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Audien , MATOMA , Yacht Club
This event is 18 and over
Audien
At a time where the upcoming talents in the scene of Electronic Dance Music seem to get younger by the second, another promisingh his incredible sense beautiful melodies and a production quality that deserves a lot of recognition, Nate “Audien” Rathbun is starting to show off his skills in a trance and progressive scene that many had mistaken for being dead and gone.
At age 18 and hailing from the Northeastern shores of USA, Nate has silently been honing his skills ever since his first encounter with EDM at age 15. Having been brought up in a family with a mother that was very passionate about music in general, and a father that expressed his joy through guitar playing and singing, undoubtedly helped to shape Nate’s passion for music. Starting off with up-tempo techno gradually transitioning to trance and progressive. It did not take long fo prospect of tomorrow has appeared. Witr people to see that Nate had a flair for the melodies and the production skills required to create quality productions.
Recently Nate has seen his originals and remixes getting picked up by heavyweight UK trance labels Armada, Enhanced Recordings, Flashover, Black Hole, and Alter Ego among others. Recently Nate signed a track to Ferry Corsten’s dutch imprint Flashover Recordings which ended up on Ferry’s hot compilation theory entitled “Once Upon A Night” among many other compilations lisenced by Armada, Enhanced, and others.
Nate has never had a problem with airplay. His productions have frequently been featured on radio shows such as A State Of Trance with Armin Van Buuren, Trance Around The World with Above and Beyond, Corsten’s Countdown with Ferry Corsten, Tiesto’s Club Life, including many other shows hosted by credible and established Producers and DJs.
On the remix front Nate has proven himself capable at working at an amazing pace; finishing remixes for before mentioned, Enhanced Recordings, AVA (Armada), the also UK based Alter Ego, and with numerous other deals in the works it is safe to say that it will not take long before the world will be making the first encounter with young, yet incredibly gifted American.
Madeon will perform live at The Bluestone 04|29|15 Presented by the Prime Social Group.
Supporting Artist: Fareoh and CJ the DJ ( Doors OPEN at 9PM )
Hailing from Nantes in France, 17 year old Madeon came to the attention of the world for his unique blend of Pop/House/Electro via his “Shuriken” and “For You” tracks as well as his amazing remix of Pendulum’s “The Island” single. His most recent remixes on the Deadmau5 “Raise Your Weapon” and Martin Solveig “The Night Out” singles have been a huge success with support from the likes of Pete Tong, Alan Braxe, Skrillex, Rob Swire etc… His debut single “Icarus” was a hit with both DJs (charting at #2 on the global Beatport chart) and radio (charting in the UK top 40). Madeon’s Pop Culture live mashup video has been viewed over 10 million times.
THE M MACHINE
Hyper-creative and sophisticated in craft, San Francisco-based electronic act The M Machine bring a rare mix of genre-bending ingenuity and refined musicianship to every element of their musical output. With their most recent EP—the five-song ‘Just Like’, released on Skrillex’s OWSLA label in November 2014—vocalist/composer/producers Ben Swardlick and Eric Luttrell deliver a deeply melodic and infectiously upbeat take on underground house. Not only a dramatic departure from their darkly charged earlier work, ‘Just Like’ finds The M Machine abandoning all EDM convention and creating a vocal-propelled, indie-minded breed of dance music that hinges on pure emotion and unbridled energy.
