Artist Updates (11/13/12)

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Ty England and wife Justina

Congratulations go out to Love and Theft member Eric Gunderson, who recently announced that he and wife Emily are expecting their first child in May 2013. The couple has been married since April 2010.

MusicRow also sends congrats to singer Ty England (“Should’ve Asked Her Faster”), who recently tied the knot with Justina Cardoza in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. The couple currently lives in Oklahoma City and England continues to perform shows nationwide. He plans to begin recording a new album in 2013.

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EMI Nashville’s Kelleigh Bannen has been named CMT’s “Listen Up” Artist of the Month for November. Fans can now visit www.listenup.cmt.com to see exclusive videos of Bannen at the Capitol Street Party in downtown Nashville last month. Songs include “Sorry on the Rocks,” “Rose Colored Glasses,” “I Wore Green,” and more.

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Jo Dee Messina pulled double duty over the weekend in San Antonio, running 13.1 miles in the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon & 1/2 Marathon to benefit Susan G. Komen and then headlining the finish line concert after the race. Messina finished the race in 2:36:50, and performed the show still wearing her compression socks and running shoes. Over the event’s 5-year history in San Antonio, runners have raised nearly $6 million for charity.

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Deborah Allen has joined with Altimarc network and the Franklin Theatre to launch Digital Entertainment Broadcast-TV (deb-tv). Production will begin Nov. 19 for “The Deborah Allen Show… Live at the Franklin Theatre,” a variety show featuring interviews, videos, and performances. Initial guests include Steve Cropper, Pam Tillis, Steel Magnolia, and more.

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In touring news, Dwight Yoakam has started a string of Australian dates to support his critically acclaimed new album 3 Pears, which was Yoakam’s highest charting debut on the Billboard 200 upon its release. Yoakam will be back in the United States November 26 for several shows through the end of 2012. See tour dates here.

Rounder Records VP Promotion to Exit

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Rounder Records’ VP Promotion Brad Paul is leaving the independent label that specializes in all forms of Roots music after 29 years of service. His tenure includes radio host, producer, concert promoter and video director. As a producer, Paul’s credits include the Rounder Records 40th Anniversary Concert Special and Alison Krauss’ 100 Miles Or More GAC special. His radio production credits include The Club 47 50th Anniversary radio special, Paul Simon’s So Beautiful or So What – A Guided Tour radio special, and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss’ Raising Sand radio special.

Rounder Records is home to such notable acts as Alison Krauss, Nanci Griffith and Gregg Allman among many others.

After Fri. Nov. 16, Paul can be reached at bradpaul56@gmail.com.

Country Thunder Arizona Announces Lineup

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Country Thunder Arizona has announced the initial lineup for its April 11-14 music festival will include headliners Lady Antebellum, Toby Keith, and Eric Church, and many more. The 2013 lineup (full schedule below) will entertain guests throughout the four day festival in Florence, Arizona in addition to on-site thrill rides and a brand new Bluegrass tent. Four day passes are currently available at the early bird registration rate of $99, which ends tonight (11/13) at 11:59 pm CT.

For more information, visit www.countrythunder.com.

Thursday:
4:00-5:00pm – Chris Janson
5:30-6:30pm – Sweetwater Rain
7:00-8:30pm – Kip Moore
9:00-10:30pm – Brantley Gilbert

Friday:
1:00-2:00pm – TBA
2:30-3:30pm – TBA
4:00-5:00pm – Jana Kramer
5:30-6:30pm – Love & Theft
7:00-8:30pm – Tracy Lawrence
9:00-10:30pm –  Eric Church

Saturday:
1:00-2:00pm – TBA
2:30-3:30pm – Morgan Frazier
4:00-5:00pm – Parmalee
5:30-6:30pm – Diamond Rio
7:00-8:30pm – Lee Brice
9:00-10:30pm – Toby Keith

Sunday:
1:00-2:00pm – TBA
2:30-3:30pm – Edens Edge
4:00-5:00pm – TBA
5:30-6:30pm – Jerrod Niemann
7:00-8:30pm – Justin Moore
9:00-10:30pm – Lady Antebellum

Grammy Nominations Concert Adds to Lineup

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FUN and Ne-Yo have been added to the lineup for The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music’s Biggest Night. They join previously announced performers Luke Bryan and Maroon 5. LL COOL J and Taylor Swift will co-host the one-hour televised concert special.

The show, which will announce nominations in several categories as well as feature performances by past GRAMMY winners and/or nominees, will take place for the first time ever at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 5. It will be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network from 10 – 11 p.m. ET/PT (9 p.m. Central).

Additional performers and presenters are still forthcoming.

ACM to Host Musical Stage at National Finals Rodeo

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The Academy of Country Music will for the seventh consecutive year host musical performances at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR), scheduled for Dec. 6 – 15 in Las Vegas. New this year will be the Rodeo Live Stage at Cowboy Fanfest, featuring country performers and an interactive lifestyle area.

