Thanks, Homesteader Days, for a Great Event

I'm glad that I remembered to snap a selfie of me, Johnny V, and Michael Foth. We have worked to get together for a few years but we've never gotten the gang together because of the different hours that everybody works. Friday night was a nice surprise. And the weather really could have not been better.

We got to visit with a lot of folks that I hadn't seen in quite a while. Many of those I had not seen since Homesteader Days last year. I've committed to quite a few lunches with a lot of the folks that I ran into.

Little Texas was very high energy. Great openers. Shenandoah has always been one of my favorites. I had not heard "Ghost In This House" in years. It's one of my favorite break up songs. Yes, I have a top five for those too.

If you've never been to this event or have not been to it in a while, I highly recommend it for next year.

I'd like to thank Bethany Hein for organizing such a well-run event. Also, Steve Rockhold, who treated me like royalty. I even got to "take a cart" from my pickup to inside the grounds. Also, all 3,200 people who bought me a beer. They were everywhere!

And this place can be rented! If you need a great wedding venue or maybe a spot for a class reunion, they've got an awful lot of space out there. And massive amounts of parking. I also snapped a quick picture of the sunset on my drive home. Thanks Homesteader Days. I'll see you next year.

5 Hottest Country Tours of Summer 2021

There’s a lot to consider when making a list of the hottest tours of summer 2021, including star power, opening acts, venues and set lists. Add to that concerns and cautions as the country begins to emerge from a pandemic and that no one has seen live music in 14 months. It’s quite likely you’re craving live music like a drug that’s just out of reach ... or you’re scared shirtless to surround yourself with 10,000 fans indoors.

All the emotions about reengaging with the live country music community are valid. While at first it seemed September would be start-up month, several tours on this Hot List begin in July and August at outdoor venues across America. The No. 3 tour and No. 1 tour on our list are mostly indoors, but both are banking on increased safety that comes from a majority of the population having the COVID-19 vaccine.

Once those lights go down, all of these worries will be carried away by the buzz in the air (and maybe, from your cup). Find five total professionals on this list of Hot Summer Tours, each bringing a total stage show, plus several in-demand opening acts with a proven track record of live entertainment at the highest level. There’s no fat on any of these country tours — if you stick to the tailgate through an opener’s set, you’ll truly be missing something special.

As always, let us know who you can’t wait to see on tour in 2021 via Twitter or email.

10 Hottest Songs for Summer 2021

Summer 2021 needs a great soundtrack, and country music's biggest stars and hottest newcomers are supplying. Find songs from Little Big Town, Jon Pardi, Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert on this 10 Hottest Songs for Summer 2021 list.

Newcomers Willie Jones and Walker Hayes also make the list with earworms we don't want to quit. Not every hot summer song needs to be a good-time party song, and not every good party song will make a great summer playlist. Our Top 10 embraces a range of emotions and experiences. What would summer be without summer love or summer heartache, or a bit of nostalgia?

Scroll down to see all 10 songs on this list of the hottest summer country songs. It's part of Taste of Country's summer Hot List, an annual report on the songs and artists set to bake this year.

Filed Under: Huntley Montana

Categories: Events