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Without a doubt, Luke Combs is one of the biggest names in not only country music, but music in general. The man releases hit after hit, packs stadiums across the world, releases quality album after quality album, scoops up awards every single year… he’s a beast. And he does it all while being one of the kindest, most humble, family-oriented, down to Earth dudes in the entire game. I respect the hell out of him. Also, let’s be real – even if you hate mainstream country music, Combs is easily one of the best options you’re going to find on country radio. But here’s the kicker… he’s still pretty young, his fanbase is huge, he’s broken a ton of records, and it’s really only the beginning of his career. Well at least for us… for Luke, it probably feels like he’s been doing this for a LONG time. And truth is, he has. Back in the day, long before he was a global superstar in the country music world, he was playing at a little bar called Town Tavern in Boone, North Carolina. A student at Appalachian State University (also the alma matter of fellow North Carolina native Eric Church), Luke was cutting his teeth in college bars and according to bar owner Justin Davis, he was blowing the roof off. Here’s the story of Luke’s early days in college bars, straight from Justin himself: “Luke lived upstairs from my bar the Town Tavern in Boone and worked security as well. And one time, he asked me if he could play there. Live music was always a no-go because we had tenants above the bar so it was always an issue with the lease and our landlord who didn’t rent that space out to me to piss off his bread and butter which was his residents rent above our spot. Keep in mind I’m only 28 yrs old and Luke has just turned 21.” And while one can appreciate the owner not wanting to anger the tenants upstairs, the folks upstairs were mostly college kids, including Luke himself, and they would’ve LOVED to hear Luke perform. They weren’t a bunch of Karens, they were the type to be downstairs watching. Justin continued: “Well, Luke went across the street and played at another college bar and well over 200 people showed up on a Wednesday. The next day, Luke came back to the Tavern and said, “I can play there again or I’ll play here for you at The Tavern.” So I said “f*** the lease, and f*** the tenants,” I can’t let all my business go across the street to another bar or none of it will matter anyway. So we set up Thursday nights and he would headline with Adam Church on our “Red Solo Cup Night.” This was our gimmick to compete with other places running specials on the same night. You  would bring in a red solo cup we would fill it with PBR for a buck. It was just in the peak of Toby Keith’s song “Red Solo Cup,” so we really did fill them up, like-700 cups or more a night.” Even as a college kid, still cutting his teeth in local bars, Luke could pack a room. And according to Justin, even back then Luke was a larger than life personality. The entrance was something special, the kind of thing you would see at a WWE event: “Luke and Adam would come on about 11pm and I would turn all the lights off and strobe the dimmers back and forth as we blasted AC/DC “For Those About To Rock” and like a WWE intro, out would roll ADAM and LUKE! Luke’s always been a big fella but when he rolled out into that hallway to take that stage, in a room full of 200 raging drunk college kids with red solo cups, he looked 10 feet tall with more swag than The Rock. And he would kill it, every time. People couldn’t get enough, after sets or during Adams solos he would come chill in the back and we would suck down draft PBRs and Jager bombs. I remember always telling him he was special and he had that “it” factor. We would have to cut the door by 10pm every Thursday because the Fire Department would write us overcapacity tickets and that went on for about a year.” And then finally, Luke made the call to try this thing out for real, and he moved to Nashville: “One afternoon Luke came in and said he needed to talk to me so we went out back and he told me he was moving to Nashville. I was so over the moon for him and I knew he was doing what he needed to do, but at the same time I was like “F*** me, I’m losing a star!” It was such a wild feeling. He rolled out in something like a 1996 Dodge Neon, smoking, and packed full of s***, but a year later he dropped “Hurricane” and we all watched it climb up the charts, just a bunch of cheerleaders back at his hometown bar. What he’s done is phenomenal and it was awesome to watch him blow up right in front of our eyes night after night. And the rest is history. From a little college bar in Boone, North Carolina… all the way to CMA Entertainer of the Year. So without further ado, let’s go all the way back to 2011… This video was actually taken from a different bar in Boone, once called Ale House, but Luke Combs performs a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man,” and you can see how rowdy the place was. The post “More Swag Than The Rock” – North Carolina Bar Owner Recalls A Young Luke Combs Blowing The Roof Off The Place More Than A Decade Ago first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Marcus King’s highly anticipated LP, Darling Blue, is HERE. Darling Blue is the first record that the Marcus King Band has recorded as a group since 2018, and it’s something special to say the least. The South Carolina native shared that his home state inspired the music, along with influences from country, folk, and psychedelic rock. To top it off, King also incorporated elements of blues, which is signature to the band’s sound. “Like my band and I were just working out songs to perform live but ended up creating a piece of recorded music for our fans to hear. Our goal is always to be a vessel and allow the music to flow through us and tap into something that’s already