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Luke Bryan Hit the Lights at the Carrier Dome

The Carrier Dome in Syracuse held it’s largest country music concert to date with Luke Bryan and his Kill The Lights Tour, featuring Grammy award-winning performers Little Big Town and rising star Dustin Lynch this past Saturday night. Fans from all across the country traveled to the Salt City to attend the event and indulge in some of country’s most popular music. As the chilled spring evening got underway, the halls and seats began to fill with enthusiastic concert-goers dressed to the nines in jeans, boots, plaid shirts, cowboy hats, and ball caps.

With no time to spare, the house lights dropped as the sound system started thumping, synchronizing with blue pulsating stage lights. Dustin Lynch and his band invaded the stage for their brief set and kicked off the night with “To the Sky,” from his latest release Where It’s At. Strapped with his Taylor acoustic and cowboy hat, the Nashville-born singer warmed up the eager crowd with more of his hits including “Cowboys & Angels,” “Mind Reader,” and topped off with “Hell of a Night.” Bearing a smile the entire time on stage, Lynch frequently thanked the audience for helping him feel welcome to their town.

Four-part vocal group Little Big Town, began their set with an a cappella version of Dolly Parton‘s “Jolene,” giving nod to the accomplished female singer. The full band joined in with “Little White Church,” an upbeat single led by elemental vocalist Karen Fairchild, who donned a Ramones tee and sparkling silver coat. Their hip-swinging summer anthem “Pontoon,” allowed the energy to settle a bit before building up again with their latest title track “Pain Killer.” Kim Schlapman took to the catwalk with her flashy gold dress while she led vocals on “Sober.” The memorable moments of their set were embellished by crowd participation in Fleetwood Mac‘s “The Chain,” the disco ball lighting during “Girl Crush,” and the unified whistling of “Day Drinking” before ending with the classic homage to their hometowns, “Boondocks.”

After an extended intermission, the house lights dropped one final time and the audience erupted as green lasers beamed through the hazy interior. The host and star of the evening, Luke Bryan, kicked off his set with “Rain is a Good Thing” as he appeared at the top the LED-lit steps and danced his way the down to the stage with a video montage of stormy landscapes in the background. Bryan took his “signature” pelvis-shaking moves down the catwalk to heat up the crowd during “Kick the Dust Up.” Bryan and his band continued to shake the sold-out Carrier Dome with more of his hits including “Crash My Party,” “Play It Again,” and “Roller Coaster,” before rising up through the catwalk with Karen (Little Big Town) for a intimate vocal duet on “Home Alone Tonight.”

Sparing little time, Fairchild and Bryan hustled back to the stage to welcome the remaining members of Little Big Town for a mash-up of Ed Sheerans‘ “Thinking Out Loud” and Marvin Gayes‘ “Let’s Get It On,” all while toasting each other with celebratory shots of liquor. Luke stepped up his game with having tour opener Dustin Lynch join him for a rockin’ rendition of Brooks & Dunn‘s “Play Something Country.” Moments after, the 2016 CMA Entertainer of the Year directed the crew to turn the stage lights out and asked the audience to light up the dome with their cell phones, displaying a beautiful fluorescent glow upon the dome’s white canopy. Luke delicately sang “Drink A Beer,” while strumming his acoustic at the edge of the catwalk and asked the crowd, “If any of you out there have lost a loved one that you used to drink a beer with, lets take a sip right now and think of them,” while holding his Miller Lite can up high.

With the recent passing of country legend, Merle Haggard, Bryan wouldn’t let the evening go by without paying tribute to him with his 1982 classic “Big City.” As the historical evening started to wrap up, the country star busted out a few more popular hits like “All My Friends Say,” “That’s My Kind of Night,” and “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” before ending with “I Don’t Want This Night to End.” Bryan recognized and thanked Syracuse consistently throughout his performance, for making this night so special to him and his band.

