Brooks & Dunn just needed to see the vision, and Luke Combs and Kacey Musgraves evidently provided it. The legendary country music duo of Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks are still relatively fresh off of the release of their Reboot II album, which helped them bring home the 2024 CMA Vocal Duo of the Year award. It was the 15th time they’ve been honored with the title, and now ties them with the most CMA Awards ever at 19 total wins. If the duo's comeback was in question (and I don't think it was), the 2024 CMA Awards put all of those questions to rest. Unlike the first edition of Reboot, where many of the artists included stayed true to the original song structure, Reboot II featured some wild departures from the source material. When Brooks & Dunn sat down with Rob + Holly on Audacy, Dunn said that was all part of the plan: "The mandate for (the first) Reboot was to stick with what brought us there, but give everyone the freedom to do whatever they want to do. This one (Reboot II) is no holds barred. You come in as an artist, you want to take on a song, you pick it, you do it. We're there for support." There might not be a better example of that than Halestorm's cover of the 90's classic "Boot Scootin' Boogie." Do I still prefer the original? Obviously. But is the rock band's rendition still worth a listen? Yes, if only to hear the heavy metal version of Brooks & Dunn. That's the fun part about the Reboot projects - especially the second time around. They breathed new life into all of our favorite Brooks & Dunn songs. And as Kix Brooks explained, both of the Reboot albums might not have happened if not for some modern country stars covering the legendary duo's tracks: "I give Luke Combs and Kacey Musgraves kudos for kind of getting this stirred up a little bit. Because Luke was doing 'Brand New Man' in his show and he just wanted to do it like we did it. He was just respecting... he liked the song and liked playing it like that. Kacey, she took real liberties with 'Neon Moon' obviously doing her crazy thing on that, which we thought was really cool too." Ronnie made sure to add that the version of "Neon Meon" that Kacey brought into the world could be the sole inspiration for their second go around with Reboot: "That was probably the primary catalyst for moving forward and doing what we did with Reboot II, what Kacey Musgraves did with 'Neon Moon.'" And don't get me wrong, the Reboot projects were great. At the very least, it got country music's hit-making duo back together again, and that's a huge win. However, once fans knew that Brooks & Dunn were back together, there was that subtle, collective voice in the back of everyone's mind asking, "Why don't they just get back to making new music?" If you fall in that category of people, the good news is that new music from Brooks & Dunn seems to be on the way. Kix pointed out in a recent interview that their successful return to touring - though it took up a lot of their creative time - let Brooks & Dunn know that their fanbase is still out there, and it's growing. That comfort zone has evidently led to Ronnie and Kix exploring the idea of new music. And at one point, Kix confirmed that fans should expect Brooks & Dunn to release new music in the next two years. And it's safe to say the Reboot projects played a large role in that... so shoutout to Luke Combs and Kacey Musgraves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhf_kuX71ds&pp=ygUaTHVrZSBjb21icyBicm9va3MgYW5kIGR1bm4%3D And while we are on the topic of Brooks and Dunn and their Reboot projects, I'd be remiss if I didn't direct you to a recent conversation the country music duo had on the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast. Living country music legends Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks sat down for an episode to talk about their reunion, working with younger artists on their Reboot and Reboot II projects, how “Neon Moon” has become the quintessential Brooks and Dunn song, and much, much more. Download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or click here. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. Cheers, y’all. Audio Video

