Southern Ground Festival Combines Hospitality and Music

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Zac Brown Band’s Southern Ground Music & Food Festival is set for Oct. 21-23 (that’s this weekend, folks) in Charleston, SC. With an eclectic musical lineup and an array of food options, the festival aims to delight the senses of its attendees.

Presented by Landshark Lager and Jack Daniel’s, the three day party will be held at Charleston’s Blackbaud Stadium on Daniel Island. In addition to nightly performances by ZBB, the musical lineup includes My Morning Jacket, Train, Eric Church, Fitz and the Tantrums, Warren Haynes Band, Steel Pulse, Trigger Hippy, The Del McCoury Band and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Brett Dennen and Southern Ground artists Sonia Leigh, The Wood Brothers, Nic Cowan, Levi Lowrey, Blackberry Smoke and Clay Cook. A second stage will feature additional performers between main stage sets.

VIP ticket buyers will get special seating, the option to have a four course gourmet meal prepared by award-winning chefs, and complimentary beverages. For more information, visit http://www.southerngroundfestival.com.

Lady A’s Own The Night 2012 Tour

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The second leg of Lady Antebellum’s Own The Night 2012 World Tour will kick off Jan. 27 in Tulsa, OK with Darius Rucker and special guest Thompson Square. The tour runs through June and includes a stop in Nashville on Feb. 22. Tickets for the first dates go on sale Oct. 28.

“This is the tour we’ve always dreamed of putting together,” says Charles Kelley. “We got to help design the stage and really collaborate on new production ideas, and now we’re just really trying to hone in on the perfect set list to give the fans a cool mix of hits and some of their favorite songs from the new record. Plus, we’ve been working on some really intimate moments for our show, where we can really break things down and be close to the crowd. I can’t wait for the next nine months!”

For more details visit www.ladyantebellum.com.

Own The Night 2012 World Tour Dates
1/27         Tulsa, OK
1/28         Des Moines, IA
1/29         Bloomington, IL
2/3           Huntington, WV
2/4           State College, PA
2/14         Salt Lake City, UT
2/15         Denver, CO
2/18         Dallas, TX
2/22         Nashville, TN
2/25         Detroit, MI
2/26         Evansville, IN
3/2           Bossier City, LA
3/3           Lafayette, LA
3/9           Chicago, IL
3/10         Omaha, NE
3/11         Minneapolis, MN
3/14         Saskatoon, SK
3/16         Calgary, AB
3/17         Edmonton, AB
3/19         Vancouver, BC
3/20         Seattle, WA
3/21         Eugene, OR
3/23         San Jose, CA
3/24         San Diego, CA
3/27         Los Angeles, CA
3/28         Fresno, CA
3/29         Sacramento, CA
4/5           Moline, IL
4/6           Kansas City, MO
4/7           Norman, OK
5/3           New York, NY
5/5           Worcester, MA
5/6           Hershey, PA
5/9           Birmingham, AL
5/10         Jacksonville, FL
5/11         Tampa, FL
5/12         West Palm Beach, FL
5/18         Hartford, CT
5/19         Philadelphia, PA
5/20         Columbia, MD
5/22         Augusta, GA
5/31         Cleveland, OH
6/1           Pittsburgh, PA
6/2           Bethel, NY
6/3           Rochester, NY
6/8           Raleigh, NC
6/9           Charlotte, NC
6/10         Virginia Beach, VA
6/14         Montreal, QC
6/15         Ottawa, ON
6/16         Toronto, ON
6/21         St. Louis, MO
6/22         Atlanta, GA
6/24         Cincinnati, OH
6/27         Little Rock, AR
6/28         Memphis, TN
6/29         Indianapolis, IN

 

Flatts Announce 2012 Tour

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Rascal Flatts have announced its winter tour, Thaw Out 2012, with special guest Sara Evans and opener Hunter Hayes. The tour will kick off in Charleston, West Virginia at the Civic Center Coliseum on Jan. 12 and run through Feb. 18.

Rascal Flatts wrapped up touring for 2011 last month and critics across the nation touted this year’s Flatts Fest. Since the band’s touring career began, the Flatts have sold over 6 million concert tickets.

The band is nominated for Vocal Group of the Year at the CMA Awards Nov. 9 on ABC, and also received three nominations for the American Country Awards taking place Dec. 5 on FOX.

Thaw Out 2012
Jan. 12     Charleston WV            Charleston Civic Center Coliseum
Jan. 13     Roanoke, VA               Roanoke Civic Center
Jan. 14     Hershey, PA                Giant Center
Jan. 19     Columbia, MO             Mizzou Arena
Jan. 20     Peoria, IL                     Peoria Civic Center
Jan. 21     Columbus, OH             Nationwide Arena
Jan. 26     Albany, NY                 Times Union Center
Jan. 27     Providence, RI             Dunkin’ Donuts Center
Jan. 28     Atlantic City, NJ          Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall
Feb. 9       Jacksonville, FL           Jacksonville Arena
Feb. 10     Birmingham, AL          BJCC Arena
Feb. 11     Little Rock, AR           Verizon Wireless Arena
Feb. 17     Wilkes-Barre, PA         Mohegan Sun Arena
Feb. 18     E Rutherford, NJ         Izod Center

Strait Announces Tour Dates

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George Strait kicks off his 2012 tour Jan. 27 in Lafayette, LA. Currently, the itinerary includes stops in Georgia, Florida, Arizona, Oklahoma, Nevada, Utah and Kansas. He’s also invited Martina McBride, who recently released her new album ELEVEN, to join him on the road.

