蜜柚直播

鈥淲e鈥檝e had a strange, strange career path because I鈥檝e built my career as a headliner, which is not that typical,鈥� he said in early May during a phone call from his 70-acre Nashville ranch. 鈥淣ormally you go out and open for people and then headline, but we鈥檝e built it ... from the ground up.鈥�

After building a loyal following based on a high-octane live show 鈥� first in small clubs in his native North Carolina before 100 or so people, then in larger clubs with a couple thousand 鈥� Rice went to Chapter 1 of Country Star 101 and put in time as an opener the last couple years. He was on the stadium and arena tours for superstars Kenny Chesney and Dierks Bentley.

He learned a lot, the 29-year-old former University of North Carolina linebacker said.

鈥�(But) believe it or not I got to learn from a guy like Kenny Chesney from the seats before I got to learn from side stage hanging out with him,鈥� he said, explaining that he watched the way Chesney interacted with fans and connected them through his music. 鈥淚 was inspired by guys like Kenny Chesney and Garth Brooks. Those were literally my inspiration and idols growing up in music.鈥�

This summer Rice is returning to headlining on a tour that takes him all over the country through mid-September. We get him Thursday, June 2, at the Rialto Theatre.

鈥淚鈥檓 getting back to my roots and getting back to doing these headlining shows. They are a lot more fun for me than opening,鈥� said Rice, who released his debut indie album in 2010, the same year that he finished second in the CBS reality show 鈥淪urvivor: Nicaragua.鈥�

Rice, who was sidelined from a possible NFL career after suffering an ankle injury, got a major career boost in 2012 when 鈥淐ruise,鈥� a song he co-wrote with Florida Georgia Line鈥檚 Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard, became a monster hit.

He followed up in 2014 with his major label debut, 鈥淚gnite the Night,鈥� which spun off two charted singles: 鈥淩eady Set Roll,鈥� which went to No. 5, and 鈥淕onna Wanna Tonight,鈥� which made it to No. 10.

He鈥檚 been working on the follow-up album, which Rice said is taking a bit longer than he hoped. In February, he released the single 鈥淲hisper,鈥� which he said won鈥檛 be on the album.

鈥淲e just put it out because we wanted to put a new song out,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 been pretty cool seeing the reaction to that song knowing that it is probably not going to be an album song. People are singing it like it鈥檚 a No. 1 song and that鈥檚 a huge honor for me.鈥�

What can we expect from him Thursday night, in his first-ever 蜜柚直播 concert?

鈥淚 love my shows to be high energy, I love my shows to be real,鈥� Rice said. 鈥淎nd when I say real, I think people mistake that a lot of times for 鈥極h, he鈥檚 putting out something real which means it鈥檚 going to be something like 鈥楾he Dance鈥� or something tear-jerky.鈥� ... Real is whatever is real. I live out on the farm and I have some buddies come out here and we have some serious farm parties. We throw down and it鈥檚 fun. That鈥檚 real to me. That鈥檚 real life.鈥