WME’s Nashville Office Promotes Five To Partner

Pictured (clockwise from top left): Abby Wells Baas, Kevin Meads, Braeden Rountree, Nate Towne, Barrett Sellers.

WME has announced that Abby Wells Baas, Kevin Meads, Braeden Rountree, Barrett Sellers and Nate Towne have been elevated to partner in the agency’s Nashville office. They will all continue their work in the country music department.

Wells Baas, Meads, Rountree, Sellers and Towne all launched their careers at William Morris Agency and transitioned to WME following the company’s merger with Endeavor in 2009.

Wells Baas began her career as assistant to former WMA Nashville Co-Head Rick Shipp 23 years ago and rose through the agency’s Agent Trainee program. She currently handles all bookings for WME’s country roster in the Central Midwest territory, and works with clients such as Easton Corbin, Kenny G, The Oak Ridge Boys, Jon Reep and Thompson Square. Outside the office, Wells Baas recently traveled to Kenya as part of a UNICEF delegation sent to observe and provide aid for the Kakuma Refugee Camp. She also serves as a mentor at a Nashville inner city-school.

Meads began his career at William Morris Agency in 2006 and quickly rose through the ranks to agent in 2008. In his current role, Meads works across WME’s country roster to book large venues in the Southeast region, working with clients such as Brooks & Dunn, Trea Landon, Chris Lane, Jon Langston and Cole Swindell. In addition to his work at WME, Meads regularly serves as a mentor to students at Napier Enhanced Option Elementary school and consults on the establishment of various enrichment programs focusing on music and art for the schools.

Rountree joined the William Morris Agency mailroom in 2006 following stints in publishing, radio promotion, management and record label operations. In his current role, he works with clients including Kane Brown, Ryan Hurd, The Marcus King Band, Dylan Schneider and Granger Smith. Outside the office, Rountree has volunteered his time to charitable organizations including The Nashville Rescue Mission, The Ronald McDonald House, Napier Elementary School, and Habitat for Humanity, in addition to raising money for the T.J. Martell Foundation.

Sellers joined William Morris Agency as an assistant in 2001 following graduation from Vanderbilt. In his current role, he works across WME’s country roster to book large venues in the Western region, working with clients such as Lindsay Ell, LOCASH, Dustin Lynch, Mitchell Tenpenny and Tyler Rich. In addition to his work at WME, Sellers is a mentor at a Nashville inner city-school and spends time helping the W. O. Smith Music School, which makes affordable, quality music instruction available to children from low-income families.

Towne joined the William Morris Agency mailroom in 2006, working his way up to agent in 2009. He currently focuses on booking shows in arenas, amphitheaters, theaters, PACS and casinos in the Northeast and regularly consults on touring strategy for various artists across WME’s country roster. Some of the clients he works with include Casey Donahew, Scotty McCreery, Brad Paisley, Dylan Scott and Chris Young. He also regularly works with students at Napier Enhanced Option Elementary school and volunteers his time and resources for various charitable causes including UNICEF, Habitat for Humanity, the Ronald McDonald House, the TJ Martell Foundation, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and Make-a-Wish of Middle Tennessee.

WME’s clients boast a total of 33 nominations across key categories for tomorrow night’s CMA Awards. Additionally, the agency represents Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire, who will co-host the show.

The news comes on the heels of Skyler Clark-Hamel, Alex Collignon and Beth Hamilton’s promotions to agent last month, which came shortly after Becky Gardenhire’s promotion to Co-Head of the Nashville office.

Lauren Daigle Adds 13 Shows To World Tour

Lauren Daigle has added 13 headlining shows to The Lauren Daigle World Tour, following 81 sold-out performances that have taken place since the release of her Grammy-winning album Look Up Child.

The new dates include three California shows, as well as an additional homestate show for Daigle at New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center. Daigle will welcome folk/soul duo JOHNNYSWIM on the tour.

The tour, which features all-new stage production and design, launches Jan. 18 in Melbourne Australia and will include a performance at New Zealand’s Festival One. The United States portion of the tour will begin Feb. 20 in Pensacola, Florida and will include stops in New York (June 25), Nashville (June 20), Houston (July 16), Boston (June 26), Dallas (March 5) and more.

