Austin got a taste of some of country music’s biggest acts at the iHeartCountry Festival this past Saturday night, May 2, 2026, at the Moody Center. The 13th annual event, presented by Capital One and hosted by Bobby Bones, delivered high-energy performances that had the crowd on their feet all evening.
Parker McCollum kicked off the night with “What Kind of Man,” followed by “Killin’ Me,” “Handle on You” (which he co-wrote with Randy Rogers), “Big Old Fancy House,” and “Pretty Heart.” Before launching into “Solid Country Gold,” he asked the audience if they had heard of the Saxon Pub — the legendary Austin venue where he got his start in 2014. He closed his set with the heartfelt “To Be Loved by You.”
Amy Brown next introduced Chase Matthew, a former ATV and automotive mechanic who has risen rapidly in country music. Matthew engaged the crowd by promising caps and T-shirts, then launched into his newest single, “Holdin’ It Down.” He followed with “Love You Again,” paused to thank God, and tossed merch into the audience. Switching to a cap that read “Darlin’,” he performed his final song of the night — the one that reached No. 1 on the US Country Airplay chart, marking his first chart-topper. The crowd sang along enthusiastically, and Matthew remarked that he had never seen so many people know every word to one of his songs.
Bobby Bones then shared a touching story about a young patient named Annzie from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, who had received treatment for a blood disorder and a life-saving bone marrow transplant from her sister. Annzie introduced Russell Dickerson, and the crowd erupted. Dickerson took the stage with a silver electric guitar and delivered a high-energy set that included a shortened “Worth Your While,” “She Likes It,” the excellent road-trip anthem “Blue Tacoma,” “Yours” (written for his wife of over 15 years), and the dance-ready “Happen to Me,” complete with giant neon videos of him dancing on the screens.
After his set, Lunchbox joined artist Josh Ross (who had performed earlier on the daytime stage) to introduce singer-songwriter Gretchen Wilson. She opened with her classic party starter “Here for the Party,” then performed her brand-new single “Redneck Sh!t,” which had dropped just the day before on May 1. She playfully noted that the title would need to be censored with one little letter for live television. Wilson followed with “Jacked Up” and closed with her enduring crowd favorite, “Redneck Woman.”…