Chase Rice ‘Way Down Yonder’ in Tucson

From linebacker at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to contestant on CBS’ Survivor, Chase Rice has finally found his form in Nashville. The Florida-born, North Carolina-raised country music star will perform a Military Appreciation Concert on Saturday, March 4, on the Omni Tucson National Resort’s Practice Range, following the second round of the PGA Tour Champions Cologuard Classic golf tournament, an appreciation that has special meaning for him.

“It’s an honor to perform for them and to give back whenever, however we can,” Rice said. “Both of my grandfathers served and I’m really close with a lot of veterans.”

With more than 2.3 million albums sold and over 2.4 billion total digital streams, a legion of passionate fans at his concerts across the globe has helped Chase Rice establish himself as a powerful force in Nashville and beyond, and his newest album perfectly sums up how he wants people to see him.

Rice’s newest album “I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell,” crafted in his rural Tennessee home-turned-studio released February 10, and his sound continues to evolve to reflect the realities of his life, as evidenced by recent releases “Way Down Yonder” and “Key West & Colorado.”

The new music serves as a follow up to his three-part project “The Album,” featuring his latest platinum-certified number one hit, “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen. (feat. Florida Georgia Line)” and platinum-certified Top 10 hit “Lonely If You Are.”

The new music builds upon the success of his sophomore album, Lambs & Lions, which featured the ever-popular chart topper “Eyes on You” – Rice’s first No. 1 as an artist and the most-streamed song of his career.

But Rice knows what you’re thinking: I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell, that sounds really harsh for a genre known for its simple-living, beer-drinking, good ol’ boy genre.

“’I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell’ is an aggressive album title, I get it,” Rice said. “But at the end of the day the songs make it clear that neither of those things are true – and cowboys and dogs are actually two major themes on this record.”

Never fear, the name of the tour “Way Down Yonder”—a song off the album—offers some backwoods solace and shows a new sound that some people might not be expect from the 37-year-old singer.

“It’s a heater of a moonshining song, and then we went Western with the music video which was a blast,” Rice said. “That unexpected energy is what we’re bringing on the road this year, so it felt like the perfect tour name.”

Backwoods represents exactly where Rice comes from as an avid outdoorsman who loves to hunt and fish, or just spend it on his farm.

“I try to get out west to Montana for a trip with my brother every year, and I love fishing the Harpeth River when I’m home in Tennessee,” Rice said.

Like many in the past couple years, Rice said spending time at home has meant learned how to unwind and create a community outside of music.

Some of that came from that Rice attending a retreat with the organization Operation Restored Warrior, a Colorado nonprofit that works to seeks to eliminate suicides among veterans, taking it from 22 per day to 0.

“Some of my best friends who I know I’ll be close with for the rest of my life came out of that experience,” Rice said.

After 10 years of chasing the dream, Rice said this new music is the best he’s ever released and excited to bring this new album to the fans.

While the returning fans can look forward to the hits, Rice said he’s “passionate and excited” play as much off his newest record as possible every night and exude that on stage.

“I hope they see a man who has found exactly who he wants to be as an artist and the kind of music he wants to make,” Rice said.

Chase Rice: Military Appreciation Concert sponsored by DM50

WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday, March 4

WHERE: Omni Tucson National Resort’s Practice Range, 2727 W. Club Drive, Tucson

COST: Tickets start at $59

INFO: cologuardclassic.com

This article appears in Feb 23 – Mar 1, 2023.