Monday, April 10, 2023

Michael Ray Dive Bars

 

MICHAEL RAY ROAD TESTS UPCOMING NEW MUSIC
Takes Dive Bars & Broken Hearts Out To The Fans

“I learned what songs were, how to play and laugh and live in the bars...
“So let’s take the music to the people!”
Michael Ray | Credit Connor Morss
Anywhere There’s A Dive Bar – Eustis, FL country singer Michael Ray grew up in the Sunshine State’s many dive bars, juke joints, honky tonks and the storied Sunshine Opry. For him, country music was the thing where people drinking after a long day, a tough break-up, a big win or just the need to get out of the house found their music mingled with neon, cigarette smoke, cold beer and enough heartache and high octane to siphon off whatever might be on your heart.
 
Coming from a family of working-class folks who know the meaning of “40 and OT,” there’s no faking how Ray gets his country on. After spending a few years as a teenager going to school, playing bars and splitting cable, he decided to chase a crazy dream to Nashville. The result was four No. 1s, including his most recent platinum, two-week chart-topper “Whiskey And Rain,” as well as a reputation as one of those artists who can hold down any stage, anywhere.
 
“There’s nowhere I’m more alive than playing to a roomful of people,” Ray explains. “To me, that’s where country music comes to life. I love being in the studio, putting a song into just the right instruments and frame. But if you want to really understand how a song works, go play it somewhere big enough to get loud, but small enough to feel the people.”
 
Having teamed with fellow force of Southern rock meets country Macon, Georgia’s Michael Knox, the pair have been bulking up Ray’s beer joint roots and streamlining his classic country song sense for what is becoming one of the most anticipated pieces of new music this spring Dives Bars & Broken Hearts. Culled from the way life puts you in places you never knew you were going to go, the six song EP creates a sense of how it feels to be a man, hold your own space and make your own way.
 
“When the songs are this strong, you know you’ve got something,” says the dark-headed musician with a laugh. “And when you were practically born playing this kind of music with your family, literally grew up in the bars and little roadside theaters, you can’t help yourself. It’s like a fast car, you wanna take it out and see how it handles. You know, playing new music in these kinds of places ain’t for the faint of heart; but when you’re not afraid, you bring songs this good, it’s amazing what happens.”
 
Under the radar, beyond the city limits, Ray has been playing several songs that are part of Dive Bars & Broken Hearts for the last few months. Currently dropping anywhere from three-to-five new songs into his set, he’s been amazed by the fan response to showcasing what has always been the sound in his mind.
 
Having enlisted the man behind 28 No. 1s, 50 million singles and 25 million albums sold, Ray drew on the best of what Knox brought out in 3x Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year Jason Aldean, Hank Williams, Jr., Montgomery Gentry and Thomas Rhett. Knox understands the potency of making music for people who work hard, who hit the bars and forget what’s bothering them with straight up country on the jukebox or the bandstand.
 
“When you came up punching it out in bars, there’s a different kind of energy. Michael let me record with live players, sing about things I knew – and trusted that who I am is who all the people I’ve been playing for since I was a kid are, too. We kept finding songs that felt right for who I am, and we kept singing live and pulling the heart out of the songs. It’s been an amazing process. When we’ve been playing, you can feel the difference with the new stuff... so we’re now using the road to really dial in what Dive Bars & Broken Hearts is gonna be.”
 
Michael Ray 2023 Tour Dates

April 13           Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial                   Athens, OH
                         Auditorium    
April 14           Del Lago Resort & Casino – The Vine                      Waterloo, NY
April 16           Moo & Brew Festival                                                 Charlotte, NC
April 20           Cherokee Hotel & Casino West Siloam Springs        West Siloam Springs, OK
April 21           Haute Spot                                                                  Cedar Park, TX
April 22           The JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa                               Sonora, TX
April 25           Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center                      Huntsville, AL
April 26           Temecula Stampede                                                   Temecula, CA
April 27           Stoney’s Rockin Country                                           Las Vegas, NV
April 28           Clovis Rodeo                                                             Clovis, CA
April 30           Rolling Hills Casino & Resort*                                  Corning, CA
May 6              Key West Songwriters Festival                                  Key West, FL
May 19            Grizzly Rose                                                               Denver, CO
May 20            365 Sports Complex                                                   Inman, KS
May 26            Waterside Music Series*                                            Solomons, MD
June 1              Moonshine Beach                                                       San Diego, CA
June 3              San Bernadino County Fairgrounds                           Victorville, CA
June 4              Morongo Casino Resort and Spa                                Cabazon, CA
June 15            Barefoot Country Music Fest                                     Wildwood, NJ
June 17            B-93.7 Birthday Bash                                                 Comstock Park, MI
June 23            WYRK Toyota Taste of Country                               Buffalo, NY
June 24            Catskill Point                                                              Greendale, NY
June 30            Lazy Gators                                                                Lake Ozark, MO
July 1              Baldwin Golf Course                                                  Baldwin City, KS
July 15            Willow Tree Vineyard – Summer Sounds                 Ham Lake, MN
Aug. 9             Greene County Fair                                                    Waynesburg, PA
Aug. 26           Country In The Burg                                                  Cedarburg, WI
 
*with Dustin Lynch
 
About Michael Ray
Forged on the small stages of Florida’s rural communities, Michael Ray has created  an impressive foundation. Four No. 1 songs – RIAA Platinum-certified “Think a Little Less,” RIAA Platinum-certified “Whiskey And Rain,” RIAA Gold-certified “Kiss You in the Morning,” RIAA Gold-certified “One That Got Away” -- with over 1 billion global streams, over 650,000 album equivalents, and over 150 million YouTube views, he is a true country star who’s performed at the Grand Ole Opry more than 65 times. Looking to expand his sound, Ray sought out CMA Album of the Year Award-winning producer Michael Knox. The pair have taken his brand of country to a new level for Dive Bars & Broken Hearts, Ray’s six song EP arriving June 23 via Warner Music Nashville. Currently on the road headlining shows through the summer, he’s taking his music where it matters: to the people. For more information, visit 
MichaelRayMusic.com or follow him on Instagram and Twitter @MichaelRayMusic and
Facebook.com/MusicMichaelRay.