BLOG RETIRING, NEW WEBSITE UP

I will not be updating this blog as of today. For updates, please go to the website of Nick Loss-Eaton Media.

SPECTACULAR NEW AMERICANA VOICE MELANIE BRULÉE CONFIRMS TOUR DATES AS EARLY BUZZ BUILDS FROM WMOT, THE BOOT, NO DEPRESSION

WESTERN ROAD TRIP-THEMED ALBUM ‘FIRES, FLOODS & THINGS WE LEAVE BEHIND’ OUT OCT. 19

 

Following her two Americana Fest sets, Melanie Brulée has confirmed a series of tour dates following the release of her new album ‘Fires, Floods & Things We Leave Behind.’ The album draws parallels between letting go of destructive habits and with a big-sky, widescreen, western landscape in which it was written.

 

The adroit songwriter is earning early buzz from the likes of WMOT-FM Nashville, on which she appeared on Friday, and The Boot, which posted her video for “Whiskey and Whine."

 

Spotify has placed her on its Down Home Country playlist and No Depression says, “Melanie Brulée's new album, Fires, Floods & Things We Leave Behind, explores the wide open spaces of the Wild West -- and she's got the voice to fill it.”

 

Melanie Brulee Tour Dates:

 

November 6 – New York, NY – Hill Country Live

November 15 – Philadelphia, PA – Philadelpia Folk Song Society

November 16 – Washington, D.C. - Hill Country Live

November 20 – Boston, MA – Atwood’s

Gregory Mulkern artwork

Mark Edgar Stuart "Mad At Love" official music video

Butcher Brown "Camden Square"

DYNAMIC JAZZ/HIP HOP/FUNK COLLECTIVE BUTCHER BROWN ADDED TO KAMASI WASHINGTON TOUR

NEW ALBUM ‘CAMDEN SESSION’ RECORDED AT MARK RONSON’S STUDIO OCT 12. ON GEARBOX RECORDS

 

SINGLE “CAMDEN SQUARE” OUT TODAY

 

Butcher Brown has been added as direct support for jazz star Kamasi Washington’s national tour this fall and winter. An incredibly dynamic collective, Butcher Brown reveals jazz, funk, and hip hop influences swirling together into an incredible groove. A recent late night show at the Blue Note saw a line out the door of young fans, playing a sweaty packed two-hour set. Already this year, the band has played both jam band festival Lock’n and indie rock fest Otis Mountain and did a live Paste Magazine session. NPR says, "The young quartet traffics in loose, groove-based instrumentals, often laid-back and with a healthy dose of boom-boom-chick." Here they are performing “Street Pharmacy” live at the Paste studio.

 

Today marks the release of “Camden Square,” the first single from ‘Camden Session,’ which was recorded at Mark Ronson’s London studio. Shareable link.

 

Part of a new wave of young jazz mixing the genre with other influences, the band has been described notably as “hip hop Mahavishnu.” Multi-instrumentalist Devonne Harris aka DJ Harrison played keys and synths on Jack White’s latest album “Boarding House Reach” and took part in his third collaborative Playlist Retreat, headed by DJ Jazzy Jeff. A percussion prodigy turned international jazz sideman, drummer Corey Fonville’s national performance career began when he was just 14, with a 2005 appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. The group also features trumpeter and saxophone player Marcus Tenney; wunderkind guitarist Morgan Burrs; bassist Andrew Randazzo.

 

 

‘CAMDEN SESSION’ TRACK LIST

 

1. Pre-Cut Interlude #1
2. Fiat
3. Street Pharmacy
4. Pre-Cut Interlude #2
5. Camden Square
6. 918

 

BUTCHER BROWN TOUR DATES

 

September 14 – Richmond, VA – The Broadberry

September 15 – Charlottesville, VA – Belmont Park

October 4 – Syracuse, NY – Westcott Theater (w/ Turkuaz)

October 5 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom (w/ Turkuaz)

October 6 – Saratoga Springs, NY - Putnam Place (w/ Turkuaz)

October 11 – Chattanooga, TN – Songbirds (w/ Turkuaz)

October 14 – Greensboro, NC – The Blind Tiger (w/ Turkuaz)

