June 2017 22 Sponsored by Cowtown Boots • Phoenix & Tempe HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN June 4, 2017 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Composed of Elana James (fiddle, vocals), Whit Smith (guitar, vocals), and Jake Erwin (bass), this jazz-influenced western-swing trio based in Austin, Texas, will have audience members grooving to their unique and fun sound. “Perhaps the first thing one notices when listening to the Hot Club of Cowtown is its lack of irony, self-consciousness and forced hipness in embracing a style of music that so easily lends itself to such things . . . Stylistically, the band steps out from the shadow of its influences to become more than a faithful retro band that likes to raise its tempo every now and then. It’s writing more of its own songs and varying its delivery . . . conscious always that above all else, the music is for dancing and an old-fashioned good time.”— Neil Strauss, New York Times “Cynics could say that they play hick-jumping with jazz sophistication, or jazz sweetness with hoedown grit. Either way, they scoop off the best parts of both styles, and are a supremely entertaining combo.”—Martin Longley, Coventry Telegraph (UK) Venue: MIM Music Theatre 4725 E Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85050 (480) 478-6000, http://mim.org BRAD PAISLEY June 25, 2017 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm Brad Paisley is a critically acclaimed singer, songwriter, guitarist and entertainer whose talents have earned himnumerous awards, including three GRAMMYs, two American Music Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards and 14 Country Music Association Awards (including Entertainer of the Year), among many others. He has been a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2001. Paisley has written or co-written 20 of his 23 #1 singles with the first being his 1999 hit “He Didn’t Have To Be” and his most recent, “Perfect Storm,” from his chart topping 2014 album Moonshine in the Trunk. Paisley’s current single is “Today.” Paisley has recently partnered with Boot Barn® and developed an exclusive line of jeans, hats, T-shirts, jewelry, belts and woven shirts called Moonshine Spirit by Brad Paisley. Venue: Ak-Chin Pavilion 2121 N 83rd Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85035 (602) 254-7200, http://livenation.com TIM MCGRAW & FAITH HILL July 21, 2017 7:30 pm McGraw and Hill have been dominating the music charts since the early ‘90s. They began touring together in 2000 in their record-breaking “Soul2Soul” tour, becoming that year’s top grossing and most successful U.S. tour. Their success continued in 2006-2007 when “Soul2Soul II” returned to the road, which was the most attended tour of the year in any musical genre and remains the highest grossing multi-year North American tour in country music history. McGraw has sold more than 50 million records worldwide and dominated the charts with 41 #1 singles. He’s won three Grammy Awards, 16 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards, 10 American Music Awards, three People’s Choice Awards and numerous other honors. His iconic career achievements include being named the BDS Radio’s Most Played Artist of the Decade for all music genres, having the Most Played Song of the Decade for all music genres with “Something Like That,” and being the only artist to score two sets of three simultaneous top 20 Billboard Country Airplay hits. He is the most played country artist since his debut in 1992, with two singles spending over 10 weeks at #1 (“Live Like You Were Dying” and “Over and Over”). His recent multi- chart number 1 single “Humble and Kind,” off his Damn Country Music album is his 59th release to hit top 10 or better. His critically-acclaimed acting skills were highlighted in the award-winning movies “Friday Night Lights” and “The Blind Side,” and he will be appearing in the movie “The Shack” next year. Hill is one of the top-selling and most-awarded female artists of all time. In addition to multiple nominations and five Grammy Awards, she has won an impressive 12 ACM Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, four American Music Awards, four People’s Choice Awards and three CMA Awards. She has consistently broken chart records with 14 #1 singles and multiple albums topping both the Billboard Top 100 and Country charts. She has six certified multi- platinum studio albums and has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. Venue: Gila River Arena 9400 W Maryland Ave., Glendale, AZ 85305 Phone: (623) 772-3200 http://www.gilariverarena.com/boxoffice/calendar/ GEORGE STRAIT Jul 28th – Dec 9th, 8:00 pm George Strait returns in 2017 with an all new show highlighting his iconic career! Join the King of Country Music as he showcases a record-setting career with 60 Number 1 Hits performed across two nights at T-Mobile Arena. George Strait’s 60 Number 1 Hits will be performed for a series of dates including: July 28 & 29, Sept 1 & 2, Dec 8 & 9, 2017. Relive the memories and hear the stories behind all the Number 1 songs this year at T-Mobile Arena. DWIGHT YOAKAM July 28, 2017 7:00 pm - 1:00 pm Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer- songwriter and actor, most famous for his pioneering country music. Popular since the early 1980s, he has recorded more than twenty one albums and compilations, charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, and sold more than 25 million records. Venue: Celebrity Theatre 440 N 32nd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85008 (602) 267-1600, http://www.celebritytheatre.com/ STEEP CANYON RANGERS Aug. 13, 2017 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm Steep Canyon Rangers are an American bluegrass band from Brevard, North Carolina. Though formed in 2000, the band has become widely known since 2009 for collaborating with actor/banjoist Steve Martin. In 2013, the Steep Canyon Rangers’ solo album Nobody Knows You won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. The previous year, their 2012 collaboration with Steve Martin, Rare Bird Alert, was nominated for the same award. Steep Canyon Rangers have recorded 9 solo albums plus two collaborative albums with Steve Martin. SCR performed as a quintet for nearly a decade before intermittent touring began as a sextet with Steve Martin; the band still performs in both configurations. In May 2013, Steve Martin and SCR began performing with Edie Brickell after she and Martin co-wrote and recorded an album together, Love Has Come For You, produced by Peter Asher. The record featured performances by Steep Canyon Rangers, Sara Watkins, Esperanza Spalding and others. Venue: Comerica Theatre 400 W Washington St., Phoenix,, AZ 85003 (602) 379-2800, http://comericatheatre.com