BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM

Chapter 483

The climax of Country Radio Seminar is the annual New Faces Show, a make-or-break presentation of the year’s most promising fledglings.

It is a tense occasion for the performers, since this is the first time that the all-important radio programmers will judge their showmanship. Careers have both soared and crashed as a result of this showcase.

“I know how prestigious this show is, and I don’t take it lightly,” said New Face Frankie Ballard. He has a separated shoulder and has not been playing his guitar at recent concerts. But he was determined to strap it on for this gig. So, shoulder or no shoulder, he showcased his guitar chops. And how.

The New Face who walked away from the show a star was probably Eric Paslay. The singer-songwriter was both an artistic success and an audience favorite.

Paslay’s ballad “She Don’t Love You” was performed with clear-throated vocal finesse and was one of the most honest sounding efforts of the evening.  “Song About a Girl” was groovy and funky. “Keep on Fallin” was a snappy, crackling country rocker.

“Thank you for changing my world, and for this song,” said Paslay introducing “Friday Night.” This good-time rocking hit, with its chewy, tasty rhythm groove gave him a joyous, whiz-bang finale.

The second-best New Face presentation was by Maddie & Tae. In fact, considering how truly new and how young they are, this was in some ways the night’s most impressive performance. Unlike the others on the bill, this duo doesn’t even have a full album yet.

Their vocal harmonies were flawless: These women have obviously rehearsed rigorously. The slight drawback of this was that they seemed to concentrate on delivering a perfect presentation, rather than engaging the audience.

Their breakthrough hit, “Girl in a Country Song,” was feisty, bouncy and good natured. “Fly,” the current single, was wafting, airy and lovely. The duo concluded with the warm, comforting and super-accomplished “After the Storm Blows Through.”

Madison Marlow and Taylor Dye are barely out of their teens, but they grew up right before our eyes that night. Good for them.

Frankie Ballard was my third favorite. He not only showed off his flashy guitar skills, he worked the stage like a pro and looked like a star in his leather jacket. He gave them the hits “Sunshine and Whiskey” and “Helluva Life,” drawing a big ovation from the crowd.

“I was a nobody from Battle Creek, Mich., before you played this one,” he said of “Helluva Life.” “I can’t tell you how good it feels to play this song and have people know it, and I thank country radio for that. If I wasn’t here [at CRS], I’d be singing it in some honky-tonk in Detroit. So I thank you for that.”

His finale was the raucous, Motor City rocker “Young and Crazy.” This guy was the very definition of a modern young country star.

The act with the most “buzz” leading into the New Faces show was probably Sam Hunt. His sound was full of electronic washes and programmed percussion, with auto-tuned, processed vocals. “Leave the Night On” and “House Party” led him to come off the stage and wade through the crowd at the front tables.

With its mix of spoken-word passages and melodic segments, “Take Your Time” was Hunt’s best and most evocative effort. He ended with the finely honed “Break Up in a Small Town.”

Hunt earned the Worst Wardrobe Award with his long gray t-shirt and a face-obscuring ballcap with a peak so high it looked like it belonged in a Coneheads skit. You’re in trouble when your lead guitarist knows how to visually present better than you do.

Also wearing a ballcap was the finale New Face, Cole Swindell. This caused us to note that Ballard was the lone male act not wearing this hat, which has replaced the Stetson as country’s uniform: Is it just a coincidence that he also came across as the best looking?

Whereas Hunt was at least sonically innovative bro country; Swindell seemed merely routine bro country. In fact, his presentation was practically a Xerox of a Luke Bryan show, from the hat to the jeans to the belt buckle to the hip-thrust stage moves.

Swindell was another New Face with a heavily processed vocal. He sounded one way when speaking, then as soon as he started to sing, the auto-tuning and triple tracking kicked in on his voice. And even with all the technology, he still sounded just barely on pitch.

Still, Swindell’s renditions of such favorites as “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight,” “Chillin It” and “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey” were all crowd pleasers.

The 2015 New Faces Show was staged in the main hall of the old Renaissance Convention Center on Friday (Feb. 27). Video clips throughout the night reminded us that the CRS convention is moving to the Omini Hotel next year. So we’ve eaten our last rubber-chicken banquet in this room.