Luke Bryan Setlist: Rain Is a Good Thing, Kick the Dust Up, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye, Move, I See You, Crash My Party, Play It Again, Roller Coaster, Strip it Down, Home Alone Tonight, Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran)/Let’s Get it On (Marvin Gaye), Play Something Country (Brooks and Dunn), Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day, Drink a Beer, We Rode in Trucks, Big City (Merle Haggard), Drunk on You, All My Friends Say, That’s My Kind of Night

Encore: Country Girl (Shake it For Me), I Don’t Want This Night to End/Can’t Feel my Face (The Weeknd)

Little Big Town Set:

Jolene (Dolly Parton), Little White Church, Pontoon, Front Porch Thing, Pain Killer, Sober, Pavement Ends, Tornado, Stay All Night, Save Your Sin, The Chain (Fleetwood Mac), Day Drinking, Girl Crush, Boondocks

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Dustin Lynch Set:

To the Sky, Halo, Cowboys and Angels, Where it’s at, Small Town Boy Like Me, Mind Reader, Hell of a Night

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April 12, 2016
Santana Smooths Over the Event Center at Turning Stone

Rated as one of the top guitarists in the world, Carlos Santana is a household name and his music and performances have been celebrated since the late 60’s. When Santana hits the road, he nearly sells out every show and they’re worth every penny. The 2016 Luminosity Tour brought the group to the Turning Stone Casino Event Center on April 7^th for an Evening With Santana, in support of their new album, Santana IV, which is due out on April 15. The 11-piece ensemble entertained almost 5,000 people in the venue and what a mighty fine evening it was.

The show kicked off with a brief Woodstock video montage while the band danced their way onto the stage. Each member took their position as Carlos strapped on his most popular custom PRS guitar (Santana I) and hit the proverbial gas pedal of Latin Rock. The rhythmic booty-shaker, “Soul Sacrifice” brought the audience to their feet and set an amazing energy to the room. The feel-good vibe stayed all throughout the performance as Santana played a number of hits including “Maria Maria,” “Evil Ways,” “Black Magic Woman,” “Smooth” and a new single from their upcoming release titled “Love Makes the World Go Round.”

The Luminosity Tour will bring Santana all around the world this summer as the group travels across North America and then heads over seas to Europe before settling back in San Francisco in September.

Set: Woodstock Intro, Soul Sacrifice, Saideira, Love Make the World Go Round, Freedom in Your Mind, Maria Maria, Foo Foo, Europa, Corazon Espiando (Benny & Cindy Solo), Jingo, Evil Ways/A Love Supreme, Everybody’s Everything, Se a Cabo, Sacalo, Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen, Oye Como Va

Encore: Smooth, Toussaint L’Overture

April 11, 2016
Mac Sabbath Brings an Easter Treat to the Tralf Music Hall

It took just under a half hour for the guys of “Drive-Thru metal” band Mac Sabbath to begin their set on Easter Sunday at the Tralf Music Hall. Before the large yellow and red tapestry that covered the stage came down the lights finally dimmed and Sinatra’s 1973 recording of “Send In The Clowns” began to play, only to descend into an unsettling loop of air-raid sirens and maniacal laughter .

The stage was unexceptionally decorated. On each side of it were two inflatable demon clown body language.

When Ronnie himself was a showstopper, diabolical kindred to Alice Cooper, spraying water-filled ketchup bottles into the crowd, slapping spatulas together and flipping patties on a grill. His cutting lyrics covered everything from obesity to pink slime to GMOs and everything else that makes McDonald’s one of the worst corporations on the planet.

I can’t tell you how many bad puns were squeezed into this super-size performance – including, but not limited to, the band’s fictional contemporaries Great White Castle, Iron Maidenny’s, Motley Croutons, and Cinnabon Jovi. I cringed about as much as I laughed, which was a lot.

He sent yellow and red confetti and blow-up cheeseburgers into the pit, Ronald had a fan willingly pour his Blue Light down a humongous fast food straw which he pulled from his jumpsuit and wielded around like a staff. Ronald later than had the fans beer replaced with a brand new one.

The parody cover band brings humor to the stage while making Black Sabbath tunes all of their own with food-infused lyrics.Instead of “Iron Man,” “N.I.B.,” “Fairies Wear Boots” and “Children of the Grave” the enthusiastic crowd got the caloric versions hilariously titled, “Frying Pan,” “N.I.B.B.L.E.,” “Cherries are Fruits” and “Chicken for the Slaves.”

“We did invent the genre of Drive-Thru metal, so it seems a bit derivative,” Osbourne said. This joke alludes to the common debate as to whether or not Black Sabbath single-handedly founded heavy metal music.

It closed the set with “Frying Pan,” it’s take on Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” (Osbourne missed the opportunity to ask if the crowd would like fries with that) then for an encore played a wild “Pair-A-Buns,” its send-up of Sabbath’s biggest hit, “Paranoid,” with Osbourne encouraging the crowd to start a circle-slam, then crowd surfing around it.