“Lauren Daigle World Tour” New Dates
March 19 – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston Coliseum
March 20 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at The BJCC
March 21 – Jonesboro, AR – First National Bank Arena
April 14– Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center
April 15 – Boise, ID – ExtraMile Arena
April 16 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
April 21 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena San Diego
April 22 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena
April 24 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
April 25 – Kent, WA – accesso ShoWare Center**
May 2 – Huntsville, AL – Von Braun Center’s Propst Arena
May 3 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
July 19 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
**no AMEX presale

Sturgill Simpson Adds Second Headlining Bridgestone Arena Show

Sturgill Simpson. Photo: Courtesy: Full Coverage Communications

Sturgill Simpson has added second shows in several markets to his upcoming Sturgill Simpson: A Good Look’n Tour, including Nashville (May 21), San Francisco (May 6), Detroit (March 1), Minneapolis (April 5), Knoxville (Feb. 26), and Asheville (Feb. 23).

The new tour features special guest Tyler Childers and will kick off Feb. 21 in Birmingham, Alabama, visiting 40+ cities including St. Louis, Austin, Chicago, Denver, and more through May 24.

Tickets for the tour go on sale to the public today, and Simpson has partnered with CID Entertainment to offer travel packages, with all net proceeds from the travel packages benefiting the Special Forces Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides immediate and ongoing support to the Special Forces community and their families. Simpson recently hit the road for a brief six-date club tour, donating 100% of the proceeds from these shows to the Special Forces Foundation. One dollar from each ticket sold for the upcoming Good Look’n Tour will also be donated to the Special Forces Foundation.

Sturgill Simpson: A Good Look’n Tour 2020 Dates:
Friday, February 21 – Birmingham, AL Legacy Arena at the BJCC
Saturday, February 22 – Asheville, NC US Cellular Center
Sunday, February 23 – Asheville, NC US Cellular Center **NEWLY ADDED SHOW
Tuesday, February 25 – Knoxville, TN Knoxville Civic Coliseum
Wednesday, February 26 – Knoxville, TN Knoxville Civic Coliseum **NEWLY ADDED SHOW
Friday, February 28 – Lexington, KY Rupp Arena
Saturday, February 29 – Detroit, MI Masonic Temple Theatre
Sunday, March 1 – Detroit, MI Masonic Temple Theatre **NEWLY ADDED SHOW
Wednesday, March 4 – Pittsburgh, PA Petersen Events Center
Friday, March 6 – Charlotte, NC Spectrum Center
Saturday, March 7 – Duluth, GA Infinite Energy Center
Tuesday, March 10 – North Charleston, SC North Charleston Coliseum
Friday, March 13 – Hampton, VA Hampton Coliseum
Saturday, March 14 – Philadelphia, PA The Met Philadelphia
Sunday, March 15 – Washington, DC Anthem
Monday, March 16 – Washington, DC Anthem
Wednesday, March 18 – Toronto, ON Coca-Cola Coliseum
Friday, March 20 – Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena
Saturday, March 21 – St. Louis, MO Chaifetz Arena
Sunday, March 22 – Southaven, MS Landers Center
Friday, March 27 – Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
Saturday, March 28 – Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center
Sunday, March 29 – Sugarland, TX Smart Financial Centre
Wednesday, April 1 – Independence, MO Silverstein Eye Centers Arena
Friday, April 3 – Chicago, IL United Center
Saturday, April 4 – Minneapolis, MN Armory
Sunday, April 5 – Minneapolis, MN Armory **NEWLY ADDED SHOW
Thursday, April 9 – Omaha, NE Baxter Arena
Friday, April 10 – Madison, WI Alliant Energy Center
Thursday, April 23 – Tulsa, OK BOK Center
Saturday, April 25 – Denver, CO Pepsi Center
Tuesday, April 28 – Salt Lake City, UT Maverik Center
Wednesday, April 29 – Missoula, MT Adams Center
Friday, May 1 – Portland, OR Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Saturday, May 2 – George, WA Gorge Amphitheatre
Tuesday, May 5 – San Francisco, CA Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Wednesday, May 6 – San Francisco, CA Bill Graham Civic Auditorium **NEWLY ADDED SHOW
Friday, May 8 – Inglewood, CA The Forum
Friday, May 15 – Boston, MA TD Garden
Saturday, May 16 – New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Thursday, May 21 – Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena **NEWLY ADDED SHOW
Friday, May 22 – Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
Sunday, May 24 – Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center

Kane Brown To Kick Off 2020 With First International Headlining Tour

Photo credit: Joseph Llanes

Kane Brown is launching his first ever international headlining tour, the Kane Brown Worldwide Beautiful Tour, in Dublin on Feb. 2. The tour will make stops in London (Feb. 4), Amsterdam (Feb. 5), Paris (Feb. 6), and Berlin (Feb. 8) before circling back to kick off the North American leg of the tour on Feb. 29. Russell Dickerson and Chris Lane also join the Worldwide Beautiful Tour lineup, with each rotating slots throughout the tour. An additional support act will be announced in 2020.

