Ther are major changes coming to the show. Continue reading…

Can’t beat that. Lainey Wilson gets a lot of unfair criticism for her seemingly-meteoric rise, but in reality most fans don’t realize just how much work she put into grinding it out in Nashville to get to the superstar she is today. When the Louisiana native first moved to Nashville, she spent three years living in a camper in her friend’s yard while finishing college and pursuing her career in the music industry. Along the way she struggled to pay her bills just like pretty much everybody, and in her new Netflix documentary Lainey Wilson: Keepin’ Country Cool, she even revealed that she had to ask her sister for money a few weeks after she met her now-fiancé Duck Hodges: “I was broke. I was so broke when we met. And he thought I was doing a little bit better than I was. But a few weeks after we met, my sister had to Venmo me a couple hundred bucks.” As it turns out though, she wasn’t COMPLETELY broke. In fact, she had something that some would argue is more valuable than money: Free hot dogs for life. In the documentary, Lainey recalled one particular show she played at Daddy’s Dogs, a popular hot dog restaurant here in Nashville. This was back in 2020, when live music was largely shut down due to COVID and restaurants were struggling to stay in business. Daddy’s Dogs’ solution was a five night live concert series at their West Nashville location, with the restaurant bringing in a trailer to use as a stage and offering free tickets for fans to watch from their car. (Remember the days when all we had were drive-in concerts?) And apparently the artists weren’t paid for their appearances…at least not in money. Instead, Lainey revealed that she was given a card offering her free Daddy’s Dog hot dogs for life: “I played on top of an air conditioning unit at Daddy’s Dogs. And that was only in 2020. My payment was I got a gold card for free hot dogs the rest of my entire life, and that is one of the biggest flexes I will ever have.” @daddysdogsnash So the legends are true.. @Lainey Wilson @Netflix ♬ original sound – Daddy’s Dogs The concert series also featured artists like Cassadee Pope, Kris Allen and Adam Hambric, so presumably they have the same flex as Lainey with their lifetime hot dog pass. And Daddy’s Dogs confirmed by posting the clip from the documentary that Lainey’s prized card does, in fact, exist. Wonder if her and Duck ever used the card for date nights… Now, obviously Lainey can afford all the hot dogs she wants these days, but you’ve gotta look at the value of the hot dog card. If I had to guess, the performance would have probably paid $200, maybe $300 max if they were paying in cash. (I’m sure the going rate was a lot lower for artists back then when everybody was desperate for work and venues couldn’t afford to pay much because they weren’t doing any business). A hot dog at Daddy’s Dogs runs between $7 for a standard dog topped with mustard, ketchup and relish to $10 for some of their gourmet speciality dogs like the Mac Daddy, a hot dog topped with mac and cheese, or the Eloté Dog, which comes with bacon, grilled corn and cotija cheese. That means that Lainey probably comes out ahead if she uses the card somewhere between 20 and 40 times. And for someone who admits she was “broke” and had to borrow money from her sister the next year, you’ve gotta think she probably took advantage of the free meals pretty often during those times. Sounds like Lainey came out the winner on that gig.The post Lainey Wilson Was Once Paid For A Show With… Free Hot Dogs For Life first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The Red Clay Strays know how to work a crowd. The band from Mobile, Alabama – consisting of Drew Nix (electric guitar, vocals, harmonica), Zach Rishel (electric guitar), Andrew Bishop (bass), John Hall (drums), Sevans Henderson (keys), and frontman Brandon Coleman – has gone from up and coming to house hold name in just a couple of years. Their first two albums, Moment of Truth (2022) and Made by These Moments (2024), acted as stellar introductions into the world of music. Now that they are established and here to stay, there’s growing excitement and anticipation for their third album, Grateful, which is set to drop on June 5. There’s some big things in store for the Red Clay Strays in 2026 (including a tour to go along with the new album drop), and it’s all thanks to their big break, which got started in 2022 when their hit song “Wondering Why” was release. It was in 2023 that the track took off online (yes, TikTok) and gave the band much deserved attention. And now, it’s only right that they celebrate the song that has 3x platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). If you’ve seen them live before, you know that the moment in the setlist surrounding “Wondering Why” is a whole lot of fun. They shared some insight into that earlier today on social media with a clip from their Stagecoach performance. Frontman Brandon Coleman and the rest of the band give hints at the song that’s to come, and have made it a running bit now in their live performances to include this “Wondering Why” tease. Check it out: “Four years ago today we dropped our debut album. At that time no one would have guessed how big ‘Wondering Why’ would become. It’s pretty crazy to look back on. Now ‘Wondering Why’ is triple platinum, and we’re about to go on our first arena tour all over the country!” Such a cool moment… and I’m glad that The Red Clay Strays have found a way to celebrate their hit song a bit each and every night. And speaking of their arena tour, if you want to get out and see the Red Clay Strays this year – and participate in the “Wondering Why” concert bit – scan the tour dates below to see if the Mobile, Alabama band is coming to a town near you. Grateful Tour Dates July 30 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart August 1 – Boston, MA – TD Garden with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart August 5 – Laval, CA – Place Bell with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart August 7 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at The Mann with The Revivalist & Brent Cobb August 9 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden with The Revivalist & Brent Cobb August 16 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk August 18 – Grand Forks, ND – Alerus Center with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk August 19 – Bismarck, ND – Bismarck Event Center with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk August 21 – Bozeman, MT – Brick Breeden Fieldhouse with Sweet Talk August 22 – Missoula, MT – Adams