I mean, I’m glad they did… Last night, Riley Green appeared on the first of four episodes he will star in of Marshals, where he plays a character named Garret, who is a former Navy SEAL teammate of Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes). He arrives at the ranch unexpectedly, hoping to lean on his friends Kayce and Cal (Logan Marshall-Green) to help “put the demons of his past to rest.” Riley’s character has “extreme PTSD,” which viewers got a glimpse of last night, and it will be interesting to find out why he and Cal have such a bad relationship, where he was the boss in the SEALs and ultimately got Garrett kicked out for an unknown reason. They’ve hinted at a fourth friend of theirs who didn’t make it, and so I’m guessing something went down with all of that, but I’m sure all will be revealed as the episodes go on. Riley will also perform his new song “My Way” during next week’s episode, which is a song he’s been teasing since last year. When he found out he would be performing on the show, as Garrett is also an aspiring artist, he knew that would be the perfect song for this particular episode. Considering Kayce’s wife Monica (Kelsey Asbille) passed and she is not featured on the show at all, Riley felt this was the right choice. During an interview with USA TODAY, he explained that he felt it was a “very cowboy-type song” and perfect for the show: “When I was told I was performing, and I didn’t know I was at first, I thought 100% this song was so perfect for that moment. There are some songs that are very cowboy-type songs. Obviously, Kayce’s wife is no longer with us.” “My Way” finds Riley reminiscing on a long lost love, and while I don’t think he originally wrote it about someone who is passed, the missing someone part is so relevant for that situation, and we might even see Grimes get teary-eyed listening to Garrett play it. Fans will also notice that Garrett looks strikingly similar to Riley in real life, and producers apparently told him not to change anything… including his signature mustache. Riley will shave it off on occasion, and he says it was “tough” during those two months of filming to not wake up and shave it, because he’s known to randomly do that, especially when it’s hot outside. But they wanted Garrett to have a similar look to Riley in real life, which meant he had to have a mustache, obviously: “I guess I look sort of Western with the mustache, the scruffy beard and I cut my own hair half the time when I’m on the road. It isn’t much of a stretch from me what Garrett looks and dresses like. The tough part for me through these two months of filming was I couldn’t wake up and shave in the morning if I wanted to. I’m pretty bad. If it’s hot out, I just shave it off randomly.” Riley has already expressed interest in acting more, and when most actors are starting out, an early goal becomes joining the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA). It’s a major union representing actors, broadcasters, voice artists, and recording artists, and they help protects members’ rights, including against unauthorized commercial use of their image. From what I understand, actors become eligible by working on a union production, and there are specific guidelines that go along with that, and once you join, you become eligible for residuals and the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan and pension plans, among other things, so for a struggling actor, it means you’ve really started to make it, in a sense. Of course, Riley’s situation is much different considering he already has a successful music career and doesn’t need all of that other stuff, so when someone from the SAG office called him and wanted his Social Security number, he was not having it: “Somebody called me from the SAG office trying to give me a check for some show that I was on one time, and they wanted my Social Security number. I wouldn’t give it to them over the phone. They said, ‘We need to validate it’s you.’ I said, ‘Hell, you called me.'” I mean, I wouldn’t have given it to them either… So far, we’ve only seen Riley in one episode, and I was impressed considering the only other acting he’s done is in a few of his music videos. They threw him into it with a tough character, and I’m excited to see how the rest of his story plays out. “My Way” The post Riley Green Says ‘Marshals’ Producers Told Him He Couldn’t Shave Off His Signature Mustache first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Making the most out of the situation. After booking the likes of Sturgill Simpson, Alan Jackson, Turnpike Troubadours, Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers and more over the past few years, 2026 was set to be another killer year