Blake Shelton

It is all about February 25^th. That is the night Blake Shelton will heat up the stage in Brookings for a stop on his “2011 All About Tonight Tour”.

Blake and opening acts Easton Corbin and The Band Perry are sure to make the night one to remember.

Photo Credit: gotcountryonline.com

Shelton, the fiancé of fellow country star Miranda Lambert, started his career out strong. His debut single “Austin” held the number one spot on the Billboard Country chart for six long weeks in 2001.

He went on to score two more number ones with “The Baby” and “Some Beach”, but superstar status was just out of reach until recently.  

2010 was by far his best year yet.

"This has been an amazing year for me," Shelton said in his website biography. "If you would have told me when I started out that I would have two major awards, a CD in the upper reaches of the charts, a sold-out show at the Ryman Auditorium and a career that's generally on fire, I would have thought you were pulling my leg."

Blake sings about the things he knows best. He is guaranteed to have the crowd on their feet for party anthems such as “The More I Drink” and “Hillbilly Bone”, but he can also show a serious side. His raucus recollections of the night before are balanced by songs that reveal regrets about relationship mistakes and reminisce about home.

His opening acts also have a lot to offer.

Photo Credit: thebandperry.com

The Band Perry is a sibling trio that plays a unique mix of country and rock. Lead singer Kimberly Perry’s hauntingly sweet voice makes their standout hit “If I Die Young” something to look forward to hearing.

Photo Credit: lyricsbird.com

Florida native Easton Corbin is also sure to make a splash. He is a George Strait sound-alike that will prove he is “A Little More Country Than That” with a lineup of traditional yet fresh songs.

As for Blake, it is a miracle what getting rid of a mullet can do for a career. The 2010 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year said goodbye to his signature hair style a few years ago, and hello to a new approach to country music.

He has become an innovator in how he approaches releasing new music and uses social media to connect with fans.

Blake has chosen to release new music in extended play albums he calls “Six Paks”, because they each contain six songs.

"I can record a lot more and release a lot more,” Shelton said in a USA Today article.

He promotes his music on Twitter, but the networking site has also become his go-to outlet for speaking his mind on topics such as PETA and gun control.

Whether people find his tweets funny or offensive, he has drawn a following of over 174,000.

On December 8^th, 2010 at 1:54 AM, he tweeted, “I’m so drunk right now I just defrosted my cat…In the microwave….”

You can follow Blake on Twitter at @BlakeShelton and still get tickets to the concert through the Swiftel Center or Ticketmaster.com.

Blake and Miranda

Photo Credit: Bev Moser/CRB

They go together like burgers and fries. Like peanut butter and jelly. Like pickles and ice cream. Like unicorns and glitter. Maybe these comparisons are a little too “progressive” to describe Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert’s relationship and May 9 engagement, but there’s no denying that country’s cutest couple is a perfect match.

The seemingly low key, low stress and low pressure relationship they’ve been in for the past five years just seems to work for them; and in an industry where crash-and-burn relationships abound, that is no small feat.

The country couple met doing what they both do best … singing. “CMT’s 100 Greatest Duets” concert paired them together for a rendition of the classic country love ballad, “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma” back in 2005, and they’ve been living out their very own love song ever since.

Lambert, 26, is a sweet but wild Texan with a powerful voice and an attitude to boot. She rose to fame after becoming a finalist on the reality TV show “Nashville Star” in 2003 and has gone on to win numerous awards, which include album of the year honors for her last two CDs. Shelton, 34, is a man’s man and former mullet sporter who speaks his mind through controversial Tweets and honest songs that reflect both good times and bad.

Blake and Miranda’s love story has been one of writing together, touring together, toting firearms together and releasing CDs on the same day. Oh, the love. It abounds.

Miranda doesn’t seem to be the type concerned about carats and clarity, but rather loves her engagement ring because Blake made the perfect choice. “I could have bought a nice fishing rod with the money I spent on that ring,” Blake jokingly told Country Weekly magazine.

Although Blake may have splurged on the ring, the couple seems to be keeping wedding festivities sweet and simple. A recent engagement party featured vintage décor, Southern comfort foods and karaoke sung by the attending stars.

It’s the little things like these that mean the most to this grounded couple. In describing their down-to-earth relationship, Miranda told Country Weekly, “Somebody knowin’ what you like on your sandwich … that’s real love.”