Music City Food + Wine Festival Announces Riverfront Park Move

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Pictured (L-R): Ken Levitan, Mayor Karl Dean, Kings of Leon's Nathan Followill, Caleb Followill and Jared Followill, Butch Spyridon. Photo: Kelsey Grady.

Pictured (L-R): Ken Levitan, Mayor Karl Dean, Kings of Leon’s Nathan Followill, Caleb Followill and Jared Followill, Butch Spyridon. Photo: Kelsey Grady.

The third annual Music City Food + Wine Festival will be held Sept. 19-20, 2015 with afternoon events moving from Public Square Park to The Green at Riverfront Park. Evening events will continue in the soon-to-be-remodeled Walk of Fame Park.

The musical lineup for Saturday, Sept. 19’s Harvest Night celebration is expected later this summer but will again be curated by the Kings of Leon. The weekend will bring together superstars of Nashville’s local culinary scene with acclaimed national and regional chefs, wine and spirits experts for cooking demonstrations and panel discussions. The Harvest Night signature event pairs dishes from world-renowned chefs and top musical talent.

The announcement was made this afternoon when rocker group Kings of Leon joined chef Jonathan Waxman, Vector Management’s Ken Levitan and Andy Mendelsohn, and C3 at Waxman’s new Baja Sexton in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

“This third year means the event is growing and–in our book–is here to stay!” said Butch Spyridon, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation.

“The park will be ready ahead of time and should be a great location for it,” said Mayor Karl Dean. “One of the most interesting observations in my eight years as mayor of Nashville is watching the culinary scene of Nashville explode–something that has happened organically. The restaurants mean so much to our city. It reflects the increased diversity of our city. The diversity of the food is part of that attraction and one of the benefits.”

“We are honored to host some of the best and brightest chefs once again and to provide a delicious forum in our backyard for residents and visitors alike to experience the best that our city has to offer,” said Levitan.

“We’re hitting our stride as we enter into our third year!” said Mendelsohn.

“As our third Music City Food + Wine Festival approaches, it reinforces how proud I am to be a member of Nashville’s amazing and vibrant culinary community,” said Waxman.

Tickets went on sale this morning, May 13 at 10 a.m. CT. Weekend passes are available for $500/ea. Day/night passes are available starting at $150/ea. Information here. Must be 21 years of age or older.

The Grand Taste includes (additional announcements expected):
Kahlil Arnold (Arnold’s Country Kitchen)
Roderick Bailey (The Silly Goose)
Matt Bolus (404 Kitchen)
Carey Bringle (Peg Leg Porker)
Tyler Brown (Capitol Grille)
Maneet Chauhan (Chauhan Ale & Masala House)
Trey Cioccia (The Farm House)
Rene De Leon (Le Sel)
Lisa Donovan (Buttermilk Road & Husk Nashville)
Matt Farley (The Southern Steak & Oyster and The Acme)
Jay Flatley (Tavern)
Giovanni Pinato (Giovanni Ristorante)
Sarah Gavigan (Otaku South)
Robert Grace (Kayne Prime)
Josh Habiger (Strategic Hospitality)
Hal M. Holden-Bache (Lockeland Table)
John Lasater (Hattie B’s Hot Chicken)
Dale Levitski (Sinema Nashville)
Chris Lewallen (Silo); Andrew Little (Josephine)
Duane Loftus (Merchant’s Restaurant)
Todd Alan Martin (The Treehouse)
Jason McConnell (McConnell Hospitality Group)
Margot McCormack (Margot Café & Marche)
Trevor Moran (The Catbird Seat)
Deb Paquette (Etch & Truss Restaurant)
James Peisker and Chris Carter (Porter Road Butcher)
Nick Pellegrino (Mangia Nashville)
Jeffrey Rhodes (Pinewood Social)
Nick Seabergh (The Sutler Saloon)
Kaelin Ulrich Trilling (Bajo Sexto Taco)
Tandy Wilson (City House)
Karl Worley (Biscuit Love Brunch)

