'Nashville' Gets Television Special, Spring Tour

As ABC’s Nashville progresses through its second season, ABC is ramping up promotion for the show, via an upcoming television special and a brief concert tour, both set for April.
On Saturday, March 29, cast members from Nashville, including Charles Esten (“Deacon Claybourne”), Jonathan Jackson (“Avery Barkley”), Hayden Panettiere (“Juliette Barnes”), Sam Palladio (“Gunnar Scott”), Chris Carmack (“Will Lexington”), Will Chase (“Luke Wheeler”), Clare Bowen (“Scarlett O’Connor”), and Chaley Rose (“Zoey Dalton”) took the Ryman Auditorium stage for a taping of Nashville: On The Record, which will air on  April 23. The taping offered the actor-singers of Nashville another opportunity to showcase their prowess as vocalists and musicians in a live setting.
Buddy Miller led the house band, while the cast members performed many of the show’s well-known songs in various combinations. The audience members were zealous–and vocal–in offering their adoration as their favorite cast members took to revered wooden boards of the Ryman.
“Y’all will have to kick me off the stage,” said Panettiere, as she offered up “Don’t Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet,” backed by the song’s writers Caitlyn Smith and Trent Dabbs.
In a fashion befitting her character Scarlett, Bowen took the stage barefoot to perform “If I Didn’t Know Better” with Palladio. Her ethereal, airy voice fairly floated on the melodies of several ballads, including a piano-backed ballad with the song’s writer Lucy Swartz.
Several additional songwriters were present at the Ryman to support the performances of their songs, including writers Justin Davis, Sarah Zimmermann, Sarah Buxton, Kate York, Shawn Camp, Jill Andrews and Ashley Monroe.
“We are so grateful for all of these songs, and I’m so grateful for Ashley and Sarah penning this song,” said Esten before performing “A Life That’s Good.” “It’s been performed in different incarnations on the show.”
Nashville airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. CT on ABC.
The men of Nashville–actors Charles Esten, Jonathan Jackson, Sam Palladio and Chris Carmack--along with chanteuse Clare Bowen, will bring their live show to stages across the country with the first-ever Nashville concert tour. The tour dates include Joe’s Bar in Chicago on April 25, Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C. on May 4, and the Best Buy Theater in New York on May 6.
The brief tour will add Will Chase for the New York concert date. Tickets for the tour stops will go on sale beginning Friday, April 4.
April 25 – Joe’s Bar, Chicago, IL
On sale: April 4 at 10am CT www.joesbar.com
May 4 – Lincoln Theatre, Washington, DC
On sale: April 4 at 10am ET www.ticketfly.com
May 6 – Best Buy Theater, New York, NY
On sale: April 4 at 12pm ET www.axs.com
Big Machine Records, ABC Studios and Lionsgate have previously released three Music of ‘Nashville’ soundtracks with all original music. The fourth highly-anticipated soundtrack will be on sale May 6, 2014. Collectively, the previous albums have sold over 3 million tracks.