Sundy Best
Sundy Best was formed by two friends since elementary school, Nick Jamerson and Kris Bentley, from Prestonsburg in Eastern Kentucky. Both were athletes in college, with Jamerson playing football while at University of Pikeville where he studied history, and Bentley played basketball at Centre College in Danville where he studied English. They formed a duo after college, and moved to Lexington, Kentucky in August 2010. Jamerson performed as the lead vocalist and played the guitar, with Bentley on the cajón drum. Their name referred to the way they pronounce “Sunday best”, their best clothing worn in church where they began playing music together on Sundays during their senior year in high school. “For those of you who may not know, Sundy Best is a duo out of Prestonsburg, Kentucky composed of Nicholas Jamerson and Kris Lee Bentley. Between then and 2018, Sundy Best wrote, recorded, and toured in a prolific manner, releasing three more albums, a live album, and several singles following that debut record, for a total of nearly 100 songs in just over four years. As a result, they quickly gained a massive following and rose to the top of the regional country scene, experiencing quite a bit of national success as well. Known for songs like “Painted Blue,” “Hindman,” and “I Wanna Go Home,” the duo found themselves in a position of Appalachian country music royalty and one of America’s national non-mainstream up and comers.”
Lonestar
Lonestar is a celebrated American country music group that captured global attention with their timeless ballad “Amazed,” a crossover sensation that spent 9 weeks at No. 1 on the country charts and 2 weeks at No. 1 on the pop charts. Known for blending heartfelt storytelling with a polished pop-country sound, the band—comprised of Dean Sams, Michael Britt, Keech Rainwater, and Drew Womack—has left an indelible mark on the genre boasting astaggering 22 top ten singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, including 10 that reached No. 1. Their meteoric rise began in 1995 with the top 5 single “Tequila Talking,” followed by No. 1 hits like the rock-tinged “No News,” “Come Cryin’ to Me,” and “Everything’s Changed.” The release of their quadruple-platinum 1999 album Lonely Grill cemented their legacy, delivering four No. 1 singles and showcasing their knack for emotionally resonant, radio-friendly songs. Lonestar’s success has earned them widespread acclaim and numerous accolades, including Academy of Country Music awards for New Vocal Group, Single and Song of the Year, and Humanitarian of the Year. They werealsohonored with the Country Music Association’s Vocal Group of the Year and International Artist Achievement Award. With more than 10.5 million records sold worldwide, Lonestar stands as one of country music’s most enduring and influential bands, continuing to inspire fans with their heartfelt hits and musical legacy.
The Wizards of Winter
THE WIZARDS OF WINTER bring their musical intensity, stage theatrics and holiday fun to Viterbo University, in this fun-filled Christmas Holiday Rock experience for the Whole Family. THE WIZARDS OF WINTER, including members who have performed with The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Def Leppard, Trixter, Blue Oyster Cult, Alice Cooper,along with Broadway veterans, perform their Holiday Rock Opera titled “The Christmas Dream”. Join them on a musical journey in search of the meaning of Christmas. This 12-member ensemble boasts soaring vocal harmonies, precision string instrumentation, powerful percussion, and stunning keyboard work, layered around a rich storyboard that evokes memories and emotions of December’s past! From rock and pop, to ballads, and even a visit from Mrs. Claus – there is something for everyone! Don’t miss their electrifying performance, captivating audiences of all ages. To learn more, go to www.thewizardsofwinter.com
Chris Janson
Chris Janson is the real deal–an accomplished, award-winning artist, producer, and songwriter. Janson’s live shows and songwriting set him on a path of great success. The Grand OleOpry member has amassed billions of global streams, Gold and Multi-Platinum awards, more than 10M in sales as a solo artist, and excess of 15M in sales combined with hits recorded by other notable artists such as Tim McGraw “Truck Yeah”, LoCash “How I’ll Always Be”, Hank Williams Jr. “Love This Life”, and more. Janson is best known for his true-to-self anthems, five of which are Number 1 hits,including “Buy Me A Boat”(5xPlatinum), “Fix A Drink”(Platinum), “Good Vibes”(Platinum), “All I Need Is You”and “Done”(Gold). Additional certifications include “Drunk Girl”(Platinum), “Holdin Her”(Gold), and his Buy Me a Boatalbum (Gold). Janson has been awarded twice with the prestigious NSAI “Top 10 Songs I Wish I’d Written” award, received an ACM Award, iHeart Radio Country Song of The Year award, among numerous nominations from the ACM and CMA. He is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, mastering more than 10 instruments. Aside from his music, Janson is a happily married husband andafather. He is involved in many notable Conservation and Philanthropy efforts, alongside his long-time partnership with Bass Pro Shops and his official partnership with nationally branded, Crav’n Flavor. Chris Janson was a small-town kid who dreamed big, won big, and proudly lives the American Dream.
