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Dan + Shay remember support from Spokane on their way to the top

Dan Smyers, left, and Shay Mooney, of Dan + Shay, pose in the press room with the awards for song of the year and single of the year for “Tequila,” and duo of the year at the 54th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 7 in Las Vegas. (Jordan Strauss / Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
By Azaria Podplesky azariap@spokesman.com(509) 459-5024

The country music world at large has been catching on to something Spokane has known for years: Dan + Shay are ones to watch.

The country duo of Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney opened for Blake Shelton at the Spokane Arena in 2014 and headlined the Knitting Factory in 2017.

They’ll return to Spokane on Tuesday, this time to headline a sold-out show at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox.

Smyers and Mooney introduced themselves in 2013 with “19 You + Me,” from their debut album “Where It All Began,” which was released in 2014.

Performances on “The Ellen Show” and at the Grand Ole Opry, plus an Academy of Country Music Awards nomination for vocal duo of the year followed, as did tours with Shelton, Hunter Hayes and headlining tours of their own.

The pair followed “Where It All Began” in 2016 with their sophomore album “Obsessed,” and singles “From the Ground Up,” “How Not To” and “Road Trippin’.”

The pair also added a handful of nominations from the ACMs, the CMT Music Awards and the Country Music Association Awards to their list of achievements.

Smyers and Mooney released their self-titled third album in 2018, receiving acclaim from fans and critics alike.

The album peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard U.S. Country chart and singles “Tequila” and “Speechless” both topped the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Songs and U.S. Country Airplay charts.

Earlier this year, Dan and Shay won the Grammy for best country duo/group performance for “Tequila,” besting the likes of Brothers Osborne, Little Big Town, Maren Morris and Vince Gill, and Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line.

“My heart is beating out of my chest,” Smyers said as the pair accepted the award. “We had no expectations to win this.”

On April 7, the pair took home three of the six ACMs they were nominated for: song and single record of the year for “Tequila” and vocal duo of the year.

“Dan + Shay” is up for top country album at the Billboard Music Awards, and Smyers and Mooney are nominated for four other awards, which will be awarded May 1.

“I’m most proud of this record,” Mooney told Billboard in December. “This was a self-titled record for a reason … It was because this was our stamp of approval, saying, ‘This is the kind of music we’ve been trying to write for the last five or six years.’ This album has completely changed our career.”