As usual, Music Row turned out in full force for this annual extravaganza. Working the room were Tom Luteran, Tom Baldrica, Bobby Young, Bob Paxman, Rob Simbeck, Charlie Morgan, Charlie Monk, Chuck Dauphin, Clay Myers, Jessica Myers, Jessica Turri and Travis Moon of St. Jude’s Hospital, Frank Rogers, Earle Simmons, Patrick Clifford, John Ozier, Preshus Tomes, Jack Purcell, Gary Overton, Shawn Carnes of Nasville Underground Entertainment, Don Cusic, Phyllis Stark, Donna Hughes, Todd Cassetty, Sharilyn Pettus, Lorie Hollabaugh, Vernell Hackett, Andrew Capps, Ed Morris, Darin Murphy, Ken Tucker, the triple monikered Deborah Evans Price, Wynne Vanessa Adams and Allison Brown Jones, plus just about everybody else you’ve ever met in this business.

Additionally, the 2015 CRS/Country Aircheck winners were revealed throughout the evening. Winners include:

Station Of The Year: WUSN/Chicago (Major Market); WSM-FM/Nashville (Large Market); WIVK/Knoxville (Medium Market); WUSY/Chattanooga (Small Market)

Market Manager/GM: Mick Anselmo, KMNB/Minneapolis (Major Market); Dan Endom, WSIX/Nashville (Large Market); Tim Feagan, WBCT/Grand Rapids (Medium Market); Jared Stehney, WUSY/Chattanooga (Small Market)

OM/PD: Tim Roberts, WYCD/Detroit (Major Market); Charlie Cook, WKDF & WSM-FM/Nashville (Large Market); Sue Wilson, WQMX/Akron (Medium Market); Gator Harrison, WUSY/Chattanooga, TN (Small Market)

MD: Angie Ward, WUBL/Atlanta
 (Major Market); Bob Pickett, KASE/Austin (Large Market); Hoss Michaels, KXKT/Omaha (Medium Market); Bill Poindexter, WUSY/Chattanooga (Small Market)

Personality/Show: Ben & Matt, KNIX/Phoenix (Major Market); Amy Paige, WSIX/Nashville (Large Market); Buzz Jackson, KIIM/Tucson (Medium Market); Dex & Mo, WUSY/Chattanooga (Small Market)

National/Syndicated Personality: The Bobby Bones Show

Platinum Label: Big Machine

Gold Label: Curb

VP/Promotion: Jack Purcell, Big Machine

Director/National Promotion: Katie Bright, WMN

Regional Director or Manager/Promotion: Alex Valentine, Big Machine

Independent Promotion Team or Executive: GrassRoots

“New Face Of Country” Professional: Kristen Johnson, Republic Nashville

BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM

Chapter 482

Emotional ovations and cheers of surprise were the order of the day during lunchtime on Friday (2/27) at Country Radio Seminar.

The emotion was provided by the mighty voiced Craig Morgan. Living legend and new Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Ronnie Milsap was the unannounced, unexpected pleasure. Both appeared at the CRS luncheon sponsored by Black River Entertainment.

Craig Morgan remains one of country music’s finest vocalists. He’s a stand-and-deliver man who can send chills up your spine like few of his peers. He treated the conventioneers to a pair of new songs he’s recorded with producer Byron Gallimore for his upcoming Black River CD.

“All Cried Out” was throbbing and thrilling. “Country Side of Heaven” became more and more uplifting and inspiring as its arrangement added complexity and phrases from “Amazing Grace.”

Morgan pulled out all the stops with “If Not Me,” a song on his current album, The Journey. His searing delivery of this blood-stirring anthem became even more emotional when members of the 101^st Airborne Army division came striding out to line both sides of the banquet hall. On stage, Morgan was joined by military heroes, including Medal-of-Honor Marine Dakota Meyer. You could practically see the lumps in attendees’ throats.

We thought that was the finale. After all, what could top that? The screens showed a video about the label’s recording studio, which is a restoration of Ronnie’s Place. The curtain parted to reveal its previous owner seated at a piano, resplendent in a sparkling black-and-turquoise western shirt.

“It’s an honor to be here today,” said Ronnie Milsap, 72. “I love what happens when radio adds your record. It’s still a big deal to me. I’m a radio nut I carry them with me everywhere I go.”

He treated the crowd to an extended medley that was ragged-but-right and featured segments of such classics as “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life,” “I Wouldn’t Have Missed it for the World,” “It Was Almost Like a Song,” “(I’m a) Stand By My Woman Man,” “”Pure Love” and “(There’s) No Gettin Over Me.”

Milsap concluded with a reprise of the appropriate “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life.” Then he added, “I’m not done yet: I’m going into the studio next week. And we’re going to make some new records!”

The Black River Entertainment CRS luncheon at the Renaissance Convention Center began with a video touting the conglomerate’s holdings in sports and music — the Buffalo Bills (football) and Buffalo Sabres (hockey) franchises, as well as its Nashville song publishing, record label and recording studio properties.

