Going big for the 10th anniversary. Though many artists and bands such as Cross Canadian Ragweed, Reckless Kelly, Jason Boland, Stoney LaRue and many others opened the doors for the Red Dirt country/rock scene coming out of both Texas and Oklahoma in the 2000s, in many ways, Koe Wetzel launched it to new heights in the late 2010s. In turn, Wetzel, along with the aforementioned names, has allowed a plethora of today’s hottest up-and-coming acts, including the likes of Ole 60, Treaty Oak Revival, Dexter and the Moon Rocks, Sterling Elza and more, to make waves in the alt. country scene. Though it may seem hard to believe at this point, Wetzel has been around for over a decade at this point, with his debut album, Out on Parole, celebrating its 11th anniversary last month. Even more notably, and shockingly, the Texas native is celebrating the 10th anniversary of one of his most iconic moments, none other than the infamous February 28th. In case you’re unfamiliar with what all went down that day, which inspired his now-iconic, certified-gold song, “February 28, 2016,” the story is actually quite simple. The track was written after Koe was arrested for public intoxication in Stephenville, Texas, many years ago, and wound up spending a few nights in jail. (He recently revealed all the details surrounding the night for the first time ever, which you can read HERE.) It was included on his 2016 album Noise Complaint, and remains one that fans still scream along every word to at his concerts. Though Wetzel has gone on record saying he’s grown a little tired of the song over the past few years, the track and the day itself have only gotten more popular as he continues to become a mainstream star in the genre. At first, every February 28th was a little more than a celebration of Wetzel and the song itself. Nowadays, it’s become nothing short of an unofficial holiday with fans taking to social media every year joking about how they’re either going to get trashed, go to Taco Bell, catch a public intoxication charge or all three in honor of the East Texas singer. Given that it’s the 10th anniversary of the fateful day (on a Saturday nonetheless), many were anticipating just how the “Sweet Dreams” singer would celebrate it. Turns out, he’s going to be performing two shows at his Riot Room bars, one on Thursday, February 26th, in Houston and another on the 10th anniversary itself on Saturday, February 28th, in Fort Worth. As for what to expect, the Pittsburg native is promising live music (of course), limited merch for the anniversary, drink specials at the bar, surprise guests at both concerts (Paul Wall in Houston and Mike Ryan, Dylan Wheeler and Logan Jahnke in Fort Worth) and even a flash tattoo parlor, all available throughout the celebration. View this post on Instagram Koe promised to keep the surprises coming as the anticipation continues to build for the February 28th anniversary, and he delivered once again. Last night, he teamed up with a plethora of different of the hottest stars in the alt. country and rock scene. In turn, the likes of Wyatt Flores, Ole 60, Dexter and the Moonrocks, Pecos and the Rooftops, Sterling Elza, Corey Kent, Bayker Blankenship and many more delivered killer covers of some of his biggest hits, ranging from the likes of “High Road” and “Drunk Driving” to “Love” and “Good Die Young.” Fittingly, none other than the Cross Canadian Ragweed frontman himself, Cody Canada, gets the compilation started with an introduction. Hilariously, he’d introduce himself as one of four guys where Koe’s song, “Ragweed,” comes from before handing it off to Waves in April, his sons, Willie and Dierks’, metal band, to perform the track. “Hi guys, Cody Canada here from Ragweed. Cross Canadian Ragweed, where the song ‘Ragweed’ came from. I’m that guy. Well, one of  four. Today, we’re celebrating the anniversary, the 10-year anniversary to be exact, of the events that unfolded on February the 28th. What does that mean exactly? I have no f****** idea.” Other highlights from the compilation include Wyatt Flores delivering a stellar rendition of “Good Die Young,” Ole 60 frontman, Jacob Ty Young, crushing a performance of “Drunk Driving,” Dexter & the Moonrocks full-band cover of “Money Spent,” Austin Meade thanking Koe for supporting him before “Nothing Left to Say” and the Huser Brothers also thanking him before their cover of “What You Deserve.” A full list of artists and covers is as follows: Waves in April – “Ragweed” Wyatt Flores – “Good Die Young” Corey Kent – “Love” Ole 60 – “Drunk Driving” Pecos and the Rooftops – “Too High To Cry” Bayker