Brad Paisley Hosting Postgame Concert in Little Rock
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – – As the 2015 college football season kicks off, country music superstar Brad Paisley and IMG College will be taking his show to historic Little Rock for a free concert in conjunction with the Arkansas Razorbacks’ football game versus the University of Toledo.
The “Country Nation College Tour presented by Zaxby’s” will be set up outside War Memorial Stadium for a postgame concert on September 12. The comedy band, The Raging Idiots, featuring Bobby Bones and Eddie from iHeartMedia’s national country radio program The Bobby Bones Show, will be the special guest. Additional venue and show details will be announced soon.
Other College Tour dates announced for IMG partner schools are September 6 – Virginia Tech, September 10 – The University of Texas and September 11 – Baylor University. Additional university tour stops will be announced in the coming weeks.
“We are excited about this opportunity to offer our fans an unforgettable weekend in Central Arkansas as we partner one of the most unique tailgating settings in the nation with Razorback Football and country music megastar Brad Paisley,” said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long. “This was the type of big-picture collaboration that we all envisioned when WME and IMG College came together. We continue to look for ways to enhance our game day experience and this weekend of outstanding college football and country music is a winning combination for our fans.”
Paisley is currently poised to hit the radio airwaves with “Country Nation,” the newest single from his chart-topping album, Moonshine in the Trunk. Shipping to country radio on August 31 with an official airplay impact date of September 14, “Country Nation” was written by Paisley and his longtime collaborators Chris DuBois and Kelley Lovelace. A celebration of the blue-collar spirit and America’s passion for sports, the song weaves in a shout-out to 18 college sports mascots.
Paisley’s affection for college football runs deep. He plans to once again serve as a spokesperson for “College Colors Day,” a nationwide celebration of the new college football season, which was created by IMG. He has also appeared as a celebrity guest picker on the ESPN show “College GameDay” at West Virginia University.
IMG College, the multimedia rights and trademark licensing partner of University of Arkansas, is a division of WME | IMG, which also represents Paisley and brokered the college tour deal.
“Music and sports are passions of so many people—Zaxby’s included—and we couldn’t think of a better way to unite the two this fall,” said Zaxby’s CEO and co-founder Zach McLeroy. “We’re even more passionate about the guests and communities we serve, and this sponsorship is a perfect opportunity for us to give back to our fans.”
In addition to the free concert series, McLeroy explained Zaxby’s connection to college sports. “We’ve been involved with college sports for a long time—Zaxby’s was, after all, started in a college town,” he said. “But we’re amping it up this football and basketball season by partnering with 30 Division I colleges throughout our footprint. We’re excited to play a role in something that means so much to so many.”
