Artist Spotlight: Kari Lynch

It’s funny sometimes. You find yourself looking through a long list of great, up-and-coming country music artists when all of a sudden, a wave of fans reach out to you to tell you all about their favorite artist(s).

That’s what happened to me this week as I was introduced to the music of Kari Lynch.

Credit: Heather Cisler Photography

Like other great, young artists that I’ve mentioned recently, one thing that I truly love about Kari is her deep appreciation for the dedicated fan base she has built up. Her unique voice, which combines classic country with a sort-of modern pop-rock twist, paired with great lyrics about real life and love, resonates with me immediately.

In creating her sound, Kari learned early on that what inspired her most was real life and struggles,  which includes a familiar topic with listeners of country music: love and loss.

In her own words, Kari says:

“I witnessed and experienced heartbreak early in my life. I think it made me grow up faster than most kids my age so I always had that longing for connecting with the rest of the world. Writing songs became my way of figuring out life and it was my place to say exactly how I was feeling, no holds barred.”

Though many new fans may view her as a brand new artist, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, Kari has been writing and performing since the age of seven. Since 2009, she has released 3 EP’s and I’ve read some great reviews. She’s also landed radio time in her home state of Michigan, as well as throughout the Midwest. Hopefully, this will spread out here to the West Coast!

I really want to hear some “Two to Be Lonely” on the radio soon! Check this one out y’all. It’s a hit waiting to happen!

In talking about her inspiration, Kari says:

“I knew I would write and sing songs for a living the first time my grandma played me Patsy Cline’s cassette tape when I was 6-years-old. The first song was, “Crazy” and it was like a fire lit up inside me. I was so captivated by her voice. Soon after that I heard Garth Brooks, “No Fences” for the first time and I’ll never forget that moment. I fell in love with the idea of writing and creating my own songs, so when I was 7-years-old I started writing songs and performing every chance I could.”

I mentioned before that many fans consider Kari a new artist, but she is clearly no stranger to the spotlight. According to her website, she has played thousands of shows across the U.S and abroad, successfully released original music and videos, played to crowds in the tens of thousands and opened for an impressive list of country music royalty including: The Band Perry, Dierks Bentley, Chris Cagle, Dustin Lynch, Montgomery Gentry, Brantley Gilbert, Big and Rich, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, The Charlie Daniels Band, Thomas Rhett and Alabama.

Kari is going to be very busy this year, with a loaded tour schedule that will take her all across the country and see her opening for acts such as Diamond Rio, Kelsea Ballerini and Native Run. She also has a brand new music video that continues to climb in views and popularity, and her new single, “Sweetheart” out now which has already been picked up for rotation by several radio stations.

Before I get too far, I can’t forget to mention her new album “Little Games” which was actually released today, May 20, 2016. How about that for timing? I’ve had a chance to listen through all 10 tracks and I’m really digging it. I think that you will too!

If you want to listen to “Little Games” for yourself, you can pick it up on iTunes.

I know there’s more that I could talk about here, but I’ll let you check out the rest of her music, for yourself. Here’s a sample of songs off the new album, as well as a few older ones:

“Two to Be Lonely” featuring Travis Stinson

“Nothin’ That a Shot Won’t Fix”

“Little Games”

“West Texas Ground”

“Can’t Move On”

“This is Gonna Hurt”

“One More Hit”

“Better Than Today”

“Fly Fly Fly”

Make sure to check out her website and follow Kari on Twitter at @KariLynchMusic and on Facebook. Upcoming tour dates can be found here. Hey Kari, how about a date at the Rodeo Club in San Jose or Duke’s in Portland???

So what did I miss? Have you seen Kari live? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

 

Artist Spotlight: Drew Baldridge

Today, I’ve got a real treat for you. I first stumbled upon this up-and-coming artist a few months back when a guy by the name of Eric Burgett said to check out this friend of his, a country singer from Patoka, Illinois. I finally took the time to do a quick YouTube search and listened one night and thought “hey…this guy is pretty good.”

