Windy City Smokeout: BBQ & Country Music Fest with Charles Wesley Godwin, Kane Brown, and more

West Virginian singer-songwriter Charles Wesley Godwin is known for his personal storytelling in country music. His acclaimed album, Family Ties, and EP, Lonely Mountain Town, showcase his diary-like songwriting. Collaborating with Al Torrence, ERNEST, and Scott Avett, Godwin is praised for thrilling live performances with his band, Allegheny High. He has appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and performed at Stagecoach and Bonnaroo.

Kane Brown, hailed as "the future of Country," is a 5X AMA winner known for hits like "Worldwide Beautiful" and "What Ifs." He made history by topping all 5 Billboard Country charts simultaneously and has collaborated with artists such as Chris Young and H.E.R. His album "Experiment" debuted No. 1 on the Billboard 200, a first for a male country artist in over 24 years.

Georgia-born Megan Moroney is a rising Country star, celebrated for her hits "No Caller ID" and "Tennessee Orange." Her sophomore album *Am I Okay?* debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 in 2024. Moroney has won Breakthrough Female Video of the Year at the 2023 CMT Music Awards and several other accolades. Known for her emotive style, she's a defining new voice in Country music.

Georgia native and Air Force vet Austin Snell blends hard rock and country, creating "grunge country." Nashville newcomer, known for "Excuse the Mess," received SiriusXM Highway Find and was chosen for the Artist Accelerator program.

Alabama-born country artist Kashus Culpepper blends Southern genres with a husky vocal style. Known for songs like “After Me?” and “Who Hurt You,” he performed at soldiers’ bonfires and later opened for Charles Wesley Godwin and Charley Crockett. Signed to Big Loud Records, he's acclaimed by MusicRow and The Tennessean.