Sturgill Simpson – A.K.A. Johnny Blue Skies – isn’t one to go on long, winding rants during his live shows. But there are exceptions… like this moment where he addressed the crowd about vasectomies, and made his stance on the matter very clear. During his Philadelphia show on October 15, something sparked Johnny Blue Skies to share his thoughts on vasectomies. One Redditor says a woman in the crowd was holding up a sign that said her husband had recently gotten one, and that they were doing their part to “Make America F** Again.” I’d say that story probably checks out, because I don’t know how else vasectomies would come up. And also, I trust that you know what that procedure is, and that I don’t have to explain it. Simpson evidently got a kick out of the sign, and proceeded to share that he read a study once that detailed the benefits of having a vasectomy done: “You know there’s only ever been one study done post-vasectomy in Germany? They said for 87% of males that had the procedure done, everything gets better. It’s like, if you have a garden hose with a little ‘Y’ feeding one line and you cut off one line and cauterize it, now it’s all just shooting through one pipe.” He then said something about Spider-Man, but I’ll let you hear that for yourself… Like I mentioned earlier, Johnny Blue Skies usually keeps to himself for most of the show and let’s the music do the talking. The first time I ever saw him, he didn’t even address the crowd until an hour and a half into the concert. And if my memory serves me right, it was more of a “How’s everybody doing?” rather than a “You know what I think about vasectomies?” Sturgill stuck the landing of the brief concert detour about the minor, male surgery by saying this: “We wouldn’t have to worry about women’s rights and abortions if more men just got a vasectomy and took one for the team. You can reverse that sh*t fellas, just saying.” View this post on Instagram You never know what you’ll hear at a Johnny Blue Skies show. Speaking of, time is running out to see the raucous, jamming, evidently pro-vasectomy band in 2026. You can check below to see where Johnny Blue Skies and the Dark Clouds will be playing for the next couple of weeks. And fair warning, it wasn’t long ago that JBS said he and his band would be going away for a while after this record and tour. So if you want to see him, get to one of these last remaining dates: Remaining Mutiny For The Masses Tour Dates Oct 18 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena Oct 21 – Raleigh, NC – Lenovo Center Oct 23 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium Oct 25 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena Oct 27 – New Orleans, LA – Lakefront Arena Oct 30 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena And just because it came up in the story earlier, might as well leave you with a link to the song that helped spark that unexpected concert tangent: “Make America F** Again” The post Sturgill Simpson Pauses Concert To Give A Hilarious Speech About… Vasectomies first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Adds a whole new meaning to the title. After a busy year in 2026 that included the release of a sprawling, 25-song album back in January, With Heaven On Top, as well as a world tour that just wrapped up last weekend in Auburn, Alabama, Bryan is back once again today with his highly anticipated EP, Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs.  In true Zach Bryan fashion, it’s another stellar effort that sees him stretching himself from both a vocal and sonic perspective throughout the project. The EP included the likes of fan-favorites on tour like “Lodi When,” “Robot Killed The Working Man,” “Backwards” and “You’ll Get By,” as well as features from the likes of the legendary Turnpike Troubadours on “Plainsman” alt-pop star, Lana Del Rey, on “Lies,” which seems to be the runaway hit. Though fans are loving the EP, the one aspect about the project that has many a bit confused is its title. And while it’s admittedly quite a strange one, and I even saw some folks thinking it was alluding to circumcision (lol), the true meaning behind it is one of tragedy. As many fans know, his late mother, Annette, played a huge role in both his life and career, with Bryan naming his debut album after her. And as it turns out, the tragic nature of her unexpected death played a huge factor in the naming of today’s EP as well. During a lengthy, two-hour conversation with Matthew McConaughey, which was also released on YouTube in tandem with the EP, Bryan would open up about details surrounding her death for the first time. As Bryan recalls, he was only 19 when she passed away suddenly. At first, he was told that shehad just collapsed and would be back to normal soon, remarking that she’d just get back up. Tragically, she was pronounced brain-dead shortly after taking the fall and being rushed to the hospital. “When I was 19, I was about to go on this deployment. I was about to go to the Middle East, and my sister called me… She says, ‘Hey, Mom passed out. She’s in the hospital.’ And it was supposed to just be like: She fell over. She fainted. She’s back up — ‘Oh, mom’s back.’ But it turned out her brain was dead.” From there, he and various family members stayed by her side for two weeks. With that being said, however, he and his sister were the only ones sitting by her side when she passed. Here, Bryan recalled not understanding what “Code Blue” meant for patients. “So for two weeks, I waited there with my mother in her hospital room, and there was still hope. There was still hope for her. People thought that she was gonna come out of it and things like that. Two weeks goes by, and I remember laying there in a cot in a waiting room, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. No one was there; everyone had left. It was just me… And this doctor runs through it and yells, ‘Code Blue. Code Blue.’  I didn’t know what that meant. They should have had a better word like ‘Code Death’ or ‘She’s dying.’ But it was Code Blue, and I didn’t know what it meant.” Within 10 minutes of “Code Blue” being called on his mother, Bryan was then tasked to make the final decision to keep her alive with next to zero odds of survival or pull the plug. With his sister too emotional to make a decision, he decided to pull the plug. While holding her hand as she took her last breath, Bryan recalls immediately being asked by hospital staff to sign papers to donate her organs to science. It was that moment that was the catalyst for the name of the EP and something that Bryan has grappled with ever since. As he explains, the world, whether it’s doctors, the music industry as a whole or people in his life, will not stop asking of you… even when you’re at your lowest. “20 to 30 years old, I spent just trying to reconcile that. Even when you’re at your lowest moment, even when you’re dying, people are going to come and they’re going to ask and they’re going to need. And I’ve tried my best. I’ve given my heart and my soul and my lungs. I just had to reconcile that my entire 20s. Man, they’re gonna come, and they’re gonna ask. And they’re not gonna stop until you’re literally in the ground. I finally one day woke up, and I was like, ‘That’s a good title.’ I feel like my entire 20s I spent just giving all the sh*t to other people. I came to grips with they’re never gonna stop asking.” Finally, he’d finish by acknowledging how blessed he’s been in life through his music career; however, it’s come at a cost for him. “I’m not complaining. I’m blessed. I’m a lucky man. I get to live here; I get to be here. I get to sing music for a living, but that came from a lot of f****** donation of my heart and donation of my lungs and donation of my hands and my sanity at times. That’s why that title means so much to me… I looked at that title, and I saw that f****** guy looking at me. I was like, ‘Damn. That guy’s a metaphor for everything.'” You can watch the whole conversation with McConaughey here: Zach Bryan 2027 Tour Dates April 28 — Minneapolis, MN — U.S. Bank Stadium May 1 — Indianapolis, IN — Lucas Oil Stadium May 4 — Green Bay, WI — Lambeau Field May 8 — Chicago, IL — Soldier Field May 14 — East Rutherford, NJ — Metlife Stadium May 15 — East Rutherford, NJ — Metlife Stadium May 18 — Baltimore, MD — M&T Bank Stadium May 14 — East Rutherford, NJ — Metlife Stadium May 22 — Nashville, TN — Nissan Stadium May 25 — Philadelphia, PA — Lincoln Financial Stadium May 29 — Atlanta, GA — Mercedes-Benz Stadium June 2 — Buffalo, NY– Highmark Stadium July 16  — Las Vegas, NV– Allegiant Stadium July 20  — Los Angeles, CA– SoFi Stadium July 24  — Seattle, Washington– Lumen Field July 28  — Vancouver, BC– BC Place August 1  — Edmonton, AB — Commonwealth Stadium August 6  — Boise, ID — Albertsons Stadium December 3  — Melbourne, VIC — Marvel Stadium December 4  — Melbourne, VIC — Marvel Stadium December 10  — Sydney, NSW — Accor Stadium December 11  — Sydney, NSW — Accor Stadium December 17  — Brisbane, QLD — Suncorp Stadium December 18  — Brisbane, QLD — Suncorp Stadium The post Zach Bryan Reveals The Tragic Meaning Behind The Title Of His New EP, ‘Young Manhood & Other Donatable Organs’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Elizabeth Hurley showed off a diamond ring, and Billy Ray Cyrus followed with a post that raised eyebrows. Continue reading…

