Live Nation Entertainment will begin serving locally grown produce and meat products certified under animal welfare programs recognized by The Humane Society of the United States. It will also introduce vegetarian meal options in its 38 owned and operated amphitheaters across North America.
Beginning this month, the produce used on hamburgers served during events will be sourced from farms local to each venue. For example, produce served at the Bank of America Pavilion in Boston will be sourced from one of three local farms: Wilson Farms in Lexington, Mass., Maitland Mountain Farm in Salem, Mass., or Eva Garden’s in Dartmouth, Mass.
All of the hamburgers, hot dogs, Italian sausages and chicken tenders served in Live Nation amphitheaters will now carry either Certified Humane, Global Animal Partnership or Animal Welfare Approved certification. Live Nation will also introduce a veggie burger and a signature vegetarian meal item developed by Chef Hugh Acheson (a judge on Top Chef and a contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters).
Live Nation sells more than 800,000 meals in its amphitheaters each summer. Live Nation will absorb any cost increases related to the new policies, so music fans across the country will not see an increase in meal prices based on similar product size.
“I know in my own home it’s important for my family to buy locally grown produce, to know where our meat comes from, and to have a variety of vegetarian options whenever possible,” said Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino. “We know from working so closely with the artist community and from the fans that come to our events, that it’s important to many of them as well. So we felt as a company that we should be able to deliver the same quality food to our millions of fans, and we will continue to look for ways in which we can improve the concert experience for the people that come to our amphitheaters every summer.”

Shooter Jennings and Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band will co-headline a string of tour dates throughout the U.S. this fall. The tour will begin in Bloomington, Ind. on Friday, Sept. 27.
Jennings, the self-described “son of a rebel saint,” released his new album, The Other Life, earlier this year. Indiana natives Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band’s work ethic keeps them on the road 250 dates a year. Their latest album, Between The Ditches, released in 2012.
Sept. 27 Bloomington, Ind.—Bluebird Nightclub
Sept. 28 Muncie, Ind.— Muncie Community Civic Center *
Oct. 2 Des Moines, Iowa— TBD*
Oct. 3 Lincoln, Neb.— Bourbon Theatre
Oct. 4 Denver, Colo.— Bluebird Theatre
Oct. 5 Kansas City, Mo.— Knuckleheads
Oct. 9 Little Rock, Ark.— Revolution Music Room
Oct. 10 Birmingham, Ala.— Workplay Theatre
Oct. 11 Atlanta— Masquerade
Oct. 19 Live Oak, Fla.— Magnolia Music Fest *
Oct. 20 Live Oak, Fla.— Magnolia Music Fest **
* Rev. Peyton only
** with Jimbo Mathus & Alvin Youngblood Hart

Luke Bryan has announced a preliminary schedule for his fifth annual Farm Tour, beginning in October with eight southeast concerts, including five in his home state of Georgia.

The ACM Entertainer of the Year will kick off the outing Oct. 2 in Statesboro, Ga. and wrap on Saturday, Oct. 12 in Valdosta, Ga., all the while delivering scholarships to students in the communities played. Last year, eight scholarships were given to students from farming families.
The idea for the Farm Tour came as a way for Bryan to give back to local farming communities by celebrating and lifting up the American farmer and offering a fun escape with the outdoor shows. Over 100,000 fans came out for last year’s tour, which doubled the previous year’s attendance record.
With the exception of Athens and Tallahassee, ticket presales for the 2013 tour will begin for fan club and Citi card members on Tuesday, July 23 at 10 a.m. ET. Public tickets will be available starting Friday, July 26 at 10 a.m. ET.
For additional Farm Tour 2013 information, click here.
Farm Tour Dates
Oct. 2–  Statesboro, Ga.
Oct. 3–  Athens, Ga.
Oct. 4–  Columbia, S.C.
Oct. 5–  Macon, Ga.
Oct. 9–  Villa Rica, Ga.
Oct. 10– Auburn, Ala.
Oct. 11– Tallahassee, Fla.
Oct. 12– Valdosta, Ga.
(dates & cities subject to change)

