Good Reasons To Get Out: Free Music, Fundraisers, and More

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mwMichael W. Smith and Jeremy Camp have added their voices to the “Hope For Samoa” free benefit concert being organized by The Katinas to aid their homeland battered by the recent 8.2 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami. The concert is tonight, Wednesday, October 7, 7 PM at Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood, Tenn. Natalie Grant and Melinda Doolittle were already set to appear. Admission is free with a love offering to benefit the “Samoa Relief Fund.” Tax deductible donations may also be made at www.katinamissions.org

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The Nashville Humane Association’s 20th Anniversary Dog Day Festival will be Saturday, October 10 at Centennial Park. Festivities begin at 10AM with contests, paws parade, and live music featuring Jessica Miller at 1PM, followed by Tailgate South, The Lewis Sisters, Jaron Boyer & Friends, and Stephanie Hargrove. For details on event and contests please www.nashvillehumane.org. Proceeds denefit the Nashville Humane Association. $5 suggested donation and children under 5 get in free.

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Katie Armiger, Emily West, Kathy Mattea, Lani Nash, and Mindy Smith will perform at the For The Love of George event Friday, October 9 at the Country Music Hall of Fame to support the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.

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Nashville Symphony and Regions Bank will host the Regions free Day of Music at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Saturday, October 10, from 10AM until 10PM. This free event, now in its fourth year, will showcase more than 25 performances by a diverse selection of Nashville-based artists and ensembles. Guests will also be able to explore the Symphony Center, and the box office will also offer an exclusive Buy-One, Get-One-Free ticket special available only on-site.

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The Loveless Cafe is gearing up for the fifth annual Biscuits & Bluegrass fall festival, to be held on Saturday, October 10 from 11AM until 5PM. This free event, will feature biscuit samples for everyone, the ever-popular biscuit eating contest, a live all-star bluegrass pickin’ circle and a cash bar so be sure to bring your instrument for the impromptu pickin’ parties. There will also be many children’s activities including face painting, pony rides, a petting zoo as well as arts and crafts demonstrations for adults and kids including: weaving, pottery, wood turning, fabric dyeing, painting and jewelry making.

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The sixth and final concert of the 2009 Bluebird on the Mountain series will feature singer-songwriters Don Henry, Kim Richey and Craig Carothers on Oct. 10 at 7PM. Held on the scenic grounds of Vanderbilt’s Dyer Observatory, the series showcases artists from the Bluebird Café. A limited number of tickets for the show are available through Ticketmaster, which will add a handling fee. Tickets are $95 for a carload.

Nashville Music Awards Return Tomorrow

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NashMusicAwardsThe Nashville Music Awards return tomorrow night (10/7) through a partnership between Leadership Music and the Next BIG Nashville conference and festival. Recognizing outstanding contributions in all genres of music, and celebrating the diversity and quality of artists and music professionals who call Nashville their home, awards will be handed out at the Cannery Ballroom as part of the opening night of NBN.

This year marks the first partnership between Leadership Music and Next Big Nashville for this annual awards presentation. The NMAs were previously produced from 1995-2000 by Leadership Music.

Tomorrow’s awards reception is open to NMA nominees, Next Big Nashville badge holders, Leadership Music Alumni, and media. For more information on how to purchase a Next Big Nashville badge visit www.nextbignashville.net.

The 2009 winners in 19 categories were chosen by popular vote via online balloting. Voting is now closed. Click here to see the nominees. Eligible recordings or projects must have been active in the marketplace between January 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009 and NMA awards are limited to persons and organizations residing in Davidson County and surrounding counties.

Lee Ann Womack Works The Windy City

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lawLee Ann Womack spent the weekend performing in Chicago at three different events. Friday night, Oct. 2 she represented Nashville alongside hitmaking tunesmiths Bob DiPiero (“If You Ever Stop Loving Me”), Scotty Emerick (“I Love This Bar”) and Dean Dillon (“The Chair”) as part of the Country Music Association’s Songwriter Series at Joe’s Bar.

Saturday afternoon (10/3) she played in Grant Park as part of the Chicago Country Music Festival, and also visited Wrigley Field to perform the national anthem before the Cubs took on the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Womack has also launched a new, free-of-charge fan club called the Country Music Appreciation Society & Social Club. Members will receive access to meet and greets and more.

This weekend she is off to perform in Gulf Shores, AL and at the Houston, TX House of Blues.

