“This Ain’t No Place for the Weary Kind”: Ryan Bingham Speaks Truth to Aging Dads Like Me Struggling to Survive Festival Season

Ryan Bingham country music
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Stagecoach

It was 101 degrees for Ryan Bingham’s set at Stagecoach.

I know because I checked the weather app on my phone just before the screen went black with an ominous warning: “iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it.”

My phone was already dying in the desert and, if I wasn’t careful, I’d soon follow. I sipped the suddenly nauseating 7% beer I bought and crossed a parched lawn to fight for positioning near the stage as Bingham and his band started to play in the distance.

Earlier that morning, I kissed my screaming, infant son goodbye, fueled up with Red Bull and sunflower seeds, and sped off to see the Grammy and Oscar-winning songwriter and scene-stealing badass on the most popular show on television kickoff a must-see afternoon in the desert.

But twenty minutes in, my phone was dead, I had the sudden urge to take a 3-hour nap, and I was starting to wonder if perhaps aging dads like me didn’t belong in a place like this anymore.

Fortunately, it only felt like 99 in the shade near the stage. Staffers passed through the crowd with wheelbarrows full of water bottles, only to be overrun by desperate hordes of thirsty Gen Z fans. Steam and sweat emanated from my shoulders as I settled into an open pocket of space near the center. I wiped my permanently fogged-up sunglasses and tried not to pass out.

And I must’ve been hallucinating because it sounded like Bingham was singing directly to me:

“And this ain’t no place for the weary kind,” he sang in his trademark, gravelly voice.

“Your body aches
Playing your guitar, sweating out the hate
The days and the nights all feel the same”

That was me. I was “the weary kind”: a sleepless, new parent with a late-thirties, falling-apart, dehydrated dadbod baking in triple-digit heat, trying desperately to stay relevant in festival season despite the signs I was too old to be doing this.

If I wasn’t too tired to move, I might’ve followed the trickle of heat-exhausted kids stumbling toward the exits right then. Instead, I grabbed a Wheelbarrow Water, tried not to lock my knees, and kept listening.

The Weary Kind is Bingham’s award-winning and perhaps best-known song. Although it’s not actually about an aging dad trying to will himself through a country music festival, it spoke to me. Like many great songs, it’s relatable on multiple levels.

For me, what started as a melancholy validation of my weary, aging body, transitioned into a hopeful ballad of inspiration and defiance by the end.

“And this ain’t no place for the weary kind
This ain’t no place to lose your mind
This ain’t no place to fall behind
Pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try”

“Pick up your crazy heart, Mr. Dadbod! It’s festival season!” I heard him say. It almost made me cry… or maybe it was just my sweating eyebrows.

Bingham is a father of three born in the early 80’s, just like me. His fiddler, Richard Bowden, with gray hair tucked under a black fedora, nearly stole the show, showing no signs of weariness as he slayed a fiddle, a mandolin, and a crowd of Gen Z hearts with parents younger than him.

Watching these guys perform “The Weary Kind” out in the desert gave me a second wind.

Maybe I was younger and more resilient than I felt. Maybe a semi-reckless day of live music out in the desert was just what I needed to break out of the doldrums of modern life. Maybe my palpitating, crazy heart could survive festival season after all.

I glanced at my phone, and it suddenly sprang to life. It was alive.

And so was I.

Yellowstone’s Ryan Bingham & Hassie Harrison (Walker & Laramie) Are Dating In Real Life

Looks like Yellowstone may have sparked a new relationship…

We all know Ryan Bingham as the longtime Grammy and Oscar-winning country star, who has played the role of ranch cowboy Walker on the show.

And then there’s Hassie Harrison, who plays the rodeo cowgirl Laramie who hangs out with all of the ranch hands on the show. Harrison is also known for her major role in the shows Tacoma FD.

And not to get into spoilers (you should’ve seen it by now) but in Yellowstone, Walker and Laramie hit it off, and ultimately end up dating… much to the dismay of Lloyd (Forrie J Smith). They even end up in a knife fight over her…

Well, it appears like that TV relationship has translated to real life, as it appears Bingham and Harrison are dating.

Bingham posted a picture on his Instagram of the two repping camo jackets and jeans while kissing in front of a massive bonfire.

Bingham wrote in the caption:

“More than a spark”

Harrison also responded to the post, saying:

“I love you, cowboy.”

Yeah… when the “I love yous” are dropping, that’s when you know it’s real.

So sorry to break the hearts of all the folks out there swooning over Ryan and Hassie, but it looks like they’re taken…

While we wait for the second half of Season 5, check out Yellowstone’s “Evolution of Walker” video:

“Wolves” live from Montana:

Yellowstone Exec Says He Is “Very Confident” That Kevin Costner Will Continue With The Show

Finally, a silver lining.

There has been a lot of doom and gloom regarding the future of Yellowstone here lately.

It all started when rumors began going around about Kevin Costner possibly exiting the show, after allegedly asking to film the rest of Season 5 in only one week due to his busy schedule.

However, Costner’s attorney Marty Singer denied these allegations:

“The idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of Season 5 of ‘Yellowstone’ is an absolute lie.

It’s ridiculous — and anyone suggesting it shouldn’t be believed for one second. As everyone who knows anything about Kevin is well aware, he is incredibly passionate about the show and has always gone way above and beyond to ensure its success.”

We recently learned that the rumored Yellowstone spinoff series starring Matthew McConaughey is actually full go, regardless of what happens with Kevin, but all signs were pointing to the end of Yellowstone as we know it.

However, the tide is finally beginning to turn.

According to Insider, Paramount Network exec Keith Cox made an appearance at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California for PaleyFest this past weekend where he gave some positive news about Costner’s return.

Cox said:

“What I can say is our star, the face of our show, and executive producer, are very confident he is going to continue with our show.”

He also went on to say that production for the second half of Season 5 will begin “soon” and that an announcement is on the way.

This is great news for the show, especially since things were looking even more bleak after Taylor Sheridan, Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Gil Birmingham, and Wes Bentley didn’t even show up for PaleyFest where this announcement was made.

Only Cox, Wendy Moniz, Mo Brings Plenty, Dawn Olivieri, and Josh Lucas were in attendance.

I guess all we can do is keep our fingers crossed for positive announcements here on out.

Be sure to check out our Yellowstone The Soundtrack Playlist, updated in real time each week as new episodes air.

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