Original subtitles

-Rolling, rolling. -Speed.

And Blake and Keith, take one. A/B Common Mark.

-Get one here? -Yeah. Okay.

Where do we start?

-Like, you... what's that? -Where do we start?

The challenge of being on the road?

It's a calling,

and you're born to do it, or you're not gonna make it.

When you wake up on a tour bus at 3:30 in the morning

and you're sick as a dog, you're in the middle of nowhere

and you got to play your fifth show later that night...

...and you haven't slept and you miss your friends,

you're missing your family and you're completely lonely

and miserable and sick and you say to yourself,

"why am I doing this?"

Put your hands together...

Keith! Keith!

The only answer can be...

...for Keith Urban!

..."'Cause this is what I'm born to do."

We're gonna find out who's made of that stuff.

♪ "Once in a Lifetime" by Keith Urban ♪

Behind every great artist

lies a journey paved with countless miles.

♪ I can see it in your eyes ♪

♪ And feel it in your touch ♪

♪ I know that you're scared ♪

♪ But you've never been this loved... ♪

Going from small dive bars

to arenas doesn't happen overnight.

-Thank you. -And in order to become

a successful musician, there are no shortcuts.

You have to pay your dues on the road.

See y'all on The Road.

♪ Don't fear it now... ♪

I've teamed up with Blake Shelton

and Taylor Sheridan, and we have chosen

12 artists to join me as my opening act.

We're hitting the road

on a multicity tour.

Look at us now.

We're starting with incredible,

accomplished musicians

that are really ready to take

that final step

to being the next superstar in country music.

-Turn me loose! -♪ Fear it now... ♪

Every week, a new city...

You guys ready for a brand-new town?

Check. Yeah, two...

...a new, iconic venue...

As soon as you walk in,

it's all my heroes looking down at me.

...and a new crowd.

How we feeling, y'all?

That crowd sounds freaking awesome.

-I know, it's so crazy. -My audience

will vote and decide who continues

the tour to the next city.

Everybody wants that spot

on the tour bus.

Are they gonna sink or swim?

♪ One, two, three, four... ♪

Along the way, Blake and I

will be joined by good friends

and talented musicians who will help us determine

who's got what it takes to stay on the road.

It's your moment. Make it your moment.

Every tour needs a manager.

Just show them everything you got out there.

And we've got the legendary

Redneck Woman herself, Gretchen Wilson.

Just make it a little more angry.

Okay.

She'll be riding shotgun

as their mentor to help

sharpen their skills

and win over my crowd.

This is The Road. It's just gonna keep getting

-harder and harder. -Mwah.

♪ In a straight line, baby... ♪

This is as real as it gets.

I'll miss you guys.

I'll try not to cry like a baby.

The highs...

...the lows...

I control everything around me,

and I can't control that I'm sick.

...and the heartbreak.

I love you guys so much. I miss you.

One artist will walk away with a record deal,

a slot at Stagecoach...

♪ In a straight line, baby... ♪

...and $250,000.

-Whoo! -♪ Straight ♪

♪ Into forever with you ♪

It's crazy, I still don't believe it.

I feel right at home,

I'm ready to keep going.

That was awesome.

Eyes on the prize, baby.

This is The Road.

Those are perfect songwriting guitars, man.

What do you put in that one?

Saline.

Okay, everybody, here comes Channing.

I've been literally on the road

since I was a young man, you know?

I've been a professional opening act for a long time, you know?

I'm 49 now and still getting it.

♪ I heard that train whistle moaning... ♪

Holy cow.

-He sounds badass. -Dude,

-I'm obsessed with Channing. -Yeah.

-Holy cow. -He's the dude.

A lot of star power in this group.

Keith and Blake selected all of us.

You know, they know talent.

It just puts more pressure on the fact

that we're all pros.

We're all up against some very, very stiff competition.

Thank y'all, thank y'all.

I'm very excited to go on the road

with Keith Urban.

I've been looking forward to an opportunity

like this my whole, uh, entire career.

Hey, we're trying to sound check over here!

♪ Gentle, ambient music ♪

Live in Texas?

-Good to see you. -You, too.

Welcome, everybody. Excited?

-You bet! -We've been scouring

the whole country to find the best artists

for this show, and here you are.

It looks cool out there,

the band is sounding incredible,

so the rest is up to you.

-So, good luck. -Hell yeah.

Tonight, each of you will have to perform

an original song that best represents you as artists.

Blake and I are gonna watch how you guys

are connecting with the audience,

when you got them, when you lose them.

And I love that that audience is gonna be voting,

which is really how it should be, right?

It's the people in the room that you've got to get.

This is the real deal right here.

Tonight, the audience voting will put three of you

in the bottom, and Blake and I are gonna have to decide

who's gonna go home.

The last person standing at the end of the tour

is gonna get a slot at Stagecoach,

you're gonna get a record deal and you're gonna get

a quarter of a million dollars.

The prize is unreal.

$250,000 could change my life.

Winning is why I came here.

I've gotten the chance to open for this guy before,

so I know how cool this is. Yeah.

That's crazy... and see where he ended up. Look at that.

-Good luck, everybody. -Oh, yeah.

Thank you, thank you.

Does anybody know what time it is?

Are you guys ready to have some fun tonight?

Lord, we come to you tonight

to say thank you for this amazing opportunity.

-Amen. -Let's go.

All of these amazing musicians,

they are all getting the opportunity

to open up for Keith Urban tonight.

Hey!

Cheers, y'all. Let's go kill it.

Cheers. I'm waiting for Cody.

We're all made for this.

-The Road, baby! -Cheers.

-Five-minute warning, good sir. -I got you, dawg.

Five-minute warning.

My name is Adam Sanders. I'm 36 years old

and I live in Nashville, Tennessee.

I started singing and playing music, honestly,

from the day I was born, I feel like.

My mom jokes that I could sing before I could talk.

All my family's musically inclined.

I've actually got an uncle that's a session musician

in Nashville.

So, when I was about 12 years old,

he said, "You should look into writing songs.

That could be your way into the music industry one day."

Yes, sir.

We might as well quit right now, huh?

The biggest challenge in my career

has been, I feel like I got labeled

very quickly as just a songwriter.

All right, everyone, here comes Adam Sanders!

I've spent ten years

touring professionally out on the road

and opening for the biggest acts in our format.

And it feels like,

"You're good enough to be on the field,

but you just haven't had your shot yet."

Tannahill's, how we feeling on a Sunday night?

Yeah, that's what it takes.

In a club full of people, and they're talking

and they're drinking, if you don't come out

and grab them...

-Yeah. -...you've lost the audience

before you even played your first note.

