Hey Toronto, It’s Time To Cowboy Up!

There’s a new place to wear your hat and boots downtown with the launch of the Rock ‘N’ Horse Saloon at 250 Adelaide St. West.

Wednesday night I went to check out the private launch party (Thank you Liz & Strut Entertainment for the invite) and get a look at the newest country getaway in the city.

Note: At the exact same time I had friends checking out the preview party at Boots & Bourbon in Riverside and they made it clear that I need to get east of Yonge to check it out too.

As a country boy and a country music fan I was excited and sceptical going in. It didn’t take long for me to lose the scepticism.

When we checked in I could hear the music coming from upstairs and the night started with Luke Bryan (can’t wait to see him at Boots & Hearts 2014). From there the DJ did a great job all night long. At a country bar in downtown Toronto it took 2 and a half hours before Taylor Swift came through the speakers. That’s not a bad thing at a country bar! As much as I love T. Swift, she’s not the be all and end all of country music.

It was also awesome to see 8 Seconds (1994, Luke Perry as Lane Frost) and sports playing on the TVs in the joint. I’ve already got a list of cowboy movies in my head that I would love to see playing when I walk in again.

And oh ya, there’s an Elvis pinball machine against the wall, just past the pool table with a brand new red felt. not too shabby.

Outside of the obvious “every country bar ever” decor, there are also some other special tidbits like the bar stools with saddles for seats and the mechanical bull and inflatable ring set up in the far corner of the bar.

I didn’t ride the bull last night. I thought about it. But I didn’t do it. I regret it a little bit, but I’m sure that I’ll get another chance some day.

The night was hosted by CMT Chevrolet Top 20 Countdown‘s Paul McGuire who was good on the mic. Made some semi-adult jokes while one of the Spurlesque (the country dancer girls) ladies rode the bull and he did a great job handing out trivia questions and prizes throughout the evening.

He also made sure to point out the fact that Gord Bamford and Kira Isabella showed up to say and have a drink. The DJ noticed too and played Bamford’s Is It Friday Yet as soon as he got in the door.

Back to the trivia, the 1st question of the night was “Who Wrote Wagon Wheel?” and I totally knew the answer. But some other dude got it first and my hand in the air got me nothing. BUT, Paul McGuire saw my hand in the air and called me out in front of the entire bar to tell me that I was going to get the 1st crack at the next question…

My question, “Name 3 Dolly Parton Songs”. Now, I love country music, that’s an established fact. And I LOVE Dolly. But I don’t love being caught off guard in a crowd of strangers. So, I immediately spit out I Will Always Love You and 9 To 5 – but then I went quiet and couldn’t come up with number 3. However, I was saved by the crowd which included the adorable Kira Isabella yelling JOLENE at me.

The answer made me a winner of a prize pack that included Miranda Lambert‘s Four The Record, The Pistol Annies’ Annie Up, Jason Aldean‘s My Kinda Party and Country Heat 2014. But that’s not all. I also got a Jabra Soulmate Mini bluetooth speaker that will work with my phone or laptop or whatever I want it to. Not a bad prize. And thanks to Kira for the help.

Note: Bob Dylan wrote Wagon Wheel. I had the right answer.

Here’s the final skinny: the drinks were strong (rye and diet for me), the food was tasty (try the Pulled Pork Sliders and Jalapeño Bacon Corn Bread), the music was good, the bull looks fun, the staff were friendly and cute, the decor isn’t too cheesy and I enjoyed myself. I look forward to going back soon (maybe Friday) to see what it’s like with the public.

I do wonder what the pricing is going to look like for drinks and food since it was an open bar event on Wednesday. Remember that this is a downtown, Entertainment District bar. But overall I think that the Rock ‘N’ Horse Saloon has a strong chance to succeed for a while and capitalize on the revitalization of country music and its current pop culture relevance.

The Bull Still Doesn’t Have A Name. Any Ideas?

The Boots and Hearts 2013 Wrap and 2014 Predictions!

The 2013 Boots & Hearts Country Music Festival has been wrapped for a couple of weeks and it’s a good time to look back at it… and forwards to 2014!

