Aldean Extends Successful Run

Jason Aldean will extend his Wide Open arena tour into the fall, with an additional 25 dates across the nation. After selling out 39 shows on the first leg, and breaking attendance records on both coasts, the tour will kick back off on Sept. 10 with special guest Luke Bryan joining a majority of the dates.

“We’ve had such a great year with some really big songs and our first big arena tour, and I’m just not ready to move on from it quite yet,” says Aldean. “All of us…my band, crew, Luke, and his guys…we’ve been having a blast out on the road together. I think the fans can feel that too. There are a few things to count on…the music will be loud, the beer will be cold, and college football will be on every TV backstage and in the parking lot!”

Aldean is currently in the studio preparing the follow up to 2009’s platinum selling Wide Open. His first three albums have sold more than 3.5 million copies.

Grant And Gill Plan Christmas Tour

When the holiday season comes around,  superstar couple Amy Grant and Vince Gill will embark on their fifth Christmas tour. The Twelve Days of Christmas Tour kicks off December 8 in Sarasota, FL and wraps with two shows in Nashville at the Ryman Auditorium.

“Christmas audiences are special,” explains Grant. “They tend to involve the whole family, and their emotions are a wonderful mix of anticipation and reverence. It’s a thrilling experience for both of us.”

“These holiday tours have become our favorites,” Gill agrees. In their two hour program, the Grammy-winning team will present cherished standards and newer seasonal fare as well as some of their biggest hits.

Grant’s career spans over 30 years and stretches from her roots in gospel into an iconic pop star, songwriter, television personality, and philanthropist. She has sold more than 30 million albums and won six Grammy® Awards in multiple categories, beginning with the platinum selling Age to Age in 1982.

One of the most popular singers in modern country music, Gill has a love for country music, top-notch songwriting, and world-class guitar playing, all wrapped in a warm tenor and a quick and easy wit. He achieved his breakthrough with “When I Call Your Name,” which won the CMA’s Single of the Year award. Since then, he has won 17 more CMA honors, including Song of the Year four times. Since 1990, Gill has walked away with 20 Grammy awards and has racked up sales in excess of 26 million.

2010 Christmas Tour Dates:

Dec. 8              Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall / Sarasota, FL www.vanwezel.org
Dec. 9              King Center For The Performing Arts / Melbourne, FL www.kingcenter.com
Dec.10             Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall / Ft. Myers, FL www.bbmannpah.com
Dec.11             Ruth Eckerd Hall / Clearwater, FL     www.rutheckerdhall.com
Dec.13             Peace Center For The Performing Arts /Greenville, SC www.peacecenter.org
Dec.14             Durham Performing Arts Center / Durham, NC  www.dpacnc.com/
Dec.17             Crown Theatre / Fayetteville, NC  www.crowncoliseum.com
Dec.18             War Memorial Auditorium / Greensboro, NC  www.greensborocoliseum.com
Dec.19             Cabarrus Arena / Concord, NC  www.cabarrusarena.com
Dec.20             Fox Theatre / Atlanta, GA  www.foxtheatre.org
Dec.21             Ryman Auditorium / Nashville, TN  www.ryman.com
Dec.22             Ryman Auditorium / Nashville, TN www.ryman.com

Buffett Reschedules Gulf Coast Concert

UPDATED CMT AIRTIME SCHEDULE: Due to the uncertainty of the weather surrounding tropical storm Alex, Jimmy Buffett has postponed his Jimmy Buffett & Friends concert. Originally scheduled for Thursday, July 1 in Gulf Shores, Alabama, the concert, with scheduled guests Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, Allen Toussaint, Sonny Landreth and Jesse Winchester, has been rescheduled for July 11.

Although the storm is not expected to directly impact the area, potential threats to the stability of the stage due to heavy surf conditions on the beach forced the cancellation.

“This is a disappointment,”  said Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft, “But Jimmy Buffett is still coming to the Gulf Coast on July 11, and tickets will be honored at that time,”

“Nobody hates this more than I do, but I guess, as the song says, it’s hard to reason with hurricane season,” Buffett said. “For those going anyway, thank you. … For the rest of you, we will see you July 11.”

CMT Presents Jimmy Buffett & Friends: Live From the Gulf Coast, originally scheduled for July 1, has also been rescheduled to air live and commercial-free on July 11 at 6:00 PM/CT on CMT. Performances will be simulcast live on Radio Margaritaville, available on Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio, and streamed live on www.CMT.com.

