Monthly Archives: May 2026

Not making things any better… Live Nation and Ticketmaster have been under fire quite a bit lately, after a jury found the companies liable for operating as an illegal monopoly following a lengthy trial that saw the Department of Justice striking a deal with the entertainment giant, while several states refused to settle. Ticketmaster, which merged with Live Nation in 2010, controls the majority of tickets for live events. They do this through exclusivity contracts with venues that force them to use […]

The post Ticketmaster President Causes An Uproar After Admitting That Queue Positions Aren’t Random first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

It’s a story that could have come straight out of a Disney film. A first grader discovered a sword estimated to be over 13 centuries old. 

The post 6-Year-Old Boy Finds 1,300-Year-Old Sword on School Field Trip appeared first on Wide Open Country.

Before she was putting out incredible albums and selling out her own headlining shows, Ashley McBryde worked for the queen herself, Dolly Parton. While she didn’t work for her for very long, and this was a good 20 years ago, there were a few memorable moments that Ashley recalled during a recent interview with BBC Radio 2, saying she actually saved Dolly’s house from some destruction when a microwave caught on fire. She didn’t reveal exactly what might have caused the fire, […]

The post The Wild, True Story of How Ashley McBryde Saved Dolly Parton’s House Renovation From a Fire first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Still trying to find that perfect balance. It’s safe to say that the past year and a half has been nothing short of a whirlwind for Parker McCollum. Beyond the fact that he dropped his self-titled, fifth studio album last June to commercial and critical success, the Texas native also scored huge career milestones, performing at President Donald Trump’s inaugural ball in January and co-hosting Better Together Texas and raising over $8.5 million for flood relief with Miranda Lambert in […]

The post Parker McCollum Says He’s Still Trying To Find The Perfect Balance Between Family & Touring: “I Like To Be All-In With Whatever I’m Doing” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Paul Cauthen has a secret, creative fix in his back pocket if he ever needs it. Big Velvet recently joined the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast and had plenty to share about his latest album, Book of Paul. The country singer also discussed how he got the nickname “Big Velvet,” and told us that he’s a big fan of artists like Jake Worthington, Stephen Wilson Jr., Kacey Musgraves, and Marcus King, among other country artists. Cauthen made sure to also shout […]

The post Paul Cauthen On Why He Thinks Artists Should Listen To Music In Other Languages: “Get Fed Different Vibes” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

This controversial singer took to social media to call out President Trump, calling him names and accusing him of destroying democracy.

The post Country Star Goes on Lengthy Rant Against President Trump appeared first on Wide Open Country.

For decades now, a big story has been how the Super Bowl has ignored country music when it comes to its massive halftime performance, which has become just as big of a cultural event as the game itself.

The post Nashville Gets a Super Bowl. But Will Country Music Finally Get One? first appeared on Saving Country Music.

Drayton Farley “A Heavy Duty Heart” Drayton Farley’s A Heavy Duty Heart captures the moment when a promising songwriter stops sounding like “one to watch” and starts sounding like an artist with a clear, confident point of view. The Alabama songwriter has always written with emotional plainspokenness and blue-collar detail, but this record broadens the […]

The post Drayton Farley Leans Into the Ache on “A Heavy Duty Heart” appeared first on Americana Highways.

Ben Chapman – Feet On Fire This artist comes across a bit peculiar vocally, but not quirky. His voice is perfectly suited for tunes like “Everything’s Different.” The showcase is penetrating like the singer-songwriters who stayed above the surface during the punk & new wave era. He uses his creativity wisely. Even a country-based “Out […]

The post REVIEW: Ben Chapman “Feet On Fire” appeared first on Americana Highways.

I’ve written before about crowdfunding and vinyl as a sales driver, but this month two of my three featured artists gave me a reminder of just how important, and expensive, it is. In one of those cases, the artist did a breakdown of where her funding goal was