
Mercer Announces Ford Concert Series Artists
8/3/2021 11:10:00 AM | Football
Experience live music before every Mercer home football game!
MACON, Ga. –  Mercer Athletics has unveiled an exciting lineup of accomplished artists that fans are sure to love as part of the 2021 Ford Concert Series. The concert series, which is now in its third season, will feature an array of live music performances at Toby Town before each of Mercer's five home football games this fall. Â
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"We're excited to continue to provide Middle Georgia with outstanding entertainment featuring live music and multiple national recording artists along with an incredible college football experience this fall," said Associate AD for External Operations Daniel Tate. "Music is part of the fabric that makes Macon special, and it is our goal to provide the community with the chance to experience one of the pillars of our wonderful city."
The Ford Concert Series will include headlining performances by Dylan Marlow and Noah Hicks (Sept. 2), Craig Campbell (Oct. 2), Jon Langston (Oct. 16), Chris Lane (Oct. 23) and a final artist for the November 13 home finale which will be announced at a later date.
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Additional performers include Kaitlyn Baker and ERNEST on Oct. 2, Chris Bandi and Priscilla Block on Oct. 16, Joe Lasher and Kameron Marlowe on Oct. 23 and JB Strauss on Nov. 13.
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The concert series is presented by Ford, and Mercer football faithful will have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to enjoy live music from a variety of nationally known recording artists as well as local talent, at Toby Town, the designated tailgating area on Black Field, which is located adjacent to beautiful Five Star Stadium, home of the Bears. Local artists will be announced prior to each home contest.
Noah Hicks (Sept. 2 vs. Point)
Hicks, an up-and-coming 22-year-old artist, signed a publishing, label and development deal with RED Creative in May. His debut single, "No More of 'Em," featuring songwriter and country star Rhett Akins, the father of megastar Thomas Rhett, was released on the 14th of that month. "Noah's the real deal," said RED Creative Group Jeremy Stover. "The energy and raw talent he brings to every writer's room and every stage is next level. We're proud to have him at RED Creative. We're not knocking on doors, we're about to kick some down."
Top Hits
Marlowe inked a contract with Play It Again Music in 2020 after catching the eye of owner and CEO Dallas Davidson, an award-winning songwriter who has 25 No. 1 songs to his credit. Marlowe grew up listening to the likes of Kenny Chesney and Eric Church, who is someone he idolizes for his ability to pen his songs and make the music his own. Marlowe played baseball before getting into music, saying, "I didn't know until my senior year of high school that I could play a guitar much less write a song, so it was pretty cool when I started putting things together and people started taking interest in what I was doing. "The former youth baseball player has found his sweet spot by blending traditional themes and sensibilities with a subtle touch of contemporary production to create a sound that hits a home run with longtime country fans, as well as newer listeners.
Top Hits
Growing up in the small town of Lyons, Ga., a mix of musical gifts and hard work set Campbell's path early on. After falling in love with classic country tunes, he played keyboards in his mother's church and then on the road for an up-and-coming singer at the time named Luke Bryan, eventually landing a coveted bandleader gig in the famous Nashville honky-tonk, The Stage. But with easy charisma and smooth, expressive vocal chops, Campbell himself was soon noticed, leading to a string of singles and two albums which earned comparisons to neo-traditional icons like Alan Jackson and Randy Travis. Starting in 2010, "Family Man" and "Outta My Head" both cracked the Top 15 on Billboard's Country Airplay chart, while others like the hook-in-cheek "Fish" snagged more than 10 million on-demand streams. "Keep Them Kisses Comin'" became a bonafide top 10 hit, while "Outskirts of Heaven" showed an artist sensitive enough to share his soul – and courageous enough to stand on conviction. The uplifting critical smash has been praised by Rolling Stone, Taste of Country and more as a spiritual high-water mark.