FAREOH
Music has been central to Fareoh’s life for as long as he can remember. He learned to play guitar at the age of nine, and loved punk rock, but never committed to any exclusive genre allegiances. “I was always just listening to new stuff,” he says. Born Ian Spurrier, the New York born DJ and producer taught himself the ins and outs of digital production and honed a sound of his own: a combination of progressive and electro, with the songcraft of rock and pop. Blogs are alight with excitement about the complex yet melodic sound of this 20-year old newcomer’s productions: various original tracks and carefully crafted remixes like his single “Feathers” with Archie and his take on mentor Kaskade’s “Lessons in Love”. Fareoh was chosen by Kaskade to open for him on last summer’s Freaks of Nature tour, hitting large-scale venues nationwide. “I want to follow in Kaskade’s footsteps and represent America; represent these young DJs.” For the intensely visual thinker, Egyptian iconography and imagery has an obvious appeal. “I’ve been in love with Egyptian culture since the second grade,” he says. “I used to beg to go to
the museum to see all the different artifacts and hieroglyphs.” An early Internet screen name included the word “Pharaoh,” so Fareoh simply decided to spell it out phonetically. Pharaoh – which translates into “Great House” – originally referred to extraordinary palaces of Egyptian kings. Our contemporary association immediately connotes “Ruler”. Both definitions are apropos in witnessing Fareoh’s reign over a pulsating room of revelers on any given night.
ABOVE & BEYOND are set to perform LIVE at The Bluestone May, 17th 2015!
CONNECTION. If one word sums up the phenomenon of Above & Beyond then that is surely it. Whether it’s the thousands of A&B fans singing their lyrics back at them at gigs from Beirut to Brixton, or the millions that tune in for their weekly Group Therapy radio show, connection – real human connection – is at the heart of all things that define Above & Beyond.
Much like acts like The Smiths or Joy Division before them, Above & Beyond find themselves embedded at the heart of their fans’ lives. Some walk down the wedding aisle to their songs, others ink their bodies with their lyrics, often a proud couple will choose to get engaged at one of their gigs. All that pledge their loyalty to them are moved in a way that goes beyond most electronic music out there.
Above & Beyond is Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamaki and their story is one of constant movement. From their early days as hotly tipped producers to their current global standing, Jono, Tony and Paavo have remained as down-to-earth and determined as ever – always focused on the next goal. Over their 13-year history, this dedication has continually paid off.
The only dance act in history to win Essential Mix Of The Year twice (in 2004 and 2011), the London-based trio have remixed greats like Radiohead and Madonna, played to one million people on Barra Beach in Rio de Janeiro (New Year’s Eve in 2007) and even had their track “Buzz” chosen to soundtrack the launch of Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo in the Mojave desert. And as these landmarks rack up the non-stop pulse of their global touring keeps them connected to their growing international fanbase. Each week brings another crowd, another country and often another continent, while their weekly Group Therapy radio show now reaches over 30 million people worldwide.
A band first and foremost, Above & Beyond are songwriters as much as they are DJs and their second album “Group Therapy” has taken their sound to new heights. The follow-up to 2006’s widely acclaimed debut “Tri-State”, the album draws on musical reference points as diverse as French cosmic pop heroes Air, American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley and soundtrack master Hans Zimmer. “We are always looking to explore new territory but try to operate in our own way rather than just trying to follow trends,” explains Jono. The combined result on “Group Therapy” was unmistakably Above & Beyond – a cohesive album that was described by Mixmag as “the artist album of the year”.
At the heart of the album’s allure, of course, were songs of loves lost, confused and found. “Songs have an impact which is quite unparalleled in art,” believes Tony. “Poetry can be powerful, great literature is another great informer and educator, but few of us can remember any significant words from the great books or poems we read. But something amazing happens when you put words to music.”
Featuring two BBC Radio 1 playlisted singles (“Sun & Moon” and “Thing Called Love”) and a Sirius BPM Chart #1, the album’s many songs have connected in a way that so few dance tracks – vocal or otherwise – ever manage. “Since releasing our Group Therapy Album in 2011, it’s brought us even closer to our audience around the world,” explains Paavo. “The one thing I didn’t expect to happen on the scale it has, is how people from around the world have shared their stories with us as they go through amazingly positive or incredibly difficult times in their lives. It’s really touched us all and feels like a driving force for new creativity.”
