Country stars shine on political stages

Welcome to The Pick, The Tennessean music staff's weekly email conversation about all things you need to know — hot insider takes from Music City's legendary creative community, plus the who, what and where impacting our communities from Lower Broadway to Leiper's Fork and beyond.

I'm Marcus K. Dowling , The Tennessean's country music reporter.

Over the past month, four decades of Nashville-favored country and Americana performers have stood alongside America's Democratic and Republican presidential nominees in the headlines.

Whether it's Jason Aldean, Chris Janson, Brian Kelley, house band Sixwire or "God Bless The USA" vocalist Lee Greenwood at July's Republican National Convention or The Chicks, Mickey Guyton, Jason Isbell and Maren Morris at August's Democratic National Convention, political parties are considerably connecting with Music City.

Why is it happening? Alongside country's longstanding roots in political causes, also note that in the past three years, the genre has had roughly a half-dozen songs surge from occupying positions at positions 75-100, then 50-75 and in 2023, 1-25 on Billboard's Hot 100 end-of-year-chart.

Lainey Wilson's right. In every way conceivable, country's indeed cool again.

Thing You Must Try To Do This Week

• Head out to Eastside Bowl for Honky Tonk Tuesday Nights
  • In its tenth year, East Nashville's famous Honky Tonk Tuesday Nights event has moved to Madison's Eastside Bowl from its former home at American Legion Post 82. The two-stepping throwback event is favored by the likes of Jack White, Robert Plant, Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch, Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Charley Crockett, Sierra Ferrell and Margo Price, plus Kacey Musgraves
  • Dance lessons and the peerless classic country stylings of The Cowpokes at a retro-themed bar, bowling alley and music club featuring food and three performance stages "is as much a live band event with dancing as it is a cultural spectacle," offers event co-promoter and Cowpokes band member Kevin Martin
• Doors open at Eastside Bowl at 6:30 p.m. and the event begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are unavailable online but are $10 at the door for the 18+ festivities.

Before you do anything else: Read USA Today's Nashville-based Taylor Swift reporter, Bryan West, diving deep into how the Eras Tour Resell social media account connects Swifties looking to sell tickets to other Swifties at face value.

Artist Spotlight: Little Big Town

On a recent Tuesday evening at the Grand Ole Opry, Little Big Town (Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook, and Phillip Sweet) — celebrating their 25th year as a quartet in 2024 — appeared throughout both hours of a night on Opryland Drive honoring a decade of their Grand Ole Opry cast membership.

The lineup also featured other Opry cast members, Vince Gill and the Oak Ridge Boys, plus Ashley Ray, The Castellows, Wyatt Flores and Shelby Lynne.

Gill's presence was notable because he — alongside Country Music Hall of Famer Little Jimmy Dickens — inducted Little Big Town as Opry cast members in 2014. The group's induction was the last in which Dickens was involved before his death a year later.

The Castellows on the lineup was significant because they'll open for Little Big Town on an 18-date nationwide tour between Columbus Day and Christmas of 2024 with Sugarland.

That tour will visit Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Dec. 13 .

For the group, the next quarter century will, like hits including 2015's CMA Single of the Year "Girl Crush" and  2017's CMA, CMT, and Grammy-winning, Taylor Swift-written ballad "Better Man," be highlighted by performances that "push sonic boundaries (via) chords, harmonies and notes," says Westbrook.

Song You Need To Hear

Eminem feat. Jelly Roll - Somebody Save Me - A music video has been released for "Somebody Save Me," Eminem's pairing with platinum-selling Nashville-native crossover country, pop and rock superstar Jelly Roll. From the "Lose Yourself" vocalist's latest album, "The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace)," the moment that brought the Grammy nominee "to tears" has taken on greater scope.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Country stars shine on political stages