Harvest Night chefs include:
Chris Bianco (Pizzeria Bianco)
Sean Brock (Husk)
Graham Elliot (Graham Elliot Bistro)
Kelly English (Restaurant Iris)
Carla Hall (Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen)
Linton Hopkins (Holeman & Finch Public House)
Mike Lata (FIG & The Ordinary)
Daniel Lindley (Alleia Restaurant)
Tim Love (Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Woodshed Smokehouse, Queenie’s Steakhouse, Love Shack & White Elephant Saloon)
Matthew McClure (The Hive)
Marcus Samuelsson (Red Rooster Harlem, Ginny’s Supper Club, Streetbird Rotisserie)
Aarón Sánchez (Paloma & Johnny Sanchez)
Michael Schwartz (Michael’s Genuine)
Levon Wallace (Cochon Butcher)
Jonathan Waxman (Adele’s by Jonathan Waxman, Bajo Sexto Taco & Barbuto)
Andrew Zimmern (Chef & TV Personality)

Cooking Demonstrations:
Chris Bianco
Graham Elliot
Carla Hall
Linton Hopkins
Mike Lata
Tim Love
Marcus Samuelsson
Aarón Sánchez
Michael Schwartz
Levon Wallace
Jonathan Waxman
Andrew Zimmern

Read MusicRow‘s coverage of past events here.

Producer Nathan Chapman Switches Sides In The Studio

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Nathan ChapmanProducer and songwriter Nathan Chapman is best known for his work with artists including Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, Lady Antebellum and others.

But the multi-talented musician recently stepped back into the studio as an artist to craft his new independent album, Revival. The project marks Chapman’s first album as an artist in nearly 20 years.

The 10-track project features co-producer Stephanie Chapman, with additional production by John McBride and Michael Rhodes. Co-writers on the project include Chapman, Leslie Satcher, Lori McKenna, Tyler Hilton, John and Jacob, Ashley Monroe, Hillary Lindsey, Chantal Kreviazuk, Andrew Dorff, and Mary Steenburgen.

Several of his industry colleagues gathered at Nashville venue The Basement recently to celebrate the album’s release. Attendees included Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley, Satcher, Annie Chapman, and more. Chapman had a stellar backing band during the performance, including Rhodes, Chad Cromwell, Justin Schipper, Mike Rojas and Kenny Greenberg. McBride handled sound for the evening.

The project is available for $12 on Chapman’s official website, nathanchapman.com.

Revival track listing

1. Revival
2. Freedom Has It’s Own Kind of Chains
3. Lady Loneliness
4. I Broke The World
5. Wild Love
6. The Devil’s House
7. Settle Me Down
8. Get Me To My Baby Tonight
9. Sticking With You
10. Shipwrecked

Songwriter Chris Wallin Inks Deal with Spirit Music Nashville

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Pictured (L-R): Brian Bradford, Director Administration, Spirit Music Nashville; Carrie Gallo, Creative Director, Spirit Music Nashville; Chris Wallin; Billy Lynn, Vice President Creative, Spirit Music Nashville; and Daniel Hill, President, Spirit Music Nashville.

Pictured (L-R): Brian Bradford, Director Administration, Spirit Music Nashville; Carrie Gallo, Creative Director, Spirit Music Nashville; Chris Wallin; Billy Lynn, Vice President Creative, Spirit Music Nashville; and Daniel Hill, President, Spirit Music Nashville.

Spirit Music Nashville has signed hit country songwriter Chris Wallin to an exclusive global publishing agreement.

“We have been fans of Chris Wallin’s for many years now. He has such a great talent for intelligently communicating universal themes and emotion through his songs, and we are thrilled to finally get to work directly with Chris,” said Daniel Hill, President, Spirit Music Nashville.

“I’m really excited about signing with Spirit Music Nashville. They aren’t afraid of trying new things and together I feel we will be blazing new trails up and down Music Row,” said Wallin.

Wallin is known for penning the chart-toppers “Don’t Blink” by Kenny Chesney, “Love Me If You Can” by Toby Keith, and “Something To Be Proud Of” by Montgomery Gentry, the Top 10 hits “I’m Tryin’” by Trace Adkins, and “Speed” by Montgomery Gentry, as well as three songs on the latest Garth Brooks release, including the Top 20 hit “People Loving People.”

