One of country’s hottest stars of 2025 has Tri-Cities roots. See him in concert
A country singer from Eastern Washington is making waves in the genre.
With a new album out, songs charting on Billboard’s Hot 100 and 8.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Zach Top is dominating in 2025 — and he’s returning to the area for his upcoming “Cold Beer & Country Music Tour. “
Top has spoken proudly about his upbringing in Yakima and Benton counties in various interviews and biographies.
In November, Top will be back in Tri-Cities for two homecoming concert nights at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.
Who is Zach Top? Country singer has Tri-Cities roots
Top was raised on a ranch in Sunnyside and grew up listening to “classic country music around the family farm,” according to his official bio at ZachTop.com.
He learned to play guitar — with major bluegrass influences — in Kennewick.
Top moved to Pasco around age 10, The Seattle Times reported in 2024.
Before moving to Tri-Cities, Top formed a bluegrass group, Top String, with his siblings.
Top String performed around Eastern Washington. Although the band didn’t stay together as the siblings got older, Top continued playing guitar in various bluegrass projects.
He credits his background in performance for his natural stage presence now, The Seattle Times reported.
Compared to younger artists who may get their start through social media success, he said he’s more familiar with crowd dynamics and what it takes to captivate a crowd.
Now based in Nashville and signed to independent label Leo33, the country singer’s career is off to a hot start.
Zach Top releases ‘Cold Beer & Country Music,’ wins award
Top released his single, “Sounds Like the Radio,” in January 2024. The neotraditional track, a callback to earlier genre standards, quickly climbed the country charts.
Apple Music called the song a “slice of 1990s nostalgia that doubles as a testament to the enduring power of traditional barroom country.”
“Top specializes in this straight-ahead honky tonk, choosing not to hammer home the rhythms but rather lean into dancefloor swing,” Apple Music said in its “About Zach Top” section.
In April 2024, Top released his album “Cold Beer & Country Music,” boosting his popularity.
Top was nominated for New Artist of the Year at the 2024 Country Music Association Awards and crowned the New Male Artist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2025.
He played at the Watershed at the Gorge Amphitheatre in August.
He’s also performed with other notable country stars, opening shows for Country Music Hall of Famer Alan Jackson in early 2025 and supporting Dierks Bentley on his “Broken Branches Tour.”
What is new Zach Top album ‘Ain’t In It For My Health’?
Top’s sophomore album, “Ain’t In It For My Health,” was released Aug. 29.
The album includes the hit singles “Good Times & Tan Lines,” which peaked at No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on Sept. 13, and “South of Sanity,” which reached No. 98.
“I Never Lie,” from “Cold Beer & Country Music,” spent 34 straight weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 24.
Billboard called Top “one of the fastest-rising artists in country music,” noting that his “old-school sound” has drawn comparisons to ’90s country legends including Alan Jackson, Doug Stone and Keith Whitley.
In January, Top told Billboard magazine that he’s drawn to “songs that make people feel something and something that’s got a story to it.”
“That’s what I love about country music — songs that make me feel understood, no matter what stage of life I’m in,” he told Billboard.
Top makes it clear in the lyrics for his song “Guitar” that he’s motivated to make music by love, not money or fame. “Nothin’ kick starts my heart like guitar,” he sings.
Top told Billboard in August that he’s grateful for his success.
“I don’t take it for granted,” Top told the music industry publication. “I’m very thankful for everything. It’s going about as well as I could have ever hoped it would go.”
When will Zach Top perform in concert in Kennewick?
Top’s solo tour kicks off in late September, and includes shows in Lubbock, Texas; Knoxville, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky, and Colorado’s famed Red Rock Amphitheatre.
Top is scheduled to perform in concert in Kennewick on Saturday, Nov. 22, and Sunday, Nov. 23.
Many successful artists skip right past Eastern Washington when touring, making stops in bigger Pacific Northwest cities such as Seattle and Portland, Oregon.
After playing in Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, Top will take the stage at Kennewick’s Toyota Center before heading to Las Vegas.
Given Top’s rising level of fame, his decision to make his Tri-Cities stop one of only two multiple-night stays on the tour is surely intentional.
Tickets for the Tri-Cities shows were going fast on Ticketmaster as of Thursday, with primarily resale tickets remaining, so fans should purchase tickets while they still can.
This story was originally published September 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM.