authorities. After the fact, however, both resort staff and the police attempted to reach the 26-year-old singer and his staff after finding the room trashed the day after. However, no one answered, leading to the arrest warrant being issued. As of now, Zimmerman and his team have yet to issue a statement. A couple years back, Zimmerman got too drunk to perform well at Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa festival in Mexico. He issued an apology for the drunken performance, which let’s be honest, has happened to a number of artists over the years, and will probably happen to many more. But the more pressing matter is that Zimmerman has now had multiple instances where alcohol has either ruined a show, canceled a show, and now will lead to an eventual arrest in New Mexico. Bailey is young and talented, but it seems pretty clear that he hasn’t had the best relationship with alcohol over the past few years… hopefully he can get the help that he needs before he does even more damage to his career.The post Bailey Zimmerman Facing Felony Charge For Allegedly Destroying New Mexico Hotel Room first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban exchanged two very cordial messages last weekend. Continue reading…

Zimmerman has been slapped with two charges, including a charge for felony property damage, after he allegedly trashed a hotel room while intoxicated. Continue reading…