Tickets for the Feb. 4 show in Las Vegas will go on sale Saturday, Oct. 29. Other sale dates will be forthcoming.

Strait’s tour schedule is as follows:

Lafayette, LA – Cajundome – Jan. 27
Bossier City, LA – CenturyLink Center – Jan. 28
Phoenix, AZ – US Airways Center – Fe. 3
Las Vegas, NV – MGM – Feb. 4
Atlanta, GA – The Arena at Gwinnett Center – Feb. 10
Orlando, FL – Amway Center – Feb. 11
Tulsa, OK – BOK Center – Feb. 16
St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center – Feb. 17
Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena – Feb. 18
Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena – Feb. 24
Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center – Feb. 25

For more information, please visit www.georgestrait.com.

Mat Kearney Sets Hometown Show

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Mat Kearney

Nashville singer-songwriter Mat Kearney has announced a homecoming tour date Oct. 20 at the Cannery Ballroom. Kearney is currently on a headlining tour supporting his latest album Young Love, which was released in August and hit No. 1 on iTunes and No. 4 on Billboard. Following the Nashville show, Kearney’s tour will continue through Nov. 20 in Minneapolis, MN. Full dates here.

Kearney also recently performed a special acoustic set on a New York City rooftop for Baeble Sessions, offering selections from Young Love including his current hit “Hey Mama” (video below). Check out the performance video, as well as an exclusive interview, here.

 

Watch the full video at Baeblemusic.com

New Ryman Partner Makes The Wheels Turn

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Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium has announced a multi-year partnership with Nissan North America, making Nissan an Official Partner. The auto manufacturer will become part of the daytime tour experience and nightly concerts through branding and advertising opportunities, and aims to bring its ‘Innovation For All’ campaign to the storied music destination.

“We are thrilled to align the Ryman in this long-term partnership with Nissan,” said Sally Williams, Ryman Auditorium General Manager. “We look forward to putting ‘Innovation For All’ into action, enhancing our concert experiences for fans with cutting edge innovation and technology. We’re excited to have a locally based global company as our partner. Together, we’ll elevate our museum and concert offerings, not only for fans here in Nashville but for audiences around the world using a variety of media platforms.”

“We strive for ‘Innovation For All’ and that includes Nashville’s diverse music community. Where better to center that partnership but within the very epicenter of Music City, the Ryman Auditorium? Our partnership with the Ryman is an extension of our commitment to Nashville and its thriving entertainment offerings,” said Jon Brancheau, Vice President, Marketing, Nissan.

Technology will play an important role in the partnership, and consumers will soon be able to download the first official Ryman app for iPhone and Android smartphones. With the app users will be able to receive concerts announcements via text, purchase tickets directly, browse the Hatch Show Print Gallery, and share concerts through social media. Additionally, the partners are planning “Nissan Recording Sessions From The Ryman,” a national contest which will grant the finalists an opportunity to play and record on the Ryman stage.

Coming up at the Ryman are Goo Goo Dolls (10/17), Aretha Franklin (10/19), Peter Frampton (10/22), Indigo Girls & Brandi Carlile (11/17), Glen Campbell (11/30 & 12/5), Gillian Welch (12/1) and more. See full calendar here.

Sell-Out Is Simply Marketing Slang

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We’ve all heard stories about concert tickets selling out within minutes of the box office opening. But what actually constitutes a sold-out show?

Ticketing and live events experts agree: Sold out is a marketing term, not a technical one. And it means different things to different marketers.

One rep from a local venue says that he has only seen one show in his nearly 20-year career where no tickets of any kind were available. Thus, it is extremely rare—maybe once every decade or so in large arenas—that when the box office closes, there isn’t one seat available anywhere in the house.

Most fans and members of the industry would agree that a sell-out is when tickets can no longer be purchased by the general public. But, as those in the biz know, this doesn’t mean that the right connections can’t get you in the door. Instead, plenty of tickets are set aside for production holds, artist holds, etc.

However, some artist reps use the term sell-out very loosely, in an effort to fuel media publicity, accrue bragging rights, and sell more tickets. Marketers might spread the word that a concert is sold out when there are no pairs of tickets available, only singles. Or they might deem a show sold out when the only remaining tickets are relatively expensive, perhaps over the $100 mark.

It’s a common practice for tickets to be released to the public the day of the show. After the stage is set up, venue reps can gauge clear sightlines from various points in the audience and then open up for purchase seats that previously had questionable visibility. Even if no one buys those last-minute tickets, the concert is still referred to as a sell-out.

