Country singer Granger Smith to perform tonight

Country singer Granger Smith will perform at 9 p.m. today at the Bluebird Nightclub. Tickets are $10 and attendees must be at least 21 years old.

The show is part of Smith’s tour to promote his ninth and latest album, “Dirt Road Highway,” which was released April 2013 and debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes Country Chart.

“Granger Smith is a very popular up-and-coming country star, and he’s done very well in the surrounding area, so we thought it would be a good idea to invite him to come play here in Bloomington,” Bluebird owner Dave Kubiak said.

Smith’s performance is marked with a twist, as he performs his encore as his alter-ego, Earl Dibbles Jr., who appeared on a weekly segment called “Dip ’Em and Pick ’Em” on CBS Sports Network.

Smith wrote the song “We Bleed Maroon” in honor of his alma mater, Texas A&M University, which has become the school’s new anthem.

Outside of music, Smith is involved with the 100-Mile Boot Walk, an annual event where participants walk in combat boots for five days to raise money for the U.S. Armed Forces.

His song, “That’s What I Do With It,” was inspired by his interest in supporting American troops.

Smith also founded “Drive Now, Text Later,” a campaign aimed at high school students to encourage safe driving behaviors.

“We know that there is a bigger demand for more country music, so we’ve been working on booking more country acts, and lots of people have requested Granger to come to the area to perform,” Kubiak said.