The 2013 fest was great in my eyes. Yes, there were issues with the pouring rain on Friday night and campers and ticket holders not being able to get in to see shows. And that sucks hard. But, please remember that it was not a decision made quickly and it was made by the municipality and not Republic Live.

Inside the gates the music was fantastic and in the stage area things were (soggy on Friday night) entertaining as all hell. The performances by early acts and headliners alike made people cheer and sing and dance – and that’s exactly what I was hoping and expecting to see.

Note: You may have seen some of the reviews that we posted (there were a bunch, I hope you didn’t mind) and the photos that Trish took of the acts. Special thank you goes to Trish for those photos. She got in there and took the shots she wanted (and the ones I asked for) and did an awesome job. Without those photos all we would have to share would be iPhone pics taken 50 feet from the stage. That wouldn’t have been very good. Trish’s pics were a game changer. Thank you!

It’s hard to look back at the performances and pick a favourite. It really is. The Stone Sparrows, Mackenzie Porter and Whitney Rose were all great on the Front Porch Stage which featured many emerging country artists. And on the main stage I enjoyed (and that’s putting it lightly) Dean Brody, Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Rascal Flatts, Joe Diffie, Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert. There was 0 let down from the 2012 lineup, and the bar needs to be met again in 2014.

Speaking of 2014… there’s 1 name that everyone is already excited for. Yes, it’s true, I was wrong about Blake Shelton showing up at the 2013 Boots & Hearts weekend. But he did make an appearance by video just before Miranda took the stage to announce that he will be headlining next year in Bowmanville. The crowd went wild, as expected. Now all that’s left to do is wonder who else is going to play the main stage 12 months from now.

If I had to make some guesses… and I will… I’d be looking for:

Little Big Town – who have been on fire for the last 18 months.
Hunter Hayes – who I incorrectly guessed this year.
Kellie Pickler – who is one of the most adorable and talented people in country music.
Luke Bryan – who makes nothing but hits and has a new album out now that he will be touring.
Gord Bamford – who has been nominated for the 2013 CCMA Fans’ Choice Award.

And my longshot pick is… Lady Antebellum!

Because Hillary Scott just gave birth in late July I am hesitant to think that they will make the trip to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park next summer. But it could happen. Babies travel with their musician mamas all the time.

Could I be wrong about all of these predictions? Yup. I was wrong about most of my picks for this year. But man, it would be awesome to see those acts taking the stage a year from now.

Thanks to everyone who read our reviews of the 2013 Boots and Hearts Country Music Festival. We hope that you like the words and pics and that you’ll keep coming back for more as we start the countdown to 2014!

Work Hard, Play Harder, Be Awesome.

Boots & Hearts 2013 Spotlight: Country Music Legend, Joe Diffie

Picture this: The sun is shining, there are thousands of people sitting and standing within sight and ear shot of the Boots & Hearts Main Stage and the opening notes of 3rd Rock From The Sun come over the speakers through live instruments.

If you’ve been a country music fan for as long as I have (and really, 20 years isn’t that long) you were probably transported back in time. That’s what Joe Diffie did this weekend. He took country music fans back to his heyday and it was an awesome ride to be on.

When Pickup Man (it’s about trucks, not pick-up artists) came on the 12 year old inside of me smiled while the 31 year old sang along with reckless abandon. And I wasn’t alone. It was amazing to see and hear so many voices singing along to country hits that aren’t less than 3 years old.

There were 2 great moments in the middle of the set that I want to write down so I remember them.

1) Joe Diffie and his band cover the chorus of Jason Aldean’s hit 1994 which goes like this: 1994, Joe Diffie comin’ out my radio, I’m just a country boy with a farmer’s tan, So help me girl I’ll be your Pickup Man, How ’bout a night to remember and a fifth of Goose, ‘Bout to bust out my honky-tonk attitude, A little feel good you ain’t never felt before, I’m talkin’ 1994, Hey Joe, Joe, Joe Diffie – Joe, Joe, Joe Diffie – Joe, Joe, Joe Diffie 

The crowd loved it, they sang along as loud as they could and it was a really fun moment.