Controlling the narrative. Today, Zach Bryan dropped his highly anticipated EP, Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs. The stellar project included the likes of fan-favorites on tour like “Lodi When,” “Robot Killed The Working Man,” “Backwards” and “You’ll Get By,” as well as features from the likes of the legendary Turnpike Troubadours on “Plainsman” alt-pop star, Lana Del Rey, on “Lies,” which seems to be the runaway hit. With that being said, however, it’s not just the new project that he had up his sleeve. Right before the EP dropped, on Wednesday, the Oklahoma native rolled out a MASSIVE 2027 stadium tour of the same name. Hitting the likes of the Chicago Bears’ Soldier Field, the Green Bay Packers’ Lambeau Field, the Tennessee Titans’ Nissan Stadium, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field and many more, Bryan is taking on 23 different stadiums across the U.S., Canada and Australia. In case that wasn’t enough, the “Lodi When” singer is also preparing the release of his first-ever book in tandem with Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs’ physical release, which is currently projected to ship in January 2027. According to the description on his website, the book, which is also titled Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs, is a reflection of the past 10 years of his life, detailing his rise to fame from the Navy to setting the U.S. record for highest-attended concert in history last year. “Zach Bryan writes a ten year period piece taking an in depth look at the last ten years of his life. His childhood and all he learned from it, his honorable discharge from the Navy, his touring career from small theatre’s to three night stadium sell outs, his vices and mistakes along with his victories and lessons. His lack of public statements and interviews makes this book a rare glimpse inside the mind of a generational songwriter and a better of understanding of where he comes from.” Of course, when you dive into Bryan’s artistry, there’s undeniably so much to discuss. Of course, you can talk about all the inherent drama from past relationships that have been pushed to the top of headlines, the public beefs he’s had with fellow artists and the political statements he’s made over the years. With that being said, however, when it’s all said and done, it’s become more than apparent that the Oklahoma native has become one of the most prolific songwriters we’ve seen in the current generation, and it looks like he’s trying to clear any of the various preconceived narratives and notions in the book. Whiskey Riff has covered Zach extensively since his very first video went viral (I’m pretty confident we wrote the first blog about him back in June of 2019), and I can tell you first hand we’ve seen a number of stories get completely misreported. In some cases, the facts were true, but the context was missing… Zach will presumably address a lot of that with the book. During a lengthy, two-hour conversation with Matthew McConaughey, which was also released on YouTube in tandem with the EP, Bryan would explain that he felt that he had to pen the book to tell his own story. Here, he’d reference the aforementioned false narratives about him over the past few years. “I learned this the hard way — I think growing up. Especially the last five years, I think if you don’t tell your own story, a thousand people will tell it for you — usually incorrectly.” From there, he’d dive into the true inspiration behind the book — passing his story down to future generations. “I was sitting there one night after I had written like 20 pages. I felt if I wrote something down, it will last forever. I can share it with my wife one day. I can share it with my kids. Kids were a big inspiration — my future children, God willing. I thought, ‘Man, if i write this down, this will live forever.’ Not that it needs to live forever, not because I think people give a sh*t. But because I want, if I’m lucky enough to make it to 80 years old, to read it. I wrote it, and I showed all my friends. And they said, ‘Man, I didn’t know half of this about you.'” Once again referencing the seemingly endless amount of headlines and drama surrounding him over the years, he’d explain that he thought the book was the only way to “settle” any rumors. Here, Bryan would call the narrative “no bullsh*t” and no “frills,” promising that he’s not going to paint himself in any certain light — good or bad. “I thought it was important to share my story before those 1,000 incorrect stories became my story… I learn new things about myself every day on the internet that are very formidable things. I thought a good way to settle that was to write my own story — good, bad and ugly. No bullsh*t, no frills — I’m not going to make myself look better or worse. I needed to know who I was, and I think writing that let me do that.” After revealing that the book will be roughly 250 pages, he’d note that he was brought to tears upon completion, also remarking how much of an impact his wife, Samantha, had on him while writing. “Samantha read it. She was like, ‘This is really special. I read it to her, and I was bawling. I was weeping at times. I think she saw me for who I really was in that. If she can see me for who I really was in that, I think a million people might — a hundred people might, whoever picks up the book.” As of now, the book, Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs, is currently sold out on Bryan’s website, with the potential of a restock currently being unknown. You can watch the whole conversation with McConaughey here: The post Zach Bryan Wants To Clear The Air With Upcoming Book: “If You Don’t Tell Your Own Story, A Thousand People Will Tell It For You” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Nicholas Jamerson has been on a roll lately. He just released his 7-track project Rabbit Holes (Vol. 1) on September 11, and now less than a month later, he’s already back again with new music. The first installment of Rabbit Holes (Vol. 2), Jamerson’s latest tune “Stay With Me” is a powerful love song written and recorded alongside his fiancée Irene Davis. Conveying the difficult of life on the road as a necessary evil for a musician trying to make ends meet, “Stay With Me” express the importance of love to stay positive and grounded throughout the inherent chaos and temptation that comes with the territory. Though the duo penned this song years ago prior to the pandemic, I expect this sentiment is as real as ever for Jamerson at the moment, prompting the delayed decision to release it. In a post made to his Instagram shortly after the single dropped, Jamerson provided some additional context behind “Stay With Me.” “We recorded this when EI was 6 months pregnant with our son Wilbur. Love is so much about surrender. Surrendering control, surrendering the past. Love doesn’t mean perfect, so you also have to surrender preconceived notions of what you think it’s all going to look like. It’s the embodiment of faith, so most of all I think you surrender yourself to God , and a broader vision.” View this post on Instagram Now go ahead and give “Stay With Me” a listen for yourself here: As I already mentioned, “Stay With Me” marks the first release since Jamerson’s latest project Rabbit Holes (Vol. 1). In case you missed it, check out that tracklist below along with a couple of my favorites from the project. Rabbit Holes (Vol. 1) Tracklist “Blow’d in the Creek” “I’ve Never Been Anywhere” “Fly” “Goodbye Brother” “Hollerin’ and Wallerin'” “Be Strong” “How Great Thou Art” One of the best songwriters in the business right now, Jamerson is also an extremely underrated performer. Not because he’s going to be running around the stage and firing up a rowdy crowd every night, but because of his incredible ability to silence a room and captivate an audience with his lyrics and stories. Hearing Jamerson pull songs from his deep catalog and performing them live is an experience I highly recommend to anyone who is reading this, so if he’s coming to a town near you any time soon, you’re not going to want to miss it. Nicholas Jamerson Tour Dates 10/15 – Beer City Music Hall – Oklahoma City, OK! 10/16 – Tulips – Fort Worth, TX! 10/17 – Hogs and Strings Cookoff and Music Festivall – Kountze, TX* 11/5 – Royal Oak Music Theatre – Royal Oak, MI+ 11/7 – MegaCorp Pavilion – Newport, KY+ 11/19 – Radio Room – Greenville, SC# 11/20 – Revival – Asheville, NC# 11/21 – The Truth – Nashville, TN^ 12/18 – Star City Strand – Prestonburg, KY 12/19 – Holler Day Git Down – Lexington, KY 1/26-1/30 – Mile 0 Fest – Key West, FL* *festival date !w/ The Droptines +supporting Charles Wesley Godwin #w/ The Dick and Tammy Show (Justin Clyde Williams & Tyler Hatley)The post Nicholas Jamerson Releases Powerful New Love Song “Stay With Me” Written & Recorded Alongside His Fiancée first appeared on Whiskey Riff.