Sam Riggs and His Flaming Guitar, Larry Joe Taylor Fest, 2017
See, don’t feel excluded. Being a Texas music fan can be embarrassing too. And after all the work people have done to plead with folks to not look at Larry Joe Taylor Fest as a drunken dudebro convention in a field no less.
“But Trig, Larry Joe Taylor Fest is actually really cool. So much magic happens around the campfires and there’s great performances on stage!”
Yeah, don’t tell me that. Tell that to Sam Riggs. Apparently it’s his show now.
Sam Riggs wants you to pay attention to his music dammit, so during his set at the Larry Joe Taylor Festival Wednesday night (4-26), he sent up smoke signals to Cole Swindell’s booking agents in Nashville that he deserves to be considered for an opening tour slot. And where there’s smoke, there’s fire, specifically Sam setting an acoustic guitar ablaze before smashing it on stage.
I don’t think Waylon done it this way. Or Sturgill.
Larry Joe Taylor Festival–the Texas music gathering just outside of Stephenville, TX whose crowds rival some of the biggest festivals in all of the country—has an impressive lineup this year as always, and among other highlights of the fest so far, we saw the re-emergence of Billy Joe Shaver after he recently spent some time in the hospital, along with other impressive performances according to the folks on the ground. The fest gets under way in earnest this weekend.
But enough about all of that, what about the guy waving a flaming guitar around and beating his chest like a lowland Gorilla? Yes, that’s Sam Riggs. Don’t feel the need to navigate to Spotify and check his music out. Just save your time. But he got your attention, didn’t he?
The saddest part about the episode is possibly that lighting the guitar on fire and then smashing it might not be the most embarrassing part. It may not be that he did it in a backwards, flat-billed baseball cap. Really, the saddest part about the entire entrée of unfortunate decisions is that he did it all while wearing a Blink-182 T-shirt. I mean, we’re not even talking Green Day here people. Are we really at the point in music history where a band like Blink-182 is Gen X nostalgia? It remained a better music world when Blinksters were silent, and resigned to their fandom being a guilty pleasure.
Seriously Texas music scenesters, it might be time to think about a little scene control, and I’m not talking about jumping The Ranch‘s case for playing a little ZZ Top. I really don’t know if even Florida Georgia Line or Brantley Gilbert would do something like this.
Anyway, I hope Sam Riggs and his Yeti Cooler endorsement all the best. As they say, no pub is bad pub, right? So you’re welcome, Sam.
If you ain’t at ljt.. wyd?! Part 2 pic.twitter.com/OLyDiTBZZ4
— Andrew James Chapman (@Chapstickthehic) April 27, 2017
April 28, 2017 @ 9:31 am
Texas country doesn’t automatically give you immunity from bro country. I have said for years, that Tx country artists like Sam Riggs, Kyle Parks, and Kevin Fowler can be just as bro as the bro country tards. And Sam Riggs is a Florida native not from Texas
April 29, 2017 @ 6:54 pm
Maybe time these runts go through a great depression of their own that might force them to be more tactful in their swaggering tactless self-dispensals.
“We sacked Rome, loaded trade ships with plague rats, burned London to the ground. Every time a civilization reaches the pinnacle of its decadence, we return to restore balance.”
And so shall it be.
May 2, 2017 @ 1:11 pm
Good gosh well said Michael
April 28, 2017 @ 9:42 am
Its not that serious. Its a 70 follar guitar with a non repairable truss rod. LJT is one of the gigs where you can get away with it. The people there too love big shenanigans like that, they go wild. The artist befire they do stuff like this ask LJT before hand to make sure its okay as well. Wearing a blink one 82 shirt okay? I mean Cody Jinks wears shirts of his fav rock bands too during gigs at times. Sturgill plays runes of his fav rock tunes during his gigs. Oh an its a laid back fun gig as well. If he wants to wear a ball cap so be it. Not everyone can sport a traditional cowboy style hat or wants to just wear nothing on their head. Landing a LJT gig on the Big stage is a goal of every based Texas country artist. Everytime you play as well your thrilled and the energy once playing is unreal! So yeah he beat on his chest an destroyed a non repairable guitar, the guy and his band were pumped from the energy and wanted to do something a little diffrent that would make the fans in attendance go crazy…Its LJT. The hipsters have Banoorao, thr mainstream pop country has CMA Festival, the texas country music fans have LJT.
