New York, NY (Top40 Charts) For years, Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen hit the highway as solo artists, both songwriters carving out their own brands of melody-driven country music. It was the "Hold My Beer and Watch This" tour - an acoustic, collaborative tour that kicked off more than eight years ago -- that officially brought the two together, quickly growing from a handful of shows into an annual touring event.
This year, that long-running tour has spawned a 10-song album, 'Hold My Beer, Vol. 1,' produced by legendary producer
Lloyd Maines. Starting on May 21st, Rogers and Bowen will play songs from that album, along with hits from their own catalogs, during the newest leg of the "Holy My Beer and Watch This" trek.
Starting on May 21st, Rogers and Bowen will visit theaters across the U.S. with a 90-minute set that includes acoustic songs as well as full-band performances. The tour kicks off at the Nutty Brown Amphitheater in Austin and stretches across most of the country, including stops at the 2015 AmericanaFest in Nashville and a handful of home state performances across Texas.
"I'm ready to tour this record, we both have lived these songs and continue to do so," says Rogers.
Bowen adds, "This is always my favorite time of year...Two buddies hangin' out playing music cause we love what we do. What could possibly be better?"
Mixing the traditional spirit of "an old-school country duo" (Rolling Stone Country) with a contemporary flair that "showcases all that is good about beer, bars and buddies" (Country Weekly), 'Hold My Beer, Vol. 1' has experienced support not only from the pair's loyal fans, but also from radio and retail. Debut rankings included #4 on the Billboard Country Albums chart, #18 on the Billboard 200, #2 on the iTunes Country chart, and #1 on Amazon's Country and Overall albums charts and WalMart, Hastings and Best Buy are on their third round of re-orders.
The duo's first radio single, "Standards" is gaining on at Country radio and is on its second week at #1 on the
Texas Music Chart. Also reflecting their engaged fan base is a weekly growth of 20% per week at social media since the April 20th release.
Born out of an enduring friendship and a decade-long, house-packing tour that was launched not as a savvy business move, but as a fun way to swap songs in front of an audience, 'Hold My Beer: Vol. 1' is a record that's part road movie, part joke book, part Western philosophy and, above all else, the story of two friends who recognize the value of personal integrity, Saturday night dance parties and a couple of good, stiff drinks.
To see Randy and Wade on the road, please visit www.holdmybeer.com. An initial list of dates, markets and venues (subject to change) is available below.
5/21 Austin, TX Nutty Brown Amphitheater
7/09 Omaha, NE at Slowdown
7/11 Saint Louis, MO at Old Rock House (outside)
7/12 Chicago, IL at Joe's Bar
7/14 Grand Rapids, MI at The Intersection
7/15 Columbus, OH at Newport
Music Hall
7/16 Indianapolis, IN at The Vogue Theatre
7/17 Kansas City, MO at Crossroads
7/20 Corpus Christi, TX at Brewster Street
7/21 Nacogdoches, TX at Banita Creek Hall
7/22 College Station, TX at Harry's
7/23 Helotes, TX at Floore's Country Store
8/11 Amarillo, TX at Wild West
8/12 Lubbock, TX at Midnight Rodeo
8/19
Little Rock, AR
8/20 Wichita Falls, TX
9/2 Portland, OR at Dante's
9/3 Seattle, WA at Neptune Theatre
9/9 San Francisco, CA at Slim's
9/10 Los Angeles, CA at Troubadour
9/17 Nashville, TN at AmericanaFest
