Paisley Tour Opens Tonight With Lambert, Moore

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brad-paisley-ar10Reigning CMA and ACM Male Vocalist Brad Paisley will launch the final leg of his American Saturday Night Tour this weekend with shows in San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Wichita. Special guests for the 20 dates will be Miranda Lambert and Justin Moore.

miranda_lambert_13568On Saturday night (1/9), the Paisley show will open the new Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita in front of a sold-out crowd.

In the past 12 months Paisley’s tour has played to more than 1.2 million fans in over 75 markets, garnering 52 sold-out shows. The lucky one millionth ticket holder was given a 2009 Chevy Silverado by Paisley in Jacksonville, FL. Dierks Bentley and Jimmy Wayne joined him on the first leg of the outing.

justin moorePaisley’s current single, “American Saturday Night,” is No. 13 and climbing on MusicRow’s Country Breakout Chart and climbing. He is nominated for two Grammys at the upcoming awards on Jan. 31.

Church Headlining, Thompson In Tow

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eric_church_2

Eric Church

Eric Church is preparing to set out on his headlining Jagermeister Country Tour. The outing, in support of his Capitol sophomore release Carolina, starts Feb. 9 in Baltimore and continues for about 30 dates through the end of March. His current single “Hell On The Heart” is at No. 15 and rising on MusicRow’s Country Breakout Chart.

Josh Thompson

Josh Thompson

Joining Church on the road will be Columbia Nashville newcomer Josh Thompson who is heading out in his trusty van nicknamed “Van-A-White.” His debut single, “Beer on the Table,” is rising up the Country Breakout chart and currently at No. 27. His debut album Way Out Here hits outlets Feb. 23.

Before Thompson heads out with Church, he is set for Nashville Lifestyles’ “Music in the City” party on Jan. 19 at the Tin Roof, also featuring Love and Theft, Josh Kelley, Jessie James, and Steel Magnolia.

Chesney Ranks In Top Tours of the Decade

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From kennychesney.com

Photo from kennychesney.com

Kenny Chesney comes in at No. 3 on Pollstar’s new list of the Top Tours of the Decade, based on gross box office receipts. With $455 million made on the road over the last decade, he is the only mainstream country star on the list. Chesney spent eight of the last 10 years spent as a headliner.

Coming in at No. 1 is his friend and duet partner Dave Matthews with $529 million, followed by Celine Dion’s Vegas residency drawing $522 million. Rounding out the decade’s Top 10 are stalwarts Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, U2, Madonna, the Eagles, Elton John and Jimmy Buffett.

On Pollstar’s Top 10 Tours of 2009, Chesney is the only country act, finishing at No. 6 with a gross of $71.1 million. With U2’s stadium-only tour coming in at No. 1, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John & Billy Joel, Britney Spears and AC/DC round out the top 5.

Those who did—or didn’t—catch Chesney’s last run can see his live concert 3-D movie, coming in April.

Paperless Ticket Sales Pass 1 Million

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Miley Cyrus was the first performer to use paperless ticketing for an entire tour.

Miley Cyrus was the first performer to use paperless ticketing for an entire tour.

Ticketmaster has crossed the one million mark for paperless ticket sales. The paperless option is designed to limit reselling of tickets and provide fans with access to tickets at the original face price set by the artist, team and/or promoter. Being environmentally friendly is an added bonus.

The first 100% paperless arena tour was the North American leg of Miley Cyrus’s sold-out Wonder World tour. While her previous Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana Best of Both Worlds tour was the top resold ticket of 2007, garnering an average ticket price of more than $250 on many of the top resale sites,  Cyrus’s paperless tour kept the average ticket price to $68.

Since launching the paperless ticketing option, Ticketmaster has worked with many of the biggest names in sports and music including Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, AC/DC, University of Florida, John Mayer, and Nine Inch Nails, to help ensure their fans had access to tickets at the original listed price.

When using paperless tickets, fans bring the credit card they used for the ticket purchase and a photo ID to the concert. Ushers swipe the cards upon entry and present each person in the party with seat locator slips for access into the show.

Top 5 Paperless Tickets Sold – Music
1. Miley Cyrus North American Wonder World Tour
2. AC/DC Black Ice World Tour
3. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Working on a Dream Tour
4. Tom Waits Glitter and Doom Tour
5. NIN Nine Inch Nails Wave Goodbye Tour

Largest Single Paperless Event: Metallica, 02 Arena, London, Sept. 15, 2008 (18,000 tickets)

ZBB Rocks Ryman With 2-Night Stand

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L-R: Matt Maher, ROAR; Zac Brown; Sally Williams, GM Ryman Auditorium; Clay Cook, Zac Brown Band; John Driskell Hopkins, Zac Brown Band; John Huie, CAA. Photo: Steve Lowry/Ryman Archives

The Zac Brown Band played a two-night stand at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium this week. The sold-out shows on Sunday (12/27) and Monday (12/28) included guests such as Joey & Rory and Mac McAnally.

Besides offering crowd-pleasing hits like “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” “Chicken Fried” and “Toes,” Zac and company took the opportunity to debut new songs “Colder Weather” and “Falling in Love as She’s Walking Away,” reports CMT.com.

Hard Rock Reopens With Week Long Celebration

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HRC_B_smallNashville’s Hard Rock Cafe reopens with a week long series of events designed to highlight the club’s re-opening and help support some worthy charities. In partnership with the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, Hard Rock’s celebration will also include the first annual Music City Bash on Broadway, featuring a performance by  Rodney Atkins and Friends and a Guitar Drop® at midnight to ring in 2010!

