Latest news with #Chief's
Los Angeles Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Eric Church on his New Orleans-inspired new album and that polarizing Stagecoach set
Nearly 25 years after he moved to Nashville to make it as a country musician, Eric Church can count among his achievements 11 No. 1 country radio hits, five platinum-or-better albums, four CMA Awards and one six-story bar on Nashville's crowded Broadway called Chief's. (You'll remember the bar's opening weekend last year, when Church's pal Morgan Wallen was arrested for hurling a chair off the roof.) Chief's is just one of several business pursuits Church has undertaken lately, along with a line of whiskeys, co-ownership with Wallen of the Field & Stream brand and a minority stake in the NBA's Charlotte Hornets. Yet this week the singer and songwriter, who will turn 48 on Saturday, returns to music with 'Evangeline vs. the Machine,' his first album since 2021. Produced by his longtime collaborator Jay Joyce, 'Evangeline' moves away from the hard-rocking sound of earlier tunes like 'Springsteen,' 'Give Me Back My Hometown' and the weed enthusiast's 'Smoke a Little Smoke' toward a lusher, more orchestral vibe complete with strings, horns and a choir. 'Johnny' is a kind of response song to the Charlie Daniels Band's 1979 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia,' while 'Darkest Hour' offers help to someone in need — an idea Church actualized last year when he said he'd donate royalties from the song to victims of Hurricane Helene in his native North Carolina. The LP, which closes with a spooky rendition of Tom Waits' 'Clap Hands,' follows Church's controversial headlining performance at 2024's Stagecoach festival in Indio, where he and more than a dozen gospel singers blended the singer's originals with spirituals like 'Amazing Grace' and 'I'll Fly Away' and far-flung covers including Al Green's 'Take Me to the River' and Snoop Dog's 'Gin and Juice.' ('This is Friday night, not Sunday morning!' I recall one guy near me shouting in frustration after half an hour or so.) Church, who's married with two sons — and who will take 'Evangeline' on tour this fall, including a Nov. 15 stop at Inglewood's Intuit Dome — called from Nashville to talk about the Stagecoach set, the new album and his hobnobbing with billionaires. You opened Chief's a little over a year ago. What are the headaches you've run into as a business owner?S—, there's been a bunch of those. I think just managing the messaging of why we're different than other places. Listen, it's been a roaring success — maybe the best bar down there. But we're leaning into songwriter shows and shows by upcoming artists versus being somewhere to hear 'Friends in Low Places' and get blackout drunk. The biggest challenge is just trying to make sure that people know what it is when they walk in the room. Take me back to the Morgan Wallen of it called me from the street after it happened. I was watching college basketball, and he said, 'Hey, this just happened.' I said, 'Uh-oh.' I knew it was gonna be noisy, and it was — it was damn noisy. The next day on Fox News, the No. 1 story was Morgan throwing a chair, and No. 2 was Israel and Gaza. But you just kind of roll with it. It was actually a good thing for Mo. I think that was a line for him, and he's done really well since then — it was a thing he's reacted positively to as a person. I used the old Billy Joe Shaver line on him: 'I'm just an old chunk of coal, but I'll be a diamond one day.' He went down [to Chief's] and apologized to the staff, shook everybody's hand. I was proud of him. What motivated you to get involved with these extramusical endeavors?For me, it was COVID. All of a sudden, you can't play shows, and I just remember thinking, I need to do a better job of widening out what I do. Any entrepreneurial models in your mind?Jay-Z's done a great job. When I did the national anthem at the Super Bowl with Jazmine Sullivan [in 2021], I remember I was like, 'How does all this work?' And they said, 'Jay-Z runs it.' I went, 'What do you mean?' They said, 'Jay-Z runs the entertainment at the Super Bowl.' OK, well, that's f— cool. I'm in the Hornets with J. Cole — he's another guy that's done a really good job. Artists who get to a high level, they have these opportunities because they have the Rolodex. They meet people at shows, they meet people backstage. For me, I play golf with 'em. You've got Fortune 500 guys and billionaires and CEOs, so what do you actually do with that opportunity? Ten years ago, would you have seen yourself hanging out with rappers and billionaires?Negative [laughs]. Couple of questions about Stagecoach last year before we get into the new album. I was there that night —So you were the one. It was a polarizing gig.F— that — it was great. PBS did a documentary, and there's a moment midway through the show where you can actually see me start to grin. I'm like, this is going interesting. But as soon as it was over, I went back and listened to 'Springsteen' a cappella in 30-mile-an-hour winds that night, and I knew it was good. If it wasn't good, I would've had a problem. I kind of knew going in: This is probably not the place for this show. I'd played Stagecoach five or six times — you know there's gonna be 30,000 TikTokers out there on people's shoulders trying to take pictures of themselves. But I did it because it was the biggest megaphone and it would get the biggest reaction. Maybe it's because it happened right after Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' came out, but I got the impression that one of your goals with the performance was to draw attention to the Black roots of country I was trying to show an arc musically — that this goes way back. I was trying to show where it all began. And I mean, maybe it was a little bit of a 'f— you.' I know we ran people off. But it wasn't for