Last night (2/26) at Marathon Music Works, GAC taped its ACM New Artist of the Year special. Artists featured on the show include The Band Perry, last year’s New Artist winner, along with this year’s nominees Scotty McCreery, Brantley Gilbert and Hunter Hayes. The special will premiere Mar. 19 at 9 PM/ET on GAC.
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[Photos: Caitlin Rantala]
On Friday night (2/24), South Carolina band NEEDTOBREATHE sold out the Ryman for the second consecutive night on The Reckoning Tour.
Nashville native Ben Rector opened the show, warming the crowd up with his songs including “Never Gonna Let You Go” and “When A Heart Breaks.” He mixed it up a little, inviting the audience to help him make up the third verse for his song “Loving You Is Easy.” When he accepted the challenge from an audience member to sing the third verse about pickles, he made a deal with the crowd. “If this goes poorly – and it probably will – if you were thinking to yourself ‘Hey, I’m going to buy this guy’s CD and/or t-shirt,’ still do,” he teased. But his improvised act didn’t go poorly and the cheering audience was rewarded with a cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”
While the audience was quick to show Rector a lot of love, nothing compared to the deafening applause when NEEDTOBREATHE took the stage. Their set included an intricate backdrop that resembled old school typewriter keys. The only thing visible when band members Bear Rinehart, Bo Rinehart, Seth Bolt and Joe Stillwell stepped onto the stage were letters spelling out “The Reckoning.”
The stage remained dim while the band opened the set with “Oohs and Ahhs,” but when they hit the first chorus, the auditorium was hit with bursts of blinding lights that sporadically lit up the stage and offered a brief glimpse of what was to come. The sneak preview approach worked. After the opening number, the Ryman became standing room only. Everyone refused to sit, afraid of what they might miss.
NEEDTOBREATHE’s straightforward continuous, back-to-back performances included the “Devil’s Been Talking” and “Drive All Night,” both of which were crowd pleasers. But after a few uptempo numbers, the band slowed it down with “Washed By the Water,” a track off an earlier album, The Heat. Although released five years ago, the crowd swayed to the song like they were dancing with an old friend and sang the lyrics back right back to the band.
A big highlight of the night was the performance of “Girl Named Tennessee,” which struck a happy chord, close to home, with the Nashville crowd. As the song played on, no one could help dancing along to the beat. The dancing continued as the night closed with the title track from the band’s 2009 album The Outsiders.
If you’re kicking yourself for missing this rocking show, don’t worry. Lead vocal man, Bear, promised the audience that the band would be back to perform in Nashville again. And, if Friday night was any indicator, Nashville’s gonna hold ’em to it.
[All photos by Caitlin Rantala]
L-R: Robert Carlton, Rachael Wollstadt, Courtney Cole, Robert Chavers, Kam Luchterhand, Celia Froehlig, John Alexander, Emily Hungate, Doug Johnson, Gordon Kerr, Nick Autry, James Lanier, Dawn Delvo, Greg McCarn, Brian Rhoads, Due West's Brad Hull; Katie McCartney, Megan Good, Due West's Tim Gates; Due West's Matt Lopez; Glen Templeton; Joe Carrol, and Sarah Darling
The Black River Entertainment team, following BRE Live, in the FISK room on Thursday (2/23) during CRS. Glen Templeton performed his new single, “Sing That Song Again” and Sarah Darling and Due West also performed new music from their upcoming releases.
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Average Joes Entertainment's staff and artist gather on stage after the label's "Dark Side of the Moonshine" event at The Patron Platinum Club.
Average Joes Entertainment President Tom Baldrica hosted the powerhouse indie labels “Dark Side of the Moonshine” event, Thursday evening (2/23) at The Patron Platinum Club located at The Bridgestone Arena. CRS attendees enjoyed performances by newcomer Rachel Farley, Texas chart toppers Kevin Fowler and JB and the Moonshine Band, followed with performances by Ira Dean and Matt Stillwell. Montgomery Gentry closed the night ending with their recent Top 15 smash “Where I Come From.”
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L-R: Vince Benedetto, president and CEO of Bold Gold Media Group; Bob Saporiti, general manager of Savannah Music Group, Nashville; Paul Ciliberto, market manager and general manager of Bold Gold Media Group; Tommy Steele, singer/songwriter; Mark Wayne Glasmire, singer/songwriter; and Billy Block. Photo: Denise Fussell, Fussell Graphics
CRS patrons enjoy Billy Block’s show last week at the Rutledge.
Bev LeCroy
James Beverly LeCroy was notable in Nashville for his classical and jazz contributions, as well as for his work as a photographer.
Bev LeCroy died on Saturday, Feb. 25, at age 93. LeCroy first picked up the trombone at age 13 in his native Chattanooga. He played in the University of Chattanooga marching band as well as on WDOD radio.
He moved to Nashville in 1943 and became a charter member of the revived Nashville Symphony Orchestra. He also played in the big swing bands of Francis Craig, Beasley Smith and Owen Bradley.
LeCroy performed “Near You” while with Craig. The band’s 1947 recording of this song became Nashville’s first million-selling record. Demand was so great for “Near You” that the city’s first record-pressing plant was built to meet it. The song still holds the record for remaining at No. 1 on the pop charts longer than any other, 17 weeks.
The trombonist was known to many Nashvillians for his long-running stint as a member of WSM radio’s Waking Crew band. In the early days of television, The Waking Crew also performed on WSMV’s “Noon Show.”
In the 1960s, Bev LeCroy began a second career as a staff photographer for the National Life & Accident Insurance Company. His photos of r&b singer Etta James in action on stage at Nashville’s New Era Club were used on the LP jacket of Etta James Rocks the House. These images were featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s celebrated “Night Train to Nashville” exhibit in 2004-05.
Bev Le Croy is survived by his wife Katherine, son James, daughter Donna, granddaughter Sylvia and great-grandson Austin. Funeral services will be held Tuesday (2/28) at 10 a.m. in Woodlawn’s Dignity Hall, 660 Thompson Lane.
Nashville’s weekly live radio show, “Music City Roots” is set to release a CD of live performances tomorrow (Feb. 28) titled, Roots Moments: Special Live Cuts From Season One. The album, distributed by Compass Records, features a selection of 11 performances from the inaugural season.
Included, is a selection from musical host Jim Lauderdale followed by 18 South, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Nanci Griffith, Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade, Scott Miller, Caitlin Rose, Charlie Louvin, The Black Lillies and Mike Farris with the McCrary Sisters. The final number is a show-closing jam of “Up On Cripple Creek” lead by Sam Bush
“The tremendous artists who grace our stage week after week are a gift to lovers of musical authenticity and integrity the world over, and we’re proud to release what we hope to be the first of many such collections of excellent and diverse artistry,” says MCR co-founder John Walker.
Launched in October of 2009 as a throwback live radio show and new-era webcast, Music City Roots has become a curator of new and established talent in contemporary folk and Americana music.
A portion of the proceeds from the album will be donated to The Nature Conservancy.
Sea Gayle/Arista singer/songwriter Jerrod Niemann is releasing new single “Shinin’ On Me” today. The song is the first single from his upcoming as-yet-untitled sophomore album and was co-written by Niemann with Lee Brice, Rob Hatch, and Lance Miller. Dave Brainard is once again producing.
“I am so excited to release “Shinin’ On Me” as the first single from my second album,” shares Jerrod. “Not only does it represent some of the unconventional instrumentation on this record, it’s also intended to just make you wanna roll down the window on a bad day and smile with someone ya love.”
Jerrod’s major label debut Judge Jerrod & The Hung Jury produced the RIAA-certified Platinum Digital single “Lover, Lover” and the Gold Digital single “What Do You Want.” Niemann is currently on the road with Miranda Lambert’s “On Fire” tour. See dates here.
Roy Baham
Award-winning country songwriter Roy Baham has died at age 74.
Baham won his BMI Award for “Charlie’s Shoes,” recorded by Billy Walker. The song became Walker’s biggest hit when it rose to No. 1 on the country charts in 1962. The songwriter’s other notable success was Jimmy C. Newman’s recording of his “Blue Lonely Winter” in 1968.
He also wrote songs recorded by Carl Smith, Ray Price, Anita Carter, Lucille Starr, Burl Ives, Jack Greene & Jeannie Seely, Charlie Walker, Skeeter Davis, Bobby Bare, Justin Tubb and many others.
Dave Dudley recorded 17 of Roy Baham’s songs and released two of them as singles, 1973’s “Rollin’ Rig” and 1975’s “Fireball Rolled a Seven.”
Roy Baham died on Wednesday, Feb. 21. He is survived by his wife Helen, son Jonathan, daughter Diane, granddaughter Brianna and brother Alfred. The funeral and burial were held on Saturday in Birmingham, AL.
Alan Jackson and The Strayhorns. Photo: Laurie Rush Photography
Alan Jackson’s Thursday night (2/23) performance at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo broke the event’s all-time attendance record. He attracted 17,000 fans, the most since the rodeo’s inception in 1950.
“The San Antonio Rodeo has welcomed me for a lot of years and it’s one of my favorite places to play,” says Jackson. “The rodeo and folks in Texas have always been good to me and I want to thank the fans for coming out to see us all these years.” It was his fifteenth time to play the rodeo, held this year at the AT&T Center.