October 17 – Northampton, MA – Pearl Street Nightclub (w/ Turkuaz)

October 18 – Providence, RI – Fete Music Hall (w/ Turkuaz)

October 24 – Greenville, SC – The Firmament (w/ Turkuaz)

October 25 – Nashville, TN – EXIT/IN (w/ Turkuaz)

October 26 – Covington, KY – Madison Theater (w/ Turkuaz)

November 1 – St. Paul, MN – The Palace (w/ Kamasi Washington)

November 2 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee (w/ Kamasi Washington)

November 3 – Chicago, IL – The Riv (w/ Kamasi Washington)

November 5 – Toronto, ONT – Sony Centre (w/ Kamasi Washington)

November 7 – Portland, ME – The State Theatre (w/ Kamasi Washington)

November 8 – Boston, MA – The Royale (w/ Kamasi Washington)

November 9 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory (w/ Kamasi Washington)

November 10 – Washington, D.C. – Lincoln (w/ Kamasi Washington)

November 11 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel (w/ Kamasi Washington)

November 14 – Richmond, VA – The National (w/ Kamasi Washington)

November 15 – Raleigh, NC – Ritz (w/ Kamasi Washington)

November 16 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works (w/ Kamasi Washington)

November 17 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre (w/ Kamasi Washington)

Butcher Brown artwork

NICK LOSS-EATON MEDIA AT AMERICANAFEST: KEVIN GORDON, MELANIE BRULÉE, DANNY SCHMIDT, DOM FLEMONS, LELAND SUNDRIES

Dom Flemons - Thursday, September 13 - 2-3pm - The Westin, Vanderbilt III

‘Black Cowboys’ (Smithsonian Folkways) has garnered spotlights in Wide Open Country, Cowboys & Indians Magazine, Washington City Paper, American Blues Scene, and American Songwriter. In a performance/chat NPR’s Ann Powers said, “The work Dom Flemons is doing on the West is flat-out revolutionary. Take the time to listen to him talk about 'Black Cowboys.'"

Dom Flemons - Thursday, September 13 - 8:30pm-9:15pm - the Station Inn

Danny Schmidt & Carrie Elkin - Thursday, September 13 - 7:30pm-8pm - Radio Café - Green Room Music Source East Nashville Party

Schmidt has won a Kerrville New Folk award and was named to the Chicago Tribune's 50 Most Significant Songwriters in the Last 50 Years. "Standard Deviation" is the first single from his 2019 album of the same title, which will marks 10 albums and 20 years as a recording artist. His hometown Austin Chronicle said, "Danny Schmidt is spoken of in reverent tones." Q called his art "beautifully crafted, lonesome pines music and complex beguiling words." As fellow songwriter Jeffrey Foucault put it: "Everything about the man is gentle, except for his capacity for insight, which is crushing." He recently released the single “Standard Deviation,” which was posted to Wide Open Country and played on an episode of Welcome To Night Vale and will be played on an episode of Star Talk (with Neil deGrasse Tyson).

Kevin Gordon – Friday, September 14 - 5:30-7 - City Winery Lounge in round w/ Paul Burch and Becky Warren, presented by 30A Songwriters Festival

"Brilliance… Mesmerizing... Gordon delivers another album that comes as close to sonic poetry as anything from any musician who hasn’t already won a Nobel Prize for literature... earthy, literary music... visceral, electric blues-based vibe."

- Scott Stroud, Associated Press, July 27, 2018

“Terrific… Another keeper… He’s one of America’s finest, most literary and talented musicians… it’s the way Gordon crafts his words to reflect reality without cliché that helps the music resonate long after the last note has faded.”

- Hal Horowitz, American Songwriter, July 23, 2018

"'Tilt and Shine' may be the best rock ’n’ roll album anyone will release this year in Davidson County and its environs... impressive achievement."

- Edd Hurt, Nashville Scene, July 26, 2018

"I'm struck by his mastery... Nobody in this town is better."

