Throughout his career, Dustin Lynch has scored some of the most coveted opening slots in country music: The singer-songwriter has previously toured with Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line and Chris Young, among others, and this summer, he's out on the road with Brad Paisley, as part of Paisley's Weekend Warrior World Tour. For Lynch, being able to hit the road with Paisley is a reminder of how far he has come, as both a musician and an artist.

"I learned how to play guitar to [Paisley's] records. I don’t know if that makes him feel old or not, but it’s the honest truth," Lynch shared at a recent media event. "I remember seeing Brad at the Bluebird Café as a writer. So to be touring with that guy -- I would say one of the first dozen songs I learned on guitar was one of his -- is super cool.

"I can tell it’s going to be a fun summer," Lynch adds. "It’s all first-class guys backstage, and everything’s seamless."

Lindsay Ell and Chase Bryant are also serving as Paisley's opening acts for his Summer 2017 tour. The two other rising stars, both also signed to Broken Bow Records, have Lynch's approval and respect; the "Small Town Boy" singer applauds their performance and musical abilities.

"They’re great. I can tell, whenever we hit the stage [after them], the crowd’s up and feeling good," Lynch says. "And that’s my job, too, to get the crowd warmed up, to get them fired up, to get them dancing around, [but] whenever we hit the stage, it feels like Chase and Lindsay have done a good job of waking everybody up and getting them warmed up for us.

"I’m excited to be out on the road with a couple labelmates. I think it makes -- everyone behind the scenes in my village, it makes their job a lot easier, when we can piggyback off of each other, as far as having our label supporting everyone out there," Lynch continues. "I think that’s pretty special."

The Weekend Warrior Tour is still early in its run, so Paisley hasn't really pulled any pranks on his opening acts just yet -- but Lynch knows its inevitable.

"I’m not even worried. I know it's coming," Lynch says with a laugh. "But we’re already having fun. Right now, I’m singing "I’m Still a Guy" with him onstage; it’s a great moment. And then, of course, he’s got two bars onstage. It’s going to be one of those summers."

A list of all of Lynch's upcoming shows is available on his website.

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