Top Hits
Baker rises from the depths of the coal mines where her family has worked for generations and where the coal dust covers more than just the birds in a veneer of black. Referred to as a modern day "coal miner's daughter," her pure country voice rings true and her songwriting rivals Nashville's finest.Â
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Baker has performed coast-to-coast and has opened for Brad Paisley, Craig Morgan, Brett Eldredge, Travis Tritt, Russell Dickerson, Drake White, Billy Currington, LoCash, Tanya Tucker, John Schneider "Bo Duke from the Dukes of Hazzard," Chase Bryant, Rhonda Vincent, Jim Lauderdale and many others.Â
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Top Hits
Adopted at three weeks old and victim to a freak heart attack at 19, surmounting ridiculous odds has always been ERNEST's gift. He learned banjo and guitar before he was a teen but quickly developed a passion for Hip-Hop and R&B as well, citing Eminem, Ludacris, and George Strait as some of his earliest influences. Discovering an equally powerful love of songwriting, ERNEST began working alongside Nashville songwriting royalty like the Warren Brothers and soon earned cuts from Florida Georgia Line ("Dig Your Roots"), Chris Lane ("Big, Big Plans"), LOCASH, Jake Owen, Mason Ramsey, Morgan Wallen and more. Now set to begin his career as an artist, ERNEST will be unlike anything currently afloat in Music City. Hitting the road after spending endless amounts of time in the studio, the Tropical Cowboy showcases his distinct sound on his Big Loud Records debut project, Locals Only. ERNEST also recently released another hit, "American Rust," and scored his fourth No. 1 as a songwriter with Sam Hunt's "Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s."
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Top Hits
Langston grew up in Loganville, Ga., listening to music by his heroes Alan Jackson and the Eagles. He played football, eventually earning a Division I scholarship. After his sixth concussion left him blind for fifteen minutes, his career on the gridiron ended abruptly. While dealing with the frustrations of the injury, he picked up his guitar, which he hadn't touched since the eighth grade, and re-taught himself how to play. Playing open mic nights and working on his songwriting eventually led to the 2013 release of self-penned, "Forever Girl," the first song he ever wrote. That release kicked off his music career which has culminated in sold out shows across the country and over 500 million career streams. He opened for Luke Bryan on his Farm Tour in 2017, which was a full circle moment having attended as a spectator of the Farm Tour only a few years before. Langston signed a publishing deal with Sony ATV, management with KP Entertainment, and is the first artist signed under Luke Bryan's Label 32 Bridge Entertainment with EMI Records Nashville. Langston's debut major label single, "When It Comes To Loving You" reached No. 1 on the all-genre iTunes Chart. His most recent single, "Try Missing You,", was released in July.
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Top Hits
Bandi was born and raised in St. Louis, Mo., but proves you don't have to be from the South to find a niche in country music. After graduating from Ole Miss, Bandi moved to Nashville to pursue his passion – country music. His debut single entitled "Man Enough Now," portrays the sad storyline of relationships gone sour. After releasing "Gone Girl," in 2017, he inked a deal with BMG before a trio of songs – "Rain Man," "Only One," and "Why I Don't Drink," – in 2018. His most recent song "Would Have Loved Her," will pull at the strings of listeners hearts as he expresses how two influential men in his life – his Grandpa Bill and his dad, whom he affectionately called "Pops," – would have loved his girlfriend (now wife) Aimee, had they had the chance to meet her.
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Top Hits
Block draws listeners in with her unfiltered, relatable songwriting and catchy melodies. Block moved to Nashville to pursue music shortly after high school. In Nashville, she worked multiple jobs to make ends meet, then a chance encounter with her idol – Taylor Swift – was the sign she needed to dive all the way in on her music. Over quarantine, she began experimenting with some new songs on the social media app TikTok. There she developed a rabid fanbase with songs like "Thick Thighs," an unapologetic anthem about women embracing their bodies. Her audience rallied together to independently fund the song's recording, and it rose to the top of both the iTunes Country and All Genre Song charts in only 12 short hours. Now, "Just About Over You" is climbing country radio's Top 40.
