The Boot News Roundup: Luke Combs Performs the Players Championship + More

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.

Luke Combs performed at this year's Military Appreciation Day during the Players Championship. Combs follows Sam Hunt, Toby Keith, Jake Owen, Dierks Bentley, and Big & Rich as a Military Appreciation Day performer, and he describes the show as a "once in a lifetime experience." “The fact that my performance is part of a ceremony that honors our men and women in the armed forces makes it even more special," Combs said in a statement.

Country trio Midland will headline this year's Nash Country Kick-Off Party, just ahead of CMA Fest in Nashville. The trio will be joined by Radio Romance, Abby Anderson, and Brown & Gray at the party, which will benefit Musicians On Call, an organization that assists patients in hospitals with access to live and recorded music. Set for June 5, tickets for the show are on sale now.

In support of women-led live music businesses, Live Nation Entertainment has established the Women Nation Fund. The investment fund will bring the massive events company's resources to female entrepreneurs in the "concert promotions, events, and festival spaces," according to Music Row. Budding music entrepreneurs can apply for the Women Nation Fund online.

The Nashville Ballet will soon collaborate with singer-songwriters from Music City's legendary Bluebird Cafe on Emergence, an experimental project that pairs choreographers, dancers, and musicians to produce new works with only twelve hours in the studio. Mo Pitney, Kate Cosentino, Rick Brantley, Morgan Bosman, and Lucie Silvas are among the singer-songwriters from The Bluebird to be selected to participate in the series. Fans can watch these performances at the Nashville Ballet from May 24 through June 3.