ASHLEY MCBRYDE
GRAMMY, CMA and ACM award winner Ashley McBryde cut her teeth playing country songs in biker bars – and it shows. The Grand Ole Opry member’s 2018 major label debut Girl Going Nowhere (Warner Music Nashville) charmed The New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, Paste, The Washington Post and more, all en route to landing a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album.McBryde closed out 2019 with ACM New Female Artist, CMT Breakout Artist, a New Artist of the Year win at the 53rd Annual CMA Awards and two nominations for the 2020 GRAMMYs for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance for “Girl Goin’ Nowhere.” Her follow-up Never Will was tagged by Rolling Stone as one of the most anticipated of the year alongside NPR, who also ranked her Top 10 RIAA Platinum-Certified single “One Night Standards” as one of the best songs of 2019. The album earned McBryde a 2021 GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album, making Never Will the only album nominated for Country Album of the Year by the ACMs, CMAs and the Recording Academy in the same award season. Her GRAMMY-winning duet with Carly Pearce, “Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” went all the way to No. 1 and earned McBryde and Pearce the ACM and CMA award for Musical Event of the Year. McBryde was also honored with the 2022 CMA International Artist Achievement Award for the most significant creative growth, development and promotion of the country music industry outside of the United States. Her collaborative project Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville featuring Brothers Osborne, Brandy Clark, Pillbox Patti, Caylee Hammack, Aaron Raitiere and Benjy Davis earned McBryde her third consecutive GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album, making her a six-time GRAMMY nominee. Upon its release, Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville garnered applause from The New York Times, NPR, Variety, Vulture, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Billboard and Stereogum, among many more. With 11 songs all co-written by the Arkansas native, The Devil I Know is available now, featuring chart-climbing lead single “Light On In The Kitchen.” McBryde recently announced new shows through Summer 2024 with The Devil I Know Tour Presented by Ariat.
Diamond Rio
DIAMOND RIO Originating as The Tennessee River Boys in the 80’s, the band evolved into Diamond Rio in 1989. The following year, they signed with Arista Nashville, and in 1991, with the release of “Meet in The Middle,” became the first country music group in history to reach No. 1 with a debut single. The band is also known for their multi-week chart-topper “How Your Love Makes Me Feel,” crossover hit “One More Day,” as well as timeless hits “Beautiful Mess,” “Unbelievable,” “I Believe,” and many more. Selling more than 6.8 million albums and surpassing over 1.05 billion global streams, Diamond Rio has charted 20 Top 10 singles, 15 Top 5 singles, and seven No. 1 singles. Known for playing every note on every album throughout their career, the band’s unwavering commitment to their craft is evident in their instrumental tracks “Big,” “Appalachian Dream,” and “Poultry Promenade,” all of which received Grammy nominations forBest Country Instrumental Performance. Following their Arista Nashville deal, the band releasedtwo albums with Word Records –their Christmas album,The Star Still Shines,and their Dove and Grammy-winning Christian Country album, The Reason. Amassing numerous accolades throughout the years, the band is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, won six Vocal Group of the Year Awards (four CMA and two ACM), received fourteen Grammy nominations, and won a Grammy Award for their album,The Reason.Known for their charitable commitments, including long-time spokespersons for Big Brothers Big Sisters, the band has raised more than $1 million for non-profits and received the Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award. For more information, visit www.DiamondRio.com.
Kentucky Headhunters
The Kentucky Headhunters, declared “the great American rock ‘n’ roll band” by Billboard magazine, began their professional journey in 1968 when brothers Fred and Richard Young and cousins Greg Martin and Anthony Kenney formed the Southern blues-rock band Itchy Brother. The band morphed into The Kentucky Headhunters in 1986. Their first album, 1989’s Pickin’ On Nashville, was released by Mercury Records and surprised the world, becoming a bona fide hit, selling over two million copies. The album won a Grammy Award, three Country Music Awards, an American Music Award and an Academy Of Country Music Award. It spawned four consecutive Top 40 Country hits. Currently, the band is made up of Richard Young, Fred Young, Greg Martin and Doug Phelps.
