Restless Road. Photo: André Smoke
Rising country act Restless Road, a trio made up of Zach Beeken, Garrett Nichols and Colton Pack, performed at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville on Friday night (Jan. 12) on the second stop of their “Last Rodeo Tour.” The sold-out night was filled with feel-good songs, perfect harmonies and fun cover jam sessions.
Opener Erin Kinsey kicked off the night. Strutting onto the stage with her electric guitar, Kinsey opened with her hit “Boys In Boots.” Continuing with her guitar, she went into “Stayed A Summer,” where the singer showed off her guitar skills with an electrifying solo that mesmerized the crowd.
“I feel like tonight’s going to be pretty fun,” Kinsey said before moving into her fun single “Handful.” The singer then paused to tell the crowd the story behind the next song, “Matchmaker,” an unreleased song she had just written. “I wrote it after finding out I have the absolute honor of being [the reason] why two people are in love,” she said. After cheers erupted from the crowd, she clarified, “I have known these two people for a very long time. One of them is one of my very best friends, the other one is my ex-boyfriend.”
After finishing the witty lyrics, Kinsey’s band left the stage for a moment. She then grabbed her acoustic guitar and slowed the night down for a few minutes with “I Got You,” a song she wrote for her sister. After the band rejoined her on stage, Kinsey grabbed her banjo and started strumming the intro of “Different Us.”
As the band started playing the tune to the singer’s breakout single “Just Drive,” the crowd cheered, all ready to sing along. Kinsey moved around the stage and interacted with the fans during the track. As she wrapped up her set, Kinsey thanked the Nashville crowd for coming out early to see her.
Pictured (L-R, back row): Nikki Boon (Neon Coast), Kenley Flynn (Sony Music Publishing), Jess Tomlins (Neon Coast), Julie Sturdivant (CAA), Sam Forbert (CAA), Chris King (KBFM), Dennis Reese (RCA Nashville), Jennifer Way (Sony Music Nashville), Steve Hodges (Sony Music Nashville), Caryl Atwood (Sony Music Nashville), Martha Earls (Neon Coast); (L-R, front row): Restless Road’s Colton Pack, Garrett Nichols & Zach Beeken. Photo: André Smoke
As blue lights begin to flash, Restless Road’s drummer and bass player took the stage. Voice recordings of “Bar Friends” begin to play in the background, and the excitement of the crowd was palpable as Beeken, Nichols and Pack appeared.
The trio started the night off with “Bar Friends” and “Sundown Somewhere.” After taking in the energy of the crowd, Beeken welcomed everyone. “We are Restless Road and we’ve been looking forward to this moment for a very, very long time,” he said before the trio went into “Leave Them Boots On” and “One Step Ahead.”
Before going into the next song, the lights faded as the trio showcased their harmonies for the first of many times throughout the night. As the opening harmonies rang for “Could’ve Been A Love Song,” the crowd let out a spine-tingling roar. Beeken also showed off his deep range with a solo moment during the track.
After listening to the crowd cheer, Nichols talked about how the band put the show together. “There were a lot of songs we knew we wanted to play. We had a lot of new songs from the new album, but we also had a lot of old songs. There was one song that we knew had to be in this set, because this is the song that really put us on the map. We want to see how many of y’all know it,” he said as the opening chords to “Take Me Home” started. The crowd sang along enthusiastically.
During the song, superstar Kane Brown, whom the trio recorded the song with, made an appearance on stage, thrilling both the band and the crowd.
Continuing to show off their harmonies and vocal abilities, Restless Road sang hit “Go Get Her” and “10 Things” before going into a cover medley that included “Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy),” “She’s Country,” “Beer Never Broke My Heart” and “Boondocks.” To keep the party going, the trio sang two more songs off their Last Rodeo album, “Easy For You To Say” and “Tell Me Not To.”
“Nashville, y’all are blowing us away right now,” Pack said between songs. “This last year of our lives has been the most incredible year we could have ever asked for, but the most incredible thing was getting to release our debut album. What was really important to us is that we wanted to create an album that when you listened to it from top to bottom, you left feeling like you knew who Restless Road was a little bit better.” The trio then played the closing track of the album “On My Way,” a song that tells the story of the trio’s 10-year journey so far.
