Industry Items: Release Schedule, Signings, New Business

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bbmRobin Ball and Todd Bradley have opened Burning Blue Music, a full-service entertainment company dedicated to artist management, recording, producing, songwriting, performance, media training and artist development. The pair will continue operating Red Current Recording studio in Brentwood, TN which has hosted sessions by James Otto, Lady Antebellum and the Muzik Mafia, to name a few. Ball and Bradley have worked extensively with Grammy winning producer David Leonard (Prince, Bare Naked Ladies, Indigo Girls, K.D. Lang) in other ventures.

Burning Blue Music is currently developing Tori Bigelow and released her EP, I Believe, last month.
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From NARM:

NARM has been advised by Universal Music Group Distribution that they and their labels have decided to make Monday, November 23 the street date for their titles for the upcoming Thanksgiving week only. It appears that other major label groups may do the same.

The impetus for moving the street date in this instance is to afford retailers the chance to place re-orders on fast-breaking titles and get product back in stock for the long weekend, as well as positively impact sales during this all-important timeframe.

It is also NARM’s expectation that our Association’s established position strongly urging physical and digital album release date parity will be honored with the adjustment to Monday, November 23.

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The Harper Agency has added multi-award winning bluegrass Gospel group Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver to its roster for booking Christian music events and concerts. Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver was awarded IBMA Vocal Group of the Year seven consecutive years and can be scheduled by contacting the Harper Agency at 615-851-4500 or via e-mail at info@harperagency.com.

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Artist Laura Bryna has signed an international record and licensing agreement with AGR Television Records in Hamburg, Germany. AGR is distributed by the international division of Universal Music Group. AGR Television Records handles international distribution for U.S. artists including Tracy Lawrence and Mark Chesnutt.

IEBA Opens With Performances, Panels

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Bob Lefsetz will give closing remarks at IEBA.

The International Entertainment Buyers Association Conference opened in Nashville last night (10/11) with showcases by Point of Grace, Heartland and others in the ballroom of the downtown Hilton, the hotel serving as headquarters for the three-day event. Later in the evening a group including Ricky Skaggs, MercyMe, and Eli Young Band was set to take over The Stage.

As the panels start today, there will be an opening keynote by leadership/management expert Dan Clark, and showcases featuring Uncle Kracker, TobyMac, Emily West, Rhett Akins, Jamie O’Neal, Mark Wills and Jeff Bates.

Tonight, the IEBA Honors at the Ryman Auditorium will be hosted by Luke Perry, with awards going to Chubby Checker, Joan Saltel & Barbara Hubbard, and others to be announced during the show. Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Chris Young, Jessie James, Judson Laipply, Lorrie Morgan and Brenda Lee stack the performance line-up for the awards. And The Stage will host the after-party with Miranda Lambert, Lee Ann Womack, Clay Walker, Randy Rogers Band, Wade Bowen, and more.

Among the conference panel highlights are Marcie Allen (MAC Presents) discussing sponsorship agreements with the team responsible for the Lady Antebellum/Brita partnership including Drew McGowan (Clorox Company), John Grady (Borman Entertainment) and Mary Hilliard Harrington (The Greenroom). Also on the schedule: Lang Scott of Music City Networks will share tips on music and social networking sites MySpace, iLike, Facebook and Twitter. Attorney Derek C. Crownover of Crownover Tisinger will lead a panel about payment disputes. Others on the conference line-up include Ali Partovi (iLike), Steve Lassiter (APA), John Huie (CAA), Kevin Neal (BLA), Jay Williams (WME), Greg Janese (Paradigm), and John Romero (Vector Management).

Tomorrow, the conference continues at the Hilton with closing remarks from industry blogger Bob Lefsetz and showcases by Phil Vassar, Michelle Branch and Joey + Rory, followed by the closing party “A Night at the Hotel California with Don Felder & Late Night Performance from The Wailers.” Tickets for the IEBA Honors, the closing party, and single day conference admission are available at the Hilton. Full conference details and agenda posted at www.ieba.org.

Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour Kicks Off

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Bryan at inagural Farm Tour show

Bryan at his inaugural Farm Tour show.

Luke Bryan kicked off his Farm Tour earlier this week (10/5) to an audience of 3,500 at the Hurricane Branch Plantation just outside of Statesboro, Georgia. The show, opened by Colt Ford, helped benefit a scholarship fund for students at Georgia Southern University, Bryan’s alma mater. The show was the start to Bryan’s Doing My Thing album launch, where he will visit nine cities in nine days, doing in-stores, visiting radio stations and performing.

Lambert Scores No. 1 Debut

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miranda-albumMiranda Lambert’s third album Revolution debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart with first week sales of almost 66,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan, a division of The Nielsen Company. She also brought in the highest debut week digital sales for a country female this year.

With the release of Revolution, she becomes one of three country artists in SoundScan history to have each of their first three albums  enter at No. 1 on the Country Album Chart. The Sony Nashville artist has seen a 20+ percent bump in first week sales between every album.

