Author Archives: HaleighT

About HaleighT

HaleighT grew up in rural Sallisaw, Oklahoma, completely immersed in the country music lifestyle. She works with CMNB as our field assignment journalist, gathering concert reviews and exclusive interviews from every artist she can. When she's not out on the road, she's in our web studio filming "Takin' a Break With HaleighT" a short weekly opinion and news segment that launched in 2011.

Doug Stone At The Grape Festival

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Doug Stone Headlines Thursday Night at the Tontitown Grape Festival. This year marked the 113th annual Tontitown Grape Festival in Tontitown, AR. The festival was 5 days long, Tuesday August 9 – Saturday August 13th, with free entertainment each day. The headliners were: Tuesday Jamie O’neal, Wednesday Chuck Wicks, Thursday Doug Stone, Friday Studio B featuring Patrick Hall, and Saturday Andy Griggs. Thursday I decided to partake in the small town’s festivities, convincing myself I couldn’t miss the legendary Doug Stone. The weather couldn’t have been better, a breezy 75 degrees with the smell of carefully prepared food filling the air! I sampled some grapes, a cup of local wine, and purchased my grandpa a leather keychain with “Thomas” imprinted on it! Focusing on what I came for, I strategically placed my lawn chair at the perfect position among the crowd gathered on the asphalt, not too close, yet not too far. Not in the middle, but not too much on the side where all I got was a view of the sound system. When I was comfy, I sat and watched the artists do their thing. Western Justice, a close to the area Oklahoma band, was first up. Even with one band member down, the guys had a great show! They never once dropped their momentum. Sammy Sadler was next to take the “Gold Medal” stage. Known by many for an awful tragedy that occurred when he was a young man in 1989, “Murder On Music Row” has only made Sadler the strong, capable, and talented artist he is today. His album, Heart Shaped Like Texas, is available now and includes “I Wanna Be Loved By You“, “I’ll Always Have Denver“, “Thank God“, “If This Ain’t Heaven“, the title track “Heart Shaped Like Texas“, plus 6 others. Sadler sang his heart out and impressed a slew of people! Unfortunately when Stone took the stage, I almost regretted my decision of coming. I had such high hopes for the man who gave us numerous top ten hits including “In A Different Light“, “Why Didn’t I Think Of That“, “I’d Be Better Off (In A Pinebox)”, “Jukebox With A Country Song“, “Fourteen Minutes Old“, and “Made For Lovin’ You“. The crowd really seemed to enjoy his performance and easy-going attitude, but I knew he could have done so much better. It was a very “comical” show, full of jokes and laughter. The members of the band were very talented and did their best to keep their front man on his toes. Stone seemed to be having a great time, so much that he forgot his own lyrics on several occasions. I believe his favorite part of the evening was pointing out random fans who decided to leave early and talking to them (once during a song). Sticking it out until he was done performing proved to be my biggest task this week (possibly this month). Tonight is the last night the festival will take place, so don’t miss your chance to Continue reading Doug Stone At The Grape Festival→

Luke Bryan Tailgates & Tanlines Review

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Tailgates And Tanlines Exceeds Expectations! Luke Bryan‘s latest album Tailgates and Tanlines was released today, August 9. The man has the perfect smile, some awesome dance moves, an out of this world personality, and the voice to match all three! This album is a great compilation to add to his discography and I can’t wait for everyone else to hear it! The 13 tracks showcase Bryan’s voice and style that we have grown accustomed to throughout his career. Bryan co-wrote 8 of the 13 songs and the album was co-produced by Jeff Stevens and Mark Bright. His liner notes include MANY thanks to a slew of people, family, friends, band, crew, producers, fellow songwriters, country radio, Buck Commander Brothers, and many, many more! To his fans… “I can never finish my thank yous without pointing out the fans who continue to show up every time and who support my music over and over again. Not one ounce of that is taken for granted. You inspire me to stand there every night and give you all I have. I hope that every time I give you something new to take away. Nut House Fans are by far the best!!” The first single, “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)“, has already had TREMENDOUS amounts of success! It has become the summer dance anthem for all the “Country Girls” to move to. I can only imagine the singles soon to come from this album will also be at the top of the charts. I truly enjoyed every song on this album, more than a few hit close to home, which again proves why I love country music and a good songwriter so much! If I had to pick my top 5 they would be “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye“, “I Know You’re Gonna Be There“, “Been There, Done That“, “I Don’t Want This Night To End“, and “Muckalee Creek Water” (in no particular order). Each song has this built in motion that makes you want to sway to and such descriptive lyrics that put you in that moment, I have to say one of the best albums of 2011! Track Listing – Writers 1. Country Girl (Shake It For Me) – Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson 2. Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye – Luke Bryan, Jeff Stevens, Shane McAnally 3. Drunk On You – Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, Josh Kear 4. Too Damn Young – Arlis Albritton, Casey Kessel 5. I Don’t Want This Night To End – Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip 6. You Don’t Know Jack – Erin Enderlin, Shane McAnally 7. Harvest Time – Luke Bryan, Rodney Clawson 8. I Know You’re Gonna Be There – Luke Bryan, Ashley Gorley 9. Muckalee Creek Water – Luke Bryan, Patrick Jason Matthews 10. Tailgate Blues – Brent Cobb, Neil Medley 11. Been There, Done That – Luke Bryan, Rachel Thibodeau 12. Faded Away – Luke Bryan, Michael Carter 13. I Knew You That Way – Jay Clementi, Radney Foster

