Rise, Shine & Party During CMA Fest

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Laura Bell Bundy


It starts at 10 a.m., Thurs. June 9 at The Rutledge. The first 250 people will get in free and there will be a $5 breakfast plate available. But make sure you are awake, because the inaugural Rise, Shine & Party Time acoustic concert at CMA Music Festival is set to be anything but laid back. The show will be hosted by James Otto and also feature Steel Magnolia and Laura Bell Bundy.
“We can’t wait to spend the day with Laura Bell, James and most importantly our fans,” said Steel Magnolia’s Joshua Scott Jones. “The show might start before noon but we’re going to make it a party!”
“I am so amped to finally announce our joint fan jam,” exclaimed Otto.  “It might be an early morning, but we are gonna have one awesome acoustic show–and I’ll probably have a serious caffeine buzz.”
Wrangler, Durango and Carl Black Chevrolet will sponsor the kick-off “Rise, Shine & Party Time” event and offer prizes to attendees throughout the day.  Steel Magnolia, Bundy and Otto will also have some surprises for fans.
“Well, this is something I’d actually get up before noon for!” laughed Bundy.  “It’s gonna be fun to be perform with my friends and get the party started for our fans. Consider us the cure for the common hangover!”

Artist Action: Chesney's Million Tickets, Kings of Leon's New Video

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Kenny Chesney has crossed the million tickets sold marker for his current Corona Presents Kenny Chesney’s Goin’ Coastal Tour, which is the eighth time in his career to reach this milestone. Since 2002, Chesney has sold nearly 10 million tickets and after taking much of 2010 off from touring, he’s back on the road in stadiums and arenas. His full summer itinerary is here. Chesney’s current single “You and Tequila” features rocker Grace Potter (pictured) and is climbing charts everywhere.
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Stoney Creek Records artist Ash Bowers has created a Homegrown Hero contest to recognize and reward a local hero who has made an impact on a community. The contest started Monday, and runs through July 1. Bowers’ current single “I Still Believe In That” inspired the contest, which will award a lucky winner with a $5,000 cash prize. Fans can nominate their local hero by submitting a short essay explaining what makes the person a homegrown hero on Bowers’ Facebook page.
Bowers’ Stoney Creek labelmates Thompson Square will turn up on Fox News’ Fox & Friends All American Concert Series Friday, June 3 during the 7 pm CT hour. They’re also due to appear at the 2011 CMT Awards, where they are nominated for Duo of the Year and USAWeekend Breakthrough Video of the Year.
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Kings of Leon premiered the video for its new single “Back Down South” yesterday (5/31) on Vevo. Shot in May outside Nashville, the video was directed by Casey McGrath (Talihina Sky, Pyro) and features the band performing live outdoors. Visitors who ‘Like’ Kodak’s Facebook page can check out behind-the-scenes footage from the shoot. MLB Network will be featuring the video beside baseball highlights through 6/6. See the video here.
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Clint Black received a Twitter message from NASA over the holiday weekend, to inform him that his “Galaxy Song” was played to wake up the crews of Endeavour and Expedition 28. The message was “Astronauts and space station crew awoke to ‘Galaxy Song’ by Clint Black, played for the entire crew on their last day at station.” Black Tweeted in response, “As a child, I dreamed of being an astronaut.  And now one of my songs is an astronaut. I hope they gave it some Tang.”

Otto Performs On StageIT

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Everyone gets a front row seat at James Otto’s StageIt.com concert on June 2 @7p.m. CDT. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase virtual tickets to his CMA-Fest kick-off acoustic show which will be broadcast live from his home studio. Otto will give fans an exclusive sneak-peak of his brand new music that hasn’t even been recorded yet, and they will also have the opportunity to chat with him via web. Tickets, can be purchased by clicking HERE.
“I know lots of you crazy Ottomaniacs will be in Nashvegas for CMA Music Fest,” says Otto. “However, I also know some of you can’t make it–so I wanted to do a live intimate concert for ALL of you. Come check it out, I’ll at least be playing one new tune you’ve never heard before that I’ve just written, along with a couple old favorites.”
Otto will also be making appearances at CMA Fest at the Chevy and GAC autograph booths and will be performing at the River Stage on Thurs., June 9 @ 2:45 CDT.
StageIt is a virtual stage that allows artists to make money from LIVE, interactive experiences while offering their fans a front row seat to a backstage experience.
 

Jamey Johnson Plans New Album, Produces Other Artists

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Jamey Johnson and the Blind Boys of Alabama


Jamey Johnson has been working on a new album for Mercury Nashville, as well as manning production for other acts. His upcoming project will be his follow-up to the gold-certified, critically acclaimed two-disc set The Guitar Song. “I’ve written some and recorded a bunch,” he says, “not necessarily new songs that I wrote, but just finding songs that I’ve never done before. That has been a lot of fun for me. Songs that I never thought to break out onstage, it seems kind of easy in the studio when you have a little help from musicians and can put a little more focus into it and a little more style on it.”
Johnson also produced the new album for the Blind Boys of Alabama, Take the High Road. He offered guest vocals for the project and recruited Hank Williams Jr., Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack, Willie Nelson and the Oak Ridge Boys to do the same. The album includes classics such as “Have Thine Own Way, Lord,” “I Saw the Light,” and “Jesus, Hold My Hand.” They celebrated the release with a recent listening party at Ben’s Studio in Nashville.
Johnson is also producing a project for up-and–coming singer-songwriter Erin Enderlin. She will be one of the numerous artists joining Johnson on Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown Tour 2011 this summer. The outing kicks off May 27 in Philadelphia, stops June 3 at Nashville’s The Woods Amphitheater at Fontanel, and ends July 4th at Nelson’s famed picnic in Fort Worth.