April 28, 2017 @ 9:47 am
Cody Jinks wears Sturgill Simpson and Colter Wall. Shirts. Huge difference. Great sam Riggs apology from Team Sam Riggs. You are a closet bro country fan just admit it.
April 28, 2017 @ 10:08 am
I’ve seen Cody wearing Motörhead and other metal band shirts. Not saying Blink 182 is anywhere near Motorhead’s stature, but Michael is technically correct on that statement.
April 28, 2017 @ 10:52 am
Yeah, nobody is criticizing Sam or anyone else for wearing rock ‘n roll T-shirts as general stage attire. We’re all music fans first. Blink-182 however….
April 28, 2017 @ 12:19 pm
I’ve heard that real men wear pink. I don’t think I can agree with that just as much as I can’t get on board with a Blink 182 shirt. I don’t know which is worse.
April 28, 2017 @ 2:42 pm
Um the entire article that was written was negative criticism and bashing of him. Negative criticism of everything he was wearing and that he put on fire and broke a useless guitar at LJT. Its a Dang shirt he had cutoff sleeves and backwards hat. People if you have ever been to LJT its hot out there and people in general just want to be comfy and are there to have fun and enjoy themselves, artists and fans alike.
May 10, 2017 @ 12:48 am
My God man… wtf?? Who cares what he was wearing. I might decide to wear a Justin Beiber shirt on stage just for dramatic purposes. Kurt Cobain wore dresses. Making a statement is making a statement. He wants to be seen as a more edgy kind of artist. Y’all crying over spilled milk. Grow up boys.
April 30, 2017 @ 6:42 pm
Most Texas music is bro country garbage fowler may be the grandfather of bro country
May 1, 2017 @ 6:28 pm
It’s not about the guitar or what it costs. It’s that he disrespected LJT and then laughed about. After all that LJT has done for red dirt music he didn’t deserve that. Sam should take that nonsense back to Florida.
April 28, 2017 @ 9:45 am
Jimmy Hendrix just rolled over in his grave to grab the NyQuil he’d been saving for an occasion like this. Even death isn’t a deep enough sleep to escape this shit…
April 28, 2017 @ 10:13 am
I liked Sam’s first album with the Night People. Not necessarily the best album ever, but was good. His last album wasn’t as good. He isn’t the cream of the Texas Country crop, but I don’t really think he is bro country either. Regardless of his attire.
April 28, 2017 @ 10:26 am
I agree about enjoying Outrun the Sun and his prior work, like Six Feet in the Ground and Hairpin Trigger Heart. But his last album was rather disappointing.
April 28, 2017 @ 11:27 am
That just may be the broest bro who ever broed.
April 28, 2017 @ 12:16 pm
Yeah, what Martha said.
April 28, 2017 @ 12:44 pm
That’s a song. Someone needs to get on it.
April 28, 2017 @ 3:49 pm
Bro-la-looya sister! 😀
April 29, 2017 @ 9:51 pm
Can’t top Martha’s comment…and yes, Jack, it should be a song title…
April 28, 2017 @ 11:46 am
I love some Blink 182. I also enjoy most of Sam Rigg’s music. He is not as good as some of the Texas greats like Randy Rogers Band or William Clark Green but I do enjoy his music. Your Troubadour is a great song
April 28, 2017 @ 12:18 pm
“I don’t think Waylon done it this way. Or Sturgill.”….
Or Hank Williams… 🙂
Speaking about Sturgill. A bunch of Swedish music critics have
compiled an “The best foreign album list”. (For 2016 And no concideration are taken as to the geanre).
Sturgil came in as #9 (of10) with “A sailor’s guide to earth”…. I’ll won’t destroy your Friday completely by telling wich artist were ahead of him…
But the biggest disappointment for me was that Leonard Cohen’s “You want it darker” didn’t make it to the list at all… Typical for swedish music critics… 🙁
Sorry for beeing off topic again…
April 28, 2017 @ 12:22 pm
That shit veers into dancing chicken territory. I’ll just say here what I said on Facebook:
If you feel like destroying musical instruments should be part of your live show for any reason, really, perhaps you shouldn’t be playing music for a living. The true test of a musical entertainer is (or at least ought to be) whether they can entertain a crowd when said crowd is blindfolded.