Blankenship – “Something to Talk About” Dexter and the Moonrocks – “Money Spent” Sterling Elza – “Sober Sunday” Kolton Moore – “High Road” Kolby Cooper – “Forever” Kody West – “What You Deserve” Austin Meade – “Nothing Left to Say” Carson Jeffrey – “One and Only” Slade Coulter – “Shadow People” Jacob Stelly – “Make Believe” Logan Jahnke – “What You Deserve” Parker Ryan – “Tell It All Town” Ben Burgess & Brandon Jane – “Ragweed” Huser Brother Band – “What You Deserve” Chris Colston – “Tell It All Town” Watch all the performances in the Instagram post below: View this post on Instagram The post Wyatt Flores, Ole 60, Pecos & The Rooftops And Many More Cover Koe Wetzel’s Biggest Hits In Celebration Of Upcoming “February 28, 2016” Anniversary first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

And that’s why you never judge a book by its cover. Several years ago, Luke Combs told what’s become a pretty popular story among fans about the time he got the “Pretty Woman” treatment at the Rolex store in New York City, He’s a big watch guy, which was inspired by his grandfather who got one when he left his job at the mill and Luke saw how much it meant to him, as he recently explained during an interview with Popcast’s Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli of The New York Times: “My grandfather got a watch when he left the mill, got a Rolex when he left the mill. He was always insanely proud of this… it signified this achievement of this thing that he earned. all of his work is summed up in this item that he can physically have and wear.” Of course, Luke explained that he never moved to Nashville to get rich, but that came along with his success in music, and he has started to collect watches as his one splurge. He also joked that he could maybe see why he did get the Pretty Woman treatment at the New York City Rolex store considering he walked in wearing camo gym shorts… something I’m certain those sales associates don’t see very often from most serious buyers: “I didn’t move to Nashville to get super rich, or be famous, or whatever. Those things came with what I wanted to do, and obviously, it’s wonderful. It’s amazing, my kids have an amazing life, I’m incredibly thankful for all of those things. But it just became… I got my first watch here, in New York. I got ‘Pretty Woman’d.’ I was wearing camo gym shorts, so I don’t necessarily blame them for doing that, you know? Well there’s the dance of the watch thing… so I walk in, and I’m like, stainless steel Yacht-Master, you got one? And they’re like, ‘No, what are you talking about?” It went on like that, and they continued to give him the run around until he explained that he was playing nearby Madison Square Garden that night and wanted to commemorate it with his first big watch purchase: “And I’m like, ‘What do you mean? Like, this is the story where you sell that.’ That’s like me walking into the Godiva store and them not having chocolate. Like, what are you talking about? What do you have? And they’re like, ‘None of these watches, we don’t have any of them.’ I’m like, I find it hard to believe that a company that’s spending money for this real estate, in New York city by The Garden, and there’s nothing for sale, you’re telling me that’s a thing. Don’t buy it one second. And this was not in an effort to try to flex on them, but I was just like, ‘I’m bummed because I’m playing Madison Square Garden tonight and I wanted to wear it.’ This is my first big watch purchase and such a big moment, and I was just opening for Aldean there, and so it wasn’t my show, but this felt like a big punch me moment. This is the, my grandfather’s watch moment of, man, I’ve made it, I’m getting here.” Eventually, Luke got his moment, because they happened to find one that was “on hold” in the back… convenient… “And they’re like, well, we may have one. We have one that’s on hold for a guy, let me go give him a call.’ [He’s] definitely real, and then he’s gonna say, you know what, I don’t want that watch I’ve been waiting five years on, actually. I don’t want that. Give it to that guy, he sounds like a cool guy.” It honestly makes for a great story now, and Combs clearly got the last laugh because he can buy any watch he wants to, though he says he doesn’t hold a grudge and he continues to purchase Rolex’s now in addition to many other kinds of watches. He specifically noted his new tradition of buying a watch when he had each of his sons, so that must mean he’s got another new accessory on the way as Luke’s wife, Nicole, just gave birth to their youngest son Chet Wiley Combs several weeks ago: View this post on Instagram Luke also noted that he’s really into buying vintage watches right now, one of which he showed off at the CMA Awards this past November, where he sported a gorgeous Elvis Presley-owned Omega watch which the one and only Johnny Cash had gifted to Elvis for his birthday in 1969, when he would’ve turned 34-years-old. The inscription on the inside of the watch reads: “To E. From J. Jan 8 1969.” Of course, Elvis and Cash were early signees to the iconic Sun Records label, as Cash signed with them in 1954, and Elvis Presley began his career there in 1954, signing a contract in November of 1955. They toured together in the 50’s, and were close friends during the early part of their careers, and of course, are both two of the most iconic, influential musicians to ever live, so it’s truly an incredible piece to own. Luke purchased this piece of history for a cool $103,700, but I’m sure it was a much more pleasant buying experience than the Rolex store in NYC… View this post on Instagram You can watch the full podcast below. The post Luke Combs Understands Why He Got The ‘Pretty Woman’ Treatment Buying A Rolex In New York City: “I Was Wearing Camo Gym Shorts” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Darius Rucker concert in lieu of a college football game? That’s not exactly the kind of the trade off you hear about all that often, but that’s exactly what’s happening at the University of South Carolina. The school’s athletic department has opted to put on a block party and country music concert instead of holding their annual spring football game. Why, you might be asking? Because who really wants to watch college football in April, that’s why. That’s actually not the reason why the University of South Carolina decided to call upon one of their most famous graduates to put on a concert. Let me be clear: The real reason the Gamecocks Athletic department partnered with Rock Block to put on what they are calling the Garnet & Black Spring Fest because… their stadium is currently under construction. In other words, it’s kind of hard to put on a spring football game when your football stadium is an active construction zone. So rather on punting on the whole thing altogether, the athletic department thought up another way to get fans excited and to come together to celebrate South Carolina athletics. Darius Rucker, a longtime supporter of the Gamecocks and a University of South Carolina graduate, will be joined by country singer Lauren Alaina for a concert that will act as the cap to the entirety of the Garnet & Black Spring Fest. Early on Saturday, April 11, the University of South Carolina will put on a free-to-attend block party right outside of their Colonial Life Arena (where Rucker and Alaina will play that night). The festival will feature all kinds of fun for the whole family, including meet and greets with South Carolina football players. Then, the doors to the concert will open around 6 o’clock, with Darius Rucker and Lauren Alaina getting things kicked off about an hour later (props to me for all of the football puns so far, eh?). The audible by the athletics department to pivot from a spring football game to a full-on music festival is a great idea, and South Carolina Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati is very much looking forward to seeing it all come together in a couple of months: “The Garnet & Black Spring Fest promises to be a great event for fans of all ages and gives us an opportunity to come together and celebrate what it means to be a Gamecock. Our department has been hard at work finding new ways for our fans to interact with one another and our student-athletes, and the Garnet & Black Spring Fest is just one of the new events that we will be announcing to meet that goal. Due to the ongoing stadium construction, our ability to host a Spring Game this year was going to be challenging as our top priority is ensuring Williams-Brice Stadium is ready for our September 5 home opener. As a result, the Garnet & Black Spring Fest was created to not only provide fans with the opportunity to meet and greet our football student-athletes but to come together as Gamecocks.” So South Carolina football fans won’t be seeing any hard hits out on the field when April rolls around. Instead, they’ll be watching Darius Rucker perform hits like “Alright” and “Wagon Wheel” inside Colonial Life Arena. Not a terrible trade off… but definitely different than watching young athletes throw on the pads and give fans a taste of what’s to come when the actual football season rolls around.The post Why The University Of South Carolina Is Hosting A Darius Rucker Concert Instead Of Their Annual Spring Football Game first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Of the 17 country singers in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 14 made country music's version. Continue reading…