Swift Dress Rehearsal Raises $750,000 For Tornado Victims

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“Just based on tickets alone, you have raised over $750,000,” Taylor Swift told the cheering crowd at Saturday night’s (5/21) final Speak Now Tour dress rehearsal. Swift opened the dress rehearsal at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to the public with 100 percent of ticket and merchandise sales going to tornado relief efforts. She also streamed two songs from the set live on her website to encourage donations.
This was the first opportunity for the public to see Swift’s new live show and no one walked away disappointed. The elaborate production included several costume changes, dancers suspended from bungee chords, an elaborate set design, and fireworks. Highlights also included Swift spending time in the back of the arena for an intimate performance, as well as singing the last song of the night, “Love Story,” from a suspended balcony that traveled in the air around the venue. Full of energy, emotion, and spectacular production, this “rehearsal” treated fans to a polished, attention grabbing night of entertainment.
“We were at rehearsal and we turned on the news and we saw that our beloved friends and neighbors in the Southeast were losing their homes, losing their loved ones, losing everything due to tornadoes and I felt like if it was possible for us to help them in any way, then we should do it,” Swift explained to the crowd.
Swift’s sentimental comments made after the first two numbers were the only hints that the show was indeed a dress rehearsal.

Taylor Swift's final dress rehearsal for her Speak Now Tour.

Tornado Relief Efforts Continue With Help From Swift, Nelson

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Taylor Swift announced today via Twitter that she will expand her fundraising efforts for tornado victims by streaming two performances during Saturday’s “Speak Now … Help Now” benefit event. The stream will be on www.taylorswift.com at 9:00 p.m. CDT on Saturday, May 21. It will give fans a first look at Swift’s new stage and her show for the North American leg of the Speak Now World Tour. Information on how to donate to help tornado victims will be posted during the stream.
Speak Now … Help Now, the final dress rehearsal for the upcoming tour will be held at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, and is open to the public as a benefit event for tornado victims.
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As Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown Tour 2011 prepares to launch, Nelson, Jamey Johnson, and other Throwdown artists announce that they will donate their performance fees from the Orange Beach, AL show on June 5 to tornado relief efforts in Alabama.
The 24-city second annual music extravaganza launches in Philadelphia on May 27, with Nelson, Johnson, Randy Houser, Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert, Craig Campbell, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, and Drake White.
The tour also is known for spotlighting emerging singer-songwriters, and Adam Hood, Caitlyn Smith, Austin Lucas, Brent Cobb, Dani Flowers, and Erin Enderlin have signed on for the specially designed Bluebird Cafe stage.
 

Songwriter Series Sells Out New York's Joe's Pub

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The CMA Songwriters Series returned to New York City’s Joe’s Pub on May 11 for yet another sold out show. The popular series, in it’s seventh year, features many of Nashville’s best tunesmiths in an intimate, acoustic setting. Hanging out backstage prior to their performance were: Country Music Hall of Fame member Bill Anderson, Dean Dillon, Steve Wariner, Craig Wiseman and perennial host Bob DiPiero.

(L-R) Bob DiPiero, Craig Wiseman, Bill Anderson, Dean Dillon, and Steve Wariner. Photo: Kyle Quigley/CMA.

Country Throwdown Tour To Stop In Nashville

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Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown Tour 2011 will roll through Nashville on June 3, when eight country artists and six up-and-coming singer/songwriters play The Woods Amphitheater at Fontanel.
This is the second year for the unique outdoor tour, and headlining artists include Nelson, Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert, Craig Campbell, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, and newly-added Drake White. Songwriters being featured between set changes include Adam Hood, Caitlyn Smith, Austin Lucas, Brent Cobb, Dani Flowers and Erin Enderlin.
The tour is set to play in over 20 cities during Summer 2011, and fans can download a free eight song sampler from iTunes featuring Willie Nelson and others here.

Live Nation/Groupon Team For GrouponLive

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Live Nation and Groupon have partnered to form a joint venture to sell event tickets. GrouponLive will offer local deals for Live Nation concerts, sporting events, theater and more. It will also offer deals through Ticketmaster, which is owned by Live Nation.

Like Groupon, GrouponLive deals will only be available for a limited time. The service is expected to launch in time for the summer concert season.
“Our success is based on selling tickets and filling seats and GrouponLive gives us another platform to achieve this,” said Live Nation Chief Executive Michael Rapino.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. www.grouponlive.com

Paisley Preps Album Release, Int'l Tour

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Brad Paisley is prepping for the Mon., May 23 release of This Is Country Music, his first all-new studio set since 2009’s acclaimed American Saturday Night.
The new project from Arista Nashville has already produced two radio hits: the title track and current single “Old Alabama,” which is No. 1 this week on MusicRow’s Country Breakout chart.
Paisley teamed with longtime producer Frank Rogers for the album—their work together has yielded career sales in excess of 12 million units.
During release week, Paisley will promote the album with high-profile performances on ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’s The Late Show with David Letterman, and ABC’s The View.
Paisley, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, launches his H2O II World Tour presented by Chevy May 28 at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field. The 33-city outing includes five stadiums and an international trek. Special guests include Blake Shelton and Jerrod Niemann, with emerging acts Brent Anderson, Edens Edge and Sunny Sweeney on the “Water World Plaza Stage.” Paisley’s H20 World Tour played to over 879,000 fans in 2010 and placed No. 1 in Pollstar’s country tour attendance rankings.