Since the release of Group Therapy, the intense atmosphere at Above & Beyond’s increasingly ambitious live performances has redrawn the parameters of the DJ set. While so many superstar DJs place themselves at the centre of the show, Above & Beyond’s focus is always on getting closer to their crowd and making them part of the action. Whether that is by bringing fans up on stage to press the play button on their CDJs or communicating with the fans via their visual screens, the effect is to make everyone in the room feel like they are part of an experience that is at once epic, immersive and interactive.
“Some time ago we realised that on the best nights we have it’s always a three way thing: us, the music and the people, and we see improving the communication between all three as helping a good party turn incredible“ explains Paavo. “The soundsystem, lights and visuals are all there to help people connect to the music, with each other and with us, better. A Group Therapy experience, ideally, is positive, uniting and life-affirming for all involved.”
Having celebrated TATW milestones in Moscow, Miami and Beirut, 2012 saw Above & Beyond call time on Trance Around The World, as they launched their new radio show Group Therapy at a spectacular live broadcast event at Jayamahal Palace in Bangalore, India. Evolving from the foundation built by TATW, Group Therapy is broadcast weekly to 30 million people worldwide, and features guest mixes from the biggest names in electronic music. This year Above & Beyond celebrate the 50th instalment of Group Therapy Radio with their biggest ever UK show at the historic home of broadcasting, Alexandra Palace.
In the summer of 2013 Jono, Tony & Paavo launched another bold musical project, Above & Beyond Acoustic. Rewriting a selection of their back catalogue for a 15 piece ensemble, complete with a full string section, a harp and even a broom, they sold out three intimate shows at the impressive Porchester Hall in London, and in October 2013 will bring Above & Beyond Acoustic to Los Angeles.
Throughout this process, Above & Beyond have continued to release forward-thinking instrumental club music – such as their own tech-fused rollercoaster “Walter White” – on their renowned Anjunabeats label. An essential part of their story, the label is now in its 13th year and has helped to nurture artists like the London-based innovator Mat Zo, the eclectic genius Andrew Bayer and Russian star Arty. Independently spirited but run with ambitious vision, the label has grown like a family.“Dance music tends to be very short term, but we aim to release records that will leave a lasting impression on people and are listened to in years to come” explains Jono. “We try to operate in our own way rather than trying to follow trends.”
Like just about everything they turn their attentions to, it is a labour of love as well as a collaboration of the trio’s energies. De La Soul weren’t wrong. Three really is the magic number: and in Above & Beyond’s case the magic is spreading faster than ever before.
www.aboveandbeyond.nu/
https://soundcloud.com/
SUPPORT TBA
TICKETS ON SALE TUESDAY APRIL 14TH AT 1PM
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It’s back and bigger than ever! WCOL Country Jam 2016 will take place once again at Legend Valley Music Center located near Buckeye Lake. (7585 Kindle Road Thornville, OH 43076).
Campgrounds will open Thursday, September 1st at 10am, all spaces are first come first serve! . All campers must have an admission ticket to the show.
This show is located at Legend Valley Music Center near Buckeye Lake
WWW.LEGENDVALLEYFESTIVALS.COM
Friday, September 2nd: Gates for the show will open at 5pm.
LINEUP:
CHRIS YOUNG JUSTIN MOORE
The Charlie Daniels Band
Cliff Cody
Saturday, September 3rd. Gates for the show will open at 4pm
LINEUP
HANK WILLIAMS JR
Chris Stapleton
Aaron Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Maren Morris
*Artists Lineup Subject to Change
Two Day Admission Tickets ($92 during presale, after presale $125): Include admission into the concert venue Friday and Saturday. Tickets do not include re-entry (leaving the venue to go to campgrounds and back in venue) on the same day.
Friday GA Ticket ($65): Admission into concert Friday, September 2nd. Ticket does not include re-entry (leaving the venue to go to campgrounds and back in venue).
Saturday GA Ticket ($85): Admission into concert Saturday, September 3rd. Ticket does not include re-entry (leaving the venue to go to campgrounds and back in venue).