April 28, 2017 @ 12:43 pm
Oh it breaks my heart to see those stars
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
I don’t know who they think they are
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
– John Hiatt
April 28, 2017 @ 9:14 pm
Haha that was a 70 dollar guitar with a broken truss rod. Non Repairable. Again dont comment if you have no idea about why it was done.
April 29, 2017 @ 6:33 am
Ah. Not a “perfectly good guitar,” then. Thanks for the edification. Still a dumb ass stunt.
April 29, 2017 @ 9:55 pm
I’ve been going to concerts for over 30 years, in many genres including punk rock, and I have never seen a person smash a flaming guitar and bang his chest. Looks like a one of those pro wrestling clown moves to pump up a crowd during fake entertainment.
May 1, 2017 @ 10:48 am
There are poor kids out there who would give anything for a $70 guitar with a broken truss rod just to have something to play.
April 28, 2017 @ 12:55 pm
The flames didn’t last very long at all. He should have taken a page from that YouTube guy Uncle Rob – “THEN – fill a container with gasoline…”
Of course, that guy also ends the video with “listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd, like a real man…”
April 28, 2017 @ 5:52 pm
Hell yeah! I love watching Uncle Rob blow things up. Now I’ll crack open a beer and listen to Skynyrd, like a real man!
April 28, 2017 @ 1:19 pm
I remember when Sam Riggs released his first EP and I was actually impressed. He had written some damn fine Texas Country songs. Then his first full album came and while it retained some of the good elements, you could tell he was starting to veer more towards the Casey Donahew-esque crap Texas Country. Then he released his last album and it was embarrassingly bad. Now this.
Sam Riggs….talk about a letdown.
April 28, 2017 @ 1:31 pm
His hat is the brand that Chase Rice started I think.
So there’s that.
April 29, 2017 @ 10:47 am
I’ve been trying to place the origins of that hat, because I see it all around Bro-Country. Too bad I don’t speak Bro and couldn’t decipher the douche speak it’s written it.
This might be even worse than the Blink-182 T-shirt.
April 30, 2017 @ 7:38 pm
Had to look it up as well.
At least Blink 182 is more country than Chase Rice.
April 28, 2017 @ 1:35 pm
Wow. I just discovered him the other day, via an article about 10 unsigned (as in major labels) country artists that needed to be heard which Natalie Hemby had a link to on her twitter. Being as she and Cody Jinx were among the 10, I figured there was maybe hope for some of the others on the list. So, lo and behold, I youtube a few videos. Needless to say, that left me wanting to do to my computer what Sam Riggs did to his guitar.
April 28, 2017 @ 2:46 pm
This seems like no big deal at all. Sam has some good songs, but nothing that really makes him stand out.
April 28, 2017 @ 3:45 pm
If watching a moron burn a musical instrument isn’t bad enough then we get to watch some damn kid at the end of the video diving on the remnants like he just found the Holy frickin’ Grail. If that guy thinks that is an awesome keepsake to take home and show all his buddies then country music is doomed.
April 28, 2017 @ 3:54 pm
I have a Peter Criss drumstick that cost me a black eye, busted lip, and several bruised ribs to get, back in 1978. That was dumb enough. But if anyone got as much as a light abrasion, hair in their face, or even a little too much sun to get a hold of that guitar carcass…
April 28, 2017 @ 5:57 pm
Never heard of this cat, and I’m sure his music sucks based on the comparisons above. Lots of “artists” have smashed, burned, ruined instruments. Not really a big deal.
April 28, 2017 @ 8:42 pm
LJT has become an embarrassment. It’s too bad shit like this and the drunk meth heads have ruined what is usually a damn good line up of music. look at the picture Jason Boland posted on Facebook. It’s ridiculous.
