The Winston-Salem Fairgrounds presents John Michael Montgomery with Whiskey Fox Trot with Jukebox Rehab as a part of the Classic Country Series in partnership with 98.1 WBRF. Tickets start at $25
Who: John Michael Montgomery and Whiskey Fox Trot
When: Friday, May 14th, 2021 7:30 PM. Doors open at 6:30 PM
Where: Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex
Parking: $7 at Coliseum Lot off Deacon Blvd
Tickets: Click here
Tickets already purchased for the June 26 performance are still valid for the May 14, 2021 performance. Anyone wanting to request a refund may do so by returning to the original purchase point. If tickets were purchased at the box office please call 336.734.1582 and leave a detailed message.
Tickets for the 2020 Classic Country Series are still on sale, with tickets for individual show tickets starting at $25 and a 4-show bundle starting at $72. All other remaining concerts are scheduled to be at their original dates and times.
Bio:
John Michael Montgomery has turned an uncanny ability to relate to fans into one of country music’s most storied careers. Behind the string of hit records, the roomful of awards and the critical and fan accolades that have defined his phenomenal success lies a connection that goes beyond his undeniable talent and his proven knack for picking hits. Since the days when “Life’s A Dance” turned him from an unknown artist into a national star, John Michael’s rich baritone has carried that most important of assets—believability. Few artists in any genre sing with more heart than this handsome Kentucky-born artist.
It is readily apparent in love songs that have helped set the standard for a generation. Songs like “I Swear,” “I Love the Way You Love Me” and “I Can Love You Like That” still resonate across the landscape—pop icon and country newcomer Jessica Simpson cited “I Love The Way You Love Me” as an influence in a recent interview. It is apparent in the 2004 hit “Letters From Home,” one of the most moving tributes to the connection between soldiers and their families ever recorded, and in “The Little Girl,” a tale of redemption that plumbs both the harrowing and the uplifting. It is apparent even in the pure fun that has always found its way into John Michael’s repertoire—songs like “Be My Baby Tonight” and “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident),” where John Michael’s vocal earnestness takes musical whimsy to another level.
John Michael’s origins lie in deceptively modest beginnings. He was born in Danville, Kentucky, to parents who imparted a lifelong love of music.
“Where most people have chairs and sofas in their living rooms,” laughs John Michael, “we had amplifiers and drum kits.”
The family band played on weekends throughout the area, and John Michael and his brother Eddie eagerly soaked up everything about it.
“To a certain extent,” he says, “my dad always had a natural ability to draw fans and entertain people; I don’t care if it was on the front porch, the living room, or on a stage. I think that transitioned to me and my brother being able to do that on stage.”
John Michael took over lead singing chores after his parents divorced, and he performed for a while in a band called Early Tymz with Eddie and their friend Troy Gentry. Nashville talent scouts began hearing about and then seeing John Michael perform and by the early ‘90s he had a record deal.
The hits followed steadily, with songs like “Rope The Moon,” “If You’ve Got Love,” “No Man’s Land,” “Cowboy Love,” “As Long As I Live,” “Friends” and “How Was I To Know” establishing him as one of the elite acts of the era. He received the CMA Horizon award and was named the ACM’s Top New Vocalist, setting off a long series of awards that included the CMA’s Single and Song of the Year, Billboard’s Top Country Artist, and a Grammy nomination. Heavy touring meant he kept the close touch with fans he had begun in the clubs back home.
“You get to know your fans and what they like more and more through the years,” he says, “and you kind of gravitate towards one another.”
Indeed, he has always had an extraordinarily close relationship with his fans, and they have stayed with him through good and bad times.
Asked what he thinks gave him the edge in a career that calls millions but gives stardom to just a few, he pauses, then thinks back to the legacy of his parents.
“I reckon it was good genes and good blood,” he says with a smile. Few who know the depth and breadth of his own growing legacy would disagree.
The Winston-Salem Fairgrounds presents Joe Nichols as a part of the Classic Country Series in partnership with 98.1 WBRF. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 6th. Tickets start at $25
Who: Joe Nichols
When: Friday, June 25th 2021. Show starts at 7:30 PM, Doors open at 6:30 PM
Where: Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex
Parking: $7 at Coliseum Lot off Deacon Blvd
Tickets: Click here
Bio:
Multi-platinum recording artist Joe Nichols is one of Country music’s most praised traditional Country artists. Nichols’ album CRICKETS debuted in the Top 3 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and spawned the two multi-week #1 singles: RIAA gold-certified hits “Yeah” and “Sunny and 75.” Nichols has six #1 hits plus eight Top 10 singles to his credit, including chart-toppers like “Brokenheartsville,” “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off,” and “Gimmie That Girl,” and Top 10 smashes like “The Impossible,” “If Nobody Believed In You,” “What’s A Guy Gotta Do,” “Size Matters,” and “I’ll Wait For You.” The 4X Grammy nominee is the winner of the Academy of Country Music’s “Top New Male Vocalist” award, the CMT “Breakthrough Video of the Year” award and the prestigious “Horizon Award” from the Country Music Association. Nichols is currently touring the U.S. performing his own headlining dates. For information on Joe Nichols and a list of upcoming tour dates, please visit: https://www.joenichols.com/.
