Scotty McCreery Announces Special Concert At Venue Where George Strait Got His Start After ‘Damn Strait’ Hits No.1

Scotty McCreery scored his fifth No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with his latest single “Damn Strait.” 

The country superstar took to Instagram stories on Monday evening (July 19) to reveal the exciting news with fans. McCreery shared a selfie of himself sitting on a plane home from a golf trip in Ireland.

“POV: You find out you have the #1 song on Country Radio this week!!! Damnnn Straittt!!!” McCreery wrote alongside a selfie of himself all smiles.

The North Carolina native later shared a graphic that read, “5 Damn Strait #1s in a row. Thank you Country Radio!” He also added, “Can’t thank y’all enough. This is crazyy!”

He also announced a concert to celebrate his No. 1 at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas.

“And we’re celebrating the #1 song where the King got his start!” McCreery shared. ”See you soon, Texas!”

Gruene Hall holds a special meaning to McCreery as it’s where he filmed the “Damn Strait” music video and the venue is where George Strait got his start, playing for years before landing a record deal and launching his legendary country music career.

McCreery’s music video shoot marked his first visit to the legendary dance hall, which was built in 1878.

The black-and-white music video features footage of McCreery and his band performing on the famed Texas stage intertwined with photos and memories of Strait’s decades-long career.  

The clip was directed by Austin, Texas-based filmmaker Jeff Ray, the same videographer who also directed McCreery’s music videos for “Five More Minutes,” “This Is It” and “In Between.”

“‘Damn Strait’ is both a classic country heartbreak song as well as a tribute to George Strait,” McCreery shared upon the release of the video. “I knew I wanted to film it at a place that paid respect to both elements of the song. When my director Jeff Ray suggested Gruene Hall, where George performed regularly with his Ace in the Hole Band before becoming the legend that he is today, I knew that was the perfect location.” 

Visiting Gruene Hall was something McCreery will never forget. 

“You can feel the history and the music of country music’s past and present in every inch of that venue,” he added. “I’ve wanted to visit Gruene Hall for a long time, and now that I have, I’m looking forward to eventually coming back there to do a show.”

Co-written by Trent Tomlinson and Jim Collins, “Damn Strait” appears on McCreery’s fifth studio album, Same Truck. The song quickly became the fastest-rising single of his career. 

Throughout the track, McCreery references several of Strait’s songs, including “Nobody In His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her,” “Marina del Rey,” “Baby Blue,” “Blue Clear Sky,” “Give It Away,” and “I Hate Everything.”

“The other day right out of a Blue Clear Sky / You came on in my truck / I couldn’t turn it off fast enough / I tried to get back in the game / But this ole heart just ain’t the same / Hell I can’t even Give It Away,” McCreery sings in the second verse. 

The track is one of two tracks McCreery didn’t write on his latest album, however, he says he connected with it immediately.

​​“Every now and then you hear a song that sounds so much like you,” McCreery recalled in a recent press release. “I grew up as a huge George Strait fan, and when I heard this song, I raised my hand to say, ‘I want this one.’ Every country fan has a George Strait story, and everyone has a memory attached to their favorite songs.”

McCreery is currently on the road playing the festival circuit as he awaits the arrival of his first child later this year.