Can’t be good at everything. In case you missed it, Zach Bryan went viral earlier this week – and not in a good way – over a video of the “Something In the Orange” singer playing a game of basketball. Leading your morning commute better than Zach Bryan leads a fast break! Let’s ride, @840WHAS! pic.twitter.com/JQ97xCgK1x — Nick Coffey (@TheCardConnect) April 15, 2026 Tough look. And look, I’m the most unathletic person on the planet, so you’re not going to see any videos of me playing basketball. But Pat McAfee said today that the video of Zach shouldn’t have gotten out either. The ESPN host addressed the viral video today on the Pat McAfee Show during their “Oh No!” segment, and he actually had some pretty kind words for Zach – the artist, not the basketball player: “This guy sells out stadiums. We need to show respect to what he has been able to do with a guitar and his voice. Most ever at the Big House in Ann Arbor. Sells out stadiums. Okay, if you’re able to sell out stadiums… I have respect for what you’ve been able to do. Now, his song that everybody knows is that, ‘We’re having an all-night revival.’ Yeah, I’ve seen him do it on stage. … So we know Zach Bryan. I know a lot about Zach Bryan or, you know, his life as well. And that comes with being a guy who sells out f–king stadiums. I think that’s part of it. Also served in the military. Appreciate his service, all that stuff.” But as impressed as Pat might be with Zach’s musical abilities, he’s not quite as impressed with his basketball skills: “They need to keep him away from the basketball court. I like that he’s doing sports for cardio. I like that he’s a sports fan. … Can’t have that on tape. Can’t have that on tape. Okay, we need to make sure that camera’s not getting out of there. Not only was it a travel and other things, it was also just – Zach Bryan’s working in the paint. Why they got him running the full court? You know, like that ain’t where he’s supposed to be. So when I was seeing this, I just thought to myself, why is this being filmed? Okay? Why is his teammates letting it happen? And also, shout out to Zach Bryan for putting in maximum effort, even though it turns out to be zero points, and that makes you inevitably go, ‘Oh, no!'” Pat and the crew did give Zach credit for the effort, and for getting the rebound that led to the fast break. But he also called out Zach’s friends for letting the video get out in the first place: “All I ask of the boys is, you see that camera filming that fast break? We need to ask for that video.” Of course we do know that Zach has some athleticism (we all saw him climb that fence), and he did serve in the military so he’s presumably still in pretty good shape. Maybe it was just a bad clip, or maybe like Pat said, you just can’t be good at everything. Zach Bryan sells out stadiums EVERYWHERE They need to keep him away from the basketball court OH NO #PMSLive https://t.co/S5U6nlQf8c pic.twitter.com/DfflGUPVcT — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 17, 2026 The post “Can’t Have That On Tape” – Pat McAfee Roasts Zach Bryan Over Viral Basketball Video first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Creative writing was his strong suit. The Turnpike Troubadours have some of the most well-written songs in country music, if you ask me. From poetic love songs like “Pay No Rent” and “Diamonds and Gasoline” to the profoundly heartbreaking songs like “Empty As A Drum” and “The Bird Hunters,” their catalog is full of lyrical masterpieces. And now they are being recognized for their prominent songwriting, having become a country-music mainstay. However, die-hard Turnpike fans know that it was a long road to get back to where they stand today. The group spent years defining their sound, but it all went on hold when they took an indefinite hiatus in 2019. After sudden cancellations and several on-stage drunken incidents, the band took a break while Evan Felker got his drinking habits under control. While most fans never lost hope… There was a point where we didn’t know if Turnpike would ever take the stage again. But the band got back together in 2021, releasing their first album since reuniting, A Cat In The Rain, in 2023, followed last year by their sixth studio album, The Price of Admission. The record received high praise from both fans and critics alike. Marking the second release since the band returned from an extended hiatus, The Price of Admission proved to many (myself included) why Turnpike is ultimately one of the greatest bands in the history of the genre, featuring some all-time tracks from the group such as “Heaven Passing Through,” “On The Red River” and the severely underrated, “Ruby Ann.” With the hope that we could be getting a