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Top Hits
Chris Lane (Oct. 23 vs. Wofford)
Lane continues to rise to stardom with 1.2 billion on-demand streams and three No.1 hits – Multi-Platinum "I Don't Know About You," Platinum "Fix,", and Platinum-certified "Big, Big Plans." Stacking his milestones with a pair of all-star collaborations, Lane teamed up with Los Angeles-based artist/producer Gryffin on the infectious track "Hold You Tonight" after his smash multi-platinum single "Take Back Home Girl" with Tori Kelly. Lane has been spotlighted in People Magazine's 2019 Sexiest Man Alive issue, scored nominations at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, ACM Awards and Radio Disney Music Awards, plus appeared on TODAY, The Bachelor, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers and CONAN. The Kernersville, N.C.-native's headline BIG, BIG PLANS TOUR touted 25 sellouts in major cities coast-to-coast. With his brand-new single, "Fill Them Boots," out now, Lane has doubled down on new releases, also dropping "Summer Job Money," with more new music on the horizon.
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Top Hits
Born and raised in Weaverville, N.C., country music entertainer and songwriter Joe Lasher has been calling the stage home since he was a teenager. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, a southern gospel singer, and father, a member of a 90's rock band, Joe has set his sights on capturing the attention of country music lovers.Â
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Drawing inspiration from icons such as Rodney Atkins, Eric Church, Jon Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams, Lasher's music is influenced by a variety of genres ranging from traditional country to gospel and from rock to heavy metal, creating a sound that is all his own. He has shared the stage with Brett Young, Locash, Ashley McBryde, Russell Dickerson, Hardy, and Old Dominion.Â
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Top Hits
After starting college in hopes of studying music, life intervened, and Marlowe left to help his family, taking a steady job selling car parts in his hometown instead. A hint of what could have been came in 2018, with a Top 24 appearance on Season 15 of NBC's The Voice. His first hit, "Giving You Up," was written over a day-and-a-half span following a devastating breakup. After signing with Columbia and releasing a self-titled EP in 2020, Marlowe tapped another electrifying power ballad as his single debut, sending the buzzed-and-broken "Sober as a Drunk" to country radio. In response, he was named to more than a dozen "ones to watch" lists, opened for stars including Lee Brice, Dustin Lynch, and Chris Young, and sold out headlining club shows throughout the Southeast. He'll join Brad Paisley for his TOUR 2021 beginning in July. And now by working with mega-producer Dann Huff (Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett, etc.), he's being challenged to believe in himself like never before.
Top Hits
Stay tuned for an exciting headlining artist announcement before the home finale against the Chattanooga Mocs.
Â
JB Strauss (Nov. 13 vs. Chattanooga)
Strauss, one of Macon, Ga.'s own, will play as a supporting act in the November 13th season finale. Influenced by the heavy, electric style of bands like The Allman Brothers, Credence Clearwater Revival, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, along with poetic and witty writers like John Prine, Gram Parsons, and Jim Croce, it is fitting that JB borrows from the notion that everything that rises must converge. In "Man Possessed", the title song of his debut EP, he sings of his grandfather's life as a Judge. Another tune, "Piss Ant Hill," is a humorous, yet poignant tale of a man whose fatal mistakes land him in Georgia's Reidsville Prison.
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Top Hits
Season tickets for Mercer's home football games in the fall of 2021 are on sale through the university ticket office. Packages include tickets to all home games. Season ticket holders will have the exclusive opportunity to purchase Mercer at Alabama tickets for the Sept. 11 contest. Due to a limited supply, fans are encouraged to get their tickets as soon as possible by clicking here. For more information concerning ticket prices, seat locations and more, please call (478) 301-5470.Â
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Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Football, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerFootball (Twitter), /MercerFootball (Facebook) and @MercerFootball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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"We're excited to continue to provide Middle Georgia with outstanding entertainment featuring live music and multiple national recording artists along with an incredible college football experience this fall," said Associate AD for External Operations Daniel Tate. "Music is part of the fabric that makes Macon special, and it is our goal to provide the community with the chance to experience one of the pillars of our wonderful city."
