The Orioles presented a special end-of-season charity concert featuring the award-winning country duo LOCASH on March 25, 2018 at Ed Smith Stadium to benefit the Sarasota Academy of the Arts Musical Theater Program. The concert wrapped up the Spring Training season in Sarasota, which included a weekend-long series of charitable events in early March highlighted by the club's third annual "Nashville's Music Row Comes to the Ballpark," benefiting the Music Health Alliance and Girls Inc.
Sarasota Academy of the Arts (SAA) is a tuition-free performing and visual arts public charter school serving students from kindergarten through eighth grade. The school focuses on providing students with an outstanding performing arts program far beyond what is typically expected of grade schools. With an emphasis on on-stage performances, students at SAA gain skills and learning experiences not found in a textbook.
The evening began with fans enjoying ballpark concessions, followed by a performance by Kevin MaC. While MaC's roots are in country music and his original music is decidedly country, the singer, songwriter and guitarist surprised the audience with his own spin on hip hop, classic rock, and sometimes an occasional boy band hit. Dreamlined Entertainment Group songwriter Margaret Valentine made a special guest appearance during MaC's set.
LOCASH is a country music duo made up of singer-songwriters Chris Lucas and Preston Brust, natives of Baltimore, Maryland, and Indianapolis, Indiana, respectively. With a sound that fuses modern country and classic heartland Rock with an edgy vocal blend, the independently-minded partners are revered as "one of Nashville's hardest-working acts" (Rolling Stone) whose live show "has consistently been among the most energetic and entertaining in the country music genre" (Billboard).
With two albums and eight charting singles to their credit, LOCASH broke out in 2015 with their gracious GOLD-certified hit, "I Love This Life," followed by the flirtatious GOLD-certified #1 smash, "I Know Somebody" - their first trip to the top of the country radio airplay charts - and 2017's fun-loving romantic anthem "Ring on Every Finger." All three singles were part of their Reviver Records album debut, THE FIGHTERS, which was released in the summer of 2016 to Top 15 success.
The follow up to THE FIGHTERS is expected in 2018, with the forthcoming album's first single "Don't Get Better Than That" available now on all digital platforms. As songwriters, Lucas and Brust have scored two undeniable hits (Keith Urban's #1 "You Gonna Fly" in 2011 and Tim McGraw's PLATINUM-certified "Truck Yeah" in 2012). Currently nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year and New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year at the upcoming ACM Awards, they previously scored nominations at the CMT Music Awards and CMA Awards in 2017.
LOCASH has performed privately for Orioles players, coaches, and staff in Sarasota twice and threw the ceremonial first pitch prior to an Orioles game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards last season. The duo also performed the national anthem at the 2016 World Series.