“The Academy is pleased to continue our partnership with NFR and excited to bring some of country music’s top talent like Chris Young and new artists like Chris Janson to the fans at the inaugural Cowboy Fanfest,” said Michelle Goble, SVP, Membership and Industry Relations, Academy of Country Music.

Performers on the Rodeo Live Stage include Ryan Beaver, Bucky Covington, Sarah Darling, Brett Eldredge, Jack Ingram, Chris Janson, David Nail, Aaron Watson and Chris Young. Doors open at Cowboy Fanfest at 10 am/PT and ACM-sponsored performances on the Rodeo Live Stage take place at 1:30 pm and 4:00 pm/PT each day.

More information on entertainers and the National Finals Rodeo here.

Primetime ‘Nashville’: Full Season Orders

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Juliette on Wednesday night's episode.

ABC has ordered a full season of freshman drama Nashville. The show was already confirmed for 13 episodes, and now nine more are on the books. Additionally, the network ordered an additional three episodes of Reba’s new comedy Malibu Country. 

Here’s what’s working in Nashville’s favor:

Ratings: It has had favorable overnight ratings, which have increased significantly once time-shift (DVR) ratings are factored in. On average during Wednesday’s 10 PM/ET hour, the show is No. 1 in its time period among the advertiser coveted group Adults 18-49. Overall for the season, Nashville ranks among the Top 3 new TV series in Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34.

Upscale Audience: Advertisers love viewers with money to burn. Nashville pulls in 30% higher ratings among Adults 18-49 in homes with $100k+ annual income.

Music Income: Lionsgate Entertainment expects to make $1 million this year from music sales and a potential tour, according to London website C21, which reported on a conference call between Lionsgate execs and investors. The article also states viewers should expect big-name guest stars in upcoming episodes.

Here’s a sneak peak of the next two shows: In tomorrow night’s episode (11/14), “You’re Gonna Change (or I’m Gonna Leave),” Rayna seeks out hot producer “Liam McGuinnis” to update her sound, played by Michiel Huison of HBO’s Treme. Also, Juliette goes on a sham date with a squeaky-clean NFL quarterback as a PR move for her tarnished image, and Scarlett (hopefully) finally ditches Avery.

Next Wednesday’s (11/28) episode will introduce an arc with guest star Wyclef Jean as “Dominic King,” and Kimberly Williams-Paisley will continue her role as “Peggy.” Also, be on the lookout for appearances by songwriter/The Cadillac Black’s Jaren Johnston as a guitar player, and former Paramore member Jason Bynum. In the episode titled “Lovesick Blues,” Teddy will be forced to come clean about his illegal dealings with Peggy.

Richard Thompson Gets “Electric” in Nashville

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English folk-rocker Richard Thompson is returning with a guitar-driven album titled Electric, due out Feb. 5 via New West Records. The album’s first single, “Good Things Happen to Bad People,” is currently available for streaming at rollingstone.com.

Recorded in Nashville at producer Buddy Miller’s home studio, Electric features 11 new Thompson-penned songs. Thompson also brought his legendary guitar skills to the studio, backed by his rhythm section of Michael Jerome on drums and Taras Prodaniuk on bass. Other guests include Alison Krauss (on “The Snow Goose”), English singer Siobhan Maher-Kennedy, and fiddler Stuart Duncan. A full track listing is below.

“It was a very organic process, a very unselfconscious process, and I think that’s a kind of halfway house between the last record and a real recording studio,” Thompson told Rolling Stone about recording Electric in Nashville.

In addition to his guitar talents, Thompson is widely regarded as a gifted songwriter. In September, he was honored by the Americana Music Association with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting, and is also a recipient of BBC’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Electric Track Listing:
1  Stony Ground
2  Salford Sunday
3  Sally B
4  Stuck On The Treadmill
5  My Enemy
6  Good Things Happen To Bad People
7  Where’s Home?
8  Another Small Thing In Her Favour
9  Straight And Narrow
10 The Snow Goose
11 Saving The Good Stuff For You

Kay Clary To Exit BMI Post

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Kay Clary

Kay Clary is stepping down from her post as BMI, Executive Director, Media Relations. Her last day with the performing rights organization will be Friday, Nov. 16.

Clary says, “I’m leaving BMI after seven wonderful years serving songwriters and publishers from the vantage point of the corporate communications department. I’ll do the hippie-beatnik thing for a few months to recharge before launching into a creative new career path. I wouldn’t dream of leaving Nashville at such an exciting time as this so please stay in touch and tuned-in via my Facebook page, email kay.clary@gmail.com, or my cell (615) 585-5321.”

BMI, VP Writer/Publisher Relations, Jody Williams adds, “Kay Clary is a treasure. She has deep musical knowledge, impeccable taste in current artists, and is one of Nashville’s taste makers if there ever was one. She utilized her PR skills at BMI with class and precision and is a huge reason we have remained strong here in Nashville and beyond. Kay is also one of the most elegant and enjoyable co-workers I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. We will surely miss her, but wish her nothing but joy and success in the future.”

