Country Throwdown Tour Adds Performers, Preps For Kick-off

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(L-R): Gary Allan with Country Throwdown Tour Co-Producers Sarah Baer and Kevin Lyman. Photo: Chaise Crosslin

Gary Allan is headlining the 2012 Country Throwdown Tour Fired Up by Kingsford. He and tour co-producers Sarah Baer and Kevin Lyman discussed the upcoming trek with members of the media on Monday (2/27) during an event at Allan’s Nashville store, The Label.

Josh Thompson, Eric Paslay, and Sunny Sweeney are set for the full tour, opening May 18 in Gulfport, Miss. and visiting 20 cities through July 8. Special guests on select dates include Rodney Atkins (June 1-30) and Justin Moore (May 18-27). Newcomers Florida Georgia Line and Maggie Rose are also scheduled for the run.

One of the tour’s three stages will spotlight emerging singer-songwriters. Performing on the Bluebird Cafe Stage will be Channing Wilson, Rose Falcon, and Carly Pearce.

The third-annual, outdoor amphitheater trek is produced by 4 FINI Inc. No Nashville date is scheduled at this time.

Sugarland Launches Fan Interactive Tour

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Sugarland has announced the launch of In The Hands of the Fans, their sixth consecutive headlining tour this April. The interactive tour, with opening acts Lauren Alaina and Canaan Smith, will rely solely on fan interaction and requests to determine the set list played in each city.

“The fans will make the requests that will help form the set list and guide the show through texts, handwritten signs, the Internet (Twitter, Facebook, etc), phone calls made during the show and selections directly from the stage,” explained Nettles. “The fans will become the conductors as well as the audience. If it’s on one of our records or if we’ve played it on a stage it is fair game.”

Specific guidelines and details will be forthcoming on the duo’s website about how to specifically engage with the interactive tour.

In The Hands of the Fans dates:

4/5­ – Toledo, OH
4/6 – Youngstown, OH
4/10 – Niagara, ON
4/11 – Niagara, ON
4/13 – Pikeville, KY
4/14 – Louisville, KY
4/19-20 – Thackerville, OK
4/21 – Mississippi State, MS
4/26 – Virginia Beach, VA
4/27 – Charlotte, NC
4/28 – Raleigh, NC
5/25 – Rancho Mirage, CA
5/31 – San Diego, CA
6/1 – Mountain Valley, CA
6/21 – Oshkosh, WI
6/22 – Cadott, WI
6/23 – Chicago, IL
7/21 – Harrington, DE
7/22 – Bristow, VA
7/27 – Tampa, FL
7/28 – Valdosta, GA
7/29 – West Palm Beach, FL
8/3 – Cincinnati, OH
8/10 – Sturgis, SD
8/17 – Brownsville, OR
8/18 – Stateline, NV

Ticketmaster Debuts iPhone App

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The app alerts users of upcoming events.

Ticketmaster has released an iPhone app that allows users to find events and purchase tickets. As an extension of Ticketmaster.com, the app allows users to log into their MyTicketmaster account for a seamless purchasing experience on their iPhone.

The app scans users’ iTunes music library to learn his or her music preferences. Users can activate the iPhone’s built-in location services to automatically recommend relevant upcoming local events. Fans can further personalize the recommended shows by using more than 40 preset filters.

The app also offers social media connections, allowing fans to Tweet and Facebook during the discovery phase, as well as after purchasing tickets. It also allows check in on Foursquare during the event.

Screenshot shows how users search for tickets.

Scotty McCreery Gets Gold For His “Trouble,” Pranks Paisley

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McCreery dressed like Paisley, complete with goatee, and surprised him onstage.

Scotty McCreery’s second single, “The Trouble With Girls,” has been certified Gold for reaching sales of 500,000 units, becoming his second single release to receive a Gold or higher certification by the RIAA.

