The second annual Country Live festival from Billboard , headlined by Red Clay Strays, kicked off on June 4 in Nashville at Luke Combs's spacious Category 10 venue. The festival lineup showcased a wide range of country music and sold out the Lower Broadway venue.
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Red Clay Strays closed the night with a high-energy performance, showcasing their wide repertoire and a multitude of songs exploring human nature and all its foibles to an enthusiastic crowd that swayed and sang along to the Alabama band's powerful country-rock cocktail.
The Country Live concert took place after the event. Billboard Country Power Players last night, where Red Clay Strays were presented with the Groundbreaker Award by their friend, comedian Matt Rife, who also attended their performance on Country Live on Thursday night.
Before Red Clay Strays took the stage, fans enjoyed a packed program featuring Ty Myers, The Band Perry, Corey Kent, Lainey Gardner, Drew Baldridge, Chase Rice, Hunter Hayes, and The Grimm, who performed mini-sets that included hits and well-chosen covers. Also performing that day was Grammy Award-winning country star Carly Pearce, whose surprise appearance was only announced Thursday morning.
The Country Live Festival presented by Under Armour continues Friday (June 5) with performances from Kaitlyn Butts, Something Out West, Alana Springsteen, Stella Lefty, Braxton Keith, Ashley Cook, Priscilla Block, Alexandra Kay and award-winning headliner Tucker Wetmore. Billboard «"Rising Star" on June 3. Admission is free, but fans are encouraged to register at live.billboard.com/country.
Below is a list of all the artists who performed on the first evening of the festival. Billboard Country Live.
Ty Myers
18-year-old Ty Myers opened Thursday's episode Billboard Country Live, a barrage of rock guitar riffs and its blend of country, rock, and soul. The highlight of his set was Myers and his band performing a soulful version of Amy Winehouse's "Valerie" (originally recorded by the Zutons). Myers, who released a project this year, Heavy on the Soul , continued to rock on the same note, performing songs like "Leaving Carolina," "Stay," and "Drinkin' Alone.".
The Perry Group
The Band Perry delivered a dynamic performance on the Category 10 stage, with vocalist Kimberly Perry and her husband/bandmate Johnny Costello performing The Band Perry hits "Better Dig Two," "You Lie," "Chainsaw," as well as newer songs like "Psychological.".
Perry called the event "our official return to CMA Fest," and it was clear that Perry maintained the energetic, commanding performance style that has long been the band's signature. Dressed in a white dress and thigh-high black boots, she led the crowd through a rendition of her hit of the year, the ballad "If I Die Young," with the audience swaying and singing along to the song's timeless, poignant, yet hopeful message about a life cut short. Picking up the pace again, they closed with The Band Perry's 2013 song "DONE.".
Corey Kent
Corey Kent captivated the crowd by opening his set with a spirited rendition of The Beatles' "Come Together," then keeping the energy high with songs like "Wild As Her." "Contrary to popular belief, some country artists don't live in Nashville—some of us live in Texas," he told the Category 10 crowd before performing a solo version of "Rocky Mountain Low," his collaboration with Coe Wetzel. He continued with the rousing heartbreak song "Empty Words," saying, "We thought it was going to be an obscure song. It's because of you that they can't slow down and have to send it to country radio." He closed with his own song, "Something's Gonna Kill Me," before thanking his incredible band and the packed house.
Carly Pearce
Hours before Country Live kicked off Thursday, Grammy Award winner Carly Pearce joined the lineup, performing her traditional country songs and a surprise cover.
«"I wrote this song for all of us who've ever been bullied and wanted to set someone's stuff on fire," Pearce said before performing "Truck on Fire." She then performed a solo version of "If I Don't Leave, I'm Gonna Stay," which she recorded with Riley Green. Recalling her first CMA festivals, Pearce then performed a light rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams," which showcased her velvety voice. Her set also included fan favorite "What He Didn't Do," as well as "I Hope You're Happy Now," which Pearce co-wrote with Category 10 bar owner and fellow country music icon Luke Combs. Throughout her performance, she paused to thank all of her fans for their support and express her appreciation for the week of CMAs, saying, "We can't dedicate this whole thing to you, country music fans.".
Lanie Gardner
North Carolina native Lani Gardner, who rose to fame with her viral cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams," delivered a rousing set that included the menacing rhythm of "Boots Down," followed by the brash, fiery "Buzzkill," about a girl who may look great but won't give you the thrill you're hoping for. The brash vibe continued with a rousing cover of Miranda Lambert's "Little Red Wagon." Gardner, who will be opening for Luke Bryan this summer, slowed things down with the mid-tempo "Faded Polaroids," then picked it up again with "Daughter of a Gun," before closing with the languid "Taking the Slow Ride.".