Clary’s career also includes heading her own media company, Commotion PR, where the roster included Rodney Crowell, Ricky Skaggs, Billy Joe Shaver, Bruce Robison, the Del McCoury Band and Legacy Recordings. Previously, Clary directed media campaigns for artists including Ron Sexsmith, Radney Foster, Jack Ingram and Hoodoo Gurus. Throughout the ‘80s, Clary was a partner in Praxis International, where along with Jack Emerson and Andy McLenon, she managed the careers of Jason and the Scorchers, the Georgia Satellites, Webb Wilder, Steve Forbert, Billy Joe Shaver and others. Clary graduated from Belmont University. She is active with the Belcourt Theatre, the Americana Music Association and is an alumna of Leadership Music.

BMI is accepting applications for the media relations department here.

Fairness In Ticketing Act Goes Before Joint Committee Tomorrow

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Opposing forces are battling it out over the Fairness in Ticketing Act. A joint committee comprised of Tennessee state House and Senate members will hear arguments about the bill (HB 3437/SB 3441) tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 13 at Legislative Plaza in Nashville. The Fairness in Ticketing Act will be filed in the 2013 session of the Tennessee General Assembly. 

Basically, it’s a fight between competitors AEG and Live Nation and their affiliated ticketing services.

On the Live Nation side: Live Nation owns primary ticketing agency Ticketmaster, and secondary ticketing service TicketsNow. Supporting the legislation in Tennessee and other states is the Fans First Coalition. In Tennessee this has taken the form of the Tennessee Sports & Entertainment Industry Coalition (TSEIC), a powerhouse group comprised of Nashville’s major venues (Bridgestone Arena, Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry, LP Field), big industry players (CAA, CMA) and dozens of major artists including Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney. Many of these parties have exclusive agreements with Ticketmaster and/or its parent company Live Nation. 

On the AEG side: eBay owns secondary ticketing outfit StubHub, which beginning next year will be exclusively used by AEG venues and its primary ticketing service AXS (as announced today). Opposing the Fairness in Ticketing Act, and similar legislation nationwide is the Fan Freedom Project, a group initially funded by StubHub. This organization wants “comprehensive reform [that] would create as much transparency in the primary market as it does in the secondary market.” The Fan Freedom Project claims the bill is designed to force fans to resell through Ticketmaster’s TicketsNow site.

For the most part, both groups have similar complaints about current ticketing practices, listed below. However, they disagree about whether the Fairness in Ticketing Act is the best way to resolve these issues. 

Holdbacks: Large numbers of tickets are held back by artists, venues, etc. This number is hidden from members of the public, who do not know how many tickets are actually available to them.

Scalpers/resellers: Currently, scalpers can purchase hundreds of tickets and resell them at an inflated price. Even if the scalper never actually receives the tickets, he/she has prevented average consumers from buying those seats during the initial on-sale. Also, scalpers sell fake tickets for an event even before real tickets go on sale. Many ticket resellers do not disclose whether they have the tickets in hand, the face-value price, seat locations, or that they are a ticket reseller. Additionally, scalpers use websites that masquerade as being affiliated with venues, sports teams, or recording artists to mislead fans into purchasing tickets on the resale market (ex. bridgestone.nashvillearena.org).

Paperless Ticketing: The bill proposes paperless ticketing as a way to fend off scalpers and overpriced resellers, but the Fan Freedom Project says that takes control out of fans’ hands because it will “eliminate or severely restrict our choices of how we can buy, share or resell event tickets.”

Voting Opens for CRS 2013 New Faces Show

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Voting is now open to all Country radio station employees for the CRS 2013 New Faces of Country Music Show. The show will be held Friday, March 1, 2013, at the Nashville Convention Center.

This year’s nominees are Greg Bates, Easton Corbin, Edens Edge, The Farm, Florida Georgia Line, Andy Gibson, Brantley Gilbert, Casey James, Jana Kramer, Dustin Lynch, Scotty McCreery, Kip Moore, Jon Pardi and James Wesley.

“The New Faces show has always been a great barometer of talent in our format,” says New Faces Committee Chair John Crenshaw. “Some of the biggest superstars in Country music played this show at CRS early on in their careers, and it’s always exciting to see that kind of talent on display in such an intimate setting.”

The New Faces of Country Music Show, co-sponsored by the Academy of Country Music and Muscular Dystrophy Association, is one of the most anticipated events at Country Radio Seminar. Five emerging artists who have achieved significant success at Country radio are selected each year to perform at the showcase event. Below are the New Faces of Country Music qualification criteria:

1. The qualification period is Nov. 1 – Oct. 31 during the year immediately preceding the New Faces of Country Music Show.

2. Nominees may not have appeared on a previous New Faces of Country Music Show.

3. Nominees must have charted at least one Top 25 single on the the Mediabase or Billboard Country Charts.

4. Nominees may not have more than two albums on the Billboard Country Top Country Albums chart, nor more than two albums that peaked above No. 50 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart by the end of the qualification period.

Any employee of a commercial, full-time Country radio station may vote for the 2013 New Faces of Country Music Show performers. Voting determines the five finalists and remains open through Monday, Nov. 19, at www.CountryRadioSeminar.com.