My name is Adam Sanders. Tannahill's, y'all mind

if we turn the party up a little bit now?

-Y'all hear them? -Yeah.

I mean, how can you not hear that?

That's insane.

I want to play you a song now

that is, uh, my most streamed song to date.

It's called "What If I'm Right" and everybody

in the back of the room, we need you on your feet. Let's go!

There we go.

♪ We might be better off never crossing lines... ♪

Back in 2021,

I sold a catalog of songs that I had written

for other people in order to fund my debut album.

♪ Might ought to leave well enough alone... ♪

And the title track is "What If I'm Right."

The song is really about

a guy and a girl taking the next step in their relationship.

♪ And I might shouldn't say ♪

♪ What this drink's about to make me say... ♪

But I took it a little bit further

because of me betting on myself and going all in

and saying, "Hey, what if I'm right?"

♪ Oh, but I can't wait another day ♪

♪ So here goes nothing, babe... ♪

I felt like it was a great song

to sort of come out of the gate with a lot of energy.

♪ What if tonight is the night ♪

♪ That your lips hit mine and my kiss ♪

♪ Lights a fire to your world? ♪

♪ What if the stars line up ♪

♪ And we end up falling in love ♪

♪ For forever, girl? ♪

♪ I might be whiskey gone ♪

♪ Rambling on ♪

♪ Dead wrong out of my mind ♪

♪ What if I'm right? ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Girl, we could both ♪

♪ Keep on hiding it ♪

♪ Or just stop fighting it ♪

♪ 'Cause what if tonight is the night ♪

♪ That your lips hit mine and my kiss ♪

♪ Lights a fire to your world? ♪

♪ What if the stars line up ♪

♪ And we end up falling in love ♪

♪ For forever, girl? ♪

♪ I might be whiskey gone, rambling on ♪

♪ Dead wrong out of my mind ♪

♪ What if I'm right? ♪

♪ Baby, what if I'm right? ♪

Tannahill's, thank y'all so much.

My name is Adam Sanders.

We'll see you next time!

♪ I had some help, it ain't like ♪

♪ I can make this kind of mess ♪

-♪ All by myself... ♪ -Thank y'all very much.

♪ Like you ain't help me pull that bottle off the shelf... ♪

-Show's started. -Okay.

Oh, we got to go this way.

Hey.

Everything that you were saying earlier, he just did it.

Yeah, he came out and killed it. Take charge.

Yeah, he made you listen to it.

Yeah. Yeah, that's what it takes.

Keith! Keith! Keith!

I'm not voting. That's y'all.

Adam is a tough act to follow.

I'd hate to be in Britnee's shoes right now.

Adam!

You sounded like a million bucks down there, buddy.

I was like, "Ooh."

-Okay." -Thank you.

Adam and I have known each other

for 12 years now. We've written songs together in Nashville.

We got a lot of mutual friends.

Adam's super competitive, and so am I, for that matter.

I'm gonna have to step it up.

I'm trying to kick his ass, you know?

That's right.

It's really frustrating

to be doing something for so long.

Like, I'm 40.

I came here to change my life.

Show them what you got.

Thank you, Gretchen.

Somebody just

-told me that you're not well. -I'm struggling right now.

I'm freaking out. I am a nervous wreck.

All right, everybody, here she comes.

Billie Jo Jones!

Okay.

I'm Britnee Kellogg, I'm 40 years old,

and I live in Anthem, Arizona.

Speeding.

Un...

Going on the road with Keif... God,

I can't even talk, I'm so excited.

Ah! Going on the road with Keith Urban

is, like, you know, it's a dream come true.

♪ And thank God even crazy dreams come true... ♪

Hello, I'm Britnee.

-Evan. Nice to meet you. -Very nice to meet you.

Thank you so much.

Yeah.

I came here to change my life.

Like, I'm 40. This is not something I take lightly.

This is about

doing what I love

because I love it so freaking much.

This is the craziest experience ever.

I'm just very grateful.

My dream when I was in high school

was to move to Nashville, the minute I graduated.

I was like, "I'm gonna be a country singer."

I fell in love and I haven't been able to move to Nashville

because I have my two boys from my first marriage.

The parenting plan very specifically states,

"I cannot move to Nashville."

♪ Slow, somber music ♪

It's really frustrating to be doing something for so long

and to be fighting for something

but still feel like you haven't,

like, cracked that code.

So, my goal is to win the show.

The prize is, like, a huge bonus,

but I also feel like I have a job to do.

And I am like, so laser-focused in the zone.

Hello.

Britnee with the good hair.

Britnee kind of floored me when she walked out.

She had a great stage presence.

I think she's gonna do really well in this competition.

♪ These... ♪

It's obvious that that song means a lot to you.

-Yeah. -And it's just beautiful lyrics.

Don't be afraid to have that look on your face,

and that-that, "but this is killing me."

-Show them that. -Okay. Thank you, Gretchen.

-Thank you so much. -Yep. You're welcome.

For the first show, I'm singing my song "Hey Mama."

I think I stand out as a songwriter

because the songs that I write are just very personal

but also, there are so many others

going through similar things.

Show them what you got.

All right, everybody, Britnee Kellogg!

♪ Gentle, suspenseful music ♪

Fort Worth, Texas, how we feeling tonight?

All right, where are all of my mamas at tonight?

Do we have any mamas in the house?

Well, I myself

am a mom of three, and I wrote this song

because being a mom is the hardest job on planet Earth.

♪ It ain't easy ♪

♪ Trying to juggle all these feelings ♪

♪ Everybody 'round you needing ♪

♪ Something every second of the day ♪

♪ No time left for nothing ♪

♪ But cleaning up another mess ♪

♪ Feeling that heaviness in your chest ♪

♪ Like you're gonna break... ♪

I had pretty severe postpartum depression

after my daughter was born, and I really wanted

to write something about going through it.

So, I really wanted to start with that song

because there's a lot of mamas out there.

And not just moms... anyone, really...

going through something

that need to be reminded that they're not alone.

♪ Mama, you got this ♪

♪ I promise you got this ♪

♪ Pull yourself together ♪

♪ It won't be this hard forever ♪

♪ You got the strength of a hurricane ♪

♪ You're a fighter in every way ♪

♪ Hey, Mama, you got this ♪

♪ I promise you got this ♪

♪ Ooh ♪

♪ We got this ♪

Thank you all so much! My name is Britnee Kellogg.

-What do you think? -That's good.

♪ Gentle, hopeful music ♪

That was a great original.

-Yeah. -I just saw a lot of girls

-relating to that song. -Yeah.

I mean, look at her, I think

she's wiping away tears right there.

Did that song make you cry?

Or are you just upset with me?

I got a lot of respect for Britnee.