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April 11, 2016
Hearing Aide: Mudface “The Bane of Existence”

California natives Mudface released their 2nd album The Bane of Existence on March 18. With a goal of proving metal is not dead, Mudface has brought new life to the genre with this album.

The opening track of this album,”Fed to the Lions”, has some of the best metal vocals I have heard in a long time. The depth in Chris Dinsmore’s voice is almost frightening but in a way that makes you crave more. To showcase his talent in such a way was a great way to start this album. As we enter the bridge the guitar cries out as Brett Crane sings “We ourselves are tainted heroes.”. It is impossible not to feel emotional.

Drummer Tim Davis is the man grabbing our attention in the beginning of “Down Below”. Davis is incredibly talented and sounds as if he is performing a solo at a live show ; all ears are on him. He is quickly joined by father/son team Rob and Grant Kolowitz on guitar and Jim Pegram on bass. If the drums did not wake you up, the bass and guitar enter with a punch like beat to ensure we will not miss a moment. It was an interesting choice to start the song this way but I really think it pays off. The first twenty seconds of this song may be my favorite example of instrumentals on the entire album. The guitar and bass rift continues throughout the song never allowing us to lose the high. My only complaint about this song is each verse seems rushed. However we slow down at the bridge and it sounds like an entirely new song. My favorite metal bands are the ones that can bring the highs and lows to each song instead of one sound.

The final tracks on the album slow things down a bit. “The Anthem” and “The Watchers” are very powerful tracks but they bring a softer tone to the album.

It is easy to scream into a microphone and call yourself a metal band. For that reason I believe it is a challenge to distinguish yourself in this genre and remain relevant. To bring depth into each song is the challenge and is what allows us to identify the true musicians. That is what Mudface has done with The Bane of Existence. They have proved that metal is alive and well.

Key Tracks: Fed to the Lions, HellFoot, Down Below, The Anthem.

April 10, 2016
PB&J Series Bringing John Nemeth and The Blue Dreamers to Plattsburgh

This coming Tuesday, April 12, Plattsurgh Blues and Jazz (PB&J) will feature blues legend John Nemeth and The Blue Dreamers. Nemeth most recently won Best Soul Blues Album at the 2015 Blues Music Awards and is a nominee for B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. Considered the “New face and sound of Soul,” Nemeth is a contemporary member of the Blues elite and one of the most soulful singers today.

On the harmonica, Németh began building on the style of rootsy heroes like Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson. Németh’s first paid performance came in 1991, when he was hired to perform drinking songs for a pinochle luncheon held by the Catholic Daughters of America before setting his sights on the Boise club scene, where, for nearly a decade, he played seven nights a week at local pubs, taverns, joints, and parties.

Memphis Grease, the long-awaited follow up to Németh’s fourth solo studio release, is innovative and unique while epitomizing the absolute best of the genre. It’s a deeply forged combination of scorching harmonica-driven blues and sweet blue-eyed soul ala the Box Tops or Roy Head.

Plattsburgh Blues and Jazz (PB&J) is a new live music series that brings the best, award-winnig performers in Blues in Jazz to the Plattsburgh area. All event proceeds from PB&J shows go to the 30 City Foundation to fund the artists and to bring new performers to Plattsburgh. Tickets can be purchased online at Plattsburghbluesandjazz.com and in person at the Champlain Wine Company located at 30 City Hall Place.

April 10, 2016
Hearing Aide: ShwizZ ‘…and then there were Trollz’

New York quartet ShwizZ have released a new EP ‘…and then there were Trollz’, the band’s third studio effort marking a new and fresh mature sound for the ascending band. The new album blends a completely original sound of progressive rock and roll with elements of traditional funk. The precision behind the dueling guitars drives the listener through a series of meandering twists and turns that are anchored beautifully by the tight rhythm section. The band’s sound sends listeners across a broad spectrum of progressive rock and roll, where it’s not uncommon to find piercing guitar solos draped across heavy drum beats encapsulated around the band’s pensive lyrics. In a realm where the listener can expect the unexpected, ShwizZ’s unique sound reigns supreme.

