It’s been a big weekend in Music City as Billy Strings has been playing sold-out shows at the Bridgestone Arena, while just down the street at the Ryman Auditorium, Zach Top played two sold-out shows of his own. And being in Nashville, you knew that guest collaborations would be a big part of these presentations. Country music is going through a big revitalization of the ’90s country sound, and it’s off the backs of guys like Zach Top, as well as Texas native Jake Worthington with his 2023 self-titled album. But you have to wonder, how do these young men feel about the state of country music themselves? They might revitalize the sound. But would they revitalize the sentiments of Outlaws like Willie & Waylon, or of their ’90s country heroes like George Strait and Alan Jackson, who famously sang the country protest song “Murder on Music Row” written by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell. Well on Friday night (2-28), we got our answer. “Nashville in general has a real good knack for ruining country music,” Zach Top said while introducing Jake Worthington to the stage. And then right there on the stage of the Country Music Mother Church, the two sang their own version of “Murder On Music Row.” It also happened to be a damn fine version of the the song as well, showcasing the stellar voices of the two young men.
Also on Friday, country legend Mark Chesnutt took to Facebook randomly and declared, “After a long long time of thinking that my kind of country music was gone forever, I FINALLY HAVE HOPE! That hope is ZACH TOP! He’s single handedly bringing real country music back. GEORGE JONES would call him the real deal!”Chesnutt said similar things about Jake Worthington at the 2024 Two Step Inn Festival. And if Mark Chesnutt is praising you, you know you’ve earned it. The collaboration some people have been anticipating is Billy Strings and Zach Top taking the stage together once again, especially since Top just released a 3-song EP showcasing Strings. Since Billy and Zach were busy playing their own shows Friday (2-28) and Saturday (3-1) night, there was no opportunity for a collaboration. But on Sunday, Strings is playing his own Ryman show, and Zach Top is off. We’ll have to see if Zach Top shows up for that one.