She's a mother of three, and to try to balance that

with chasing your dream at the same time, it's a lot of work.

-My voice feels really tired. -You crushed it, though.

-You sounded incredible. -You...

-Incredible. -The crowd loved you.

They loved your song, too.

I don't know that we have a, you know,

a better female vocalist in the competition.

Yeah, I like her voice a lot.

She looks like a star, too.

-Yeah. -She just looks like a star.

All right,

-who is up? -Okay, everybody,

thank you very much, here comes Cody Hibbard.

-Here we go. -Yeah!

Thank you.

Cody, how you feeling?

-Feel good. -Yeah?

Yeah.

♪ Slow, atmospheric music ♪

My name is Cody Hibbard, I'm 32 years old

and I'm from Adair, Oklahoma.

A one-stoplight town.

It's a place where there's more churches

than there are, uh, anything else,

and we run a lot of cattle up in that area,

and-and a lot of cowboys and rednecks

and people that just enjoy living life.

I was actually born in Seoul, South Korea.

Um, I was adopted at 13 months old

and was raised on a 340-acre farm.

I'm still out there. I, you know, I've moved around

quite a bit ever since I graduated, but, uh,

there's no place like home.

♪ Fast, exciting music ♪

Growing up, Mom and Dad's philosophy

was to stay as busy as humanly possible

and maybe you'll stay out of trouble.

You know, my parents did the best they could, but...

I went to the Naval Academy when I graduated

and my shoulder started falling apart,

and when I got sent back home,

I hated it 'cause, you know, you're 18

looking at this bright future and then,

you know, as a 19-year-old, I'm looking back going,

"Damn, what happened?"

Growing up out here in Oklahoma,

we don't really talk about prescription pills

or anything like that.

So, I got prescribed them and actually got hooked on them

and I battled that for a little over two years.

As far as obstacles to get to where I'm at,

I've faced as many as just about everybody else.

But country music, the way I fell in love with it

is because it's about the hardships or the good times,

and when you're able to live it every single day,

that just gives you more ammo to write about.

As far as like, getting on stage and being out there,

I mean, I live for a live show.

It makes me appreciate, you know, the hours

spent practicing or writing or being on the road,

being away from family and...

It's a different kind of high,

like, watching people responding to your music.

Ladies and gentlemen, Cody Hibbard!

♪ Dramatic, hopeful music ♪

All right.

Fort Worth, how we feeling tonight?

My name's Cody Hibbard, I'm from Adair, Oklahoma,

but I got my music career right down here

in the great state of Texas, so...

Thank you for letting me come out here

and hang out with y'all tonight.

I know what you're thinking.

"This boy don't sound like he looks."

I am of Asian descent,

by the way, in case you can't tell.

♪ Well, looking back now, I'd have done things different ♪

♪ A lot of could've, would've, should've dones, but didn't ♪

♪ And now I'm standing alone in the kitchen ♪

♪ Just wishing... ♪

Cody Hibbard.

This week, my original song I'm performing

is called "Looking Back Now."

It's a heartbreak song, really,

um, but for me, it's a-a song about growing.

♪ Now I'd have took the time to listen some more ♪

♪ I'd held her hand and held every door... ♪

I think as a country artist and a, and a writer,

we have this internal challenge to write

the saddest possible song out there.

You guys are awesome and everything,

but I-I'd much rather play to, like, a thousand people.

♪ Just looking back now ♪

♪ I'm the reason that the fire burned out ♪

♪ If anybody let anybody down, it was me ♪

♪ And now I see why she walked out ♪

♪ Looking back now... ♪

I love listening to Cody sing.

And tonight was the first time I've really heard him

in a setting like this.

He blew me away.

He's such a good performer and really knows

-how to connect with the crowd. -♪ I bet she's kicking up ♪

♪ Goodbye gravel on her way out of town ♪

♪ I bet she's got that car heading west ♪

♪ With that hammer rolled down ♪

♪ And she ain't looking back now ♪

My name's Cody Hibbard. Thank you so, so much.

Y'all put a vote in for me.

Obviously, he's limited as a vocalist.

His vocal, it stays right in that spot.

Yeah.

But I don't know how much it matters, either.

I mean, he had the audience, you know?

He's super likable.

I love when he said, "I know I don't sound

-like I look," or whatever. -Yeah.

Leaning into that.

Amazing. Killed it.

I knew, coming into this,

that obviously, it's a competition,

everybody's gonna be amazing, but...

You know, actually hearing them live,

I'm back here thinking, "I have to follow this?"

-All right. Love you guys. -You can do this.

I love you guys.

You look really good.

Always got to have sparkles

and fringe everywhere.

I have big fat feet.

I can't wear shoes like that.

-Can't have it all, you know? -I know.

Ugly feet, great career. I'll... I'd take it.

My name is Jenny Tolman, I'm 29 years old

and I was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee.

I put my first album out in 2019,

and ever since then,

been grinding it out on the road.

♪ If you're happy and you know it ♪

♪ And you really want to show it ♪

♪ If you're happy and you know it, play the snare ♪

Yeah!

I have a two-year-old son.

His name is Bear.

You're so good, buddy.

My husband is so supportive.

I've gotten to take my family with me

everywhere I've gone on the road,

which is such a unique and fun way to raise my son.

It's okay, buddy.

Mama's gonna go sing

and play some fun shows.

But this is my first time going on tour

without him, so it's going to be the hardest thing

I have ever done.

It's okay.

It's hard because I'm still pumping,

so every few hours, I'm definitely thinking

about him very intently.

Oh, my gosh, hopefully, you can hear me over my pumps.

This was the craziest day of my life.

Like, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Gretchen Wilson.

I'm so excited. I'm so, so happy.

Guys, this is Jenny Tolman.

I love making people laugh with my songs.

Um, I think if you can make people laugh,

you can make them comfortable, and then they're open to hearing

the message that's in the song.

♪ Honey, I've been down to Dallas a time or two ♪

♪ Now, don't get me wrong, you know how much I love you... ♪

My original song is called "I Know Some Cowboys."

It always is a crowd pleaser,

and it is a very true story

all about my first time in Texas.

♪ I know some cowboys down in Texas that will ♪

♪ At a dance hall in New Braunfels ♪

♪ Last week, I see you... ♪

Jenny is an artist that's been able

to make it work.

Touring, getting out on the road o-out of, out of Nashville,

where it's a super competitive town,

she's done a great job of it.

♪ I know some cowboys down in Texas ♪

♪ From Beaumont, Amarillo, to Odessa ♪

♪ Got me some cowboys in Fort Worth ♪

♪ That will ♪

Sometimes I wish,

when they're up there singing and they're not

really playing, it's just something to hang onto.

