For more updates from the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, head to the NPR Network's live updates page.
Anyone who's tuned into the RNC so far will likely recognize Sixwire, the five-member house band that's brought an enthusiastic series of classic rock covers to the convention floor — including a surprise extended performance after an abrupt teleprompter malfunction on Night 1.
The group has entertained viewers with renditions of such hits as "Life is a Highway," "All Star," "What I Like About You," "Don't Stop Believin' " and "Reelin' in the Years," among other "dad jams."
And while it's only recorded one album (for Warner Brothers, back in 2002), it's not just a random country cover band. Here's what to know about Sixwire:
- The Nashville-based band's members include lead singer and guitarist Andy Childs, keyboardist and singer Steve Hornbeak, bass guitarist John Howard, guitarist and singer Steve Mandile and drummer Chuck Tilley.
- The band gets its name from a slang term for guitar, which its management agency calls "a fitting name to a band fronted by 3 guitarists."
- Sixwire has served as the house band on multiple reality TV shows, including the USA Network’s Nashville Star, Fox's The Next Great American Band and CMT's Next Superstar. They also played as the backing band for Connie Britton's character on the ABC drama Nashville.
- The band has performed at other high-profile events, including Super Bowls 51, 54 and 56, the Daytona 500 and the NHL All-Star Game. Their management says they were also ESPN’s "first ever 'house band' " for the 2019 NFL Draft, which took place in Nashville.
- Over the years, its individual members have played in the bands for such stars as Faith Hill, Dolly Parton and Lee Greenwood, who took to the convention floor on Monday to perform his own hit, "God Bless the U.S.A.," as Trump made his first RNC appearance.
Sixwire is the main event, as far as live music goes, but it's not the only artist bringing tunes to the convention hall.
Country singer Chris Janson, who performed at the 2016 RNC, appeared onstage on the first night to sing some of his songs, including "Buy Me a Boat." And, of course, there was the pre-produced music video for the parody rap song "Trump Trump Baby" on Tuesday night.
The RNC also created a Spotify playlist back in April, which it called "a weekly installment of carefully curated music to get you pumped for the GOP Convention."
"Our first #GOPlaylist will bring you back to a time when the border was secure, gas was cheap, and life was good," it said on X, formerly Twitter, at the time.
Loading...
The playlist no longer appears on Spotify. But as Rolling Stone reported, it heavily featured artists who have publicly criticized Trump over the years, including The Weeknd, Dua Lipa, Drake and Daddy Yankee.
The management and estates of a number of musical artists, from Queen to Bruce Springsteen to Aerosmith to the Village People, have denied Trump the rights to use their songs at his campaign events. (Some, like The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty, have even threatened legal action.)
That didn't stop the RNC from airing a montage of Trump dancing to the Village People's "Y.M.C.A" earlier this week, though.
This reporting originally appeared as part of the NPR Network's live coverage of the RNC.
Copyright 2024 NPR