Nashville and Tamworth, Australia Join as Sister Cities
Tamworth Mayor Col Murray and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean sign the treaty that officially links Nashville and Tamworth as Sister Cities. Photo Credit: Gary Layda, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
Tamworth, Australia and Nashville are officially joined as sister cities. On June 7, Nashville mayor Karl Dean and Mayor Col Murray of Tamworth signed a treaty at the Hall of Fame Rotunda at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum that officially joined the cities; Tamworth is the seventh sister city to Nashville.
Tamworth, known as the “Country Music Capital of Australia,” hosts the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January. The signing ceremony was held to coincide with the CMA Music Festival taking place downtown.
“Our shared love and appreciation of country music make this Sister City partnership a natural fit,” Mayor Dean said. “I look forward to a rich and long-lasting relationship that gives our citizens opportunities for musical, artistic, cultural and educational exchanges.”
Ten delegates from Tamworth, including three city “councillors,” are visiting Nashville to take part in the ceremony and the CMA Music Festival. Tamworth officials have an educational booth at Fan Fair X as part of CMA activities.
“There have been many links developed between Tamworth and Nashville over the years through the affinity both cities have for country music,” Mayor Murray said. “It is fantastic that we are now formalizing our Sister Cities relationship after years in the making.”
Clare Bowen, the Australian actress/artist who portrays Scarlett O’Connor in the television show Nashville, was to attend the ceremony; Australian duo Mark and Jay O’Shea and singer Morgan Evans performed. The husband-and-wife O’Sheas have multiple No. 1 singles in Australia and live and work in Nashville.
Nashville’s other sister cities include: Belfast, Northern Ireland; Caen, France; Edmonton, Canada; Magdeburg, Germany; Mendoza, Argentina; and Taiyuan, China.
Music Executive Bob Saporiti, CMA Board Member/AristoMedia CEO Jeff Walker, Country Music Hall of Fame Museum Director Kyle Young, Tamworth Mayor Col Murray, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and CMA Board Member and Entertainment Edge CEO Rob Potts join Australian performers (seated, L-R) Mark O’Shea, Clare Bowen (“Nashville”), Jay O’Shea and Morgan Evans at the official Sister Cities Signing Ceremony. Photo Credit: Gary Layda, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
Members of the Tamworth Delegation at the Sister Cities Signing Ceremony. Top row (L to R): Judy Coats, Tamworth Mayor Col Murray, Councilor Helen Tickle, Councilor Tim Coats, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, GM – Tamworth Regional Council Paul Bennett, Carol Murray, Gail Bennett, Country Music Hall of Fame Museum Director Kyle Young, Tamworth Country Music Festival Coordinator Kate Baker. Bottom row (L to R): Mark O’Shea, Clare Bowen, Jay O’Shea and Morgan Evans. Not pictured: Tamworth Regional Council Director of Business/Events John Sommerlad, CEO West Entertainment Group Rod Laing. Photo Credit: Gary Layda, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
The Southland conference, designed to bring together the ideas, talent and capital that fuel a strong startup culture, is going on today and tomorrow (June 12-13) at the Cannery in Nashville. The debut event is expected to attract 500-plus entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators with the goal of connecting the Southeast’s best early-stage companies with investors from across the country. Attendees have the opportunity to network with investors as well as hear a series of keynote speeches, panel discussions and pitch competitions.
The 12th annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, in association with Ustream, has announced the lineup for the festival’s 2013 live webcast, which begins Friday June 14. Fans will be able to experience exclusive Bonnaroo performances from artists including Paul McCartney, Mumford & Sons, Wilco, The National, Nas, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Wu Tang Clan, Of Monsters & Men, Kendrick Lamar and others while they are happening via Ustream’s interactive, socially integrated platform.
Blake Shelton is undoubtedly one of country music’s biggest stars–and one of it’s biggest partiers, judging from the list of celebrities joining him on the new mix of his hit “Boys ‘Round Here.”
CMA Music Festival set a new attendance record in 2013 with daily attendance topping 80,000 fans, a nearly 13 percent increase over 2012. 71,000 were attendance in 2012. The increase was attributed to expanding the event into the new Music City Center, which was dubbed the AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X. The new venue nearly tripled the space available, creating room for new exhibits, additional stages, and attractions for families in the Keep the Kids Playing Pavilion.
Touring has always been an active part of the country album sales formula as well as a hefty revenue stream in its own right. So it should be no surprise to see the competition to attract live audiences (and the ticket profits they yield) ratcheting up. Artists have an array of social media tools and media channels such as reality TV shows like The Voice, American Idol, Dancing With The Stars and Celebrity Apprentice to help put butts in seats. But like every other part of the entertainment biz, the pressure to “deliver the goods” is also rising.
Kimberly Perry exploded onto the stage jumping up and down making calculated sharp turns and spins almost reminiscent of Beyonce in scale and scope. Oh yeah, and let’s not forget that she can sing, sing sing. The crowd responded like a stick of dynamite with a lit fuse jumping to its feet all at once. Florida Georgia Line was different, but similar, if you will. They have a different vibe, but from the second they appeared the energy level was on high alert. (Isn’t it great to see how a few platinum plaques can up an act’s swagger?) Also deserving mention was Keith Urban who substitutes intergalactic guitar licks for choreography to achieve the same out-of-your-seats effect.
When the touring smoke clears at the end of the summer, the acts that did their homework should own the pole positions for next year while the others may find themselves riding out in smaller buses.
Photographer Russ Harrington and painter Brenda Harrington will launch an exhibit showcasing their art at Nashville’s Chromatics Second Floor Gallery (625 Fogg Street). The exhibit, titled Mr. & Mrs., will run from June 13 through Aug. 16. An opening reception will be held tomorrow (June 13) from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Chromatics Second Floor Gallery.
The Americana Music Association has unveiled the first round of artists scheduled to perform during the 14th annual Americana Music Festival & Conference, presented by Nissan, Sept. 18 – 22, 2013 in Nashville. The early lineup features a mix of icons, innovators and up-and-comers with highlights including Rosanne Cash, The Lone Bellow and Holly Williams.