But they just sling it around, like, take the mic

and go up and, like, work the audience a bit more.

Just do something different. Change it up.

-100%. -Thank you guys so much.

My name's Jenny Tolman. Enjoy the rest of your night.

She's fun, but we've heard some really good singers

so far. Vocally, she is definitely gonna

have to step it up.

It was smart to come out here and sing a song

and be able to name-drop Texas,

drop in Fort Worth, talk about cowboys.

I'm actually gonna tell everybody I was born in Texas.

Right.

T-minus five.

If you ain't ready now, I don't know what to tell you, buddy.

Well, it's what we came to do anyway, so...

And Forrest, take one, A/B Common Mark,

-soft sticks. -Are we on with... oh.

My name's Forrest McCurren,

and I've been writing songs for ten years.

♪ Gentle, playful music ♪

People would ask me what I wanted to be when I grow up,

and I would say, "I want to be outside.

I want to be a horse."

But as soon as I started realizing

that there was people who traveled around

and played all types of places...

...I was like, "I want to do that."

♪ I wish you love ♪

-♪ And happiness... ♪ -A lot of my heroes

were travelers.

Terry Allen, Guy Clark, Jon Prine.

I love Jon Prine.

He's my number one musical hero.

And in his writing, he's just so great at...

making the day-to-day seem special.

♪ If you feel just like I did... ♪

The feeling of being

on the show, being here in Fort Worth, yeah, it feels good.

It's a whole hell of a lot better

than putting out a newspaper ad about a new album.

One, two, three.

Okay, great.

-Hang tight. -Can we do the "whoo" again?

It's just a-a wild thing to get to play songs

in front of folks like Keith Urban and Blake Shelton.

But this opportunity is amazing

because it's focusing on songwriters.

-Hey, gang. We made it. -Come on.

Let's go.

Hey, what's up, brothers? Look at us now.

Forrest is something else. I don't know

that I've ever met anyone quite like him.

He just sort of floats up onto the stage

in his happy way and tells his stories.

-Are you a germaphobe? -No.

-I'm pro-germs. -Okay, you got to get

a little closer to that microphone.

-Okay. -Your voice sounds thin

because you're a little too far away from the microphone.

-Great. -Just come in a little bit more.

He's a really sweet guy.

Um, I think that he's gonna

win people over just by being himself.

You're a storyteller, so it's really important

that they hear the words really clearly, okay?

It means the world.

Well, my name's Forrest McCurren.

It's good to be in Fort Worth on Sunday,

and it's a thrill to be at Tannahill's,

where the beer's cold and delicious

and the folks are warm and kind and delicious

in a different way.

And where Keith Urban's gonna be playing in just a bit.

After he gives me my guitar lesson,

he'll come out and play for you all.

He's super likable.

Forrest walked into the audition

for us producers and...

he had us all wrapped around his finger

in literally five minutes.

I bought a case of beer, but Nino said

I couldn't bring it in.

He's more of a-a singer-songwriter,

and I wonder how that's gonna play

in some of these rowdier bars

and Keith Urban's crowds he's gonna be singing to.

I have no idea how that's gonna work.

♪ I'm a good time but I've got some bad habits ♪

♪ Like when something's on my mind ♪

♪ I can't stop thinking about it ♪

♪ It's like I'm stuck in a stream ♪

♪ Baby, can you save me from drowning ♪

-♪ In a dream? ♪ -He definitely likes Jon Prine.

♪ I'm a lost cause that don't want to be found... ♪

The best thing that I think can come from songs

is folks feeling a little bit of hope.

So, I'll be playing my original song,

"Small Prayers, Big Blessings,"

which I wrote New Year's Day 2024.

It's a song about those moments where you get past

all the BS of life

and you just remember that the great gift

is that you get to be here at all.

♪ Saying small prayers ♪

♪ Counting big blessings ♪

♪ Don't know who's up there ♪

♪ But I swear someone's listening ♪

♪ Fifteen miles from town ♪

♪ The sun's setting down ♪

♪ Now I know ♪

♪ There's a heaven ♪

Hey, thank y'all for being so kind to me.

If you're ever passing through Missouri,

you have a friend and a tour guide.

Just ask for Forrest with two R's.

And, uh, if you got to vote for a scrappy songwriter,

I'd love you forever.

I'd sure like to carry on, uh, this amazing adventure.

Thank you.

It's a rush. The crowd's great.

They're rowdy, and it felt good.

Super likable, yeah, I like him.

But the crowds later in the tour,

they may not be so forgiving.

In the right setting, he probably kills it,

-you know what I mean? -Yeah, if he was at

-the Bluebird Cafe? -Oh, my God.

-He'd be great. -He'd kill it.

You'd hear all the lyrics,

-the storytelling. -Yeah.

Almost halfway there. Billie Jo's coming up next.

I am so excited.

I'm packing.

I'm actually being productive and doing it like,

one day in advance instead of the day of.

Y'all feeling good this morning?

I think this is,

this is the start of something special.

I'm from Possum Trot, Tennessee.

I beat out a lot of people

to be where I am right now.

How are y'all doing?

Feeling good? Feeling good this morning?

Y'all, my name is Billie Jo Jones.

I am 34 years old.

I have four kids.

I've been traveling and touring with my band

for 11 years now doing this country music thing.

♪ I was born in boots on humble ground... ♪

My dream means everything to me.

I did 140 shows last year, either full-band or acoustic.

I have missed a couple of birthdays.

I've missed some basketball games,

some football games, uh, to go and chase this dream.

Why do you want Mommy to win?

What's your reason? What are you wanting to live in?

-A mansion. -A mansion?

♪ Everybody want to be a cowboy... ♪

I've been told several times, you know, in this business,

"Well, if you had a male singer with you in your band,

we would hire you," or "You're over 30,

"so you better start trying to think of something else

that you want to do with your life."

I don't like being told no.

I don't like being told that I can't do something.

♪ Cool, cool, cool, cool... ♪

I am ready to show Blake and Keith that

you can be over 30, you can have a family

and you can still chase your dreams and you can succeed.

I'm feeling pretty confident about it, so I'm pretty excited

to get out there and light the stage up.

Okay, everybody, here she comes.

Billie Jo Jones.

Yesterday, I, uh, woke up

not feeling so great.

Go!

One, two, three.

♪ Yes, you're wondering ♪

♪ I'm doing real good ♪

♪ You cheated and you lie ♪

♪ Just like your mama said you would ♪

♪ Slow, somber music ♪

I can feel that my voice

is only about, like, 80%.

Like, I could talk, but I tried to do my warm-ups, you know,

my vocal warm-ups, and I-I... it just wasn't very good.

