Bryan announces headlining tour
Thursday, October 11, 2012 – Luke Bryan will launch his first headlining major tour in January.
The "Dirt Road Diaries Tour" will kick off in Evansville, Ind. on Jan. 17 with tickets on sale beginning Friday, Oct 26. The 20-city first leg will go through March and features Thompson Square and Florida Georgia Line as openers.
"I have dreamed about this day for a very long time," said Bryan. "We are having the best time putting together all the bells and whistles for the tour. I have spent a lot of time out on tours with some really great artists and each night we have tried to learn from them. I couldn't be more excited about this." Tour dates are:
Jan. 17 Evansville, IN Ford Center
Jan. 18 Huntsville, AL Von Braun Center
Jan. 19 Southaven, MS Landers Center
Jan. 25 Estero, FL Germain Arena
Jan. 26 Orlando, FL Amway Center
Feb. 7 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum
Feb. 8 State College, PA Bryce Jordan Center
Feb. 15 Toledo, OH Huntington Center
Feb. 16 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
Feb. 17 Bloomington, IL US Cellular Center
Feb. 21 Ft Wayne, IN Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Feb. 22 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center
Feb. 23 Columbia, MO Mizzou Arena
Feb. 28 Green Bay, WI Resch Center
March 1 Sioux City, IA Tyson Events Center
March 2 Moline, IL i wireless Center
March 14 Orange Beach, AL Amphitheatre at the Wharf
March 21 Florence, SC Florence Civic Center
March 22 Fayetteville, NC Crown Center
March 23 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena
More news for Luke Bryan
CD reviews for Luke Bryan
Spring Break 4: Suntan City - EP
Luke Bryan's annual spring break EPs are innocuous distractions in a fairly decent discography. The Leesburg, Ga. Native's fourth and latest, is no exception. The songwriting is an exercise in vapidity with clichéd themes like partying and teenage breakups. The timing couldn't be more ironic.
This four-song bubble gum pop tribute to the young and overserved was put out shortly after his latest full length release, "tailgates & tanlines," garnered some critical »»»
|
tailgates & tanlines
By now Luke Bryan has established his defining sound, and he chooses comfort over exploration on his third CD, "tailgates & tanlines." The only major change is his songwriting contributions. Bryan co-wrote most of the songs on his first two albums, but stepped back here with his name on 8 or the 13 songs. To be fair, this doesn't really have any effect on the overall sound.
The disc starts off with what may have been the worst song of 2011, Country Girl (Shake It for Me). »»»
|
Doin' My Thing
"Do I turn you on and on when I kiss you baby? Does the sight of me wanting you drive you crazy?" Luke Bryan's debut single off his sophomore album, Do I is narrated from a point of insecurity, but it comes from a voice that's potentially watching a relationship collapse before his very eyes. It's the stage where one doesn't want to admit that the fire and passion are gone, so just the fact that he's asking all of these questions should tell us that it's over. »»»
|
Editorial: Walking the talk –
When names like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon and the Hag are invoked, you're talking hard core country. These are the touchstones of country , the guys who made country music what it was and still is (or maybe can be). When these folks would sing about being down-and-out and the rough-and-tumble, they knew of what they were singing about. Fast forward a few years to the country singers of today. »»»
Concert Review: Size doesn't matter to Winslow-King –
Luke Winslow-King may have a fine new CD out ("The Coming Tide") on a long respected indie country/roots label (Bloodshot), but that didn't mean the throngs were going to fill the club. In fact, in a second night of shows in the Boston area, Winslow-King drew a handful of people. Well, make that literally two handfuls of people.
As in 10 people.... »»»
Concert Review: McGraw has plenty of fight left –
Despite the fact that Tim McGraw is five years sober, fit as a triathlete and touring behind a number one album, he is still in an unenviable position. As he approaches 50, McGraw has to stay a step ahead of the current crop of young country hunks with TV shows, cross format radio airplay and wider appeal. But as he proved at First Niagara's... »»»
|
 |
Country News Digest
CST
CST
Elsewhere in the news
Currently at the CST blogs

Some folks listening to Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison's new duet album, "Cheaters Game," may well exclaim, 'Well, it's about time!' after finally hearing these two talented country singer/songwriters recording music as a pair for the first time. Willis has built quite a following for her independently-minded feminine perspective, while Robison has written hits for the Dixie Chicks ( Travelin' Soldier) and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill ( Angry All the Time), as well as penning the ultimate Willie Nelson tribute, What Would Willie Do? and recording it as a solo act.
... »»»

Last fall, singer/songwriter Steve Forbert dropped the 14th studio album of his 35-year career, the impeccable "Over With You." Critics recognized the album as a return to the form Forbert displayed on his earliest works - 1978's stripped back and personal "Alive on Arrival" and 1979's more lushly produced and commercially accessible "Jackrabbit Slim" - but the fact is that Forbert has never strayed far from their basic folk/rock tenets.... »»»

Over the course of the past 20 years or so, Jim Lauderdale and Buddy Miller have both experienced a certain rise in their respective rootsy country profiles. Miller has become one of Nashville's hottest speed dial numbers, as an artist, a guitarist-for-hire (a role he has performed for Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris and Robert Plant, among others) and an intuitive producer (he's currently working with Executive Music Producer T Bone Burnett to provide the soundtrack for ABC's "Nashville" television series).... »»»

Wilderness
"Wilderness" is another twisted menagerie of The Handsome Family songs. Once again, husband Brett Sparks sings their songs, sometimes in a bellowing gravedigger voice, after adding music to wife Rennie's lyrics. This time out, each and every tune is named after an animal, insect or other such nature creature. However, Rennie studies animals the way Flannery O'Connor wrote about humans, which is with the weirdness and character flaws in primary focus. »»»
|
Love Is Everything
George Strait may have reached his seventh decade, but he shows zero signs of slowing down. In fact, Strait seems to be getting even more consistent as he gets older. Strait doesn't stray all that far from the formula that has resulted in superstar status. First and foremost, that means his sonorous voice is mixed far above the music, a very good thing. »»»
|
Dark Dirty Mile
Jason Boland and the Stragglers have released a new country album that sounds old. This isn't to imply that the sound is aged in a negative way; they have a classic country maturity that isn't heard too much these days with the exception of Jamey Johnson. For those not familiar with the music of Boland, the first track is a great way to decide whether this is your kind of country music. The title track is a mid tempo country song reminiscent of the late Waylon Jennings. »»»
|
Golden
Lady Antebellum probably needed a change in direction after "Own the Night" dropped in 2011. The material was overly geared towards taking dead aim at the radio jugular. That isn't the case this time out on the trio's fifth release because most of the songs veer away from being obviously radio fodder (except for the current single Downtown with its soulful beginning and strong vocals from Hillary Scott), but that also doesn't man that this was the right change. »»»
|
|