Restless Road. Photo: James Tucker
The lights begin to soften as Nichols walked over to the piano and the trio began to sing “Most Nights.” During the performance, they brought Kinsey back out to the stage to sing along, as they originally recorded the track together. Kinsey and Pack harmonized brilliantly.
After Kinsey left the stage, the band began to prepare for the next part of the set, but before everyone could get ready, Beeken grabbed Pack and the two went over to Nichols’ piano. “I just want to hijack this moment real quick,” Beeken said. “Boys, let’s try what we were doing in the green room earlier.”
The three came together to sing an impromptu cover of “When You Look Me In The Eyes” by the Jonas Brothers and then Rascal Flatts‘ hit “Bless The Broken Road.” The crowd swooned to both tunes, as the spontaneous cover session brought everyone together. “Just call us Restless Flatts from now on,” Pack joked as the trio end the cover session.
The music picked up tempo again and the strobe lights began to go off as the trio went into “Head Over Heels” and “Headlights.” Nichols shared that though the set had included all sorts of songs, such as “breakup songs, life songs and party songs,” the next tune was going to be a love song. As Nichols introduced the song, the crowd began to fill with anticipation as the band started playing a fan-favorite “Growing Old With You.” Audience members were swaying and singing along as the trio took in the moment.
Green and yellow lights flashed as Restless Road took on one more cover, Keith Urban‘s “Somebody Like You.” The trio kept the tempo up with “No Can Do,” where the crowd continued dancing and clapping along to the beat.
“Y’all have just been absolutely incredible,” Nichols exclaimed. “What a way to start off 2024. Whether this is your first time watching us or you’ve been there since the very beginning, it’s been 10 long years to get to this moment.” The opening notes to “Last Rodeo” began to play, and Nichols shared that the tune is the band’s next single at country radio. A thrilled audience sang along to every word as Restless Road ended an unforgettable night in Nashville.
The “Last Rodeo Tour” will continue through April with stops throughout the U.S. and in Europe. Click here to see dates.
Nathan Barlowe Renews Deal With Spirit Music Nashville/Fluid Music Revolution
/by Madison HahnenPictured (L-R, back row/standing): Matthew Beckett (Attorney, Milom Crow Kelley Beckett Shehan PLC), Leisl Eschbach, (Attorney, Milom Crow Kelley Beckett Shehan PLC), Gray Schubert (Creative Admin Manager, Spirit Music Nashville), Nathan Barlowe, Brian Bradford (GM/VP of Admin, Spirit Music Nashville), Kennedy Murphy (Creative Coordinator, Spirit Music Nashville) and Andy Hodges (Creative Coordinator, Spirit Music Nashville); (L-R, front row): Kara Jackson (Senior Creative Director, Spirit Music Nashville), AJ Burton (Vice President, Spirit Music Nashville/Fluid Music Revolution), Frank Rogers (Chief Creative Officer, Spirit Music Group/Chief Executive Officer, Spirit Music Nashville) and Mike Fiorentino (Director of A&R/Production, Spirit Music Nashville).
Singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Nathan Barlowe has renewed his publishing deal with Spirit Music Nashville/Fluid Music Revolution.
“I am so happy that I have the opportunity to continue working with Spirit and Fluid. It’s an amazing company with amazing people. I feel like the best is still ahead of us,” shares Barlowe.
Barlowe’s credits include songs by Taylor Swift, Steven Tyler, Keith Urban, Ayron Jones, Newsboys and more. With his catalog, he has earned three top 10 Billboard dance singles, a Grammy nomination and a top five Billboard Mainstream Rock single. Barlowe’s work has also been heard on NBC’s The Voice, American Idol, The Equalizer, Transporter, King of Queens and more.
Additionally, he the lead guitarist in Urban’s band, and won the 2017 CMA Award for Touring Musician of the Year. Barlowe is also the inventor of The Phantom, an electronic sampling machine played like a keyboard, as well as the frontman of pop-rock band Luna Halo. He started the band Five Knives, and went on tour with Twenty One Pilots, The Smashing Pumpkins and Icona Pop.