Saving my voice, guys.

Okay.

I'm struggling.

Hey, somebody just told me

that you're not well.

Um, I'm struggling right now.

Billie Jo's a little bit under the weather today.

You know, that happens to all of us.

Sometimes you got to just make the best of it.

Once you know you got it, you shouldn't have to push it off.

-Okay. Thank you. -Don't... Save it for tonight.

This is, like, the only industry in the world

that you're not allowed to be sick.

Even doctors and surgeons get to call in sick.

People just don't understand it

when we can't make it to the stage.

So I gave her the best advice I could, and that was to rest

and to keep as quiet as she could

and to give it everything she's got tonight.

Uh, last looks for, uh, Billie Jo, please,

and then we're gonna bring her out there.

I have a job to do.

Like, this is, this is a job,

and it's something that you still got to work very hard for,

no matter if you're feeling under the weather or not,

but I am a nervous wreck.

I... those nerves are running, I'm freaking out.

Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot.

Fort Worth, Texas, how we feeling tonight?

-Yeehaw! -It's the first show.

Trust in yourself.

-♪ Hey... ♪ -Take us on this ride.

If you want the audience to feel a certain way,

you have to start by being that way yourself.

It's just about how you connected tonight

with this particular audience that came out to see Keith.

And for that reason,

we're gonna have to send you home.

♪ Slow, somber music ♪

Oh, God...

Here we go, everyone.

Nobody out there knows that you're not 100%.

You're the only one that knows that.

You are the only one

that can go out there and do what you're doing tonight.

Nobody else in this competition sounds like you.

-Thank you. -You got it.

All right, everybody, here she comes.

Billie Jo Jones!

How we feeling, Fort Worth, Texas?

Y'all, my name is Billie Jo Jones.

This is for all you ladies out there

that's ever had your heart broken.

You picked up the pieces, you held back those tears

and you moved on, 'cause you don't need no man, y'all.

This song is called "Some Girls Don't Cry."

♪ I packed a suitcase for the weekend ♪

♪ You won't find me around ♪

♪ I might be headed out to Reno ♪

♪ All I know is I'm getting out of town ♪

♪ One door closes, another opens wide ♪

♪ Some girls don't cry... ♪

Here we go!

Not lacking any confidence.

My God.

♪ I'm going dancing ♪

♪ Tonight ♪

♪ All my girlfriends ♪

♪ The whole damn weekend ♪

♪ I think you finally done me right ♪

♪ Some girls don't cry... ♪

I honestly, you know, barely sang at rehearsal.

Being sick, the band kept going

and I just quit singing.

♪ You cheated and you lied just like ♪

-♪ Your mama said you would... ♪ -But tonight,

I'm still gonna give it 150%, you know, no matter what.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,

and I don't want to let anything or anyone mess it up.

♪ All my girlfriends ♪

♪ Hand me my Ray-Bans ♪

♪ I think my future's looking bright... ♪

Listening to Billie Jo just blew me away,

because I know that she's sick, and she sounded amazing.

♪ Boy, I hate to bust your bubble ♪

♪ Some girls don't ♪

♪ Cry ♪

Thank you so much, y'all. My name is Billie Jo Jones,

from Texas.

Y'all give me some tens out there.

♪ Upbeat, dramatic music ♪

It's great. The crowd loved her.

I swear, it's almost like she wasn't singing live.

Uh, to me, like, her pitch is that solid.

-Mm-hmm. -You know what I mean? Like,

she kind of has that raspy voice.

She just has such control over it.

Could you tell I was, I was hurting, though?

-Don't lie to me. -Tone was great.

-No, seriously, your tone was... -'Cause it hurt.

-Like, you have killer tone. -It hurt me to sing.

Well, you got through it. That's all that matters.

Four months ago, uh,

if you would have told me I was doing this,

I would have laughed in your face.

My name's Briana Adams.

I'm from a super, super small Texas town

called Winchester.

No one's ever heard of it, I promise you.

La Grange?

About 16...

In 2000, the population, if you googled it, said 50.

Beautiful. Gorgeous.

Never thought little old Briana

from Winchester, Texas would ever be

touring with the likes of Keith Urban.

What do I do with my hands? Where do I put them?

Change is scary, but I'm here for it,

like getting out of my comfort zone.

The small-town bar, you know,

occasional festival kind of thing

is-is just where I've stayed, and...

I think it definitely shaped my music influence, for sure.

You've got such a cool

Southern rock stage presence about you.

Like, the only thing I would tell you is maybe just

dig in on that foot a little bit more,

make it a little more angry,

-you know? -Okay.

I think that I'm meant to be here.

You know, that scared small-town girl, like,

it's time to grow up, like, let's do it.

Kick it in the butt.

And this is my dream.

I've, like, I've wanted this my... Whew.

I didn't know I was gonna get emotional.

Sorry.

Yeah, no, this is, uh,

something I've wanted my whole life.

Ladies and gentlemen, Briana Adams.

And I know if I don't do it now,

I'll probably never do it, so...

time to get off my ass and go for it.

What's up, Texas? How we doing out there tonight?

I'm so glad to be starting out here

in my home state.

My name is Briana Adams.

♪ I grew up on the outskirts ♪

♪ Of a town they call La Grange ♪

♪ Famous for the Chicken Ranch... ♪

I love Briana's story, you know,

when she walked into the audition,

you could tell you're talking to somebody

from a very small town.

She writes about what she knows and what she's experienced,

and I just have a ton of respect for it.

♪ 'Cause it's just another sleepy ♪

♪ Texas town ♪

♪ Ain't much going on ♪

♪ Until the sun goes down ♪

♪ But when it comes down to it ♪

♪ You only know the name ♪

♪ But when it comes down to it ♪

♪ You only know the name ♪

Thank y'all so much, Texas. I love you.

Again, my name is Briana Adams, and if you dig what you heard,

be sure to give me a vote, y'all.

Thank you so much. God bless you. Thank you.

She could learn some things with leaning in

and backing off and just working the mic a bit more.

She did get them engaged, though, it seemed like.

You stand right here.

As soon as they walk up, we'll bring you up.

-Okay. -You can stand right here.

Channing, take two.

A/B Common Mark, soft sticks.

Okay. Crossing.

My name's Channing Wilson.

I'm from Lafayette, Georgia.

I've been doing this for 25-plus years.

In 1999, I seen a songwriter

named Billy Joe Shaver,

and after that show, I was inspired to quit my job

as quick as I could, buy a better guitar

and start writing songs.

♪ Seventeen, you don't think that much about life... ♪

I've caught this thing on fire twice.

What?

Yeah, I definitely have

a secret weapon,

uh, when it comes to, uh, performing solo.

