Debuting the big production. Last night, the first run of Dolly: A True Original Musical previewed at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee: View this post on Instagram A post shared by DOLLY: A True Original Musical (@dollymusical) The made-for-Broadway musical is headed to New York City in 2026, and is based around the beautiful life of Mrs. Dolly Parton and her journey as a small town mountain girl to a country music icon. Of course, getting on Broadway is of course massive accomplishment, especially writing and producing the show yourself, so I can only imagine what this means to Dolly both personally and professionally. The musical includes original music and arrangements, including Dolly classics as well as some new songs she’s been working on, and I’m sure will be a massive production full of big hair, rhinestones and classic country music. Dolly: An Original Musical is produced by Dolly, Danny Nozell, ATG Productions, and Gavin Kalin Productions. The Nashville shows will start on July 18th, and the official opening night will be on August 8th with a final performance on August 17th. In a press release, Dolly says it only felt right to premiere the musical in her home state of Tennessee, specifically Nashville, which is a city she’s called home for decades: “I am Tennessee born and raised, and Nashville has been my musical home for over 60 years. So, this is the right and perfect place to present the world premiere of my life story as a musical. Right here in Nashville, at the beautiful Belmont University’s Fisher Center” My favorite part of the interview, though, came when Dolly and Bart were asked about their favorite songs in the musical, and Bart shared there was one called “God, Sex and Music” that he loves, which Dolly responded to by saying: “Oh, yeah. That kinda sums me right up.” If that doesn’t make you want to see the musical, I don’t know what will… And last night, Dolly surprised the crowd by walking out onstage before the first show started to thank everyone for being there and to tell them how hard they’ve been working to put it together. She walked out with director Bartlett Sher and the crowd went wild: “We’ve had a great time. We’ve had so many wonderful people that have worked on this show, and I think you’re gonna love everybody’s part because they have worked so hard. But you know, this has been my dream for a long time. You know what’s funny, back in 1964, when I was a senior in high school, did I tell you this story? Well, my high school class, we went to New York to the world’s fair. And that was the year that every taxi cab in New York said, ‘Hello, Dolly.’ That’s when the musical ‘Hello, Dolly’ was there, and I thought, wow. I can’t wait to see my name on a taxi cab again… I want you to know that we’re so happy that we get to do this in my hometown here in Nashville…” But the funniest part was when she told everyone they weren’t allowed to sing, because obviously, we all know all of Dolly’s classic songs that make up a lot of this production, though it is a major Broadway production so it totally makes sense why they don’t want it to turn into a full-on singalong: “Now they told me to tell you, they have to turn off their cell phones… and they said to turn off all the stuff, including you. They said, every time you hear a song you know, that you’re gonna want to sing along. Well, don’t. This ain’t no hootenanny! This is a Broadway musical. Have a great time, you know I love you, appreciate you.” I get it, but it sure would be hard not to at least hum along a little bit… but when the queen speaks, you listen, and what Dolly says goes: @emmatruitt07 I’ve lived in nashville for a month and already got to see Dolly in person!!!!! #dollyparton #dollymusical #fyp #foryoupage ♬ original sound – heyemmatru The post Dolly Parton Warns Audience At First Preview Of Her Broadway Musical That They Aren’t Allowed To Sing: “This Ain’t No Hootenanny!” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The embarrassing clip has gone extremely viral. Continue reading…

What an impressive debut album from Danno Simpson. An up and coming artist who was born in Texas and hails from Fort Collins, CO, Simpson has spent the past 5 years quietly developing a potent catalog of originals. Beginning with his Honest Sessions and Clubhouse Sessions Vol. 1 EPs, Simpson’s earliest music was largely stripped-back and acoustic with an emphasis on his powerful lyricism and knack for storytelling. But as Simpson has come into his own as a musician and continued to release singles and EPs, he began adding layers to his sound with a full band and more intricate instrumentation, taking the music to another level while maintaining the integrity of his songwriting craft. The trend towards a bigger and better sound is gradual but obvious when combing through Simpson’s catalog, and in hindsight, he was just laying the foundation for his greatest sonic leap yet – his debut album. Titled The Kill Joy, Simpson’s brand new record features 10 tracks