Rocketown Expands To Florida

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rcktRocketown, the Nashville hangout geared toward teens, is opening a second location in Pompano Beach, Florida. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel says the venue will provide a safe, fun, and free atmosphere for middle and high school students, offering cool learning opportunities about things like photography, music composition, digital recording and film editing. Tutoring will also be available. The 13,000-square-foot facility is being renovated and is expected to open in mid-October. It will also host concerts and events with a cover charge.

The Nashville location is the brainchild of CCM artist Michael W. Smith, and Operations and Program Director Theresa Mazza told the newspaper, “It’s been hugely successful.”

Performers Added To Dierks’ Sunday Event

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dDierks Bentley announced today (10/6) that members of multi-platinum rock band 3 Doors Down (lead vocalist Brad Arnold and guitar player Chris Henderson), will join his fourth annual “Miles & Music for Kids” charity motorcycle ride and concert this Sun., Oct. 11 in Nashville. The already star-studded lineup of performers includes Darius Rucker, Eric Church, Wynonna, Michelle Branch, Heidi Newfield and more.

Tickets for the family-friendly event start at $20 and are still available for the ride and concert through Ticketmaster. The motorcycle ride departs Cool Springs Harley Davidson at 1:00pm CT and will travel through beautiful Williamson County and downtown Nashville, culminating in a jam session at Riverfront Park.

In the three previous years, “Miles & Music for Kids” has raised over $500,000 for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. For more information visit www.dierks.com.

Opry Goes Pink To Fight Breast Cancer

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Carrie Underwood

On Oct. 2 the Grand Ole Opry joined the fight against breast cancer with a special “Opry Goes Pink” performance. Opry member Carrie Underwood was on hand to flip the giant light switch, turning the show’s signature red barn backdrop pink for the night. ABC’s Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts—herself a breast cancer survivor—traveled to Nashville to be a special guest announcer for the show.

That night’s Opry included performances from Underwood, Terri Clark, Jo Dee Messina, Lorrie Morgan, Mindy Smith, and others, along with special activities recognizing breast cancer survivors and the continuing fight against the disease. A portion of the proceeds were donated to Women Rock for the Cure and the Greater Nashville affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The special event was also to kick-off the Opry’s 84th birthday month celebration.

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Robin Roberts

As breast cancer awareness month gears up, the Nashville Affiliate Susan G. Komen for the Cure® crossed the $1 Million mark with its Race for the Cure campaign. Local landmarks, storefronts, and buildings were splattered pink last week in a show of support for the fight against breast cancer. The Frist Center for the Visual Arts, the Parthenon, Nashville Electric Services, and the Adventure Science Center, are all boasting pink until October 10.

This years’ Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure will be kicking off in Brentwood Saturday, October 10 and is expected to draw over 12,000 participants.

Nashville Scene: Women’s profiles in bluegrass have risen

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Generation by generation, women’s profiles in bluegrass have risen

By Jewly Hight

Funny how straightforward Rhonda Vincent sounds proclaiming herself an “All American Bluegrass Girl” in the song of that title—until you listen past the hook. Read more.

Touring Updates: Paisley, U2, and More

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Bbrad-paisley-ar10rad Paisley just completed the west coast run of his American Saturday Night tour by selling over 100,000 tickets for shows in Bakersfield, San Francisco, Sacramento, Phoenix, San Diego and Irvine. He will take this week off from touring before heading to Florida for shows in Jacksonville, Tampa, and West Palm Beach, then it’s off to New York City for his Madison Square Garden show on Oct. 21. Paisley’s current single “Welcome to the Future” is No. 3 on MusicRow’s Country Breakout Chart.

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U2’s 360 Tour continues its spectacular run with sales over the weekend surpassing 180,000 tickets in three cities—Horsens, Denmark; Vienna, Austria; and Helsinki, Finland. The tour has grossed over $187 million on the European leg, and is expected to break even sometime by the end of the year, manager Paul McGuiness told Billboard. The outing costs $750,000 per day, whether or not there’s a show.

The North American leg is expected to bring in $112 million (Billboard Boxscore). When U2 played the Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on Sept. 24 it drew a record-setting 84,472 fans, and the two-night stand grossed $16.1 million. When U2 hits the Rose Bowl on Oct. 25, it will also be that venue’s largest ever attendance for a concert, with 96,000 fans expected.

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Gary Allan will soon embark on his Get Off On The Pain tour, sponsored by House of Blues. He is supporting his new single, “Today,” which is already climbing the charts, as well as more music from his upcoming album.