Country Fans Vote Nashville-Area Talent To ‘The Voice,’ ‘Idol’ Final Rounds

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Pictured (L-R):

Pictured (L-R): Clark Beckham and Nick Fradiani of American Idol; Blake Shelton and Meghan Linsey of The Voice.

Country fans are sure watching TV talent shows. That may be one take-away into White House, Tenn.-native Clark Beckham‘s inclusion in the top two of American Idol on FOX, while ex-Steel Magnolia singer Meghan Linsey has made it to the final-four on The Voice on NBC.

Strangely enough American Idol is auditioning for its final 15th season contestants at the same time and location of its season 14 finale tonight, Wednesday May 13. That’s when the FOX-network winner will receive a recording contract with Scott Borchetta‘s Big Machine Label Group. There is a 50/50 chance the winner will be from mid-Tennessee. It’s down to Beckham and Nick Fradiani, a Connecticut native.

Lindsey, a member of Team Blake, will perform as the final four on The Voice next week.

ASCAP Writers Meet With Capitol Hill Policymakers During ‘Songwriter Advocacy Day’

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ascap we create music1Songwriters and performers are in Washington, D.C. today to meet with elected officials as part of ASCAP’s Songwriter Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill. During the meetings, ASCAP members will discuss challenges faced by songwriters in today’s digital marketplace, and urge policymakers to update federal laws regulating music licensing. They will also ask that policymakers support the Songwriter Equity Act, a bipartisan bill to amend two outdated portions of the US Copyright Act.

ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams, Alan Bergman (“The Way We Were”), John Bettis (“Top of the World”), Crystal Nicole (“The Only Girl In The World”), Allen Shamblin (“The House That Built Me”) and  Che “Rhymefest” Smith (“Glory”) are among those in attendance. They will be joined by songwriter/producer Kevin Kadish (“All About That Bass”), ASCAP CEO Beth Matthews and many of ASCAP’s Board members.

ASCAP Board members meeting with legislators include Marilyn Bergman (“The Windmills of Your Mind”),  Desmond Child (“Livin’ On A Prayer”); film and TV composers Richard Bellis (“IT”) Bruce Broughton (“Silverado”), Dan Foliart (“Home Improvement,” “Roseanne”), and Doug Wood (“Saturday Night Live”); concert music composer Alex Shapiro; and publishers Barry Coburn (Ten Ten Music Group), Dean Kay (Lichelle Music and songwriter of “That’s Life”), Leeds Levy (Leeds Music) and Irwin Robinson (Cromwell Music).

“The rules that govern how songwriters and composers license our music no longer work in today’s marketplace, presenting a very real threat to the foundation of the music value chain,” said Williams. “Powerful corporations that now control the music delivery pipeline have lined up in opposition to reform, essentially asking the federal government to protect their profits at the expense of every songwriter, composer and music publisher in America. We’re here today because it’s up to each of us, as music creators, to stand up, speak out and defend the value of our music.”

Ashley Monroe Nails One-Take Live Recording at Nashville’s Blue Room

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Ashley-Monroe-Crowd

Ashley Monroe is not a stranger to Jack White‘s Third Man Records in Nashville. Nor is the Warner Nashville star unaccustomed to a flawless live performance. Monroe has performed with legends Wanda Jackson and then with Willie Nelson for his 80th Birthday CMT event at Third Man Records, but last night (May 12) was for her direct-to-acetate live recording.

Her artistic magic was on full display at the gathering in Jack White‘s famed Blue Room. Three musicians joined Monroe in front of an audience of around 300 VIP guests, many part of the Music Biz 2015 conference.

Ashley Monroe.

Ashley Monroe.

“It’s very crucial we get this right,” said Monroe as she took the stage with John Shaw (guitar), Jenee Fleenor (fiddle) and Johnny Duke (lead guitar).