The Ford Concert Series will include headlining performances by Dylan Marlow and Noah Hicks (Sept. 2), Craig Campbell (Oct. 2), Jon Langston (Oct. 16), Chris Lane (Oct. 23) and a final artist for the November 13 home finale which will be announced at a later date.
Â
Additional performers include Kaitlyn Baker and ERNEST on Oct. 2, Chris Bandi and Priscilla Block on Oct. 16, Joe Lasher and Kameron Marlowe on Oct. 23 and JB Strauss on Nov. 13.
Â
The concert series is presented by Ford, and Mercer football faithful will have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to enjoy live music from a variety of nationally known recording artists as well as local talent, at Toby Town, the designated tailgating area on Black Field, which is located adjacent to beautiful Five Star Stadium, home of the Bears. Local artists will be announced prior to each home contest.
Noah Hicks (Sept. 2 vs. Point)
Hicks, an up-and-coming 22-year-old artist, signed a publishing, label and development deal with RED Creative in May. His debut single, "No More of 'Em," featuring songwriter and country star Rhett Akins, the father of megastar Thomas Rhett, was released on the 14th of that month. "Noah's the real deal," said RED Creative Group Jeremy Stover. "The energy and raw talent he brings to every writer's room and every stage is next level. We're proud to have him at RED Creative. We're not knocking on doors, we're about to kick some down."
Top Hits
- Drinkin' in a College Town
- No More of 'Em
- Miss You Back
Marlowe inked a contract with Play It Again Music in 2020 after catching the eye of owner and CEO Dallas Davidson, an award-winning songwriter who has 25 No. 1 songs to his credit. Marlowe grew up listening to the likes of Kenny Chesney and Eric Church, who is someone he idolizes for his ability to pen his songs and make the music his own. Marlowe played baseball before getting into music, saying, "I didn't know until my senior year of high school that I could play a guitar much less write a song, so it was pretty cool when I started putting things together and people started taking interest in what I was doing. "The former youth baseball player has found his sweet spot by blending traditional themes and sensibilities with a subtle touch of contemporary production to create a sound that hits a home run with longtime country fans, as well as newer listeners.
Top Hits
- All About It
- Drivers License
- That Truck
- How to Say Goodbye
- Where I Come From Coming Out
Growing up in the small town of Lyons, Ga., a mix of musical gifts and hard work set Campbell's path early on. After falling in love with classic country tunes, he played keyboards in his mother's church and then on the road for an up-and-coming singer at the time named Luke Bryan, eventually landing a coveted bandleader gig in the famous Nashville honky-tonk, The Stage. But with easy charisma and smooth, expressive vocal chops, Campbell himself was soon noticed, leading to a string of singles and two albums which earned comparisons to neo-traditional icons like Alan Jackson and Randy Travis. Starting in 2010, "Family Man" and "Outta My Head" both cracked the Top 15 on Billboard's Country Airplay chart, while others like the hook-in-cheek "Fish" snagged more than 10 million on-demand streams. "Keep Them Kisses Comin'" became a bonafide top 10 hit, while "Outskirts of Heaven" showed an artist sensitive enough to share his soul – and courageous enough to stand on conviction. The uplifting critical smash has been praised by Rolling Stone, Taste of Country and more as a spiritual high-water mark.