the people that left — it was for the ones that stayed. I got a text from Lukas Nelson the following day. He was there with his surf buddies. He said, 'We came in from Maui, and I just want to tell you that reminded me so much of my dad.' He said, 'I put my arms around my buddies, and we all sang along.' I thought, well, he probably had plenty of room. What would you say not to a hater but to an Eric Church fan — someone who did stay for the show but just didn't get it?What I hope fans understand is that it would have been easy for me to do what a lot of artists do and take too much money to come play the hits, then get back on the plane and go home. But I actually thought, I respect this festival enough that I'm gonna work my ass off for a month. I didn't just the day before go, 'Let's do this.' I know the effort that went into it. And what we gave you, good or bad, was a show you're never gonna see again. People talk about Dylan going electric at Newport, but in the moment that didn't go well for Dylan. He was booed — people threw s—. But now that's a paradigm shift, right? You and I are going, 'F—, I wish I was there.' Ten years from now, people are gonna go, 'I was at that Stagecoach show, and I stayed till the end.' Would you do it again?Oh, hell yeah. Tomorrow. I hear 'Evangeline vs. the Machine' as being on a continuum with but I'll tell you where it started. Trombone Shorty came and played a show with me in New Orleans on the Gather Again tour [in 2022], and we ended up in the dressing room after and got in this incredible conversation about brass instruments and string instruments and the history of music. Later he invited me to come play this show he does during Jazz Fest. There were probably two white people onstage that night: me and Steve Miller. So we do my song 'Cold One' and [the Beatles'] 'Come Together.' I've done 'Cold One' a thousand times, but I had never done 'Cold One' like that. It was a Black New Orleans band with horns and background singers and a violin player — not Juilliard violin but like a janky New Orleans violin. The dude had the damn thing on his shoulder, not under his chin. Everything was wrong for what that song is. I'm not convinced anyone even knew the song [laughs]. But we found our spot in the middle of it, and it was killer. I flew home thinking: I want to do a record this way. Your falsetto in 'Darkest Hour' — it's almost uncomfortably song actually started three or four keys lower. But I was listening to Jim Ford and Sly & the Family Stone — honestly, I was thinking about Andy Gibb — and I just kept moving it up. I was incredibly insecure the first time in the studio, but I think that insecurity is what led to the authenticity of the emotion. You've said you wrote 'Johnny' after the Covenant School shooting in Nashville in 2023. Do you envision the song reassuring a listener or making them angry?Maybe both? The hardest thing I've ever done in my life is dropping my boys off at school the day after the shooting. I sat in the parking lot for I don't even know how long because I didn't know what to do. Do I stay here just in case? Not like I could do anything. But just to be close. And for whatever reason, Charlie Daniels came on. What hit me was that the devil was not in Georgia — he was here in Nashville. Why finish the record with a Tom Waits cover?I had four years off [between albums], and I wrote a ton of songs. And a bunch of them are hit songs. I don't mean that arrogantly — I just know after this amount of time that they're hit songs. But some of them didn't work with the room and with the instrumentation. We were going in [the studio] at 10 o'clock the next morning, and I was watching some show on Netflix, and 'Clap Hands' came on. All of a sudden, I was like, 'Oh, s—…' I paused it, grabbed my guitar, laid down just me with the riff and sent it to Jay. I said, 'What about this?' He goes, 'See you at 10,' and we cut it the next morning. What's your relationship with weed these days?Mainly edibles. I don't really smoke anymore. And edibles are interesting — you have to learn that environment because you never know how it's gonna work out. Gimme a circumstance where you'd be like, 'All right — I'll do this again.'When a certain person passes you a joint, I'm gonna smoke it. I was on Willie [Nelson]'s bus one night. Toby Keith came up — this was when he was alive. Robert Earl Keen was up there. Lance Armstrong was up there. It was a whole vibe. I think I was high for a month. You played tribute concerts in L.A. last year honoring Jimmy Buffett and Robbie Robertson.I've done a bunch of those tribute shows — too many of them — but those guys meant the world to me. Jimmy and I were campmates at a club out there in California, so I spent a lot of time with him. At some of these tributes you'll be like the one country guy on the funny is that backstage everybody's the same. I'll tell you this story: At the Jimmy show, I was standing side-stage watching the Eagles with my wife. Paul McCartney was about to come out, and a guy comes up and says, 'Hey, when Paul comes out, just kind of hug the wall, because Paul likes to have a clear lane.' No big deal — it's Paul McCartney. So I hug the wall and Paul comes out. He's watching the Eagles, and I look back and we kind of lock eyes. I'm uncomfortable [laughs]. Then he walks up to me and he goes, 'Eric.' I said, 'Yeah?' He goes, 'Jimmy and I played tennis together, and he thought the world of you. You wanna come sing 'Hey Jude' with me?' I'd thought he was gonna say, 'Could you please move further to the left and get the f— out of my way?' And instead he's asking if I want to sing with him. I was like, 'Yes, Sir Paul, I would love to come sing 'Hey Jude' with you.' So me and Brandi Carlile and a few others, we went out and sang with Paul McCartney. That's one of those moments where you go, 'What the f— am I doing here?'
