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FLOCK TO THE BIRDS NEST The Phoenix Open’s music mecca packs the punch of a four-night party BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ
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ach year for four days, there is one party to rule them all in Scottsdale – in a tent and on a golf course. It’s the Coors Light Birds Nest, the entertainment hot spot at the Waste Management Phoenix Open that draws both golf enthusiasts and music lovers, whether you’re a country fan or a rock ‘n’ roll soul “In 2016, we had a headline act every night – how do you top that?” says Dillan Micus, Coors Light Birds Nest chairman. “How about with two headliners each night, transforming this into a real music festival in addition to the biggest party of the year?”
February 1 Night one is a big one for country fans, with Jake Owen and Chase Rice set to headline. A repeat performer at the Coors Light Birds Nest (2014), Owen achieved his first No. 1 hit on the country charts with Barefoot Blue Jean Night and was awarded the 2012 American Country Awards Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Rice cowrote Florida Georgia Line’s Cruise, which topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs, and has since had several other hits. February 2 The country crooners continue with Toby Keith and The Band Perry. Keith has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and was named the Billboard Country Music Artist of the Decade in 2009. He’s had 61 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs list, including 21 No. 1 singles. The Band Perry, comprised of siblings Kimberly, Reid and Neil Perry, released their self-titled debut album with the hit song If I Die Young in 2009, which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs. February 3 Country will take a backseat Friday, with rapper Flo Rida and electro-legends Kaskade taking the stage. Flo Rida has sold more than 80 million digital downloads to date, making him one of the best-selling artists in the digital age. His catalog includes megahits Whistle and My House. Kaskade has sold more than 30 million albums and nearly 15 million digital downloads since hitting the scene in the mid-2000s. They are best known for their hit singles Every Time We Touch and Evacuate the Dance Floor. February 4 The grand finale night will both rock and roll, thanks to Blink 182 and Steve Aoki. Among the most successful punk bands of all time, Blink 182 has sold more than 35 million albums worldwide and created several anthems from the early-2000s musical era, including All the Small Things and What’s My Age Again. Electro-house musician and famed music producer Steve Aoki is currently the highest grossing dance musician in North America and best known for his famed collaborations with will.i.am, LMFAO, Iggy Azalea and Lil Jon. The Coors Light Birds Nest, which is 21 and over, is open daily from 3:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Headline acts will take the main stage nightly at approximately 8 p.m. General admission tickets start at $50 and VIP tickets start at $200. www.coorslightbirdsnest.com.
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| JANUARY 2017