Top Hits
- Family Man
- Fish
- Keep Them Kisses Comin'
- Outskirts of Heaven
- Outta My Head
- When I Get It
Baker rises from the depths of the coal mines where her family has worked for generations and where the coal dust covers more than just the birds in a veneer of black. Referred to as a modern day "coal miner's daughter," her pure country voice rings true and her songwriting rivals Nashville's finest.Â
Â
Baker has performed coast-to-coast and has opened for Brad Paisley, Craig Morgan, Brett Eldredge, Travis Tritt, Russell Dickerson, Drake White, Billy Currington, LoCash, Tanya Tucker, John Schneider "Bo Duke from the Dukes of Hazzard," Chase Bryant, Rhonda Vincent, Jim Lauderdale and many others.Â
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Top Hits
- BurnÂ
- Coal Train
- To PiecesÂ
- Heart of AppalachiaÂ
Adopted at three weeks old and victim to a freak heart attack at 19, surmounting ridiculous odds has always been ERNEST's gift. He learned banjo and guitar before he was a teen but quickly developed a passion for Hip-Hop and R&B as well, citing Eminem, Ludacris, and George Strait as some of his earliest influences. Discovering an equally powerful love of songwriting, ERNEST began working alongside Nashville songwriting royalty like the Warren Brothers and soon earned cuts from Florida Georgia Line ("Dig Your Roots"), Chris Lane ("Big, Big Plans"), LOCASH, Jake Owen, Mason Ramsey, Morgan Wallen and more. Now set to begin his career as an artist, ERNEST will be unlike anything currently afloat in Music City. Hitting the road after spending endless amounts of time in the studio, the Tropical Cowboy showcases his distinct sound on his Big Loud Records debut project, Locals Only. ERNEST also recently released another hit, "American Rust," and scored his fourth No. 1 as a songwriter with Sam Hunt's "Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s."
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Top Hits
- Locals Only
- American Rust
- Cheers
Langston grew up in Loganville, Ga., listening to music by his heroes Alan Jackson and the Eagles. He played football, eventually earning a Division I scholarship. After his sixth concussion left him blind for fifteen minutes, his career on the gridiron ended abruptly. While dealing with the frustrations of the injury, he picked up his guitar, which he hadn't touched since the eighth grade, and re-taught himself how to play. Playing open mic nights and working on his songwriting eventually led to the 2013 release of self-penned, "Forever Girl," the first song he ever wrote. That release kicked off his music career which has culminated in sold out shows across the country and over 500 million career streams. He opened for Luke Bryan on his Farm Tour in 2017, which was a full circle moment having attended as a spectator of the Farm Tour only a few years before. Langston signed a publishing deal with Sony ATV, management with KP Entertainment, and is the first artist signed under Luke Bryan's Label 32 Bridge Entertainment with EMI Records Nashville. Langston's debut major label single, "When It Comes To Loving You" reached No. 1 on the all-genre iTunes Chart. His most recent single, "Try Missing You,", was released in July.
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Top Hits
- Forever Girl
- Now You Know
- Right Girl Wrong Time
- Try Missing You
- When It Comes to Loving You
Bandi was born and raised in St. Louis, Mo., but proves you don't have to be from the South to find a niche in country music. After graduating from Ole Miss, Bandi moved to Nashville to pursue his passion – country music. His debut single entitled "Man Enough Now," portrays the sad storyline of relationships gone sour. After releasing "Gone Girl," in 2017, he inked a deal with BMG before a trio of songs – "Rain Man," "Only One," and "Why I Don't Drink," – in 2018. His most recent song "Would Have Loved Her," will pull at the strings of listeners hearts as he expresses how two influential men in his life – his Grandpa Bill and his dad, whom he affectionately called "Pops," – would have loved his girlfriend (now wife) Aimee, had they had the chance to meet her.
Â
Top Hits
- Man Enough Now
- Gone Girl
- Why I Don't Drink
- Would Have Loved Her
Block draws listeners in with her unfiltered, relatable songwriting and catchy melodies. Block moved to Nashville to pursue music shortly after high school. In Nashville, she worked multiple jobs to make ends meet, then a chance encounter with her idol – Taylor Swift – was the sign she needed to dive all the way in on her music. Over quarantine, she began experimenting with some new songs on the social media app TikTok. There she developed a rabid fanbase with songs like "Thick Thighs," an unapologetic anthem about women embracing their bodies. Her audience rallied together to independently fund the song's recording, and it rose to the top of both the iTunes Country and All Genre Song charts in only 12 short hours. Now, "Just About Over You" is climbing country radio's Top 40.
