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Wyoming native Ian Munsick returned to the Rocky Mountain region Wednesday, June 5 for his sold-out headlining debut at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado alongside friends and family. After stampeding through his 24 song set filled with surprise moments, Munsick’s family expanded by the end of the night when The Crow Tribe joined him on-stage, officially adopting him as part of their tribe.
 
“Red Rocks was the greatest night of my musical life,” muses Munsick. “The songs I create are inspired by the magic that surrounds that venue. Getting to experience that unity in real time with 10,000 people who were elevating that energy is now a core memory. This Rocky Mountain boy was in heaven for 90 minutes…so surreal and even spiritual. I can honestly say that playing Red Rocks has changed my life.”
 
As his signature cattle call echoed through the venue’s famed monoliths signaling show time, Munsick fittingly kickstarted the evening with an upbeat, fiddle-laden performance of “Mountain Time” off his debut album Coyote Cry.
 
Throughout the night, Munsick interweaved songs old and new into his set, tributing his roots with “Me Against The Mountain,” while also showcasing his growth since moving to Nashville ten years ago, with recent releases “Heartbreak King” and “Leather” – the latter of which served as the title track on Cody Johnson’s ACM nominated Album of the Year. Sprinkled into the set were surprise guest moments as fellow Wyoming native Ryan Charles joined Munsick for their viral hit “Cowboy Killer.”
 
Toward the end of the night, prior to performing his wistful ode to the American West, “Indian Paintbrush,” Munsick was joined on-stage by JoRee LaFrance, a member of the Crow Tribe who has a long history with the Munsick family. A former student of Ian’s father, Dave Munsick, LaFrance grew up around the Munsicks and heavily influenced Munsick’s musical journey. Due to this close tie, along with Munsick’s dedication to authentically representing the west, LaFrance surprised him on-stage by officially adopting him into the Apsáalooke/Crow Tribe.
 
“As Apsáalooke/Crow people, we heavily rely on our clan system, Ashaammalíaxxia/Where the Driftwood Lodges. We are a matrilineal society with currently six clans with Úuwaataasshe/Greasy Mouth being one of them,” explains LaFrance. “I am Greasy Mouth and I am a child of the Ties the Bundle clan. Greasy Mouths are known to be good hunters, their power comes from the sun, and are the same clan as Iichiikbaaliia/First Maker. I adopted Ian into my family and clan because of our longtime friendship with the Munsick family and the fact he comes from Crow Country. 
 
“They have always shown nothing but love and respect to my twin sister and I. We have always been family. I gave Ian four gifts to welcome him into our tribe. As Apsáalooke, we take adoption very seriously; being adopted means that you are valued and truly a part of our family and community,” she adds. “Our people are his people now and nobody can question that. Crow Country loves Ian and we want him to know that we will always welcome him home.”
 
Concluding the evening with the band that inspired his career, Munsick was joined by The Munsick Boys comprised of his father, Dave, and brothers, Tris and Sam, for a performance of one of his first recordings, a cover of Wade Montgomery's “Weakness.”
 
Munsick’s Red Rocks debut precedes his upcoming Fall Country andamp; WESTern Tour presented by Boot Barn, which will deliver the man celebrated by HITS Daily Double and The New Yorker alike for putting the “western back in country” back to his roots with nine shows throughout the west. Munsick is currently headlining his Boots, Buckles andamp; Bolos Tour, and can be seen on select dates of Lainey Wilson’s Country’s Cool Again Tour this summer.
 
For his full tour schedule and to follow along with updates, visit IanMunsick.com or follow @IanMunsick across social media.
 
The Country andamp; WESTern Tour Dates: 
Sept. 6 // Bozeman, MT // Brick Breeden Fieldhouse * !
Sept. 7 // Libby, MT // Happys Inn @ 
Sept. 10 // Everett, WA // Angel of the Winds Arena * !
Sept. 21 // Redding, CA // Redding Civic Auditorium
Sept. 26 // Grand Junction, CO // Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park # $
Sept. 28 // Rio Rancho, NM // Rio Rancho Events Center ! # $
Oct. 1 // Idaho Falls, ID // Mountain America Center ! # $
Oct. 2 // Nampa, ID // Ford Idaho Center ! # $
Oct. 5 // Casper, WY // Ford Wyoming Center % ^
@ Ryan Charles
^ Zandi Holup
! Bryan Martin
# Ole 60
* Randy Rogers Band
% Shane Smith and the Saints
$ The Song Swap (Jenna LaMaster, Faren Rachels and Kasey Tyndall)

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