Hard Rock Casino Kicks Off Free Country Music Fridays on April 1

Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana will kick off its brand-new weekly music series, Country Music Fridays, on the Hard Rock Café Stage beginning Friday, April 1, 2022. The robust lineup of country artists will include performers who are considered to be some of the most talked about rising stars in country music today. Admission to Country Music Fridays is free and open to the public every Friday evening on a first come, first serve basis and starts at 9pm.

The list includes artists such as Tyler Reese Tritt (April 15), who has opened for Sheryl Crow, Travis Tritt and Runaway June; the Josh Abbott Band (May 6), a big name in country music today with over 1.6 million monthly Spotify listeners; country music singer/songwriter Hannah Ellis (May 20), who appeared on Season 8 of NBC’s “The Voice” and was named to Rolling Stone’s “Artists to Watch” list; Jo Dee Messina (June 17), whose breakout song “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” made her a household name; and Brandy Clark (June 24), eight-time Grammy nominee and a CMA Award-winning singer-songwriter and musician.

According to Joe Branchik, vice president of marketing for Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, “There is a lot of love for country music in our area and we want to create a destination where people can count on seeing popular country artists on our stage week after week.”

Kicking the series off on Friday, April 1 is Matt Stell, a powerful artist and Platinum award-winning singer who recently released his new EP “Better Than That”. His debut single, “Prayed For You” reached number one on the Billboard US Country Airplay chart and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2019.

Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana is located at 5400 West 29th Ave. in Gary, IN, directly adjacent to the I-80/94 Burr Street Interchange. For more information, call 219-228-2383 or visit www.hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com.

Here is the complete lineup for April through June.

Country Music Fridays

Every Friday at 9 p.m. on the Hard Rock Cafe Stage

April 1 Matt Stell

The country music industry has long been filled with its share of characters. From Willie to Hank and Dolly to Waylon, every legend starts out as just another artist that doesn’t fit easily into some predetermined box. And as hard as country music may try to fit Matt Stell into one of those tried-and-true boxes, it’s darn near impossible. Heck, he’s 6’7. But more so than the massive physique that helped Stell become a collegiate basketball standout, the Platinum certified singer has proven via the songs he sings and the shows he puts on that he is far too powerful of an artist to ever fit into some sort of singular category as referenced in the title of his recently released EP “Better than That”.

April 8 Made in America: A Tribute to Toby Keith

We are America's most authentic tribute to the BIG DOG DADDY himself, Mr. Toby Keith. Our eleven-piece band recreates the energy, look, and feel of a Toby Keith concert. We perform 50+ shows annually throughout the United States. Chicago music scene veteran Paul Wenzel portrays Toby and has been honored to receive the award for Best Country Music Performer at the Chicago Music Awards. Paul is hailed as America's most convincing Toby Keith tribute artist by members of Toby Keith's Easy Money band! Made In America also features a horn section that has toured with the likes of The Ides of March and Ray Charles to name a few. The show is always dedicated to America's veterans and first responders!

April 15 Tyler Reese Tritt

A true entertainer at heart, Tyler Reese Tritt has always imagined herself growing up to sing professionally. She first got that chance in 2012 recording the classic Don Henley and Patty Smyth duet, “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough,” with her father, Travis Tritt, at 14-years-old. Since that pivotal moment, Tyler has played for thousands at venues and festivals across the country while opening for a variety of acts, such as Sheryl Crow, Travis Tritt, and Runaway June and played her own first sold out show at The Roasting Room in Bluffton, SC. She also released her debut single, “Perfect,” a song about young romance, in 2017. Tyler has been shaped by several musical influences – from the likes of strong female artists such as Miranda Lambert and Martina McBride to well-known entertainers such as Sugarland. Although these influences have affected her musical taste, preferences, and the new songs on her upcoming EP, Tyler aspires to stand out and make her own mark as a distinctive female voice in the country music genre.

April 22 Hillbilly Rockstarz

The musicians in Hillbilly Rockstarz grew up with the love of country and rock n' roll music. Each member brings a unique musical aesthetic to the band and over the years they have grown comfortable with mixing it up! Adding genres and mashing up influences from Pop, Rock, and Dance combined with our high-energy live music keeps our fans dancing all night long. Country music is the band's first love, however as music lovers and people pleasers they will surprise you with something for everybody!