AJ Burton, Vice President, Spirit Music Nashville/Fluid Music Revolution says, “It’s truly an honor when a songwriter wants to continue their partnership and everyone at Spirit Fluid are fired up to keep our ‘Rock Star Nate’ in the fold. Lots of exciting things in the works for Nathan.”
Cannery Hall Officially Reopens
/by Madison HahnenCannery Hall
Nashville’s Cannery Hall has officially reopened after extensive renovations. Located off of 8th Avenue South near the Gulch, the venue aims to be an artist- and fan-friendly, welcoming venue in Music City.
The venue space is a 141 year old building that has been completely restored and renovated to become a three stage concert venue. The Row One room will welcome a capacity of 300 people, The Mil can hold up to 625 and the largest stage, The Mainstage, will accommodate 1,275. On the top floor of the venue will be the Amaranth, a special events space that can hold up to 380 people.
“Every choice we made in the restoration and modernization of Cannery Hall was to create the best show possible for music lovers and artists. We built brand-new systems from scratch, while simultaneously redesigning the spaces. Our architects, and interior designers Smallwood in Atlanta and the some of the best audio-visual engineers in the world collaborated to create a spectacular show,” says Brent Hyams, General Manager of Cannery Hall.
The renovating of the venue included a multi-million dollar lighting and sound system, and each stage has its own custom system. Some features of the new system include speakers that move horizontally and vertically for real-time sound dispersion, a large video wall and air motion speakers.
The box office is already open, with shows beginning as early as Jan. 24. A grand opening celebration is being planned for the spring.
Upcoming Shows at Cannery Hall:
January 24 – SunSquabi on Row One Stage
January 26 – Walker & Royce on Mainstage
January 31 – Chance Peña on Row One Stage – SOLD OUT
February 3 – Western Dreamland, A County & Disco Party on Row One Stage
February 10 – Table B with support from Blurrd Vzn and Gunpoint at The Mil
February 16 – Airshow on Row One Stage
February 17 – Lilly Hiatt on Row One Stage
February 28 – Atlus on Row One Stage
February 29 – The Foxies with special Guest Flight Attendant on Row One Stage
March 1 – Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears with Shane Guerrete on Row One Stage
March 2 – The Taylor Party: The TS Dance Party at The Mil
March 10 – Logan Halstead with support from Willy Tea Taylor on Row One Stage
March 22 – Johnny Simson on Row One Stage
April 2 – Dirty Loops on the Mainstage
April 17 – Jonah Kagen on Row One Stage
April 18 – Bailen on Row One Stage
April 20 – Jantsen with support from Lumasi, Raaket, Wiley and Waweezy
April 28 – Upon A Burning Body with support from The Browning, VCTMS, and Hollow Front at The Mil
Hillary Lindsey Headed To Songwriters Hall Of Fame
/by LB CantrellHillary Lindsey
Nashville songwriting icon Hillary Lindsey will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) alongside Timothy Mosley (Timbaland); Dean Pitchford; Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe (R.E.M.) and Donald Fagen and Walter Becker (Steely Dan).
SHOF Chairman Nile Rodgers says, “I’ve said it before, but the music industry does not exist without songwriters delivering great songs first. Without them there is no recorded music, no concert business, no merch . . . nothing, it all starts with the song and the songwriter. We are therefore very proud that we are continually recognizing some of the culturally most important songwriters of all time and that the 2024 slate represents not just iconic songs but also diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity and gender, songwriters who have enriched our lives and literally enriched music and the lives of billions of listeners all over the world.”
Lindsey is behind some of the biggest hits of the modern era of country music, including Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take The Wheel,” Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush,” Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color” as well as “Always Remember Us This Way” and “Million Reasons” from Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s A Star Is Born. She is also a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF).
Among Timbaland’s hits are “SexyBack,” “Get Ur Freak On,” “Pony,” “Big Pimpin’” and “The Way I Are.” Pitchford is behind “Footloose,” “Fame,” “Holding Out For A Hero,” “All The Man That I Need” and “Let’s Hear It For The Boy.”
