‘Nashville’ Star Charles Esten Announces Tour

The filming of the hit ABC TV show 'Nashville' might be on a summer hiatus, but one of the main stars of the series will be spending the break working harder than ever.

Charles 'Chip' Esten, who plays Deacon Claybourne on the drama, will perform his first-ever headlining concert at Nashville's famed Station Inn on July 5. The actor, who relocated to Music City to film the TV show, will be joined by several singer-songwriters in town, including Colin Linden, Steve Mandile, Gary Craig, Jim Hoke, Kenzie Wetz and Johnny Dymond.

In addition, Esten has announced a series of shows, including some with fellow 'Nashville' cast member Clare Bowen, who plays his niece, Scarlett O'Connor. The twosome already have several impressive gigs on the calendar, including serving as the opening act for both Alan Jackson and Jennifer Nettles.

The 48-year-old is already a fixture around Middle Tennessee. He has previously performed several solo gigs, including an impromptu performance at a Nashville honky tonk earlier this year, and has also hit the stage with the band Sixwire.

“The city of Nashville has been very good to us,”  he tells The Boot. “And we [the 'Nashville' cast] want to be a part of everything we can do to show our support. As far as being a part of the show, we want it to be as true-to-life as possible, so the more we can attend events and see how the music business works, the better we can portray our characters.”

Tickets for Esten's Station Inn show are $15, and seating is on a first-come basis. More information is available here.