New Albums Released On iTunes

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Here are some albums that were released today (August 9th) on iTunes that I think are worth the purchase! Luke Bryan – Tailgates & Tanlines Kevin Fowler – Chippin’ Away Micky & The Motorcars – Raise My Glass Miranda Lambert – Baggage Claim (single) Here is the video for Kevin Fowler’s latest single “Hell Yeah, I Like Beer” available on his album Chippin’ Away. He had a little help from some of his buddies on this one, tell us who you see! Tags: Hell Yeah, I Like Beer, Kevin Fowler, Kevin Fowler Videos

Joe Nichols Take It Off Music Video

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Joe Nichols’ Music Video For His Latest Single Take It Off. Joe Nichols‘ catchy, summer, single “Take It Off” is now available on iTunes. The video is very fun, carefree, and includes a magical newspaper! I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m super excited for a full album from this man! With previous hits like “She Only Smokes When She Drinks“, “Brokenheartsville“, “It Ain’t No Crime“, “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off“, “Size Matters“, “What’s A Guy Gotta Do“, “I’ll Wait For You“, “Gimme That Girl“, and “Shape I’m In” it is sure to be incredible! Until then, join us in watching the magic take place… [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsOz_T1K17Y]

Jerrod Niemann One More Drinkin’ Song Video

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Jerrod Niemann’s One More Drinkin’ Song Music Video Is Here! Jerrod Niemann’s lates single “One More Drinkin’ Song” has a bright future ahead. Love songs and sad songs are great, but you can never have enough drinking songs. The follow up to “What Do You Want” has got me thirsty and that marga-daiquiri-screw-aloda-on the beach sounds interesting enough to sample! The song comes off of his album Judge Jerrod & The Hung Jury and is available now. Watch this video and see how many of Niemann’s famous artist friends make an appearance. Cheers! Tags: One More Drinkin’ Song, Jerrod Niemann, Jerrod Niemann Videos

Tim McGraw Emotional Traffic In OKC

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Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, And Edens Edge At The Zoo Amphitheater In OKC. This Tuesday (August 2) I took on the extreme heat to watch some of country music’s finest in Oklahoma City. Tim McGraw’s Emotional Traffic Tour included a couple Amen’s, some well executed dance moves, and a broken foot…it was awesome! Edens Edge were the first to take the stage at the Zoo Amphitheater and did a great job of getting the crowd pumped up. They sang their latest single “Amen” and also a mixture of all their favorite summer songs including Miley Cyrus’ “Party In The USA“. Once they were finished there was about a 45 minute wait for the next artist. Luke Bryan took the stage and the fans took notice! He had an excellent show with an abundance of energy that was very nicely exuded to the crowd. Noting that it was a Tuesday night and that the majority of the audience had to work the next morning, Bryan gave everyone some sound advice. “You need to take four Advil, not two, you’re gonna need four, a bunch of water, and eat two pieces of white bread.” With this mental note stored away for safe keeping, the partying fans tried their best to keep up with the country boy from Georgia, as he shook “it” up and down the stage. He sang “Country Man“, “Someone Else Calling You Baby“, “Drinkin’ Beer And Wastin’ Bullets“, “If You Ain’t Here To Party“, “Drunk On You“, “We Rode In Trucks“, “Do I“, “Rain Is A Good Thing”, “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)“, and “All My Friends Say”. He thanked everyone again for braving the heat, then sadly disappeared back stage. Tim McGraw was the main event of the night and let me tell you, he was well worth the wait! Even with a broken foot, this veteran of the industry did his thing and proved he was the real deal! With each song he sang, I realized how much I’ve truly grown up on his music. McGraw took me down memory lane with “Something Like That“, “Where The Green Grass Grows“, “Down On The Farm“, “Last Dollar (Fly Away)“, “Just To See You Smile“, “Please Remember Me“, “For A Little While“, “Red Ragtop“, “Unbroken“, “Do You Want Fries With That“, “Back When” (where Luke Bryan joined him and added a special surprise to a few lyrics), “Better Than I Use To Be” (a new song), “The Cowboy In Me“, “Southern Voice“, “Felt Good On My Lips“, “Real Good Man“, “Live Like You Were Dying“, “Indian Outlaw“, and “I Like It, I Love It“. Like I said, the temperature was very high, but with a couple of (over-priced) drinks and two of country music’s best looking men on the stage in front of me, it ended up being one of the best nights of the summer! I’m putting it out there, find a show near you and get tickets, even if you have to eat Ramen for two Continue reading Tim McGraw Emotional Traffic In OKC→