Lots of positive press and promotion probably helped the sales figures. She has been busy promoting the album with appearances on big-time shows like Letterman, Good Morning America, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Bonnie Hunt Show, E! News and GAC. Among the publications raving about the project are Rolling Stone, USA Today, and Entertainment Weekly.

After 27 days on the road, Lambert is at home taking a break before heading back out with Brad Paisley’s tour and her own headlining dates.

Swift Extends “Fearless” Run

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taylor_swift_13557As Taylor Swift plans for this weekend’s final shows of her sold-out Fearless 2009 Tour, she revealed that she will extend the outing into 2010. She will kick off the Fearless 2010 Tour on February 4th in Brisbane, Australia and play five shows Down Under, presented by Michael Coppel Presents, before beginning her North American run on March 4th in Tampa, Florida. In 2010, she will headline 37 shows in 29 cities in the US and Canada. Tickets are set to go on sale later this month, starting at a reasonable $25.

Swift’s good friend Kellie Pickler and rising stars Gloriana have been part of the 2009 run and will continue on the 2010 tour. The outing, promoted in North America by The Messina Group/AEG Live, has been one of the year’s hottest tickets, with every show selling out within minutes. She sold out Madison Square Garden in one minute and the Los Angeles STAPLES center in just two minutes.

The 19-year-old is scheduled for a busy fall, including the release a CD/DVD set entitled Fearless Platinum Edition on October 27th. On November 11, she will vie for the Country Music Association’s prestigious Entertainer of the Year Award, as the category’s youngest ever nominee.

Paisley Extends Tour

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brad-paisley-ar10If you were feeling bummed about missing Brad Paisley on tour this summer, fret not: you now have a chance to redeem yourself. The hotshot singer, guitar-slinger, songwriter and all around superstar has extended his successful American Saturday Night Tour into 2010 with 19 additional dates. Joining him for the 2010 dates, which start Jan. 7 in San Antonio and end March 6 in Charleston, S. Carolina, will be special guests Miranda Lambert and Justin Moore.

Paisley has a busy fall leading into his 2010 trek, as he’s still got a few October dates remaining on the first leg of his American Saturday Night Tour. Then in November he’ll co-host the 43rd Annual CMA Awards with Carrie Underwood. He’s also the most-nominated artist at the event, with seven total nominations–including Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year (American Saturday Night) and Entertainer of the Year.

Rocketown Expands To Florida

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rcktRocketown, the Nashville hangout geared toward teens, is opening a second location in Pompano Beach, Florida. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel says the venue will provide a safe, fun, and free atmosphere for middle and high school students, offering cool learning opportunities about things like photography, music composition, digital recording and film editing. Tutoring will also be available. The 13,000-square-foot facility is being renovated and is expected to open in mid-October. It will also host concerts and events with a cover charge.

The Nashville location is the brainchild of CCM artist Michael W. Smith, and Operations and Program Director Theresa Mazza told the newspaper, “It’s been hugely successful.”

Touring Updates: Paisley, U2, and More

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Bbrad-paisley-ar10rad Paisley just completed the west coast run of his American Saturday Night tour by selling over 100,000 tickets for shows in Bakersfield, San Francisco, Sacramento, Phoenix, San Diego and Irvine. He will take this week off from touring before heading to Florida for shows in Jacksonville, Tampa, and West Palm Beach, then it’s off to New York City for his Madison Square Garden show on Oct. 21. Paisley’s current single “Welcome to the Future” is No. 3 on MusicRow’s Country Breakout Chart.

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U2’s 360 Tour continues its spectacular run with sales over the weekend surpassing 180,000 tickets in three cities—Horsens, Denmark; Vienna, Austria; and Helsinki, Finland. The tour has grossed over $187 million on the European leg, and is expected to break even sometime by the end of the year, manager Paul McGuiness told Billboard. The outing costs $750,000 per day, whether or not there’s a show.

The North American leg is expected to bring in $112 million (Billboard Boxscore). When U2 played the Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on Sept. 24 it drew a record-setting 84,472 fans, and the two-night stand grossed $16.1 million. When U2 hits the Rose Bowl on Oct. 25, it will also be that venue’s largest ever attendance for a concert, with 96,000 fans expected.

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Gary Allan will soon embark on his Get Off On The Pain tour, sponsored by House of Blues. He is supporting his new single, “Today,” which is already climbing the charts, as well as more music from his upcoming album.

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Blackberry Smoke will support Lynyrd Skynyrd for seven shows this month with stops in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and New Jersey. The tour coincides with the release of Blackberry Smoke’s new album, Little Piece Of Dixie, on BamaJam Records, which is a newly formed imprint of producer James Stroud’s Stroudavarious Records. BamaJam and Stroudavarious Records are distributed by Sony Music’s RED Distribution. The project was produced by Dann Huff and Justin Niebank. Blackberry Smoke will make its first trip to Europe in December before joining Lynyrd Skynyrd’s annual Simple Man cruise, January 21-25.

