Midland will kick off their Let It Roll Tour on Sept. 17. The tour will visit 18 cities, including several dates in Australia, before wrapping Nov. 9 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 14, and Spotify fans in participating markets will receive a special pre-sale code via email Wednesday, June 12 to get early access to tickets. Those who have signed up for Midland’s mailing list will also be emailed a promo code beginning today. Midland’s latest album, Let It Roll, is set for release Aug. 23 on Big Machine Records.

Let It Roll 2019 Tour Dates:
September 17 | New York, NY
September 20| Oklahoma City, OK
September 25 | Honolulu, HI
September 28 | Sydney, AU*
September 29 | Brisbane, AU*
October 4 | Pokolbin, AU**
October 6 | Melbourne, AU**
October 11 | Midland, TX
October 12 | El Paso, TX
October 17 | Phoenix, AZ
October 19 | Tucson, AZ
October 24 | Clear Lake, IA
October 25 | Sioux City, IA
November 1 | Salt Lake City, UT
November 2 | Reno, NV
November 7 | Madison, WI
November 8 | Indianapolis, IN
November 9 | Fort Wayne, IN

* C2C Festival Dates
** Support for Tim McGraw

Sarah Cates Elected NaSHOF Board Chair

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation (NaSHOF) has elected Sarah Cates as its new board chair. She is the first female to serve with that title, joining Hall of Fame songwriter Wayland Holyfield (vice-chair), Rich Hallworth (secretary) and Mike Vaden (treasurer) as officers for 2019. Cates has served on the Foundation’s board since 2015.

Directors for the organization include Hall of Fame songwriters Pat Alger, Dickey Lee, Layng Martine Jr. and Allen Shamblin, serving with Beth Seigenthaler Courtney, Celia Froehlig, Ken Paulson, John Stein and John Van Mol.  Robert K. Oermann (historian) and Barry Neil Shrum, Esq. (counsel) are ex officios. Mark Ford is the nonprofit’s executive director.

“Serving an organization that celebrates world-renowned creators in one of Music City’s most iconic professions is a deep honor to me,” says Cates.  “The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame exists to honor this city’s history of songwriting excellence. I will do my best to serve this mission, as we honor the legacy of our members and celebrate Nashville as home to the finest songwriters from all genres of music.”

 

Average Joes Adds Smo To Roster

Homegrown Tennessee artist and reality star SMO has signed to Average Joes Entertainment. Currently in the studio finishing his new album, Smo’s first single, “Tear Da Mud Up,” is featured on Average Joes’ compilation series, Mud Digger 10, set for release July 12, 2019.

“Everyone at the label is excited to welcome SMO to the roster,” stated Average Joes’ Forrest Latta. “His talent, authenticity, and ability to deliver resonates with a broad fan base which has been firmly established.  The entire team at Average Joes Entertainment is excited for what’s to come in the next chapter of SMO.”

Grayscale Marketing Adds Four

Nashville-based advertising, PR and marketing company Grayscale Marketing has added four staffers. Liz McCormick has joined Grayscale Marketing as a Publicist working alongside the PR team for the agency’s brand and entertainment clients.  Carson Greenway has joined Grayscale Marketing as a Video & Motion Graphics Designer. Greenway also leads the agency’s photography and event creative team. Bridgette McAuliffe joins Grayscale Marketing as a Copywriter & Engagement Specialist. Jordan Formosa joins Grayscale Marketing as a Copywriter & Engagement Specialist.

Tim Gray, CEO of Grayscale Marketing, says, “I’m excited to welcome the new staff to our agency family. We’ve experienced rapid growth over the last 12 months and we’re incredibly lucky to have found these superstars. Their dedication to doing things the right way, passion for our clients, and focus on the big picture is what will help us and our clients in the years to come.”

BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM

Chapter 624

The CMA Fest began the day on Sunday (June 9) with something rare at this year’s celebration, sunshine.

In fact, by noon it was hot and humid. Maybe that’s why the Fan Fair X locale in the air-conditioned Music City Center was so popular. Ordinarily, this district is rather depopulated by the last day of the festival. Not this year.

Autographing in various booths when I arrived around 2 p.m. were Ryan Hurd, Walker Hayes, T.G. Sheppard, Tenille Arts, Mickey Guyton, Dakota Danielle and Royal South. Meanwhile, the Smithfield duo was harmonizing to a capacity crowd at the Radio Disney Stage.

On the CMA Spotlight Stage, earnest Ben Rue held forth, followed by CC & The Boys. Songwriters Kristi Manna and Jon Vezner were in the Fan Fair crowd.

This area of the fest has become increasingly dominated by retail activity. Displays of boots, jeans, shirts, hats, jewelry, purses, dresses, hair accessories, makeup, keychains, wallets and more seemed to be everywhere. On the brighter side, a record store returned to Fan Fair.

Other convention-hall stations offered games and contests – drawings for prizes, roulette wheels, batting cages, hoops and dollars in a wind tunnel. But labels have also continued to sponsor booths. This year, Sony, Universal, Warner Music, Big Machine (with vodka shots!), Black River, Tree Vibez and SSM Records were all represented.

