Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson are reviving the iconic MuzikMafia for a 20th-anniversary celebration tour set to kick off Feb. 23 at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.

A musical movement founded in the early 2000s, MuzikMafia became synonymous with breaking genre boundaries and fostering creativity. Big & Rich, Wilson and Cowboy Troy, key figures in the original MuzikMafia lineup, are set to bring back the magic that made the movement a force to be reckoned with. The legendary MuzikMafia jam sessions launched numerous careers and often had stars like Kid Rock, Martina McBride, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Bon Jovi, Faith Hill and others drop by to jam on any given night.

The tour is expected to showcase a mix of classic hits from their massive debut albums Here For The Party and Horse Of A Different Color that defined the artists’ careers, as well as new collaborations that demonstrate their enduring creativity.

“Reuniting for the ’20th Anniversary Celebration Tour’ feels like coming home,” says Big & Rich. “The energy and camaraderie that defined the movement are as alive as ever, and we can’t wait to share that with our fans.”

Wilson adds, “I’m not sure if it’s the smile on Kenny’s face, the fire in John’s eyes, or the red of my neck…but something tells me this year’s 20th anniversary is gonna be epic!”

MuzikMafia “20th Anniversary Celebration Tour” Dates:
2/23 – San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, San Antonio, TX
3/9 – Ostrich Festival, Chandler, AZ
4/6 – Rock the Country, Gonzales, LA
5/10 – Rock the Country, Rome, GA
6/2 – Worldwide Technology Raceway, Madison, IL
6/8 – Bradley 315 Fest, Bourbonnais, IL
6/21 – Rock the Country, Mobile, AL
7/6 – Pearl River Resort, Choctaw, MS
7/12 – Country Concert, Fort Loramie, OH
7/13 – Beaver Dam Amphitheater, Beaver Dam, KY
7/19 – Rock the South, Cullman, AL
7/27 – Rock the Country, Anderson, SC
8/16 – Turning Stone Resort Casino – Event Center, Verona, NY
8/17 – Foxwoods Resort Casino – Premier Theater, Mashantucket, CT

BBR Music Group is throwing it back again this year for Country Radio Seminar (CRS) with its Decades Party, set to take place Feb. 29 at the Omni Nashville Hotel in the Broadway Ballroom.

The event will feature Parmalee, Chayce Beckham, HunterGirl and more performing hits from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and beyond, and will include a few surprises as well. Hosted by Blair Garner, the evening aims to be a true celebration of the music that defines a generation.

“Last year’s Decades Party was like totally rad! Grab your leg warmers and hairspray and come dance the night away with your BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville family,” says JoJamie Hahr, EVP, Recorded Music, BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville.

The party will immediately follow Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley, and is open to all CRS registered attendees. Beginning on Feb. 27, on-site registration for CRS will be available at the Omni Hotel Nashville. For more information, click here.

Dierks Bentley has announced over 30 new dates for his “Gravel & Gold Tour,” kicking off this summer.

Chase Rice and Lee Brice will join the dates as direct support along with a diverse lineup of special guests including Graham Barham, Tyler Braden, Kaitlin Butts, Mae Estes, Ella Langley, Randy Rogers Band, Zach Top, Tanner Usrey, Bella White and more.

Bentley will visit Toledo, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Charleston, Colorado Springs and more on the trek, with a Nashville date at Bridgestone Arena set for Sept. 7. Tickets go on sale this Friday (Feb. 16). For more information, click here.

“The ‘Gravel & Gold Tour’ has been the best of my career, and I’m not ready to leave it behind,” explains Bentley. “We are so locked in with this production that it allows me to be living right in the moment with the fans, and that’s the magic! I’m bringing along some old friends and some newer artists who are all putting their own unique spin on country, bluegrass and Americana music. I can’t wait to watch their shows and hopefully sing with them too. Those collaborations are a highlight of my summer every year.”

