DEADWOOD, SD. (10/16/23) – Now in its 9th year, the Deadwood Red Dirt Music Festival at Deadwood Mountain Grand has fast become one of the biggest music festivals in the upper mid-west. The event, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, January 12th and 13th will feature Corey Kent and Jackson Dean as headliners along with a roster of some of the best performers in Red Dirt music.
The event produced by Deadwood Mountain Grand, debuted in 2015 with nearly 5,000 fans attending two days of the best in music from the Red Dirt genre. Red Dirt is the color of soil found in Oklahoma and Texas. They are the homes of a music genre that spawned Outlaw Country legends like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson and created a home grown movement of Americana, folk and alt-country sounds. Some define Red Dirt music as “country music with attitude”. Others say it’s a state of mind as much as it is a sound – a sound that successfully closes the gap between rock and country.
Regardless of definition, Red Dirt fans are loyal and have come in droves in previous years to Deadwood Mountain Grand. “We absolutely love this event,” said Susan Kightlinger, General Manager of Deadwood Mountain Grand. “The music is incredible, the fans come to party and the atmosphere is electric. Plus, it’s nice to bring 5,000 people to Deadwood in the middle of January.”
Headlining the festival on Friday night is the wildly popular Corey Kent. With the small-town charm of a boy from Bixby, OK, the big-city energy of Dallas, TX, and vocal prowess that rivals Nashville’s best – Corey Kent has been poised for a career in music from the beginning.
Growing up influenced by various genres and artists, Corey started his journey in music at an early age. Taking the stage at age 11 as the lead singer for a touring Western Swing band, Corey hit early career milestones opening for legendary acts like Roy Clark and The Oak Ridge Boys. A few years later, he would be booking gigs around his hometown of Bixby, OK and by 17 he made his way to Nashville.
In 2020, Corey released his From the West LP which garnered 3.5+ million aggregate streams and set the stage for his next chapter. His song “Gold” and fan favorite “Ain’t My Day” has nearly 15 million streams combined. In December of 2021, Corey released his sophomore album, ’21, to an overwhelmingly positive reception and landed on multiple playlists across the streaming platforms with his single “There’s Always Next Year.” Both albums were released via Combustion Music. On March 4, 2022, Corey released his smash hit single “Wild As Her” and shortly after signed his deal with Sony Music Nashville and their RCA Nashville Imprint.
A road warrior, Corey has been seen out on the road performing over 100 shows a year in 2021 alone. Along with headlining his own shows and playing the top music festivals across the country, Corey has been the supporting act for artists including Parker McCollum, Cody Johnson, Chase Rice, Eli Young, Josh Abbott, Flatland Cavalry, and Kolby Cooper. Corey also has major success writing songs for others including Kolby Cooper, Brandon Jenkins, Clark Green’s #1 hit “Hit You Where It Hurts” and more under his publishing deal with Combustion Music.
Supporting Kent on Friday night is regional favorite Ned LeDoux along with Braxton Keith.
One of the most incredible things about great music is that it has the ability to take the listener to a place they’d rather be. A compelling song can carry someone back in time to a treasured memory, or transport a person to a spectacular western prairie they’ve only visited in their dreams. Ned LeDoux’s music has that kind of power.
As a songwriter, he has a knack for bringing people, places and emotions vibrantly to life with his insightful lyrics, and warm, strong voice that makes him sound like a beloved friend you always want to hang out with. Those gifts are fully on display on LeDoux’s new album Buckskin.
“I’m writing my own story and if people take a liking to it, that’s wonderful,” says LeDoux. “As long as I’m writing from the heart, and writing about what I know, I can definitely listen back to it and be proud.”
On his third full-length album, LeDoux again delivers songs that transcend mere entertainment to celebrate a life that many aspire to, but few actually live. Like his father, LeDoux’s music is as expansive as the western sky he was raised under and celebrates the ranch lifestyle that is such an integral part of his heritage. There’s an authenticity to his songs that brings our nation’s beloved western culture to life, even for listener’s who’ve never ventured onto the Great Plains.