Some of R.E.M.’s hits include “Losing My Religion,” “Everybody Hurts,” “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” “Radio Free Europe” and “The One I Love.” Steely Dan counts “Reelin’ in the Years,” “My Old School,” “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” “Black Friday” and “Kid Charlemagne” among their hits.
The Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Thursday, June 13 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.
Zach John King Signs Publishing Deal With Boom Music Group
/by Madison HahnenPictured (L-R): Emma Kiefer (Boom Music Group), Shaina Botwin (Boom Music Group), Zach John King, Joe Fisher (Boom Music Group), Matt Reed (Hyphen Media Group), Rachel Guttmann (Taylor Guttmann, PLLC)
Rising singer-songwriter Zach John King has signed a publishing deal with Boom Music Group.
“I’m incredibly grateful to be a part of such a powerhouse team,” says King. “I don’t take this opportunity lightly and am so stoked to start working. I can’t wait to learn and grow in this new family of incredible writers, people and professionals. Here’s to the future!”
King, originally from Fayetteville, Georgia, formed a fire for songwriting by growing up listening to country music. The newcomer has already made a splash in the scene, after releasing his two debut singles “Just Missed You” and “Same Song, Different Dance” earned the singer over 1.5 million global streams. King has also earned recognition from Apple Music, Spotify, TIDAL, ACM, CMT, Whiskey Riff and more.
“I was so impressed by Zach’s work ethic and attitude from our first meeting,” shares Boom’s Vice President Shaina Botwin. “Once I heard the music he was writing, I knew we had to work together. I’m incredibly excited to welcome Zach into the Boom family and can’t wait for everyone to hear what he’s been working on!”
To celebrate the new deal, King will release his new single, “Anything But What It Was,” this Friday (Jan. 19).
The song shares a story about love lost with his rapidly growing fan base. “This is one of the most honest songs I’ve ever written,” he says. “It’s about a real conversation I had with somebody I loved, and we realized that I was going one way in life and she was going another. It’s about breaking up with someone without making them an enemy. Ending a relationship isn’t always black and white, most times that’s why it’s so hard to do.”
Ray Stevens Announces Final Run Of Performances At CabaRay Showroom
/by Liza AndersonRay Stevens. Photo: Angela Talley
Country Music Hall of Famer Ray Stevens has announced his final run of live concerts at his Nashville CabaRay Showroom. The run of shows will start March 16 and continue through December.
Ahead of his formal season of shows, Stevens plans to host a special Valentine’s Day live performance on Feb. 14.
Since opening CabaRay six years ago, he has performed hundreds of concerts at the venue. Now, Stevens says he is ready to slow down a bit, but not quite ready to retire.
“I plan to stop performing regularly at my CabaRay Showroom here in Nashville at the end of 2024, but I’ll be going to work everyday in my recording studio and maybe I’ll do a few, a very few, shows in some old familiar places,” he explains. “I’m definitely slowing down but I haven’t come to a complete stop. Not yet, anyway!”
Ticket are on sale now and can be purchased at raystevenscabaray.com or by calling 615-327-4630. The CabaRay Showroom will continue to hold performances and events following Stevens’ final run.
John Bradley Joins Electric Feel Entertainment As Country A&R
/by Liza AndersonJohn Bradley
John Bradley has joined management company Electric Feel Entertainment as Country A&R.
The Nashville native’s career has been fueled by a passion for music, a rich family legacy and an array experiences. Following in the footsteps of his established predecessors Owen, Jerry and Clay Bradley, he continues to elevate the Bradley legacy. He previously served as Eclipse Music Group’s Creative Director, and has secured cuts with artists including Morgan Wallen, Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Jake Owen and more.
As Electric Feel expands into the Music City market, John will play a key role in discovering and nurturing the next wave of musical talent. The company is home to artists, producers and songwriters that include Post Malone, Louis Bell, Billy Walsh, Omer Fedi, Starboy, Feli Ferano and more.
“We are thrilled to welcome John Bradley to the Electric Feel team. His deep roots in the industry, coupled with his diverse skill set, make him an invaluable addition to our A&R team. We look forward to the innovative contributions and successes we know he will bring to our company,” says Austin Rosen, CEO, Electric Feel Entertainment.