I write songs that I can sing.

Just me and a guitar.

That's the one that's went everywhere with me, so...

I bought it new. It was shiny when I bought it.

Wow.

One of these days, I'll retire it.

Not today, though.

When I started doing this,

there was no road map for me.

Social media really wasn't a thing.

I kept grinding and grinding, well on into my 30s.

I'm 49 now and I'm still getting it.

♪ She got the best of me... ♪

I wrote, uh, "She Got the Best of Me"

by Luke Combs.

Number one country radio single.

One of the biggest songs of the year in 2018.

Music business is definitely not a joke.

I've been told, uh,

"no" way more than I've ever had a phone ring

in my hand for sure, you know.

But it's better than roofing houses.

I'm the oldest on the show.

This is my last chance.

What's at stake? Everything.

This could possibly give me everything I ever wanted.

Ladies and gentlemen, Channing Wilson!

♪ I heard that train whistle moaning, this morning ♪

Yeah-heh!

♪ I got that old-time feeling ♪

♪ In my bones ♪

Come on, now.

♪ The wind and the whippoorwill's crying ♪

♪ Oh, it feels like the blues coming on ♪

♪ Well, Lord, I, I feel the blues ♪

♪ Coming on ♪

♪ My pride's shaking, my heart's aching ♪

♪ And my mind's already gone ♪

-Channing is the bomb.com. -Sounds like money, baby.

Sounds like he's been doing this for a minute.

♪ Out of an old Howlin' Wolf song ♪

♪ Lord, I, I feel ♪

♪ The blues ♪

Thank y'all very much.

My name's Channing Wilson. I'd sure

appreciate it if you gave me your vote.

That song of his, man, played

to every part of his voice.

He's literally like

some country legend we already know somehow.

Yeah. Yeah.

It was amazing.

He had 'em, first note.

They'll be hitting their phones for that guy.

Here it is. The time has come.

My name is Blaine Bailey.

I'm 23 years old and I've been

playing music since I was about seven or eight years old.

My father, he used to jam all the time

with his family, and they'd give me

a little Walmart guitar. I would just play

the rhythm, you know, just strum the strings,

and that really started my songwriting journey.

My dad, unfortunately, passed away back in 2020.

Actually this hawk feather, red hawk feather,

he gave that to me.

I wanted to bring him along on this journey with me

so he's always here with me, watching me.

I think that he would probably be in awe

of how far that I've made it.

-Yeah, man. I'm ready. -Okay, cool.

♪ Percussive music ♪

I believe that I'm right where I'm supposed to be.

You know, God has blessed me with

being able to write songs.

I'm very proud to be Native American.

I like singing about, you know, our issues,

'cause a lot of Natives, you know,

they don't have that voice.

I'm just here, calm.

You're gonna crush it, Blaine.

-Yeah, you are. -Thank you, man. Thank y'all.

I'm looking forward to it.

Opening for Keith Urban

is something I never imagined

that I would be able to do this soon

in my career. I hope that this opportunity

can change my life, further my career

and be able to support my family.

Have fun when you're out there. Make eye contact.

-Try to not be very stiff. -Yeah.

Ladies and gentlemen, Blaine Bailey!

How we feeling, Fort Worth?

I was really intrigued by Blaine.

You don't see a lot of Native Americans

pursuing mainstream music.

♪ Well, string them feathers ♪

♪ In my long hair ♪

♪ And put me on a plain T-shirt the fans will wear ♪

The fact that, you know, he's able to take

his heritage and plug that into what he's doing musically

gives him an edge that nobody else in the competition has,

but maybe nobody else

in country music, period, that I can think of.

♪ I been known as a savage ♪

♪ By the ones who ravaged ♪

♪ Tore through the home we have made ♪

♪ Back when a pale face ♪

♪ Could be so out of place ♪

♪ In what they call America these days ♪

Man, I don't know. I just...

It's getting harder right about now.

♪ Remember when a pale face ♪

♪ Could be so out of place ♪

♪ In what they call America these days ♪

Yeah.

♪ Oh, look at me ♪

♪ Have a plain white tee ♪

Thank y'all so much.

I would be so honored if you cast your vote for me.

Have a great night.

I picked that guy to be on the show.

You know, it's not even about reading the room.

You've got your message you want to deliver,

but you're also here to try to win this crowd over

-and win this competition. -Either lead

or they're gonna look around for a leader.

Have fun.

They're here to have a good time. They're slammed up

against the front of the stage. They're gonna be very excited.

-Are you wearing a skirt? -Yeah.

Don't open your legs too wide.

I'll be a lady about it.

I'm Olivia Harms. I'm 29. I was born

and raised on a ranch in Canby, Oregon.

Oh yeah, we got the bone.

We're ready to go. Oh, here comes Sammy.

I started out by

moving to Nashville right after college,

and then COVID happened and that sent me

back home to the ranch.

I guess that I am considered a cowgirl.

I get my hands dirty

and I do know how to castrate, you know.

I knew as soon as I could remember

that I wanted to play music.

My mom, Joni Harms, is a musician.

Ladies and gentlemen, please make welcome,

-Joni Harms! -Joni Harms!

♪ After all ♪

♪ We've been through together ♪

She was signed to Capitol Records in the mid-90s

when she was due with me.

And I just feel like I was put on Earth to do this.

People say, like,

"you've got some really big boots

"to fill," you know? And I know I do.

My mom is my biggest role model.

Um, but I also don't want to be

compared to her all the time because we are different.

I'm here to blaze my own trail and have people know

who Olivia Harms is.

It's the first show.

Trust in yourself.

Okay, good advice.

Olivia seems a little bit timid, but

I think she's got a great personality,

and I think she's gonna

win a lot of people over.

Ladies and gentlemen, Olivia Harms!

Howdy, howdy, Fort Worth!

How the heck are y'all doing? Oh, my gosh!

Well, I'm so glad to be back in Texas,

and I probably played at more rodeos than I could count,

and I know we have rodeo fans in Fort Worth.

Yeah.

♪ This little lady was born to run ♪

♪ Chasing down the morning sun ♪

♪ About the time you came along ♪

♪ I was fixing to get gone... ♪

The original that I get to do at the show

is really important to me.

I kind of had writer's block,

and so I called my mom because

that's what girls do when things go wrong, they call Mama.

As soon as we hung up, I found myself getting my guitar out.

♪ I break hearts, baby, don't you know ♪

♪ This ain't my first rodeo... ♪

Before I knew it, I had the song, and I found

a lot of people have connected to it,

which just makes, makes your heart so happy.

♪ I'm sorry it's got to be this way ♪

♪ Maybe I'll come back one day ♪

♪ This ain't my first rodeo ♪

♪ We'll have a good run but when it's time to go... ♪

I'm a big fan of what Olivia does.