new Turnpike record this year, many fans are wondering what kind of songwriting we can expect. During a recent conversation with The Converse Cowboy, Mike Roberts, Felker touched on his songwriting, saying he felt creative writing was the only thing he had ever excelled at. This answer makes sense given Felker’s talent for putting pen to paper and crafting lyrical stories. Roberts led the conversation with Felker, asking him whether there was a moment when he knew music was what he would pursue professionally. While Felker felt he would have found a way to make music work regardless of a lightbulb moment, he saw his school excels as a sign that his future was in music. “Well, you know, if you’re me and I think I told you this, but I couldn’t… I didn’t excel at anything else. I was a pretty smart kid, up until I really had to put in some work. Then I was so mad that it wasn’t easy, that I was not a very good student—I was too temperamental for it. And then along came sort of creative writing, and it was something I stood out at because my mom read to me or whatever, I had that interest… I went that route. I always felt like, ‘Well, I have an aptitude for it.” And I had teachers that said, ‘Hey, you’re going to be good at this. If you like it, you should do more of it.'” Mike Roberts and Evan Felker then riff off each other about how his talent for natural writing is similar to that of a basketball player or other professional athletes. They are born with attributes that make them more likely to succeed in those areas. But even with the natural talent that Felker has with creative writing, he’s more than just a songwriter. He’s a performer, a guitar player, a band leader, and more. Roberts then asked Felker whether there were aspects of being a musician he needed to work on to develop his talent in areas that were more challenging than others. Felker shared that while some areas do require more work than others, they all go hand in hand and require a lot of effort overall. “I wouldn’t want to discount myself and the work that I’ve put into it, because I have put in a bunch. You know you always feel like it should be more. But inclination toward writing is something that’s neat sounding, I would have done that anyway, so you know, it wasn’t ever work to me.”  Writing was never work, and the rest fell in line. But it still took a lot of work to get to where Turnpike is today… but you what they say about doing something you love. This entire interview is well worth the watch. Check it out while you’re here: The post “It Was Something I Stood Out At” – Turnpike Troubadours’ Evan Felker Says Creative Writing Is His Natural Calling first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Maybe time to look at a Red Rocks residency. Eric Church is heading back to the iconic concert venue in Morrison, Colorado, announcing earlier this week that he would be performing three shows at Red Rocks this summer on July 6-8. Tickets went on sale this week, first to his Church Choir fan club on Wednesday while an allotment of tickets were held back to be offered up to the general public this morning. But if you weren’t quick, you weren’t getting them. I bought my tickets when they went on sale to the Church Choir on Wednesday, and there wasn’t an option to buy a single ticket for all three nights so each night had to be purchased individually. Well I was logged on right at 10 AM MT, and by the time I secured tickets for the first two nights the third night was already running low. And I checked again not long after, and sure enough the entire allotment of tickets for the fan club was gone before it was even time to clock out and put a drink in my hand. Well the rest of the tickets opened up today for the general public to have a crack at them and…they were gone within minutes. Pretty insane. For reference, Red Rocks has a capacity of around 9,500, which means Church sold around 28,500 tickets in a matter of minutes, less than a week after announcing the shows. Just absolutely incredible. And to do it all just days after wrapping up his Free the Machine Tour, which took him across the country, just shows how passionate the Church Choir really is. Of course everyone who bought tickets probably understands what a treat they’re in for: Church played Red Rocks for three nights last year and performed three unique shows that anyone who was there will tell you were among the best of his career. And this year, the shows take place just a week or so before the 20th anniversary of Church’s debut album, Sinners Like Me. After those shows, Church’s team confirmed to Whiskey Riff that fans had traveled from all 50 states for the special performances, which included one show that featured