there in the room. But more than anything I’ve done before, this album felt like a real concerted effort to make music for myself, and for ourselves as a band—creating for the love of creating and being as honest as we possibly can. We put everything we had into making something that we love and we have faith that the audience will feel that and love it, too.” Fans could see that this project would be something to write home about with the singles released leading up to the LP’s full reveal. With songs like “Carolina Honey,” dedicated to his North Carolina-grown bride, Briley, and “Carry Me Home,” a love letter to the Blue Ridge Mountains, King’s songwriting was earnest and heartfelt, with melodies that flawlessly accompanied the soulful lyrics. With Marcus King’s previous project, Mood Swings, we saw him experiment with new sounds while working with the legendary producer Rick Rubin. While melodically it was much different from the soulful southern rock stylings we were used to seeing from him, King unlocked a new superpower: his songwriting. No longer hiding behind a guitar, King unleashed powerfully raw lyrics that addressed past relationships, depression, and addiction. While King brought back elements of the sound fans know and loved before Mood Swings, he kept that vulnerable songwriting at the focal point of Darling Blue, highlighting his growth out of a deep, dark depression thanks to his wife. The progression of songs highlights his development into the man he is today, as he pours himself into becoming a better person and husband, yet still admits he is far from perfect. “This album is a love letter to the mountains I call home, and a declaration of love for the woman that reminded me that life is worth living. Grateful to have recorded this project at the legendary Capricorn Studios in Macon, Georgia — echoing the movements of our heroes and southern rock forefathers: The Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels, The Allman Brothers Band and more. I’m so proud to have made this album with my brothers and to showcase our brand of country music to you all. This is how we do it down in South Carolina.”  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Marcus King (@realmarcusking) Recorded at the legendary Capricorn Studios in Macon, GA, fans could feel the love he has for Briley in previously released singles like “Carolina Honey” and “Heartlands,” and they could also hear his love for the beautiful landscapes of the Carolinas with tunes like “Carry Me Home.” One of my early favorites from the record is the new tune “The Shadows” featuring Noah Cyrus. The lyrics of the tune highlight a love so deep that you’re willing to dive into the darkest of shadows to protect and be with that person. “Heaven only knows What Heaven only knows So baby won’t you kiss me in the shadows Hell could never judge us like the sky that hangs above us But where our lovin’ grows is where I’ll go I would risk it all I would sell my soul I’ll follow you even to the shadows” It appears that King penned the tune about his bride, with the opening lines depicting finding a love that you feel undeserving of. As King has shared in the past, he was planning to drink himself to death on the tour where he met Briley. After meeting her, his perspective on life underwent a complete transformation. The chorus highlights how deep their love is, willing to dive deep to save each other when needed. “I wrote ‘The Shadows’ with Nick Monson & Madi Yanofsky, featuring a devastatingly sweet, sweeping melody from Paul Franklin & Billy Contrares. We really wanted to have the second verse belong to someone we thought embodied the essence of this song. Noah Cyrus immediately came to mind and when she agreed to be on the track, I knew it was meant to be. Noah’s voice brought the song to a level I didn’t realize it could reach. Truly an inspiration to share a song together.” This early standout is joined by other tracks, such as “On & On,” an honest tune about his imperfections; the gritty “Levi’s & Goodbyes”; and the stellar collaboration with Billy Strings on “Dirt.” Darling Blue is a stellar project from start to finish. Marcus King has done it again with this project. Take a listen to some early favorites: “The Shadows” featuring Noah Cyrus “On & On” “Dirt” featuring Billy Strings Marcus King Confirmed Tour Dates: BOLD DATES: The Darling Blue Tour (Pt. 1) September 26—Milwaukee, WI—Fiserv Forum* September 27—Des Moines, IA—Casey’s Center* September 28—St. Louis, MO—Evolution Festival October 2—Detroit, MI—Little Caesars Arena* October 3—Lexington, KY—Rupp Arena* October 9—Indianapolis, IN—Gainbridge Fieldhouse* October 10—Grand Rapids, MI—Van Andel Arena* October 11—Cleveland, OH—Rocket Arena* October 12—Peoria, IL—Civic Center Theater† October 14—Lawrence, KS—Liberty Hall† October 16—Sugar Land, TX—Smart Financial Centre At Sugar Land‡ October 17—Stephenville, TX—Twisted J Live October 18—Austin, TX—Moody Center‡ October 19—Fayetteville, AR—JJ’s§ October 21—Starkville, MS—Rick’s Cafe§ October 23—Memphis, TN—Graceland† October 24—Fairhope, AL—Live at Five† October 25—Birmingham, AL—Legacy Arena at The BJCC** October 30—Catoosa, OK—Hard Rock Live October 31—Little Rock, AR—The Hall‡‡ November 1—Gonzales, LA—Boots On The Bayou November 2—Corpus Christi, TX—Concrete Street Pavilion†† November 5—Lubbock, TX—Cook’s Garage (indoors) †† November 6—Albuquerque, NM—Revel†† November 7-8—Scottsdale, AZ—Dreamy Draw Music Festival November 11-16—Los Angeles, CA—Blue Note LA May 29—Panama City Beach, FL—Gulf Coast Jam *with Eric Church †with Angel White ‡with Dwight Yoakam §with Laci Kaye Booth **with Cody Johnson ††with Pearl The post Marcus King Releases A Declaration Of Love To His Bride & His Home State With New Record, ‘Darling Blue’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

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