As it happens, a couple weeks later, I heard him again on the KRTY “On Air Music Meeting” with Nate Deaton and Julie Stevens. His name? Well it’s Drew Baldridge.

Credit: drewbaldridgemusic.com

As a bit of background, Drew is a singer songwriter at heart. According to some background research I did ahead of the show, he grew up playing basketball and baseball, but would perform the National Anthem at all his games. As a teenager, he joined a quartet at church singing bass while his father sang tenor. Later on, he played acoustic gigs at a nearby bar on Saturday nights. Not a bad way to break into the business.

In 2013, Drew signed with THiS Music, joining the company of a number of the most prominent and prolific songwriters in Nashville. Soon after, he released his debut EP, All Good and singles “BYOB” and “She’s Taken” apparently became radio staples across the Midwest. Living on the West Coast, I had yet to be exposed to him.

Known as much as a performer as a singer, Drew brings an energy-packed show to every performance. Doesn’t matter if he’s opening, or the headliner. He’ll always give you 100%. No less. Over the past few years, Drew has shared the stage with artists such as Alabama, Cole Swindell, Dustin Lynch, Jerrod Niemann, Phil Vassar, Lee Brice, Eric Paslay, Parmalee and Josh Turner among others.

Not bad company to be associated with, right?

Back in January, I was lucky enough to catch Drew at the Rodeo Club in San Jose opening for Granger Smith. I’ve got to say that I was thoroughly impressed with he and the band, so much so that I hit the merchandise table after the show and bought both his CD and EP. The setlist that night was packed full of songs that were both originals, as well as a few cover songs that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

What I loved the most about the live show was how the band was always in sync and they entertained. That’s the key word. This show was entertainment at it’s finest. You could tell they were having fun up on stage. Everyone danced together while playing. Seriously. Check out the live performance video links below.

His recent radio hit, “Dance with Ya“, which closed the set (and will certainly find a spot on my Top 100 of 2016), was the most recognizable of his own songs and in San Jose, the crowd is always sure to make artists feel welcome. Check this out. Nothing says “Welcome to California and KRTY country” quite like a front row filled with Drew Baldridge bobbleheads, right?

Credit: Rudy Sabin

And yes, that’s me right behind Drew’s left hand, wearing my Oregon Ducks gear!

You can generally get an idea of how a show is going to go by the setlist. Drew doesn’t disappoint. His setlist includes songs such as his latest single “Rebound”, “God’s Front Porch“, “Tractors Don’t Roll“, and “Love on Your Body“.

He also includes a great selection of cover songs including Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance”, as well as a medley of hits from the 90s such as Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back”, Smash Mouth’s “All Star”, Sugar Ray’s “Fly” and Third Eye Blind’s “Semi Charmed Life”.

Of course, what country setlist wouldn’t be complete without a few classic covers such as “Folsom Prison Blues” and “Play Something Country”?

Here’s a quick clip of the live performance of “Shut Up and Dance”.

Here’s a quick clip of the live performance of “Dance with Ya”.

During Baby Got Back, the crowd was “treated” to a little rump shaking from the four guys in the band, which seemed to go over well. We also got a little “All About That Bass” from the bass player.

Oh, did I mention the drummer, Simone Simonton? She was amazing! I mean she could flat out play. She played her heart out the entire show and her drum solo was one of the highlights of that evening for me!

Drew recently announced the release of his full-length debut album titled Dirt on Us. The album is set to be released on June 10 and features 13 tracks, 11 of which Baldridge co-wrote. You might recognize a few of the songs from his previous EPs.

Drew is active on social media so make sure to check him out on Facebook and follow him on Twitter at@DrewRBaldridge. Speaking of social media, also check out the Drew Crew fan page on Facebook for news, photos and discussions about all things Drew.

Anything else you can find on his website including tour dates, merchandise, news and more.

So what did I miss? Have you seen Drew Baldridge live? What do you think of him and the band? Is the setlist I mentioned pretty common? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

How the 2014 Oregon Ducks Helped Make Me a Better Father

I’m not going to lie. This loss stings. It stings a lot. But like all things in life, you can’t let it get you down Ducks fans. Sometimes, there are more important things in life than the outcome of a football game.

