Restless Road getting back on the road as opener for Kane Brown at PPG Paints Arena
As Nashville country music singer Kane Brown’s career was moving forward, he took some time to look back.
Brown invited singers he met years before through “The X Factor” the U.S. version of a show created by British producer Simon Cowell that appeared on Fox, to perform a few songs.
Singers Chase Rice and Jordan Davis will also take perform.
Rice has collaborated on songs with Florida Georgia Line, including “Cruise.” He also was criticized for hosting an in-person concert last June as covid-19 numbers spiked during the pandemic. Davis’ most recent hit is “Slow Dance In a Parking Lot.” He is scheduled to release an extended play record on May 22.
“Kane basically said, ‘Get the band together and come to the studio,’ so we did,” said Zach Beeken, 25, who with Garrett Nichols and Colton Pack make up the Nashville-based Restless Road. “We clicked immediately. His career took off and he is such a huge superstar, but he wanted to give back and help others. We are so lucky to have met him along the way. We appreciate everything he has done for us.”
The three Nashville, Tenn. vocalists play acoustic guitar. Pack also plays the piano. Restless Road finished fourth on the “X Factor.”
Beeken attended Indiana (Pa.) High School. His father was the choral music director at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
The musicians said the past year and a half has been challenging, but they’ve spent time writing more than 100 songs virtually.
The band’s first scheduled live performance is June 24 at Country Fest, Cadott 2021 in Cadott, Wis.
Before the pandemic things were going well, they said. The group opened for Brown for five shows at the beginning of 2020. The band collaborated with Brown on the song “Take Me Home” and sing the tune with him at concerts.
“We were amped up and we made some great memories,” Nichols said. “We can’t wait to get back out there.”
Before getting a call from Brown, they were working side jobs to make enough money to support themselves.
Nichols said they grew their fan base via social media while being quarantined and can’t wait to meet those fans, in real life, on tour.
“We love playing in person,” Pack said. “You get to see the reactions from fans and those are pretty cool moments during a show.”
Pack, 26, said the music industry is “nearing the end of the pause of live performances” and that “there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
“We are really excited to get back out and perform,” said Pack, who is a huge Pittsburgh sports fan. “There is no cooler moment than the minute you take the stage. This will be the first time people are seeing us in a year and a half. We just want to get back out there and play.”
Beeken agreed.
“Things are starting to open up a little but we still have a ways to go,” he added. “We are following our dream and to do that you have to keep going to stay in the game. You can’t quit. You have to stay focused and keep your eyes on the road.”
It’s the Restless Road in this case.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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