- Ted Drozdowski, Premier Guitar, September, 2018

"Saint on a Chain" music video

Danny Schmidt & Carrie Elkin - Friday, September 14 at 5:35-6:05 - Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge - 5th Annual Wild Ponies Happy Hour

Melanie Brulée – Friday, September 14 - 6:10-6:35pm - 12th & Porter - Folk Alliance’s Finest Folk

Melanie Brulée – a powerful new Americana voice – will release ‘Fires, Floods & Things We Leave Behind’ on October 19. Inspired by a road trip from Nashville to Las Vegas along Route 66, the music unfolds in widescreen, western textures influenced by Enio Morricone and Quentin Tarantino soundtracks. Her single “I’ll Get Over You” is out now and has already been added to Spotify’s official Down Home Country and Renegade Folk playlists (shareable YouTube link).

Melanie Brulée – Saturday, September 15 - 12:45-1:15pm - InDo Nashville - Canadian Blast

Danny Schmidt & Carrie Elkin - Saturday, September 15 - 1-1:30pm - Michael Weintrob Photography Studio - Campfire Propaganda AMA Day Party

Leland Sundries - Saturday, Sept 15 – 4-4:45pm – Tennessee Brew Works – Finely Tuned Showcase

+ We completed a Paste Magazine session that streamed live via Facebook and YouTube and is archived on the Paste site.

+ We opened the May 18 Low Cut Connie show at Bowery Ballroom in NYC.

+ We will be releasing the single “If You’re Gonna Drive, I’m Gonna Drink” backed with a punk/Americana version of a traditional cowboy song on September 21 followed by a northeast tour. Click to hear both.

Kevin Gordon – Saturday, Sept 15 – 8-9:30pm – Tennessee Brew Works – Finely Tuned Showcase

Kevin Gordon - Sunday, September 16 – 6-6:45pm - The Compound – Sunday Morning Coming Down

POWERFUL NEW AMERICANA VOICE EMERGES AS MELANIE BRULÉE SETS RELEASE DATE FOR ‘FIRES, FLOODS & THINGS WE LEAVE BEHIND’

TWO SHOWCASES SET FOR AMERICANAFEST

 

ADDED TO TWO SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS ALREADY

 

Melanie Brulée – a powerful new Americana voice – will release ‘Fires, Floods & Things We Leave Behind’ on October 19. Inspired by a road trip from Nashville to Las Vegas along Route 66, the music unfolds in widescreen, western textures influenced by Enio Morricone and Quentin Tarantino soundtracks.

 

She will perform twice at AMERICANAFEST:

 

Friday, September 14 – Folk Alliance’s Finest Folk @ 12^th & Porter – 6:10pm (114 12th Ave N.)

Saturday, September 15 - Canadian Blast showcase @ InDo - 12:45pm (632 Fogg St.).

 

Her single “I’ll Get Over You” is out now and has already been added to Spotify’s official Down Home Country and Renegade Folk playlists (shareable link): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jikuK6pvTgw

 

The album’s 12 songs are loosely based around the idea of the 12 steps of addiction recovery. It is a tip of the hat to loved ones who’ve gotten sober and those who never did, including her dad. It explores the theme of getting go of habits that are no longer useful. ‘Fires, Floods & Things We Leave Behind’ kicks off with the evocative “I Will,” featuring a western motif and trumpets and would fit on a playlist with Johnny and June’s “Ring of Fire.” “I’ll Get Over You” wrestles with the power of memory but also how to coexist with it. “Pretty Wasteland” was written directly for Brulée’s good friend, who was then newly sober. The hard-driving “Whiskey and Whine” tackles the balance of the past and present while the tender, fingerpicked “Tennessee Years” adds gratitude to love. “Oklahoma Rain” is a character sketch of a roadside breakdown. “We Get Lost” looks to the future with hope and reticence in equal measure.

 

While she grew up in Canada, Brulée has also lived in France and Australia. She currently lives in Toronto but spends a lot of time songwriting in Nashville. She’s already opened for Kathleen Edwards; won a Stingray Music Rising Star Award in Canada; and joined Chicago’s Strategic Touring for US booking.

