Another record breaking Saturday night. Luke Combs was in Knoxville this past weekend for a stop on his My Kinda Saturday Night Tour at Neyland Stadium, and as he’s already done on this tour once before, he broke yet another attendance record. The concert, which featured openers including Dierks Bentley, Ty Myers, Jake Worthington and Thelma & James, drew 92,045 fans to Rocky Top, which broke the record for the largest concert attendance in Neyland Stadium history. Garth Brooks previously held the record for the stadium with 84,846 fans back on November 16, 2019 when he stopped at the University of Tennessee on his stadium tour, but before that you had to go all the way back to 2003 to East Tennessee native Kenny Chesney, who drew 61,870. Now, the record comes with a bit of a caveat: Morgan Wallen performed two shows at Neyland Stadium back in 2024, where he set the two-show record with a combined crowd of 156,161 fans. Attendance wasn’t released for each individual show, but assuming that it was roughly the same each night, Morgan drew roughly 78,000 per show – well off the single show record now held by Luke. Neyland Stadium is the sixth largest stadium in the United States, with an official capacity of 101,915 for Vols football games. But of course concerts are a little different, with the capacity depending on the setup of the stage, how many seats are on the field and how many pit tickets are available, etc. And while it’s a record for Neyland Stadium, the Knoxville show is still smaller than the crowd Luke pulled in when he stopped at Ohio Stadium, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes, in Columbus, Ohio last month. That concert drew 97,367 fans, which blew out the previous concert record for The Horseshoe which had been set by Pink Floyd way back in 1994 with just over 75,000. Oh, and he also set the overall attendance record for Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on opening night of his tour back in March. The Neyland Stadium show is part of a recent trend of colleges booking these major tours in their stadiums to help raise money for NIL, something that’s no doubt benefited both the universities and artists like Combs, Morgan Wallen and Zach Bryan who are able to sell out venues of this size. (We reached out to the University of Tennessee for comment on the impact of the concert on NIL, and will update this article if we hear back). It also just goes to show what a powerhouse Luke Combs really is, with ticket sales no doubt benefitting from his limited number of dates this year following the birth of his third son back in February. Luke has previously admitted that his focus on touring changed after he missed the birth of his second son – who was born two and a half weeks early – while touring in Australia: “That really shifted my focus of like, what happens from here? How do I make changes based on this thing? I dread the conversation with my son at some point. Obviously, he doesn’t know that. He’s two and a half. But I dread that conversation (with him saying), ‘Well dad, you made this record about being such a good dad, and then you weren’t there when I was born? But you were there for Tex and you were there Chet. Why was I the only one that you weren’t there for?’ I worry about that a lot.” I mean, if you’re setting records everywhere you go, seems like there’s not really any need to adjust the touring schedule. Fans are clearly still supporting him – in record numbers. My Kinda Saturday Night Tour Dates May 9 – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium – Norman, OK May 15 – Lambeau Field – Green Bay, WI May 16 – Lambeau Field – Green Bay, WI May 30 – Parc Jean-Drapeau – Montreal, QC June 5 – Rogers Stadium – Toronto, ON June 6 – Rogers Stadium – Toronto, ON July 4 – Ullevi – Gothenburg, Sweden July 7 – Accor Arena – Paris, France July 11 – Johan Cruijff Arena – Amsterdam, Netherlands July 18 – Slane Castle – Slane, Ireland July 19 – Slane Castle – Slane, Ireland July 25 – Scottish Gas Murrayfield – Edinburgh, UK July 31 – Wembley Stadium – London, UK August 1 – Wembley Stadium – London, UK August 2 – Wembley Stadium – London, UKThe post Luke Combs Breaks Attendance Record Previously Held By Garth Brooks With Neyland Stadium Concert first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

A Zach Bryan fan caught him shouting vulgarities at him on camera. What came next is stunning, but not surprising. Continue reading…

Who is Riley Green? Learn all about the "Don't Mind If I Do" hitmaker, including his favorite goods, influences, reality TV show and bedroom proclivities. Continue reading…

That didn’t take long… Zach Bryan was in Starkville, Mississippi this past weekend for a massive concert at Davis Wade Stadium on the campus of Mississippi State University. His With Heaven On Top Tour stop was actually the first ever full-stadium concert in the university’s history, so naturally fans were excited to have one of country music’s biggest stars in town for the event. Ahead of the show, one diehard fan was waiting outside the stadium, and attempted to get a picture as he saw Zach driving through the gates. But what he got instead was… Zach screaming a rather vulgar phrase to the fan: “You think any ghosts ever come out of the walls with a big c–shot?” The fan confessed that he saddened and stunned, but the truth is that the bizarre line actually comes from “I Think You Should Leave,” the insanely popular sketch comedy show on Netflix