Hillbilly Live!

It’s a big day y’all! As in a big Sunday of entertainment.

Several Nashville bars on Lower Broadway are planning to switch their TV channels to the “All-American Halftime Show”, which is hosted by Turning Point USA today, February 8, 2026. It’s the official alternative to the official Super Bowl halftime performance. 

I don’t want to hate on Bad Bunny…but he’s been vocal about his frustration with how our current American administration is handling things he doesn’t agree with. He was seen at a baseball game to be so frustrated to even stand up for a performance of “God Bless America”. People with cameras catch a lot of things and if he didn’t want to stand up for America…that’s his business. And it’s also my business to think he’s a little disrespectful for that.

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The following bars, and many of which are owned by Steve Smith or John Rich, have confirmed plans to air the alternative halftime show featuring Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett: 

Bars include Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk & Steakhouse, along with Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Honky Tonk Central, Rippy’s Honky Tonk, and The Diner. And John Rich’s Redneck Riviera will also show the “All-American Halftime Show” as far as we know.

Meanwhile, Garth Brooks’ lower Broadway bar, Friends In Low Places, said the bar would be showing Bad Bunny and would not have the alternate broadcast available. And this should be no surprise to anyone.

Kid Rock (whose real name is Robert Ritchie by the way) appeared on Fox News to discuss the Turning Point halftime show…and even gave an alternative that the NFL could have selected to avoid forcing an option to their halftime show.

He said…

“At the end of the day, like people like Taylor Sheridan and Tyler Perry have, they realize there’s a big portion of this country, like it or not, that’s underserved entertainment-wise. We’re just going to go play for our base, you know, people who love America, love football, love Jesus. And it’s pretty much that simple.

Of course, the media and the haters are going to try to detract from it. And I think I would like to get this point across once again when I say I think I speak for Turning Point and all the artists involved that none of us are approaching this with any hate in our hearts at all. It’s just a love for our base and love for music, our country and everything else.

If the NFL really were all about its stated goals and really, you know, wanted to take care of their fan base, and it seems to me like, OK, why not do things that are really right from those cities, you know, really celebrate the culture of any city they’re in? And, you know, there’s a band that checks every single box from San Francisco. by the name of Metallica.”

I really feel America would be all in for a Metallica halftime show. I mean I sure as hell would.

🎸 @KidRock will take the stage this Sunday as part of @TPUSA's “All-American Halftime Show.” pic.twitter.com/W1XcQ34Ols

— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) February 6, 2026

We all should’ve saw this coming.

The woke “reporters” couldn’t even enjoy the Australian Open without asking every single American tennis player about how much they hated America. Now we have an onslaught of political garbage that’s already running rampant at the Winter Olympics in Italy, which has officially started as of Friday, February 6, 2026. Sad thing is…we’re only three days in now.

US halfpipe skier Hunter Hess, who basically said (in his Paris Hilton, valley girl voice) that he’s only competing for his family and his friends who support him. And that he’s not representing the United States of America in its entirety.

His idiotic full quote is here:

“It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think. It’s a little hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. I think for me, it’s more I’m representing my friends and family back home, the people that represented it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the U.S. – if it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it. 

Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S. I just kind of want to do it for my friends and my family and the people that support me getting here.” 

What you ski with that flag on your arm and run your mouth on the world stage??

Some of us wore that flag on our arm and buried our friends under it.

STFU AND GO PLAY IN THE SNOWpic.twitter.com/jsguwfsyV3

— Chad Caton🎙🇺🇸 (@ImFiredUp2) February 7, 2026

That obviously didn’t sit well with the people that still love America and rightfully so. Chad said it best in his post on X. “Some of us wore that flag on our arm and buried our friends under it”, which is absolutely real.

I actually can’t figure out for the life of me why any athlete would choose represent a country on the world stage if you don’t love it. I understand that people have mixed emotions and feeling towards our country…and how it’s ran by our piss poor government. But why not be proud of the opportunity to represent your home at the Olympics instead trying to be a political activist when a microphone is put in front of you.

