News Bits: CMA Tix, Trailer Choir, LBT & More

CMA Awards Ticket Time
The CMA has announced that qualifying CMA members may now purchase CMA Awards tickets through http://My.CMAworld.com. CMA Members must place their orders no later than Friday, Sept. 10. As a reminder, the 2009 CMA Awards sold out in advance.  
The 44th Annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 10 (8:00 – 11:00 PM ET/delayed PT) on ABC. Please send questions regarding tickets to tickets@CMAworld.com or by calling 615-244-2840.

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Trailer Choir’s Tales of “Tailgate”
The man known as Butter, frontman for Show Dog-Universal’s Trailer Choir, reports that the band’s current single, “Shakin’ That Tailgate,” was actually “born” at a concert. The song came about as a result of the singer’s backstage encounter with artist/writer Brady Seals.

“We had just arrived backstage for our performance at KBWF’s 2009 Beach Ball Free For All,” Butter recalls. “We exchanged contact info and they whisked him off into the limo like Paul McCartney. The very next morning he emailed me 10 songs to check out. I dug every song but didn’t feel like we could pull any of them off. Yet I kept coming back to this song called ‘Bonnie’ because of one of the phrases I kept saying over and over in my head—’shakin’ that tailgate.’ I proposed my idea to make ‘shakin’ that tailgate’ a song. He said ‘I’m in,’ and two days later we gave birth to a 6 pound 3 ounce little baby song called ‘Shakin’ That Tailgate’.”

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Lee Brice Down on the “Farm” For CMT
Saturday night (8/21) will be a special one for Curb recording artist Lee Brice because he is headlining The Music Farm, the Charleston, SC venue he has performed at for several years. This concert marks the first time Brice has been back since his single “Love Like Crazy” took off like crazy. Additionally, the concert will be streamed live on CMT.com beginning at 9:00 pm ET.

“This is really a cool thing for me,” Brice says. “We love the Music Farm and always have a great time there. Now I get to come back with a Top 5 hit on the charts right now, and our fans from across the country get to see us at a place that feels like home, thanks to CMT. It just doesn’t get any better than this.” The concert will be streamed live over CMT.com, as well as Brice’s own website (www.leebrice.com).

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GAC Showcases Little Big Town
Bonds of friendship and a shared love of music have kept Capitol Nashville’s Little Big Town together for more than a dozen years. The group shares the highs and lows of their career on Origins: Little Big Town, premiering this Saturday (8/21) at 9:00 PM CT on Great American Country (GAC). 

LBT members Karen Fairchild, Jimi Westbrook, Kimberly Schlapman and Phillip Sweet and co-producer and co-writer Wayne Kirkpatrick talk about the making of their soon-to-be-released album, The Reason Why, as well as how life on the road has changed with the addition of three children.

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Miranda Lambert’s Live Invitation
Columbia Records artist Miranda Lambert kicks off all new episodes of Invitation Only when Invitation Only: Miranda Lambert premieres Monday, August 23 at 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM CT.  Lambert continues her banner year by performing her most popular hits and recent number one singles including “White Liar” and the four week No. 1 single, “The House That Built Me,” and more in this one-hour concert special. Taped before a small studio audience in Nashville, the Invitation Only series features artists performing their biggest hits and new favorites, as well as answering questions from fans during an informal question and answer session.