starring Tim Robinson. In the scene he’s referencing, Tim Robinson is touring a haunted house and can’t stop asking inappropriate questions. It’s actually pretty hilarious, and provides some much needed context to the situation: And many in the comments picked up on the quote immediately, and knowing that, it was actually pretty funny. But the kid trying to get the picture was clearly surprised by the response from Zach, audibly gasping in the video and saying that despite being a big fan, it’s “hard to support” Zach when he treats fans that way.: “Been a Zach Bryan fan for abt 4 years now and I’m like his number 1 fan. When my friends think of Zach Bryan they think of me. This happend this past weekend at Starkville Mississippi about 1pm. I gotten there really early to be at the gates and saw him as I was walking up. I don’t take it to heart for what he said, but still calling a fan a c*mshot after asking for a photo is kinda crazy. Like I said it don’t bother me that much but if he had said it to anyone else they would be more depressed. I love the guys music a lot but it’s hard to support someone with this intention and personality towards others. I’m not trying to get him canceled or anything it’s just a showing of his true self. Love his music but don’t love the act. I hope everyone who sees this can get what I’m trying to say.” To be fair, he wasn’t calling the kid that, it was a funny quote from a show. But the real kicker is that the kid tags Barstool Sports and Zach’s sworn enemy, Dave Portnoy, in the same breath as saying he’s not trying to get Zach canceled so it’s hard to feel that bad for him. Seems like he was trying to garner some backlash with the funny video, and that’s exactly what he got. @loganw_24 Been a Zach Bryan fan for abt 4 years now and I’m like his number 1 fan. When my friends think of Zach Bryan they think of me. This happend this past weekend at Starkville Mississippi about 1pm. I gotten there really early to be at the gates and saw him as I was walking up. I don’t take it to heart for what he said, but still calling a fan a c*mshot after asking for a photo is kinda crazy. Like I said it don’t bother me that much but if he had said it to anyone else they would be more depressed. I love the guys music a lot but it’s hard to support someone with this intention and personality towards others. I’m not trying to get him canceled or anything it’s just a showing of his true self. Love his music but don’t love the act. I hope everyone who sees this can get what I’m trying to say. Thank you. #jesuslovesyou #daveportnoy #zachbryan #barstool @Dave Portnoy @Barstool Sports #fyp ♬ awww so cute – Cherri Lots of fans in the comments felt like the kid was overreacting and that it was just Zach trying to be funny. But Zach is also known for his trigger fingers, so to speak, when it comes to firing off tweets, and it took him almost no time at all to respond to the now-viral TikTok video, sharing a screenshot of the video and calling out his fans by calling them “soft & weird”: “You guys are so soft & weird.” you guys are so soft & weird pic.twitter.com/qKkaVNiJJS — Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) May 6, 2026 The real issue here is that Zach seemingly wears his heart on his sleeve, almost to a fault, and it just doesn’t jive well with facing negative attention. Maybe a little self-reflection on how he approaches interactions with his fans, humorous or not, would serve him well if he doesn’t want to continue to deal with backlash. But it’s pretty obvious to me that the backlash bothers him and that’s why he always goes silent on socials. But at the end of the day, people love Zach’s music because he open and honest and vulnerable with fans… but that doesn’t translate well to being unfiltered on social media. Especially with a target on your back… a self-inflicted target perhaps. But it’s a shame that what could’ve been a funny viral moment turned into such a negative… personally, I’d think a funny video is probably worth more than a dime a dozen selfie, right? However… shortly after this tweet he deactivated his Twitter and Instagram account… so just another day in Zach Bryan social media land.The post Zach Bryan Calls Fans “Soft & Weird” Following Backlash To Viral ‘I Think You Should Leave’ Video, Deactivates Social Media first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Still hard to believe he’s never won an Entertainer of the Year award here. With the 61st ACM Awards coming up next Sunday, May 17th, I thought it would be the perfect time to take a look back at some of the best performances over the decades. Given how long the award ceremony has been around, there are plenty of different, iconic moments to highlight. From George Strait and Alan Jackson’s protest with “Murder on Music Row” in 2000 and Toby Keith’s fiery performance of “Courtesy Of The Red, White, and Blue” shortly after 9/11 in 2002 to Chris Stapleton’s surprise duet with Dua Lipa on “Think I’m In Love With You” in 2024 and George Jones and Ray Charles’ collaboration on “We Didn’t See A Thing” in 1984, there are plenty to choose from. For my money, however, one of the most underrated ACM moments from the past decade came from none other than the Chief himself, Eric Church, at the 2022 ceremony. On a night that was pretty forgettable overall, being hosted by Jimmie Allen (yikes…) and Gabby Barrett and plagued by bad performances such as Walker Hayes performing “Fancy Like” and “AA” and Parmalee, Blanco Brown and Brooke Eden teaming up for “Just the Way,” Church proved why he’s one of the best in the business. Instead of sticking to the tried and true award show formula of performing your latest hit or current single (Church’s was “Heart on Fire” at the time), the “Springsteen” singer, in typical fashion, went against the grain and delivered a medley spanning his entire discography at the time. When I say his entire discography, I truly mean it. Delivering a hit from every major album, ranging from Sinners Like Me to the Heart & Soul project, Church performed a medley of 13 of his biggest hits in just under seven minutes. Kicking things off with his debut single, “How Bout You,” he’d immediately transition into early hits like “Guys Like Me,” “Love Your Love the Most” (which got a bit short-changed all things considered) and “Smoke a Little Smoke.” Church would then dive into some Chief hits, performing abridged versions of “Drink in My Hand,” “Springsteen” and “Creepin’.” From there, The Outsiders era began with the closing lines to the title track, the second half of “Talladega’s” chorus and “Give Me Back My Home Town.” Mr. Misunderstood, would then kick off with a brief version of the title track, “Round Here Buzz,” which was the longest song performed during the medley with Church performing the entire chorus and “Record Year.” He’d follow that up with two tracks from Desperate Man, the title track and his 2019 #1 hit, “Some of It.” Closing out the medley, the North Carolina native finished with the Heart & Soul project, performing Soul’s standout single, “Hell of a View” before wrapping things up with his single at the time, “Heart on Fire.” Adding the cherry on top to this legendary performance, he’d surprise the crowd by bringing out Ashley McBryde to sing harmony on “Heart on Fire’s” chorus. Though you can argue that he set the bar too high in 2019 at CMA Fest when he pulled out a mind-blowing, 30-minute and 17-song medley of even more hits, I’ve always viewed this 2022 ACM performance as one of his most overlooked and underrated of his career. If you’re a big fan of the Chief and want to relive one of the greatest ACM performances in recent memory before this year’s ceremony, check it out below. 2026 ACM Awards Nominees Entertainer of the Year Luke Combs Jelly Roll Cody Johnson Megan Moroney Chris Stapleton Morgan Wallen Lainey Wilson Female Artist of the Year Kelsea Ballerini Miranda Lambert Ella Langley Megan Moroney Lainey Wilson Male Artist of the Year Luke Combs Riley Green Cody Johnson Chris Stapleton Zach Top Group of the Year 49 Winchester Flatland Cavalry Old Dominion Rascal Flatts The Red Clay Strays Duo of the Year Brooks & Dunn Brothers Osborne Dan + Shay Muscadine Bloodline Thelma & James Album of the Year [Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record Company–label(s)] Ain’t In It For My Health – Zach Top; Producer: Carson Chamberlain; Record Company-Label: Leo33 Cherry Valley – Carter Faith; Producer: Tofer Brown; Record Company-Label: Gatsby Records / MCA Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe) – Riley Green; Producers: Dann Huff, Michael Knox; Record Company-Label: Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment I’m The Problem – Morgan Wallen; Producers: Joey Moi, Charlie Handsome, Jacob Durrett; Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records Parker McCollum – Parker McCollum; Producers: Frank Liddell, Eric Masse; Record Company-Label: MCA Song of the Year “A Song To Sing” – Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton; Songwriters: Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure “Am I Okay?” – Megan Moroney; Songwriters: Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, Jessie Jo Dillon “Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley; Songwriters: Ella Langley, Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Joybeth Taylor “I Never Lie” – Zach Top; Songwriters: Zach Top, Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols “Somewhere Over Laredo – Lainey Wilson; Songwriters: Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Andy Albert, Harold Arlen & Yip Harburg Single of the Year “6 Months Later” – Megan Moroney “Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley “I Never Lie” – Zach Top “Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson “The Fall” – Cody Johnson Visual Media of the Year “6 Months Later” – Megan Moroney “A Song To Sing” – Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton “Cuckoo” -Stephen Wilson, Jr. “Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson “The Fall” – Cody Johnson Music Event of the Year “A Song To Sing” – Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton “Amen” – Shaboozey & Jelly Roll “Don’t Mind If I Do” – Riley Green feat. Ella Langley “Trailblazer” – Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson “You Had To Be There” – Megan Moroney & Kenny Chesney Songwriter of the Year Jessie Jo Dillon Ashley Gorley Charlie Handsome Chase McGill Blake Pendergrass Artist-Songwriter of the Year Luke Combs Riley Green Ella Langley Megan Moroney Morgan Wallen New Male Artist of the Year Gavin Adcock Vincent Mason Shaboozey Hudson Westbrook Tucker Wetmore (WINNER) New Female Artist of the Year Avery Anna (WINNER) Mackenzie Carpenter Dasha Caroline Jones Emily Ann RobertsThe post Relive Eric Church’s Epic, 6-Minute Medley Of His Biggest Hits At The 2022 ACM Awards first appeared on Whiskey Riff.