April 29, 2017 @ 12:28 am
Well…Once again, a saving country music post comes across my feed, not because of an endorsement of a new artist or album, but as one of the biggest examples of righteous indignation you may have ever written. The crux of your argument isn’t based on the music, the performance, or even the act of lighting the guitar on fire. At the heart of it you seem to be most offended by what sam is wearing. Are you fucking kidding me man?
Now, I figured out a long time ago that you are no more than a blogger on your best day and a “hot take” artist on your worst, but even for you, this is kind of silly. I’ve seen this event play out on the various platforms all day and the people that are the most upset, were either not there or belong to that “Get off my lawn!” crowd. Or, “The Base”, as you know them.
I too long for the days of yore. The days that I could go to a show, and the only expectation of the artists on stage was to entertain me. The days when the band didn’t have to look a certain way or wear what some may deem as acceptable clothing for a country artist. That crowd on Wednesday was entertained by this. Period. Most of those people are going to keep buying tickets to see sam and still support the band. Those that don’t, were never fans to begin with.
There’s not one single band that takes the stage that doesn’t want to put on the best show possible. For some, it’s an elaborate light show. For others it’s jumping off of amps and diving into the crowd. Sometimes, an artist rides a camel into chili-fest, and other times, an entire band may dress up as circus performers. One time, an artist smashed a bunch of lights at the Grand Ole Opry (can you imagine the audacity?). And every once in a while, a guy may light a guitar on fire.
It’s the selective outrage from your echo chamber that is so repugnant. Sturgil walked on to the Opry stage in some sneakers, you weren’t outraged by his attire at what is considered the Holy Grail of country music.
I’m not going to argue the merits of the music because YOU made that irrelevant. There’s something for everybody out there. People like what they like, and because someone likes one artist (e.g. one that you have taken a shit on), doesn’t mean they can’t like another (e.g. one that you find worthy of praise).
You’ve never written anything about sam and now you’re qualified to completely tear him apart? You never even tried to scratch the surface of LJT, regardless of it being the biggest festival in the “scene.”
The great thing about LJT is there really is something for everyone. You can get your acoustic singer-songwriters, your up-and-coming acts, and then an all out party on the main stage. I wonder which one of those stages is the one that’s selling the tickets?
If you can’t get past a backwards cap and a t-shirt, then you don’t deserve to know about the kid that left florida with whatever he could fit in his truck, a guitar, and a dream. The kid that has worked for, and earned, everything he’s gotten to this point. He didn’t come up through the fraternity faction of this scene. He doesn’t have a trust fund or wealthy parents to bankroll his business. The kid that walks out on that stage and only thinks about giving the fans the show that they deserve. That’s what they got on Wednesday.
The fact that you called for the “scenesters to practice some scene control”, should make you ashamed of yourself. But then again, shame would have to be something you possess. The fans get to dictate who makes it, not some out of touch, narcissistic talking head.
Here’s another newsflash to you and your followers…Country Music doesn’t need saving. It still exists. So you don’t hear the music you approve of on country radio, so what? Who listens to the radio anyway? Here’s a hot take…In 2017, if you haven’t figured out how to discover and listen to the music you like without the assistance of country radio, there’s not any hope for you. Just cash in your chips now.
Congratulations on the extra page hit “Trigger” but I just had to stop by and say from the bottom of my heart, Go fuck yourself.
April 29, 2017 @ 7:21 am
First, good luck asserting that Saving Country Music doesn’t support new artists or albums. I’ll hold my record up for doing that against anyone’s. ANYONE’S.
Secondly, numerous folks now have come here trying to defend Sam’s actions by saying, “Hey, the guitar had a broken truss rod,” and “Who cares what he was wearing?”
If Sam Riggs walks out on stage in the same exact attire, but doesn’t light a guitar on fire, hold it up with devil horns and then pounding his chest saying, “Look at me! Look at me!,” then this story doesn’t get written. What he was wearing just made it worse, and the broken truss rod doesn’t make it any better.
This was a total douchewad move, and if Sam Riggs and his toadies had any sense, they would heed this criticism instead of trying to turn it back on me. I don’t run a popularity contest here. It’s my job to say the mean, unpopular things, be damned the ramifications. I’m telling you, the absolute worst folks in mainstream country would never pull this stunt, in this way. The reason I criticize is to not feel better about myself, but to offer guidance to artists in the creative marketplace. Pulling these stunts will get Sam nowhere, trust me. It will hold him back. It’s a shame that the Texas scene is such a “scene” that you can’t say a discouraging word in it or risk getting ostracized. You should see the notes this episode caused to land on my desk, and from who. But few could say anything publicly.
