Luke Bryan Celebrates New Bar With Concert In Downtown Nashville

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Pictured: Luke Bryan performs for 30,000 fans in downtown Nashville. Photo: Chris Hollo

Luke Bryan performed a free concert for 30,000 fans in the heart of downtown Nashville last night (Sept. 10) for the grand opening celebration of his new bar, Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink.

Before the show, Luke and his wife Caroline cut a camouflage ribbon to christen the opening of the bar followed by a press conference for media where Luke talked about his excitement for the venue opening, and playing for the fans. Luke kicked off the press event with an acoustic performance of his 21st career No. 1, “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset,” that landed at the top of the country singles charts yesterday.

Pictured (L-R): Luke and Caroline Bryan cut a camouflage ribbon to christen the opening of the new bar, Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink. Photo: Chris Hollo

Pictured: Luke Bryan performs for media at a press conference before the concert. Photo: Chris Hollo

After openers DJ Rock, Chelsea Field and Jon Langston performed, Luke took the stage and played a 90 minute set. Luke’s show included many of his No. 1 hits as well as a guest appearance by Ryan Hurd on “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset,” who wrote the current No. 1 single with Zach Crowell and Chase McGill. Cole Swindell made a surprise appearance and performed his No. 1 hit “Ain’t Worth The Whiskey” with Luke and the pair covered Tim McGraw’s “Where The Green Grass Grows.”

Pictured (L-R): Luke Bryan and Ryan Hurd perform. Photo: Chris Hollo

Pictured (L-R): Luke Bryan and Cole Swindell perform. Photo: Chris Hollo

CMT Plans First All-Female ‘Artists Of The Year’ Special For October

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CMT has announced that for the first-time ever the annual CMT Artists of the Year special will be dedicated to the women of country music—past, present and future. This year’s all-female Artists of the Year celebration will honor Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman, and Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott. The 90-minute special will premiere on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. ET, only on CMT.

“This year, we’re evolving the special to reflect what’s happening right now in culture and in the lives of our fans,” said Leslie Fram, Senior Vice President of Music & Talent, CMT. “In this monumental year for women, dedicating one of the biggest nights in the genre to applaud female country artists not only solidifies our commitment, but we hope will spark a much-needed change in the industry.”

As in past years, the event will feature surprise musical pairings and guests that will be announced at a later date. In addition, CMT will further its commitment to female artists through a day-long “Women of Country Music” takeover across all CMT platforms where music lives including music hours on CMT, the 24/7 digital channel CMT Music and CMT Radio’s widely-syndicated shows “CMT Radio LIVE” and “CMT After Midnite” to encourage and inspire increased female airplay on October 17.

CMT launched its dedicated “Next Women of Country” campaign in 2013 as a way to give female artists voice and airplay across all CMT platforms. The franchise has received critical acclaim, and in five years since its launch the initiative has expanded to include tours, digital programming and more. Ballerini and Morris are both alumnae of the “Next Women” franchise.

Last year’s special earned its highest ratings to date and ranked as the most watched in the event’s eight-year history. More than 1.1 million fans tuned in to the premiere telecast and the encore. Socially, #CMTAOTY trended nationally on Twitter during the show and the special ranked as the #1 Most Social Entertainment Program in Primetime on Cable.

Previous “CMT Artists of the Year” performances have included Adele and Darius Rucker performing Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now;” Meghan Trainor, Jill Scott and Kelsea Ballerini honoring Shania Twain with a medley of her biggest hits; Jason Aldean, Keith Urban and Chris Stapleton in a moving Tom Petty tribute with “I Won’t Back Down;” Adam Lambert and Leona Lewis paying tribute to Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush;” and Maroon 5 covering Taylor Swift’s “Mine.” The show has featured appearances by Ellen DeGeneres, Matthew McConaughey, Selena Gomez, Billy Bob Thornton, Roger Clemens, Morgan Freeman, the cast of Nashville and more.

Former “CMT Artists of the Year” honorees include Blake Shelton (2015), Brad Paisley (2011), Carrie Underwood (2010, 2012, 2016), Cast of “Nashville” (2015), Chris Stapleton (2015, 2016, 2017), Eric Church (2012), Florida Georgia Line (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), Hunter Hayes (2013), Jason Aldean (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), Keith Urban (2017), Kelsea Ballerini (2016), Kenny Chesney (2011, 2012), Kenny Rogers (2015), Lady Antebellum (2010, 2011), Little Big Town (2015), Luke Bryan (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), Merle Haggard (2014), Miranda Lambert (2012, 2014), Sam Hunt (2015, 2017), Shania Twain (2016), Taylor Swift (2010, 2011), Thomas Rhett (2016), Tim McGraw (2013) and Toby Keith (2012).