My dad passed away on August 11, 2014. Those first few moments after I got the call from my brother to tell me, it felt like the end of the world. After weeks of trying to understand why this happened, and attempting to get my life back to normal, August 30 came around. This marked the beginning of the college football season. Sure, it was a game against a team perceived to be an inferior opponent (South Dakota), but it was the first bit of normalcy I had in my life since my dad’s death. As I sat quietly on the couch watching the game, alone, one by one my three kids (ages 9, 7 and 2) came and joined me.

They asked a lot of questions. “Who’s playing daddy?” “Did they score?” “Who’s winning?” I think that day was the first time I smiled in weeks.

It’s funny. My dad and I had a close father/son relationship, but it was always this sort of “unspoken word” relationship. Two things we had in common: a love of music and sports. Sure, we watched games together as a family, both in-person and on TV (and even on this thing called a radio), but there was never an emotional attachment. I remember when I was little, sitting on my dad’s lap watching a San Francisco Giants or 49ers game, but we just never had those truly bonding moments that you see on TV or in the movies. I figured that it’s probably just a fantasy that doesn’t actually happen in real life, but I have strived to be different with my kids (and I think part of that has been done both consciously and subconsciously). It’s not bad that my dad and I didn’t have this, it’s just something that I look back on and wish could have been a little different.

Which brings us to the National Championship game and the basis of this post. My kids were very excited once they got home from school and they stayed up and watched most the game with me again last night (note that the 7 year old didn’t make it into our Kreuzer “team” picture below).

They don’t like sports all that much, but they have been to a few games with me. Mostly minor league baseball games. But I formally introduced them to Oregon football this season with that South Dakota game on August 30 and they watched a number of games with me this season. Sure, I’ve been a Ducks fan since 2002 when we first moved to Portland. But watching Oregon football this year was an opportunity for me to teach them the game. To teach them to love a team. And most importantly, to have bonding moments with them. Unfortunately, I think they got spoiled with this great team.

Last night, the two older kids were nearly in tears (like I was…not gonna lie) as the game got out of hand in the 4th quarter. They kept saying “it isn’t fair daddy.” “The Ducks are supposed to win daddy.” “Can’t we do anything.” It gave me the chance to talk about winning and losing. How there are going to be times where you have to understand that you can’t always win. During those final minutes of the game, they disappeared. I wasn’t sure where they went, and to be honest, it made me a little nervous that I couldn’t hear them.

But then they came back with these drawings in an effort to make me feel better about the loss that was about to be made official:

I couldn’t help but smile and give them the biggest hugs I think they’ve ever had. I realized at that moment that, like I had told them just a few minutes earlier, it wasn’t about winning and losing. It was about the time we spent together over the past six months, culminating with the National Championship game in Dallas. It was about healing from personal loss. Finding that one thing that brought us together.

Even though the Ducks didn’t have the fairly tale ending that we had hoped for, we were all together. We were spending those moments on the couch that I will never, ever forget. Dealing with the hardest time of my life through college football, while it sounds crazy, had not pulled us apart, like it seemed it would in those first two weeks. It had made us stronger. In reality, looking back, the 2014 Oregon Ducks had helped make me a better father.

When I look back at the season, I can’t help but be proud of this team and the coaching staff, just as I’m proud of my own kids. What a story of inspiration. I can’t think of another team that had to battle through so many injuries, and yet found themselves winning a conference championship, a major bowl game (and not just a major bowl game, but the Granddaddy of them all: The Rose Bowl) and played for a national championship. Let’s not also forget that Marcus Mariota brought the first Heisman Trophy to the University. All great accomplishments and much of the credit goes to coach Mark Helfrich.

Sure, people will say the Ducks aren’t tough enough. They make fun of the infinite number of uniform choices (thanks Nike!) But, at the end of the day, they finished this season behind only one team: The Ohio State Buckeyes.