As for not covering Larry Joe Taylor before:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/larry-joe-taylors-50000-head-music-festival-youve-probably-never-heard-of/
https://savingcountrymusic.com/larry-joe-taylor-fest-announces-full-2016-lineup/
And there’s a huge difference between wearing sneakers on the Opry, and what Riggs did. But if you think I can’t criticize Sturgill SImpson for a live performance:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/live-review-sturgill-simpson-at-acl-live/
If you think what Sam Riggs did was awesome and will forward his career, then write me off. Full speed ahead! Best of luck!
April 29, 2017 @ 2:22 pm
“The reason I criticize is to not feel better about myself, but to offer guidance to artists in the creative marketplace.”
There’s not a single artist in the country that needs your guidance in the creative marketplace. The real shame is that an artist has to worry about the blow-back of a 30 second portion of their set, that they have to censor themselves to placate a small fraction of the scene that don’t do anything to support said artist to begin with.
I can guarantee that when this happened, nowhere in his thought process was he thinking, “yeah, this is what’s going to get me to the next level.” This was done solely for that event and the people that were there. And with the exception of a few, nobody thought anything other than that.
“If Sam Riggs walks out on stage in the same exact attire, but doesn’t light a guitar on fire, hold it up with devil horns and then pounding his chest saying, “Look at me! Look at me!,” then this story doesn’t get written.”
The truth of the matter is you didn’t have to write it at all. This should be chalked up to something that just happens at that festival. But your ego being what it is, wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity for you to champion your crusade, objectivity be damned.
You and everyone else that keeps trying to put people in a box and hold them to a checklist of what you deem as acceptable is the biggest problem with your platform. You people are the reason scenes get stagnate and creativity suffers. Artists are so afraid to step out of the box and try new things because of the backlash from so-called fans. Especially the texas fans. I want artists to try new things. Sometimes it’ll hit, sometimes it’ll miss but at least they’re not making the same album over and over or doing the same live show. That is not going to do them any good in the creative marketplace.
May 1, 2017 @ 2:54 am
dude, do you realise that what Sam Riggs did was clearly a stupid planned thing to draw himself as a rebel? Maybe somebody should tell him that what he did was stupid, I don’t think this will get him new fans.
If I were a singer and I tried to ‘step out of the box’ by pissing on stage, maybe I wouldn’t be happy but it would be helpful to hear somebody calling that inappropriate and stupid.
Criticism is not meant to bash people, it’s meant to let them know what doesn’t work and what works so that they can improve. And if you’re not smart enough to get this, let me tell you that Trigger is doing an incredible job and he’s actually helping country music way more than any dumbass flaming hos guitars onstage.
May 1, 2017 @ 5:30 am
Hey man, get that trigger dick out of your mouth and try some independent nuanced thinking. You may not want to hear that now, but you’ll appreciate it later.
May 1, 2017 @ 6:17 am
so the fact that I don’t agree with you means that I can’t think with my own mind? Fine, that is basically what an average idiot thinks about people with different point of views.
May 1, 2017 @ 7:03 am
You not agreeing with me isn’t the issue. Your lack of a substantial argument which is comprised of assumption, false equivalency, and parroted talking points is what I take issue with.
If what you say is true, and this was all just a publicity stunt, then you fell for it too. Only average idiots would do something like that. Stay basic my friend.
May 1, 2017 @ 6:41 pm
How about he was told not to use fire for an argument? How about he snubbed his nose at a man who’s done more for Texas music than Sam will probably ever dream of doing? Either of those arguments work for you?
May 1, 2017 @ 8:06 pm
Actually, neither of those arguments work for me. Can you prove with evidence that sam himself was directly told not to do it?
