Longtime friends Koe Wetzel and Todd Graves are once again giving people “Something to Talk About” as they merged the worlds of Chicken Fingers and country music
Singer-songwriter Koe Wetzel clocked out as country rockstar and clocked in as Crewmember for the day, testing his skills in the corporate world under the watchful eye of his good friend and Raising Cane’s owner and founder Todd Graves. In a day that was far from “Damn Near Normal,” Graves put Wetzel’s work ethic to the test as the two filmed fun content and ultimately decided if Wetzel was cut out for a 9 to 5 or if he should stick to cranking out country music (spoiler alert: you won’t see Koe punch a clock any time soon).
“Who would last longer if Todd and I switched jobs for a day? That’s a toss-up!” laughed Wetzel. “But the first thing I would do as a Crewmember is rename the Caniac Combo to the Koeniac Combo for February 28.”
Graves and Wetzel are no strangers to having a fun time and share years of memories together, ranging coast to coast from Super Bowl suites to music festivals to Yellowstone and everything in between. The good-times guys have found themselves in many situations over the years, including one that left a permanent mark when Wetzel asked Graves to give him a Chicken Finger tattoo while the duo was hanging out late-night on their annual boys’ trip to Montana. In the viral video, Graves can be seen carefully inking a Chicken Finger onto Wetzel’s thigh, finishing off his masterpiece by signing his initials “TG.” Outside of their annual Montana trip and other various adventures, Wetzel previously joined Graves in Raising Cane’s suite for Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium and worked a “shift” at the Raising Cane’s food truck with Graves, during which he performed his song “February 28, 2016” and swapped out the lyrics for Raising Cane’s, as he’s been known to do on tour. In addition to Graves and Wetzel’s friendship, Cane’s has been a recurring sponsor of the artist over the years.
“Todd and I share a love for the outdoors and many common interests. We like to get out there and have a good time and have some great memories together,” said Wetzel. “Todd is a great guy and does so much for so many people, so we get along well. I’m very happy to be part of the Raising Cane’s family.”
“I’ve always been a big fan of Koe’s music and love that he hasn’t changed his style over the years. He continues to do it his way and is highly respected in the country music community and throughout Nashville by artists of all sizes,” said Graves. “Koe and I first got together when I invited him to the Cane’s suite for Super Bowl LVI at SoFi and we had a great time. He’s a genuine person who has determination, passion and a vision for his music, and that’s one of the things I love most about him. I get inspired by people who are out there doing things and chasing their dreams and Koe and I have that in common and so much more.”
Wetzel and Graves once again joined together, this time as Wetzel tried his hand as Raising Cane’s Crewmember for the day at the Dallas-Area Restaurant Support Office. During their time at the office, Graves and Wetzel shot fun social content as Graves helped Wetzel navigate the corporate world and ultimately decide if he was cut out for the job of Raising Cane’s Crewmember.
AdChat DFW also attended a press conference where they spoke with the duo about an array of topics, including the viral tattoo video.
“I always receive crazy gifts when I’m on tour, and on this tour in particular they gave me a tattoo gun. Todd and I had a fun night and thought it would be a good idea for him to give me a tattoo of a Chicken Finger,” said Wetzel. “It turned out looking more like the state of Kentucky – I sure hope his tattoo skills have gotten better!”
“We were in Montana for one of Koe’s shows and ended up being on a two-hour delay due to lightening. We had some drinks, and Koe wanted me to put a tattoo of a Chicken Finger on his leg with ‘TG’ under it,” said Graves. “I’d never given anyone a tattoo, but proceeded to give Koe one and I think I pressed a little too hard, because I went to put more ‘crust’ on it and Koe said, ‘No more!’”
AdChat DFW also asked about the biggest lessons they’ve learned and their advice to someone who’s chasing their dreams.
“Todd and I have always stayed true to ourselves. All we know is what we love and what we do. We both have dreams and goals and we’ve talked about that; but it’s not about being the best or number one, it’s about taking care of friends and family, keeping your head down and being a good person,” said Wetzel. “My advice to anyone chasing a dream is to be true to yourself, always remember where you came from, and be good to people.”
“Koe and I focus on what we’re good at and do exactly that. I always tell people who are chasing a dream, ‘Imagine how hard it is and multiply that by infinity.’ Koe making it in the music world is just as hard, if not harder, than building a Chicken Finger business. We both started small, stayed focused, and then grew across the country and beyond,” said Graves. “Everyone tells you why it won’t work and why you won’t be successful, but if you believe in yourself, you’ll make it.”
AdChat DFW asked Wetzel about his time at Coachella and upcoming performances as well as his thoughts on the current state of country music.
“Coachella was great! It was my first time out there and I played ‘High Road’ with Jessie. The vibes were great and it was crazy – we enjoyed every minute,” said Wetzel. “I’m excited about Stagecoach, too. It’s gonna be an hour of chaos!”
“Country music is such a big genre now with so many people like Hardy, Morgan, Post, Zach Top, and many others and it’s great because we’re hearing all angles and styles of music,” said Wetzel. “It’s a cool time for country music and music in general.”