 

Writers, Release Date Revealed For Brett Young’s Sophomore Album ‘Ticket To L.A.’

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The second album from BMLG Records artist Brett Young, titled Ticket To L.A., will release Dec. 7.

The album follows Young’s startling accomplishments since his debut album released in 2017. He’s earned four consecutive Platinum-certified No. 1 singles, one 3x-Platinum single, and earned an ACM for New Male Vocalist of the Year.

“It’s been four-and-a-half years that I’ve been in Nashville,” says the chart-topping Southern California native. “A lot has happened, the first record has been really good to me and I’m really, really proud of it. But just having a new batch of songs – it’s like breathing new life almost.”

Young worked once again with producer Dann Huff, executive producer and label executive Jimmy Harnen and engineer/mixer Justin Niebank on Ticket To L.A., where he continues to mix his SoCal soul with country.

“I decided to name the album Ticket To L.A. because flying home to Los Angeles has become such a big part of my life,” Young explains. “A lot of the first record reflected a kind of hard point in my life when I was moving from Los Angeles to Nashville, but I’m in a completely different place now. I’m so happy, and I think you can really hear that shift on the new record.”

Young collaborates with one of his musical idols, Gavin DeGraw, on “Chapters” while expressing personal sentiments co-writing 10 of the album’s tracks alongside Shane McAnally, Hillary Lindsey, Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley and more.

TICKET TO L.A. Track Listing

1. “Ticket To L.A.” | Written by Brett Young, Zach Crowell, Jon Nite
2. “Here Tonight” | Written by Brett Young, Ben Caver, Justin Ebach, Charles Kelley
3. “Catch” | Written by Brett Young, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley
4. “1, 2, 3 – Mississippi” | Written by Brett Young, Justin Ebach, Jon Nite
5. “Let It Be Mine” | Written by Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally, Jon Nite
6. “Where You Want Me” | Written by Brett Young, Jessie Jo Dillon, Shane McAnally
7. “Used To Missin’ You” | Written by Brett Young, Jon Nite, Jimmy Robbins
8. “Change Your Name” | Written by Ross Copperman, Matt Jenkins, Jon Nite
9. “Chapters” (Feat. Gavin DeGraw) | Written by Brett Young, Ross Copperman, Gavin DeGraw
10. “The Ship And The Bottle” | Written by Nicolle Galyon, Chase McGill, Jon Nite
11. “Reason To Stay” | Written by Brett Young, Jon Nite, Jimmy Robbins, Emily Warren
12. “Runnin’ Away From Home” | Written by Brett Young, Zach Crowell, Hillary Lindsey
13. “Don’t Wanna Write This Song” | Written by Brett Young, Zach Crowell, Sean McConnell

BMI Sponsors Fifth Annual Island Hopper Songwriters Festival

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Julia Cole poses in Downtown Fort Myers at 2017 Island Hopper Songwriter Fest.

BMI is on board to sponsor the fifth annual Island Hopper Songwriters Festival, presented by the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau and co-sponsored by iHeartMedia.

Artists Midland and LOCASH will headline the 10-day festival, which spans across Captiva Island, Fort Myers Beach and Downtown Fort Myers and runs from Sept. 21- 30 and supports the local bars, restaurants and hotels while also promoting music creators and songwriters.

“BMI is thrilled to partner with iHeartMedia once again in supporting the Island Hopper Songwriters Festival,” said Dan Spears, Vice President of Industry Relations at BMI. “This festival is about bringing people together through music while shining a spotlight on the great bars and restaurants across Southwest Florida. It helps stimulate the local economy and the BMI-licensed restaurants that participate in the festival give our talented songwriters a platform to perform and share their songs and the stories behind some of their biggest hits.”

BMI songwriters and country act, LOCASH will headline the downtown Fort Myers concert on Wednesday, Sept. 26 while Midland will close the festival on Sunday, Sept. 30 in Fort Myers Beach. Some other singer-songwriters to catch include Bob DiPiero, Even Stevens, Aaron Barker, Lee Thomas Miller, Wendell Mobley and Earl Bud Lee, who collectively have written No. 1 songs for country superstars like Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers, George Strait, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton.