Friday Pit Pass ($125): Includes admission into the show and Pit Area located in front of the stage Friday, September 2nd Only. (see map). Pit Pass INCLUDES re-entry from Campgrounds to venue throughout the day unlimited times. Pit Pass print at home tickets will be redeemed on-site at the Box Office prior to entering the venue to receive your admission and pit pass wristband.
Saturday Pit Pass ($145): Includes admission into the show and Pit Area located in front of the stage Saturday, September 3rd Only. (see map). Pit Pass INCLUDES re-entry from Campgrounds to venue throughout the day unlimited times. Pit Pass print at home tickets will be redeemed on-site at the Box Office prior to entering the venue to receive your admission and pit pass wristband.
CAMPING INFORMATION
Spend the weekend with WCOL Country Jam 2016!
Campgrounds open Thursday, September 1st at 10am.
Get setup and start your weekend early! Join us at the Campground Pre-Party Thursday evening in the GA campgrounds
(Valid Camping Pass is required)
Don’t miss this one week only pre-sale offer!
Half price General Admission Camping with purchase of 2 day pass
PRE-SALE PRICING ONLY (March 11th-19th)
General Admission Tent Camping: $32 (after pre-sale $65)
General Admission RV Camping: $62 (after pre-sale $125)
Premium Tent Camping: $100
Premium RV Camping: $200
Only one Camping pass per vehicle is required
Camping passes are valid September 1st at 10am – September 4th at 12pm
Any vehicle staying overnight requires a camping pass
General Admission Tent Camping: $32 (after pre-sale $65) includes one 10×20 space to park one vehicle and one tent. Each space allows as many guests as you would like in that tent but each pass will only park one vehicle overnight. General Admission camping is located on the west side of State Route 13 (map link). You will receive a confirmation of your purchase right away, and Camping Passes will be sent to the mailing address you provide during checkout. Camping passes will ship approximately 2-3 weeks before the show.
General Admission RV/Camper Camping: $62 (after pre-sale $125) includes one 20×40 space to park one RV. Pull behind campers will be allowed one camper and one vehicle per camping space. Each space allows as many guests as you would like in that RV but each pass will only park one vehicle overnight. General Admission camping is located on the west side of State Route 13 (map link). You will receive a confirmation of your purchase right away, and Camping Passes will be sent to the mailing address you provide during checkout. Camping passes will ship approximately 2-3 weeks before the show.
Regular Camping Prices (begins March 20th)
General Admission Tent Camping: $65
General Admission RV Camping: $125
Premium Tent Camping: $100
Premium RV Camping: $200
Only one Camping pass per vehicle is required
Camping passes are valid September 1st at 10am – September 4th at 12pm
Any vehicle staying overnight requires a camping pass
General Admission Tent Camping: $65 includes one 10 x 20 space to park one vehicle and one tent. Each space allows as many guests as you would like in that tent but each pass will only park one vehicle overnight. General Admission camping is located on the west side of State Route 13 (map link). You will receive a confirmation of your purchase right away, and Camping Passes will be sent to the mailing address you provide during checkout. Camping passes will ship approximately 2-3 weeks before the show.
General Admission RV/Camper Camping: $125 includes one 20 x 40 space to park one RV. Pull behind campers will be allowed one camper and one vehicle per camping space. Each space allows as many guests as you would like in that RV but each pass will only park one vehicle overnight. General Admission camping is located on the west side of State Route 13 (map link). You will receive a confirmation of your purchase right away, and Camping Passes will be sent to the mailing address you provide during checkout. Camping passes will ship approximately 2-3 weeks before the show.
Premium Tent Camping: $100 includes one 10 x 20 space to park one vehicle and one tent. Each space allows as many guests as you would like in that tent but each pass will only park one vehicle overnight. Premium camping is located on the east side of State Route 13 (map link). You will receive a confirmation of your purchase right away, and Camping Passes will be sent to the mailing address you provide during checkout. Camping passes will ship approximately 2-3 weeks before the show.
