Pictured (Back row) Brothers Osborne. (Middle row) Old Dominion. (Front row) Chris Janson, Kelsea Ballerini, Cam. Photo: Sara Kauss

Chapter 521

If this year’s New Faces Show at Country Radio Seminar is any gauge, the future of country music is in good hands.

No, I’m serious. I have been to more than 30 of these showcases, and this year’s lineup was one of the strongest that I can remember. Each act, in its own way, knocked it out of the park.

Co-sponsored by the Academy of Country Music and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, this was the first New Faces Show (and CRS convention) held at the Omni Hotel downtown. The Wednesday evening show (Feb. 10) was the culmination of three days of panel discussions, research presentations, radio awards, music showcases and parties.

There were pre-show video presentations by St. Jude and the ACM’s Paul Barnabee and Lisa Lee. The latter pointed out that all five New Faces are nominated for ACM awards this year.

Cam. Photo: Sara Kauss

The vivacious Cam kicked off the show with a flawless set. Her pert and rocking Untamed album’s title tune was followed by the furiously blazing “Runaway Train.” Her penetrating, poignant, throbbing and melodic new single, “Mayday,” was her segment’s highlight. She concluded with her plaintive, aching, breakthrough ballad, “Burning House.”

“I’m so proud to be a part of this lineup today,” she told the assembled radio poobahs. “We’ve had a really incredible year thanks to you guys.”

I took schmooze breaks between acts. That meant spotting attendees David Preston, David M. Ross, John Huie, John Esposito, Jon Freeman, John Zarling, Charlie Cook, Charlie Morgan, Bob Kingsley, Bob Doerschuk and Bob Paxman.

Meanwhile, magician Justin Flom, who opened for Cam, was featured in between-acts videos of him delighting and/or flummoxing CRS attendees with his slight-of-hand tricks.

Brothers Osborne. Photo: Sara Kauss

The second New Faces showcasers, Brothers Osborne, came out with guns blazing on the neo-Southern rock gem, “It Ain’t My Fault.” Then “21 Summer” was contrastingly breezy and enchanting. The bedrock barroom country “Loving Me Back” was another cool change of pace.

“I just want to thank you for letting me be a part of the most nerve-racking show of our lives,” said lead singer TJ Osborne. “You’ve treated us with so much respect, and we love you for it.”

Their finale, of course, was the pulse-pounding excitement of “Stay a Little Longer” with John Osborne’s trademark fleet-fingered guitar workout. This set was a star-making performance.

Entre-act schmoozathon #2 involved Dawn Delvo, Greg Green, Fletcher Foster, Royce Risser, Raeanne Rubenstein, Sarah Skates, Bobby Bones, Brandi Simms, Sherod Robertson, Phyllis Stark and Todd Cassetty.

Kelsea Ballerini. Photo: Sara Kauss

Kelsea Ballerini may be only 22, but she showed real depth for someone who’s only been doing full shows for a year. “Dibs” was youthful and perky, yet “XO” was a frothing rocker and “Peter Pan” is a superbly-written, wise and tuneful tempo tune.

“Thank you for what you’ve done for this song; thank you for what you’ve done for me,” she said in introducing “Love Me Like You Mean It.” “Thank you for the most incredible year. I’m so grateful.”

Rick Murray. Randy Goodman, Eric T. Parker, Granger Smith, Diana Upton Hill, April Kry, Hannah Bethel, Craig Bann, Chuck Dauphin and Allen Brown were on our radar during schmooze break #3.

Old Dominion. Photo: Sara Kauss

The set by Old Dominion shone a spotlight on the band’s strong suit—its songwriting. “Snapback” was cheery, churning and anthemic. “Said Nobody” was jaunty and bopping. The lilting, sexy “Nowhere Fast” was a delight. The lyrics of “Song for Another Time” were splendidly clever. “Break Up With Him” still sounds refreshingly ringing and catchy.

Working the room and/or backstage during schmooze break #4 were Scott Hendricks, Karen Tallier, Troy Stephenson, Cindy Watts, Lon Helton, Wynn Varble, Tom Baldrica, Ed Morris, Leslie Fram, Jessica Nicholson and Deborah Evans Price.

Chris Janson. Photo: Sara Kauss

The finale slot belonged to the one-of-a-kind, wonderfully inventive Chris Janson. Lean and lanky and wired, he went all over the stage and right into our hearts. He wailed his harmonica on the romping “Back in My Drinkin’ Days.” “White Trash” is a moody ballad about his hillbilly childhood. His new single, “The Power of Positive Drinkin’,” was roaring and stomping.

“Thank you for putting food on my table and feeding my family,” he said sincerely. Then he let his searing, soaring tenor loose on the powerful love ballad “Holdin’ Her.” It was a thrilling vocal performance that drew a standing ovation. He finished with the jovial and drawling, star-making “Buy Me a Boat” and drew a second standing ovation.

Chris summed up the whole roster’s feelings with the shout, “Thank you for making my dreams come true!”

More than 1,100 attended. As I mentioned, this was the first CRS at The Omni. The high-end hotel lived up to its reputation with a first-class banquet featuring grilled shrimp, tender steak medallions, stewed tomato, asparagus spears and mashed potatoes, with pecan chocolate pie as the dessert.

