On Aug. 18, 2022 Maren Morris’s Humble Quest tour rolls into the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre stage with special guest The Lone Bellow.
Morris is a rising star in country music who’s versatile contralto voice and songwriting prowess doesn’t confine her exclusively to the Nashville sound.
Rejected by American Idol, The Voice and America’s Got Talent, Morris moved to Nashville to become a songwriter. Artists like Tim McGraw and, ironically, American Idol star Kelly Clarkson recorded her songs. When she penned “My Church,” she wisely opted to sing it herself. The song, which became her debut single in 2016, became a Top 10 Country hit and earned her a Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance. Later that year, the Country Music Association awarded her Best New Artist. In a cosmic twist of fate, several of Morris’s songs have been covered by contestants on the same reality shows that passed on her. She must be laughing all the way to the bank!
Morris established herself as a country artist with mainstream appeal. Her breakout album Hero reached #1 on Billboard’s Country chart and #5 on the Billboard 200 and her 2019 follow-up record Girl also hit the top of the Country chart. In 2018, she crossed over as the lead vocalist of Zedd and Grey’s mega-hit single “The Middle,” which reached #1 on both the Billboard Adult Contemporary and Dance charts.
In high demand, she’s performed duets with stars like Taylor Swift on “You All Over Me,” and with Dierks Bentley on “I’ll Be the Moon.” Amanda Shires recruited her for the star-studded supergroup The Highwomen along with Brandi Carlile and Natalie Hemby. The group’s song “Crowded Table” won a Grammy in 2021 for Best Country Song.
There’s no glass ceiling or genre limitation for this talented and versatile new star. She’s just released her latest album Humble Quest and its first single “Circles Around This Town” is a terrific country-pop song about her wild musical journey.
The harmonizing Americana trio The Lone Bellow opens the festivities. I missed them last summer when they played the Urban Lounge and I won’t make that mistake again. They just released a soul-soothing album Half Moon Light featuring some great news songs like “Good Times,” “Count On Me” and “Dried Up River.” Those tunes will lift your spirits like a tent-show revival and get you singing along. The new material compliments old favorites like “Gold” and “Green Eyes and a Heart of Gold.” Their cover of “For What It’s Worth” is a hauntingly fresh take on a ‘60s classic.
Morris and The Lone Bellow will be a perfect fit for Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre’s fabulous sound and beautiful, intimate setting.
On a side note: Fellow Highwomen Amanda Shires is playing The Commonwealth Room on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. It’ll be a great opportunity to catch another rising country star.
- Who: Maren Morris with special guest The Lone Bellow
- What: Humble Quest Tour
- Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre
- When: Aug. 18, 2022
- Tickets and info: redbuttegarden.org
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