Associated Press
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Newest Single from Kaitlyn Croker, ‘Trouble I Chase,' Now Available
Release Party Tomorrow Night in Nashville for Song About Chasing the Excitement of Things You Know You Shouldn't 'It's definitely a windows-down, summer-fun song!' — Kaitly Croker NASHVILLE, TN, UNITED STATES, March 28, 2025 / / -- 'Trouble I Chase' is the newest single from country music recording artist Kaitlyn Croker. Released today and available on all major streaming platforms, the song is described by the singer/songwriter as, 'A fun, dynamic, high-energy summer song.' (supporting assets available upon request) Co-written with Daniel Andrews, Michael Cef, and Cody Kelley, the single was recorded with We The People Music (south of Nashville) and produced by their Jason Wyatt. Croker describes the song as being about, 'The freedom, being out on the road, running away from your troubles, and for me, personally, spreading my wings more.' Fittingly, the chorus says: The trouble I chase Is a hundred miles an hour Radio's louder Than country thunder Center stage Top down Camaro Thrill of the unknown No chance that I won't take No time for tapping my brakes Chasin the trouble I chase While acknowledging that the chorus essentially talks about 'this is what you should be doing if you're going out to stir things up,' Croker said, 'I'm often teased for being the 'good girl,' even 'boring,' but I believe we all have different 'trouble' or 'vices.' For me, it's chocolate, but my co-writers brought different perspectives. It's about chasing the excitement of things you know you shouldn't.' Hinting that there might be a music video, she added, 'It's definitely a windows-down, summer-fun song!' Tomorrow night (Saturday, March 29th), Croker will headline a release party for the song. No admission is required to attend the event at Chief's, which is Eric Church's honkytonk on Broadway. Doors open at 6:30pm and the show starts at 8:00pm in the Neon Steeple on the third floor. All details can be found via this link. Kaitlyn Croker comes off a 2024 that saw her open not only for country music superstar Cole Swindell (in Maryland) but for Linda Perry (4 Non Blondes) (in Nashville), in addition to having performed at the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival in the Florida panhandle and at the Lake Martin Songwriters Festival in Alabama. In addition, she had done a meet-and-greet at CMA Fest last June and performed three times in Georgia at Camp Southern Ground, the facility founded by country superstar Zac Brown. Find more on her official website, including links to her original music on Spotify and Apple Music as well as her various social media platforms. Now Hear This, Inc. Instagram YouTube X TikTok Legal Disclaimer:
Axios
04-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
28 restaurants and businesses in Charlotte that opened in 2025 so far
We've gained several new businesses, from anticipated restaurant openings, to retail shops, each week since the start of this year. Here's a comprehensive list of the 28 businesses that have opened, that we've reported about, since Jan. 1, 2025: FOOD & DRINK Chief's A cocktail bar in NoDa by the accomplished Charlotte mixologist Bob Peters. Stop by: 3024 North Davidson St., across from the Johnston YMCA. Go deeper: NoDa mill house to be reimagined as a cocktail bar with a nostalgic story Dogwood: A Southern Table Local restaurateurs Kim and Jon Dressler reopened this SouthPark favorite in its new home inside The Westin in Uptown. Stop by: 601 S. College St. Go deeper: Dressler-owned restaurant to reopen in Uptown Knowledge Perk Coffee A South Carolina-based coffee shop in The Alley at Latta Arcade Stop by: 320 S Tryon St. Go deeper: ️ Knowledge Perk opens at Latta Arcade Tipsy Pickle A massive gaming center in Camp North End with pickleball courts, golf simulators and pool tables. Stop by: 201 Camp Rd. Go deeper: Massive pickleball and gaming facility opening soon at Camp North End Syn A South End speakeasy from the team behind Canopy Cocktails. Stop by: 118 East Kingston Ave., the same as Canopy Go deeper: Secret speakeasy Syn opens in South End — good luck finding it Vavela A Turkish coffee shop in University City. Stop by: 440 E McCullough Drive, on the second floor of McCullough Commons, above Mike's Vegan Grill. Go deeper: New late-night Turkish coffee shop opens in University City