She truly is a cowgirl.

♪ Driving off ♪

♪ In my pickup truck... ♪

How's that gonna play,

you know, out here on the road?

I have no idea. It could be huge

and it, and it may not work for her, but I do think

she's an important artist to have on this show.

♪ I break hearts, baby, don't you know ♪

♪ This ain't my first rodeo ♪

Oh, that's right,

Fort Worth, I know it ain't yours.

Our time has come to an end but before I go,

remember to keep it Western, be kind to each other and throw

some high marks at Olivia Harms

'cause I cannot keep chasing this dream without y'all.

God bless.

Yeah, just...

she might have been a bit too reserved

for this rowdy Texas crowd.

They're starting to get riled up.

Yeah, they're getting harder to impress about now.

-Right, right. -They're like, "Okay,

we've heard a lot of stuff, what do you got?"

-Right. -Even now you can't even

keep saying "Texas" and get them to...

cheer.

They're like, "Everyone's done that, what else you got?"

Five-minute warning, Jon. Five minutes.

All right. I'll grab my guitar.

I have never done anything remotely close to this.

This is incredible.

-Thank you so much. -You're welcome.

Usually I just use it for my hot flashes.

I feel like that's what I'm having right now.

The Road has been the first opportunity

that might make my dreams come true.

Let's do this.

-Well, you look good. -Thanks, buddy,

-you look good. -Thank you.

I wish I had the muscles you did.

Well, I wish I had that jacket you did.

-The musk-cles. -And I wish I had

that mustache you have.

My name is Jon Wood, I am 28 years old

and I am from Wake Forest, North Carolina.

I was born into music.

My dad raised us all to do music, and it was, like,

something I thought every family did.

I remember being 21 years old and my dad telling me,

"Why don't you just go try it? Why don't you go try Nashville?"

You know, here I am seven years later,

and I think a lot about the moments

where I thought it would all fail.

But I mean, Keith Urban grew up

the same way I did, with a dream,

starting his first band and moving to Nashville

and grinding.

And it shows you that

-"I can do it, too." -One, two...

I'm singing my song "Too Country."

Talking about being not sorry that I might be

a little redneck or, you know,

my truck might be a little dirty.

I feel like that kind of describes me in the best way.

Your song is fun.

-Yeah. -You-You've got the whoos

and the yeehaws and all that,

and you've got the moves and everything,

but flirt a little bit.

You're too, you're too cute not to flirt.

Give it up for Jon Wood!

♪ A little Hank on a Saturday night... ♪

-Yeah. -♪ Solo Cup ♪

♪ Half full of moonshine... ♪

The thing that struck me about Jon Wood

is the very first time we saw him in the audition.

Jon's voice is-is that kind of country voice

that, uh, truly is like a-a honky-tonk sound.

His voice is made for a sawdust floor.

♪ That I do it like my daddy done ♪

♪ I keep my dirt over your high society ♪

♪ You might not love it, but... ♪

I think the best thing my dad ever told me was,

"You're not gonna wake up

at 18 years old and just be successful."

You know, he said, "You're gonna have

"to go out there and bust your ass

and work every day at it."

This is what he was talking about.

♪ That ain't too country to me ♪

Thank y'all so much. Y'all, make my dreams come true.

Press that vote button on Jon Wood.

I love y'all so much.

-Y'all have a great night. -I love that guy.

-I love his voice. -I do, too. I do, too.

I would've done the song a little bit higher.

-Oh, really? In a higher key? -Do you ever mess around...

-mess around with keys? -Yeah, hell yeah.

'Cause so much of it is in this lower part.

When he got up high, I was like, "Oh, here we go. It's good."

When he opens up, he's got like, just the right amount of like...

-Nasal. Yeah. -Nasal, like Ronnie has.

-You know what I mean? -Yes.

-Yeah, yeah. -It's like, I was in.

That was incredible. That was incredible.

Sounded great, dude.

-How you doing? -I'm good.

-Feeling good? -I'm so excited. Yeah.

-Good. Good. -I can't wait.

Ladies and gentlemen, Cassidy Daniels!

You have to be a little bit insane to do this.

'Cause, you know, you have to walk out on stage believing

that you're the best thing since sliced bread

while simultaneously knowing that you ain't.

I was born in a little small town in Appalachia,

Marion, North Carolina, and my mom married an Army man,

and that made us move 15 times.

Growing up an Army brat, I've moved so much,

I'm really great at making friends... I love people...

I can sleep anywhere, literally.

And that's kind of the perfect recipe

of what you need to be on the road.

Okay, I had to go check out the venue we're playing.

It's The Road, man.

I've been living in Nashville

for about eight and a half years.

Don't tell nobody, though. It's a ten-year town.

That means if you come here and you've not made it

in ten years, you're probably not going to.

Especially as a female, you've got a lot less time.

This opportunity for someone who's been trying to make it

for a hot minute is unlike anything else

that country music has to offer.

Where are my ladies at tonight?

Is there any ladies out there that are a little wild?

This is for y'all.

♪ I want to kiss you like you've never been kissed ♪

♪ Make you forget that she ever existed ♪

♪ Even if you don't want to fall ♪

♪ Get you singing, baby, ooh... ♪

Oh, God, tambourine girl's here!

My original is called "Crazy Love."

I like to call this my "feral girlie anthem."

If you've ever been in an argument with a man

and he's called you crazy

and you went ballistic after that, this is your song.

-♪ Ooh... ♪ -This song conveys an emotion,

but the main thing about this song

is how it showcases my vocals.

♪ Have you howling at the moon... ♪

I knew I'd be playing it for somebody someday,

but not for Keith Urban, and it's kind of crazy.

No pun intended.

♪ 'Cause I'll show you crazy ♪

♪ Crazy, crazy, crazy love ♪

♪ The kind I know that you've been ♪

♪ Dreaming of ♪

Whoo!

♪ Yeah, baby, if you're all in ♪

♪ And if you give it all you got, then ♪

♪ I'll show you crazy, crazy, crazy ♪

♪ Crazy love ♪

♪ Yeah, baby... ♪

She's blowing their minds out there right now.

Melting faces.

-She's melting faces right now. -Oh, yeah.

♪ I'll show you crazy, crazy ♪

♪ Crazy, crazy ♪

♪ Oh ♪

-Yeah! -Yay!

Thank y'all so much, Fort Worth.

-That's good. -My name is Cassidy Daniels.

Don't forget to vote for me. Thank y'all so much.

♪ Hillbilly hippie ♪

-Whoo! -♪ Right down... ♪

Now that's how you end the night right there.