for Georgetown, Texas’ Two Step Inn. Coming off the heels of Simpson and Jackson as headliners in 2025, this year, they went ahead and snagged Brooks & Dunn and Chris Stapleton to front the festivities. Additionally, they booked some of the hottest up-and-comers in the alt. country scene, The Red Clay Strays, Wyatt Flores, Muscadine Bloodline, Brent Cobb and Evan Honer, Texas legends, Wade Bowen and Randy Rogers Band, ’90s legends, Tracy Lawrence, Shenandoah, Clay Walker and Randy Travis (featuring James Dupré as a guest vocalist) and other buzzy names like Elizabeth Nichols, Bayker Blankenship, Avery Anna and Wade Forster. Despite the killer lineup, Saturday ended up being a bit of a letdown for attendees. Though the festival started off just fine, with artists such as Nichols, Cobb, Muscadine Bloodline, Bowen, Honer and more performing on Two Step’s three stages, at 5:30 a cold front blew in, bringing severe rain as well as lightning and hail in the area. With both Butts and Shenandoah on two of the festival’s stages, fans were told to take shelter before the first night of Two Step was outright cancelled before the likes of Goo Goo Dolls, Flores, Lawrence and headliners Brooks & Dunn could take the stage to close out night one. In response to the cancellation, Two Step would proceed to offer full refunds for tickets purchased for Saturday’s show and 50% refunds for those who purchased two-day passes, providing a bit of levity for the unfortunate cancellation of the first night of the festival. View this post on Instagram After the first delay, which sent fans to shelter on the festival’s grounds, Evan Honer, Wyatt Flores and Kaitlin Butts took to Instagram live to play some songs in their greenroom trailer. Before the second round hit that cancelled Two Step outright, however, the trio returned to deliver an intimate performance with some of the fans who stuck around. Performing off the stage near the barrier, Honer, Flores and Butts led a singalong of the 90s country staple, “Two Dozen Roses,” from fellow Two Step performers, Shenandoah, as well as the late, great Joe Diffie’s classic, “John Deere Green.” It didn’t just stop at Honer, Flores and Butts, however. Though they weren’t leading the singalong with the fans, The Castellows and Elizabeth Nichols could also be seen singing along behind the barrier as the trio performed with fans. “Two Dozen Roses” @kai_austin_tamez_25 @Evan Honer @Wyatt Flores Rain delay didn’t hurt us @Two Step Inn #fyp #wyattflores #evanhoner #kaitlinbuttsmusic #thecastellows ♬ original sound – Kai Tamez “John Deere Green” @emiley.c @Wyatt Flores @Evan Honer @kaitlinbutts ily forever, thank y’all!!! #twostepinn #countrymusic #countryfestival #musicfestival #rain @Two Step Inn ♬ original sound – Emiley Though you might not be seeing them grabbing awards and nominations at the CMAs or ACMs, it’s becoming more and apparent that the likes of Butts, Flores and Honer are the heartbeat of the current generation of the alternative country scene. Many artists could have simply waited it out in their buses/trailers, but they didn’t and created an unforgettable moment for the fans that stuck around and braced the weather. You truly love to see it.The post Kaitlin Butts, Wyatt Flores & Evan Honer Lead “Two Dozen Roses” Singalong At Two Step Inn After Severe Weather Cancelled The First Day Of The Festival first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Miranda Lambert has signed a new deal after two years with Republic Records. Continue reading…

Granny’s getting lit. It’s 4/20, which in certain circles is considered a national holiday…and by that I mean it’s basically Christmas for stoners. Over the past few years, smoking weed has become much less taboo in country music: Of course we’ve always had Willie Nelson, but even as recently as 2010 country radio was still hesitant to play songs like Eric Church’s “Smoke a Little Smoke” that talked about marijuana. Well with country music finally embracing the devil’s lettuce, and society as a whole moving away from alcohol and towards weed – we’ve gotten plenty of songs that are perfect for 4/20 over the past few years. But this might be the first one about grandma getting high. Matt Rogers, an up-and-coming singer out of Nashville, just dropped a new song called “Grandma’s House,” which is a hilarious look at a granny who’s doing some baking – and not just cookies: “Granny didn’t always smile this much It’s been pretty hard since pawpaw left us But lately you can’t help but see the glaze over her eyes Is it that new doctor that she’s got Or maybe something he’s prescribed I guess cookies ain’t the only thing getting baked at Grandma’s house Cause every time I stop by she’s glued there in