Nashville hit writer Jeffrey Steele performed at Joe’s Pub in New York City last Wednesday (3/25), and the New York Times was there. Times writer Jon Caramanica turned in a rave review of Steele’s hit-filled performance, praising the singer/songwriter’s storytelling skills and citing his “detail-rich and emotionally specific lyrics” and “brute skill rescuing even unappealing subject matter.” You can read the entire article here.
The Country Music Association has added five more artists to the CMA Music Festival lineup for the Nightly Concerts at LP Field. Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Jamey Johnson, Jake Owen, and Taylor Swift will join previously announced LP Field performers Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Julianne Hough, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Montgomery Gentry, Brad Paisley, and John Rich. The four-day CMA Music Festival takes place Thursday through Sunday, June 11-4, in Downtown Nashville. For more information, call visit www.CMAfest.com.
Stringtown Records artist John Michael Montgomery has signed to Creative Artists Agency for booking representation and with Splash! Public Relations for publicity. The singer, who recently filmed a 30-minute infomercial for Time/Life on their Country Music Explosion package, is currently promoting “Forever,” the latest single from Time Flies, his Stringtown debut.
In other Stringtown news, Amy Willis, Director/Press & Publicity the label and for Hallmark Direction, has moved over to Wortman Works Media & Marketing to assume the title of Account Executive. Willis will work with Wortman Works clients Lost Trailers and Nathan Lee Jackson, among others. She can be reached at 615-340-9675.
Brad Paisley wound up his Paisley Party Tour on a very high note in Nashville this past Saturday (3/14), playing a sold-out-in-advance show to a hometown crowd of over 13,000 ecstatic fans. Joining the singer onstage for his show-closer, a spirited reading of “Let the Good Times Roll,” was acclaimed blues guitarist Robben Ford, who traded hot licks with Paisley as the show — and the tour — rocked to a close. The Paisley Party Tour played to more than 775,000 fans over 64 dates and is currently the 6th top-selling tour across all genres according to Pollstar magazine.
Paisley will debut “Then,” the leadoff single from his upcoming American Saturday Night CD, on American Idol tomorrow (3/18), as part of “Grand Ole Opry Week.” The single will also be commercially available as a digital single just in time for Paisley’s Idol performance. American Idol airs on FOX tonight (3/17) 7:00-9:00 PM CT and tomorrow (3/18), from 8:00-9:00 PM CT.
For the past ten days, she’s been all over Australia playing a series of sold out dates, but somehow superstar Taylor Swift has made time for some worthwhile extracurricular activities, including a CMA award presentation, a benefit concert and a even a day at the beach.
The singer/songwriter traveled to the “CMC Rocks the Snowys Festival” in Thredbo, NSW and caught up with a very surprised John Bond, presenting the Australian radio personality with the Country Music Association’s International Country Broadcaster Award. Bond oversees the most popular shift on Sydney’s 2KA Cool Country, playing a broad mix of Australian, Canadian and American country music.
“I am shocked beyond belief,” said Bond. “I love Country Music and enjoy sharing it with my listeners every day. Who would have imagined Taylor Swift giving me an Award? I thank CMA for this honor.”
In other Swift news, the singer has extended her time Down Under by several days in order to join top artists including Coldplay, Hoodoo Gurus, Barry Gibb and Wolfmother at Sound Relief, a weekend benefit concert to raise money for victims of the recent devastating Australian brush fires. As if that weren’t enough, Swift, in a Twitter post sent earlier today (3/13), let friends and fans know that she was enjoying a well-deserved day off, driving two hours outside of Sydney for some much needed r&r and that day at the beach.
Taylor Swift and CMA Board Member Rob Potts present the CMA International Country Broadcaster Award to Australian radio personality John Bond of 2KA Cool Country. (l-r) Potts, Swift, and Bond. Photo Credit: B.J. Went
Using Neil Diamond’s last summer New York Madison Square dates as an example, the Wall Street Journal recently pointed to the scalper-like practice known as ticket reselling. Under this scenario, done with the approval and full knowledge of the artist and manager involved, a limited number of the best seats are withheld from normal sale channels and immediately offered on sites such as www.ticketexchange.com, owned by Ticketmaster. The purpose of these premium ticket sites which represent the seats offered as being re-sales by fans, is to reap larger profits which are then often shared, according to the article, with artists and promoters. Sometimes the added revenues can top $2 million on a major tour.
A Britney Spears concert in Pittsburgh offered seats for $39.50 to $125 on Ticketmaster.com, but a link saying “Browse premium seats plus tickets posted by fans” was offering the same classes of seats for as high as $1,188.60 each. According to the article the Spears camp refused to comment when asked by WSJ for an explanation, but soon afterwards, the wording “tickets posted by fans” was removed from the TicketExchange Marketplace website and prices were reduced. Bruce Springsteen recently made headlines by criticizing Ticketmaster for a practice similar to this involving tickets to his shows that was done without his permission.
ACM Entertainer of the Year nominee Carrie Underwood has recorded a version of Mötley Crüe’s “Home Sweet Home” for the upcoming season of American Idol. Beginning with the March 11 episode, the song will air each week as the farewell theme for contestants leaving the show. “Home Sweet Home” will release as an exclusive iTunes digital single through March 16, and will subsequently be available at online music retailers everywhere. A portion of the sales proceeds from “Home Sweet Home” will benefit one of Underwood’s favorite charities, The Humane Society of the United States.
Kenny Chesney and band have been busy rehearsing for their upcoming Sun City Carnival Tour, but even country superstars need a break once in a while. Fortunately for music fans, Chesney’s idea of a break is playing unannounced, no-holds-barred gigs at clubs throughout the Southeast. With another year of stadiums and arenas in his immediate future (his tour officially kicks off April 17 in Connecticut), the freewheeling “Keg In The Closet Tour” is a stripped-down, music-driven affair done the old-fashioned way; three sets of music in a hot, sweaty club full of fans. This year’s impromptu run began in Tuscaloosa, Alabama at the Jupiter Bar + Grille. For the fifth year, the band rocked the house all night, performing three sets for the rowdy University of Alabama crowd. Last night (3/9), Chesney opened the “keg” at Nashville’s Exit In, also playing to a packed house. His four-hour performance included guest appearances by Brad Paisley, Mark Collie, David Lee Murphy and Brett James.
Chesney takes over the Exit In. (back row, l-r) Tom Baldrica, VP Marketing, Sony Music Nashville; Bryan Frasher, VP Promotions, BNA Records; Front Row (l-r) Songwriter David Lee Murphy, Sony Music Nashville Executive VP, Butch Waugh; VP, Digital Business, Heather McBee; Chesney and Sony Music Chairman Joe Galante.
Joint Journey Records artist Richie Fields hosted a dinner at The Palm in Nashville Tuesday night (3/3) to welcome friends in radio to CRS-40. (L-R): WAKG’s Alan Rowe, KLMJ’s Mike Betten, promoter Christina Bear, Fields, promoter Regina Raleigh and WGLR’s Ryan McCall. Photo: Clif Doyal
Create a package with George Strait, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton and Julianne Hough and it should be no surprise that it would sell out a venue even as large as the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. The June 6 concert cleared out all its tickets in exactly one hour for the inaugural event. The new stadium is being billed as the largest and most technologically advanced sports and entertainment venue in the world. The $1.1 billion structure features two massive arches, a retractable roof and seating for over 80,000. The venue also includes 300 luxury suites and more. http://www.stadium.dallascowboys.com