Ceter with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk August 26 – Spokane, WA – Numerica Veterans Arena with Wyatt Flores & Sweet Talk August 27 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena with Wyatt Flores & Sweet Talk August 29 – Portland, OR – Moda Center with Wyatt Flores & Sweet Talk August 30 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena with Wyatt Flores & Sweet Talk September 2 – West Valley City, UT – Maverik Center with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 4 – Stateline, NV – Lake Tahoe Amphitheater at Caesars Republic with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 11 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 12 – Ontario, CA – Toyota Arena with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 16 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena San Diego with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 17 – Phoenix, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 20 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center with Muscadine Bloodline & Sweet Talk September 30 – Toronto, CA – RBC Amphitheater – with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 1 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 3 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 7 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena with Shane Smith & the Saints & Brent Cobb October 14 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 15 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 17 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 18 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 22 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena with Brent Cobb & Sierra Ferrell  October 23 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena with Brent Cobb & Sierra Ferrell October 28 – Knoxville, TN – Food City Center with Wyatt Flores & Brent Cobb October 31 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at the BJCC with Shane Smith & the Saints & Brent Cobb November 5 – Baton Rouge, LA – Raising Cane’s River Center with Muscadine Bloodline & Brent Cobb November 6 – Bossier City, LA – Brookshire Grocery Arena with Muscadine Bloodline & Brent Cobb November 8 – Jonesboro, AR – First National Bank Arena with Muscadine Bloodline & Brent Cobb November 13 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena with Travis Tritt & Brent CobbThe post The Red Clay Strays Have Found A Way To Celebrate “Wondering Why” Every Single Time They Play It Live first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Gearing up for another stellar record. As time passes, it’s become increasingly clear that Shane Smith & the Saints are the most underrated bands not only in the Red Dirt scene but in music in general. Backed by their patented blend of southern rock and stylings from Appalachian country, the Texas band scored early hits with the likes of “All I See Is You,” “Dance the Night Away” and “Lord Bury Me in Texas.” Over the past decade, it’s been easy to see that they’ve just gotten better with age. The sound has remained nearly the same, in the best way possible, of course. However, frontman Shane Smith’s voice has simply improved with every subsequent release. In particular, last year’s stellar record, Norther, portrayed this the best, showcasing a more mature, raspy vocal performance from the frontman. Feeling somewhere between late-career Johnny Cash and fellow alt. country star, Charles Wesley Godwin, he’s proven he has one of the most dynamic voices in the genre. Despite making some major appearances through 2025, including the likes of Two Step Inn, Koe Wetzel’s “Stronger Together” Texas benefit concert, Turnpike Troubadour’s Wild America Tour and their very own headlining tour, the Austin-based band were pretty quiet release-wise. In fact, the only song they dropped their anthem for Turtlebox, “Live Free (See Me Running),” last April. Thankfully, it looks like that’s all about to change in the coming months. This morning while announcing their upcoming return to Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels, Texas, with Sammy Kershaw on May 23rd, Smith himself would share a video from a studio in Memphis. Here, he’d drop the bomb that they have officially started preproduction for their fifth studio album. “We’re officially starting a new record today. We got dropped off in Memphis to do some preproduction, and we go off to Oxford and North Carolina the next day after that.” View this post on Instagram Of course, this untitled album will be the follow-up to their last brilliant release, Norther, which was our #2 record of the year of 2024 and contained some career-best tracks from the Saints such as “All the Way,” “Adeline,” “The Greys Between” and the severely underrated “1,000 Wild Horses.” Unlike some of their contemporaries such as Charley Crockett, Zach Bryan, Colby Acuff and more, Smith and Co. have a track record for taking their time between releases, highlighted by a five-year gap between Norther and their junior album Hail Mary in 2019 as well as a four-year gap between Hail Mary and Geronimo in 2015. With all that being said, it’s safe to say that the wait has always been worth it with the Saints. Even in a time where we’ve seen some of the best bands in the genre emerge seemingly on a yearly basis, they’ve proven time and time again that they have one of the most unique sounds and consistently terrific discographies in the game right now. Though its hard to speculate at the time given that they just started pre-production, I’d speculate a late 2026/early 2027 release date is most likely here. For now, however, we’ll just have to wait and see. Before you go, fire up their certified gold single, “All I See Is You.” Shane Smith & the Saints Tour Dates May 8 – Waco, Texas – Camp Fimfo Concert Series May 9 – Corpus Christi, Texas – Rodeo Corpus Christi May 15-16 – Cherokee, Texas – Cherokee Creek Music Festival May 23 – New Baunfels, Texas – Whitewater Amphitheater June 6 – McKinney, Texas – KHYI’s 27th Annual Texas Music Revolution June 7 – Lexington, Texas – Railbird Music Festival June 18 – Lewisburg, West Virginia – Wild Trails Festival June 20 – Greenwood Village, Colorado – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater June 26 – Pendleton, Oregon – Jackalope Jamboree June 27 – Kalispell, Montana – Majestic Valley ArenaThe post Shane Smith & The Saints Announce They’ve Started Working On A New Album first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

'So I had to leave and I was on this call crying, like, 'If Nana lives, she's going to hate this video!'' Musgraves remembers. Continue reading…