the couch She’s dazed and confused watching Days of Our Lives She used to roll out dough, now she’s rolling up dimes Got Willie Nelson on and turned up loud I guess cookies ain’t the only thing getting baked at Grandma’s house” Co-written with Lee Tucker and JC Anderson, Rogers says he was initially hesitant to even include it: “I almost didn’t put ‘Grandma’s House’ in the setlist the first time I played it. Too silly, I thought. But the reaction was instant — people laughed, sang, and just let go. That’s what this song is all about: sharing a little joy and maybe making someone smile a little wider.” The song’s perfect for 4/20, and continues the now-established tradition of country music finally catching up with society to embrace smoking weed. So if you’re celebrating today – or if your grandma’s celebrating – this one’s perfect for you. The post EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: Country Singer Matt Rogers Drops A Hilarious 4/20 Anthem About Grandma Baking More Than Cookies first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Going above and beyond for his hometown. Morgan Wallen has been incredibly generous with making donations to his high school, Gibbs High School, where he was a member of the school’s national championship team in 2010. In the years since, he’s become a household name, selling out stadiums all over the world, charting numerous radio hits, but he’s never forgotten where he came from, and he plans to make his biggest donation yet as long as it’s approved by the Knox County board of commissioners this month. According to local Knoxville station WATE 6, Morgan’s foundation, the Morgan Wallen Foundation, plans to give a whopping $1.2 million to Gibbs High School in Corryton, Tennessee to upgrade its baseball field, which was shared with the station via Knox County Commission documents. They have an item on its April agenda to approve a grant agreement with the Morgan Wallen Foundation for funding, which I imagine will have no issues going through. They should be able to transform it into a “into a versatile, state-of-the-art multi-use athletic field,” and the school also plans to build a softball hitting and pitching facility on its campus. Just last year, the baseball field at Gibbs High School was renamed to “Morgan Wallen Field,” and Morgan graduated from Gibbs in 2011. Morgan has donated over $140,000 for the nearby Gibbs Ruritan Park, and $100,000 for the Jefferson County Baseball park. Additionally, Morgan gave Gibbs High School $35,000 in 2023 to go toward providing instruments for the school’s students. It’s clear that he loves his alma mater and that it still holds a special place in his heart, so it’s cool to see the school return the favor in a sense, in a way that I’m sure will mean more to Morgan than just about anything else. He often talks in interviews about how much he loved playing baseball and how much that time meant to him, so this a real honor for him and something he probably only ever dreamed of doing as a student back in the day. It’s truly incredible to see how much he has continued to give back, in massive ways, to the students who now attend his alma mater, and even though he has the means to do it, that doesn’t make it a given, and I know of very few at his level who give back the way he does. For as much bad press as he gets, it should be noted how generous he is as well. Morgan’s foundation is constantly giving to both music and athletic programs not only in the Knoxville area, but many of the towns he has toured in, as well, and $3 from every concert ticket sold for his tours goes to the foundation. Morgan just kicked off his massive Still The Problem stadium a couple weeks ago, and it will roll into Las Vegas, Nevada next, on May 1st. ‘Still The Problem’ Tour Dates May 1 || Las Vegas, Nev. || Allegiant Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason May 2 || Las Vegas, Nev. || Allegiant Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason May 8 || Indianapolis, Ind. || Lucas Oil Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Hudson Westbrook, Zach John King May 9 || Indianapolis, Ind. || Lucas Oil Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Flatland Cavalry, Zach John King May 15 || Gainesville, Fla. || Ben Hill Griffin Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King May 16 || Gainesville, Fla. || Ben Hill Griffin Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King 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 Heat 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 WhitenThe post Morgan Wallen Donates Whopping $1.2 MILLION To Upgrade Gibbs High School Baseball Field, Which Was Named After Him Last Year first appeared on Whiskey Riff.