WBFJ presents Switchfoot as a part of the WBFJ Summer Concert Series. Tickets are on sale now!
Who: Switchfoot
When: Saturday, July 17th, 2021 at 7:00 PM, Doors open at 6:00 PM
Where: Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex
Parking: $7 at Coliseum Lot off Deacon Blvd
Tickets: Click here
Bio:
Jon Foreman – vocals, guitar
Tim Foreman – bass
Jerome Fontamillas – keyboards, guitar
Drew Shirley – guitar
Chad Butler – drums
“We try to approach every record like its our first and our last, but this one feels extra special,” Tim Foreman says of Where the Light Shines Through, SWITCHFOOT’s tenth album and Vanguard Records debut. “The process of making it was a huge struggle, but it was cathartic, and I think that comes through in the music.”
Indeed, the thematically ambitious, sonically adventurous dozen-song set—which marks the band’s return to the indie world after a lengthy major-label run—makes it clear that, two decades into their remarkable career, the beloved San Diego-bred quintet remains as compelling and uplifting as ever, delivering inspired, infectious songs that resonate with passion, insight and melodic craft.
Such vivid new tunes as “Holy Water,” “Float,” “If the House Burns Down Tonight” and the poignant title track address and illuminate timeless spiritual struggles and philosophical dilemmas, while boasting some of the band’s catchiest hooks and most imaginative arrangements to date. The resulting album is a significant addition to the rich body of work that’s already established SWITCHFOOT as a consistently vital musical force.
‘We’ve learned that the best stories to tell are the ones that are hardest to live, and that was definitely true with this album,” adds Jon Foreman, Tim’s brother, bandmate and songwriting partner. “The stories in this album come from experiences that weren’t really fun at the time, but I don’t think we could have gotten here any other way.”
Produced by SWITCHFOOT in collaboration with John Fields (who helmed the multi-platinum Beautiful Letdown), Where the Light Shines Through reflects the emotional gravity of its turbulent, yet ultimately rewarding, birth cycle.
“We went through a lot, individually and as a band, in making this record,” Tim states. “Not to be melodramatic, but it was a dark season for us, and this record became a source of light in the middle of a dark season. It rose organically out of the ashes of adversity and surprised us all. That’s how we landed on this idea that the wound is where the light shines through; this album is about being surprised by hope.”
“A thing that we talked about a lot with this record was moving forward while looking back,” Jon explains. “How do you arrive at a new place while also taking stock of where you’ve been? That can be very tricky to do, to look back and still feel like you’re arriving somewhere new.”
“We really pushed ourselves, almost to the breaking point, for about a year and a half, which is the longest we’ve ever spent on a record,” Tim asserts. “We wrote and wrote and wrote, not thinking about what was going to be commercially viable or what we thought other people would like. We just kept writing and getting lost in the music, and using the music to help us navigate our way out of this dark place we were in. Then we came up for air at the end, and we found the themes that connect all these songs.”
“The songs on the album were culled from a list of 80 or 90 songs,” Jon notes. “These are kind of the chosen ones, as it were. My favorite songs are the ones that feel like they’ve been given to you, where you don’t necessarily see your own fingerprints on the canvas. I equate songwriting with archaeology; some days you dig up a bottlecap, and other days you dig up a lost city.”
SWITCHFOOT has been unearthing all manner of musical gems since their 1997 debut The Legend of Chin, steadily expanding their global fan base and critical reputation through such releases as New Way to Be Human (1999), Learning to Breathe (2000), the multi-platinum breakthrough The Beautiful Letdown (2003), Nothing Is Sound (2005), Oh! Gravity (2006), the Grammy award-winning Hello Hurricane (2009), Vice Verses (2011), and Fading West (2014). The latter album doubled as the soundtrack to the band’s documentary of the same name. Along the way, SWITCHFOOT established itself as a world-class live act with a series of sold-out world tours, while racking up a string of radio hits, including “Meant to Live,” “Dare You to Move,” “Stars” and “Mess of Me”.
Beyond their career achievements, SWITCHFOOT has been active in a variety of philanthropic efforts, raising over a million dollars to aid kids in their community through the band’s own Bro-Am Foundation, a long-running annual benefit surf contest and concert that’s held every summer in Encinitas, CA. They’ve also maintained a deep commitment to a variety of humanitarian causes, lending their support to such worthy organizations as DATA, the ONE Campaign, Habitat for Humanity, Invisible Children and To Write Love on Her Arms.