Premium RV Camping: $200 includes one 20 x 40 space to park one RV. Pull behind campers will be allowed one camper and one vehicle per camping space. Each space allows as many guests as you would like in that RV but each pass will only park one vehicle overnight. Premium camping is located on the east side of State Route 13 (map link). You will receive a confirmation of your purchase right away, and Camping Passes will be sent to the mailing address you provide during checkout. Camping passes will ship approximately 2-3 weeks before the show.
Chris Young will be performing live at WCOL Country Jam 2016 on
Friday, September 2nd, 2016 at Legend Valley Music Center near Buckeye Lake
Gates for the show will open at 5pm.
Two Day Admission Tickets available for just $92 during presale March 11th-19th (after presale $125)
PURCHASE TICKET
www.LEGENDVALLEYFESTIVALS.com
Justin Moore will be performing live at WCOL Country Jam 2016 on
Friday, September 2nd, 2016 at Legend Valley Music Center near Buckeye Lake
Gates for the show will open at 5pm.
Two Day Admission Tickets available for just $92 during presale March 11th-19th (after presale $125)
Friday Only Admission Tickets: $65
PURCHASE TICKETS
www.LEGENDVALLEYFESTIVALS.com
The Charlie Daniels Band will be performing live at WCOL Country Jam 2016 on
Friday, September 2nd, 2016 at Legend Valley Music Center near Buckeye Lake
Gates for the show will open at 5pm.
Two Day Admission Tickets available for just $92 during presale March 11th-19th (after presale $125)
Friday Only Admission Tickets: $65
PURCHASE TICKETS
www.LEGENDVALLEYFESTIVALS.com
It’s back and bigger than ever! WCOL Country Jam 2016 will take place once again at Legend Valley Music Center located near Buckeye Lake. (7585 Kindle Road Thornville, OH 43076).
Campgrounds will open Thursday, September 1st at 10am, all spaces are first come first serve! . All campers must have an admission ticket to the show.
Show Located at Legend Valley Music Center near Buckeye Lake
WWW.LEGENDVALLEYFESTIVALS.COM
Friday, September 2nd: Gates for the show will open at 5pm.
LINEUP:
ALL ARTISTS WILL BE PLAYING FULL SETS
CHRIS YOUNG JUSTIN MOORE
The Charlie Daniels Band
Cliff Cody
Saturday, September 3rd. Gates for the show will open at 4pm
LINEUP
HANK WILLIAMS JR
Chris Stapleton
Aaron Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Maren Morris
*Artists Lineup Subject to Change
Two Day Admission Tickets ($92 during presale, after presale $125): Include admission into the concert venue Friday and Saturday. Tickets do not include re-entry (leaving the venue to go to campgrounds and back in venue) on the same day.
Friday GA Ticket ($65): Admission into concert Friday, September 2nd. Ticket does not include re-entry (leaving the venue to go to campgrounds and back in venue).
Saturday GA Ticket ($85): Admission into concert Saturday, September 3rd. Ticket does not include re-entry (leaving the venue to go to campgrounds and back in venue).
Friday Pit Pass ($125): Includes admission into the show and Pit Area located in front of the stage Friday, September 2nd Only. (see map). Pit Pass INCLUDES re-entry from Campgrounds to venue throughout the day unlimited times. Pit Pass print at home tickets will be redeemed on-site at the Box Office prior to entering the venue to receive your admission and pit pass wristband.
Saturday Pit Pass ($145): Includes admission into the show and Pit Area located in front of the stage Saturday, September 3rd Only. (see map). Pit Pass INCLUDES re-entry from Campgrounds to venue throughout the day unlimited times. Pit Pass print at home tickets will be redeemed on-site at the Box Office prior to entering the venue to receive your admission and pit pass wristband.
CAMPING INFORMATION
Spend the weekend with WCOL Country Jam 2016!
Campgrounds open Thursday, September 1st at 10am.
Get setup and start your weekend early! Join us at the Campground Pre-Party Thursday evening in the GA campgrounds
(Valid Camping Pass is required)
Don’t miss this one week only pre-sale offer!