Roots-music titans Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott will reunite for a sophomore studio release, titled Memories & Moments, on Sept. 17. The Scott-produced project will be released on a newly formed Full Skies imprint, a compound of O’Brien’s Howdy Skies and Scott’s Full Light labels through Thirty Tigers.
Comprised of five songs from each of the artists, the album also includes the co-write “Turn Your Dirty Lights On” about mountaintop removal, as well as guest John Prine on his song “Paradise,” and covers of classics by Hank Williams and George Jones.
“It’s rare that you can play with somebody who can respond and magnify like Darrell does,” O’Brien said. “So it’s a pretty good game of Ping-Pong. We end up doing stuff that neither of us would do on our own.”
Back in 2000, the two Grammy winners joined forces to record 13 tracks in Scott’s living room, which comprise Real Time. O’Brien and Scott became an in-demand touring act, which was captured last year on, Live: We’re Usually a Lot Better Than This, a record released on Scott’s Full Light.
“When Tim and I get together, we push each other’s Appalachian roots buttons,” Scott points out. “My Kentucky comes out, and so does his West Virginia. It happens naturally, it’s not a strategy.”
Between the two of them, O’Brien and Scott have had songs covered by Dixie Chicks, Dierks Bentley, Nickel Creek, Kathy Mattea, Faith Hill, Guy Clark, Brad Paisley, Sara Evans, Garth Brooks, Patty Loveless, Trace Adkins and Tim McGraw, in addition to releasing solo records, touring and respectively appearing in Mark Knopfler’s touring unit and Robert Plant’s Band of Joy.
The two are expected to begin touring in support of the new music in late September and into 2014.

Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby will release 11 new tracks in a Skaggs Family Records live project titled Cluck Ol’ Hen on Aug. 20. The project (track listing below) was originally recorded when the two toured in support of their first collaborative album, Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby (2007) with Skaggs’ Kentucky Thunder band.
Hornsby and Skaggs plan to hit the road for 13 dates this fall on the Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder Tour in promotion of the forthcoming project (see complete list below).
The pair blends Hornsby’s piano and songwriting to Skaggs’ mandolin, guitar, bass, fiddle and banjo on traditional mountain music and classic Bluegrass represented with three Bill Monroe tunes. Providing the title track is the vintage fiddle tune “Cluck Ol’ Hen.”
Cluck Ol’ Hen is currently available for pre-sale at skaggsfamilyrecords.com. Skaggs’ autobiography is also set to be released the same month.
Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder 2013 Fall Tour:
Oct. 3 – Carmel, Ind. – The Palladium
Oct. 4 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Taft Theatre
Oct. 5 – Nashville, Tenn. – Ryman Auditorium
Oct. 18 – Los Angeles – Royce Hall – UCLA
Oct. 19 – Scottsdale, Ariz. – Virginia G. Piper Theater
Oct. 20 – Tucson, Ariz. – Fox Tucson Theatre
Oct. 24 – Broken Arrow, Okla. – Broken Arrow Performing Center
Oct.25 – Overland, Kan. – Carlsen Center
Oct. 26 – Salina, Kan. – Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts
Nov. 1 – Milwaukee – Potawatomi Bingo Casino
Nov. 2 – Burnsville, Minn. – Burnsville PAC
Nov. 20 – Huntington, N.Y. – The Paramount
Nov. 21 – Morristown, N.J. – Mayo Performing Arts Center
Cluck Ol’ Hen Track Listing:
1.  Intro: How Mountain Girls Can Love
2.  How Mountain Girls Can Love
3.  Intro: Toy Heart
4.  Toy Heart
5.  Intro: Bluegrass Breakdown
6.  Bluegrass Breakdown
7.  Intro: Darling Corey
8.  Darling Corey
9.  The Way It Is
10.  Intro: The Dreaded Spoon
11.  The Dreaded Spoon
12.  Gulf Of Mexico Fishing Boat Blues
13.  Intro: Sally Jo
14.  Sally Jo
15.  Little Maggie
16.  Intro: Little Maggie
17.  White Wheeled Limousine
18.  Intro: Cluck Ol’ Hen
19.  Cluck Ol’ Hen