McCreery’s platinum debut album Clear As Day debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, making him the youngest man in history to open at the top of the all-genre chart with a debut release. It also garnered the highest sales of any country solo album released last year and held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for six weeks.

For 2012, McCreery has been on the road with Brad Paisley‘s Virtual Reality Tour 2012 and the tour mates have been scheming pranks. During Paisley’s show, he projected doctored photos of McCreery’s head on the body of a muscular man in a bathing suit, and when he sings “Celebrity,” the screens flash fake tabloid headlines “Is Scotty McCreery Brad Paisley’s Love Child?”

McCreery capitalized on the publicity by dressing up like Paisley and surprising him onstage.

“Apparently Brad leaves his hat backstage at every show, but I didn’t find out until last week,” McCreery says. “I was going to take the hat out onstage that day and poke fun, but we decided it would be too early in the tour because it would leave too much time for him to prank me back. He loved it! He was cracking up. So now I am sleeping with one eye open.”

McCreery is also nominated for ACM New Artist of the Year, along with Brantley Gilbert and Hunter Hayes. Voting runs March 19 through April 1 on the ACM site, and GAC will premiere its ACM New Artist of the Year special on March 19.

“We Walk The Line” Concert Pays Tribute To Cash

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On Apr. 20, music stars and friends will join together to celebrate the life of Johnny Cash in Austin, TX with tribute concert “We Walk The Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash.”

In the year that would mark Cash’s 80th birthday, the concert at Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theatre will pay tribute to Cash’s musical legacy. Performers at the event include Carolina Chocolate Drops, Kenny Chesney, Chris Cornell, Ronnie Dunn, Jamey Johnson, Kris Kristofferson, Ray LaMontagne, Amy Lee and Lucinda Williams, Brandi Carlile, Andy Grammer, John Hiatt, Shooter Jennings and Rhett Miller. More performers will be announced shortly.

An all-star band led by Grammy Award-winner Don Was – which includes Buddy Miller, Kenny Aronoff, Ian McLagen, and Greg Leisz– will back these performances. The concert event will be produced by Keith Wortman. Was, who worked with Cash on an album for The Highwaymen, will serve as musical director. Tisha Fein and Chantel Sausedo will serve as talent producers. A percentage of the net proceeds will be donated to Charley’s Fund, to help in the fight to find a cure for the fatal children’s disease Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

“Our family is honored to know that this amazing line-up of artists will gather together on one stage to pay tribute to the music and history of my father,” said John Carter Cash. “There is no doubt in my mind that, although he is no longer with us in body, his spirit will shine true on this night thanks to these inspired artists.”

Cash’s 80th Birthday celebration kicked off on Sunday (2/26) with the ground-breaking of the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home Project in Dyess, AR. The house that Cash grew up in will become a permanent tribute to him and his family’s early life, as well as reflecting a historical slice of American life during the 1930s’ Great Depression. In addition, Legacy Recordings is set to celebrate this landmark year with a full slate of projects to be released throughout the next 12 months. First up is Bootleg Vol. IV: The Soul of Truth, a 2-CD, 51-track collection which comprises gospel and spiritual recordings made by Cash in the 1970s and ‘80s, to be released on Apr. 3.

“We Walk The Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash” will be produced and distributed in conjunction with Legacy Recordings, the division of Sony Music Entertainment that serves as the home of Johnny Cash’s catalog. Tickets will go on-sale to the general public on Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 10 a.m. CST and are available at www.acl-live.com, at Waterloo Records or charge by phone 877-4-FLYTIX.

For more information about “We Walk The Line” please visit www.johnnycash80.com.

Bentley Wraps Canadian Trek, Heads Home To US

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Dierks Bentley wrapped the Canadian leg of his 2012 Country & Cold Cans Tour Friday (2/23) night in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The eight city venture north of the border was the first official trek in support of Bentley’s sixth studio album Home.