April 29 Maddie Walker

Maddie Walker is an up-and-coming country music singer-songwriter hailing from Ankeny, Iowa. Her sound can be described as a wildly spacious evolution of country western with a blend of rock & soul influences. In 2015, at an early age of 17, Walker became a finalist on American Idol. Shortly after the show, she left the cornfields of her family's farm to pursue her music career in Nashville where she spent several years finding her artistic identity. Her storytelling is unfiltered and taps into the darker side of relationships. In 2018, she joined Hard 8 Working Group management (known for discovering and developing acts such as Morgan Wallen, Billie Eilish, Tate McRae, Brantley Gilbert & more) and is recording her first EP coming later this year.

May 6 Josh Abbott Band

“My rearview don’t hold grudges or regrets,” Josh Abbott Band croons on “The Highway Kind,” the reflective title tract off their sixth studio album. The follow-up to 2017’s string and horn-infused Until My Voice Goes Out, the uplifting 10-track project finds lead singer Josh Abbott embracing life as a loving husband and doting father of two after 12 years as a road warrior and frontman of his country band. Recorded at Sonic Ranch in El Paso, The Highway Kind saw the Texas act team up with producer Marshall Altman (Marc Broussard, Frankie Ballard, Aaron Watson) for what Abbott dubs “the first real, true band album experience” that the seven-piece has recorded. The band hunkered down at the famed Texas studio for two weeks in mid-2019 where their musicianship evolved as they worked closely with Altman.

May 13 Walker County

From The Judds to The Chicks and the Carter Family itself, country music’s history is steeped in and rife with family duos, bands and groups. Warner Music Nashville sister duo Walker County adds to that ‘family tradition’ with blood-thick harmonies and solid musicianship. Born and raised in rural Sulphur Springs, Indiana, sisters Ivy Dene (lead vocals) and Sophie Dawn (percussion and harmony) have been performing almost as long as they can remember. Sophie’s hard-driving rhythms and Ivy’s strutting, soulful vocals create a unique blend of country music that was inspired by the sounds of middle America they grew up on. And now, having spent years honing their skills, Walker County is ready to carry on the heritage of country music with their modern-traditional blend. The 2020 CMT Listen Up and Next Women of Country artists introduced themselves with fan favorites such as “Drag It Out,” “Someone’s Someone” and “Bits & Pieces.” Earlier this year, they showcased their sound and true-to-themselves style on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Now Walker County is doing everything they can to trick their own hearts in the clever, rock-tinted country waltz “Liar.”

May 20 Hannah Ellis

Curb Records recording artist and Country music singer/songwriter Hannah Ellis has more personality and energy than most of the people you know combined. The Campbellsville, KY-native – whose “Us” is currently at Country Radio – boasts a resume most would have a hard time envisioning, let alone accomplishing. The ever-increasing list of proof includes: graduating from the University of Kentucky on a full-ride academic scholarship in less than 4 years, competing during Season 8 of The Voice on NBC, being named to Rolling Stone’s “Artists To Watch” list, touring as part of CMT’s “Next Women of Country,” singing The National Anthem at a University of Kentucky basketball game, and being invited back by her college alma mater to be featured in a national television advertising campaign about pursuing and achieving your dreams. The fresh-faced songwriter has written songs recorded by artists, and been featured as a vocalist on songs, spanning multiple genres, including Russell Dickerson, Carly Pearce, for KING & COUNTRY, Emily Weisband, Cassadee Pope, Filmore, and Sidewalk Prophets. The magnetic artist, who made her Grand Ole Opry debut in September 2021, has toured with Gavin DeGraw, Dwight Yoakam, Devin Dawson, and many others.

May 27 South City Revival

South City Revival is a workingman’s band from Chicago, IL. Forged in the city of frigid winters and ferocious wind, the band continues to expand on their vision of Midwest Americana with, "Where There's Smoke, There's Fire". The new album, the band's first full-length effort, is at its core an exploration of country and roots-rock music. Drawing on the energy and storytelling from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Brooks & Dunn, Tom Petty, and Steve Earle, listeners are immersed in a landscape filled with abandoned steel mills, sticky bar floors and rusted out Chevys.