strings, orchestra and choir, one with just the original Eric Church Band, and one that was fully acoustic – just Church and his guitar (and his powerhouse background vocalist Joanna Cotten). Last year’s shows were my first time at Red Rocks, and I can see why it’s such a special venue: The scenery, the view, the sound…I would say they were once-in-a-lifetime shows, if I weren’t going back to do it all over again this year. (I just hope it doesn’t rain like it did on the final night last year, when I was concerned that the Coast Guard was going to have to rescue us from 6,500 feet up in the Rocky Mountains). It’s no doubt going to be a magical run of shows once again, and this year will feature special guests Corey Kent, 49 Winchester and The Creekers kicking things off. I can’t wait to get back to Red Rocks, and at this point I’m down to make it a yearly tradition if Church is. And judging by how fast tickets sold out, I have a feeling there are a lot of people who agree with me.The post Eric Church’s Three-Night Run At Red Rocks This Summer Sells Out Within Minutes first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Didn’t expect all the outrage. Country songwriter Shane McAnally, who’s one of the most prolific hitmakers of the genre with songs like Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road,” “Follow Your Arrow” by Kacey Musgraves, “Somewhere With You” by Kenny Chesney, Morgan Wallen’s “7 Summers,” and many, many others, found himself going viral after posting what he thought was a funny video with his husband and young son. McAnally and his husband, Michael Baum, welcomed their third child, Texson Ray McAnally Baum, via surrogate back in October 2025. And earlier this week, McAnally shared a video of his husband playing with their new son and trying to get the baby to say “Dada” or “Pop” – but Tex had other plans, and would only say “Mama.” View this post on Instagram Baum tells the baby that “there is no mama,” and in the comments somebody suggested that they “throw it away and start over,” to which McAnally responded with a laughing emoji. And shortly after, many began criticizing McAnally and the video: “Babies are not accessories to your life . A baby needs mother and a father.” “Every baby needs a mama” “Children are not accessories. We have lost our way.” “This is disgusting beyond belief” “The baby knows this is unnatural” “This is horrifying! I want to cry for this little angel. What a sick world we live in! Breaks my heart!” “Someone, please, rescue that poor baby.” “Paying for a baby to use as a toy on social media for views while laughing at it while it cries for its mother. WOW, truly disgusting & disturbing” Well the Daily Mail caught up with McAnally, who says he was “shocked” by the outrage to what he says was a video that was meant to be self-deprecating: “We found it hilarious. He’s five months old, he obviously doesn’t understand English.” McAnally says that the entire thing was taken out of context, which led to what he says are appalling comments: “I was appalled by what some people have been saying. Some people have taken it out of context.” According to McAnally, he and his husband just thought it was funny that babies usually say “dada” first – but when given the choice between two dads, their son went the other direction: “Babies usually say dada first, but people wouldn’t then say the babies are only wanting their dads? It doesn’t really make sense. People have been saying some awful things.” And he also assured everyone who’s concerned that their son is perfectly fine: “He’s the happiest baby in the world.” While there was plenty of criticism (and outright hate) in the comments, there were also plenty of people supporting the couple and their family: “I am so sorry that you’re on the receiving end of such vitriol. It’s very clear to me that you’re joking around about the baby babble (your little one is adorable btw). Your baby is expressing frustration in the only way they know how and are biologically capable of. For people to think it’s due to the not mama is insane. Again, I’m sorry. It’s so tragic that people jump to the absolute worst conclusions without applying an ounce of critical thinking.” Just another day on the internet.The post “I Was Appalled” – Gay Hitmaking Country Songwriter Speaks Out On Outrage Over Video Of His Newborn Son first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Aaron Watson has a funny Ella Langley story that kind of paints a picture of where he's at in life and country music. The "Choosin' Texas" singer is a passive player in this (admittedly unchecked) Texas yarn. Talking to Evan Paul, Watson began praising "Choosin' Texas," Langley's career-defining hit... Continue reading…