The title track and current single “Home” is resonating with fans in the U.S. and Canada, as it climbs to the No. 1 spot on Canada’s Mediabase Country Chart this week. “Dierks may have had America in mind with ‘Home,’ but the fact it went to No. 1 in Canada shows that the song has universal appeal,” said EMI Music Canada’s Ron Harwood. “We are all proud of where we are from. We’ve all faced tough times recently. We all know that things can be better again. It is a song that reflects on our own past and gives hope for a bright future, regardless of where you call ‘home.’”

Shortly after crossing the border on his return to the U.S., Bentley’s tour bus “Old Goldie” marked its one millionth mile. “Goldie has been my home on the road since I put out my very first single,” said Bentley. “A lot of memories have been made traveling across the country in Goldie, and I’ve been able to see every city and town three or four times. If you look at my guitar or my boots or my truck, you know that I love old things. I hope she makes it another million!”

Bentley played the San Antonio Rodeo over the weekend. Next his tour heads to Australia, followed by a 20-city U.S. spring run.

Nashville’s DWP Live Projects Success at Super Bowl Halftime

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Madonna on the Super Bowl Halftime stage

Although the halftime show at the 2012 Bridgestone Super Bowl lasted only 12 minutes, months of planning and testing by Nashville production company DWP Live went into the spectacle.

Set designer Bruce Rodgers of Tribe engaged Orlando based LMG, a video, audio and lighting technology provider, to develop lightweight LED for the main stage. In turn, LMG partnered with Danny Whetstone’s DWP Live, for field projection in front of the stage.

In preparation for the Super Bowl, DWP Live staffers traveled to LMG’s headquarters in December 2011 to test eight crane rigs, which were each used to hold a bundle of four projectors in the air, shooting downwards 150 feet onto the field surface. A total of 32 Barco FLM HD20 projectors were used to cover the 11,000 square foot projection area.

Actual setup time for the halftime show happened in a strict 12 minute time frame. The LED team and over 500 volunteers rolled out and assembled the stage on the field, comprised of 796 lightweight FLED tiles, constructed into fourteen customized LED carts. The result turned the stage and field projection area into everything from Vogue magazine covers to reverberating speakers.

More than 114 million Americans watched as Madonna performed songs with guests LMFAO, Cee Lo Green, M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj, around the displays. After the performance, breakdown and removal of the stage and projection area from the field was completed in less than seven minutes.

DWP Live was founded in 2007 as a single source solution for production services, AV design, and equipment rental. Since the company’s founding, it has experienced rapid growth and become a key partner for trade shows, corporate events, concerts and permanent facilities around the world.

The Band Perry’s Sold Out Show at the Ryman

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The Band Perry makes its headlining Ryman Auditorium debut February 20, 2012 – the first act to perform on the Ryman’s new stage. Front Row: The Band Perry's Reid, Kimberly, and Neil Perry. Back Row: Jimmy Harnen, Republic Nashville President; Erik Peterson, TBP Artist Management; Bob Doyle, TBP Manager; Rob Beckham, William Morris Agency; Sally Williams, Ryman Auditorium; Dana Burwell, Producer; Steve Buchanan, Gaylord Entertainment; and Scott Borchetta, Big Machine Records CEO.

The Band Perry played to a full house at the Ryman Auditorium on Feb. 20 in downtown Nashville, TN. When tickets went on sale last fall, the show sold out in a staggering twenty minutes, a first for the Republic Nashville breakout trio. Kimberly, Reid and Neil Perry were also the first artists to perform on the recently renovated stage at the legendary venue.

“We are so excited to have performed our first headlining show in Nashville at the Ryman Auditorium! Country music’s ‘Mother Church’ was in need of some loving attention, so a brand new stage has just been added,” says Kimberly. “We had the honor of being the very first act to perform on it. The evening was even better than we imagined.”