In recent years, various SWITCHFOOT members have taken the opportunity to explore creative pursuits outside of the band. For example, Jon Foreman recently released a series of solo EPs under his own name and recorded with Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek as Fiction Family.
“Where the Light Shines Through comes on the heels of various side projects and other little things that were taking away from the band’s time, for better and for worse,” says Jon Foreman. “We were trying to do a lot of different things, but to me, this is a celebration of what we love and what we do best, which is play rock ‘n’ roll with this band.”
WBFJ presents Rend Collective as a part of the WBFJ Summer Concert Series. Tickets are on sale now!
The Winston-Salem Fairgrounds presents Mark Chesnutt with Jukebox Rehab as a part of the Classic Country Series in partnership with 98.1 WBRF. Tickets start at $25
Who: Mark Chesnutt and Jukebox rehab
When: Friday, August 13th 2021 at 7:30 PM, Doors open at 6:30 PM
Where: Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex
Parking: $7 at Coliseum Lot off Deacon Blvd
Tickets: Click here
Bio:
Mark Chesnutt is one of Country’s true musical treasures. Critics have hailed him as a classic Country singer of the first order and some of Country music’s most elite entertainers from George Jones to George Strait echo this sentiment.
Mark Chesnutt’s stature is easily gauged; he has 14 No. 1 hits, 23 top ten singles, four platinum albums, and five gold records. Country music critics and fans alike need to look no further when it comes to Country music basics. If you ask Mark Chesnutt hell
tell you, It’s the music that has kept me around this long. In a world that sometimes confuses style with substance, Mark Chesnutt possesses both. Remaining true to himself as a traditional country artist while still keeping up with the ever-changing country landscape, Mark has a knack for picking great songs; delivering them with his world-class vocals; and with real heart-felt emotion.
Mark has set the bar for his generation not just, for his being a consistent hitmaker, but because of his love of genuine country music. Mark Chesnutt’s personal integrity as well as his principal to record a genuine country song has made him a fixture on radio and in the honkytonks. Chesnutt got his start in the honky-tonks of Beaumont,
Texas, learning from his father, Bob Chesnutt, a singer, record collector, and major fan of classic country music. Playing alongside his dad, one set at a time, Mark embraced his father’s influence and began making a name for himself. Mark sang
covers by Lefty, Merle, George, and Waylon to develop his unmatched crowd-pleasing rapport and his authentic country style
The Winston-Salem Fairgrounds presents Montgomery Gentry with Little Texas as a part of the Classic Country Series in partnership with 98.1 WBRF. Tickets start at $25
Who: Montgomery Gentry
When: Saturday, September 11th, 2021 at 7:30 PM. Doors open at 6:30 PM
Where: Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex
Parking: $7 at Coliseum Lot off Deacon Blvd
Tickets: Click here
Rescheduling due to COVID-19: Due to ongoing restrictions from public health and government entities related to the coronavirus pandemic, and for its concerns for the health and safety concerns of its patrons, staff and musicians the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds will reschedule Montgomery Gentry as part of the 2020 WBRF Classic Country Concert Series. The concerts will be held in the Annex Theatre at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds.
Tickets already purchased for the May 22 performance are still valid for the September 4th performance. Anyone wanting to request a refund may do so by returning to the original purchase point. If tickets were purchased at the box office please call 336.734.1582 and leave a detailed message.
Tickets for the 2020 Classic Country Series are still on sale, with tickets for individual show tickets starting at $25 and a 4-show bundle starting at $72. All other remaining concerts are scheduled to be at their original dates and times.
Press and Media inquiries please contact Rachael Lough at the information provided above.
Artist Bio:
When the two Kentucky boys—Eddie, is from Lancaster and Troy is from Lexington—first busted onto the national scene in 1999 with the defiant “Hillbilly Shoes” notice was served—country music had never seen a hard-driving duo like this.
Despite the millions of albums sold, the sold-out shows, and the scores of awards, Montgomery Gentry remains in touch with its working-class roots. “We are blue-collar workers and we lived the songs that we sing,” says Troy. “Because of that, our fans are able to make the connection and when they hear our songs, they know we are singing with passion and we know what we are talking about.”
Make no mistake about it: Montgomery Gentry has secured a place in musical history with a unique blend of country, southern rock, and Everly Brothers-like harmonies combined with relatable lyrics.
“We grew up on Charlie Daniels, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Merle Haggard,” Eddie says with conviction. “That’s who we are. We cut our teeth in the honky-tonks and no matter what you try to do, we have to be us or it just doesn’t sound right.”