I have to give a lot of credit where credit is due. The Buckeyes came into this game hungry. They, like Oregon, have had to deal with their own fair share of injuries. Can you imagine winning your conference championship game by 59 points, against a good Wisconsin Badgers team, with Cardale Jones, a 3rd string quarterback? Then, to take down the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl, again with a 3rd string quarterback? You get the idea. The Buckeyes won the National Championship with a 3rd string quarterback. A guy with 3 career starts! Phenomenal.

Let’s not forget the play last night by Ezekiel Elliott. Just a sophomore, he ran the ball 36 times for 246 yards with four touchdowns. Yes. four touchdowns in the National Championship game. This was his third straight game with more than 200 yards. He was named Offensive Player of the Game and broke the record for highest rushing total by an FBS player in a championship game. Again, phenomenal.

Finally, there’s Urban Meyer. You must now consider him arguably one of the greatest head coaches in college football history. I have no problem ranking him up there with anyone on the Mount Rushmore of college coaches. What he has done at Ohio State is amazing and I can’t help but think that there could be a dynasty forming in Columbus.

As for the Ducks, I just want to reiterate that this season was not a failure. So much good came out of this year that fans should not hang their heads. I’m not…and you shouldn’t either!

I know that we played hard, through adversity, and we will be back again next year. Yes, we didn’t achieve our end goal of winning a National Championship, but we played our hardest and finished as the second best team in the country. Again, we won the Pac 12. We won the Rose Bowl. Mariota is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. Don’t be sad. Be glad that you were there to witness history.

I leave you with a few of my favorite lines from the movie “The Mighty Ducks”. Yes, it’s a hockey movie, but I think that the words ring true for us today, tomorrow and forever as Oregon Ducks fans:

“Have you guys ever seen a flock of ducks flying in perfect formation? It’s beautiful. Pretty awesome the way they all stick together. Ducks never say die. Ever seen a duck fight? No way. Why? Because the other animals are afraid. They know that if they mess with one duck, they gotta deal with the whole flock. I’m proud to be a Duck, and I’d be proud to fly with any one of you. So how about it? Who’s a Duck?”

While I never attended the University of Oregon, I have made many, many friends along the way who did and I consider myself to be a Duck. Like each and every one of them, I’m damn proud to be a Duck (and a father of the three best kids in the whole world)!

Concert Review: Florida Georgia Line “Cruise” Into Eugene, Oregon with Dallas Smith and Colt Ford

It’s amazing to see how much can change for a band in just one year. From seeing Florida Georgia Line for the first time in front of a crowd of 200, to a club show at the Rodeo Club in San Jose with 1,000 of my closest friends, to the sold out Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon this past Friday night. What an amazing journey it has been.

As always, the boys put on a fantastic show. Actually, fantastic is an understatement. The entire band put on an incredible performance and one that I won’t soon forget.

Here’s a little taste of the final song of the evening, their signature song of 2013 “Cruise”. You might have heard it once or twice (either by themselves or with Nelly).

If you have the “Here’s to the Good Times” album, then you’ll know about 90% of the songs they played. A few of my favorites, including “Hell Raisin’ Heat of the Summer”, “Country in my Soul” and “Stay” filled the set list as well as fan favorites such as “Get Your Shine On”, “Round Here” and “Stay” and a great cover of Alabama’s “I’m in a Hurry”. Definitely good times for sure! DO NOT MISS this band if they come to your town. They are only getting bigger as the days, weeks and months go by.

On top of Florida Georgia Line, we were treated to two, great opening acts. Canadian Dallas Smith led off and did not disappoint. What a great mix of country and rock. You might know his current single “Tippin’ Point”, which was produced by Joey Moi and written by Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard along with Jaren Johnston. If you haven’t heard it, check it (and him) out. This guy is going places for sure…straight to the top of the charts. He sounds like an evenly split mix of Jason Aldean and Gary Allan. Absolutely loved his live show. Would go to see him as a headline with no doubt. Give him another year or two at most. He’ll be all over the radio. Dare I say, the next Jason Aldean???