Natalie Hemby opened for the 2012 ACM Vocal Group of the Year contenders. Hemby, who wrote Miranda Lambert’s “Baggage Claim” and “White Liar,” told the audience when The Band Perry offered her the opening slot, she was so excited that she screamed. She performed several songs including the hits she wrote for Lambert, as well as a lullaby that she recently penned for her daughter.

Afterwards, accompanied by a full band, The Band Perry shared a few new songs as well as their Gold-certified No. 1 single, “All Your Life;” their Triple-Platinum, No. 1 smash, “If I Die Young” and the Gold-certified “You Lie” from their Platinum Republic Nashville debut album. Their set included a backdrop made up of three LCD screens, which showed various animations and music video clips during the performances.

Not only did the Feb. 20 show in Music City sell out in a matter of minutes for The Band Perry, their show Feb. 18 at Billy Bob’s Texas in Ft. Worth, also sold out in advance. With more than 16,000 in attendance, the sibling trio also performed to a packed venue at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo on Feb. 15.

The Band Perry heads back out on the road this week with Brad Paisley’s Virtual Reality Tour 2012. Upcoming stops include:

2/23       Madison, WI – Alliant Energy Center
2/24       Moline, IL – iWireless Center
2/25       Springfield, MO – JQH Arena

Nashville Parties With Aldean, Bryan, and Alaina

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A sold-out crowd surrounded the stage in the Bridgestone Arena Friday night for the My Kinda Party Tour with Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Lauren Alaina. The show proudly delivered a hybrid of both the energy of a fully produced Garth Brooks show and pitch-perfect vocals allowing fans the opportunity to let their hair down and satisfy a critic’s pick.

The set list was undeniably country, and rightly so, with all three acts hailing from the state of Georgia. They played to that niche all evening with songs about “Georgia Peaches,” “Drinkin’ Beer and Wastin’ Bullets” and a “Big Green Tractor.”

Alaina skipped onstage wearing a shimmery metallic sundress to perform songs from her post-American Idol release Wildflower. She reflected on her first Idol audition happening in the Bridgestone, “my dream started in this building.”

Though Aldean’s name was on the concert marquee that night, Bryan too easily captivated the arena. The audience shone as brightly the LED stage risers that flashed L-U-K-E as he displayed the hits that put him on the stage. Although he fist-pumped a guitar when he walked onstage, Bryan spent a majority of his set showcasing his charismatic personality. He ran up and down the ramps showing off his tight jeans with enthusiasm for an admiring crowd.

He slowed the tempo only a few times, one to cover Adele’s “Someone Like You” behind a piano, exhibiting a rare and tantalizing falsetto. “In a city of the world’s greatest musicians, I am playing the piano? I suck at the piano!” he said in playful self-deprecation. It was no stretch of the imagination to understand why Bryan’s Spring Break event is so enjoyable, the audience was left burning-hot for Aldean.

Headliner Aldean’s high-octane energy continued the party through his set, which was apparently a night of firsts, “This is the first show we’ve done with fans behind us, and our first full show in Nashville, and it sold out.”

Aldean shared his stage set-up with the two opening acts, but when he appeared beds of intelligent lights aligned to resemble crops planted in a row—perfect for his farm referencing songs “Amarillo Sky” and “Flyover States.”

After a few of his hits on the main stage, Aldean was quickly escorted to an acoustic stage in the back of the arena where was joined by Bryan to duet on Shenandoah’s “Sunday in the South,” Tracy Lawrence’s “Time Marches On,” and Alabama’s “Love in the First Degree.” The pair also played Bryan’s “We Rode in Trucks,” requested by Aldean who said, “this is one of my favorite songs Luke doesn’t play in his set anymore.” The intro to “Don’t You Wanna Stay” brought deafening cheers when Kelly Clarkson surprised the audience for the spot usually covered on tour by Alaina.

The last rows of the balcony danced just as hard as the audience up front, all fueled by the electricity from the stage—everyone came to party. It left us amazed at the effects of electricity.

NEEDTOBREATHE Reckons With The Ryman

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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]