Â
Top Hits
- Just About Over You
- Thick Thighs
Chris Lane (Oct. 23 vs. Wofford)
Lane continues to rise to stardom with 1.2 billion on-demand streams and three No.1 hits – Multi-Platinum "I Don't Know About You," Platinum "Fix,", and Platinum-certified "Big, Big Plans." Stacking his milestones with a pair of all-star collaborations, Lane teamed up with Los Angeles-based artist/producer Gryffin on the infectious track "Hold You Tonight" after his smash multi-platinum single "Take Back Home Girl" with Tori Kelly. Lane has been spotlighted in People Magazine's 2019 Sexiest Man Alive issue, scored nominations at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, ACM Awards and Radio Disney Music Awards, plus appeared on TODAY, The Bachelor, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers and CONAN. The Kernersville, N.C.-native's headline BIG, BIG PLANS TOUR touted 25 sellouts in major cities coast-to-coast. With his brand-new single, "Fill Them Boots," out now, Lane has doubled down on new releases, also dropping "Summer Job Money," with more new music on the horizon.
Â
Top Hits
- Big, Big Plans
- Fix
- I Don't Know About You
- Hold You Tonight
- Take Back Home Girl
Born and raised in Weaverville, N.C., country music entertainer and songwriter Joe Lasher has been calling the stage home since he was a teenager. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, a southern gospel singer, and father, a member of a 90's rock band, Joe has set his sights on capturing the attention of country music lovers.Â
Â
Drawing inspiration from icons such as Rodney Atkins, Eric Church, Jon Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams, Lasher's music is influenced by a variety of genres ranging from traditional country to gospel and from rock to heavy metal, creating a sound that is all his own. He has shared the stage with Brett Young, Locash, Ashley McBryde, Russell Dickerson, Hardy, and Old Dominion.Â
Â
Top Hits
- Beer Would be Good Right Now
- Messed Up
- That's Gonna Get You Kissed
- Nothing Better to Do Friday Nights
- Stay With Me
After starting college in hopes of studying music, life intervened, and Marlowe left to help his family, taking a steady job selling car parts in his hometown instead. A hint of what could have been came in 2018, with a Top 24 appearance on Season 15 of NBC's The Voice. His first hit, "Giving You Up," was written over a day-and-a-half span following a devastating breakup. After signing with Columbia and releasing a self-titled EP in 2020, Marlowe tapped another electrifying power ballad as his single debut, sending the buzzed-and-broken "Sober as a Drunk" to country radio. In response, he was named to more than a dozen "ones to watch" lists, opened for stars including Lee Brice, Dustin Lynch, and Chris Young, and sold out headlining club shows throughout the Southeast. He'll join Brad Paisley for his TOUR 2021 beginning in July. And now by working with mega-producer Dann Huff (Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett, etc.), he's being challenged to believe in himself like never before.
Top Hits
- Giving You Up
- Sober as a Drunk
- Tequila Talkin'
Stay tuned for an exciting headlining artist announcement before the home finale against the Chattanooga Mocs.
Â
JB Strauss (Nov. 13 vs. Chattanooga)
Strauss, one of Macon, Ga.'s own, will play as a supporting act in the November 13th season finale. Influenced by the heavy, electric style of bands like The Allman Brothers, Credence Clearwater Revival, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, along with poetic and witty writers like John Prine, Gram Parsons, and Jim Croce, it is fitting that JB borrows from the notion that everything that rises must converge. In "Man Possessed", the title song of his debut EP, he sings of his grandfather's life as a Judge. Another tune, "Piss Ant Hill," is a humorous, yet poignant tale of a man whose fatal mistakes land him in Georgia's Reidsville Prison.
Â
Top Hits
- Man Possessed
- Piss Ant Hill
Season tickets for Mercer's home football games in the fall of 2021 are on sale through the university ticket office. Packages include tickets to all home games. Season ticket holders will have the exclusive opportunity to purchase Mercer at Alabama tickets for the Sept. 11 contest. Due to a limited supply, fans are encouraged to get their tickets as soon as possible by clicking here. For more information concerning ticket prices, seat locations and more, please call (478) 301-5470.Â
Â
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Football, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerFootball (Twitter), /MercerFootball (Facebook) and @MercerFootball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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