Mark your calendars and save the dates for a full lineup of national recording artists (country and rock) coming to The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon in Fort Myers.
The Sam Galloway Ford Concert Series presents Frank Foster on Feb. 21, Clay Walker on Feb. 29, Matt Stell on March 6, Colt Ford and Koe Wetzel on March 13, Joe Nichols on March 14, Craig Morgan on March 20, Easton Corbin on March 27, Allie Colleen on April 11, Tony Jackson on April 25, Aaron Watson on May 2 and Joe Diffie on May 16.
Other upcoming concerts: Jamey Johnson will perform Feb. 6 at The Ranch. Ryan Upchurch is scheduled for Feb. 8. Los Traileros is scheduled to perform Feb. 15. Candlebox will rock the stage Feb. 26, and Collie Buddz is set for March 19.
Acting as his own record label, management, booking agency and publishing company, Frank Foster has managed to find success that some major label artists may never find. This rural Louisiana native and former oil field man has taken his songs from the campfire to the coliseum seemingly overnight, all the while gaining a following of fans whose loyalty is unmatched. His musical journey started in 2011 with the release of his first album Rowdy Reputation. To follow that up, in the late summer of 2012, he released his second album, Red Wings and Six Strings. Each and every song from both of those albums have become nightly sing-alongs at his shows. Foster’s next 5 albums all debuted on the Billboard country charts.
Certain artists just seem to have an innate sense of what it takes to please an audience. Clay Walker is one of those artists. Whether on stage or in the recording studio, Walker never gives less than a hundred percent, and it’s that kind of dedicated work ethic combined with God-given talent that have made him one of the most successful country acts of the past decade. He first topped the Billboard country singles chart in 1993 with “What’s It to You” and followed with his second consecutive No. 1 hit, “Live Until I Die.” Since then he’s placed 31 titles on Billboard’s singles chart including such additional chart toppers as “Dreaming with my Eyes Open,” “If I Could Make Living,” “This Woman and This Man” and “Rumor Has It.”
While his singing on such hits as the multi-week Number One “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” “International Harvester,” “Bonfire,” “This Ole Boy” and “Wake Up Lovin’ You” was exemplary, Craig Morgan has somehow found a new level and vocal range in the studio. On his forthcoming LP, his third with label home Black River Entertainment, he’s making the most relevant, authentic and moving music of his career. It’s a point that “When I’m Gone” drives home, as Morgan sings about living life with no regrets.
Emerging from Seattle’s burgeoning mid-1990s grunge scene, Candlebox quickly found mainstream success with their deep, lyrically-driven melodies and big radio hooks. Power anthems like “Far Behind” and “You,” from their debut, self-titled album exploded onto the charts propelling the album to sell more than four million copies worldwide.Later albums would showcase their versatility between emotionally-charged, brooding ballads like “Cover Me” and groove-infused, straight-up rock n’ roll tunes including “Change” and “Arrow.”
The 2016 release of Disappearing In Airports found Candlebox revealing a more classic rock vibe with songs like “Vexatious” and “Supernova” driving the album to debut at #9 on the Billboard Charts. In 2019 the band toured, both domestically and internationally, to support their 25th Anniversary, and the group has announced plans to start writing and recording new music in the new year.
The Sam Galloway Concert Series was started in the fall of 2014 to help bring awareness to Community Cooperative (The Soup Kitchen) and the good work they do in the community. The concert series features rock and country artists on a regular basis at the venue. Portions of the profits of each concert go to help
Community Cooperative feed the community. For every pound of food donated, Sam Galloway Ford donates $1 to Community Cooperative. Concert goers are also encouraged to bring canned food items to the concerts at The Ranch.
For tickets & details, visit www.theranchfortmyers.com. The Ranch can be reached at 239-985-9839. For most concerts, the doors open at 7 p.m. at The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd. in Fort Myers.
