Monday news: Bucky Covington in Nevada, a recap from Linn County, Country Weekly, CMTT charity auctions begin and more...

Bucky Covington on stage at the Alameda County Fair; thanks again to the very talented Minnie for this terrific concert shot! Click the image to check out Bucky's official tour schedule.

Bucky Covington and his excellent band are resting for a few days before the next leg of their extensive summer tour--and if you'd like to know what's in store at your concert stop, the very kind "Aunt" Sunny left a sweet note in our comments section last night that'll help. Here's a fun excerpt from her brief recap of the Linn County Fair concert: "All looked well and happy and the show was screaming! It was the best I've seen them yet and I love them every time...It was a great show and the crowd loved them!" Many thanks to her for stopping in and sharing the excitement!

Your first chance to experience the excitement for yourself this week happens at the Jackson County Fair near Medford, Oregon on Thursday, the 23rd, where Bucky and company open for Sawyer Brown. That 105.1 HANK-FM ticket giveaway is going on right now, but time is of the essence! The entry form is posted on the station's site, and the Breakfast with Bishop show will announce the winners. Good luck! (Tickets are also available online at $25 for reserved seats, $15 lawn.)


A breezy summer night in California! Bucky Covington, Rocky Covington, and a gust of wind delight the crowd in Palmdale; thanks to a talented anonymous photographer for the photo.

You can also try your luck for two free passes to the Night in the Country festival in Yerington, Nevada starting today; sponsor K-Bull 98.1 will be giving away a pair of tickets for both nights every half-hour between 6am - 10am local time. Bucky and Sawyer Brown will be there on Friday night, and Josh Gracin opens for Jason Aldean on Saturday. Sounds like a fine time! Tickets are also available online at the Night in the Country site, or stop in at your local Scolari's store. (Rumors of an impending sell-out have been circulating, so don't wait...)

Those of us who can't make it out West this week can still enjoy some fun and help out a good cause, too--Country Music Tattle Tale's first annual charity auction begins today, and an autographed Bucky Covington poster is one of the many great country music collectibles up for bids. Proceeds benefit Special Kids of Tenneesee, and the technical information will be posted at CMTT's site soon. Check back there later today, and happy bidding!

Bucky Covington and Rocky Covington share a microphone for their "Seven Spanish Angels" duet at the Alamdeda County Fair; photo by the very kind Minnie. Thanks again, Minnie! Click the image to see FLCathy's video of Bucky and Rocky's duet at last month's fan club party in Nashville.

Speaking of fun souvenirs, a kind reader from Bucky's thread at AmericanIdol.com wrote to tell us that the most recent issue of Country Weekly magazine has an article on country music's charming siblings, and Bucky and Rocky Covington's smiles are gracing the pages there. (Our local newsstand decided I needed a cross-town trip every week and stopped carrying the magazine here in the neighborhood, so I don't have an issue date for you at post time--if you know the date and/or the cover artist, please feel free to drop a note in comments.) We love seeing Bucky (and Rocky!) in Country Weekly, and if you do, too, consider dropping the magazine a line to say thanks. This week's issue features the results of the "Country's Sexiest Stars" poll the magazine conducted in the spring--did Bucky get the nod in the "Future" category? Head to your newsstand to find out...

We'll wrap it up with a quick but gratifying chart check; "I Want My Life Back" [hear Bucky Covington's new single at his MySpace] starts off the week with a bit of wind underneath its wings. It's currently a bulleted #34 on the Mediabase published charts, and while that bullet needs a lot of plumping up, it's still a beautiful sign that the song's got true staying power at radio, even with all those superstars releasing singles at once. Show Bucky some love at your local country station today! This week, requests really will make a big impact--between the weekend momentum and some extra listener affection, Bucky could get to that Top 30 spot he's been after. (WKML's "Top 5 at 6" is a good first stop on your request circle! Write to our good friend Larry K at country@wkml.com, then tune into WKML's stream at 6 pm ET for the countdown.)

More very soon. Have a magnificent Monday!--Winnie