The EP kicks off with “Rude Shoes” which drops into a thick grove immediately without wasting a second. This anthem will surely become a crowd favorite as the lyrics are catchy and the musical breakdowns are sharp. “Brain Dead” features a darker and more mysterious undertone at first, with the lyrics surfacing with a filter. The song ends up finishing strong with a lot of room to improvise in a live setting. This number will surely grow to be one of the band’s many jam vehicles. “Hog Thai” is one of the more introspective takes on the new EP, featuring soft melodic fills that get whiplashed into a series of fast paced solos. The band really showcases their range and flexes their musical adeptness on this track. “Transmit and Receive” finds its way into a transcendental like jam, with a space like feel that breaks through to another Umphrey’s-esque prog rock chord progression. The EP wraps up with “The Breach” which is one of the band’s more psychedelic successes.

Currently the band is embarking on a tour through the mid-west, with dates booked on the east coast in support of the new EP. ShwizZ is also confirmed to play Domefest this year. The New York quartet continue to push the envelope in the studio and they continue to perfect their live performance. Fans have may reasons to rejoice and the new EP is a celebration of the band’s many successes.

Key Tracks: Transmit and Receive, Brain Dead, Rude Shoes

https://soundcloud.com/shwizzband/rude-shoes

April 9, 2016
Oneonta Audience Grooves With Jimkata and Space Carnival

Breaking in the new month, Jimkata, a musical trio from Ithaca, and Space Carnival, a fiery four-tet based out of Oneonta, hit the Oneonta Theatre on Saturday, April 2. Fans were raging about the floor and craved some more.

Space Carnival unlocked the stage and were born into the atmosphere as they unleashed magical sensations throughout. With Jeremy Kraus on guitar, Cameron Fitch on keys and vocals, Chris Meier on Bass, and Nick Tassinari on drums, these four gentlemen took the night and fed their fans more of their funky psychedelic slippery disco.

This group has become outstandingly popular; having been to several of their shows, they never seem to disappoint. Since their formation in 2013, they have created a beautiful fan base and evoke a sphere of jam and funky madness. On this night, they pumped the smoky carnival air with tunes such as “Regal Krad”, “Moon Boots”, “Uh Oh I Slipped My Disco”, “Rango”, “Mister Sam”, “Plibt”, and “Entree The Giant”. It is pleasing to witness how they have progressed over the years and it is an honor to watch them continue to grow into galactic flowers.

Space Carnival meshes funk, progressive rock, and high-energy disco all while melting brains and hearts. They have a unique rhythm and spatial sound which all keep their fellow dancers afloat and on their toes. They performed covers throughout the night along with their fresh jams to keep the spacey flow going. Stay tuned as they are currently recording their debut album Drawn In By The Sun.

Following Space Carnival, Jimkata settled the night in the most perfect way, allowing the audience to cool down and sooth to the smooth moves of soft soundwaves. This night was about the promotion and celebration of their newest album In Motion. This band is much more than what they seem; their anthemic-synth-washed rock n’ roll and pop take you through the night and underground on a happy rollercoaster with sweet melodies and charming hooks. One can feel the emotional energy that emanates from their gentle tunes. It has an adventurous, continuous flow of undulating waves.

On this night of the tour, Evan Friedell (guitar/vocals), Aaron Gorsch (synth/guitar), and Packy Lunn (drums) collectively embraced their listeners with a fresh perspective of feeling. Their music lures you with emotion and hits your body with the beat. The crowd cheered to some of their hits such as, “Wild Ride”, “Innocence”, “Won’t Let You Down”, “Jumping Out of Airplanes”, and “Ride The Wave”, all from their most recent album.

They have a very natural sense of feeling and breath of life that they fuse into their hits. The background jams tune into the vocals as it creates a fresh experience all around. It shifts into different forms along the journey of each song. They were able to evolve their music, as they are now three members instead of four. They were able to successfully regroup after their recent transition. It was certainly a reflective time period for them; it is all about positive energy for Jimkata, a beautiful balance.

April 8, 2016
NYS Music Presents Friday Nights at Nietzsche’s

Fridays in April at Nietzsche’s, Buffalo are presented by NYS Music. Get a taste of the Queen City’s favorite venue for rising acts and indulge in Nietzsche’s first ever JazzFest, providing you with an array of jazz, funk, R&B and Dixieland.