that span an array of topics and run the gamut sonically, but are all steeped in reflection surrounding the experiences that have brought him to where he is today. Boasting heavier guitar tones and more prominent bass lines than any of his music to date, a logical progression from the stripped-back tunes that started his career, Simpson’s new music remains rooted in country music tradition yet complimented by the edgier elements of Colorado’s punk scene in which he’s been active for years. And without sacrificing his lyrical prowess as a result, Simpson has forged a a unique sound and aura that are on full display in The Kill Joy. Opting for a quick rollout of the record, Simpson released both “Hotel Hillcrest” and “Days Gone By” to give his fans a glimpse of the record before hitting us with the full project shortly thereafter on July 11. As talented as he is, one can only imagine that Simpson is poised for a breakthrough, and there’s a high likelihood this album could be the catalyst that gets him there. See for yourself, and listen to a few early favorites from The Kill Joy: “A Song About What I Can’t Have” “Heartless” “Down on My Knees” “Am I Stoned or Not Breathing” “Leave Me Where You Found Me” While I hope more tour dates are yet to be announced as Simpson promotes the album’s release, there are a handful of shows already announced for this summer and fall that feature Simpson headlining some local venues, opening for Charles Wesley Godwin in Montana, and making an appearance at the Peacemaker Festival in Fort Smith, AR alongside the likes of Stephen Wilson Jr., Southall, Sam Barber, and more. Get out there and catch Simpson live if he’s coming to a city near you, and if not, be on the lookout for more tour dates coming your way from one of country music’s most promising up-and-comers. These songs are going to absolutely rock live. Danno Simpson Tour Dates 7/20 – Aggie Theatre – Fort Collins, CO^ 10/10 – Peacemaker Festival – Fort Smith, AR* 10/17 – Pub Station – Billings, MT+ 10/18 – The ELM – Bozeman, MT+ 10/19 – The Wilma – Missoula, MT+ *festival date ^w/ Ronnie and the Redwoods +supporting Charles Wesley GodwinThe post Danno Simpson Explores His Sound In Reflective Debut Record, ‘The Kill Joy’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Makes you want to smoke a cigarette… or two. Today, Nashville native and up-and-comer Lauren Watkins released a new single called “Marlboro Man,” which she wrote with Natalie Hemby and Jeremy Spillman, and was produced by ACM and CMA winning producer Will Bundy (“you look like you love me”). The song is woozy, western, and full of beautiful, pure country instrumentation that has a nod to the rugged westerns and an unattainable romance most only see in movies or daydream about, and Lauren says it’s has a healthy dose of nostalgia because that’s what she’s drawn to: “I’d had the idea for ‘Marlboro Man’ in my back pocket for a while. I’m a pretty nostalgic person by nature – I’m always reminiscing, missing how things used to be. I brought the idea to Natalie and Jeremy because I knew they’d go there with me. I’ve always been drawn to this image of the ‘Marlboro Man’ — not necessarily for the cigarettes, but for what he stood for. He was rugged, masculine, quiet and kind of untouchable. There’s something romantic about it, and I wanted to write a song that felt like that.” I love the old school feel and imagery, and the slow-burning track perfectly captures the longing for an old-school cowboy and nostalgia for a different time and place. Lauren has a great knack for evoking that kind of romantic nostalgia, and this is another winner. She paints a beautiful picture of the type of man who seems like the last of a dying breed: “He was rugged as a prairie in the middle of July Riding tall in solitary, blowing smoke rings at the sky He was rough around the edges like the outer county lines If he was here right now, I swear I’d make him mine What ever happened to the Marlboro man? Did he finally tame the west? Ride off in that sunset Was he looking for a wild flame to light him up again? ‘Cause right now I could use a Marlboro, Marlboro man” The production is simple and it’s a strong single, and I hope we hear more from her soon because really enjoyed her 2024 debut studio album, The Heartbroken Record. If you’re unfamiliar with Lauren and her work, she is a fantastic songwriter, releasing several great EP’s over the last couple years called Introducing: Lauren Watkins and Introducing: The Heartbreak that showcase her unique writing and vintage sound that is always so simple and beautiful. She has opened for stars like Morgan Wallen and Riley Green, and she is a native of Music City, but left town to attend college at Ole Miss with no intentions of every becoming an artist. Over time, she started to feel the pull towards music and more and more, and before she knew it, she was playing gigs around Oxford and fully embracing being a songwriter, as well. If you like the stylings of old school, classic country, the effortless listening of 90’s country hits, and timeless, brilliant songwriting that hits you right in the heart with both humor and deep emotion, Lauren’s music is for you and she’s certainly a name to keep your eye on. Check it out: “Marlboro Man” The post Lauren Watkins Releases Nostalgic, Slow-Burning Ballad, “Marlboro Man” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