Happy Camper The popular THC-A dispensary closed two of its locations and reopened in a bigger spot with a dog park and lounge. Stop by: 2918 N. Davidson St. Go deeper: Happy Camper dispensary and lounge to expand into a bigger location in NoDa this spring Papi Ricko A new Latin-fusion restaurant in Plaza Midwood. Stop by: 1226 Central Ave., next to Moo & Brew and across from Thirsty Beaver. Go deeper: 9 fun dishes and drinks to try at Papi Ricko in Plaza Midwood Caffeto A Colombian coffee truck parked permanently in NoDa, next to Canvas Tattoo and across from the Johnston YMCA. Stop by: 3012 North Davidson St., next to the new cocktail bar Chief's. Go deeper: New Colombian coffee truck imports flavors from family farm to NoDa Babaloo Coffee Club A café from the team behind Muraya in The Shops at Winnifred in South End. Stop by: 1425 Winnifred St., next to YAY Yogurt and Yuca. Go deeper: The team behind El Puro and Muraya to open South End cafe serving global treats and La Colombe coffee Que Fresa Popular Mexican eatery opens second Charlotte location in the Duke Energy Plaza in Uptown. Stop by: 530 S. College St. Go deeper: Que Fresa opens second location in Uptown with cocktail bar and all-day breakfast El Veneno The popular food truck now has a food stall inside Monarch Market. Stop by: 101 N Tryon St. Go deeper: Popular Mexican food truck El Veneno opens stall at Monarch Market food hall in Uptown The Comedy Club at Duckworth's A new comedy club inside Duckworth's Grill & Taphouse in Uptown. Stop by: 330 N Tryon St. Go deeper: First look inside Duckworth's new Uptown comedy club Curry Gate A popular spot for Indian and Nepalese cuisine in Charlotte, has opened its fourth Charlotte area location in Matthews. Stop by: 1240 Matthews-Mint Hill Road Indigo Coffee A Black-owned pop-up coffee spot in South End. Stop by: 412 W. Palmer St., inside Alongside Brewery. The Dankery A takeout-only loaded French fry joint open until 3am. Stop by: 500 W. Summit Ave., inside South End Eats Go deeper: ️ Raleigh favorite opens in South End with late-night food options Astoria Trendy coffee trailer situated along the Rail Trail in South End. Stop by: Under the 110 East office tower at 110 East Blvd. Follow their Instagram for updates. The Chai Window A walk-up window coffee spot attached to jewelry and home decor shop Twenty Two West, serving hot and iced chai, plus chai popsicles and ice cream sammies. Stop by: 2338 The Plaza Go deeper: Charlotte's 13 best mobile coffee carts and tiny cafés for coffee on the go North Italia Birkdale Village The newest location for the Italian restaurant opened in Huntersville. Stop by: 8711 Lindholm Drive HEALTH & WELLNESS The Health Club A locally owned luxury fitness and recovery center in east Charlotte. Stop by: 4000 Monroe Rd., Building 5 Go deeper: See inside: The Health Club brings Equinox vibes to east Charlotte Players Athletic Club A new indoor sports training facility in Grier Heights. Stop by: 3525 Latrobe Drive Go deeper: Indoor training facility for baseball, softball and lacrosse now open in Charlotte Sauna House Asheville-based bathhouse known for its communal saunas and cold plunges, opened its first Charlotte location in Wesley Heights. Stop by: 1500 W. Morehead St. Go deeper: Popular Asheville bathhouse Sauna House brings its communal saunas and cold plunges to Charlotte RETAIL Trope Bookshop A popular romance bookshop on wheels opened its permanent home in Plaza Midwood. Stop by: 1516 Lyon Court, just off Central Avenue. Go deeper: See inside Trope: New romance bookstore opens in Plaza Midwood Reclectic An overstock store from Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN), in Pineville. Stop by: 10416 Centrum Parkway Go deeper: Anthropologie, Free People and Urban Outfitters clearance store coming to Charlotte Charlotte Studio Arts A studio space for artists in NoDa. Stop by: 3045 N. Davidson St. Go deeper: Charlotte artists find a home in NoDa on Johnston YMCA campus SERVICES Ziva Postpartum Retreat An overnight service for postpartum and postnatal care in Uptown. If you go: Book your stay in advance at Le Méridien. Go deeper: Postpartum retreat in Charlotte to offer all-day care for new mothers Last Minute Club An online service that connects procrastinators to local businesses — from same-day massage bookings to salon appointments and everything in between. Go deeper: Book last-minute appointments with this new Charlotte service University Regional Library The newest two-story library in University City is filled with books for children, teens, and adults. Stop by: 5528 Waters Edge Village Drive, next to Novel University Place. Go deeper: 125 restaurants and businesses in Charlotte that opened in 2024 so far