“I’m proud to carry on the tradition and a lot of songs that I write are going to relate with songs that my dad wrote and recorded because I lived the same life,” the young singer/songwriter says. “I was born and raised on a ranch, which my family still owns outside of Kaycee, Wyoming. That was my life and it’s reflected in the songs I write. I just think back to those days working on a ranch and hanging out with my granddad, who taught me how to drive a tractor, work cows and everything that is associated with ranching, but music has always been my dream.”
LeDoux began pursuing that dream at an early age, and even though he grew up in the shadow of his legendary father, he’s successfully carved his own path. “If I can be half the man he was I think I’ll be okay,” he says with an easygoing grin, “but when it comes to songwriting I’ve got to write my own story. I’ve played drums for years and got my first band when I was in junior high. I went on to play drums with my dad from 1998 until he passed away in 2005, and then I started doing solo gigs.”
LeDoux is well respected for his high-energy live shows that mix his western roots with the rock and roll influences he acquired in his youth. He routinely headlines his own shows as well as earning coveted opening slots for Toby Keith, Aaron Watson and Garth Brooks. “We opened for Garth at the 125th anniversary for Cheyenne frontier Days last July which was crazy,” he says. “When people are coming out to our shows and spending their hard-earned money on a ticket, I don’t want to leave them disappointed. We’re going to give you a show and leave you wanting more. I’m always out of breath and soaking wet when we’re done, but it’s so much fun!”
Kicking off the Friday night event is newcomer Braxton Keith. Keith calls San Antonio home, but the 20 something songwriter hasn’t spent much time there in recent years. He leaves town nearly every weekend, driving his band—and his own tour bus toward the next show. “That bus is actually the only vehicle I own,” he says. “I drive it everywhere I go.”
Whether he’s onstage or behind the wheel, Braxton doesn’t just play country music. He lives it. Inspired by the traditional twang of storytellers like Marty Robbins and Merle Haggard, he writes songs that blend modern sounds with the best elements of old-school country. It’s a balance of the contemporary and the classic, glued together by a proud Texas native who’s learned to create autobiographical music about universal experiences. “These are songs about love, heartbreak, and drinking, which are things everybody knows about,” he explains. “I’m not the only person to write songs about those things. But I’m the only person to do it my way.”
Saturday night’s show will be headlined by fast-rising Country singer/songwriter Jackson Dean. He is quickly earning a reputation for his old school, gritty, lyric-driven, outlaw style of Country following a breakout year that landed him on Pandora’s Ten for 2023 (all genre), Spotify’s Hot Country Artists to Watch 2023, the CMT Listen Up class of 2023, CRS New Faces 2023, Amazon Music’s 2023 Breakthrough Artists to Watch: Country Class as well as a slew of other artist to watch lists.
Mature beyond his years, Jackson opted to move out to a cinderblock, concrete floor, one-room shack on the back of his grandfather’s property with no heat and no plumbing at just 18 years old. An adventurous and carefree spirit, the 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist, is also an old soul and skilled artisan whose pastimes include making leather goods, wood-burned art and disappearing into the woods to sleep under the stars.
Bringing that same sense of adventure and down home vibe to his songwriting, the “modern-day Country rambler” (Taste of Country) burst on the scene, showing people how real music can be with his atmospheric, musically-forward debut album Greenbroke (out now via Big Machine Records). The Maryland native’s single, “Don’t Come Lookin’” was the fastest debut to reach No. 1 in 2022 and cemented Jackson as the youngest solo male Country artist to reach the top of the charts with a debut.
Landing spots on the Billboard Hot 100, the soundtrack for Netflix’s The Ice Road and a John Dutton scene in Yellowstone. His sophomore single, “Fearless (The Echo)” is currently climbing the Country radio charts after being Most Added upon impact.