Hardly any stars had booths. Michael Martin Murphey and Randy Travis were the exceptions, rather than the rule.

Venturing outside, we encountered nouveau honky-tonker Teddy Robb on the Chevy Breakout Stage in Hall of Fame Park. He sang to a thin crowd, perhaps due to the brutal sun. This area really needs to have some shade, organizers.

On Sunday, I did find my first true discovery of the fest. This was a woman named Faren Rachels, performing on the Maui Jim Broadway Stage on the cement Bridgestone Plaza. She was full of vim, wit and feisty attitude.

“Are y’all drinkin’ on a Sunday?” Faren asked the unfortunately too-sparse crowd. “It’s the last day of CMA Fest!”

I really liked her when she delivered “Show of Hands,” a good-natured anthem for working folks. Faren is a Nashville Uber Driver, and she had a song about that, too. I am told that this artist’s song “On Paper” has been streamed over a million times. Sounds like a good start to me.

Rain, which had been around the corner throughout the festival, returned on late Sunday afternoon. The nearby thunder and lightning cancelled several outdoor shows downtown and postponed the opening of the gates at Nissan Stadium that evening.

Noting that this was the last show on the last day of the fest, stadium host Storme Warren vowed, “We’re going to end it on a really strong note, I promise.”

Jimmie Allen began the night with a terrific, a cappella rendition of the National Anthem. Then David Lee Murphy revved up the attendees with “Party Crowd,” “Dust on the Bottle” and a medley of hits he’s written for others – “Big Green Tractor,” “Anywhere With You,” “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” and the like.

Chris Janson was next. He is always full of manic energy and boundless elan. But perhaps he felt an extra boost on Sunday.

“This is my first time to do a full set on the stadium stage at CMA Fest,” he told the crowd. He turned in a wild performance, featuring “Fix a Drink,” his new single “Good Vibes,” a cover of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” the powerful “Drunk Girl,” the “Truck Yeah” hit he wrote for Tim McGraw and “Buy Me a Boat.”

During his explosive set, Chris blew harmonica, played keyboards, flailed on the drum kit and exhorted the fans to scream, to clap, to wave their arms, to sing and to pump their fists.

“Come and see us on the road some time!” he shouted in his finale. “Love you to pieces!” The crowd adored him.

The next act was arguably the festival’s most charming. To illustrate the music-education beneficiary of the fest’s profits, The Andrew Jackson Elementary School Eagle Honor Choir did a song/cheer/dance routine called “I Am the Champion.”

“They just performed before 70,000 people!” exclaimed Stormie. “What were you doing in the 4^th grade?”

Everyone in the CMA Hospitality Suite smiled and cheered. Dale Bobo, Scott Couch, Steve O’Brien and JoAnn Berry were there. Engaging radio man Dennis Banka was celebrating six consecutive years of hosting CMA Fest daytime stages.

And can I get a witness for Brenden Oliver, Brandi Simms, Aaron Hartley, Melissa Maynard, Mechalle Myers, Angela Strader, Amy Smart and, natch, Sarah Trahern? These suite regulars are among the CMA staffers who make this whole annual undertaking run so smoothly.

Okay, back to the concert. Surprise guest Trisha Yearwood appeared on the mid-field satellite stage to introduce her soaring new single “Every Girl in This Town.”

Old Dominion favored the fans with “Snap Back,” “No Such Thing As a Broken Heart” “Make It Sweet” and more. Lead singer Matthew Ramsey plunged into the crowd during “Hotel Key.” Brad Tursi offered an eloquent guitar solo during “Written in the Sand.” The band also introduced its new single, “One Man Band.”

In previous years, the Sunday attendance at the stadium has sometimes been lighter than Friday’s or Saturday’s. Not so at CMA Fest 2019. No sirree. That place was packed.

A big cheer greeted the arrival on stage of Maren Morris. The petite dynamo shared her career-launching “My Church” and her big pop hit “The Middle.” She also brought out Brandi Carlile to duet with her on “Common.”

Keith Urban performed a 30-minute set spanning his hit repertoire. “Never Comin’ Down,” “The Fighter,” “We Were,” “Blue Ain’t Your Color” and “Wasted Time” were energetically offered. The venue’s lights darkened during “Love Somebody Like You,” so the fans lit up the night with their cell phones. The effect was magical.

The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year closed his set by charging through the crowd on the stadium floor, performing all the way to the back of the venue. Fans reached out to touch him and cheered.

“Everything we do is about this moment right here,” Urban told them. “Singing and having a good time and celebrating this precious life that goes by so fast. I love you more than you’ll ever know. Thank you.”

By this time, the clock was ticking toward midnight. But there was more to come. Superstar Luke Bryan brought his romping style to the stage to bring this year’s CMA Fest to its conclusion. By the way, he was also last year’s finale act.

He jolted even the weariest fest goers awake with “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),” “Rain Is a Good Thing,” “Knockin’ Boots,” “That’s My Kind of Night,” “Huntin’ Fishin’ Lovin’ Every Day” “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset” and the rest of his party-hearty tunes. Bryan closed the fest with a cover of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On a Prayer” that had everyone singing along.

And that’s what it’s all about.