Born to perform, Monroe kicked off with “Two Weeks Late,” a track off her Warner debut, before recording began with additional major label debut tracks “Like A Rose” and “Weed Instead of Roses.” Her 2006 title “Satisfied” was recorded during the B-side phase of the evening.

Performances of highly anticipated new material included the superb title track off the forthcoming release, The Blade, in addition to “Dixie,” “Bombshell,” “Has Anybody Ever Told You,” “I’m Good At Leavin'” and her current single “On To Something Good.” Monroe closed out the evening with a solo-acoustic performance of “Hickory Wind,” Gram Parsons‘ 1968 hit.

The studio records only a handful of performances a year for its Live at Third Man Records series. Performances are available to attendees with a black/blue 12″ LP, then to the general public as traditional black vinyl.

Monroe’s sophomore Warner Bros. album will be available July 24.

Photos: Music Biz

T Bone Burnett Enters Joint Venture With Spirit Music Group

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T Bone Burnett

T Bone Burnett

Spirit Music Group has teamed with T Bone Burnett in a joint venture. They have also signed Burnett to an exclusive publishing agreement for his song catalog in North America.

Under the join venture, Burnett will sign and develop songwriters under the Spirit Music Group umbrella. SMG will handle song promotion, licensing, and administration on a global basis. SMG will also administer all Burnett’s catalog as well as future works.

David Renzer, Chairman, Spirit Music Group said, “We have a huge amount of respect for T Bone’s creative prowess. With T Bone’s creative vision combined with Spirit’s song marketing/ publishing expertise, our ability to find and nurture exciting talent is something the entire team is excited about. We are proud to work with T Bone, his prolific catalog of songs, and look forward to developing the best new talent through this partnership.”

Burnett commented, “I am happy to have David Renzer and his killer team at Spirit as allies as we go about discovering and, hopefully, affecting what the business of music looks like in the 21st Century.”

Burnett has earned numerous Grammys — including Album of the Year and Record of the Year — for his production work on Robert Plant and Alison Krauss‘ Raising Sand. He was also awarded a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album for his work on B.B. King’s One Kind Favor. He previously earned five Grammys for his work on the eight-times Platinum release, O Brother Where Art Thou? Further Grammys followed for his work on the platinum soundtrack to the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk The Line, and the platinum Tony Bennett / k.d. lang duets album, A Wonderful World.

He also collaborated with Joel Coen and Ethan Coen on their film Inside Llewyn Davis which followed his successful collaboration with the Coen Brother on The Big Lebowski, for which he served as “Musical Archivist.” Burnett is also the Executive Music Producer and Composer for the HBO series True Detective, which stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. He was Executive Music Producer and co-composer for the first season of the highly-acclaimed ABC television series, Nashville. That show spawned two best-selling soundtrack albums as well as millions of individual song downloads. He has served as Executive Music Producer on numerous films, including Across The Universe, Walk The Line (he also composed its score) and The Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood. He was nominated for an Academy Award, along with Elvis Costello, in the category of Best Original Song for “The Scarlet Tide” from the film, Cold Mountain. For his work on that film, Burnett also earned the BAFTAs Anthony Asquith Award for Achievement in Film Music.

2015 CMT Music Awards Nominations Announced

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Screen Shot 2015-05-13 at 9.28.41 AMThe nominees for the CMT Music Awards were announced Wednesday morning (May 13). Lady Antebellum made an appearance on the Today Show to announce the artists vying for Video of the Year. Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan also joined in the fun, announcing nominations for Breakthrough Video of the Year and Group Video of the Year.

Carrie Underwood earned five nominations overall, including two nods in the Video of the Year category (“Something In The Water,” and “Somethin’ Bad” with Miranda Lambert), two in the Female Video of the Year category (“Something In The Water,” “Little Toy Guns”), and one for Collaborative Video of the Year (“Somethin’ Bad” with Lambert).

Lady Antebellum earned four nominations, with “Bartender” earning nods for Video of the Year and Group Video of the Year. They also scored two CMT Performance nominations for their collaborations with Aloe Blacc on the CMT Ultimate Kickoff Party and with Chris Stapleton during the CMT Artists of the Year.