Following Smith was a crowd favorite in Colt Ford. Ford brings a mix of country and rap that is second to none. His energy level was high and it was obvious that he was feeding off of a rowdy crows in Eugene. Fan favorites such as “Chicken N Biscuits” and his closing rendition of “Dirt Road Anthem” had the crowd eating out of his hands and I personally loved how he threw some Red Hot Chili Peppers in with “Give It Away”. Great artist! Great performer! Great show! Hope to catch him at the Rodeo Club in San Jose later this week!

That’s a quick recap for you. Heading to California tomorrow where I’ll be catching Steve Holy and Dustin Lynch in Davis, California next Thursday night. Hope to catch you there too!

Is It Time for Joe Paterno to Go?

It has been a very interesting time in college football this week. Not because of the “Game of the Century” between Alabama and LSU. Not because of the BCS controversies with who should be #3, #4, #5 etc… Not because of the great Heisman Trophy debate between Andrew Luck and Trent Richardson (among others).

No, the talk of college football this week is the sudden and saddening turn of events in Happy Valley with Penn State University. As most of you know, the University has  had its football program turned upside down this week with allegations of sexual abuse taking place over a number of years, with a member of the coaching staff involved and others knowing about it.

Joe Paterno

Former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is at the center of the scandal. Penn State senior vice president Gary Schultz and athletic director Tim Curley have already surrendered on charges that they failed to alert police to the complaint about Sandusky. Pennsylvania attorney general Linda Kelly has stated that Joe Paterno is not a target of their investigation into how the school handled the accusations but she didn’t say the same for university president Graham Spanier.

The question remains: how much was known and who else should take the fall? A lot of people are calling for Paterno’s resignation. So…is it time for Paterno to go? I’ve been a fan of Penn State football since I was probably 6 or 7 years old. I always looked up to Paterno as one of the greatest coaches of all time. Now his legacy is in question and in my eyes, he holds at least some of the responsibility.

Paterno’s weekly news conference, which was to take place today, has been canceled. It had been scheduled for noon (ET) where he would meet with members of the media, as he does every week. No reason has been given for the cancellation, but one can only speculate that the session would have been dominated about questions surrounding the sex scandal.

Did Paterno do all that he could? Should he be held legally responsible…or morally responsible?

From the Associated Press:

The Pennsylvania state police commissioner said Paterno fulfilled his legal requirement when he relayed to university administrators that a graduate assistant had seen Sandusky attacking a young boy in the team’s locker-room shower in 2002. But the commissioner also questioned whether Paterno had a moral responsibility to do more.

Jerry Sandusky: Credit AP

I’m sure that more will come out in the coming weeks but for now the question remains: Is it time for Joe to go? He’s 84 years old and has coached the team for 46 years. Until last week, his legacy would have been that he could arguably be the greatest college football coach who ever lived. Now…who knows?

Thoughts?

Major Tornadoes Hit Southern US

Powerful storms and tornadoes ripped across Mississippi and Alabama this afternoon, toppling trees, snapping power lines and ripping off roofs. There’s definitely some wild weather going on and it’s certainly not over yet. Be safe if you’re living or traveling down South today!

From CNN:

The city of Clinton, Mississippi, suffered “extensive damage” when a tornado touched down, according to Mississippi’s Emergency Management Agency.

The city’s mayor said no one was injured in the storm, which tore the roof from a hotel and caused major damage to a bank and numerous homes. It narrowly missed an elementary school and a church daycare packed with about 650 children between them, she added.

In Alabama, a tornado emergency was issued for the towns of Geiger, Panola, New West Green, and Pleasant Ridge, according to the National Weather Service. It said storm spotters were tracking a large and dangerous tornado that was a half mile wide and located about 23 miles northwest of Livingston Friday afternoon.

The National Weather Service said it had received a report of a tornado near Melvin, Alabama, that may have caused damage to the Hunt Oil Refinery there. A company spokeswoman said no damage had occurred there, however.

Tornadoes also were reported near Linden in Alabama and in or near the cities of Loper, Madden, Mount Sterling and Ludlow in Mississippi, according to the Weather Service.