A full list of songwriters can be found here and the schedule is now available exclusively on the festival mobile app.

Lauren Daigle, Kirk Franklin, Natalie Grant Added To 49th Annual GMA Dove Awards

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Another round of all-star performances for the 49th Annual GMA Dove Awards has been announced which will include Lauren Daigle, a Newsboys reunion celebrating the band’s 25th anniversary, a duet by Natalie Grant and rising star Koryn Hawthorne, and a first-time Dove Awards performance by Tori Kelly featuring gospel legend Kirk Franklin.

The awards show will be held on Oct. 16 in Nashville, Tennessee and will air exclusively on TBN on Oct. 21 beginning at 8 p.m. CT.  Previously announced performers include Big Daddy Weave, Cory Asbury, Tauren Wells and Jason Crabb with Rascal Flatts. Tauren Wells leads artist nominations with eight, followed by Zach Williams with six, and Cory Asbury, Tasha Cobbs Leonard and TobyMac with five nods each. Top nominated writer/producer Colby Wedgeworth scored eight nominations.

Tickets are on sale now at doveawards.com.

Moon Taxi Announces New Year’s Eve Show at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium

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Nashville’s own alt-rock-five-piece band Moon Taxi will bring the tradition of their New Year’s Eve shows back to Nashville for the band’s first arena show at Municipal Auditorium. After ringing in 2018 in Atlanta, the upcoming performance in Nashville will mark the band’s 10th New Year’s Eve performance in Music City. The group is coming off of the release of their fifth studio album, Let The Record Play, via RCA Records.

Presale tickets will be available starting tomorrow (Sept. 11) with the general on-sale starting on Friday, Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets will be available via livenation.com.

Moon Taxi Upcoming Shows
Sept. 20: Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre
Sept. 21: Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre
Sept. 22: Chattanooga, TN @ The Signal
Sept. 23: Indianapolis, IN @ Holler On The Hill
Sept. 27: Charlottesville, VA @ Sprint Pavilion
Sept. 28: Wilmington, NC @ Greenfield Lake Amphitheater
Sept. 29: Mount Pleasant, SC @ Charleston Harbor Resort + Marina
Sept. 30: Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
Oct. 6: Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks – Jeep on the Rocks
Oct. 7: Bloomingburg, NY @ Catskills Festival
Oct. 24: Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Oct. 26: Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
Oct. 27: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Oct. 28: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

Lucie Silvas Offers Picturesque Performance At Tennessee’s George Dickel Distillery

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Lucie Silvas. Photo: Clark Brewer

George Dickel Distillery has leaned into its music related presence the past couple years. The monthly summer Porch Session series, presented by BMI, most recently hosted Lucie Silvas on Saturday, Sept. 8.

The picturesque evening brought in food trucks to entertain guests with an acoustic pre-show from Thomas Csorba before the sun set. Three signature Dickel drinks were served, along with Tennessee Brew Works beer, of which the Belgain-Style Quad and Imperial Porter are aged in Dickel barrels.

Silvas’ flawless set included songs off her recent effort E.G.O., which was released as her fourth album on Aug. 24. She credited Chris and Morgane Stapleton for being the reason she was able to make the album. Silvas joined Stapleton’s All American Road Show as a special guest in 2017 on around a dozen shows with her husband’s ascendent band, Brothers Osborne.

Lucie Silvas. Photo: Clark Brewer

The album’s witty “Smoking Your Weed” and title track are peppered with puns, and were well received. “Black Jeans” was the standout track from the evening, punctuated with her four person band. Her signature, soulful fray offered the perfect centerpiece for the quiet, balmy evening.

Silvas also treated the lawn chair audience to the thumping pop title track from her 2015 effort, Letters To Ghosts. Additionally, Silvas traded off on piano for such titles as “My Old Habits” and “Everything Looks Beautiful.” “Girls From California” brought a nostalgic, ‘60s feel to the Cascade Hollow.

George Dickel Distillery will offer one more Porch Session this summer, planned for October 20, with a yet-to-be-announced guest. Previous performers for 2018 included Ashley McBryde, Chase Bryant and Paul Cauthen/The Texas Gentlemen.

Show attendance is $25 per person, and inclusive of a free shuttle from Nashville.

Molly Tuttle, Bully, Diarrhea Planet Among Openers For Jason Isbell’s Six-Night Ryman Run

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As announced earlier this year, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit will return to the Ryman Auditorium in October for a six-show run on Oct. 22-24 and 26-28. Today (Sept. 10), Isbell announced that the all Nashville-based opening acts for the shows will include (in order of appearance): Molly Tuttle, JEFF The Brotherhood, Bully, Amanda Shires, Diarrhea Planet, and Melanie Faye.