The Black Crowes To Release ‘Happiness Bastards’ In March
/by Madison HahnenRenowned rock band The Black Crowes will release their first album in 15 years, Happiness Bastards, on March 15 via Silver Arrow Records.
“Happiness Bastards is our love letter to rock n’ roll. Rich and I are always writing and creating music; that has never stopped for us, and it is always where we find harmony together. This record represents that,” says frontman Chris Robinson.
Produced by Grammy winner Jay Joyce, the project is the group’s tenth studio album. The record has been described as both quintessential and fresh rock n’ roll. Along with the announcement of the album, they released the lead single “Wanting and Waiting.”
This year marks The Black Crowes’ 40th year, and they are using the new album to claim 2024 as their own. The 10-track collection will serve as a salute to the band’s past and a celebration of the future. The project also includes a collaboration with country superstar Lainey Wilson.
“This album is a continuation of our story as a band. Our years of experience writing and making music and touring the world are represented in this record, and we were brilliantly guided by one of the best producers in the business, Jay Joyce. I am incredibly proud of what we put together,” states The Black Crowes’ Rich Robinson.
To celebrate the release of the album, the band will embark on tour this spring with dates in North America, Europe and the United Kingdom. Additional details will be released at a later date.
Happiness Bastards Track Listing:
1. “Bedside Manners”
2. “Rats And Clowns”
3. “Cross Your Fingers”
4. “Wanting And Waiting”
5. “Wilted Rose” ft. Lainey Wilson
6. “Dirty Cold Sun”
7. “Bleed It Dry”
8. “Flesh Wound”
9. “Follow The Moon”
10. “Kindred Friend”
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Plots ‘All The Good Times: The Farewell Tour’
/by Lorie HollabaughNitty Gritty Dirt Band. Photo: Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard F
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will embark on a farewell tour throughout the United States, kicking off on March 21.
The “All The Good Times: The Farewell Tour” marks the band’s last multi-city runs on formal tours, as they say “so long” to the highways and byways they’ve traveled throughout their career. But it isn’t goodbye forever for the legendary group that helmed the multi-artist Will The Circle Be Unbroken series that featured the likes of Mother Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Levon Helm and dozens more.
The first leg of the tour will visit Bowling Green, Abilene, Indianapolis, Knoxville, Amarillo, Houston and more through July 28. Tickets for most shows can be purchased beginning Jan. 19, and VIP packages are available for a majority of the dates.
“‘All The Good Times’ perfectly describes our career,” says the band. “Playing our music for Dirt Band fans all over the world has been an incredible experience for us. The most important part of that has been the connection to our audience—that beautiful communal give and take is like nothing else. That’s the very spirit we’ll be celebrating as we head into our farewell tour. We’re really looking forward to seeing you folks. Good times will be had by all!”
For nearly six decades, the three-time Grammy-winning Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has entertained audiences with their musicianship and timeless hits “Mr. Bojangles,” “Fishin’ In The Dark,” “An American Dream” and many more. Their special Nitty Gritty Dirt Band & Friends – Fifty Years, Circlin’ Back! for PBS was an Emmy-winning television special. The Dirt Band’s latest album, Dirt Does Dylan was released in 2022.
