Jason Aldean and More Unload New Music at Broken Bow’s CRS Showcase
BBR Music Group showcased their hottest talent at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville Monday night (Feb. 5).
A list of the label's established acts — Jason Aldean and Joe Nichols — plus newcomers Jimmie Allen and Runaway June, and new signings Chase Rice and Everette all took the stage. Kid Rock, who signed with BBR in August, did not perform at the showcase.
The near three-hour set was part of Country Radio Seminar, Nashville’s three day event of new music showcases, educational programming, music career development topics and more that attracts artists and music business professionals from across the country.
Providing a preview into what they hope are breakout country hits for 2018, Broken Bow Records had each of their featured artists perform one song at the event (with the exception of Aldean):
Everette, "Slow Roll": In breaking news, Everette literally signed with BBR at the beginning of the showcase and performed their song immediately following. The Kentucky natives describe their music as back porch meets rock and roll.
Restless Road: "Holdin' Up": The former X-Factor favorites performed a tongue-in-cheek relationship song. Though they also performed at last year's BBR showcase, the three-piece band have yet to release an album.
Lindsay Ell, "Criminal": "Criminal" wasn't exactly a surprise single, as a recorded version of the song was already being played at last year's BBR showcase as background music before release. The song now sits at No. 27 on Billboard's Country Airplay chart.
Craig Campbell, "I'd Like to See You Try": Campbell traded his cowboy hat in for a slicked-back hairstyle and a new slick song. Much different than last year's single "Outskirts of Heaven," the new song has yet to be released wide.
Adam Craig, "Why Can't She": Adam Craig hasn't officially released a full version of this song, but he did create an acoustic video in May 2017, showcasing "Why Can't She" to his YouTube fandom.
Walker McGuire, "Lost": The Nashville duo encouraged the crowd to dance and slow-rocked out to their latest. The song, released on their eponymous EP in 2018, is currently nearing one million plays on Spotify.
Chase Bryant, "Hell If I Know": Bryant wailed on his guitar (as normal) for an extended version of the original and thanked the crowd for "giving a kid from a small town" a chance at success. "Hell If I Know" is currently in the Top 50 of Billboard's Country Airplay chart.
Jimmie Allen, "Best Shot": Fans may remember Allen from season 10 of American Idol, but he is trying to reemerge as a new flavor of country music.
Runaway June, "Wild West": Naomi Cooke, Hannah Mulholland and Jennifer Wayne of the three-piece blended perfect harmonies in a laid-back rendition of their latest.
Parmalee, "Hotdamalama": This infectious party anthem was the most fun of the event. Parmalee singer Matt Thomas tells Taste of Country the band will be filming a music video for the song soon.
Joe Nichols, "Good Ole Boys Like Me": Nichols did a tribute to his favorite Don Williams song that he said is part of an upcoming project. Williams died in 2017. He was 78 years old.
Chase Rice, "Three Chords and the Truth": A less aggressive take than his previous songs on Ignite the Night, Rice seems to be turning the corner on his bro-country labeled past.
Granger Smith, "Happens Like That": Smith's latest includes a music video that features his wife, Amber, and their youngest son, River. The song portrays a love story from "order a drink" to "one knee down with a diamond ring." The song peaked at No. 24 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.
Randy Houser, "No Good Place to Cry": Houser showcased his voice on this stripped-down original.
Dustin Lynch, "I'd Be Jealous Too": Lynch had a huge 2017 and his latest is closer to the pop-infused "Small Town Boy" than 2014 rockers such as "Hell of a Night."
Jason Aldean, "Tattoos on this Town," "Any Ol' Barstool" and "You Make It Easy": Aldean mixed a little old with a little new, performing the lead track from 2010's My Kinda Party ("Tattoos on this Town"), followed by 2017 No. 1 hit "Any Ol' Barstool" and his recent single "You Make It Easy." Aldean joked that the showcase was a practice session since he and his band have been off the road since October. He also noted it was only the third time he and his band played the new single live.
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