Kenny Chesney‘s “American Kids” earned the singer multiple nominations, including Video of the Year and Male Video of the Year, along with a CMT Performance of the Year nod for his rendition of the song on CMT Instant Jam, and a Collaborative Video of the Year nomination for “Wild Child” featuring Grace Potter.

Jason Aldean also earned three nods, with “Burnin’ It Down” garnering Video of the Year and Male Video of the Year nods, alongside a CMT Performance of the Year nod for his version of “Turn the Page” with Bob Seger on CMT Crossroads.

Florida Georgia Line‘s “Dirt” earned two nominations, for Video of the Year and Duo Video of the Year. They earned a second Duo Video of the Year nomination for “Sun Daze.”

Newcomers Sam Hunt and Maddie & Tae both earned multiple nominations for their clips. Maddie & Tae’s “Girl In A Country Song” earned nods in the Video of the Year, Duo Video of the Year, and Breakthrough Video of the Year categories. Hunt’s “Leave The Night On” earned nominations for Video of the Year and Breakthrough Video of the Year.

The awards will air on June 10 at 7 p.m. on CMT. Beginning today, fans can vote for all their favorite artists at CMT.com through Monday, June 8 at 10 a.m. ET.

2015 CMT Music Awards Nominations-Full List

Video of the Year
Carrie Underwood, “Something In The Water,” Directed by Raj Kapoor
Darius Rucker, “Homegrown Honey,” Directed by Jim Wright
Dierks Bentley, “Drunk On A Plane,” Directed by Wes Edwards
Florida Georgia Line, “Dirt,” Directed by Nigel Dick
Jason Aldean, “Burnin’ It Down,” Directed by Wes Edwards
Kenny Chesney, “American Kids,” Directed by Shaun Silva
Lady Antebellum, “Bartender,” Directed by Shane Drake
Lee Brice, “I Don’t Dance,” Directed by Ryan Smith
Luke Bryan, “Play It Again,” Directed by Michael Monaco
Maddie & Tae, “Girl In A Country Song,” Directed by TK McKamy
Miranda Lambert w/ Carrie Underwood, “Somethin’ Bad,” Directed by Trey Fanjoy
Sam Hunt, “Leave The Night On,” Directed by Brad Belanger

Male Video of the Year
Dierks Bentley, “Drunk On A Plane”
Eric Church, “Talladega”
Jason Aldean, “Burnin’ It Down”
Keith Urban, “Somewhere In My Car”
Kenny Chesney, “American Kids”
Luke Bryan, “Play It Again”

Female Video of the Year
Carrie Underwood, “Little Toy Guns”
Carrie Underwood, “Something In The Water”
Lee Ann Womack, “The Way I’m Livin'”
Miranda Lambert, “Little Red Wagon”
RaeLynn, “God Made Girls”
Reba, “Going Out Like That”

Group Video of the Year
A Thousand Horses, “Smoke”
Eli Young Band, “Dust”
Lady Antebellum, “Bartender”
Little Big Town, “Day Drinking”
The Band Perry, “Chainsaw”
Zac Brown Band, “All Alright”

Duo Video of the Year
Big & Rich, “Look At You”
Brothers Osborne, “Rum”
Florida Georgia Line, “Dirt”
Florida Georgia Line, “Sun Daze”
Maddie & Tae, “Girl In A Country Song”
The Swon Brothers, “Later On”

Breakthrough Video of the Year
Chase Rice, “Gonna Wanna Tonight”
Frankie Ballard, “Sunshine & Whiskey”
Kelsea Ballerini, “Love Me Like You Mean It”
Maddie & Tae, “Girl In A Country Song”
RaeLynn, “God Made Girls”
Sam Hunt, “Leave The Light On”

Collaborative Video of the Year
Blake Shelton Featuring Ashley Monroe, “Lonely Tonight”
Brantley Gilbert Featuring Justin Moore and Thomas Rhett, “Small Town Throwdown”
Jennifer Nettles Featuring Brandy Clark, “His Hands”
Kenny Chesney with Grace Potter, “Wild Child”
Miranda Lambert with Carrie Underwood, “Somethin’ Bad”
Tim McGraw Featuring Faith Hill, “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s”