 

NATD Names Officers, Board

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Karen Entz, NATD Executive Secretary, has announced the 2011/2012 Officer and Board of Directors serving the Nashville Association of Talent Directors.

President: Steve Tolman, LogiCom Project Mgmt.

Immediate Past President: Rod Harris, jenn-rod artist directions

1st Vice President: Bonnie Sugarman, Agency for the Performing Arts

2nd Vice President: Ed Bazel, The Bazel Group, Inc.

Officers At Large:
Tony Conway, Conway Entertainment Group

Rob Battle, Battle Artist Agency

Rod Essig, Creative Artists Agency

Mike Smardak, Outback Concerts

Carrie Moore-Reed, Third Coast Talent Agency

Jeff Debusk, The Music Sanctuary

Sergeant At Arms: Josh Debusk, The Music Sanctuary

Attorney: Philip Lyon, Lyon & Phillips, PLLC

Treasurer: Randi Perkins, Amerisong, Inc.

Membership Chairman: Neal Spielberg, Spielberg Consulting

Sugarland Will Return To Indiana For Free Concert

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Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush of Sugarland will return to Indiana for a free concert at Conseco Fieldhouse on Oct. 28. The full-band show will also serve as the final stop of Sugarland’s 2011 Incredible Machine Tour.

Regardless of refund status, Sugarland plans to honor all previous ticketholders from the Aug. 13 Indiana State Fair show at this new date. Ticket distribution will start with a first-come, first-serve “presale” for previous ticketholders before the release of seats to the general public. The “presale” will begin Oct. 10 at 10 a.m. ET, and end Oct. 14 at midnight ET.

Fans who bought State Fair show tickets online or via telephone through Ticketmaster or the Indiana State Fair (ISF) will receive unique passwords via email or phone to redeem the same number of tickets they originally purchased. Fans who participated in the Sugarpass fan club presale will receive an email with ticket redemption instructions for use on Sugarlandmusic.com. Original Sugarpit ticketholders will have first priority to choose Sugarpit for this show as well.

Remaining seats for the Conseco Fieldhouse show will be released to the general public Saturday, Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. ET on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets will be free via Ticketmaster.

Doors on the night of the performance will open at 6:30 p.m. The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. Contributions to the Indiana State Fair Remembrance Fund will be gratefully accepted throughout the night. Special guests will be announced at a later date.

For more information on Sugarland’s return to Indiana and/or how to redeem previously purchased tickets for this performance, please visit www.SugarlandMusic.com.

International Wembley Festival Returns After 20-Year Hiatus

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The much-loved International Festival of Country Music will return to Wembley Arena on Sunday, February 26th, 2012. The stellar line-up features country, roots and bluegrass music.

In a rare UK appearance, international country superstar Reba McEntire will headline the all day festival. Having last performed in the UK 12 years ago, the Wembley appearance will give British fans a rare opportunity to enjoy a true legend, live on the London stage.

Reba will be joined by fourteen-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Skaggs, a country trailblazer who struck his first chords on a mandolin over 52 years ago.

Feted country music band Lonestar, who first made their debut on the Billboard country music charts in 1995, are also featured on the bill.

Joining the headliners will be critically acclaimed quartet Little Big Town, who are also making their international debut at this event. Little Big Town have sold over 1.5 million records and garnered four Grammy nominations over the past twelve years.

In addition to the four headliners, the festival will host an impressive array of supporting acts including; country and rockabilly legend, Narvel Felts, the “King of Cajun” Jo-El Sonnier and Texas-born George Ducas. More acts are to be announced shortly.

The International Festival of Country Music ran for 23 years from 1969 to 1991 at Wembley Arena.  The shows, promoted by the legendary Mervyn Conn, were the first to introduce country music to the British public and featured a host of (now) legendary artists including; Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette, Jerry Lee Lewis, Crystal Gayle and many more.

“I’m bringing the International Festival of Country Music back after over twenty years due to popular demand,” says International Festival of Country Music founder and CEO of MM Events Ltd., Mervyn Conn. “The regard for Country Music has grown significantly in the UK since the first year I promoted this event and I believe that now is the time to reintroduce this once hugely popular event to converted fans of country music and to a new and emerging group of country music lovers. I have also brought back Trisha Walker-(Cunningham) who worked with me for 10 years in the early days and is my company President in the USA.”

Reba McEntire comments; “My band, crew and I are really looking forward to going back to Europe to play our music.  The last time we performed there was in 1999!  We have been very busy for the last 10 years doing the REBA TV show and concerts in North America. Now, we are so excited to be able to travel abroad and do both our new and old songs for our European audience, who has always been so good to us.”

After the Wembley date, the festival will travel to Belfast, Zurich and Germany.

Wembley Tickets will go on sale from Monday October 10th, 2011

Tickets can be purchased via;
General Box Office: 0844 815 0815
Accessible seating: 020 8782 5629
Online: www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Additional dates and venues
Belfast: Odyssey Arena – 29/02/12
Zurich: Hallenstadion – 02/03/12
Mannheim: SAP Arena – 04/03/12