Half price General Admission Camping with purchase of 2 day pass
PRE-SALE PRICING ONLY (March 11th-19th)
General Admission Tent Camping: $32 (after pre-sale $65)
General Admission RV Camping: $62 (after pre-sale $125)
Premium Tent Camping: $100
Premium RV Camping: $200
Only one Camping pass per vehicle is required
Camping passes are valid September 1st at 10am – September 4th at 12pm
Any vehicle staying overnight requires a camping pass
General Admission Tent Camping: $32 (after pre-sale $65) includes one 10×20 space to park one vehicle and one tent. Each space allows as many guests as you would like in that tent but each pass will only park one vehicle overnight. General Admission camping is located on the west side of State Route 13 (map link). You will receive a confirmation of your purchase right away, and Camping Passes will be sent to the mailing address you provide during checkout. Camping passes will ship approximately 2-3 weeks before the show.
General Admission RV/Camper Camping: $62 (after pre-sale $125) includes one 20×40 space to park one RV. Pull behind campers will be allowed one camper and one vehicle per camping space. Each space allows as many guests as you would like in that RV but each pass will only park one vehicle overnight. General Admission camping is located on the west side of State Route 13 (map link). You will receive a confirmation of your purchase right away, and Camping Passes will be sent to the mailing address you provide during checkout. Camping passes will ship approximately 2-3 weeks before the show.
Regular Camping Prices (begins March 20th)
General Admission Tent Camping: $65
General Admission RV Camping: $125
Premium Tent Camping: $100
Premium RV Camping: $200
Only one Camping pass per vehicle is required
Camping passes are valid September 1st at 10am – September 4th at 12pm
Any vehicle staying overnight requires a camping pass
General Admission Tent Camping: $65 includes one 10 x 20 space to park one vehicle and one tent. Each space allows as many guests as you would like in that tent but each pass will only park one vehicle overnight. General Admission camping is located on the west side of State Route 13 (map link). You will receive a confirmation of your purchase right away, and Camping Passes will be sent to the mailing address you provide during checkout. Camping passes will ship approximately 2-3 weeks before the show.
General Admission RV/Camper Camping: $125 includes one 20 x 40 space to park one RV. Pull behind campers will be allowed one camper and one vehicle per camping space. Each space allows as many guests as you would like in that RV but each pass will only park one vehicle overnight. General Admission camping is located on the west side of State Route 13 (map link). You will receive a confirmation of your purchase right away, and Camping Passes will be sent to the mailing address you provide during checkout. Camping passes will ship approximately 2-3 weeks before the show.
Premium Tent Camping: $100 includes one 10 x 20 space to park one vehicle and one tent. Each space allows as many guests as you would like in that tent but each pass will only park one vehicle overnight. Premium camping is located on the east side of State Route 13 (map link). You will receive a confirmation of your purchase right away, and Camping Passes will be sent to the mailing address you provide during checkout. Camping passes will ship approximately 2-3 weeks before the show.
Premium RV Camping: $200 includes one 20 x 40 space to park one RV. Pull behind campers will be allowed one camper and one vehicle per camping space. Each space allows as many guests as you would like in that RV but each pass will only park one vehicle overnight. Premium camping is located on the east side of State Route 13 (map link). You will receive a confirmation of your purchase right away, and Camping Passes will be sent to the mailing address you provide during checkout. Camping passes will ship approximately 2-3 weeks before the show.
Chris Stapleton will be performing live at WCOL Country Jam 2016 on
Saturday, September 3rd.
Gates for the show will open at 4pm.
Two Day Admission Tickets available for just $92 during presale March 11th-19th (after presale $125)
PURCHASE TICKETS
www.LEGENDVALLEYFESTIVALS.com
Hank Williams Jr. will be performing live at WCOL Country Jam 2016 at Legend Valley Music Center near Buckeye Lake on Saturday, September 3rd.
Gates for the show will open at 4pm.