April 8 – Grace Lougen and The Leftover Pancakes with Jacob Peter Band and Blue Rootz

Grace Lougen & The Leftover Pancakes are a Blues/Rock group from Buffalo, NY. The band features Grace Lougen on vocals and lead guitar, Caleb Saathoff on drums, Ben Saathoff on bass, and Linnea Cremean on vocals and viola. The LP’s grew up listening and playing to a lot of classic and contemporary artists including Led Zeppelin, John Mayer, and Joe Bonamassa. Their original music encompasses the soul of old school blues and rock with a fresh modern flare. They have developed their musical chemistry learning covers, writing original music, playing shows in the Buffalo area. Grace Lougen and The Leftover Pancakes also have shared shows with many renowned local and national artists including Will McFarlane, Doug Yeomans, David Michael Miller, and Alligator Recording Artist Selwyn Birchwood.

April 15 – JazzFest Day 3, featuring Cinnamon Jones, THE TRUTH, Toney Rhodes, Houston Gardwell Collective, and Sammy Miller and the Congregation

9pm: Cinnamon Jones
10pm: THE TRUTH
11pm: Toney Rhodes – A well-accomplished and internationally known musician, Toney began establishing his respected reputation and credentials as early as 14 years of age. As with many successful artists, Rhodes traces his earliest influence to his familial gospel roots, particularly attributed to the tutelage and musical talents of his mother; along with the opportunity of being front and center as a young organist in his father’s Pentecostal church.
12am: Houston Gardwell Collective – improvisatory funk and everything else, featuring a collective of improvisers.
1am: Sammy Miller and The Congregation
A native of Los Angeles, Sammy Miller has become known for his unique maturity and relentless focus on making music that “feels good” as a drummer, singer and bandleader. Upon completing his Master’s at The Juilliard School, Sammy formed his ensemble, The Congregation. As a band they are focused on sharing the power of community through their music—joyful jazz. While independently the band members have performed/recorded with notable artist including Wynton Marsalis, O.A.R, Iron and Wine, and Lee Fields at venues including The White House, Lincoln Center, and the Hollywood Bowl, The Congregation has opted to stick together and create globally conscious music with the intention to spread joy throughout the world.

April 22 – Funktional Flow (Matt Lester’s Birthday Celebration!)

Buffalo’s own Funktional Flow is a multi-genre quintet heavily rooted in rock and reggae, with a funk foundation. Over the past six years, the band has released three albums and played hundreds of shows throughout the Northeast and beyond. With the release of the newest album Time Will Tell on March 5th 2016, Flow is poised to take it to the next level and branch out nationally. Flow is heavily influenced by Sublime, Umphreys McGee, Moe, and Blind Melon but maintains a fresh, high energy sound that results in a diverse catalog of music.

April 29 – Midnight Snack, Our Friends Band, Dashuri

Based in Asheville, NC by way of Boston, Midnight Snack blends masculine rock tradition with a distinctly feminine delicacy. The 6 piece integrates elements of psychedelic rock, indie-dance and baroque pop. Originally the childhood attic project of brothers Jack Victor and Michael Johnson, the duo developed their sound while attending Berklee College of Music. Featuring Jack Victor (vocals, drums), Michael Johnson (guitar, synthesizers), Katie Richter (vocals, trumpet), Peter Brownlee (bass), Zack Kardon (guitar) and Meryll Davis (vocals, percussion), Midnight Snack tours nationally, charming audiences with prominent vocal harmonies, lush instrumentation and introspective performances. Currently, the 6-piece is working on their third studio album and will be touring the Northeast April-May 2016.

April 8, 2016
CashorTrade.org Breaks the Internet

CashorTrade.org announced some new features on their site that will help posts gain exposures through social media.

As part of their efforts to help users buy, sell or trade tickets for concerts, CashorTrade.org incorporated some new features into their site that are meant to increase exposure for the posts. As part of these efforts, the team created new groups on Facebook and Twitter for every state in the U.S. along with groups for each of the artists, bands and festivals represented on the site. In addition to Facebook and Twitter, CashorTrade.org has expanded to their own sub-Reddit to increase exposure to the face value movement. When posts are made searching for, selling, or trading tickets for various events, they will be automatically posted to the respective social media group on all platforms based on the artist or festival and the location of the event.

To help maintain all the newly created groups, CashorTrade.org is looking for ambassadors to help promote and grow the various groups. To help users request information on becoming an ambassador or to join the various groups, they created an Exposure page with all the information regarding their new efforts and links to the individual social media groups.

CashorTrade.org is the leading secondary marketplace for fans to buy, sell or trade tickets to concerts at face value. Since the site’s creation in 2009, the community has grown to nearly 250,000 users.