JACKYL with Gravel Switch
PREFFERED TABLE SEATING AVAILABLE – VERY LIMITED QUANITY – (MUST BE PURCHASED IN QUANTITIES OF 4)Balcony Seating Advanced – General Admission – $27.50 Price will increase closer to show date) Day of Show General Admission – $35**Only table and balcony tickets have guaranteed seats**21+ ONLY On August 11, 1992, Jackyl released their debut album on Geffen Records. It was the middle of Grunge, but Jackyl’s loud, proud and unapologetic rock songs, produced by Brendan O’Brien (Stone Temple Pilots, AC/DC), earned the LP double-platinum status. (And helped land the band a scene-stealing spot on Woodstock ’94.) Videos for the singles “The Lumberjack” (with Jesse James Dupree performing his iconic chainsaw solo), “I Stand Alone,” “Down On Me,” “Dirty Little Mind,” “When Will It Rain” and “Back Off Brother” earned rave reviews and rabid fans for the band’s no-holds-barred energy and lyrics. On August 11, 2022—30 years to the day of Jackyl’s debut—the lineup plays Sturgis, South Dakota’s Full Throttle Saloon, in a raucous celebration of the lineup’s 30th anniversary that also marks the debut of the quartet’s brand-new album, Jackyl 30 Coming In Hot and first single, “Get All Up In It.” “Jeff, Chris and Roman coming down on the ‘one’ together is still a force of nature,” says Dupree. “Thirty years together and I feel we’ve found an honest place about our new music, our fans and us as a band, on and offstage.” Jesse James Dupree – Vocals & Guitar Jeff Worley – Guitar Chris Worley – Percussion Roman Glick – Bass Gravel Switch might be the name of a Kentucky town, but it’s also a perfectly suited name for the band. Playing a great mix of rockin original music with classic covers we all know and love. Gravel Switch is sure to have something in the set for you!
The Bellamy Brothers
THE BELLAMY BROTHERS: THE LOVE STILL FLOWS! Howard and David continue to prove that the trail they’ve ridden to fame has been as unique as their music itself—music that is now celebrating over 40 years of success. The road that started on the pop music charts in the ‘70’s, took a winding turn into country music in the ‘80’s, paving the way for duos to come, such as Brooks & Dunn, Montgomery Gentry, Big & Rich and previously—The Judds. By the late ‘70’s The Bellamys were emerging on the country charts with another bona fide smash. “If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me),” originally scrawled on a dinner napkin by David, rocketed them to the top of the country charts the way “Let Your Love Flow,” had done in the pop market just a few years earlier. It proved to be the first of a string of fourteen No. 1 singles in the U.S. alone. Success followed success: “Dancing Cowboys,” “Sugar Daddy,” “You Ain’t Just Whistlin’ Dixie,” “Lovers Live Longer,” “Do You Love As Good As You Look,” “Redneck Girl,” “For All The Wrong Reasons,” “I Love Her Mind,” “I Need More Of You,” “Old Hippie,” “Too Much Is Not Enough,” “Kids Of The Baby Boom,” “Reggae Cowboy” and “Crazy From The Heart,”…all have lined the corridors of the Bellamy’s musical history and their walls with platinum and gold. In the era of the 2000’s, The Bellamy Brothers hold the record in both the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and the Country Music Association Awards (CMA) for the most duo nominations. Numerous GRAMMY nods have also been directed toward the brothers. Internationally, the story has been the same—though the titles may be different. These days when the subject turns to touring, The Bellamys are showing a new generation of country music how it’s done. Country superstar Blake Shelton has helped introduce a new era of fans to the hits of The Bellamy Brothers during his annual Friends And Heroes Tour, where they continue to captivate arena audiences around the country. “We’re old road dogs,” grins Howard. “Our live draw is bigger than it was in the ‘80’s. I think the same people that grew up with us and with our music in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s obviously have raised a whole new generation of Bellamy fans who started toddling to our music. Now they’re turning up at our concerts as college kids, who are really turned on and tuned in to us and our music….it’s a great feeling.
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes is an international multi-platinum selling acclaimed singer and ASCAP award-winning songwriter. She has sold more than 48 million units globally, won 2 Grammy® Awards; 12 Billboard Music Awards; 2 World Music Awards; 3 Academy of Country Music Awards; 2 Country Music Association Awards and one Dove Award. At 14, Rimes won “Best New Artist” making her the youngest solo artist to take home a Grammy® Award, and at 15, she became the first country artist to win “Artist of the Year” at the Billboard Music Awards. In 2022, LeAnn was presented with the prestigious ASCAP Golden Note Award, which is an award presented to genre-spanning songwriters, composers and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones. Out of the 63 singles she has released throughout her expansive career, LeAnn’s ballad “How Do I Live” holds the record as Billboard’s Hot 100 all-time #1 hit by a female artist and currently ranks #6 on Billboard’s “Greatest of All Time: Hot 100 Songs” list. 15 of her multi-genre singles are top-10 hits, including “Can’t Fight the Moonlight,” which went #1 in 11 countries. The last couple of years have been quite a resurgence for LeAnn.