If not, then its speculation and hear-say. As for larry joe himself doing more for texas music than sam ever will, i find that debatable. Yes, he puts on a festival every year. Yes, its the biggest in the state. But make no mistake about it, this isn’t some altruistic endeavor. This is business. If larry joe wasn’t making money, the festival wouldn’t exist. Larry joe isn’t “inviting” artists, they are booked with hopes of a good ROI. And let’s not act like this doesn’t provide him with a little bit of a boost to his ego. These are the biggest crowds that these guys play to every year. That includes larry joe. If not, he wouldn’t take that direct support spot every saturday, because the people that actually want to see his set, they could easily put in the acoustic tent.
But, lets say all your points are valid. WHO CARES? How has your life been affected by this in any way? If you aren’t a fan of sam, that’s fine. Neither him, larry joe,or texas music is losing anything based on that opinion.
April 29, 2017 @ 7:26 pm
From what I read, it looks like your upset Trigger that your being called out for the crtisitm of Sam and his so called Toadies. Well Ill tell you l know I those Toadies and there all good folks and musicians. Sam has and continues to do a lot for the texas music scene thats not known and so has his wife. The absolute worst fokks in mainstream country cant do it and you know why, it because they are under thr thumb of big Nashville machine Labels ans Suits. Guess what Sam an the band is not so they can at a festival were you can only do that as well as him asking Larry Joe if he could before hand. Fron your third paragraph it reads why you wrote the article at all his because he burned and destroyed a non use able guitar and pounded on his chest. He and his band knew the guitar was non repairable seeing as they are musicians and he pounced on his chest because that place has crazy energy as well has when you perform on that stage your floored.
Your criticism about offering him creative guidance is not needed, he has created his own brand as a artists which is what its all about! It looks like hes doing just fine gig wise, music wise and to get folks attention even yours.
Feel free to call me to can discuss it over phone if free anytime. Debates are healthy.
May 1, 2017 @ 9:34 pm
I seem to remember Garth Brooks smashing two acoustic guitars a night on tour years ago, didn’t seem to hurt his career any. I’m guessing that was different because he didn’t light them on fire ?
April 29, 2017 @ 6:44 am
he fun
April 29, 2017 @ 10:19 pm
I personally like a good deal of Sam’s music but I take it for what it is… usually fun music. Is he Cody Jinks? Nope. I don’t hold him to that same standard. This stunt I read about here and it does bother me a bit truthfully. I did see he that was playing with Chase Rice a bit so who knows. The thing about Riggs is, sure he dances in that rock line, but I don’t think he is bro country. Some of his songs are good and I think his appeal can be important to gaining new fans into independent music. Will be very interested in where it goes. I watched it with Chase rice. His very very early stuff is pretty good. Completely changed after that.
April 30, 2017 @ 9:55 am
So much ado about nothing. Other than the shirt, that actually warrants criticism.
April 30, 2017 @ 12:07 pm
You know what they say about opinions….just got back from LJT about two hours ago. This was my 20th anniversary of going. Cody Jinks is also one of my of favorites but I also adore the vast majority of the lineup at LJT…Wade, Stoney, Randy, Sam Riggs, Parker McCullom, WCG etc….How old is the person writing this article? I’m 46, old enough to be Sam’s mother, but I can see this stunt for what it is. The kids (i.e. The majority of the population supporting his career) loved it. From what I hear, there are more fights at a Cody Jinks concert than there were at LJT…not very grown up there either. So tired of reading the negativity thrown at artists on this page. Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean there isn’t a market/fan base for it.
April 30, 2017 @ 1:28 pm
So you defend Sam Riggs by throwing Cody Jinks under the bus completely randomly, and then say, ” So tired of reading the negativity thrown at artists on this page.”
By the way, I just heard from Larry Joe Taylor’s wife. This situation is a lot more serious than folks are giving it credit for. Update coming soon.
April 30, 2017 @ 4:28 pm
Nope, would never throw Cody under the bus. Throwing a certain portion of the population that attended a Cody Jinks concert under the bus though. Well over a hundred fans did as well when they attended said concerts and watched the craziness.
I guess I could’ve stopped at “You know what they say about opinions”….since that was the main point.
April 30, 2017 @ 4:38 pm
Hurry it up. I’m bored and dying to know.
