Asheville, North Carolina and Billy Strings have forged a close bond over the years – And tonight it grew even tighter. Although he hails from Michigan and currently calls the Nashville area home, Asheville has taken on the role of a second home for Strings during his career, and it’s been a favorite stop for fans both dedicated and diehard. He plays multiple shows each year, nowadays taking place at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center arena in the heart of the city’s downtown, and fans from all over the country flood the nearby hotels, restaurants, bars, and music venues for a bluegrass-filled weekend for the ages. It’s something that I think every music fan ought to experience at some point in their lives, because there’s not much else out there like a Billy Strings run in Asheville. Even though Asheville has rebounded miraculously from the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Helene in 2024, the surrounding region, and many of the locals, are still reeling from the tragic storm, and Strings has done quite a bit to help out the community in its aftermath. On the final night of a four-show run in the Western North Carolina mountain town, Strings closed out a blistering hot first set with a cover of The Stanley Brothers’ bluegrass classic “How Mountain Girls Can Love” before retreating backstage for the mid-show intermission. When he and the band returned to the stage 15 or so minutes later, they had a special guest in tow. Instead of another bluegrass musician sitting in for a few songs as you may typically see at one of Strings’ shows, it was the mayor of Asheville Esther Manheimer taking the stage with a microphone in hand. After addressing the crowd, Manheimer congratulated Strings on his 19th sold out show in Asheville since 2021, and stated that on average these shows have had an economic impact on the city of $2.5 million as fans stay in nearby hotels and eat and drink locally while in town for the shows. She continued to mention that Strings participated in the 2024 Concert for Carolina event that raised money for Asheville and the rest of Western NC following Hurricane Helene, and thanked him for embodying what Asheville stands for and continuously fostering an environment for both locals and visitors to come together and experience all the area has to offer. With that, she presented Strings with a ceremonious key to the City of Asheville. With his killer band behind him, and fittingly sporting a shirt that featured a cartoon image of his musical hero and NC native Doc Watson, Strings accepted the honor and gave a brief speech to the crowd. “Thank You Asheville! I really, really love ya. And I’d say lock your doors tonight but it ain’t gonna matter ’cause I’m coming anyways,” he said jokingly, before taking a more serious tone. “Wow, what an honor. It’s not lost on me to come here and play in the beautiful state of North Carolina and in this beautiful town. For all you folks, as you know, Doc Watson is one of my favorites. Pretty much my very favorite musician to ever live. So coming here to play music and guitar, I learned how to play guitar by listening to him. And he’s a North Carolinian. So every time I come here it kind of feels like home, you know? So I thank y’all so much for everything. Let’s boogie.” View this post on Instagram What a cool moment. And let me tell you, although I’m tuned in to the livestream from my couch and not lucky enough to be in the crowd tonight, I can assure you Billy and the boys are doing just that – boogieing through this second set. Check out a couple of clips of the king of bluegrass in Asheville this weekend. View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram The post “Every Time I Come Here It Feels Like Home” – Billy Strings Receives Key To The City Of Asheville During Valentine’s Day Show first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