 

‘Fires, Floods & Things We Leave Behind’ Track Listing

 

1. I Will 2:48

2. I’ll Get Over You 3:32

3. Pretty Wasteland 4:17

4. Can’t Rely on Rain 3:33

5. Whiskey & Whine 3:46

6. Will You Love Me Tomorrow 4:32

7. Tennessee Years 3:12

8. Weak 3:30

9. Oklahoma Rain 4:02

10. Bust It Up & Fix It 4:11

11. We Get Lost 4:21

12. I Will (reprise) 1:27

Melanie Brulée artwork

Click for high res

Credit: Emma Lee

Credit: Emma Lee

Credit: Emma Lee

Credit: Emma Lee

TRIUMPH OUT OF TRAGEDY FOR MARK EDGAR STUART

MADJACK RECORDS TO RELEASE TOP MEMPHIS SONGWRITER’S ‘MAD AT LOVE’ OCT. 12

 

“I CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR HIS LATEST ALBUM, MAD AT LOVE.” – GARDEN & GUN MAGAZINE

 

In a one-year span, top Memphis bassist-cum-songwriter Mark Edgar Stuart was diagnosed with lymphoma and lost his father to a heart attack. The combination shook up his world. While convalescing from chemotherapy, he started fingerpicking and working on his singing, neither ever focuses for Stuart, who was long one of Memphis’ first-call bassists, having played with Cory Branan (including on the Late Show with David Letterman) and Jack Oblivian (on ‘Rat City’), among others. He met Levon Helm on Beale Street while playing and the two talked about their mutual Arkanasas origins; Mark used Levon as an inspiration to beat cancer (the latter was in remission at the time). And Mark did. But his father passed away, he found songwriting as the outlet which his grief took. Madjack Records will release ‘Mad At Love,’ Stuart’s third and most mature album, on October 12, 2018.

‘Mad At Love’ tackles tough subjects, often couples in trouble. Special guests include Amy Lavere, Liz Brasher, and Al Gamble (of St. Paul & The Broken Bones) on the album, which was produced by Stuart and Fat Possum’s Bruce Watson.

 

Stuart’s first two albums each earned reviews as some of the best of Memphis. Memphis Commercial Appeal said, “One of the city’s best songwriters… Subtly and Expertly crafted.” Memphis Flyer wrote, “One of this city's most vital music-makers… Both 2013's Blues for Lou and last year's Trinity My Dear were revelatory.” No Depression called him a “great raconteur.” He appeared on PBS’ national television show Sun Studio Sessions.

 

Befitting the comparisons to Todd Snider and Robbie Fulks, Stuart’s songs take on multiple meanings over time. ‘Mad At Love’ turns out to be about a widow’s grief but her lack of regret; “Missing You Everyday” is about losing a brother in Afghanistan but pivots on a moment when, not long after his death, the brother’s bass fell and shattered of its own accord; and “Barren Love” explores couples staying together for the sake of a child. “Until We Came Unglued” sees the impact of the death of a beloved pet on a relationship. Stuart says, “I wrote ‘I’ll Be Me’ for my father-in-law or anyone who is struggling with addiction. He's pleading with his loved ones (his daughter/ my wife) that he's going to get better and walk a straight path.  He's no longer going to be someone she doesn't know anymore.”

 

Two-thousand-eighteen marks Madjack Records’ 20^th anniversary. The storied label has released albums by Cory Branan, Lucero, Susan Marshall, and many others.

 

Stuart also contributed bass to Alvin Youngblood Hart, John Paul Keith & The 145s, Jim Mize, Jimbo Mathus, and on sessions for GRAMMY-winner Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, John Prine).

 

Mark Edgar Stuart Tour Dates

 

September 16 – Millington, TN– The Shelby Forrest General Store

September 18 – Oklahoma City, OK – Blue Note Lounge

September 21 – Red River, MN – Red River Folk Festival

September 28 – Little Rock, AR – South On Main

September 30 – Memphis, TN – Railgarten

October 20 – Memphis, TN – Railgarten (Madjack Records 20^th anniversary show)

Melanie Brulee "I'll Get Over You"

ROLLING STONE SPOTLIGHTS MEMPHIS’ IMPALA, FEATURING MEMBERS OF THE BO-KEYS AND AFGHAN WHIGS

Memphis’ Impala – and instrumental band that draws from surf, spaghetti western, noir, blues, and soul and features members of the Afghan Whigs and The Bo-Keys – has released ‘In The Late Hours’ on Electraphonic Recordings and it’s earned notice from Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, Memphis Flyer, Elmore, and Glide. Here’s what we’re reading:

