Walker Hayes says that he and his band still need some practice to get “Fancy Like” the dancers for the Duck Buck Tour that hits the road this month.

“We have four dancers that are dancing with us, and one is my daughter, Lela. They’re amazing. I mean, in my opinion, they are the best part of the show,” he says. “Me and the band have a lot of work to do to catch up with them, but it’s incredible.”

The pop-country superstar is hitting the road to share his stories for the Duck Buck Tour with Ingrid Andress and BRELAND this month. They will open the 2023 season at the Walmart AMP at 6:30 p.m. April 21.

Over the pandemic, the Mobile, Ala., musician went viral after posting a TikTok video of him and his daughter dancing to his song, “Fancy Like.” The song went on to spend 16 weeks on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and even won Top Country Song in 2022. Before his viral success, Hayes was nominated for a CMT award for his hit, “You Broke Up With Me,” in 2018. “Country Stuff The Album” was nominated for a Billboard Country Music Award in 2022.

The singer-songwriter and father of six still keeps his family close even when he’s on the road.

“If my family doesn’t go, I don’t go to work,” he says. “We travel as a herd — my six kids, three dogs and Lanie, my wife. We share a bus. It is chaos 24/7. But it’s just the way we like it. It’s awesome.”

His kids even contribute to the music. His daughter Loxley sings backup on “If Father Time Had A Daughter,” a “Time In a Bottle” style ode to being a “girl dad” where Hayes waxes nostalgic about his daughters growing up. Loxley even stars in the video.

“She’s a ham. Honestly, she’s a way better singer than me,” he laughs. “As of now, we’re not doing that song live, but Lolly sings with us when we do the VIP shows, so she’ll probably join me on that.”

While his sets are full of bouncy tunes, Hayes shares also shares his heartbreaks and vulnerabilities. In 2018, he and his wife lost a newborn daughter the day she was born. Three years later, Hayes lost his father. On top of that, he’s been sober since 2015. He details those years in his intensely personal songs, “AA” and “6 String American Dream,” where he sings: “If I’m drinking honestly/ I still can’t drink responsibly.”

Performing the song is a means of catharsis for him.

“Getting it all out there makes life a lot easier,” he says. “Just admitting those first and foremost, makes my shoulders relax,” he explains.

“I’m eight years sober, but I don’t begin to believe that I have outgrown that addiction. I’m glad to admit it for those that might need reminding.”

He says he’s received a lot of feedback for “6 String American Dream,” especially from people like himself.

“Quite a few people in the industry have said, ‘Man, I relate to that.’ We all have the job of our dreams, but it didn’t solve anything. All it did was it checked off that box. Our dreams came true, we’re able to feed our families and support ourselves financially by doing what we love. However, it didn’t really fix the things that truly matter. It didn’t unbreak the heart of the matter.”

THE 2023 AMP SEASON

Tyler Childers, Foo Fighters, Snoop Dogg and Eric Church each have sold more than 10,000 tickets to date at the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion, according to information from the AMP. Both Childers and Foo Fighters have sold out the venue, and only platinum level tickets are available for the High School Reunion tour featuring Snoop Dogg on July 15 and for Eric Church on July 27. See dates and ticket information for the upcoming season below:

April

• Walker Hayes, Ingrid Andress and BRELAND at 6:30 p.m. April 21. Tickets $35 and up.

• Tyler Childers, Charley Crockett and Wayne Graham at 6:30 p.m. April 22. Sold out.

May

• Parker McCollum with Larry Fleet at 7:30 p.m. May 5. $35 and up.

• Godsmack with I Prevail at 7 p.m. May 9. $35 and up.

• Dave Matthews Band at 7:30 p.m. May 23. $49.50 and up.

• Incubus with Coheed and Cambria at 7:30 p.m. May 26. $36 and up.

June

• Foo Fighters at 7:30 p.m. June 14. Sold out.

• The Avett Brothers and Gov’t Mule at 7:30 p.m. June 17. $45 and up.

• Matchbox Twenty and Matt Nathanson at 7:30 p.m. June 23. $51 and up.

• Outlaw Music Festival featuring Willie Nelson and Family with Margo Price, Flatland Cavalry and Particle Kid at 6 p.m. June 29. $39.50 and up.

July

• Fall Out Boy, Bring Me The Horizon, Royal & the Serpent and CARR at 6:30 p.m. July 11. $49.50 and up.