'Thorns' might be Jelly's most tender love song yet. Continue reading…

Streaming is everywhere; it’s the simple fact of reality. Whether it’s Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music for music, Netflix, Max and Disney+ for movies and TV or any other streaming service that is out there, chances are that you are consuming nearly all of your media content via streaming. While I can’t argue with the convenience and benefits of streaming — I frequently use them myself — there’s something to be said about the importance of buying physical media despite the push towards phasing them out. There are still plenty of reasons why you should be purchasing physical copies of your favorite movies, shows and albums despite what major corporations such as Netflix and Spotify might say. The first and most important one would simply be that purchasing physical media, especially while discussing music, is the best way to support your favorite artists/creators. It’s a poorly kept secret that Spotify and Apple Music pay artists next to nothing per stream. It’s theorized that artists get approximately $0.003-0.005 per stream on Spotify, while Apple pays slightly better at $.01 per stream. I don’t think that I have to explain how that’s not sustainable to make a living, especially for independent artists. Of course, the Morgan Wallens, Zach Bryans and Luke Combs of the world do not have to worry about this due to their international popularity, brand deals, concert sales and more. Any independent artist or smaller artist in general, such as Colby Acuff, Southall and many more, simply cannot make a living on streaming alone. As an avid vinyl collector with nearly 200 records in my collection, ranging from the likes of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Patsy Cline to Turnpike Troubadours, Tyler Childers and Eric Church, I have found that this is one of the best ways to support them. Not only is vinyl an extremely fun hobby to dive into, but it directly supports them while you still get to enjoy their music. Another key aspect to collecting physical media, especially vinyl, is the simple fact that the record you purchased cannot be edited, removed or made unavailable in any way, shape or form. Though this typically happens more on the film/television side of streaming, with movies and shows frequently suffering the most from this, there are still instances of songs being removed from platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify. One of the highest-profile ones in recent memory in country music would be Zach Bryan removing his collaboration with John Mooreland, “Memphis; the Blues,” off of streaming services following a viral spat. As of today, there is no way to stream the song on verified streaming services. The physical copy, however, will contain the song for the remainder of time. While diving into the world of record collecting might seem like a daunting task, given the fact that you have to find a good record player, deal with some elitists that occupy the hobby and actively seek out the best spots to buy them, but have no fear, Vinyl.com has you covered. View this post on Instagram One of the most exciting parts of record collecting, at least for me, is being able to begin to stack up some of my favorite records of all time, be able to see the album artwork up close and read the liner notes, credits, lyrics and any other insights included in said record packaging (I’m a nerd, I know). Part of the beauty of records as a whole is the simple fact that there’s truly no limit to the albums you can collect throughout the entire history of the genre, and of course, Vinyl.com has it all. If you’re a big fan of pop country, the site has multiple albums ranging from the likes of Billboard’s #1 Artist of 2025, Morgan Wallen, to Megan Moroney. You like alternative country? Vinyl.com has a wide range of the best in the business right now, including Sturgill Simpson, Colter Wall, Turnpike Troubadours, Zach Bryan and more. Is old-school country more your style? Don’t worry, they have plenty of classics ranging from Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, George Strait, Willie Nelson and other legends. With over 50,000 titles available for purchase today, many of them being some of the greatest country albums of yesterday and today, Vinyl.com is truly a must-use website for those either starting their record collection or trying to add some iconic titles to it. Even more excitingly, for those who are trying to boost their collections immediately, Vinyl.com is offering bundles including the likes of Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers and more with three-album packs at a discounted price. Of course, this isn’t even mentioning the countless other artists and genres carried by the site. Ultimately, Vinyl.com is undoubtedly one of the best record sites on the internet today. If you want to get in on the action and pick up some of your all-time favorite albums, visit their website HERE and use promo code, WHISKEYRIFF10, for 10% off at checkout. The post If You Really Want To Support Your Favorite Artists — Buy Their Records first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The Sagebrush Trilogy, Saga 3: Age Of The Ram begins. Charley Crockett is an album-making machine. The Texas native has released an astonishing 17 albums (including his live record from the Ryman) over the past 11 years. The “Man From Waco” does what no other artist does, releasing multiple LPs a year, and today the third chapter of his latest trilogy begins. Charley Crockett kicked off The Sagebrush Trilogy. Rounding out the summer last year, Crockett released the second installment of the trilogy, giving Dollar A Day just five months after his previous record, Lonesome Drifter. With tall tales of cowboys on horseback, solitary drifters, and traveling barroom musicians, Dollar A Day is laden with larger-than-life stories of characters who persevered with their backs against the wall, laughed in the face of adversity, and went all in with the cards they were dealt because they didn’t have much of a choice. The stories featured on this record truly embrace the troubadour lifestyle and the need to survive. It’s been five months and some change since Crockett gifted us with Dollar A Day, and today, the story continues as we officially open the next chapter of this trilogy, the Age Of The Ram. View this post on Instagram The first single from The Sagebrush Trilogy, Saga 3: Age Of The Ram, “Kentucky Too Long,” tells the story of a man on the run and builds on the survival themes from his last LP. The bass-heavy melody, soaked in steel guitar, transports the listener to a small blues bar with the sonic feel. As Crockett begins to croon, he tells the story of an outlaw or drifter on the run. What he’s running from could be a multitude of things: a woman who claims she’s carrying his child, the law (although he promises he “ain’t runnin’ from no Johnny Law”), or is on the run as he lives a nomadic lifestyle, or it could be a combination of all the above. Whatever this character is running from, the lyrics suggest it was a dangerous situation, as evidenced by the line “shootin’ out without warnin’.” While he’s on the run, he knows that Kentucky is not his final destination, and although he feels like his situation is closing in around him, he has to find a way to keep moving to get out of the Bluegrass State. “Back in Texas last week That’s a-when a-things got bleak Be careful of what you speak Might come find you A Choctaw just this mornin’ They started shootin’ out without warnin’ If it hadn’t been for my woman that had me sleepin’ Man, I really feel it comin’ on I’ve been in Kentucky too long Been in Kentucky makin’ somethin’ out of nothin’ too long” The song builds perfectly on the “$10 Cowboy” singer’s consistent message about survival and never letting a place hold you down. Crockett himself has lived quite the nomadic lifestyle, and just like many of his other songs, you can’t help but imagine that the lyrics are inspired by his own life experiences. We’ve officially embarked on the final part of The Sagebrush Trilogy, and “Kentucky Too Long” is a strong start, showcasing Crockett’s masterful storytelling. Turn it up: The post Charley Crockett Kicks Off The Final Part Of ‘The Sagebrush Trilogy With “Kentucky Too Long” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

His artistry is way beyond his years. Continue reading…