The tour will follow Brown’s sold-out Los Angeles Staples Center headlining date on Jan. 9 as part of the Staples Center 20th Anniversary Celebration. Tickets for the Kane Brown Worldwide Beautiful Tour will go on sale Friday, November 15. Live Nation is the official tour promoter and Citi is the official pre-sale credit card of the Worldwide Beautiful Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase pre-sale tickets through Citi Entertainment.

2/2/2020 – Dublin, Ireland – Academy Dublin
2/4/2020 – London, UK – O2 Forum Kentish Town
2/5/2020 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Melkweg
2/6/2020 – Paris, France – L’Alhambra
2/8/2020 – Berlin, German – Metropol
2/29/2020 – Atlantic City, NJ – Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall
3/1/2020 – Allentown, PA – PPL Center
3/5/2020 – Portland, ME – Cross Insurance Arena
3/6/2020 – Albany, NY – Times Union Center
3/7/2020 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
3/19/2020- Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre
3/20/2020 – Oshawa, ON – Tribute Comm. Centre
3/21/2020 – London, ON – Budweiser Gardens
3/26/2020 – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston Coliseum
3/28/2020 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place
4/23/2020 – Tupelo, MS – BancorpSouth Arena
4/24/2020 – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater
4/25/2020 – Lafayette, LA – CAJUNDOME
4/30/2020 – El Paso, TX – Don Haskins Center
5/1/2020 – Lubbock, TX – United Supermarkets Arena
5/7/2020 – Lincoln, NE** – Pinnacle Bank Arena
5/8/2020 – Moline, IL – TaxSlayer Center
5/9/2020 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center

Alan Jackson Announces 2020 Tour

Alan Jackson has announced a new headlining tour, to launch Jan. 10, 2020 at Cincinnati, Ohio’s Heritage Bank Center. The trek includes stops at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena (Feb. 14), Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena  (Aug. 7) and a performance at Indio, California’s Stagecoach Festival (April 26). The last time Jackson performed at Stagecoach was in the festival’s inaugural year in 2007.

Several of Jackson’s concerts will also showcase a few of his favorite aspiring performers who perform at AJ’s Good Time Bar in Nashville.

Tickets are available at alanjackson.com/tour. Jackson is again teaming up with CID Entertainment to offer fans VIP experiences at nearly all of his 2020 shows.

A list of tour dates is below, with more shows to be added.

Friday, Jan. 10: Cincinnati, OH (Heritage Bank Center) ^^
Saturday, Jan. 11: Columbia, SC (Colonial Life Arena) **
Friday, Feb. 14: Atlanta, GA (State Farm Arena) ^^
Saturday, Feb. 15: New Orleans, LA (Smoothie King Center) **
Friday, Feb. 21: El Paso, TX (UTEP Don Haskins Center) ^^
Saturday, Feb. 22: Fort Worth, TX (Dickies Arena) ^^
Thursday, March 26: Tulsa, OK (BOK Center) ++
Friday, March 27: Springfield, MO (JQH Arena) ++
Saturday, April 25: Glendale, AZ (Gila River Arena) ++
Sunday, April 26: Indio, CA (Stagecoach Festival) <>
Thursday, July 9: Ft. Loramie, OH (Country Concert) ##
Friday, Aug. 7: Nashville, TN (Bridgestone Arena) **
Friday, Aug. 14: Cleveland, OH (Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse) ++
Saturday, Aug. 15: Detroit, MI (Little Caesars Arena) ++
Friday, Sept. 11: Des Moines, IA (Wells Fargo Arena) ++
Saturday, Sept. 12: Milwaukee, WI (Fiserv Forum) ++
Friday, Oct. 2: Salt Lake City, UT (Vivint Smart Home Arena) ++
Saturday, Oct. 3: Denver, CO (Pepsi Center) ++
** Tickets on sale Friday, November 15
^^ Tickets on sale Friday, November 22
## Tickets on sale November 25
<> Tickets available now!
++ On sale date TBD

Sheryl Crow, Amy Ray To Join Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Jerry Douglas For “The Lantern Tour II”

The full lineup has been announced for The Lantern Tour II, which launches tonight (Nov. 5) at Washington D.C.’s Warner Theatre. Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow, Jerry Douglas, Jackson Browne, Steve Earle, Buddy and Julie Miller, and Amy Ray are all taking part in the event.

