Call it a country music trifecta — three of the genre’s most compelling artists will visit Vermont over the course of three straight days when Gabby Barrett, Morgan Wade and Jake Owen play the Green Mountain State on Aug. 17, 18 and 19, respectively.
Here’s a closer look at the trio of noteworthy artists:
Aug. 17: Gabby BarrettPennsylvania native Gabby Barrett is a force to be reckoned with.
At age 23, the powerhouse vocalist — a Top 3 finalist on ABC’s “American Idol” — has already had chart-topping hits like “I Wish” and “The Good Ones” from her multi-platinum selling 2020 debut album, “Goldmine.”
“Glory Days,” a new single from a forthcoming sophomore album, was released in June and features her husband, former “Idol” contestant Cade Foehner and two young children in the music video for the song.
The tune is the first track from Barrett’s album, which she recently told Entertainment Tonight was “almost finished” and will possibly be released in “early fall.”
“I did not want to come out with another midtempo or ballad,” Barrett told Billboard about “Glory Days.” “It’s summer, so I really was eager to release something that was up-tempo and fun and make people smile.”
Gabby Barrett performs at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17 at Vermont State Fairgrounds, 175 South Main St., Rutland (in partnership with the Paramount Theatre). Tickets are $40-$50; call 802-775-0908 or go to www.paramountvt.org online.
Aug. 18: Morgan WadeOne of country music’s most compelling and fastest rising new artists, Morgan Wade headlines the Higher Ground Ballroom in advance of her highly anticipated sophomore album, “Psychopath,” scheduled for release Aug. 25 on Sony Music Nashville.
The album is a follow-up to Wade’s stellar debut album, 2021’s “Reckless,” which garnered widespread acclaim and was named the best country music album of the year by Rolling Stone.
On “Psychopath,” the Virginia native, 28, reunites with Sadler Vaden, who plays guitar in Jason Isbell’s band, The 400 Unit. Vaden, who produced “Psychopath,” coproduced “Reckless” after hearing an earlier album that Wade made in 2018 with musicians she recruited through Craigslist.
The poignant “Psychopath” title track, released in May, is a one-take rumination on obsession while second single, “80s Movie,” serves up a light and breezy ride that’s rich with nostalgic references to the feel-good movies of the decade.
Other highlights of the 13-track record include the anthemic “Losers Like Me,” the steady-driving rocker “Alanis” — an ode to Alanis Morisette, one of Wade’s musical heroes — and the soaring centerpiece song, “Phantom Feelings.”
“I’m proud because I feel like it showcases where I’m at currently,” says Wade of her new album in press materials. “I have no choice but to be authentic, and I have to feel what I feel. And right now, I’m really feeling the music.”
Morgan Wade and opener Nate Frederick and The Wholesome Boys perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18 at Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington. Tickets are $25 in advance, $29 day of show (all ages); call 888-512-7469 or go to
www.highergroundmusic.com online.
Aug. 19: Jake Owen
Known for such fan-favorite classics as “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” and “Beachin’,” Jake Owen “has maintained a strong balance of ballads of heartbreak and pain, as well as some of the most energetic party songs of the past decade,” said Billboard in 2017.
The Florida native, 41, brings his feel-good, singalong friendly songs in support of his seventh studio album, “Loose Cannon,” released in June on Big Loud Records.
Owen’s first album since 2019’s “Greetings From … Jake,” the 16-track record serves up a sunny summer soundtrack that’s buoyed by a classic country sound and compelling songs by an impressive assortment of top-tier Nashville songwriters.
Opener “Hot Truck Beer” is a catchy summertime anthem that finds Owen — who quit drinking a few years ago — reflecting on his days of “smoking something from the center console” and “drinking too early by a couple years.”
Other highlights include the breezy “Go Getter,” the infectious “Solo Solo,” the upbeat “Nothing” and the poignant “Somewhere South with Rum.”
And the pretty title track closer is a love song to his fiancée, an “anchor” to Owen’s “reckless abandon.”
“I’m just this kind of guy that flies by the seat of my pants,” Owen told Country Now. “I’m never really steady (and) I’m kind of restless.”
But Owen says his two young daughters and his fiancée are “kind of like my rock in my life, and I feel like it was the perfect way to title what this album’s all about, which is kind of how I feel and how my life is going.”
Jake Owen performs at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, at Vermont State Fairgrounds, 175 South Main St., Rutland (in partnership with the Paramount Theatre). Tickets are $45-$55; go online to www.paramountvt.org or call 802-775-0908.