Committed to its “Love All, Serve All” creed, Hard Rock will donate proceeds from the events to some very special charities, including The Felix Organization, the Arthritis Foundation and WHY (World Hunger Year).

2009 Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and supporting acts November and Broken Frame will kick off the event series on December 28th.  On Tuesday, December 29th, the newly remodeled Nashville cafe will host An Evening with Bucky Covington, presented by ASCAP, followed by a special performance by Sweethearts of the Rodeo on Wednesday December 30th.  For the main event, Hard Rock Cafe Nashville is also proud to present Music City’s Bash on Broadway, a free street party on New Year’s Eve which will include performances by Gabe Dixon, The Dirt Drifters, Tommy Sims & Friends with special guests Marc Broussard and Jonny Lang and headliner Rodney Atkins, as well as an 80-foot Guitar Drop and fireworks at midnight.

The music doesn’t stop once the New Year’s Eve festivities are over.  On Friday, January 1st, enjoy an acoustic night with Carrie Zaruba, JD Shelburne, Sweatervest, Jason Duke, Amanda Price, Mijo and Brian Ashley Jones. Finally, Hard Rock Cafe Nashville will close out the week-long re-opening celebration with a showcase of local rock acts, featuring After Elvis, Adalene, The Worsties & Caprice on January 2nd.

Visit www.hardrock.com/nashville for ticket prices, times and availability.

Ticketmaster-Live Nation Merger Gets UK Approval

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live nation TMThe UK Competition Commission today (12/22) approved the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation, propelling the deal one another step closer to completion. Amid antitrust inquiries, the United States and Canada have yet to sign off on the merger. However, both companies remain optimistic there will be a successful outcome.

A statement from the U.K. Competition Commission said, “the merger will not result in a substantial lessening of competition in the market for live music ticket retailing or in any other market in the U.K., including live music promotion and live music venues.” UK clearance follows regulatory approval in Norway and Turkey.

Live Nation announced plans to buy Ticketmaster Entertainment for about $400 million in stock in February. This news came not long after Live Nation launched its own ticketing service, and signed multimillion dollar 360 deals with superstars including Jay-Z and Madonna.

Ticketmaster holds a majority stake in Front Line Management, which in turns has partnerships with several top Nashville managers, including Dale Morris & Associates (Kenny Chesney), DS Management (Alison Krauss), and Spalding Entertainment (Brooks & Dunn, Jason Aldean).

Opponents of the merger argue that Live Nation Ticketmaster would have a monopoly on the touring industry. They say the combined company would have control over a large share of the ticketing market, many of the country’s major venues, and would have ties to numerous superstar artists.

Bob Doyle, WMEE Sign The Band Perry

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band perryArtist management team Bob Doyle & Associates has signed Republic Nashville act The Band Perry, and Doyle’s publishing company Major Bob Music has also entered an agreement with the rising group. William Morris Endeavor Entertainment is handling booking for the band.

The Band Perry, made up of siblings Kimberly, Neil and Reid Perry, is busy on a radio tour supporting its debut single, “Hip To My Heart.”

“We are very proud to be a part of something as special as TBP and their music,” said Bob Doyle & Associates manager Josh Pegram. “Everything they do—from their writing and their style to how they deliver songs live—is so real and fresh.”

Major Bob Music, Inc. Mike Doyle, VP/GM of A&R, adds, ”We are so happy to have The Band Perry on board; their energy is contagious and we are thrilled to be a part of the team.”

Jason Michael Carroll Headlines In Nashville

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Arista Nashville artist Jason Michael Carroll played his first Nashville headlining concert recently at Nashville's Exit/In last night. Carroll's current single is “Hurry Home,” from his second album, Growing Up Is Getting Old. Pictured (L-R): Red Light Management’s Jeri Cooper; Sony Music Nashville’s Paul Barnabee and Jim Catino; Red Light’s Greg Hill; Carroll; Sony Music Nashville’s Skip Bishop and Tom Baldrica; Arista Nashville’s Lesly Tyson; and Sony Music Nashville’s Ray Uhlir and Heather McBee.

Arista Nashville artist Jason Michael Carroll played his first Nashville headlining concert recently at Nashville's Exit/In. Carroll's current single is “Hurry Home,” from his second album, Growing Up Is Getting Old. Pictured (L-R): Red Light Management’s Jeri Cooper; Sony Music Nashville’s Paul Barnabee and Jim Catino; Red Light’s Greg Hill; Carroll; Sony Music Nashville’s Skip Bishop and Tom Baldrica; Arista Nashville’s Lesly Tyson; and Sony Music Nashville’s Ray Uhlir and Heather McBee.

Underwood Tour Opening In March

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carrie-newCarrie Underwood has a spring headlining tour in the works. Her Play On Tour, hydrated by vitaminwater®, opens March 11 in Reading, PA, and will hit more than 45 dates across North America. The arena run goes through the end of May and will feature special guests Craig Morgan and Sons of Sylvia. Tickets for all shows go on sale starting next Friday, December 18.

Underwood spent this past year writing and recording her third studio album Play On, performing only a few select concerts. Her previous tour, 2008’s highly successful Carnival Ride Tour wrapped after 137 shows with 1.2 million fans in attendance.

Play On debuted at the top of both the country and pop album sales charts and has sold over 700,000 copies in 5 weeks. The release earned the highest first-week sales of the year for any solo country artist at that point and makes Carrie the only country act in Nielsen SoundScan history to achieve first-week sales of more than 300,000 units on each of their first three albums.  Her 2005 debut, Some Hearts, is seven-times Platinum, and 2007’s Carnival Ride is triple-Platinum.

Please go to www.carrieunderwood.fm for up to date tour information.