“A truly unique sound, one that’s retro without lapsing into mimicry.”
- Robert Crawford, Rolling Stone, August 24, 2018: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/10-best-country-and-americana-songs-of-the-week-eric-church-jillian-jacqueline-715173/

“4 stars out of 5… mighty… compelling.”
- Hal Horowitz, American Songwriter, August 21, 2018

“Intoxicating.”
- Neil Ferguson, Glide Magazine, August 9, 2018

Music Maker Relief Foundation 2018 logo

Click for high res

Leland Sundries

Butcher Brown bio

Butcher Brown is an up-to-the minute throwback to the great progressive jazz bands of the 60s and 70s. Whilst all members were born after the mid-70s golden age of fusion, their modern, hip-hop-inflected funk has rich echoes of Weather Report, Return to Forever, early Earth Wind and Fire and, perhaps, a pungent whiff of Zappa. Like those bands, Butcher Brown’s unified sound comes from the intertwined talents of the five members, each bringing something unique to the mix.

Whilst each individual member maintains their own illustrious side-projects (working with artists such as Christian Scott, Nigel Hall, Mumu Fresh, Black Thought, Phonte, Rapsody, 9th Wonder), Butcher Brown is a hard-working band in an era where most groups are fleeting assemblages, together only long enough to record. The band cultivate a dedicated audience through combining a conventional, label-oriented approach with releasing “underground” tapes, disciplined rehearsal and engaging, adventurous performance. Recent high-profile performances include touring with Galactic last year & performing alongside bands such as Lettuce, Eric Krasno, Soullive, John Schofield, Tauk, & Motet whilst their future schedule looks packed as they prepare to support Kamasi Washington’s US dates this autumn.

Butcher Brown’s releases to date range from the polished soul/funk of “All Purpose Music” (Ropeadope) (2014) to the 20-track underground groove-laden beats cassette “GrownFolk” in 2015. Both were released to critical acclaim and explains their almost cult status in the music world. The band have come in leaps and bounds in recent times: last year’s “Live at the Vagabond” (Gearbox) record showcases the raw energy of their live shows, whilst the band’s most recent Bandcamp release, Afrobeat-themed “Afrokuti: A Tribute to Fela”, provides further testament to the band’s tight synchronicity as well as the truly unbelievable musical capabilities of each band member.

Multi-instrumentalist Devonne Harris is arguably the visionary of this egalitarian band. His responsive keyboard work shapes the harmonic colors through which the music pulses and flows. Under the name DJ Harrison, he’s created a vast catalog of hip hop beat tapes. He recently released a solo album entitled “Hazy Moods” on Stones Throw Records, the Los Angeles label responsible for releases by Madlib, J Dilla, and many more. Jellowstone Records, his home studio, is a pivotal focus of the vital Richmond music scene, with a growing reputation drawing big name visitors including Nicholas Payton (who recorded his 2014 record “Numbers” there with Butcher Brown). Recently projects include playing keys and synths on Jack White’s latest album “Boarding House Reach,” having selections featured on Phonte’s solo album “No News is Good News,” and taking part in DJ Jazzy Jeff’s 2^nd and 3^rd annual Playlist Retreat

Bassist Andrew Randazzo is arguably the band’s navigator. “He’s the cool one, the calm one. He’s the mortar, binding together the rhythmic and harmonic side of the music. Both onstage and off, he holds everything together and makes everything go smoothly. And he is an amazing player.” In the band’s funk-inflected music, the foundation is foreground; the bass as much a lead as a rhythm instrument.

Drummer Corey Fonville is pure explosive energy. “He’s always ready for battle,” Harris says. “A huge, controlling factor in our sound.”  A percussion prodigy turned international jazz sideman, Fonville’s national performance career when he was just 14, with a 2005 appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. In the years since, Fonville’s taken his propulsive energy around the world, playing with Christian Scott at New York’s The Blue Note and performing alongside Chris “Daddy” Dave in China. He’s the beating heart of Butcher Brown, pumping out fresh, danceable rhythmic complexities aimed at both the brain and the hips.