2) Diffie pays tribute the great and now gone, George Jones with a cover of He Stopped Loving Her Today. The crowd was into it. The cheer when he finished singing was fantastic and felt like more than just applause for the performance, Jones was getting some love in Bowmanville.

The set ended with what I consider to be the greatest hick love song of all time, John Deere Green. If you don’t know the song I’ll wrap it up for you, a boy (Billy Bob) falls in love with a girl (Charlene) and decides to declare his feelings in graffiti. However, rather than use a typical red like the whole town suggested, Billy Bob used John Deere Green to write Billy Bob Loves Charlene in letters 3 feet high and she loved it. Bonus, it always showed through no matter how it was painted over and works as a metaphor for everlasting love!

I love that damn song and the rest of the Diffie setlist too. It was a great show from a country legend. I can’t wait to see who they bring in next year to give us that same feeling.

Work Hard, Play Harder, Be Awesome.

Boots & Hearts 2013: Dean Brody and Jason Aldean, Singing In The Rain

On a day filled with rain, lightning and mud, there was still plenty of desire to party at Boots & Hearts.

Here’s the thing… The weather wasn’t great. In fact, it sucked. It was rainy and people were soaked and cold and covered in mud. But when it came down to it, they didn’t care.

It’s true. For the 2nd year in a row this point was proven: The fans of Boots & Hearts will stand in the rain and sing along with every word that they know when a great country act takes the stage and puts on a helluva show.

Last year for me it was Alabama, country’s original super group, they were freaking outstanding.

This year we had Cassadee Pope, Colt Ford, Dean Brody and Mr. Jason Aldean play parts of or all of their sets in rainy conditions in Bowmanville. And while we all wished that the sun had been shining (and our sunscreen hadn’t been applied in vain) there wasn’t a single person I saw that looked like they weren’t enjoying themselves.

While Trish and I are at Boots & Hearts with media passes to cover the shows and blog and tweet and facebook and such about what’s up – I will fully admit that last night I really enjoyed being a fan during both Dean Brody and Jason Aldean’s sets.

Trish met me in the bullpen after her photos were taken and we watched, listened, sang along, people watched, smiled, danced (a little) you know, all of those things that you do when you’re enjoying a concert. Yes we were wearing raincoats, but we didn’t care. Our feet we soaked and our hearts were warm. That might be the cheesiest thing I write for a long time, but the thought is true!

Note: I get that not everyone loves, likes or even tolerates country music. I get it. But if you’re a rock and roll fan and you look at a show like Jason Aldean and his band put on, you might change your mind.

Dean Brody was the surprise guest last year, rolling out from behind the stage on a flatbed trailer. But this year he was on the main stage for a full set that gave me 1 clear highlight: Brody finished playing the emotionally charged military tribute, Brothers and went right into Oh Canada which is always amazing in a crowd that size. And then, to finish his set he rolled the national anthem into his biggest hit, Canadian Girls which had everyone singing and dancing again until he left the stage.

When Jason Aldean came on stage to start his set you could hear the excitement across the festival grounds. And through the rain one of country’s biggest stars played loud, hard, fun music that everyone had been anticipating and waiting for. I’d never seen Aldean live, but man am I glad I have now. From Tattoos On This Town to Johnny Cash to the new single Night Train, the sound was tight, the energy was high and these guys put on a proper show.

The biggest tease came when the band started playing Don’t You Wanna Stay (Aldean’s hit duet with Kelly Clarkson) and she appeared on screens to the left and right of the stage to sing her part. Believe me when I say this – the place would have blown up if Kelly Clarkson had walked onto the stage last night. As it was, the place was at peak excitement throughout the Jason Aldean set and absolutely loved him til the end of his 2 song encore that wrapped his set with Hicktown.

It was a crazy day logistically at Boots & Hearts. But to everyone’s credit there was still a party going on for those of us lucky enough to be inside the gates.

I can’t wait to see what memories today brings!

Work Hard, Play Harder, Be Awesome.