'George [Strait] has been my friend for 43 years and I did it for George,' Gill explains. Continue reading…

Who's got your vote this week? Continue reading…

Meghan Patrick's stock in country music rose considerably on Friday night (March 20) in Nashville. Continue reading…

Luke Combs officially released The Way I Am on March 19… and while a lot of people are listening to the highly anticipated album, another segment of the population can’t get enough of his Hot Ones interview. The series, hosted by Sean Evans, and it’s simple-yet-effective premise has captivated the masses ever since it debuted in 2015. Evans interviews someone while they eat wings, and as the conversation goes on, the sauce on the chicken gets hotter and hotter. Hot Ones has had some big time guests, but shockingly, they’ve never had a country music artist on (unless you count Post Malone). So Luke Combs was the first ever for Sean Evans and Hot Ones, and I’ve got a feeling they’ll be inviting more country stars on sooner rather than later because of how well it went. The “Hurricane” singer was incredibly entertaining, and even showed off his comedy chops. There was one moment where he likened the heat level of a wing to a home invasion, which got a ton of laughs from the Hot Ones crew: “I’m not there yet, which is really freaking me out. Because I know it’s gonna be there. It’s like someone is in your house and you don’t know it yet. Then you just… I just heard something in the kitchen. Now I’m going to check it out. There’s somebody there for sure. There’s definitely somebody there. He’s not friendly.” Probably one of the most perfect metaphors for eating a slow-developing, spicy wing that I’ve ever heard. And during another highlight of the interview (and there were plenty of them), the country music superstar was asked about the southern fast food chain that’s famous for serving late-night grub and whenever-you-might-need-it hangover cures. It’s called Cook Out, and if you’ve never heard of it, you’re missing out. Luke Combs lit up when he was asked about the eatery, and immediately became a walking billboard for the fast food chain when he was asked a) to describe it and b) what his go-to order was: “When I go to Cook Out, no one else is allowed to order. Chargrilled hamburgers, the whole nine yards… you can get a corndog as a side, which is fire. Quesadilla as a side, by the way. You can add a milkshake for like a $1.50, it’s unbelievable. Imagine Chick-Fil-A without all the helpful camp counselors that stand outside. You come up and it’s just a guy in the window who’s like, he’s from the south but his attitude is giving Philly. He’s like, ‘Cook Out, what do you want?’ Then you go, ‘Umm I think…’ and you can hear him going like, ‘Come on.'” Again, Luke Combs nailed it with his description. The “Beautiful Crazy” singer later shared his go-to meal, which he says he’s learned to order efficiently and with pinpoint precision. There’s no hesitation when he pulls up to the drive-thru, and he likes to think that the good people over at Cook Out appreciate that: “Big Double tray with cheese and bacon, mayo and ketchup. Corn dog and cajun sweet fries (as sides) and a sweet tea. I can fire it off like that. People hear me order it that quick and they’re like, ‘What did you just order?’ I say, “I ordered a double cheeseburger with bacon… I just said it really fast.’ The guy, when I pull up to the window, he’s gonna be like, ‘This guy knows ball. This guy has spent a 401K’s worth on Cook Out.’ And they’re gonna be thankful for that.” Luke Combs on Hot Ones explaining what Cookout is. pic.twitter.com/LKuDL35GYo — TK from the Paper, Windmill Enthusiast (@tkpipedreams) March 20, 2026 All in all, it’s a great interview, and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Luke Combs was the perfect person to have on as the “first ever country music artist.” He even mentioned that he was the first to ever be on Hot Ones during the interview (while he was insisting he go all out on the wing eating and sauce consumption). It could even help non-country-fans give the genre a try… and will undoubtedly inspire people to give Cook Out a shot. Hot Ones – Luke Combs The post “Imagine Chick-Fil-A Without The Helpful Camp Counselors”: Luke Combs Goes Viral For Brilliant Explanation Of “Cook Out” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Tailgating after the event? Now that’s something that I could get behind. Australian country music artist Wade Forster recently stopped by the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast, and it was one heck of a ride. The Aussie talked to us about the first time he played in Nashville (thanks to winning an Australian talent competition), living a 22 hour drive from the nearest major city in Australia, being bullied for listening to country music when he was younger, and let us in on his theory as to why his thick, Aussie accent goes away when he sings. Forster noted that he thinks Australians and Texans get along quite well, which makes a lot of sense if you think about it. The “Cigarettes” singer also cut through the lies of Australian stereotypes, talked about his former life as a rodeo cowboy and rugby player, and gave his go-to advice for avoiding lethal creatures in his homeland. If you can’t tell… Forster covered a ton of ground in our conversation with him. But the most important thing he touched on was tailgating. Fans of Wade Forster know that his latest album is titled Gooseneck Party. If there was any sort of confusion as to what that is, the Australian country artist cleared that up… and included a very important detail in his description: “A gooseneck party is a trailer party. It’s sort of like… what do you guys call it? Tailgating? You all do that at football games. We do it at rodeos, but it’s after the rodeo.” After the rodeo, you say? Unlike tailgating here in the United States, which is typically done prior to games and thus has a finite end point, gooseneck parties get going after the event is over. It’s a brilliant idea, and there’s a reason why it’s caught on in Australia: “The cowboys don’t get to go out and party while the rodeo is going on because we’re rodeoing. Then when the rodeo is over, the shut down the bars like two hours later. We only get like three beers in. So we go back to the horse trailer and we stay up until four or five in the morning, drinking beers and telling old cowboy stories. I’ve woke up in some terrible states because of gooseneck parties.” @whiskeyriff @Wade Forster #whiskeyriff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff That’s one area where tailgates and gooseneck parties overlap. Though I suppose it’s better to be in a terrible state after a gooseneck party than after a tailgate… where the drinking leads right into the big event itself. Blackout after the event, not before it… And Forster told us that gooseneck parties were worthy of having an album named after them for good reason. The country music artist says its a time where Aussies come together like family: “It’s sort of a sacred thing down there, because we go and sit down and talk about anything. You can say, ‘Hey I’m not doing too well.’ Or ‘That was a good run cowboy’ and ‘Did you see this person is dating that person?’ It’s like what you’d do at dinner. Normal family stuff. It’s always a good time.” It certainly sounds like a great idea, and Americans should really consider taking a play out of the Australian playbook and moving tailgates to afterwards. I’m sure American rodeo cowboys do similar afterparties here in the states as well, but how about we start tailgating after concerts? After football games? Of course, designated drivers are going to be all the more important, but I could get behind it. To hear more from Wade Forster, make sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. Cheers, y’all. Audio Video The post Wade Forster Says Australians Tailgate AFTER Rodeo Events & That’s Something Americans Can Get Behind first appeared on Whiskey Riff.