The son of an MLB legend playing at the Field of Dreams. Chances are everybody's familiar with Field of Dreams, the 1989 movie starring Kevin Costner as a farmer from Dyersville, Iowa, who builds a baseball diamond in his cornfield after being visited by the ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson in the famous "if you build it, he will come" scene. The movie has become a cult classic, and is widely recognized as one of the greatest sports movies of all time. And the site of the "Field of Dreams" has become famous itself, with the owners of the farms containing the 193-acre field initially setting up souvenir stands for visitors who made the pilgrimage to the movie site. In 2012, the field was purchased by a private partnership called Go the Distance Baseball, which has held various events at the site honoring the film. In 2021, Hall of Famer Frank Thomas, a five-time MLB All-Star who spent 15 seasons with the Chicago White Sox, purchased a majority interest in Go the Distance Baseball. And that same year, the MLB held a game between the Yankees and the White Sox at the Field of Dreams, a game that was originally scheduled to be played in 2020 but was rescheduled due to COVID. Thomas has indicated that it's possible more MLB games could be held at the Field of Dreams in the future. But it looks like they're also ready to bring other kinds of entertainment to the iconic field. Announced today, the Field of Dreams will host its first ever all-day concert this summer - and it's being headlined by Tim McGraw, the son of an MLB legend himself. If you somehow didn't know, Tim is the son of Tug McGraw, who played 19 seasons as a pitcher for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. Tim's mother moved to Louisiana while she was pregnant, and he didn't find out his father was the star pitcher until he discovered his birth certificate in his mother's closet at the age of 11. When Tim turned 18, he began to form a relationship with his father, and the two remained close until Tug McGraw passed away in 2004. The concert at the Field of Dreams is set to take place on August 30, 2025, and the events company behind the show, US Concert Agency, says holding the concert at the iconic field will pay tribute to not only country music but also to Tug McGraw and America's pasttime: "We always strive to curate memorable and impactful events, and this tribute to Tug McGraw’s legacy is no exception. It’s a huge moment not only for the fans but for Tim as well, and it’s just the beginning of something truly special." Tickets for the Field of Dreams concert will be available for pre-sale through StubHub on January 20, with the general onsale beginning January 24. Additional artists for the all-day event will be announced soon, but it sounds like this one will be a bucket list concert for anyone who's a fan of both country music and baseball.

Singing The Beatles. Last night, Ringo Starr, best known as the former drummer for The Beatles, played a show at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium in support of his recently released country album, Look Up. The Ringo & Friends shows happened across two nights on January 14th and 15th, and included tons of special guests, some of country musics best, like Emmylou Harris, Jack White, Jamey Johnson, Brenda Lee, Rodney Crowell, Mickey Guyton, The War and Treaty, Sarah Jarosz, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle and Larkin Poe. Strings, Tuttle, and Larkin Poe, who all are featured on Look Up. Yeah, it was a stacked lineup, and the concerts were actually filmed for a special that will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ sometime this spring, so fans can see all of the great performances at the historic Nashville venue. The special will also feature Starr talking about the influence country music has had on his life, The Beatles’ music and obviously his solo music too. In addition to the shows last night, Starr is slated to make his solo Grand Ole Opry debut on February 21st, following the release of his aforementioned album. He previously spoke about his love and appreciation for country music, which drove the project: “I’ve always loved country music. And when I asked T Bone to write me a song, I didn’t even think at the time that it would be a country song – but of course it was, and it was so beautiful. I had been making EPs at the time and so I thought we would do a country EP – but when he brought me nine songs I knew we had to make an album!  And I am so glad we did. I want to thank, and send peace and love, to T Bone and all the great musicians who helped make this record. It was a joy making it and I hope it is a joy to listen to.” Ringo added that his recent exploration into country music really just came from the idea that no genre is off limits as an artist, and he appreciated the vessel of emotion that country music tends to offer: “You can put a lot of emotions in country songs, you know? Music is open. You can do rock, you can do this, you can do that. You don’t have to be stuck (in one genre).” Like I said, the album featured many of the artists who appeared at the Ryman, including Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle, who teamed up for a cover of The Beatles' "What Goes On." It was of course included on their 1965 Rubber Soul album, and later released as the B-side of the US single "Nowhere Man." Later, it was included as the tenth track on the North America-only album Yesterday and Today. It is the only song by the band credited to Lennon, McCartney, Starkey and the only song on Rubber Soul that features Ringo Starr on lead vocals. It reached  #81 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1966, and definitely has a country twang to it that's not found on a lot of their most popular music. So obviously, it was the the perfect tune for Strings and Tuttle to team up for, who are two of the absolute best and most talented in the business. Of course, they nailed it, and you should definitely take a few minutes out of your day to watch it here: https://youtu.be/zn1nWc40u9U?t=1233 On Look Up, Billy Strings was featured on a duet with Starr called "Never Let Me Go," while Molly joined him on "I Live For Your Love." "Never Let Me Go" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEsPDjEnbK8 "I Live For Your Love" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMp36BwsYmo "What Goes On" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtC_l4kz7yw

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