Even Mike Eruzione, who happens to be a former US Olympian and captain of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” men’s hockey team, blasted Hess for his comments. He said…

“Hunter Hess US snowboarder saying he doesn’t represent his country but his family and friends. Then don’t put on the USA uniform maybe just put for family and friends some athletes just don’t get it.”

It’s hard to be proud of Team USA when some people on the team are running your country in the ground on the Olympic stage. Please…and with all due respect. Just stfu, Hunter.

Larry Fleet is truly a gifted songwriter and his timing is pretty damn perfect when it comes to releasing songs right when the world needs them.

In 2020, when the world was going through hell during the “pandemic” he released “Where I Find God”, and a lot of people did. And now, in 2026, Larry looked at the current state of the world we’re in and released “Both Sides of the Fence”.

You could categorize this new song as being political…but not in a divisive kind of way. Larry is hoping people take a step back, take a deep breath, and realize that at the end of day, we’re all just people. We might absolutely look at certain things from a different perspective, or not agree on what’s good at all. At the end of the day though, we can all get along and appreciate one another. Hopefully.

The first verse that opens up the song is solid…

“My daddy voted for Carter, and Momma voted for Reagan…My sister jammed Dolly Parton, my brother loved Van Halen…Somehow it all made sense…On both sides of the fence.”

Larry Fleet has a way with words and tells a story with grace…without placing blame.

Kid Rock is celebrating America on the road in 2026. He just announced a spring tour that salutes our country’s 250th anniversary.

It’s called the “Freedom 250 Tour” and it includes 10 dates kicking off May 1st Dallas, TX at the Dos Equis Pavilionand wrapping up June 20th in Burgettstown, PA at the Pavilion at Star Lake. It’s mostly outdoor dates for the Kid Rock and it surrounds his scheduled appearances on the “Rock the Country Festival” series. If that even still holds itself together. Especially considering how artists keep dropping out of it, which has caused one of its dates to be canceled.

Jon Pardi, Parker McCollum, Brantley Gilbert, Big & Rich and Them Dirty Roses are set to open shows on select dates.

The “Freedom 250 Tour” promises a celebration of 250 years in the making. It’s a nod to America’s 250th birthday in 2026, although it’s unlikely the country’s forefather’s prophesied this exact event. It will be a party worth celebrating.

Tickets will go on-sale to the public on Friday, February 13, 2026, at 10AM local time at ticketmaster.com.

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I hate this for Gary, because the man can really sing too.

Rascal Flatts recently went viral, but not in a way they’d hope. At one of their shows in Omaha, frontman Gary LeVox seemed to be having a tough time onstage. He sang off-key, messed up lyrics, and was overall struggling.

TikTok user @nebraskalex captured a few videos from their night of seeing Rascal Flatts in Omaha.

Zach Bryan will replace Luke Combs at tonight’s EA Sports Madden Bowl show in San Francisco. 

Luke had to drop out for a damn good reason too, which is because he and his wife are expecting the arrival of their third baby y’all. Luke has always said family comes first. As they always should.

Other performers at the Madden Bowl include Teddy Swims, Stephen Wilson Jr., Gavin Adcock, and rapper LaRussell. Which should be interesting to say the least.

This lineup obviously has me wondering if Zach and Gavin are finally going to face off in a fist fight. Considering the trash talk between the both of them and the almost fight that happened in Oklahoma last year. I mean a fight between the two of them would definitely make for front page news.

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Welcome to the Friday #1 in February…as it’s February 6, 2026…and we have some new country music here again y’all.

Now be sure to do your part in visiting your neighbor liquor store to pair your favorite alcohol with your new favorite country music, because it’s how country music is supposed be enjoyed. Don’t let anyone judge you for it neither.

