Anything raised an $11 million funding round led by Footwork.

Another music festival has decided to hit the pause button… and I don’t think anyone saw this announcement coming. Country Jam has been operating for 33 years, which makes it one of the genre’s longest running festivals. And with the growth in popularity that country music has experienced recently, you would have thought that Country Jam would continue to roll on as they have across the past three decades. But in a surprising announcement, festival organizers for Colorado Jam made it public just a few days ago that the long-running festival that has historically drawn in some of the best country music acts (thus the most die-hard country music fans) will be taking a pause in 2026. Festival cancellations have become commonplace in the past couple of years. The Iron Hills, Country Roads, and Faster Horses festivals have all made the tough decision to waive the white flag in the past couple of months, with most citing “softer than expected demand” as the main reason for shuttering. It’s unclear why Country Jam decided to call off their festival for 2026, but you could assume that it’s for the same or similar reasons. The official social media account shared the news, saying: “Important Update: Country Jam Colorado will be pausing in 2026 as we take time to re-evaluate and plan for the future. We’re grateful to all the fans, artists, partners, and the entire Colorado community & beyond who have supported the festival and made it such a special event year after year.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Country Jam CO (@countryjamco) And it’s important to note that Country Jam prefers the term “pause” rather than “cancellation,” even though that’s what it is… at least for 2026. The pause may come as a surprise to some, but we’re entering into a time where more and more festivals are struggling, postponing to future dates, and even closing up shop altogether. It’s truly become a crowded landscape, and despite many bigger festivals faltering, it seems like a new festival pops up every single year. There’s also the issue of cost. Festivals need to charge fans a certain amount to justify putting on the whole kit and caboodle, and that price can sometimes be too steep for even the most passionate music lovers. Tack on the fact that festivals often require fans to travel, book lodging, and pay for food and drinks… and you’ve got yourself an economic activity that not everyone can pull off during these times. Despite all that, festivals that are still operating are fighting (and finding a way) to stay affordable. Others are making an effort to differentiate themselves. Country Jam definitely had longevity on its side, as it was a staple in the festival space for three decades… but even that’s apparently not enough to keep it rolling into 2026. And it’s wild to think that just this past summer, the organizers behind the now-paused country music festival boasted a lineup of Eric Church (he filled in for Luke Bryan when Bryan dropped out), Cody Johnson, Tracy Lawrence, and Flatland Cavalry, among others. That’s a great lineup, and it’s like many that they’ve had in previous years. If that isn’t bringing in the fans, I don’t know what will… and maybe that’s why they are choosing to pause the festival in 2026.The post Country Jam Colorado, One Of Country Music’s Longest Running Festivals, Announces They Are Taking A Pause In 2026 first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Morgan Wallen is in your favorite video game… but not for long. Morgan Wallen is branching out of country music and is making an acting cameo (or sorts) in the virtual world. Morgan Wallen is featured in the trailer for the Battlefield 6 video game, as announced on Instagram. In a short clip, it shows Wallen with a backwards baseball hat on, strapped up with a gun, saying to the camera: “For the bad guys out there… Yeah, I’m the problem.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Morgan Wallen (@morganwallen) The clip encourages fans to check out the live-action trailer, which is also available, featuring other celebrities such as Zac Efron, UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett, and professional basketball player Jimmy Butler. After Wallen shared this teaser, fans went wild in the comments, noting that they would have to get back into video games so they could fight combat with their favorite country music star. “Morgan Wallen skin in game would go crazyyyyy.” “Time to start playing video games!!” “Welp I guess I gotta play this game now… yay.” “And I suddenly like video games.” “This was not on my bingo card.” However, this excitement for fans was short-lived when the trailer went live. The Battlefield 6 trailer opens with all the men rolling out to the Smashing Pumpkins classic, “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” ready to kick some a** and take names. “Showtime.”  Efron says as they load their guns, with Wallen chiming in, “Soundcheck,” like he’s ready to go in his “supporter” role. As Efron begins to review their game plan with the men, their cameo is cut short by a massive explosion that takes out all the men at the 23-second mark of the trailer. The Battlefield 6 squad then rolls in ready for action, asking who the poor souls who just got blown up were as they prepared to go head to head with the Pax Armata threat, as they storm a war-torn New York City. It did not take long for video game enthusiasts to chime in that Battlefield was trolling their competitors, Call of Duty, by having these famous faces in the video game trailer. Call of Duty has been known for turning celebrities into game characters. Over the years, Call of Duty fans have seen people like Kevin Spacey in campaigns, but the game has also created playable characters from celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Nicki Minaj. The franchise has a long history of incorporating famous individuals into the game, but Battlefield is not giving in to that trend and is almost mocking their choices in this latest trailer. Per the Video Games Chronicle, during an interview with Battlefield 6’s design director, Shashank Uchil, shared that the game needed to be “grounded” and, too, seemingly took shots at Call of Duty. “It has to be grounded. That is what Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 was – it was all soldiers, on the ground. It’s going to be like this. I don’t think it needs Nicki Minaj. Let’s keep it real, keep it grounded.” While it’s cool to see Morgan Wallen in the trailer, sadly, for fans hoping he would be a playable skin, that dream isn’t coming true. I bet many folks have played the first 23 seconds of the trailer more than they’d like to admit in order to see Wallen decked out in his combat attire. Maybe one day fans will get a playable character from Wallen… just not today.The post Morgan Wallen’s Cameo In The ‘Battlefield 6’ Trailer Was Short-Lived… Literally first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Both President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu are holding a press conference at 1:15PM eastern and you can watch it below. Many of the questions will likely center around a . . .

It’s just being reported by the Associated Press that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called the Prime Minister of Qatar to apologize for the strike targeting Hamas officials in Doha. They are reporting . . .

Threenager - Ester Steinberg stand-up comedy

Far below the piercing spires atop every Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel rests a sign that beckons, “Visitors welcome” – a testament to the faith’s robust evangelizing efforts. But on Sunday morning, a former Marine and Iraq War veteran took advantage of the denomination’s open arms – plowing his truck into an LDS church in Michigan, shooting worshippers with an assault weapon and setting the chapel on fire. At least four people were killed at the church in tranquil...

The suspect in the Sunday shooting at a Michigan church was a Marine who served in Iraq, according to military officials. Authorities identified the suspect as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, who died on the scene. The Marine Corps in a statement obtained by NewsNation said Sanford was a sergeant who served between 2004 and 2008 and was deployed during the Iraq War. He was awarded multiple medals including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, officials said...