Sam Hunt Talks ‘Outskirts’ Tour, Teases ‘Intimate’ Nashville Show
The country star has a slew of shows planned for 2023.
Sam Hunt; Photo by Steven Worster
Following a successful run on the road in 2022, Sam Hunt has revealed that he is ready to do it all over again in 2023.
“This past summer we had an absolute blast, like the best year of touring I’ve ever had,” Hunt revealed as he looks ahead to the next round of shows. “Next year, I think we’re gonna pick up right where we left off.”
The country star took to social media on Monday (March 6) to announce that his upcoming Summer On The Outskirts 2023 Tour is slated to take over amphitheaters across North America. Additionally, he revealed that he will release his new song, “Outskirts,” on Friday (March 10).
“I have these songs and pieces that exist either in my head or in my phone or computer, and that was one that’s been around for a while, but, you know, I told myself several months ago that come hell or high water, I’m putting out music. So, I found that idea and thought, with some work, maybe this can be something,” he said of the forthcoming song.
Throughout Hunt’s career, outdoor venues have become a regular part of his touring routine, meaning he now feels right at home when he returns to those stages.
“We started playing bars and clubs, and then we got to play on the Lady A Tour. So that was my first amphitheater experience,” he shared with Country Now and other outlets. “The other bands, the food, the buses all parked back behind the amphitheater, it’s a whole environment. A lot of them are just in parts of the town that are their own little things, so it’s so familiar to me now because that’s really all I’ve played. I haven’t really done many arenas at all. So it feels like our little home base headquarters there.”
Every summer, thousands of fans flood into their closest Amphitheaters ready to take their pre-determined seats or claim their spots in the general admission grass area. While the grass section can be challenging at times, Hunt agrees that it can also offer some of the best views of the stage and often ends up hosting some of the best memories for music lovers.
“I love being outside as much as I can, so the grass brings something to it, I don’t know, something about the grass on the hill. And there’s so many great amphitheaters with so many great artists that come through that it’s also familiar for the folks who come out too,” he added. “They’re gonna go see, a lot of times, another one or two or three concerts at that same venue that summer. So, a lot of the good times that can be had in that community can be centered around those amphitheaters.”
This time around, Hunt will receive support from Brett Young and Lily Rose. With these artists, the Platinum-selling star hopes to continue to create a family atmosphere both on and off the stage.
“As far as our openers, I like to, you know, kind of follow the serendipitous relationships that have come into my life. It’s easy in the country music world cause you really cross paths with just about everybody and everybody’s, for the most part, so great.”
As he continued to discuss the team that will join him on the upcoming 27-date trek, Hunt revealed that he and Young have gotten to know each other through songwriting sessions and mutual friends that have been a part of both their musical journeys over the years.
“I’ve known him from way back when we were all just writing songs and running around town. (Between) his circle of folks he ran around with and the group that I ran around with, we crossed paths quite a bit,” he shared.
“Then Lily Rose, she works with Seth England. Seth England, who runs Big Loud music, he and I have been buddies for a long time. He was pitching songs when he and I first met and we’ve hung over the years,” Hunt continued. “We’ve stayed in contact and he introduced me to her music. I’ve talked to her and hung with her quite a bit…She just showed a real appreciation for what I’ve done musically and she’s just a great soul, and we’ve had a good time these past couple of years.”
As he prepares for this next round of shows, Hunt will have something else to consider – his baby girl, Lucy. In June of 2022, Sam Hunt announced that he and his wife Hannah Lee Fowler had welcomed their first child. Hunt has a whole new outlook on touring, now that he’s a father.
“Last year, I toured quite a bit. I booked a lot of shows after Covid was starting to let up, but that was before I knew I was going to be having a baby in May. So we played a lot of festivals last summer and I had a whole new appreciation for being out on the road, obviously not being able to tour for two years.”
Before he makes his way to his first stop in Hartford, CT on July 6, Hunt has announced a one-night performance at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Friday, March 10. The night will likely pose an intimate setting for Hunt to deliver his music in a way that focuses less on the high-end production and more on the music itself.
“My band is great and they’re great singers and players and a lot of times, that can get lost in some of the production of our big show on the road,” he shared. “And keeping with this sort of more traditional approach that I’ve lately been taken with the songwriting and even the production, I just like the idea of maybe stripping things down in town.”
He continued, “We haven’t gotten to do that in a while. It’s been maybe seven or eight years since I actually played The Ryman. So just looking forward to just really getting in there and not overthinking it, not scripting it out too much and in preparation for the summer tour, getting in there and trying some songs out, playing them maybe in some new ways. But more than anything, just have a more intimate experience.”
Following his Ryman show, Hunt will head to Las Vegas for a two-night performance at Resorts World Theatre in April.
These upcoming shows are expected to include plenty of his fan-favorite hits as well as his latest releases, “Walmart,” “Start Nowhere,” and “Water Under The Bridge.” His tour will kick off July 6 and run through September when he will wrap things up in Raleigh, NC.
Sam Hunt Summer On The Outskirts 2023 Tour
July 6 Hartford, Conn. at Xfinity Theatre
July 7 – Gilford, N.H. at Bank of NH Pavilion
July 8 – Holmdel, N.J. at PNC Bank Arts Center
July 14 – Wantagh, N.Y. at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
July 15 – Darien Center, N.Y. at Darien Lake Amphitheater
July 16 – Toronto, ON at Budweiser Stage
July 20 – Brandon, Miss. at Brandon Amphitheater
July 21 – Orange Beach, Ala. at The Wharf Amphitheater*
July 22 – Charlotte, N.C. at PNC Music Pavilion
July 27 – Detroit, Mich. at Pine Knob Music Theatre
July 28 – Indianapolis, Ind. at Ruoff Music Center
July 29 – St. Louis, Mo. at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Aug. 3 – Carbondale, Ill. at Southern Illinois University-SIU Banterra Center**
Aug. 4 – Bonner Springs, Kansas at Azura Amphitheater
Aug. 5 – Oklahoma City, Okla. at The Zoo Amphitheatre
Aug. 11 – Irvine, Calif. at FivePoint Amphitheatre
Aug. 12 – Mountain View, Calif. at Shoreline Amphitheatre
Aug. 13 – Stateline, Nev. at Lake Tahoe Harveys Outdoor Arena
Aug. 18 – Houston, Texas at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman***
Aug. 19 – Dallas, Texas at Dos Equis Pavilion
Aug. 20 – Rogers, Ark. at Walmart AMP
Aug. 24 – Bethel, N.Y. at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Aug. 25 – Syracuse, N.Y. at St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
Aug. 26 – Boston, Mass. at MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Sept. 7 – Tampa, Fla. at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sept. 8 – Atlanta, Ga. at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Sept. 9 – Raleigh, N.C. at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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