Chris Stapleton will always remember the words that legendary college basketball coach, Rick Pitino, shared at his basketball camp. Most of us only know Stapleton as the rocking country music star with arguably the best voice in all of the business. But what if I told you that he once had dreams to lace up his shoes and play college basketball under the bright lights? That might be a stretch to say honestly. That assumption is just based off of a picture that was shared by legendary college basketball coach Rick Pitino back in early 2024. He’s one of the only head coaches to lead two different universities to NCAA titles… if you disregard the fact that the NCAA took away his most recent national championship at the University of Louisville. As a Louisville fan, I don’t have the energy to get into that whole situation. You probably know what happened, and what led the NCAA to vacate Pitino’s 2013 NCAA title with the Louisville Cardinals. Since he left Louisville, he’s had coaching stints overseas, at Iona University, and now is the head coach of St. John’s up in New York. And way back in the day, he got his first national championship with the University of Kentucky. From 1989 to 1997, Pitino coached the Wildcats, and led them to one of their many NCAA titles in 1996. Somewhere in those years, he also hosted a Rick Pitino Basketball Camp in Lexington, Kentucky, and guess who was there? Chris Stapleton. The “White Horse” singer was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, so the timeline makes sense for him to have participated at the UK basketball camp. He must have had a rather memorable showing at the camp too, because many years later, the former Kentucky coach tracked down this photo of a young Stapleton and said this: “Chris Stapleton at Kentucky Wildcats basketball camp. Didn’t like the way he played defense. Told him to go into music instead. Don’t thank me Chris, it’s okay.” @ChrisStapleton at KY Wildcat basketball camp. Didn't like the way he played defense. Told him to go into music instead. Don't thank me Chris, it's ok pic.twitter.com/NRZioGzglw — Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) January 7, 2024 So because Stapleton didn’t play great defense (which is a staple of any Pitino led team), the Kentucky coach allegedly told him to spend his time doing something else other than basketball… like going into music. It’s great to imagine that the great Rick Pitino was responsible for Stapleton’s country music career. He’s obviously joking in that post, but thanks to a new episode of New Heights (hosted by the Kelce brothers) that featured Chris Stapleton, we now know that there was something that Pitino said during that camp that stuck with the country music superstar. Jason Kelce was asking Stapleton if playing and listening to multiple forms of music makes you a better musician. The “Broken Halos” singer’s mind immediately went to multi-sport athletes and how playing multiple sports can actually help make you better all around, which took him back to a quote from Pitino that the coach delivered at his Lexington camp: “I have to share this just because it popped into my head as you were saying that. When I was a kid, I went to Rick Pitino basketball camp. Rick Pitino spoke to us before the camp or whatever. He was like, ‘Now in order to be a good basketball player, you have to play three sports: one on one basketball, three on three basketball, and five on five basketball.’ That popped in my head as you were saying that.” So Rick Pitino DID have an impact on Chris Stapleton’s music career after all. I say that because Stapleton’s actual answer to the question shows that Pitino’s advice – which was partly joking and partly serious – did stick with the singer and songwriter: “I do think there’s something that can strengthen you as a musician if you can at least have a working knowledge of a lot of different kinds of music. But at some point, all these influences kind of converge into whatever it is that you are and that’s what that is.” You can hear more from Chris Stapleton (and get extra insight into his sports past) in the latest episode of New Heights: The post Chris Stapleton Shares The Advice From Rick Pitino That Stuck With Him When He Attended Basketball Camp As A Kid first appeared on Whiskey Riff.