“All The Good Times: The Farewell Tour” Dates:
March 21 – Bowling Green, KY – SKyPAC – Main Hall
March 22 – Bloomington, IL – Bloomington Center For The Performing Arts
March 23 – Mount Vernon, KY – Renfro Valley Entertainment Center
March 24 – Marietta, OH – Peoples Bank Theatre
March 28 – Odessa, TX – The Ector Theatre
March 29 – Abilene, TX – Outlaws and Legends Music Festival
March 30 – Houston, TX – Arena Theatre
April 25 – Shreveport, LA – The Strand Theatre
April 28 – Oxford, AL – Oxford Performing Arts Center
May 9 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
May 10 – Harris, MI – Island Resort & Casino
May 11 – Harris, MI – Island Resort & Casino
May 12 – Joliet, IL – Rialto Square Theatre
May 19 – Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre
June 21 – Mankato, MN – Vetter Stone Amphitheater
June 22 – Cedar Rapids, IA – McGrath Amphitheatre
June 23 – Bayfield, WI – Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua
June 27 – Sioux Falls, SD – Alliance Center
June 28 – Mahnomen, MN – Shooting Star Casino Hotel & Event Center
June 29 – Bismarck, ND – Belle Mehus Auditorium
June 30 – Dauphin, MB, Canada – Dauphin’s Countryfest
July 11 – Mayetta, KS – Prairie Band Casino & Resort – Great Lakes Ballroom
July 12 – Jefferson City, MO – Capital Region MU Health Care Amphitheater
July 13 – Newkirk, OK – 7 Clans First Council Casino
July 25 – Lubbock, TX – The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences – Helen DeVitt Jones Theater
July 27 – Fort Worth, TX – Bass Performance Hall
July 28 – Amarillo, TX – Globe-News Center For The Performing Arts
CRB Announces 2024 Rusty Walker & Lisa McKay Women In Radio Scholars
/by Lorie HollabaughCountry Radio Broadcasters (CRB) has announced the 2024 Rusty Walker and Lisa McKay Women in Radio Scholarship recipients.
This year’s Rusty Walker Scholarship recipients are Gabe Mercer (KMLE/KKWF, Audacy), Erin Bourne (WJEN-FM 105.3 Cat Country) and Haley Mason (CMG Athens). The Lisa McKay Women in Radio Scholarship has been awarded to Annie Owens (WPAW – 93.1 The Wolf, Audacy) and Emily Harlan (KBAY/ Bay Country 94.5, Alpha Media).
Each recipient will receive a scholarship package, including registration, hotel accommodations and airfare for CRS 2024 as well as recognition during the CRS 2024 week. DMR/Interactive supports both the Rusty Walker and Lisa McKay scholarship programs, honoring the legacies of Walker and McKay, who continue to inspire the future leaders of the radio programming industry.
“This is one of the most satisfying and important parts of our work at CRS,” says John Shomby, CRB Scholarship Committee Chairman. “It’s all introducing new broadcasters to CRS, giving them a chance to network with and learn from some of the best in our business.”
CRS 2024 is set for Feb. 28-March 1 and will feature a schedule filled with educational panels, virtual networking and workshops.
Restless Road Brings The Party To Brooklyn Bowl
/by Madison HahnenRestless Road. Photo: André Smoke
Rising country act Restless Road, a trio made up of Zach Beeken, Garrett Nichols and Colton Pack, performed at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville on Friday night (Jan. 12) on the second stop of their “Last Rodeo Tour.” The sold-out night was filled with feel-good songs, perfect harmonies and fun cover jam sessions.
Opener Erin Kinsey kicked off the night. Strutting onto the stage with her electric guitar, Kinsey opened with her hit “Boys In Boots.” Continuing with her guitar, she went into “Stayed A Summer,” where the singer showed off her guitar skills with an electrifying solo that mesmerized the crowd.
“I feel like tonight’s going to be pretty fun,” Kinsey said before moving into her fun single “Handful.” The singer then paused to tell the crowd the story behind the next song, “Matchmaker,” an unreleased song she had just written. “I wrote it after finding out I have the absolute honor of being [the reason] why two people are in love,” she said. After cheers erupted from the crowd, she clarified, “I have known these two people for a very long time. One of them is one of my very best friends, the other one is my ex-boyfriend.”
After finishing the witty lyrics, Kinsey’s band left the stage for a moment. She then grabbed her acoustic guitar and slowed the night down for a few minutes with “I Got You,” a song she wrote for her sister. After the band rejoined her on stage, Kinsey grabbed her banjo and started strumming the intro of “Different Us.”
As the band started playing the tune to the singer’s breakout single “Just Drive,” the crowd cheered, all ready to sing along. Kinsey moved around the stage and interacted with the fans during the track. As she wrapped up her set, Kinsey thanked the Nashville crowd for coming out early to see her.