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Recent IBMA winner Steve Martin is on his fall tour, which included a visit to The Late Show with David Letterman last night (10/5)—where he really chatted up Nashville—and The View today. He is on the road with bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers in support of his album The Crow: New Songs For the 5 String Banjo (Rounder). It was No. 1 for 12 straight weeks on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart. The tour hits the Ryman on Oct. 11.

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Tracy Lawrence performed for American troops stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba over the weekend as a detour from his fall tour across the U.S.

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Colt Ford will be joining the Larry The Cable Guy Tour this fall, with dates starting Nov. 12 in State College, Pennsylvania and scheduled through Dec. 12 in Las Vegas. Leading up to the tour and throughout, Ford will be keeping fans up-to-date from the road with his own iPhone/iTouch app. He is touring in support of his debut album, Ride Through The Country.

McBride And Adkins Announce Tour

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Adkins and McBride

Adkins and McBride

Martina McBride and Trace Adkins are gearing up for their Shine All Night Tour, starting Nov. 20 and covering 40 cities across the U.S. through the spring of 2010. The tour is sponsored by SunnyD, and marks the beverage company’s first music partnership. The outing is also sponsored in part by GAC, and will feature McBride and Adkins each performing full-length shows.

Blake Shelton and The Lost Trailers will join the tour for a few select dates. Concert promotions include a series of irreverent TV commercials featuring McBride and Adkins to be aired on GAC, as well as local television spots and online. Visit www.ShineAllNight.com for tour details and exclusive content. Also, to coincide with the tour announcement, McBride is launching a redesigned website at www.MartinaMcBride.com.

TOUR DATES

Nov. 20 Moline, IL

Nov. 21 St. Paul, MN

Nov. 22 Milwaukee, WI

Dec. 3 Colorado Springs, CO

Dec. 4 Park City (Wichita), KS

Dec. 5 Oklahoma City, OK

Dec. 10 Greensboro, NC

Dec. 11 Columbia, SC

Dec. 12 Duluth, GA

Dec. 13 Birmingham, AL

Jan. 22 Little Rock, AR

Jan. 23 Independence, MO

Jan. 24 Council Bluffs, IA

Jan. 29 Reading, PA

Jan. 30 Worcester, MA

Jan. 31 Fairfax, VA

Feb. 11 Dallas, TX

Feb. 12 Beaumont, TX

Feb. 13 Bossier City, LA

Feb. 14 Pensacola, FL

Feb. 19 Buffalo, NY

Feb. 21 Columbus, OH

Feb. 25 Ft. Wayne, IN

Feb. 26 Cleveland, OH

Feb. 27 Pittsburgh, PA

Feb. 28 Highland Heights, KY

Mar. 5 Champaign, IL

Mar. 6 Evansville, IN

Mar. 12 Richmond, VA

Mar. 14 Manchester, NH

Mar. 26 St. Louis, MO

Mar. 27 Green Bay, WI

Mar. 28 Dekalb, IL

Apr. 8 Loveland, CO

Apr. 9 Rapid City, SD

Apr. 10 Bismarck, ND

IEBA Plans Conference, Awards

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e1254244444The International Entertainment Buyers Association’s annual conference is set for Oct. 11-13 in Nashville, offering a variety of panels to discuss current issues facing live entertainment.

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Luke Perry

Actor Luke Perry will host the IEBA Honors, Oct. 12 at the Ryman Auditorium. Industry pioneer Joan Saltel will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award and the winners of the IEBA Industry Awards will be recognized onstage. Winners include Entertainment Buyer of the Year – Todd Boltin of Variety Attractions; Promoter of the Year – Outback Concerts of TN; Talent Agent of the Year – John Huie of CAA; Venue of the Year – Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN; and Event of the Year – Bonnaroo Music Festival, Manchester, TN

Numerous performances are scheduled for the IEBA conference. Point of Grace, Heartland, The Molly Ringwalds, Williams & Ree and a surprise guest will perform Sunday, October 11 at the APA showcase. Ricky Skaggs, Mercy Me, Eli Young Band, The Family Stone, Sunny Sweeney, Caitlin Crosby, Walker Hayes and more surprise guests will perform later that night at the Paradigm showcase at The Stage on Broadway in downtown Nashville.

Other artists and special guests scheduled to appear at IEBA 2009 include: Bob Lefsetz, Dan Clark, Don Felder, The Wailers, Boyz II Men, Phil Vassar, Michelle Branch, Joey + Rory, Uncle Kracker, TobyMac, Emily West, Marcie Allen of MAC Presents, Drew McGowan of Clorox Company, John Grady of Borman Entertainment, Mary Hilliard Harrington of The Greenroom, Derek C. Crownover of Crownover Tisinger, Lang Scott of Music City Networks and leading executives from MySpace, iLike and other social networking sites, plus much more.

American Airlines is the official airline of IEBA. Conference attendees will receive a 10% discount off the lowest applicable eligible published airfare when using the following promotional code: 92H9AT, valid from October 8-16, 2009. www.aa.com.