Welcome to The Boot’s News Roundup, a morning rundown of the news country music fans need to know. Read on to learn more about the latest goings-on in the country, Americana, bluegrass and folk genres.
Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood of Lady Antebellum have been invited to give the undergraduate commencement address at their alma mater, the University of Georgia, this year, on May 4. “We are excited to welcome Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood back to their alma mater,” says UGA President Jere W. Morehead in a press release. “They are multi-talented musicians who have impressed the world, and the University of Georgia is very proud of all they have accomplished. We look forward to their inspiring comments.” Both Kelley and Haywood received bachelor’s degrees in business administration from UGA in 2004.
Rick Diamond, Getty Images
Organizers of the annual Record Store Day have shared the complete list of special releases for 2018, and country fans will find plenty to love. Among others, Brothers Osborne are planning a Record Store Day-exclusive release of their sophomore album, Port Saint Joe; Eric Church will release the covers from his 61 Days in Church collection on vinyl (also a Record Store Day-only release); and Jason Isbell will share a live EP, Live at the Twist and Shout, which will be widely released later on. The complete list of Record Store Day 2018 releases — which also includes vinyl from Lady Antebellum, Charlie Daniels, Johnny Cash and many more — is available on RecordStoreDay.com.
Jason Aldean‘s face can now be found on the mask of minor league hockey goalie Eddie Pasquale, who plays for the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch (the “farm team” for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning). Designed by Jason Livery of Head Strong Grafx, Pasquale’s new mask features Aldean on one side and Canadian country singer Gord Bamford on the other. Pasquale is a native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and a country music fan.
Rick Diamond, Getty Images
Kris Kristofferson and Ben Haggard will team up for two shows in Nashville in mid-May. Billed as Kris Kristofferson and Ben Haggard and the Strangers, Rolling Stone reports, the concerts will take place on May 14 and 15 at the Basement East. The two have additional dates scheduled together in the spring, but their Music City shows will be their only small, standing-room-only club dates. Tickets will go on sale on March 8.
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Sturgill Simpson and Margo Price, among others, will play Willie Nelson‘s annual Fourth of July Picnic this year, Rolling Stone reports. The yearly event will also feature performances from Ryan Bingham, Jamestown Revival, Asleep at the Wheel, Ray Wylie Hubbard … and, of course, Nelson himself, and more. In 2018, the event will return to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas; visit Austin360Amphitheater.com for ticketing details.
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Budweiser and Sony Music Nashville have teamed up for an event at SXSW 2018. Dubbed the Country Club, AdWeek reports, the event will take place at Austin’s Fair Market on March 15 beginning at 6PM. Old Crow Medicine Show, Kane Brown and Elle King will perform, along with the Sisterhood, Levon, Tenille Townes and Colin Elmore & the Danville Train. Budweiser partnered with Sony Music Nashville for the showcase.
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