“The Lantern Tour II: Concerts for Migrant and Refugee Families” winter concert will take place on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020 at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee and is part of a nationwide tour happening between fall of 2019 and summer of 2020. Tickets for the Nashville show go on sale at 10 a.m. this Friday, Nov. 8.

The Lantern Tour II reunites Harris, Browne, and Earle for the concert series to benefit the Women’s Refugee Commission and its work on behalf of migrant and asylum-seeking families.

The tour launches in D.C. tonight, followed by a sold-out show tomorrow night, Wednesday, Nov. 6, at Town Hall in New York City. The fall lineup includes Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, Steve Earle, Patty Griffin, The Mastersons, Thao Nguyen, and David Pulkingham. Not all artists will appear on every show date.

“The Women’s Refugee Commission is on the front lines in advocating for the safety of displaced women and children,” said lead tour musician Emmylou Harris, a supporter of the organization. “I am thrilled to continue this important partnership and to bring my music friends along for another powerful tour in the coming year.”

“It’s an honor to be joining Emmylou on this tour as we stand with migrant and asylum-seeking families at the southern U.S. border,” said Grammy Award-Winning Musician and Indigo Girls Co-Founder Amy Ray. “Everyone has the right to be safe and to keep their children safe.”

WRC has a long history of documenting conditions for asylum-seeking women and children at the U.S. border and advocating for their rights and protection. Since the Trump administration came into power, WRC has taken an even more robust leadership role in identifying human rights violations.

“We go into detention centers to hear directly from women and children about how these policies are devastating their lives,” said WRC Executive Director Sarah Costa. “Right now, more than ever, we need voices from across the country speaking out in support of human rights, which is why this tour is so important. Together, we can make a difference.”

For more, visit thelanterntour.com.

Cole Swindell To Launch Down To Earth Tour In March

Cole Swindell is launching his headlining Down To Earth Tour this Spring. Special guests HARDY and Trea Landon will join him on the new 14-date tour, which kicks off March 5 and will visit New Orleans, Kansas City, Louisville, Charleston, Jacksonville and more through April 17. Swindell announced the new tour in a fun video clip filmed at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

“I have had such an amazing year in so many ways,” said Swindell. “I never think each year can top the previous, but it does. To earn another career No. 1 last week with ‘Love You Too Late’ and then the response and honors that ‘Break Up In The End’ received this year has blown me away and of course the opportunity to get to tour again with my buddy Luke Bryan has been a blast. I’m so fired up for 2020 to get back out there with two new artists whose music I just love and am really excited about. HARDY, Trea and I already have some fun things planned for this tour. The fans better get ready because this tour is for them!”

Tickets will go on sale to the public in most markets Friday, Nov. 8. Citi is the official pre-sale credit card of the Down To Earth Tour, and Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase pre-sale tickets beginning Tuesday, Nov. 5 until Thursday, Nov. 7 through Citi Entertainment. 

Since launching his career in 2014, Swindell has toured with some of the biggest stars in country including Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line and Dierks Bentley. The Georgia native first headlined in 2018 with his Reason To Drink Tour and co-headlined the Reason To Drink….Another Tour with Dustin Lynch.

 

Cole Swindell’s Down To Earth Tour:
March 5                     Toledo, OH                           Stranahan Theater
March 6                     Rama, ON                            Casino Rama-Entertainment Centre
March 13                   Macon, GA                            Macon Centreplex Auditorium
March 14                   Okaloosa Island, FL             The Gulf
March 15                   New Orleans, LA                  Fillmore
March 25                   Sioux Falls, SD                    Sanford Pentagon
March 26                   Dubuque, IA                         Five Flags Center-Five Flags Arena
March 27                   Park City, KS                        Hartman Arena
March 28                   Kansas City, MO                  Uptown Theater
April 9                        Grand Rapids, MI                20 Monroe Live
April 10                      Peoria, IL                             Peoria Civic Center Theatre
April 11                      Louisville, KY                       Palace Theatre
April 16                      Charleston, SC                    N. Charleston PAC
April 17                      Jacksonville, FL                   Daily’s Place

Brett Young Sets The Chapters Tour For January

Brett Young will hit the road in 2020 for his headlining The Chapters Tour. The outing will visit 30 cities in the United States and Canada and will feature guest Matt Ferranti. Ferranti has been a guitarist in Young’s band and released the single “Rollercoaster” in 2018.

“I’m so excited about The Chapters Tour for so many reasons,” Young shared. “Being in a position to continue to headline even bigger shows is an honor and humbling, and I can’t wait to show our fans what we’ve been working on for them. They’re definitely in for some surprises!”