Here’s what we’ve found…

1. Sam Barber released his “Live From 2025” album.

2. Jay Buchanan dropped “Weapons Of Beauty”.

3. Megan Moroney released the title track to album “Cloud 9”, which is due February 20th.

4. Gavin Adcock dropped a new song called “Colorblind”.

5. Ashland Craft feat. Chase Rice have a song called “Momma Don’t Pray Like She Use To”.

6. Koe Wetzel released “Time Goes On”.

7. George Birge feat. Luke Bryan “Ride, Ride, Ride”.

8. Waylon Wyatt has new out called“In Loving Memory”.

9. 49 Winchester dropped a new song, “Change Of Plans”.

10. Zach John King dropped “Get To Drinkin’”.

11. Benjamin Tod released the title track to his “Vengeance and Grace”, which is coming April 17th.

12. Bayker Blankenship dropped his own cover of the late great Joe Diffie’s “Pickup Man”.

13. Russell Dickerson released a new song called “The Roses”.

14. Elvie Shane and Kevin Marlowe dropped “Bourbon & the Bible”.

This song is a certified twanger.

Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” is on the verge of making country music history as it currently sits in the #2 position on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and is primed to go #1 next week. Good Lord willing. And in case you haven’t been keeping up with how popular this song has seriously become over the past few months, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane here to see how incredible this “Choosin’ Texas” run has been.

When the song was first released on October 7th, it debuted at #37 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. It also shot all the way to #7 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, both of which were career-highs for Ella.

Then on December 2nd, ”Choosin’ Texas” became Langley’s first career #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, which also became the fastest solo female song to reach the top 10 at US Country Radio this decade. It literally only took eight weeks to break into the Top 10 too.

We arrive to January 5th now and “Choosin’ Texas” made its way into the #5 spot on the all-genre Hot 100, skyrocketing all the way up from #48 from the previous two weeks. With this entry, “Choosin’ Texas” become Langley’s first-career Top 5 entry on the chart as well as her first Top 10 entry.

The song has now become a crossover hit over the past couple of weeks as it has found it’s way onto both Adult Contemporary (AC) and Pop radio, receiving the most additions on US Hot AC radio for the week of January 19th and subsequently getting the most adds on US Pop radio this week with 44.

Now it’s being reported by Chart Data on X, “Choosin’ Texas” is officially the #1 best-selling song in 2026 in the United States by total units, surpassing Taylor Swift’s 10-week Hot 100 #1 hit, “The Fate of Ophelia.” And my country heart is full after hearing this news.

Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" is now the #1 best selling song in 2026 in the US by total units, surpassing Taylor Swift's "The Fate of Ophelia". pic.twitter.com/1Xq5CJesey

— chart data (@chartdata) February 5, 2026

I love seeing country artists I grew up listening to in the 90s still hitting the road for full tours.

Tracy Lawrence recently announced his “No Alibis Tour” for 2026 a couple of weeks ago and he’s taking his tour to thirty two different cities if I counted correctly. It’s to kick off in March 12, 2026 in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL and runs through August 29, 2026 in Long Beach, CA.

Openers for the tour include Frank Ray, Chandler Walters, Palmer Anthony, Belle Frantz, and Kenny Whitmire, with lineups varying by city of course.

Tracy said in a post on his socials, “this year felt like the right time to really celebrate these songs with the folks who’ve been there from the beginning. The ones that love real country music.

The ‘No Alibis Tour’ is about showing up and sharing a night that reminds us why we fell in love with country music in the first place. I can’t wait to sing all the hits together!”

Tickets are on-sale now at tracylawrence.com.

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Nashville will be hosting a bass fishing tournament this October called “The Champions” and there’s a lot of money of up for grabs.

The 50 best bass anglers in the world will compete for a record-setting $1.25 million for the first-place winner. There’s also over $3 million in prize money up for winning.  

Second place gets $500,000, third place gets $300,000, and even last place will get $8,000.

After learning about this competition, I feel it’s time to start fishing again. It also pairs very well with drinking cold beer and I love that past time.

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