Man, my heart's still, like, racing about that.

She's, like, loose and carefree. She's like, "Ah!"

And so, we're like, "Ah!"

You know?

Hey, hey, hey.

You guys just saw some really amazing performances

from some really talented musicians up here.

Now it is time for the one,

the only, the main event:

Keith Urban!

Oh, my God!

-I've been here the whole time. -I thought I recognized you.

Yeah.

Let's go watch Keith.

Get Urban'd up, man.

Keith! Keith! Keith! Keith!

I know you guys.

Thanks for sticking around late on a Sunday night.

Thank you.

♪ Uh, one, two, three, four ♪

♪ Hey, why we living every day ♪

♪ In circles ♪

♪ Just burning out, burning out? ♪

♪ I don't want to just go through the motions ♪

♪ Going round and round ♪

♪ It's taking us down ♪

♪ I ain't buyin' this life's ♪

♪ Got to be such a mother ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, 'cause we kind of got it all ♪

-♪ When we got each other ♪ -♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ You and me used to be like a year-round summer ♪

-♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪ -♪ Let's go back ♪

♪ Oh, hit the gas, in a straight line, baby ♪

♪ Hey, what you say ♪

♪ We're never gonna look back now... ♪

Oh, my gosh, watching Keith Urban perform

is a total master class.

He doesn't even have to say anything.

He has the audience in the palm of his hands.

Watching Keith,

this guy is a true genius

at what he does.

♪ In a straight line, baby... ♪

The way he moves on stage and becomes one

with his instrument,

it just kind of oozes out of him,

you know, and it's kind of effortless.

♪ In a straight line, baby ♪

♪ Hey, what you say ♪

♪ We're never gonna look back now ♪

♪ In a straight line, baby ♪

♪ Starting now, taking a straight line ♪

♪ Straight into forever with you ♪

♪ Straight line, straight line ♪

♪ Straight into forever ♪

-♪ Still got you right there ♪ -♪ Straight line... ♪

Tonight was the first time

I got to see Keith Urban.

I mean, he's a bona fide rock star.

I feel like I got a grasp on what I need to do going forward.

I'm definitely gonna have to dig in my catalog

and bring up some up-tempo songs

that I've been sitting on for a while

because I'm gonna have to bring it because these, uh,

crowds are rowdy and they're ready to go.

Thank you so much!

Thank you, Fort Worth!

♪ Slow, gentle music ♪

-I don't like this. -Me, either.

-No. -Yeah, this is sad.

I don't care for this part.

I knew that the competition

was gonna be stiff, because ain't nobody

is a rookie here, but watching Keith work the crowd

has me rethinking everything I did on stage.

I'm worried that I didn't do enough.

And the longer I'm sitting here, the more I'm seeing,

man, this competition is gonna be tough.

-Here we go. -What's up, everybody?

♪ Slow, suspenseful music ♪

Good job tonight, guys.

-Thank you. -It was a bit of a tough crowd

-sometimes, huh? -Yes.

A lot of you knew

what to do in that room,

and some of you, I think, had a good talent

but it was ill-suited to the room.

I think sometimes that the song choices

in certain cases didn't work,

but, um, there was a lot of good up there, too.

A lot of good.

In particular, three made it through,

who are absolutely saved.

Those three are Cassidy...

...Cody...

...and Adam.

Yeah, I think you guys

just came out swinging tonight.

The energy was great.

And when you came out barefooted and, like,

completely swag loose,

the whole audience immediately felt that energy.

You came out guns blazing, the audience went, "Okay."

So if you want the audience to feel a certain way,

you have to start by being that way yourself.

And as exciting

as the top three are, we also have a bottom three

that we have to talk about.

And that is Olivia,

Forrest and Blaine.

It sucks, but it's just about

how you connected here in this place tonight

with this particular audience that came out to see Keith.

If you're not in the bottom three,

you're gonna get on the tour bus and head to the next town.

-Congratulations, everybody. -Congratulations, buddy.

-Thank you. -That was great.

Good job, good job.

Way to go, brother.

This is gonna suck.

Oh, my God, that kid's almost already crying.

Forrest, I'll start with you.

You bring such a unique take on performing.

The thing that you've got to figure out is,

how do I take that guy and then connect with people?

And Olivia, when we're in Fort Worth, Texas,

a lot of these people are cowboys that have come to town

for the weekend rodeo.

Maybe that particular song

just wasn't enough to kind of rile them up.

And Blaine, I think Keith said it best earlier:

whatever it is that you give them

is kind of what you can expect to get back from them.

We all felt like maybe you had the least amount of connection

to the audience tonight and for that reason, I'm sorry,

we're gonna have to send you home.

All right.

It's like, all of us experience this.

Y-You play somewhere on a certain night

and for some reason, that crowd just doesn't connect

with what you do and who you are.

You go to the next town the next night,

that crowd does, and nothing's changed about you.

You've just found something

that just lined up with that audience that night.

I'm really thankful for this opportunity.

I'm glad I got to be here and...

be a part of this thing.

Give me a hug.

-You're a badass. -Thank you.

I'm just gonna keep on going.

This is just another bump in the road.

Good working with another fellow Okie.

-Yes, sir. Yeah. -Okay, man. Okay.

-So nice to meet you, man. -You, too, man.

-Thank you. -And you're the youngest

of the whole bunch, so you got

-everything ahead of you. -Yes, sir.

♪ "Life Is a Highway" by Rascal Flatts ♪

-We love you. -Oh...

I knew it, I knew it. Oh, I'm so proud of you.

Hey!

You guys rocked it, you're safe. We're going to Dallas.

♪ Life is a highway... ♪

Hands in, everybody.

Let's go to Dallas, baby.

Dallas, baby.

♪ If you're going my way... ♪

With Fort Worth in the rearview mirror,

-11 musicians hit the highway. -Hey, we got bananas,

oranges and Crown Royal.

Take your pick.

They'll be facing new cities,

new challenges and each other.

The Road's gonna give music fans a chance

to see what it really looks like

to be on the road and what it takes to make it.

-The highs... -Honestly, I feel like

-I'm in a dream right now. -...the lows...

Just fighting my sickness again.

I'll be fine, I promise.

Are you sure?

-The sacrifice. -Well, I sure

-miss you guys, I know that. -Oh, we miss you, too.

-...the longing... -No!

-...the heartbreak... -This is a day

that will stay with them for a long time.

-...the questioning... -Did I miss a bar?

...the fear, the insecurity.

Cassidy already played this song.

Yeah, they all sound the same.

I'm just glad they done voting

by the time she gets up there.

Everything counts.

What's going on?

-And it's do or die. -Take a breath.

What?

It's the biggest thing I've ever done in my life.