Following an early career of local performances in his hometown, Jackson has joined bills with superstar acts like Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Brantley Gilbert, Kane Brown, Jake Owen, Brooks & Dunn, Lee Brice, HARDY and Brothers Osborne and found himself on the bill for credible events like Austin City Limits and Stagecoach. The young talent just kicked off the Back to the Honky Tonk Tour with Blake Shelton and Carly Pearce and will join dates with Eric Church and Parker McCollum later this year.
Warming up for Jackson is multi-talented rising star Tanner Usery. The Texas-born singer, songwriter, and guitarist pairs straight shooting storytelling with country grit, rock ‘n’ roll energy, and Americana eloquence. As such, he channels a classic spirit from a personal perspective. After piling up tens of millions of streams, packing hundreds of shows, and landing syncs on the likes of Yellowstone, he bares it all on a series of 2023 singles for Atlantic Records and much more to come.
“I let the songs be what they’re going to be, and I pride myself on that,” he notes. “Musically, it ranges from southern rock to country to Americana. When it comes to songwriting, I want to focus on what’s real – I don’t shy away from saying the hard things.”
After catching Wade Bowen and Brandon Rhyder in concert, his destiny crystallized in high school. “I remember saying to myself, ‘That’s what I want to do’,” he recalls. “That’s what led me to picking up a guitar.”
Inspired by everyone from George Strait, Tom Petty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Rolling Stones to his favorite band Whiskey Myers, he wrote countless songs and cut his teeth at gigs anywhere with a stage.
In between holding down a job as a skip tracer, he carefully honed his signature style. Quitting his job in 2019, he unveiled the Medicine Man EP. “Come Back Down” generated 19.1 million Spotify streams followed by “Beautiful Lies” with 18 million Spotify streams. During 2021, he tirelessly gigged in between releasing the SÕL Sessions EP. “The Light” also notably soundtracked the finale of Yellowstone Season 4. Along the way, he cemented himself as an electrifying and energetic live presence with over 180 shows in 2022.
“When we’re on stage, our goal is to have the audience clinging to the edge of their seats,” he shares. “I get to play with a bunch of badasses, and I don’t take it for granted. We pounded the pavement and put at least 100K miles on the van in a year-and-a-half.”
Kicking off the Saturday night show will be Clayton Mullen. While still a senior at Texas Christian University, 22-year-old Clayton Mullen spends weekdays in the “classroom” and weekends cutting his teeth in Texas bars.
Clayton was raised with little ties to the music world. It wasn’t until college that he learned his first barre chord or even wrote his first song. His music career was able to jump-start due to opportunities raised by local artists such as the Josh Abbott Band, Corey Kent, Randall King, Carson Jeffrey, and Jacob Stelly.
In his first year, Clayton released 8 songs, including fan favorite “South of Forever”, which has topped 1 million on-demand streams. He is keeping his fans on their toes as he gets ready to launch a whole new set of songs in 2023.
Tickets for the Deadwood Red Dirt Music Festival go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, October 20th. They will be available at The Spotlight Box Office at Deadwood Mountain Grand – or at ticketmaster.com. Both hotel reservations and ticket arrangements may be made by calling 877-907-GRAND.
For more information, visit www.deadwoodmountaingrand.com or call 605-559-1188. To open your free Grand Rewards Center membership and enjoy the benefits of purchasing advance tickets ahead of the general public, bring a photo ID to the Grand Rewards Center counter, located in the Deadwood Mountain Grand Resort Casino.
Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel, a Holiday Inn Resort is the restored 1906 Homestake Mining Co. ore processing plant that overlooks Historic Deadwood, which features a 98-room luxury hotel, full service restaurants, 210 state-of-the-art casino games, high stakes gaming action including Dale’s Sportsbook Bar & Grill, a 3,000 person entertainment and event center and a multi-level parking garage.