• Foreigner and Loverboy (Historic Farewell Tour) at 7 p.m. July 14. $29.50 and up.

• Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khlifa, Too $hort, Warren G and Berner at 6 p.m. July 15. Only platinum tickets available. ($545)

• Nickelback with Brantley Gilbert at 6:30 p.m. July 20. $100 and up.

• Eric Church, Midland and Ray Wylie Hubbard at 7 p.m. July 27. $119.75-$438 (ADA tickets $55).

• Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Uncle Kracker at 6:30 p.m. July 28. $39.50 and up.

• Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin with JINJER at 6:30 p.m. July 29. $39.50 and up.

August

• Three Doors Down and Candlebox at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 9. $35 and up.

• Luke Bryan, Chayce Beckham, Ashley Cooke, Jackson Dean and DJ Rock at 7 p.m. on Aug. 10. $34.50 and up.

• Pantera with Lamb of God at 7 p.m. Aug. 15. $39.50 and up.

• The Smashing Pumpkins with Interpol and Rival Sons at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 16. $45 and up.

• Beck and Phoenix with Weyes Blood and Sir Chloe at 5:45 p.m. Aug. 18; $45 and up.

• KidzBop Never Stop Tour at 6 p.m. Aug 19. $29.50 and up

• Sam Hunt with Brett Young & Lily Rose at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 20. $34.75 and up.

• Jelly Roll and Struggle Jennings, Caitlynne Curtis with host Josh Adam Meyers at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24. $39.75 and up.

September

• Jason Aldean, Mitchell Tenpenny, Corey Kent and Dee Jay Silver at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 14. $44.25 and up.

October

• Odesza with TOKiMONSTA, QRTR and Olan at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 6. $29.50 and up

• The All-American Rejects with New Found Glory, Motion City Soundtrack and The Getup Kids at Oct. 10. $99.50 and up.

• Sting and Joe Sumner at 8 p.m. Oct. 12. $50.50 and up.

WHAT’S NEW AT THE AMP?

AMP Underground

This $49 per person add-on, all-ages club experience is available for any concertgoer. Located underneath Choctaw Plaza, the shaded space includes a private bar and limited food menu to purchase, lounge seating, live concert video and audio feed, private restrooms and priority entry into the venue. AMP Underground opens 30 minutes before gates and closes one hour after the concert ends, with access before, during and after the show.

Two drinks and light snacks are included. Add AMP Underground to shows you already have tickets for or add it to the cart when you purchase concert tickets. Day-of-show purchase is available, but space is limited for each show, and the add-on can sell out.

AMP Underground is available now for May concerts and will be available for the remainder of this season’s concerts by mid-May.

Blankets

Also new this season, Walmart AMP-branded fleece blankets are available for purchase. They can be added when you purchase your show ticket in advance for $15 or onsite for $20.

Other Add-Ons

• Premier Reserved Parking – Guarantee a parking space in the lot across from the Walmart AMP main entrance and get priority exit when the show is over for $30 while supplies last.

• Fast Track – Get priority entry to the venue and a dedicated line for entry for $10 while supplies last.

• Lawn Chair Rentals — Reserve a lawn chair and pick it up on the day of show or rent onsite for $10 each while supplies last. No outside chairs are allowed.

Grab and Go

Walmart AMP is also introducing a new express drinks and snacks concept to help reduce wait times. “The Cooler” locations have pre-mixed, canned or bottled drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and pre-packaged food options.

Digital Ticket Delivery

All concert tickets and add-ons will be delivered digitally this season. Digital tickets are accessible on a smartphone. Patrons will access their tickets by logging in to a personalized, online ticket wallet at wallet.amptickets.com with the same username or email and password they use to purchase tickets for the Walmart AMP.

Digital tickets will be delivered immediately upon purchase and can be securely shared with members of the party. A rotating QR code shows patrons that they have a valid ticket and is intended to reduce the ability to counterfeit tickets. The rotating QR code for each ticket will be delivered within 24 hours of the performance start time or at a time specified by the tour.

When attending a show, patrons just need to open their ticket wallet, tap on a performance to view the digital ticket QR code, show it to an usher for scanning and swipe left for any additional tickets or add-ons.

More information available at www.amptickets.com or from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at the Walmart AMP Box Office, 5079 W. Northgate Road in Rogers. Call 443-5600.