Kenny Chesney Goin’ Coastal 2011

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Goin’ Coastal 2011 Tour Featuring Uncle Kracker, Billy Currington, Zac Brown Band, and Kenny Chesney! I was very fortunate to be in the audience during the Goin’ Coastal 2011 Tour this past Saturday in Kansas City, Mo at the Arrowhead Stadium. My main reason for my 5 1/2 hour drive was to review Billy Currington’s show, but due to a miscommunication with a publicist I was unable catch his performance (along with the other artists excluding Chesney). After a short melt-down and pouting session, I decided to make the best of it and enjoy what was left of the show. I have always liked Kenny Chesney’s songs, but never thought of myself as a diehard fan. I have to say after walking out of that stadium that night I was a Chesney fan. He had non-stop energy, sang his heart out, and had a huge smile on his face the entire time. There was great interaction between the artist and his loyal fans. What impressed me the most, and has impressed me by all artists I have seen this summer, is their commitment through the scorching heat! During his sweaty performance he sang “Summertime“, “When The Sun Goes Down“, “I Go Back“, “Big Star“, “Don’t Happen Twice“, “There Goes My Life“, “Somewhere With You“, “No Shoes No Shirt No Problems“, “Boys Of Fall“, “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven“, “We Went Out Last Night“, “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy“, his latest single “You And Tequila“, plus many, many more! That night happened to be Zac Brown’s birthday and turned out to be a special treat for us. Just when the crowd thought Kenny was done for the night, he came back out and not alone. He presented Zac with a proper sized birthday drink and led the thousands of fans in a Happy Birthday tune. The two, along with both their bands proceeded to entertain us for another thirty minutes. They sang a couple Alabama songs which included an out of this world performance by the two fiddle players (obviously my favorite part of the entire evening), “Knee Deep“, and “The Joker” by the Steve Miller Band. It was a fantastic show that I only wish I could have seen more of. Billy Currington was truly missed by me and more of Zac Brown Band would have been a cherry on top of the phenomenal show! The tour still has plenty of stops to go, so get your tickets now!

Matt Stillwell’s Shinefest 2011

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Troy & Sons Distillers Presents Matt Stillwell’s Shinefest 2011! This year’s Shinefest 2011 will take place August 19-21 (Friday-Sunday) in Western North Carolina. Matt Stillwell’s annual festival is being presented by Troy & Sons Distillers and will be held at the Fontana Village Resort in the Smokey Mountains. Some of Nashville’s best songwriter will take the stage along with Stillwell, Blackberry Smoke, Black Lillies, Jim Lauderdale, and more. “My vision for the festival is to showcase some of the greatest songwriters in Nashville, the creative people behind my career, local and upcoming bands as well as all the musical styles that have influenced me. The festival has grown each year and this year is looking to be bigger than ever.” -Matt Stillwell For those who prefer the outdoors, camping spaces are also available but are sure to be going fast. For more information on the entire event, including VIP packages click here.

Billy Currington New Video

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Billy Currington Love Done Gone Music Video. Billy Currington’s latest single “Love Done Gone” from his album Enjoy Yourself is quite catchy to say the least! The lyrics speak about a relationship that didn’t work out, but leaves no one really fazed. Unlike the majority of break up songs, this one is more like sh*t happens, we were in love now we aren’t, time to move on. The music is very well orchestrated and the brass adds the perfect touch! In this video Currington is strolling down the street, having a great time, laid back, with no cares on his mind. I strongly advise you to watch this, but be warned you have a 94.8% chance of getting “Babadadadada” stuck in your head for the rest of the night. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d1T0UcsUN0]

Top 10 Songs Of Summer

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The 10 Best Songs To Listen To While Dealing With The Heat! Here they are, the top 10 songs I encourage you to listen to while sweating your life away! They are all happy, festive songs that are sure to put a smile on your face or at least a drink in your hand! Enjoy! 1. “Chattahoochee” – Alan Jackson 2. “Redneck Yacht Club” – Craig Morgan 3. “The Seashores Of Old Mexico” – George Strait 4. “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems” – Kenny Chesney 5. “Long Hot Summer Days” – Turnpike Troubadours 6. “Toes” – Zac Brown Band 7. “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” – Jake Owen 8. “Stays In Mexico” – Toby Keith 9. “Barefoot And Crazy” – Jack Ingram 10. “Two Pina Coladas” – Garth Brooks