Welcome to The Boot's News Roundup, a morning rundown of the news country music fans need to know. Read on to learn more about the latest goings-on in the country, Americana, bluegrass and folk genres.

Nashville will celebrate the Fourth of July with a performance from Lady Antebellum. According to the Tennessean, the trio is set to headline the Let Freedom Sing concert, which will also feature performances from Chris Janson, Lucie Silvas and Shannon Sanders. The free concert, held on a stage at 5th Avenue and Broadway in downtown Music City, will take place before a fireworks show soundtracked by the Nashville Symphony. The party kicks off at 4PM on July 4.

2018 country music predictions
Rick Diamond, Getty Images
loading...

Also in Nashville, Jason Isbell and Billy Joe Shaver will perform at a concert in celebration of the new Outlaws & Armadillos: Country's Roaring '70s exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The event, organized by Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings and scheduled for May 25 at 8PM, will also feature performances from Jamey Johnson, Colter Wall, Amanda Shires, Jack Ingram, Joe Ely and Bobby Bare. A few days earlier, on May 18, a two-disc set with the same name is set for release, commemorating the exhibit. The project features songs from artists such as Kinky Friedman, Asleep at the Wheel, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson.

The SteelDrivers 2018 tour
Courtesy of Wortman Works
loading...

Bluegrass five-piece the SteelDrivers have announced that they will soon head out on a lengthy slate of dates, known as the Bonafide U.S. Tour, in 2018. The tour kicks off at Liberty Hall in Lawrence, Kan., on April 5, and will make stops in Kentucky, Virginia, Louisiana, Wisconsin and Texas before concluding at the Van Buren in Phoeniz, Ariz., on Nov. 3. Tickets for most dates on the tour are currently on sale, and fans can find more information on the band's website.

Jade Bird
Shervin Lainez
loading...

On May 9, a talented lineup of female artists will take to the stage in Williamsburg, N.Y., to pay tribute to some of country, folk and Americana's finest women songwriters. Amy Helm, Cassandra Jenkins, Courtney Marie Andrews, Jade Bird and more artists will perform classic tunes penned by songwriters such as Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Carole King and Mahalia Jackson. Tickets for the concert, which will be held at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, go on sale on April 6 and all proceeds will benefit the Americana Music Association.

Emmylou Harris Country Music Hall of Fame
Rick Diamond, Getty Images
loading...

This summer, Emmylou Harris will re-release The Ballad of Sally Rose on June 1; the forthcoming release will feature remastered sound and unreleased demos for 10 songs on the album, according to a press release. Harris describes the 1985 record, based on her time with singer-songwriter Gram Parsons, as one of her all-time favorite records.

More From Kicker 102.5