The series has become an annual mainstay for Isbell fans. From 2014 through 2017 the band has sold out 14 consecutive nights at the Ryman.

On Oct. 19, Southeastern Records will release Live From The Ryman, the group’s new live album. Live From The Ryman was primarily recorded during the group’s six sold out-nights at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in 2017. The album features 13 live versions of songs from their last three critically acclaimed, award-winning studio albums – Southeastern (2013), Something More Than Free (2015), and The Nashville Sound (2017).

Luke Bryan, UMG Nashville Launch 32 Bridge Entertainment With First Signing Jon Langston

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Pictured (L-R): UMG Nashville VP Business & Legal Affairs Rob Femia, UMG Nashville COO Mike Harris, KP Entertainment President Kerri Edwards, UMG Nashville EVP A&R Brian Wright, UMG Nashville President Cindy Mabe, UMG Nashville SVP Promotion Royce Risser, Serling Rooks Hunter McKoy Worob & Averill LLP’s Greg W. Brooks; (Front) UMG Nashville Chairman & CEO Mike Dungan, Jon Langston, Luke Bryan

Singer-songwriter Jon Langston has signed a record deal with Universal Music Group Nashville and 32 Bridge Entertainment, and has released his debut single “When It Comes To Loving You.” The Georgia native is the first artist under Luke Bryan’s new label with UMG Nashville, 32 Bridge Entertainment and will be worked in conjunction with EMI Records Nashville.

“When It Comes To Loving You,” which Langston co-wrote with Dan Isbell and was produced by Jody Stevens, is a soulful song that tells the heartfelt story of a young man illustrating his favorite memories, and yet none of them compare to the moments spent with the girl he loves.

“The ability to start a record label thru my record label is such a dream come true for me. It allows me to see an artist like Jon Langston, trust my heart and sign him,” explains Luke Bryan. “I’ve been watching Jon and hearing about his fan following for some time. More important is that he is in it for the right reasons—he loves making music, he loves the fans and he’s out there working his tail off. I want him to blaze his own trail but if he’s having a bad day or he doesn’t know how an angle of the business works, I want to be there to give him advice or just go fishing.”

“Spending the past four years on the road and seeing fans show up night after night singing along to every song has been such an amazing time,” shares Jon Langston. “Now joining the EMI Nashville team and UMG Nashville family is another honor that I’m so thankful for. Luke has been such a great role model on so many different aspects of this business. I will forever be grateful. Getting the opportunity to do this on another level is something I will work hard at and won’t take for granted! Let’s Go!!!”

In 2013, Langston released “Forever Girl” on YouTube, the first song he ever wrote by himself. That release kicked off his music career which has culminated in 15 sold out shows this year and 160 million career streams.

Currently on his first headline tour, Prob’ly In A Bar Tour, which will run through the end of the year, Langston will also be a guest on Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour 2018.

Lauren Daigle Returns With Long-Awaited Album ‘Look Up Child’

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“I was listening to an interview that John Mayer did and he said that he never makes a second record, he just keeps making a first record. I feel like that is exactly how I feel with this album,” says singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle, who released her own sophomore album of original work, Look Up Child, on Centricity Music on Sept. 7.

The project is the long-awaited follow-up to Daigle’s debut project How Can It Be, which released in 2015 and earned the contemporary Christian Music artist a platinum certification from the RIAA. How Can It Be is one of only five albums in the Christian genre to attain Platinum status since 2003, and the first from a female artist since 2001. Daigle also released the holiday album Behold in 2016.

How Can It Be, and Daigle’s unique sound, became one of the CCM industry’s biggest success stories in recent years, earning three gold-selling singles, “Trust In You,” the title track “How Can It Be,” and “First.”

Last year, her collaboration with Reba McEntire on “Back To God” earned Daigle another No. 1 single. “You Say,” the first single from Look Up Child, followed suit, cresting atop the Hot Christian Songs chart.

“I feel like this is a child of its own,” she says of Look Up Child. “This is the first time I’ve released music having an audience already, whereas when you are releasing music for the very first time, you are kind of throwing it out there and guessing who the people will be that listen to it and fall in love with it. With this album, I’m writing songs for faces that I’ve gotten to see throughout the years on the road.”