Jackson’s current single, “So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore,” is climbing the country radio charts and is from his forthcoming album to be released as a joint venture between ACR (Alan’s Country Records) and EMI Records Nashville. He will perform it on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Friday, March 30.
The video by award-winning director Steven Goldmann video was shot at Coney Island in New York City and can be viewed here.
Just days after wowing a crowd of radio and industry professionals during CRS with her song “Merry Go Round,” Mercury/Lost Highway artist Kacey Musgraves has landed a spot as the sole opener on John Mayer’s 2012 U.S. tour. Full dates are included below.
“I can’t wait to get out on the road with John Mayer,” exclaimed Musgraves. “To be given this opportunity to tour with a musician and songwriter that I have such high respect for is a dream come true.”
Musgraves is currently in the studio working on her 2012 debut album, which she is co-producing with Shane McAnally and Luke Laird.
See Musgraves’ CRS Ryman showcase performance here.
John Mayer Spring Tour 2012 Dates/Markets:
Monday, April 9: Bloomington, IN
Tuesday, April 10: East Lansing, MI
Thursday, April 12: Grand Rapids, MI
Friday, April 13: West Lafayette, IN
Saturday, April 14: Detroit, MI
Tuesday, April 17: Orono, ME
Wednesday, April 18: Providence, RI
Thursday, April 19: West Point, NY
Saturday, April 21: Buffalo, NY
Sunday, April 22: Wallingford, CT
Tuesday, April 24: Richmond, VA
Thursday, April 26: Tuscaloosa, AL
Monday, April 30: Memphis, TN
Wednesday, May 2: Kansas City, MO
Friday, May 4: Albuquerque, NM
Saturday, May 5: Las Vegas, NV
Sunday, May 6: Phoenix, AZ
(L-R) Lori McKenna, Natalie Hemby, Leslie Roberts (BMI), Matraca Berg, Ashley Monroe, Jessica Frost (BMI)
Lyrical sirens Lori McKenna, Matraca Berg, Natalie Hemby and Ashley Monroe showcased their songwriting, the bedrock of the industry, at the WCRS! Live show presented by BMI and Country Aircheck yesterday afternoon (Feb. 24) during CRS 2012.
Natalie Hemby was fresh off the new Ryman stage from opening The Band Perry’s first headlining show on Feb. 20 and kicked the girls’ traditional Nashville songwriter round to life in an RV, “Little House on the Highway.” The recently-signed EMI Publishing writer additionally introduced “Little Black Dress,” which brought to mind a modern version of “Looking For Something In Red.” Before finishing the round, Hemby expressed her devotion to songwriting when, just six years prior to watching Gwyneth Paltrow singing “Timing is Everything” in the Country Strong trailer, she had been working at Comcast for health insurance. “I would have continued to write music regardless of whether or not it was my full-time job,” she said.
Lori McKenna drew laughs with a quip about her chart history. “I was worried I would have been introduced by how many kids I have because I don’t have any No. 1s. Just five kids.” Her gut-wrenching, sober lyrics and voice exhibited a single from her most recent album, Lorraine, “Buy This Town.” She mentioned her utility worker husband before singing a song about a woman who “keeps you in your place,” and also introduced “Make Every Word Hurt,” as the song that has been cut three times but yet to make it on an album.
Ashley Monroe previewed “Like a Rose” and “Morning After” from her upcoming solo album recorded with Vince Gill and Justin Niebank. The vocal acrobat thanked the audience of radio broadcasters for sending her future child to college from her Jason Aldean hit, “The Truth.”
Back-to-back Miranda Lambert cuts were presented by Hemby and another from Monroe, who is also in Pistol Annies, including “Only Prettier” and “Heart Like Mine,” respectively.
NSAI Hall of Fame songwriter, Matraca Berg, hosted the round and played “You and Tequila,” which she explained came after the passing of her songwriting idol, Harlan Howard. “Harlan bought me my first shot of tequila,” she said. More hits kept rolling in including the song Trisha Yearwood made famous, “Wrong Side of Memphis,” and her iconic hit for Deana Carter, “Strawberry Wine.” Berg also treated the audience to “Your Husband’s Cheatin’ on Us,” a new and entrancingly eerie song about a wife, mistress and a new mistress.
Each writer seemed burdened with admiration at the prospect of following the others’ lyrical craftsmanship. After following Lori’s “Luxury of Knowing,” Matraca mentioned, “I was gonna throw Ashley under the bus, but I’ll take the hit…I feel really great about the future of women in songwriting.”