Pictured (L-R, back row): Nikki Boon (Neon Coast), Kenley Flynn (Sony Music Publishing), Jess Tomlins (Neon Coast), Julie Sturdivant (CAA), Sam Forbert (CAA), Chris King (KBFM), Dennis Reese (RCA Nashville), Jennifer Way (Sony Music Nashville), Steve Hodges (Sony Music Nashville), Caryl Atwood (Sony Music Nashville), Martha Earls (Neon Coast); (L-R, front row): Restless Road’s Colton Pack, Garrett Nichols & Zach Beeken. Photo: André Smoke
As blue lights begin to flash, Restless Road’s drummer and bass player took the stage. Voice recordings of “Bar Friends” begin to play in the background, and the excitement of the crowd was palpable as Beeken, Nichols and Pack appeared.
The trio started the night off with “Bar Friends” and “Sundown Somewhere.” After taking in the energy of the crowd, Beeken welcomed everyone. “We are Restless Road and we’ve been looking forward to this moment for a very, very long time,” he said before the trio went into “Leave Them Boots On” and “One Step Ahead.”
Before going into the next song, the lights faded as the trio showcased their harmonies for the first of many times throughout the night. As the opening harmonies rang for “Could’ve Been A Love Song,” the crowd let out a spine-tingling roar. Beeken also showed off his deep range with a solo moment during the track.
After listening to the crowd cheer, Nichols talked about how the band put the show together. “There were a lot of songs we knew we wanted to play. We had a lot of new songs from the new album, but we also had a lot of old songs. There was one song that we knew had to be in this set, because this is the song that really put us on the map. We want to see how many of y’all know it,” he said as the opening chords to “Take Me Home” started. The crowd sang along enthusiastically.
During the song, superstar Kane Brown, whom the trio recorded the song with, made an appearance on stage, thrilling both the band and the crowd.
Continuing to show off their harmonies and vocal abilities, Restless Road sang hit “Go Get Her” and “10 Things” before going into a cover medley that included “Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy),” “She’s Country,” “Beer Never Broke My Heart” and “Boondocks.” To keep the party going, the trio sang two more songs off their Last Rodeo album, “Easy For You To Say” and “Tell Me Not To.”
“Nashville, y’all are blowing us away right now,” Pack said between songs. “This last year of our lives has been the most incredible year we could have ever asked for, but the most incredible thing was getting to release our debut album. What was really important to us is that we wanted to create an album that when you listened to it from top to bottom, you left feeling like you knew who Restless Road was a little bit better.” The trio then played the closing track of the album “On My Way,” a song that tells the story of the trio’s 10-year journey so far.
Restless Road. Photo: James Tucker
The lights begin to soften as Nichols walked over to the piano and the trio began to sing “Most Nights.” During the performance, they brought Kinsey back out to the stage to sing along, as they originally recorded the track together. Kinsey and Pack harmonized brilliantly.
After Kinsey left the stage, the band began to prepare for the next part of the set, but before everyone could get ready, Beeken grabbed Pack and the two went over to Nichols’ piano. “I just want to hijack this moment real quick,” Beeken said. “Boys, let’s try what we were doing in the green room earlier.”
The three came together to sing an impromptu cover of “When You Look Me In The Eyes” by the Jonas Brothers and then Rascal Flatts‘ hit “Bless The Broken Road.” The crowd swooned to both tunes, as the spontaneous cover session brought everyone together. “Just call us Restless Flatts from now on,” Pack joked as the trio end the cover session.
The music picked up tempo again and the strobe lights began to go off as the trio went into “Head Over Heels” and “Headlights.” Nichols shared that though the set had included all sorts of songs, such as “breakup songs, life songs and party songs,” the next tune was going to be a love song. As Nichols introduced the song, the crowd began to fill with anticipation as the band started playing a fan-favorite “Growing Old With You.” Audience members were swaying and singing along as the trio took in the moment.
“Y’all have just been absolutely incredible,” Nichols exclaimed. “What a way to start off 2024. Whether this is your first time watching us or you’ve been there since the very beginning, it’s been 10 long years to get to this moment.” The opening notes to “Last Rodeo” began to play, and Nichols shared that the tune is the band’s next single at country radio. A thrilled audience sang along to every word as Restless Road ended an unforgettable night in Nashville.
The “Last Rodeo Tour” will continue through April with stops throughout the U.S. and in Europe. Click here to see dates.