The tour will launch Jan. 30 at Knoxville, Tennessee’s Knoxville Civic Auditorium, before making its way through Ohio, New York, Missouri and Indiana. The Chapters Tour will head to Canada in May, wrapping at Abbotsford Centre in Abbotsford, British Columbia on May 9. Young is also set to perform as part of next year’s Stagecoach lineup on April 24 in Indio, California.

Tickets for The Chapters Tour go on sale starting Friday, Nov. 8 at 10 a.m. local time at brettyoungmusic.com.

THE CHAPTERS TOUR Dates:
1/30 – Knoxville Civic Auditorium – Knoxville, TN
1/31 – Stranahan Theater – Toledo, OH
2/1 – Hammerstein Ballroom – New York, NY
2/6 – Old National Events Plaza – Evansville, IN
2/7 – Stifel Theatre – St. Louis, MO
2/8 – Brown County Music Center – Nashville, IN
2/14 – SNHU Arena – Manchester, NH
2/15 – Bob Carpenter Center – Newark, DE
2/27 – Orpheum Theatre – Omaha, NE
2/28 – Mankato Civic Center – Mankato, MN
2/29 – Swiftel Center – Brookings, SD
3/26 – Robinson Performance Hall  – Little Rock, AR
3/27 – The Criterion – Oklahoma City, OK
4/16 – Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Auditorium – Chattanooga, TN
4/17 – Township Auditorium – Columbia, SC
4/18 – Sprint Pavilion – Charlottesville, VA
4/25 – Red Rock Casino Resort Spa – Las Vegas, NV
4/26 – Mechanics Bank Theater – Bakersfield, CA
5/1 – Avila Beach Resort – San Luis Obispo, CA
5/4 – The Union – Salt Lake City, UT
5/7 – Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium – Edmonton, AB
5/8 – Grey Eagle Event Centre – Calgary, AB
5/9 –  Abbotsford Centre – Abbotsford, BC

TobyMac Reschedules Theatre Tour

Following the passing of his eldest son, 21-year-old Truett Foster McKeehan, CCM star TobyMac has rescheduled his fall tour, which had been slated to launch next Thursday (Nov. 7) in Springfield, Missouri.

All 12 dates for TobyMac’s theatre tour have been rescheduled for April and May 2020. Current tickets held will remain valid for the rescheduled date. Ticket holders unable to attend the rescheduled date will be able to request a refund through the original point of purchase.

A list of rescheduled dates is below:

April 25, 2020 – Montgomery, AL – Montgomery Performing Arts Center
April 26, 2020 – Chattanooga, TN – The Tivoli Theatre
April 28, 2020 – Savannah, GA – Johnny Mercer Theatre
April 30, 2020 – Peoria, IL – The Peoria Civic Center Theater
May 3, 2020 – Knoxville, TN – The Tennessee Theatre
May 4, 2020 – Asheville, NC – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
May 6, 2020 – Rockford, IL – Coronado Performing Arts Center
May 7, 2020 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Embassy Theatre
May 8, 2020 – Evansville, IN – Aiken Theatre at Old National Events Plaza
May 11, 2020 – Columbia, SC – Koger Center for the Arts
May 13, 2020 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
May 14, 2020 – Springfield, MO – Gillioz Theatre

WME Nashville Promotes Three

Pictured: Skyler Clark-Hamel; Alex Collignon; Beth Hamilton

WME’s Nashville office has promoted three staffers to agent roles. Skyler Clark-Hamel joins the Christian Music division and will focus on the U.S. Southeast, Caribbean, and Central and South America. He most recently served as a booking coordinator for the division after previously working in the country music department.

Beth Hamilton and Alex Collignon will both join the country music department, with Collignon focusing on West Coast and Southwest.

Collignon most recently worked as an assistant in the department after initially launching his career at WME in 2014 in the fair and festival department.

Hamilton began her agency career at the William Morris Agency in Nashville assisting with booking arenas and amphitheaters in the Northeast, prior to making the transition to artist management and concert promotion. In 2016, Hamilton joined WME, following the agency’s 2009 merger with Endeavor, to work alongside Jay Williams, strategizing national and international touring for headlining artists including Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church and Brothers Osborne, among others.

WME’s Nashville office booked over 14,000 dates in the past year. In September, it was announced that WME’s Becky Gardenhire was recently promoted to Co-Head of the Nashville office, joining Scott Clayton, Joey Lee, and Jay Williams.