On Friday, June 9th to kick off CMA Fest, Lainey Wilson and Tractor Supply co-hosted “Lainey Wilson’s Bell Bottom Barn Dance presented by Tractor Supply”. The invite only event for Lainey’s fan club, Fast Lainers, took place at the Bell Tower in downtown Nashville and featured performances by Lainey and Tractor Supply’s five recipients of the “Emerging Artists Program” curated by Lainey and in partnership with Ashley McBryde, Dustin Lynch, Lauren Alaina, and Kat & Alex, along with Opry Entertainment Group. Lainey invited all five artists on stage for the final chorus of “Heart Like a Truck.”
Emerging Artists:
- Hailey Verhaalen from Oregon City, OR (Currently resides in Nashville, TN) – Ashley McBryde’s mentee
- Drew Hale from El Paso, TX (Currently resides in Kingsley, MI) – Lainey Wilson’s mentee
- Tae Lewis from Goldsboro, NC (Currently resides in Nashville, TN) – Lauren Alaina’s mentee
- Cosette Smith from Gilbert, AZ (Currently resides in Cypress, CA) – Kat & Alex’s mentee
- Austin McNeill from Salisbury, NC (Currently resides in Charlotte, NC) – Dustin Lynch’s mentee
The event celebrated Lainey’s partnership with Tractor Supply and hosted Tractor Supply team members along with some of her devoted fan club members. Fans enjoyed photo moments at the Tractor Supply “General Store” and porch swing, got to customize Lainey inspired hats by Standard Hat Works, and take home exclusive Lainey Wilson and Tractor Supply merch. The exclusive experience paid homage to Tractor Supply’s roots and marked one of the first public performances from the top five Emerging Artists. From the moment fans entered, they were transported to Life Out Here, the place where everyone is welcome, good American values are celebrated and country music is the soundtrack to our lives.
Nearly 900 emerging artists submitted their original song inspired by the Out Here lifestyle. The five Emerging Artists selected by Tractor Supply and the mentor artists have each been paired with one of the five established mentors for the journey of a lifetime. These five Emerging Artists got to travel to Nashville, Tennessee during CMA Fest week to collaborate with their mentors, record their songs at a premier studio, meet with industry executives and open for Wilson at Barn Dance. The Emerging Artists also earned a spot on “Ole Red on the Rise Presented by Tractor Supply,” an Opry Entertainment Group artist discovery series hosted on June 7 at Ole Red Nashville. Finally, each artist will have the opportunity to perform alongside Wilson on the Grand Ole Opry stage and appear in an upcoming Circle Network 30-minute special set to premiere this fall. Follow along on Tractor Supply’s Facebook, Instagram and TikTok channels and visit tractorsupply.com/emergingartists for new announcements about the Emerging Artists Program.
Photo by: Roxy Moure
