TAYLOR, Mich. – Hot off the release of the group’s highly-anticipated second album, Happy Endings, Old Dominion leads the charge of top-notch talent performing at the Rockin’ Country Music Festival. The two-day celebration of country music debuts in the picturesque outdoor setting of Heritage Park in Taylor, Michigan on Friday, September 8 and Saturday, September 9. The festival doors open at 3 p.m. on Friday and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, with the full roster detailed below.
Friday, September 8
(Doors open at 3:00 p.m.)
9:10 p.m. Billy Ray Cyrus
7:40 p.m. Lauren Duski
6:10 p.m. The Railers
5:00 p.m. James Barker Band
4:00 p.m. Carly Collura
Saturday, September 9
(Doors open at 2:00 p.m.)
9:15 p.m. Old Dominion
7:45 p.m. Michael Ray
6:30 p.m. Carly Pearce
5:15 p.m. Rachel Lipsky
4:15 p.m. Devin Dawson
3:00 p.m. Stephen Clark
SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Heritage Park, known as Taylor’s “Jewel of the City,” will be transformed into an intimate concert venue with a state of the art production, allowing fans up-close access, and it will feature a comprehensive array of amenities for festival-goers. The park’s address is 12111 Pardee, Taylor, MI 48180 and it is located at the corner of Pardee and Northline Road. Its 400+ acres will provide ample parking for festival-goers.
“This is a great opportunity for Taylor to showcase one of our proudest assets, beautiful Heritage Park, to the entire region. It is a fantastic setting for outdoor concerts with great ambience yet it has plenty of room to host large gatherings comfortably. Fans attending the Rockin’ Country Music Festival will love Heritage Park as much as they enjoy the music,” said Rick Sollars. Mayor of Taylor. “The great lineup of entertainers will appeal to every country music fan, but it has special appeal to our Downriver area since one of the members of the headlining band, Trevor Rosen of Old Dominion, is from neighboring Woodhaven.”
Tickets for Rockin’ Country Music Festival are on sale now through the festival’s official website www.rockincountrymusicfestival.com. General admission tickets for each day are $25 adults/$12 kids 10-under. Special standing-room pit passes are $35 each day. Two-day festival passes are $39 adult/$20 kids 10-under for general admission and $59 for special standing-room pit passes.
Special VIP packages are also available which provide access to a VIP Rockin’ Country Club, GA/Pit access, VIP Parking, early access to the festival, VIP Entrance, a private bar, private food vendors, air-conditioned restrooms and smartphone charging stations. VIP packages are $65 each day or $99 for the two-day festival.
Friday’s Performers:
Billy Ray Cyrus, legendary musician and actor, counts his signature tune, “Achy Breaky Heart,” among his 16 Top 40 hits. In total, he has charted 35 singles and he continues to receive critical acclaim as an actor, writer and executive producer in film and TV. Billy’s album Some Gave All skyrocketed to #1 on Billboard’s Albums Chart, where it stayed for 17 consecutive weeks – an all-time record for a solo male artist. The release’s patriotic title track went on to earn him the prestigious Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment. He is currently starring in the CMT smash hit series, “Still The King.”
Lauren Duski, the pride of Gaylord, Michigan, has performed songs in front of audiences since the age of seven and has developed into a multi-talented singer, songwriter and performer. After graduating from the University of Michigan, she put her plans for dental school aside to write and record songs. Duski created national attention with her stirring performances on “The Voice,” where she debuted her single “Deja Vu” and became the NBC show’s resident queen of country ballads.
The Railers were recently picked by Rolling Stone magazine for its first “10 New Country Artists You Need to Know,” while their latest single, “11:59 (Central Standard Time)” was a Top 10 most added country single in April of this year. The up-and-coming band’s single “Kinda Dig The Feeling,” may sound familiar as it was featured in the TV series “Nashville.”
James Barker Band formed in 2013 and quickly showed the world their talents. The Canadian foursome won the 2015 Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase, which secured them an album release, a trip to Nashville, and spawned their debut album, Game On. The album’s single “Lawn Chair Lazy” became the highest charting debut single for a Canadian country artist to date.
Carly Collura is a powerhouse vocalist and songwriter from the Metro Detroit area. She began performing at age three and, at just four years old, she won a vocal competition at the Michigan State Fair. Later, as lead singer for the local country-rock group Two Timin’ Band, she travelled throughout the Midwest performing at such events as the WYCD Downtown Hoedown and opening for rock acts such as Brownsville Station and Vince Neal. She is now pursuing a career as a singer and songwriter and she has released an EP of her original music.
Saturday’s Performers:
Old Dominion, the hottest band in country music, was named 2016 ACM New Group of the Year, ACCA Breakthrough Group of the Year, AIMP Songwriter Artist of the Year and Music Row Breakthrough Artist of the Year. The band showcased their country charm with a rock and roll grit on their Gold charting, first full length album, Meat and Candy, which contained the Platinum hit, “Break Up With Him,” along with the Gold hit, “Snapback,” and the single, “Song For Another Time,” which hit #1 on the Billboard Country Airplay and MediaBase charts. They recently performed their fast-rising hit, “No Such Thing As a Broken Heart,” at the Academy of Country Music Awards. The hits will keep on coming as the group’s highly awaited new album, Happy Endings, drops on August 25.
Michael Ray jumped to prominence when the debut single, “Kiss You In The Morning,” from his self-titled album hit the top of the charts, making him the only new male country artist to have a #1 single in 2015. Ray recently earned his second chart-topping single with “Think A Little Less,” which is one of the Top 10 most-downloaded country songs of the year, so far. Ray released his much anticipated follow-up, “Get To You,” the first single from his upcoming sophomore album, on June 16.
Carly Pearce has been named an “Artist to Watch” by such publications as Rolling Stone Country, The Huffington Post and Country Living. The break-out artist recently celebrated her first Top 40 country hit, “Wasn’t That Drunk,” and was selected as a CMT Listen Up “17 for 2017” artist.
Rachel Lipsky showcased her southern rock and brass knuckles country sound with her party single, “Ready Set Whiskey,” which made her a finalist in UnSigned Only’s International Songwriting Competition and helped her notch IMEA’s Country Female Vocalist Award.
Devin Dawson grew up outside the gates of the famed Folsom Prison and was influenced musically by the likes of Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, Marvin Gaye and Creedence Clearwater Revival. After spending his early years in Nashville writing for others, he is now recording his debut album, of which he has co-written every track, and is establishing his reputation as one of the most exciting modern singer-songwriters the format has seen. His single, “All On Me,” is climbing the charts and he has been named a rising star to watch by Rolling Stone, CMT and Entertainment Weekly.
Stephen Clark is best known locally as the evening news anchor on Detroit’s WXYZ TV-7. Clark fell in love with country music while working at a country music station early in his broadcasting career, after being a self-confessed “band nerd” in high school. His passion is a good story to tell and he brings his journalist’s sense of story to the songs he writes. He spends as much time as his TV career allows in Nashville, meeting people, playing writer’s nights and co-writing music. When in town, Clark enjoys playing a variety of venues throughout the Metro Detroit area as much as possible.
Rockin’ Country Music Festival’s sponsors include: The City of Taylor, Tito’s Vodka, Traverse City Whiskey Company, Outdoor Adventures, Tropic Love, Renewal by Andersen, Britten Banners, TLC Recycling, Atwater Brewing, Blue Chair Bay Rum, Engel Coolers, Michigan Sport & Spine, and Athletes Unlimited.
For more information on Rockin’ Country Music Festival, please visit www.rockincountrymusicfestival.com.