CMT Presents Jimmy Buffett & Friends: Live From the Gulf Coast will encore Wednesday, July 14 at 10:30 PM; Saturday, July 17 at 9:30 AM; and Sunday, July 18 at 2:00 PM. Excerpts and artist interviews will be available at www.CMT.com.

Tour Updates: Flatts; Paisley; Aldean

New Rascal Flatts tour.

••Rascal Flatts launched its JC Penney Presents Rascal Flatts Nothing Like This Tour over the weekend with shows in Raleigh, Charlotte and Atlanta in front of 50,000 fans. The tour has Kellie Pickler and Chris Young as openers and will continue through September 19.

Notodden, Norway – Musikkfestival – Show openers Swedish Willy Clay Band and Norwegian Lucky Lips join Paisley to close the show with “Alcohol.” Photo: Ben Enos

•••Brad Paisley played sold-out shows at London’s Shepherd Bush Empire on June 23 and 24, and then ventured over to Notodden, Norway’s Musikkfestival on June 25 to play for 7,000 fans. This marks his first trip to the UK in over ten years. Paisley is also celebrating the 17th No. 1 single of his career as “Water” makes a splash atop the Mediabase and BDS charts this week, becoming the fourth chart-topper from his American Saturday Night collection and his 13th consecutive No. 1 single.

•••Jason Aldean took his high-energy live show to Orange Beach, AL recently, setting a venue attendance record at The Amphitheater at The Wharf where 9,301 fans packed the house. The previous record was set by Kenny Chesney (9,270) in August 2009.

Underwood Ends First Leg of Tour On Strong Note

Carrie Underwood wrapped the first leg of her Play On Tour over the weekend in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. She has performed for nearly 400,000 fans since the outing launched on March 11, including selling out nearly all 54 dates throughout North America. The show received wide-ranging critical praise noting the elaborate stage sets, numerous costume changes, hi-def screens and, of course, her powerful vocal prowess. Craig Morgan and Sons of Sylvia were special guests on the run.

The Play On Tour will continue this fall with shows launching September 25 in Portland, Oregon, hydrated by vitamin water® and Presented AEG Live. Sons of Sylvia will stay on the tour with new guest Billy Currington. In the meantime, Underwood will perform a handful of fairs and festival dates this summer. She is scheduled for over 100 shows throughout the U.S. and Canada by the end of 2010, including an October 13 stop at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

During the fall leg of the tour, Underwood will donate 36 cents of every ticket sold to Save the Children’s United States Programs. This initiative was inspired by the “36 cents” written in the lyrics of her album track “Change,” which addresses how even the smallest bit of spare change can add up to make a difference.

Red Mountain To Produce Fontanel Shows

Dale Morris and Marc Oswald, co-owners of Nashville’s newest live music venue, The Woods at Fontanel, have announced that live music producer Red Mountain Entertainment will serve as the producer for events at the facility. In addition to operating the venue, Red Mountain’s responsibilities will include booking and producing concerts, selling sponsorships and special seating packages and offering general consulting services. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, the company will be opening an office in Nashville in July.

The first event booked at the venue is Songwriters Sing for Nashville, a benefit for flood relief featuring one of the most impressive groups of Hall of Fame songwriters ever assembled on one stage, on Saturday, July 17.

“Dale and I have spent years on the road playing virtually every venue in North America,” said Oswald. “The goal for the Woods was to integrate every great component of a venue we’ve experienced in our travels, and we feel The Woods at Fontanel accomplishes that. Combining this beautiful facility with the expertise that Gary Weinberger and John Ruffino bring to the table is exciting to us, as we are now able to offer this first class play to artists, managers, agents and promoters to bring a unique musical experience to the public.”

The Woods at Fontanel is a beautiful wooded green space nestled in a terraced setting on the property that also houses the Fontanel Mansion, Farm House Restaurant and the Trails at Fontanel, which all opened to the public on June 7. The intimate outdoor stage is capable of handling sound, lights, and video comparable to most state-of-the-art arenas and amphitheaters.

“Dale and Marc have been two of the most successful managers and entrepreneurs in our business for over 30 years, and they have a great vision for this special venue,” said Weinberger, who along with Ruffino is the operating partner of Red Mountain. “We have worked with them for many years, and we are excited they have given us the opportunity to work with them on this project. We believe the Woods at Fontanel will grow to be one of Nashville’s crown jewels.”

Red Mountain Entertainment has been named co-promoter of the year by the International Entertainment Buyers Association. Red Mountain has also been nominated as Independent Promoter of the Year by Pollstar and Promoter of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. The company produced concerts and events in 78 cities in 28 states in 2009.