Olivia Lane. Photo: Sara Kauss

The pre-show cocktail party was sponsored by Big Spark Records in order to showcase Olivia Lane. She pogo-bounced energetically during her uptempo tunes, sang strongly, had a tough little four-piece band and played acoustic guitar, mandolin and tambourine. “I’m insanely positive all the time,” she told the crowd. And she was.

The recipients for the 2016 CRS/Country Aircheck Awards were also announced during the festivities. The winners are:

WUBL/Atlanta (Major Market)
KAJA/San Antonio (Large)
WSSL/Greenville (Medium)
WKSF/Asheville, NC (Small)
Platinum Label: Capitol
Gold Label: Broken Bow

OM/PD:
Bruce Logan, KILT/Houston (Major)
Kerry Wolfe, WMIL/Milwaukee (Large)
Buzz Jackson, KIIM/Tucson (Medium)
Dave Michaels, WQHK/Ft. Wayne, IN (Small)

MD:
Marci Braun, WUSN/Chicago (Major)
Kimsey Kerr, WSIX/Nashville (Large)
Aaron Michael, WSSL/Greenville (Medium)
Bill Poindexter, WUSY/Chattanooga (Small)

SVP/VP: Royce Risser, UMG Nashville
National: Erik Powell, Big Machine

MM/GM:
Tim Pohlman, WUSN/Chicago (Major)
Pam McKay, KASE & KVET/Austin (Large)
Bill McMartin, WSSL & WESC/Greenville (Medium)
Gene Guinn, WBUL/Lexington (Small)

Personality:
Fitz In The Morning, KKWF/Seattle (Major)
Tige & Daniel, WSIX/Nashville (Large)
Ellis & Bradley, WSSL/Greenville (Medium)
Tim Leary, WUBB/Savannah, GA (Small)

National: The Bobby Bones Show
Regional: Cliff Blake, Columbia
Indie Promo: New Revolution/New Vision
New Face: Rod Phillips, iHeartCountry

Jennifer Nettles. Photo: Sara Kauss

On the final day of Country Radio Seminar (CRS), Jennifer Nettles and Justin Moore anchored the Big Machine Label Group (BMLG) luncheon at the Omni Nashville Hotel, bringing some older hits and new material to the Wednesday (Feb. 10) event.

New artists Tucker Beathard, Tara Thompson, and Drake White all made special appearances, following opening remarks from BMLG President and CEO Scott Borchetta and Nashville actor Charles Esten (“Deacon”).

Nettles is back on the scene following a solo project on another label, a short-term stint in Chicago on Broadway, and a star turn in the television movie, Dolly Parton’s Coat Of Many Colors. While her soaring new ballad, “Unlove You,” is climbing the country chart, she is out headlining CMT’s Next Women of Country Tour.

On stage at CRS, she wore a black leather jacket over a stylish patterned dress, which accentuated her tough girl/thoughtful woman personality. She unveiled two new songs with a lot of spunk: “Playing With Fire” and “Drunk in Heels.” Both are expected to be on her first BMLG project due later this year.

Then she slowed things down for “Unlove You,” a country-influenced ballad that allows her to open up her commanding vocals and wail. Encouraging the audience to take a trip back in time, she submitted fun versions of Sugarland staples “Baby Girl” and “Something More,” smiling all the while before saying farewell.

Drake White. Photo: Sara Kauss

Her set was preceded by White’s pair of acoustic songs, performed with two other musicians. A scruffy Alabama native who has a blues tinge to his baritone, White is working on his bow on the Dot Records imprint. To preview the project, he offered the sultry “Makin’ Me Look Good Again” and the single, “Livin’ the Dream.”

Moore earned the sole standing ovation of the afternoon, thanks to an emotional rendering of 2011’s “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away.” His set was a strong reminder of his natural charisma and enviable track record at country radio. Although he’s working on a new album, the first four songs he performed were familiar: “Point at You,” “’Til My Last Day,” “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” and “Small Town USA.”

Justin Moore. Photo: Sara Kauss

Moore said he has taken time away from releasing singles to focus on making sure he was sending the best possible songs to radio. That hiatus officially ended when he shipped “You Look Like I Need a Drink” to country stations in late 2015. The catchy tune elicited laughter and knowing looks from the crowd, who had just finished dining on a spread of beef, salmon, fried chicken, roasted vegetables, dinner rolls and tossed salad.

Citing a previous engagement—baking cupcakes for his daughter’s 6th birthday the following day—Moore once again effusively thanked the programmers in the room for allowing him to have a career in country music.

Pictured (L-R): Tara Thompson, Drake White, Scott Borchetta, Jennifer Nettles, Tucker Beathard. Photo: Sara Kauss

Emerging from behind a black curtain, Beathard was almost shy on stage. That’s a surprise because so many of his family members have found a spotlight in various fields, from football to music. Although he’s relatively green at age 21, Beathard is able to pull off a solo performance on the strength of songs like “Rock On,” a memorable first single with a lyrical twist that feels comfortable in country music. His second tune, “20-10 Tennessee,” is a metaphorical slice-of-life song that indicates his upcoming album will be an interesting and intriguing one.

Tara Thompson. Photo: Sara Kauss

Opener, Thompson—or “Tara Damn Thompson” when she’s introducing herself—is currently on the road with Nettles’ CMT-sponsored tour, so she’s had some experience warming up crowds. With redneck imagery and a Jerry Springer reference, “Vows” is a romp down the wedding aisle. As for Thompson’s sole love song, it’s called “Jail.” Her take-charge debut single, “Someone To Take Your Place,” wrapped her set.