June 3 Jillian Jacqueline

Jillian Jacqueline’s career is the antithesis of an overnight success, but her achievements have been abundant. From co-starring in a Broadway show with Kenny Rogers at age 9 and touring the US with him for 5 years, to forming a group with her three sisters at age 10 and playing New York City clubs as a family band, to then reaching the top 50 on Billboard charts with a trio song with Billy Dean and Suzy Bogguss at age 13, Jacqueline had her fair share of experience in the music business before she even entered high school. After moving to Nashville shortly after graduating college in Philadelphia, she was introduced to pop legend Richard Marx who produced a 5 song EP for Jacqueline. During that time, she collaborated with Vince Gill on her original song “Overdue” and co-penned Vince’s latest single “Take Me Down” (off his 2016 album Down To My Last Habit) which featured Little Big Town. After signing a publishing deal with Downtown Publishing in 2014, Jacqueline released an EP of songs which garnered her critical attention as a singer/songwriter in Nashville, eventually leading her to inking a deal with Big Loud Records in the fall of 2016.Since then she’s released her first collection of songs as a signed artist, titled Side A, reached the Spotify US Top 50 Viral charts and garnered over 20 million streams, opened for artists as diverse as Billy Currington, Dwight Yoakam, Ryan Adams and Thomas Rhett, and is about to embark on a spring tour with Brett Eldredge. She won the ASCAP Abe Olman Scholarship in 2015, was named one of Rolling Stones Country Artists to Watch, is a VEVO DSCVR artist of 2018, made her late-night television debut on Seth Meyers in January, was recently nominated as AIMP Rising Artist/Writer of the Year, and was featured in the March issue of Billboard as their monthly Chart breaker immediately following her first radio single “Reasons” being #2 most added in the country. Her first full length album is in the works with her longtime collaborator and producer Tofer Brown.

June 10 Brass Buckle Band

Taking this genre to an entire new level, Brass Buckle Band is Chicagoland’s premier country-rock band! Young, highly energetic and very talented, this group of musicians with years of musical experience put this band at the top of their league! Inspired and compared to the likes of major touring acts such as Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Toby Keith and many others, they come to do one thing......get you off your seat to rock the night away! Brass Buckle Band is not just any live concert; it is a live musical experience! Get ready for an explosive event that will keep you coming back shouting for more!

June 17 Jo Dee Messina

Jo Dee Messina is a seasoned veteran in the music industry, always evolving and reintroducing herself and her sound as she gains new experiences in life. Jumpstarting her career, Jo Dee’s breakout song, “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” made her a household name. Following the success of her debut, Jo Dee posted nine No. 1 hits, sixteen Top 40 songs, sold over five million albums worldwide, and was honored by the ACM Awards, CMA Awards, and GRAMMY Awards. As Jo Dee’s résumé grew, she proved to be a trendsetter and history-maker, becoming the first female in country music history to celebrate three consecutive multi-week, chart-topping songs.

June 24 Brandy Clark

An eight-time Grammy nominee and a CMA Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician, Brandy Clark is in the midst of a breakthrough year following the release of her Grammy-nominated album, Your Life is a Record. The album was created after the dissolution of a long-term relationship and features Clark’s most personal songwriting to date. The record landed on several “Best of 2020” lists including NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Variety and Slate. Clark also released a special deluxe edition of Your Life is a Record this past March in honor of the album’s one-year anniversary, which features six new songs including collaborations with Brandi Carlile and Lindsey Buckingham. She also recently wrote “A Beautiful Noise,” a new duet performed by Carlile and Alicia Keys, along with an all-female team of musicians. Continuing her triumphant year, Clark was nominated for two awards at the 63rd GRAMMY Awards—Best Country Album (Your Life is a Record) and Best Country Solo Performance (“Who You Thought I Was”)—as well as Outstanding Music Artist at the 2021 GLAAD Media Awards. In addition to her work as a solo artist, Clark is one of her generation’s most respected and celebrated songwriters and musicians, having written songs for several acclaimed artists including Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban and many others.

About Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana:

Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana’s $300 Million casino and entertainment destination opened to the public on May 14, 2021. Hard Rock’s premier 200,000-square foot entertainment complex features over 1600 slots and 80 table games totaling more than 2,100 gaming positions. In addition to the new Hard Rock Live performance venue, Hard Rock Casino’s five dining options include Hard Rock Café, Council Oak Steaks and Seafood, YOUYU Noodle Bar, Fresh Harvest and Constant Grind Coffee Shop and also features a retail shop. For more information, contact https://www.hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com.