 

Given that Daigle and Centricity have become one of the biggest success stories to come out of CCM music in the past few years, many would expect that Daigle and company would release a follow up album as quickly as possible.

That didn’t happen. Instead, Nashville resident Daigle decamped back to her native Louisiana for about a year.

“I heard Adele say once that she had to go away for four years so she could experience life again and write from that place,” Daigle says. “That’s the exact same approach I had. I took a season off just to breathe and process everything I had been going through.”

Daigle spent time with friends and family, away from the bustle of the music industry. She visited campgrounds along Highway 1 in California, and traveled to Mexico.

“My life was flipped upside down in a second,” she recalls of the swift success of her album. “Just four years ago, I was waiting tables at Chuy’s. So in that process it’s been honestly super surreal, seeing, just moments that you didn’t know how to prepare for so it meant you just had to jump in. All of the success and failure and disappointment and excitement, it all kind of weaves a little tapestry in your heart, and then you go into work on another project and it subconsciously comes out.”

Like Adele, Daigle’s voice is saturated with soulful influences and holds an impressive range, most notably displayed on the album’s captivating opener “Still Rolling Stones,” a track that resembles Adele’s early hits such as “Rumor Has It.”

“I told my producer, ‘I want to sweat in the set.’ Like in New Orleans, everybody is dancing and people are getting sweaty and it’s just this beautiful moment of community. I really wanted to capture that essence on this record. I think that’s the song that did it.”

Daigle formally began the writing and recording process on her second album, Look Up Child, in January, reuniting with writer-producers Jason Ingram and Paul Mabury, who helmed her first album. Clustered in Mabury’s studio atop a wooded hill in Franklin, Tennessee, Daigle and team penned nine of the album’s 13 songs within three weeks.

Throughout the album, stringwork enhances her voice, thanks to Nashville musicians and the arrangement work from Brett Mabury, who happens to be Paul Mabury’s twin brother. The orchestra would create one of Daigle’s favorite moments on the record.

Lauren Daigle

“That was the first time that I’ve experienced anything like that. I’ve never been in a studio with an orchestra. A song called ‘This Girl’ is the most personal song on the record, and the orchestra did this string piece with the piano. At the end of that piece the entire orchestra was silent. Nobody could break the silence because the moment in the room was so heavy and you could see tears start to fall down people’s faces.”

The album holds tightly to piano and string-based arrangements, even as it sneaks in hits of doo-wop (“Your Wings”) and a vintage Lauryn Hill-esque arrangement of the hymn “Turn Your Eyes.”

“There are so many moments during making the album where we would just pull out that [1998’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill] record and just listen to it. Paul always says, ‘The history is in the music. If you want to make good music, you have to know the history.’ In making this record, we also studied a lot. He put on a Roberta Flack or Andrae Crouch, and I would just sit there and marvel.”

Daigle’s love of soulful pop & R&B vocalists is the product of a childhood filled with elements of jazz, pop and zydeco.

“This is kind of comical, but I didn’t even know what CCM was until I was already in it. They would say like, ‘This CCM station,’ and I would be like ‘What is CCM?’ It wasn’t until then that I really learned.”

Daigle grew up enthralled by the music of iconic vocalists Celine Dion and Whitney Houston, and initially pursued a pop career. As a teenager, Daigle competed on American Idol for three seasons, to varying degrees of success. During her Idol experience, Daigle realized she longed to return home to lead worship at her church.

A series of quirky events placed Daigle onstage in front of Centricity Music execs while she was a college student at the University of Louisiana. While Daigle was a backup vocalist for a music group, the group was invited to attend a Centricity Music artist retreat, a musical conference that allows aspiring musicians to perform for and interact with music executives in the Contemporary Christian Music industry. The day of the group’s performance, the lead singer was rushed to a hospital for an emergency appendectomy, leaving Daigle to take on lead vocal duties. Centricity execs were captured by what they heard.

Daigle signed with Centricity and over the course of two years, that breakthrough debut album would earn the singer six Dove Awards, two Grammy nominations, and an American Music Award.

Look Up Child’s lead single, “You Say,” was actually penned shortly after the release of her debut album, on a rare day off in Nashville in the middle of her tour.

“I loved the message of the song,” Daigle says, “but because the life of How Can It Be wasn’t over, I was like, ‘I don’t want to release it yet. I think it needs to be part of a project.’ So my label was so kind in honoring that and waited to release it for two-and-a -half years.”

The wait was worth it, as the song is Daigle’s latest No. 1 single.