The label’s John King blasted into the rocking “Baby Let Your Hair Down” with no introduction. Next came his power ballad “Got You Baby,” dedicated to his wife of one year.

“A year ago was my first CRS; I didn’t know anybody,” said King. “You guys are my friends, my family now. This is my new single. It’s going to be on your desks next week,” he added, before delivering the pounding, catchy and sexy “On Your Lips.”

Kelsea Ballerini was introduced via a video of testimonials by folks who work with her. Her set began with the jaunty, flirty, “Dibs.” The ensuing “The First Time” will be the title tune of her debut album, due in May. This sweetly lilting tune was aided by cello accompaniment and a snippet of Keith Urban’s “Stupid Boy.”

“My first single is Top 30 right now, and it’s blowing my mind,” she said to the radio folks. “You guys have given me a voice.” She zipped through “Love Me Like You Mean It,” then added, “Thank you for an incredible year.”

Following a video about Black River’s restoration of the historic Sound Stage Studio (where some 650 No. 1 hits have been recorded), various country stars appeared on screen to praise Black River songwriter Josh Osborne.

He took the side stage to perform an acoustic medley of some hits he’s co-penned, including “Leave the Night On” (Sam Hunt), “Wild Child” (Kenny Chesney). “My Eyes” (Blake Shelton), “Take Your Time” (Sam Hunt) and “We Are Tonight” (Billy Currington).

Black River CEO Gordon Kerr introduced Morgan’s set by stating, “I stand with Craig and his love of this country….Craig bleeds red, white and blue. But his passion is music. And not just any music, country music.”

Then the singer-songwriter proved it.

Fabulons working CRS that day included Schatzi Hageman, Vanessa Davis, Fletcher Foster, Mark Logsdon, Cindy Hunt, Leslie Fram, Gary Krantz, Brandi Simms, Ken Tucker, Bert Stein, Jimmy Collins, Nicole Zeller and Jaclyn Carter.

As usual at CRS, many artists were working the room as well. Gretchen Peters, Mitch Goudy, Rainy Qualley and Rachele Lynae were on site. A harmony-singing band called Stella // James entertained us while we assembled care packages for Operation Troop Aid and waited to get into the luncheon.

Muscle Tees, Mullets, and Mustaches consumed The Stage last night as Dierks Bentley’s ’90s country cover band, Hot Country Knights, made their live debut for 2015 Country Radio Seminar. The frontman of the band, Douglas “Big Rhythm Doug” Douglason (Bentley), kicked off the show with Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee” and continued with fan favorite throwbacks such as Marty Stuart’s “Honky Tonkin’s What I Do Best,” John Michael Montgomery’s “Be My Baby Tonight” and “Sold,” and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart.”

The band brought up several friends to keep the show rockin’ including Dallas Houston (Randy Houser), who sang “Watermelon Crawl,” Ronnie Bunns (Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley) joined in for “My Maria,” and Shelby Shelton (Miranda Lambert) took the lead on Shania Twain’s “Who’s Bed Have Your Boots Been Under.” Kip Moore also made an appearance (not in costume) for “Dust on the Bottle.”

The show ended with a pre-recorded taping of fans shouting “encore” to which the band responded by playing Travis Tritt’s “T-r-o-u-b-l-e.” Bentley and a Hot Country Knights bandmember proceeded to get into a comedic “fight” at the end of the encore until they fell off the stage and exited the venue.

Mercury Records Nashville artist Canaan Smith opened for the Hot Country Knights, singing his latest single, “Love You Like That.”

Logan Mize Brings Good Times

Arista Nashville’s Logan Mize treated guests to a luncheon performance at Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley on Tuesday (Feb. 24). Mize is currently on the airwaves with his Arista debut single, “Can’t Get Away from a Good Time.”

Digital Rodeo Showcase

Social network and country lifestyle portal Digital Rodeo held its second DRX Monthly Showcase of 2015 on Tues., Feb. 24 at 3rd and Lindsley. The February DRX Showcase featured up-and-coming artists Sim Balkey, Kaitlyn Baker, Megan Moreaux, Hannah Bethel and Rivers & Rust, and was hosted by Jeff Bates. The next DRX Showcase is set for March 17 at 3rd and Lindsley.

Webster Public Relations Legendary Lunch

Country stars from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s joined radio programmers at today’s (Feb. 25) Webster Public Relations Legendary Lunch, held at The Palm. PDs from across the country are in Nashville this week for Country Radio Seminar.