If you’ve been online anytime within the last few days, I’m sure you’ve heard of the Coldplay concert scandal that has taken the internet by storm. Basically, at the end of Coldplay concerts, there’s a couple cam that captures some cute displays of affection between concert goers. Usually, they will sing along to a song, dancing with one another, or share a kiss. On Wednesday night, however, the cam caught something… a bit suspicious. Videos were taken of the awkward moment and posted to social media, allowing the internet to witness the exchange. The cam shows an older woman and man wrapped in each other’s arms while swaying along to the concert. However, once they notice they are plastered on a jumbotron in front of a 60,000-person crowd, they quickly jump away from each other, hiding their faces in embarrassment. Front man, Chris Martin makes a joke that they are either camera shy or… having an affair. The CEO of one of the largest tech companies in the world was just caught on camera having an affair with his head of HR #Coldplay #ColdplayConcert pic.twitter.com/5PGJzShvVW — Tech Ai Labs (@techailabs) July 18, 2025 Well, turns out he was right about the later. After the video was posted to TikTok, it went mega viral and internet users were quickly able to identify the couple. Turns out, the man was identified as Andy Byron, CEO of the tech company Astronomer. The woman? Astronomer’s head of HR… NOT his wife. Or her husband for that matter. Yeah, it’s messy… but play stupid games, win stupid prizes, right? I mean, maybe don’t bring your mistress, who you work at a billion dollar company with, to a stadium concert? And if you do, maybe don’t look like a loving couple when the kiss cam starts running around the stadium? And while this is a disaster for them and their families, it’s united the country unlike anything we’ve seen this year. We’ve all been enjoying the memes and the jokes since Wednesday, and now, people at entertainment events everywhere have been joking around about the scandal, even replicating it on kiss-cams of their own. Check out this video of the Hawthorn Football Club mascots poking fun at the two: @hawthornfc Hawthorn mascots caught at the Coldplay concert #coldplay #cheating #ceo #hawthorn #afl ♬ original sound – hawthornfc Country artists are, of course, not excluded from poking their own bit of fun at the situation. Luke Bryan, a man notorious for his on-stage bits had to make sure his crowd wasn’t full of cheaters. While sitting at his piano he abruptly shouts: “Who is with their secretary tonight?! Hey, it’s got to be somebody way up there!” Then he proceeds to cut himself off by singing a bit of his song “Strip It Down”. Oh Luke, always with the jokes. @cwtolson the birthday boy was feeling sassy last night @Luke Bryan highly recommend going to one of his concerts if you haven’t already #lukebryan #coldplayconcert #concert #greenville ♬ original sound – cwtolson Morgan Wallen also made a point to say a few words to potential cheaters in the crowd of his show last night. A video capturing Wallen on the jumbotron shows him looking out on the crowd before saying: “If anyone is with their side chick or whatever, I think you’re safe here. I don’t condone cheating… anymore.” @amber.brew Morgan Wallen commenting on the Coldplay situation #morganwallen #arizona #mw #statefarmstadium #concert #coldplay ♬ original sound – amber dawn Another video is from a Russell Dickerson show, which shows him poking fun at the viral affair. Before starting a song, he gives a speech to the audience. “If anybody has walked down the aisle to this song, if any CEOs have been to a concert, cheating with HR to this song…” He then breaks out laughing. I mean come on… it really is an insane situation. @russelldickersonofficial I came to life when I first kiss-cam’d you #kisscam #astronomer #caught ♬ original sound – Russell Dickerson Jason Aldean wasn’t in concert, but he even shared a picture of the cheating couple, with the caption referencing coming to his show: “Bring your girl to the Aldean show before her CEO does.” Irony is not lost on me with that one… Jordan Davis, The Philadelphia Phillies, the list goes on… but I’m sure this was a lesson to people everywhere. If you’re going to cheat on your wife, don’t expect to get away with it at the most public event possible to attend. Especially not if you’re the CEO of a massive company, and definitely not with your head of HR. Let’s use our heads.The post Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan & More Country Music Artists Poke Fun At Tech CEO Affair With Their Own Concerts first appeared on Whiskey Riff.