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Blackberry Smoke will support Lynyrd Skynyrd for seven shows this month with stops in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and New Jersey. The tour coincides with the release of Blackberry Smoke’s new album, Little Piece Of Dixie, on BamaJam Records, which is a newly formed imprint of producer James Stroud’s Stroudavarious Records. BamaJam and Stroudavarious Records are distributed by Sony Music’s RED Distribution. The project was produced by Dann Huff and Justin Niebank. Blackberry Smoke will make its first trip to Europe in December before joining Lynyrd Skynyrd’s annual Simple Man cruise, January 21-25.

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Recent IBMA winner Steve Martin is on his fall tour, which included a visit to The Late Show with David Letterman last night (10/5)—where he really chatted up Nashville—and The View today. He is on the road with bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers in support of his album The Crow: New Songs For the 5 String Banjo (Rounder). It was No. 1 for 12 straight weeks on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart. The tour hits the Ryman on Oct. 11.

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Tracy Lawrence performed for American troops stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba over the weekend as a detour from his fall tour across the U.S.

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Colt Ford will be joining the Larry The Cable Guy Tour this fall, with dates starting Nov. 12 in State College, Pennsylvania and scheduled through Dec. 12 in Las Vegas. Leading up to the tour and throughout, Ford will be keeping fans up-to-date from the road with his own iPhone/iTouch app. He is touring in support of his debut album, Ride Through The Country.

Holly Williams Weds, Swift Sings With Mayer

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Photo by: Tec Petaja Photograph

Singer Holly Williams wed drummer Chris Coleman on Sunday, Sept. 27 in an evening ceremony at Nashville’s Cedarwood mansion. The bride wore a gown by Vera Wang, and the all-star guest list included Kid Rock, Rascal Flatts’s Jay DeMarcus, and of course, her father Hank Williams Jr. who walked her down the aisle. Among musician Coleman’s groomsmen was Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill.

The magazine reports that DeMarcus performed at the reception, as did Kid Rock who sang a few Bob Seger tunes as well as his own hit, “All Summer Long.” The bride and groom also took the stage for a version of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.”

Get all the details at People.com.

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Taylor Swift is a guest on John Mayer’s upcoming new album, Battle Studies. It will be released on Nov. 17, 2009 by Columbia Records, and features Swift on a song called “Half of My Heart.” Mayer, a seven-time Grammy winner, co-produced his fourth album with Steve Jordan and it is described as having the warmth, melodies and simplicity of 70’s and 80’s California rock/pop. The album’s first single is “Who Says.”

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Nashvillians Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Gloriana, Carter Twins and Miley Cyrus appear on the compilation A Very Special Christmas Volume 7, alongside Colbie Caillat, Charice, Vanessa Hudgens, Sean Kingston, Ashley Tisdale, and others. Set for release Nov. 24 through the Universal Music Enterprises, the album features original recordings of new and traditional Christmas songs. Selling one million copies in its first year, the premier 1987 album, A Very Special Christmas, and the subsequent albums in the series, have generated more than $100 million for Special Olympics, the most ever raised by a benefit recording series.

SAE Will Host Nashville Music Business Camp

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nmbcNashville Music Business Camp (NMBC) will be held Thurs., Oct. 15 through Sat., Oct. 17 at The Listening Room. Sponsored by SAE Institute-Nashville, NMBC is an educational music workshop organized by a forum of industry leaders to offer aspiring artists, songwriters, musicians and persons interested in careers in the music industry an intimate learning experience.

Confirmed panelists include opening speaker Dave Pomeroy, President of the AFM Local 257-Nashville, who will discuss pensions and pay scales in “Musicians Are Worldwide Providers of Music” followed by a question and answer discussion. Also on the schedule are Kat Atwood (Publicity Director, Music City Media & Marketing), Sheila Shipley Biddy (artist manager and former MCA/DECCA executive), Shannon McCombs (national on-air personality), Bernard Porter (CEO of Porter-Gentry Productions and President of PCG Nashville), Suzanne Skinner (professional image consultant), Sheree Spoltore (Nashville Songwriters Association National Membership Director) and Robert Vonch III (owner of USIND Solutions).

NSAI is sponsoring professional songwriter rounds, and attendess will also get to showcase. Preshias Harris,  organizer of NMBC, says other topics at the camp will encompass styling and imaging, entertainment law, publicity, touring, booking, radio promotion, artist management and record production.

Interested students/participants can register and obtain ticket information, including cost and panel schedule, at the Nashville Music Business Camp Web site www.nmbcamp.com. Special discounts are also being extended to various organizations. For more information, please contact Preshias Harris at Preshias@pcgnashville.com or Robert Vonch at Robert@pcgnashville.com.