Fox News
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Morgan Wallen worries 4-year-old son will 'think less' of him for Nashville arrest, struggle with alcohol
Morgan Wallen is addressing his chair-throwing incident in a new song dedicated to his 4-year-old son. In the lyrics, the country star reflected on the night he was arrested in Nashville, Tennessee, after he threw a chair off a rooftop bar in April 2024. Wallen, 31, took to Instagram to share his latest music project, a song titled "Superman," that he dedicated to his son, Indigo Wilder. "One day you're gonna see my mugshot/From a night when I got a little too drunk," he sang in a sample of his new track. "Hear a song about a girl I lost/From the times that I just wouldn't grow up/And when you ain't a kid no more/I hope you don't think less of me/I try to hide my falling short/But you're gonna see." Wallen continued to address his struggles with alcohol as he compared "that bottle" in his lyrics to Superman's kryptonite, which "Brings a man of steel down to his knees." "Don't always know my wrongs from right/Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy," his song continued. "No, I don't always save the day/But you know for you, I'll always try/I do the best I can/But Superman [is] still just a man sometimes." In the caption of his social media post, Wallen wrote, "Been trying for a long time to write a song I loved to my son." "None of them ever feel good enough because of how perfect I want something like this to be. And not saying this is perfect, but I am very proud of it. Here is a clip, It's called 'Superman,'" Wallen wrote on Instagram. Wallen shares his son Indigo with his ex-fiancée KT Smith. The couple welcomed him in July 2020. The "Love Somebody" singer's latest track comes after he pleaded guilty last year. The country star tossed a chair off the sixth floor of the Eric Church-backed bar Chief's in Nashville on April 7. Wallen was charged with two misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment last year, according to Fox 17. Judge Cynthia Chappell sentenced the country music star to seven days at a DUI education center along with two years of supervised probation. His charges were reduced from felonies to misdemeanors during a hearing in December. Wallen's lawyer, Worrick Robinson, shared a statement with Fox News Digital at the time: "The plea agreement with the Office of the District Attorney requires Mr. Wallen to spend 7 days at a DUI Education Center, be on probation for 2 years – one year for each of the misdemeanor charges for reckless endangerment – pay a $350 fine and court fees. Upon the successful completion of his probation, the charges will be eligible for dismissal and expungement." At the time, Wallen was performing for his "One Night at a Time" tour. Earlier this year, the country singer announced his "I'm the Problem" tour. The singer-songwriter jumped back into touring with a 19-show stadium tour to support his fourth studio album with the same title. Wallen will have a rotating lineup of guests for the tour, including Brooks & Dunn, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett and Koe Wetzel.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Local Chiefs fans react to 40-22 loss to Eagles
DES MOINES, Iowa — Earlier Sunday night Trumans was packed full of excited and hopeful Chiefs fans, by the end of the night, the crowd was low and so were spirits. Some Chief's fans were disappointed in their team's performance and in their fellow fans. 3rd wedding, 3rd chili cookoff, 3rd straight Super Bowl for Chiefs 'Everybody is very somber. A lot of people have left. Once it started going downhill, but the true fans are going to stick it out with us,' said Katharine Hrubetz. 'And I'm disappointed in the Chief's fans that left. I'm like, you know, if you're a fan, be a fan. Stay true to the end,' said Samantha Winebrenner. 'A lot of people left early. So, I feel like those people shouldn't be allowed back here in the future.' The Chief's were not able to pull a third row Super Bowl win, they fell to the Eagle 40-22. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