Two Day Admission Tickets available for just $92 during presale March 11th-19th (after presale $125)
PURCHASE TICKETS
www.LEGENDVALLEYFESTIVALS.com
The Cadillac Three will be performing live at The Bluestone on March 8th, 2018
Opening Artist: Austin Jenckes
Doors for the show will open at 7pm
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 day of show
This show is SOLD OUT!
PURCHASE HERE
The Cadillac Three LIVE at The Bluestone
THE CADILLAC THREE
It may be a ballsy move for The Cadillac Three to name their new album LEGACY, but if any country band has the shared history to lay claim to such a weighty title, it’s the longhaired trio of Nashville natives.
Singer-guitarist Jaren Johnston, drummer Neil Mason and lap-steel player Kelby Ray have known one another since they were teens and have been sharing stages together for nearly 15 years. This summer, they’ll headline their hometown’s most famous venue, the Ryman Auditorium, just a few blocks from where Johnston and Ray sat in high-school math class daydreaming about one day playing the legendary hall. Johnston’s connection to the Ryman goes back even further: his father has been a drummer at the Grand Ole Opry since Jaren was a child. And now he has a son of his own, who, like his old man, will be well-versed in all the sounds that make up both Music City and The Cadillac Three, from country and blues to rock & roll.
So, yeah, “legacy” looks good on this band.
“We’re trying to build something and do it our way, which is always harder,” says Johnston. “If you’re going to leave something that people are actually going to remember, you can’t take the easy way. So we took all of our history, mixed it with the energy of The Cadillac Three and put it into a record that makes sense of where we’ve been and where we’re going.”
After nearly a full year on the road in support of 2016’s BURY ME IN MY BOOTS, their first full-length album recorded for Big Machine Records, the group returns with a more mature perspective. Johnston, Mason and Ray have experienced a lot on tour, whether opening arenas across the country on Florida Georgia Line’s Dig Your Roots Tour or headlining their own consistently sold-out string of sweaty club and theater shows in the U.K. and Europe. As they prepare to head back in November for another big run, for The Cadillac Three, the old saying really is true: this band is huge overseas.
“Europe showed us that we should bet on ourselves. It was a big gamble the first time we went over there,” says Mason, “but the shows and the fans have continued to grow.”
“And going overseas reinforced that we wanted to get more music out more quickly,” adds Ray. “They go through singles really quickly over there. They want more, more, more and that encouraged us to go into the studio, knock this album out and keep going.”
All that travel, from city to state, country to continent, could decimate a lesser band, but it only served to creatively inspire the mighty TC3. They wrote many of the 11 songs that make upLEGACY on the road, cut the tracks on rare days off in Nashville and then recorded all of Johnston’s vocals – one of the most “country” voices in the genre – in the back lounge of their bus in between shows, adding a crackling sense of vitality to LEGACY. They also produced the album themselves.
“We knew what we wanted to do with this record. Instead of putting it together in bits and pieces, we started with a batch of songs and then picked a single,” Johnston says. “That’s how this shit should be done.”
That back-to-basics approach to making music yielded the band’s most infectious single to date: the woozy sing-along “Dang If We Didn’t.” Written, as is most of the album, by Johnston and Mason (here, with Jonathan Singleton; other times with songwriters like Laura Veltz and Angelo Petraglia), “Dang If We Didn’t” teases fans with its ambiguous title, before revealing what the guys actually did in the chorus: get drunk last night.
“When you’re a songwriter, you can be critical of song titles,” says Johnston. “But with ‘Dang If We Didn’t,’ I thought it was a little bit mysterious. It makes you wonder, ‘Dang if we didn’t do what?'”
“Eat pizza last night,” quips Mason. “It could be anything.”
“American Slang” rivals “Dang If We Didn’t” in its grandeur. It’s a huge song, akin to Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin'” or The Cadillac Three’s own “Graffiti,” off BURY ME IN MY BOOTS. Lori McKenna (Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush”) began writing the tune with the intention of having The Cadillac Three finish it. “We are vampires on Hollywood Boulevard / angels and sinners of our hometown streets,” go the lyrics, painting a picture of life’s rebels, before a massive country-radio chorus kicks in: “We are the back roads, dirty water shore banks…we are born and raised on American slang.”