CMT Performance of the Year
Bob Seger and Jason Aldean, “Turn The Page” (from CMT Crossroads)
Brett Eldredge, “Beat of the Music” (from CMT Ultimate Kickoff Party)
John Legend with Lee Ann Womack, “You and I (Nobody in the World)” (from CMT Crossroads)
Katy Perry with Kacey Musgraves, “Roar” (from CMT Crossroads)
Keith Urban, “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” (from CMT Artists of the Year)
Kenny Chesney, “American Kids” (from CMT Instant Jam)
Lady Antebellum and Aloe Blacc, “Wake Me Up” (from CMT Ultimate Kickoff Party)
Lady Antebellum and Chris Stapleton, “Drink A Beer” (from CMT Artists of the Year)

ASCAP Names Executive VP, General Counsel

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Clara Kim

Clara Kim

ASCAP has appointed Clara Kim as Executive VP and General Counsel, effective June 1. Kim fills the General Counsel role previously held by Elizabeth Matthews, who was named CEO in January 2015. Kim will oversee all legal and business affairs of ASCAP, managing its legislative team, internal and outside legal services as well as business affairs in all areas of ASCAP’s global operations.

Prior to joining ASCAP, Kim served as EVP, Business and Legal Affairs for National Geographic Channels US and International, where she was responsible for their domestic and international businesses. Prior to that, she spent two years as general counsel and co-founder of Multi-Verse Media, LLC, which produced original television and digital programming content. Before Multi-Verse, she was executive vice president, global business and legal affairs for Discovery Communications.

Ms. Kim also held several general counsel and senior legal positions at Viacom Inc.’s Spike TV, Nickelodeon, MTV Networks International and Showtime Networks.

Artist Pics: Cam, Kim Carnes, A Thousand Horses

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Cam Performs For Charitable Foundations

Arista Nashville singer/songwriter Cam was invited to perform in New Orleans on Saturday, May 9 for an event benefiting The Brees Dream Foundation and the just keep livin Foundation.

Pictured (L-R): Oscar winning actor Matthew McConaughey, Arista Nashville’s Cam, & New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees. Photo: Jim Ezell - EZ Event Photography

Pictured (L-R): Oscar winning actor Matthew McConaughey, Arista Nashville’s Cam, and New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees. Photo: Jim Ezell, EZ Event Photography

Kim Carnes At The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum featured an in-depth discussion last weekend with singer/songwriter Kim Carnes, led by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Peter Cooper. Carnes, the Grammy winning songwriter behind 1981’s smash hit “Betty Davis Eyes,” as well as many other hits, also performed several of her songs for the crowd.

Pictured (L-R): Singer/Songwriters Jeff Hanna and Matraca Berg, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Peter Cooper, Singer/Songwriter Kim Carnes, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Abi Tapia, and singer/songwriters Billy Panda and Dave Ellingson. Photo: Rick Diamond, Getty Images

Pictured (L-R): Singer/songwriters Jeff Hanna and Matraca Berg, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Peter Cooper, singer/songwriter Kim Carnes, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Abi Tapia, and singer/songwriters Billy Panda and Dave Ellingson. Photo: Rick Diamond, Getty Images

A Thousand Horses Makes National TV Debut

A Thousand Horses made its national television debut this morning on NBC’s TODAY. The group spoke about their success on country radio, musical influences, and the release of album Southernality on June 9 (Republic Nashville).

Pictured (L-R): Michael Hobby, Kristen Rogers, Bill Satcher, Zach Brown, Morgan Hebert, Whitney Coleman, Graham Deloach, Brian Purwin, Ryan Scarborough Photo: Republic Nashville

Pictured (L-R): Michael Hobby, Kristen Rogers, Bill Satcher, Zach Brown, Morgan Hebert, Whitney Coleman, Graham Deloach, Brian Purwin, Ryan Scarborough. Photo: Republic Nashville