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Marisa Evans
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Calling all bachelorette parties, special occasion celebrators, and ladies-day-out enthusiasts: there’s a new act in town to delight visitors and locals alike.
Live from the Nashville Palace, the Ranch Hands Cowboylesque offers a brunch experience unlike any other featuring singing, dancing, comedy, and the main attraction — shirtless cowboys — for a feel-good time to be had by all.
The show’s creator, Lexy Burke, is no stranger to what makes Music City such a sought-after destination for both locals and visitors. As a Nashville resident herself, she and her husband transformed their house into a pretty and pink bachelorette oasis to rent out on Airbnb in hopes of making some extra money while they traveled. The home turned out to be a bigger success than they ever could have imagined.
Along with that success came another surprise: becoming a viral TikTok sensation. Known as the Serial Tipper, Burke began raising money through Venmo to give workers in the restaurant industry generous tips of $1,000 or more as they began returning to work after the pandemic shutdown. The success from both unexpected ventures inspired Burke to embark on a new project, the Ranch Hands Cowboylesque.
“I knew I wanted to do something else and my number one question was, ‘What do we do during the day?’ Obviously Broadway is great, and the party buses or pedal taverns but they have those in a lot of other cities as well, so a lot of people have already done that. I knew there hadn’t been a Chippendales type show in Nashville yet, or a residency show, so I wanted to do something like that,” says Burke. “I just kept sitting on it waiting for someone else to do it and then after a year and a half of our Airbnb and the TikToks I finally was like, ‘I’m doing it.’”
The Ranch Hands kick off their 2022 Cowboylesque shows on Jan. 8 with 1:30 p.m. brunch performances every Saturday. And new this year, starting Feb. 11, guests can also experience happy hour performances on Fridays at 6 p.m. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, a bachelorette party, or just looking for a fun day out with friends, Cowboylesque offers something for everyone.
“There’s really something for everyone. We’ve got big choreographed dance numbers, we’ve got crowd interaction, comedy. We do a lot of things to celebrate different people in town whether you’re a local or just coming in for a girl’s weekend. We also have line dancing where we do a little three-minute learning session and then we do a whole number where the [audience] can line dance with the Ranch Hands,” Burke says. “It’s just a good time and I hope guests feel good after going to a show.”
Since their first show in September, audiences can’t get enough of the Ranch Hands. Selling out shows every Saturday, the performance showcases so much of what locals and visitors love about Nashville. From live music performed by local singers to line dancing, to show-stopping performances by shirtless cowboys, Southern hospitality takes center stage. Each performance tells a story throughout the act, and in addition to the incredible talent on stage, the performers’ energy brings the show to life.
“They’re the best guys. Not to be cheesy but it really does feel like a family and I think that’s really portrayed,” says Burke. “You can just tell the comradery with the guys. It really leaks over onto the stage because we act like we’re a family at the ranch, and you can see that with how they interact with everyone. Everyone is in a good mood. People come to Nashville to have a good time and that’s what I tell the guys: if we’re not making our guests laugh and smile, we haven’t done our job.”
Since the show’s arrival, Cowboylesque has already left its mark on Music City. Burke and the Ranch Hands could not be happier with how well the show has been received, and they are ecstatic to keep the Nashville party rolling throughout the new year.
“We’d love to be a household name in Nashville and be around forever. We hope one day we have a Ranch Hand who makes it onto the CMA Awards or something like that, where we’re just kind of like a Rockettes version of Nashville. We want to be around for a while, and we want to be on everyone’s list when they come to town,” Burke says.