The constant throughout LEGACY, however, lies in the players: as on all three of The Cadillac Three’s albums, only Johnston, Mason and Ray are the musicians. There’s no guest keyboard player, no second percussionist and certainly no bassist. Ray holds down the low end on his lap steel.
Especially on the standout LEGACY track “Take Me to the Bottom,” which features Johnston reaching high for a breathtaking falsetto. “‘Take Me to the Bottom’ has the best bass sound of anything I’ve ever done,” says Ray, who also keeps things greasy on the intense “Tennessee.” A thrashing love song, it evokes the stomp of ZZ Top – a favorite of TC3 – and features a lyrical shout-out to progressive country hero Sturgill Simpson, a kindred spirit of the band.
No matter the influence, though, the trio stays faithful to their own unique sound throughout LEGACY. “Hank & Jesus” glides along with Tennessee twang; “Demolition Man” is distinguished by the space between the notes; and the swaggering “Cadillacin'” is a band anthem. “We don’t put anything on our albums that we can’t re-create live,” says Mason. “If there is a TC3 rule, it’s that: keep it honest.”
Honesty, or authenticity, is a favorite buzzword around Nashville. But few artists come to it as naturally as The Cadillac Three. These guys couldn’t fake it if they tried. In the album’s title track, they offer a heart-on-the-sleeve testimony to what’s really important at the end of one’s days: love and a family tree.
When Mason and Ray heard “Legacy,” co-written by Johnston, they flipped, and pushed for it to be the title of the record. “We’re far enough along in our careers where doing an album called LEGACY doesn’t feel presumptuous to me,” says Mason.
Not when you run through The Cadillac Three’s milestones. It’s all there, from boundary-pushing albums, Grammy-nominated No. 1 songwriting across genres and fan-favorite singles to sold-out club shows and massive festival gigs alongside Aerosmith.
“With this album, we’re continuing to build this thing we’ve created. We’re touring nonstop, headlining shows in the U.K., playing the Ryman, and putting out a new record,” says Johnston. “Shit, that’s a pretty good legacy so far.”
Cody Johnson will be performing LIVE at The Bluestone on March 1st, 2019
Doors for the show will open at 7pm
Opening Artist: Randall King
Tickets are $20 in advance
THIS SHOW IS SOLD OUT
PURCHASE HERE
It’s Cody Johnson’s time.
After landing two releases in the Top 10 of Billboard’s country albums chart on his own CoJo label and selling 74,000 tickets for a single show, to earn recognition as the only unsigned artist in history to sell out NRG Stadium at RodeoHouston, one of Texas’ most-sought-after talents finally agreed to sign with a major label. Warner Music Nashville won a Music Row sweepstakes and enticed Johnson – who’d turned down several majors before – to join the team and take a shot at turning a concert success story into one with multimedia, national hit-making cred.
Johnson’s passionate, rowdy concerts have already drawn comparisons to Garth Brooks, and the music from his previous albums – inspired by ‘90s country foundations, but built for the 21st century – has made him a familiar presence on Texas and Oklahoma red-dirt radio.
Johnson’s introductory Warner project, Ain’t Nothin’ to It, ups the ante. After writing the bulk of his previous material, he put out word in Nashville that he was open to songs from other sources, and the results were astonishing. A-list writers – including Chris Stapleton, Radney Foster and Brothers Osborne guitarist John Osborne – came to the table with songs that suited Johnson’s life and disposition. Music fans who are just now coming to the table will get a quick understanding of Johnson, from the rowdy troublemaker in the swampy “Doubt Me Now” to the devoted family man in the title track to the self-penned ex-bull rider in “Dear Rodeo” to the devoted Christian in “His Name Is Jesus.”