“Gravel & Gold Tour” 2024 Dates:
* Chase Rice + Check Local Listings
^ Lee Brice + Check Local Listings
+ On sale to be announced
> On sale March 1
< On sale March 8
‘ Not a Live Nation Date
6/07 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena *
6/08 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP *
6/13 – Toledo, OH – The Huntington Center *
6/14 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center *
6/15 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center ^
6/27 – Lafayette, LA – CAJUNDOME*<
6/28 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater*
7/18 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Broadview Stage at SPAC *
7/19 – Scranton, PA – The Pavilion at Montage Mountain *
7/20 – Buffalo, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater +
8/04 – Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater
8/08 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion *’
8/09 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center *
8/10 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena  *
8/15 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion *
8/16 – Syracuse, NY – Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview*
8/17 – Camden, NJ- Freedom Mortgage Pavilion *
8/22 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre STL*
8/23 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center *
8/24 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center *
8/29 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater *
8/30 – Colorado Springs, CO – Sunset Amphitheater *’
8/31 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre *\9/06 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre *
9/07 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena *
9/12 – Wilmington, NC – Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park ^
9/13 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium ^
9/14 – Simpsonville, SC – CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park^
9/19 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena * >
9/20 – Moline, IL – Vibrant Arena *
9/21 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater^

Home of the famous Grand Ole Opry, the Grand Ole Opry House will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a star-studded lineup on March 16.

The lineup includes Opry members Bill Anderson, Jeannie Seely and Connie Smith, who all performed at the house’s grand opening in 1974. Additional members scheduled to perform consist of Mandy Barnett, Clint Black, The Gatlin Brothers, Del McCoury, Gary Mule Deer, Don Schlitz, Riders In The Sky and Mark Wills.

The anniversary show falls exactly 50 years to the day since the venue opened with a historic show, which featured performances by Roy Acuff, Osborne Brothers, Minnie Pearl and more, with President and Mrs. Richard Nixon in attendance. The Grand Ole Opry House is the current ACM Theater of the Year, and is nominated for Venue of the Year at this year’s CMA Touring Awards. Additionally, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

Tickets are available now. For more information, click here.

Craig Alvin & Jason Spiewak. Photo: Courtesy of Noble Steed Studios

Grammy-winning sound mixer and audio engineer Craig Alvin has joined forces with entertainment industry veteran Jason Spiewak of Noble Steed Music to open Noble Steed Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Noble Steed Studios. Photo: Courtesy of Noble Steed Studios

Noble Steed Studios is a recording facility that offers artists a wide range of modern and old-world equipment. Inspired by the rich history of Muscle Shoals, the studio features one-of-a-kind gear including a Universal Audio (UA) 610 console, the type originally used by acts such as The Rolling Stones when they recorded in the area.

The studio’s large format console is a Harrison Series 12 console, which was used on multiple big country albums including The Chicks’ albums Wide Open Spaces and Fly. Additionally, Randy Travis’ “You And You Alone” was mixed on that actual Harrison board. Noble Steed Studios also includes an exclusive guest house available to artists and crew members.

Spiewak established himself during his time at indie labels Artemis Records, Studio E Records and TVT Records. He has worked with artists including Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz, Pitbull, Kittie, Warren Zevon, Steve Earle and Ying Yang Twins. Spiewak co-founded the Warner Music (ADA) distributed-label Rock Ridge Music in 2004 and was later named the company’s President, signing Rachel Platten, Sister Hazel, Reel Big Fish, Barry Manilow and Run DMC.

With a career spanning three decades, Alvin has worked with roster of well-known artists spanning various genres. His recording credits include Hanson, Little Big Town, Amy Grant, Vanessa Carlton, Will Hoge, Andrew Belle, Brittany Howard. Alvin also won two Grammys for his engineering on Kacey Musgraves‘ Golden Hour album in 2019.

Additionally, Spiewak and Noble Steed Music have signed musician Sol Philcox-Littlefield. Philcox-Littlefield is an accomplished session musician with over 60 Platinum- certified and 300 Gold-certified records to his name. He has contributed to over 25 No. 1 songs on country radio, hundreds of Billboard charting records, and was nominated for the 2023 ACM Electric Guitar Player of the Year as well as honored by the Country Music Hall of Fame. His collaborators include Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Sam Hunt, Midland, Luke Bryan, Nate Smith, Jelly Roll, Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Dustin Lynch, Parmalee, Jon Pardi, Cole Swindell and more.