Hunter Hayes
Hunter Hayes didn't showcase all 30 instruments he can play, but his guitar skills were on point during the Grammy-nominated artist's electrifying performance, which opened with "Wait," then moved into a cover of Harry Styles' "Golden," before slowing things down with the sensual "Every Piece." "I want to try something, see what happens," Hayes said with a hint of skepticism before delivering a soulful, flawless cover of Noah Kahan's "The Great Divide." Backed by a tightly knit band, Hayes then launched into "Evergreen" and closed with a captivating, extended, bluesy, energetic "Elephant," which truly showcased the band's capabilities.
Drew Baldridge
Drew Baldridge has announced his new album. Farm, Faith Family , which is set to be released September 18th, took to the stage with a fast, energetic set, introducing his new song, «Diesel & Dirt,» which drops at midnight. He kept the party going with a cover of Tim McGraw’s «90s hit »Something Like That,« seguing seamlessly into Brooks & Dunn’s ’Boot Scootin» Boogie.« »We can’t come out here and not play something for the country ladies,« he said, before performing Shania Twain’s »Man I Feel Like A Woman,« which he said he’d never played live before. He then returned to his own material, his current single, the cheeky »Rebel.« After that, he shared a bit of his gripping story about coming to Nashville and not finding success, so he returned home in 2019 and started over, playing thousands of backyard parties and other events, before performing the bouncy »Tough People.« He closed the set with "She's Somebody's Daughter," his self-released hit that reached the Top 10 on the country charts in 2024, and encouraged the women in the audience to remember their worth.
Grimm
No other band on the scene had such an interesting backstory as The Grimm, who, more than 60 years after their formation, reunited for a new chapter in their history. They began their career in the 1960s, but, as recently reported Billboard , The Vietnam War and missionary work in the church had stunted their development. But that has changed.
Vocalist Greg Eriksen's powerful voice carried his band through a tight set of tight, riff-heavy rockers, including "Ride Pony Ride," "Crawlin'," and "Hit Me Now," before closing with the energetic "Black Finger Woman," which featured cowbell! More cowbell!
Chase Rice
Chase Rice, performing his penultimate set of the night to a sold-out crowd, opened with 2023's "Walk That Easy" before returning to "Ready Set Roll," the 2013 Top 5 hit he wrote after his first visit to Nashville in 2012. He drew cheers when he asked if there were any Garth Brooks fans in the audience (we're guessing the question was rhetorical) before delivering a faithful rendition of Brooks's first hit, "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)." He then thanked everyone who served our country, including his grandparents, with a heartfelt rendition of "Circa 1943." He closed with two songs: his 2020 hit "Drinkin' Beer. Talkin' God." "Amen," featuring Florida Georgia Line, and FLG's hit "Cruise," co-written with Rice, served as a great warm-up for the Red Clay Strays set.
Red Clay Tramps
The CMA and ACM Award-winning Group of the Year group wrapped up the first night of the show ahead of the release of their new album. Grateful , opening with the soulful, rockabilly-influenced "I Don't Wanna Know," kicking off the 45-minute set with a bang. Vocalist Brandon Coleman showcased his flexible voice on the soulful "Stone's Throw," from the 2024 follow-up, before announcing that this was only the band's second show at Nashville's famed Lower Broadway venue. The crowd enjoyed the heavy-hitting "People Hatin'," and the band unfolded, showcasing their country-rock approach with a multi-guitar lineup featuring guitarists Drew Nix and Zach Richel, bassist Andrew Bishop, keyboardist Sevans Henderson, and drummer Jon Hall.
Part of RCS's appeal lies in their effortless blend of genres and the effortless, fluid way they move from one to the next, even incorporating gospel elements on the gorgeous "Moments," "a song about experiencing terrible events in life and realizing how those terrible moments have affected you," Coleman said. They continued this theme with the somber "Drowning." Coleman then spoke candidly about mental health struggles and urged anyone in the audience experiencing similar difficulties to seek help before performing the raucous "Devil In My Ear." The theme of overcoming life's challenges continued on "Sunshine" and the faith-inspired "I'm Still Fine." The band closed with a powerful rendition of "Wondering Why," their 2022 TikTok hit, as well as the poignant "Wanna Be Loved," and a sweeping, explosive rendition of "No One Else Like Me.".
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