New York State Music is one of CashorTrade.org’s partner sites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3kpeoeNDXo

April 8, 2016
Country Music Mourns Legendary Star, Merle Haggard

On April 6, 2016, the country music world lost one of the truly great trail blazing musicians of our generation. Born exactly 79 years previously to the date, Haggard was raised by a his widowed mother in a small town outside of Bakersfield, California in a boxcar that had been converted into their home.

The young Haggard found himself in and out of trouble and juvenile detention homes for much of his young life, until he finally landed himself in Folsom Prison, where his experiences there would map out his future destiny.

Music first became a part of his life when he was given a hand me down guitar by his brother. The self taught Haggard never considered it anything but a hobby until at at Lefty Frizzle concert, Lefty overheard Haggard singing along to some music and insisted that he take to the stage to sing before he went on. Liking the experience he decided to take up music as a career finding himself playing at local night spots. Not enough to make ends meet, Haggard once again found himself in trouble with the law. It was the stint at Folsom that he made two life changing decisions; to clean up his act, and after seeing Johnny Cash perform at Folsom, to make music his focus instead of trouble.

The timing of Haggard’s release from Folsom coincided with the new country music movement happening in the Bakersfield area. Tired of the orchestrated sound Nashville was churning out, a new sound with an upbeat tempo, electrified guitars, and newly emerging rock and roll together with the tried and true sound of swing music, created a new country sound; that we now consider the Bakersfield Country sound. Considered to be one of the founders of this sound during that time, Merle Haggard carved out a niche that fit him perfectly. Not too formal, a little bit rowdy, and a lot of bit energetic, this country musician began working with some of today most revered country musicians.

Known for thirty eight number one songs, this decorated musician’s style was a bit in your face at the time. His songwriting skills and ability to play multiple instruments just added to his charm. One of his most loved songs would be “Okie from Muskogee.” Written as a satirical jibe at students who were protesting against the war, Haggard felt compelled to tell them how it was. The tongue in cheek lyrics, set the tone and image we all knew and grew to love. His ability to deliver music penetrated you with a stare and bad boy image liking him to the James Dean of country music.

The group of musicians Haggard became associated with included Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Buck Owens, Dolly Parton, and so many greats too numerous to mention. Their shenangigans were widely followed, and their music just as loved as their outgoing personalities. Forever known as Poncho and Lefty, Haggard and Willie Nelson will always be considered two peas in a pod.

Gathering award after award, not only by himself, but also as a collaborator, Merle Haggard continued to sing up until right before he passed. His music and style influenced so many of today’s artists and can be heard in references throughout so many songs. A member of the Grand Ole Opry, recipient of numerous Country Music Association awards, Grammy Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, Haggard was continuously recognized for his contributions to country music. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in 1994, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1977, and a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2010, it was all in a days work to Haggard.

Married several times, it was later in life that Haggard was able to settle down and enjoy life as it should be. Leaving a legacy of six children, it was his role as a father that touched me the most. In an interview I saw recently on AXS TV, Dan Rather interviews Merle Haggard and gives the viewer a peek of his personality. I can recall thinking to myself at the time, boy I wish I could meet him and cover one of his shows. Yes, he was an amazing musician, but what an interesting person he was, and I so wanted to learn more about him. This weekend Merle Haggard The Big Interview with Dan Rather on AXS TV will once again air. Please check your local listings and watch. It will be there you see the man behind the image, the man behind the music, and see he was an amazing man.

This peek inside of Merle Haggard’s life, has been shared by his youngest son, Ben Haggard throughout the years. It was in a recent post on Instagram I was notified of Haggard’s passing. As I scrolled through Ben’s photos, I noticed one of Haggard that was really a cool black and white. As I opened it, it was this quote that spoke volumes. What would be his final Father’s Day together, his son Ben, posted this message last year to his father on Instagram.

“Everyone thinks you know him, and in a lot of way you do through his music, cause it’s honest. But I’ve seen a different side, a father. He has been the best dad anyone could ask for… has shared the gift of music, what love should be, ..how to be a friend, and (how to) keep your word…I love you Dad, Happy Father’s Day”.

The love and respect they shared shone bright. If the family had the opportunity to share about their father, husband, brother, etc. I’m sure it would be about the man he was, as the music was a given, it was the man he grew to be that made Merle Haggard a true legend and loved worldwide.

A photo posted by Ben Haggard (@benhaggard) on Apr 6, 2016 at 11:03am PDT

April 7, 2016