Guitarist Morgan Burrs is the youngest of the group. Coming from a family of musicians, and being surrounded by all types of music since birth, you could say he was destined to lead a life as a musician. In high school, he was awarded 2 full tuition scholarships to study at Berklee College of Music’s 5 Week Summer program 2 years in a row, & having attended VCU, he’s become a force on the Richmond Music scene. He’s recently performed at Budweiser’s Made In America Festival with hip-hop producer legend 9^th Wonder and rapper Rapsody

Marcus Tenney is a multi-instrumentalist from Richmond, Virginia. Working freelance since 2005, Marcus has been playing trumpet and saxophone with bands such as Foxygen and No BS! Brass. He has also done studio/session  work for Spacebomb Records and records and performs original music with a host of his own ensembles. Marcus has worked with artists such as Braxton Cook, Count Bass D, Matthew E. White, Natalie Prass, Billy Williams and many others.

As a band dedicated to innovation and informed by a love of the past, Butcher Brown’s modernistic fusion is aptly described as “hip hop Mahavishnu.” Impressive as they are individually, together they are something increasingly rare: a real band, playing for their audience and for each other, on the verge of a brilliant future.

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Mark Edgar Stuart artwork

Click for high res

Credit: Johnathan Thomason

Credit: Johnathan Thomason

Credit: Johnathan Thomason

Credit: Johnathan Thomason

Marie/Lepanto "Inverness" music video

MEMPHIS INSTURMENTAL COMBO IMPALA TO RELEASE 1ST ALBUM IN 12 YEARS WITH ‘IN THE LATE HOURS’ (AUGUST 24 / ELECTRAPHONIC RECORDINGS), CELEBRATING BAND’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY

MEMPHIS INSTURMENTAL COMBO IMPALA TO RELEASE 1^ST ALBUM IN 12 YEARS WITH ‘IN THE LATE HOURS’ (AUGUST 24 / ELECTRAPHONIC RECORDINGS), CELEBRATING BAND’S 25^TH ANNIVERSARY

SCOTT BOMAR (THE BO-KEYS, DON BRYANT, HUSTLE & FLOW) AT THE HELM

 

One of Memphis’ stalwarts of the great ‘90s garage scene, instrumental band Impala, will return with ‘In The Late Hours,’ out August 24 on Electraphonic Recordings, drawing on Memphis’ garage, blues, and soul traditional and incorporating surf, spaghetti western, music from spy movies, and music to strip by. It’s the band’s first album since 2006's ‘Night Full of Sirens.’

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The band has impeccable credentials: its debut was co-produced by Sun Records and Jerry Lee Lewis veteran Roland Janes; they opened shows for Dick Dale and Davie Allen & The Arrows; had music in George Clooney’s film “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.” Scott Bomar, the group’s bassist, began producing and running his own studio, formed the seminal blues-soul combo the Bo-Keys, and began composing, creating scores for films such as Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan and Mississippi Grind. Other Impalas include trumpeter Marc Franklin, who was a member of the bands of Gregg Allman and Bobby "Blue" Bland, and drummer Paul Buchignani, formerly of The Afghan Whigs.

Impala reformed in 2017, and after woodshedding with a series of local gigs, returned to the recording studio to create this brand-new album, aptly titled In the Late Hours. Recorded at Bomar’s Electraphonic Studios in downtown Memphis, In the Late Hours features ten intoxicating guitar- and sax-driven R&B songs, born out of that golden era of Memphis music when rockabilly, rhythm and blues, jazz, garage and soul music collided. These songs channel potent ghosts—namely, Packy Axton, Willie Mitchell and Ike Turner, all pioneers of Memphis’ instrumental scene—but they’re hardly derivative. They bristle with urgency and make your heart beat fast.

Danny Schmidt clips

We were so excited to feature @dannyschmidt's new single, "Standard Deviation," as The Weather in episode 131. You can listen to the song again and help Danny fund the production of his next album here: https://t.co/cp6yiC92V1 pic.twitter.com/j2StwdXD0n

— Night Vale podcast (@NightValeRadio) August 8, 2018

Wide Open Country premiere (July 31, 2018)