Michael Martin Murphey’s “Westfest” Returns

After a five year break, Western Music Hall of Fame member Michael Martin Murphey’s Westfest® 2010, is officially set to be held at the Garfield County Fairgrounds in Rifle, Colorado, August 12-15.  

For 2010, talent has been booked with a sensitivity to the love of the outdoors of the Western Colorado region. Many of the performers, like country star Craig Morgan, are confirmed outdoor adventure enthusiasts.

Murphey is a horse and cattle rancher; his Rocking 3M Ranching Co. has been active in New Mexico, Texas, Wisconsin, Colorado and Kansas. His wife, Karen, and three of his daughters are professional horse trainers.

Confirmed to perform are Morgan, James Otto, Guitarists James Burton and Doyle Dykes, Bill Miller, Peter Rowan, Don Edwards, Waddie Mitchell, Trailer ChoirRyan Murphey, Carin Mari and Pony Express, poet Sarah Murphey, The Prairie Rose Wranglers, and a host of local cowboy singers and poets, Indian musicians and dancers, Mountain Man Story Tellers and hundreds of Western Lifestyle Arts and Crafts Masters. 

New this year will be The Westfest Outback Outdoors Exhibition with web-based hunting star, Trevon Stoltzfus, and the Westfest Ranch Sorting National Championships. Murphey will be leading daily trail rides that begin 20 minutes from the Westfest grounds. 

Murphey founded Westfest in 1986 as a way to preserve memories and images of the Old West.

“I wanted to present the West to people who might otherwise perceive it only through a movie director’s tunnel vision,” said Murphey. “The West has become synonymous with fantasy. If Hollywood trends are any indication, the movie screens are alive with politically correct Indians and environmentally-challenged villains. Today, Cowboys and Indians are united in their quest for open range and a life of freedom. I want to show the Real American West!”

Westfest tickets are available by clicking here.

Rascal Flatts Embarks On New Tour

Top ticket seller Rascal Flatts will launch a new tour Friday, June 25 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The first leg of the JC Penney Presents Rascal Flatts Nothing Like This Tour is scheduled for 28 shows, running through September 19. On board are opening acts Kellie Pickler and Chris Young.

The recently wrapped Rascal Flatts American Living Unstoppable Tour, played 57 shows between June 2009 and March 2010 with a fan attendance near 800,000. This total includes two sold-out stadium concerts at Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Columbus’ Crew Stadium.

Brad Paisley Underwater

A new GAC special premiering tonight (6/21) at 9 PM/CT explores Brad Paisley’s H2O Tour and how his team rallied together to launch the show as scheduled after the Nashville floods ravaged most of his stage and equipment.

Viewers get rare behind-the-scenes access to production meetings and rehearsals that were on track prior to the major flooding that filled his storage facility with four feet of water. Paisley’s stage set drowned and half of his video production rig was under water. Brad Paisley Underwater shows the extent of the damage and how the massive tour was put together again in only three weeks.

The H20 World Tour features six acts on two stages and every component was in place when the outing launched in Virginia Beach on May 21.

AEG Live And Labels In Talks?

The New York Post is reporting today (6/18) that, amid a slowdown in the concert business, AEG Live is talking to major music companies about taking a minority stake in the business. The Los Angeles-based company, the second-largest live entertainment company in the world, is a unit of AEG, an owner of sports teams and concert and sport venues. Sources report that the company has been talking to Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music.

The talks could result in either a sale to one of the major music companies or a consortium of bidders, one executive said. The discussions are said to have been going on with Universal for more than a year, but have recently broadened to include other labels.

While no one is clear on the reason for the sale, some suggest it could be driven by the desire to raise capital while the business is still robust. Others suggest a deal with the music companies could shore up AEG Live’s competitive position with Live Nation, which recently gained federal approval for its merger with Ticketmaster. AEG Live was behind the comeback tour by the late Michael Jackson and is behind tours by Lady Gaga, The Black Eyed Peas and others.

“There are a variety of substantial organizations that have contacted us over the years and recently about investment opportunities in AEG Live,” a spokesman said. “While we happen to have all of our funding in place, we continue to speak to many to determine if they would bring proper assets to the table to warrant consideration. We’re having the best run that we’ve ever had and the future is incredibly bright but you always look for ways to strengthen the organization.”

A spokesman for Universal Music denied that the company was in discussions with AEG, while execs at Sony and Warner had no comment.

Live Nation’s stock price has fallen from a high of $16.70 on April 26 to $10.79 on June 7. Live Nation, which also includes artists management firm, Frontline, recovered from some of its recent losses, closing at $12.20 yesterday.

Read the entire New York Post article here.