April 30, 2017 @ 1:25 pm
The real truth about the San Riggs stunt is it got his ass kicked out of the festival after his concert bc he and his manager lied about the stunt to Larry and other staff. They don’t have an insurance policy for pyro and that’s the reason you have never seen fireworks out there. Yeah the crowd might have liked it but it could have been a really turned out a different direction when he had a bottle of gas up there.
April 30, 2017 @ 3:34 pm
It is all fun and games until someone catches on fire…
April 30, 2017 @ 4:44 pm
But the beer showers and titty glitter at LJT are super mature right? ? So he set his guitar on fire when there wasn’t insurance to cover it – valid point. Was that mentioned anywhere? Nope. This actually read about as immature as the stunt itself. At least Riggs has an excuse; he’s a young up and coming artist who may not have been aware as to why this wasn’t a good idea. You’ve been around the block a time or 6, so what’s yours? We get it. Don’t bro my country. How about you pick up that old saggy balls and give the kid a break?
April 30, 2017 @ 6:40 pm
The insurance wasn’t mentioned because at that point, it just looked like a stupid incident by Sam Riggs. Ironically, it was all the lying about it by Sam Riggs fans and surrogates saying that Larry Joe Taylor Fest signed off on it that finally exposed the truth of the matter. This was a small, stupid incident that flew by in the news cycle and few people cared about until people started trying to throw Larry Joe Taylor under the bus, and put their festival at risk for fines, insurance issues, and other problems.
People will forgive the stupidity. The lies are a different matter.
April 30, 2017 @ 7:35 pm
Again, valid points. However it now makes this article seem even more immature and better likened to click bait. I mean, do what you need to get more traffic but he’s a kid in the industry. I just don’t think ol Waylon would be typing a click bait article hidden behind a screen or lighting a guitar on fire. But maybe that’s just me.
April 30, 2017 @ 5:42 pm
That’s exactly what I thought about the insurance policy when I heard what an idiotic stunt Sam pulled. Whatever his back story, it doesn’t make a difference about the fact that he tried to make an entire festival about him. He’s an attention starved little boy, whoring himself out to the bro life and not caring who he tramples over on his way to Nashville Bro Stardom. Absolutely uncalled for, and to go behind the LJT staff who DILIGENTLY try to cover all their bases and run a fun and quite frankly jaw-dropping festival(s) throughout the year, is worse than if Sam had walked up to The LJT family and flipped them the bird. Move on, Sam. Showboating season is over.
April 30, 2017 @ 6:38 pm
He’s like…30.
May 1, 2017 @ 11:05 am
I truly believe the “not so well” hidden agenda of this article is to promote Sam Riggs…. Which has proven successful…. I had never listened to his music before now…. He is very talented…. Nice job
Having said that…. If this is a legitimate article…. The arrogance is glaring…. The music scene control is maintained by the fans who come to the shows and sing the songs in the crowd…. And if the artist is playing to his or her crowd….. And they like it…. Its not up to a shallow soul-less critic to decide to remove him from Texas or our music….
The MUSIC POLICE are the saddest part of the music world….. What we wear….. What we play…. And what we sing is not controlled by anything more than the people who come see us …
Good job Sam Riggs…. Keep it rolling buddy
May 1, 2017 @ 11:53 am
First off, you don’t disrespect Larry Joe. Second, lies are only going to make things a helluva lot worse. The truth shall set you free. And last, lighting a guitar on fire is cool if you’re Jimi Hendrix, because anything you do is cool when you’re Jimi Hendrix. Being Jimi Hendrix is what made the burning guitar cool, not the other way around. Don’t burn guitars, it’s stupid. If it’s not playable, hang it on the wall in your man cave or something. They make for excellent decoration.
May 5, 2017 @ 12:10 pm
I’m sorry, but some Texas music fans annoy the hell out me. It’s exhausting hanging around them sometimes. Calling Sam Riggs “bro country” just because he wears a Blink shirt and a backwards hat is plain idiotic. People don’t need to turn on artists of the genre they claim to love just because there is one thing they don’t like about them. Sam was wrong here because the Taylor family told him he couldn’t do it and did it anyway, that’s it. For Christ’s sake stop looking for an excuse to bash yet another artist. I swear some of you people only listen to like 20 artists and that’s it. Open your minds people.