Carolina Story Includes Several Nashville Dates on Upcoming Tour

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Husband and wife duo Carolina Story (Ben & Emily Roberts) will soon hit the road in support of their upcoming album Lay Your Head Down, due out July 13 via Black River Americana.

The duo’s album features new songs and newly-recorded versions of some older material and offers up a snapshot of their last 10 years of their lives as a couple. The duo wrote all of the material on the new album, which was mostly recorded at Nashville’s Sound Stage Studios and produced by Nick Autry.

Carolina Story’s tour will launch July 19, and will celebrate during the album’s release week with a Nashville show at The Black River Stage at The Well Coffeehouse on July 12, and a return performance to the Grand Ole Opry stage on July 14.

Carolina Story 2018 Tour Dates:
June 23 – Nashville, TN – Musician’s Corner
June 23 – Farragut, TN – Lawn Chair Concert Series
July 12 – Nashville, TN – The Well Coffeehouse (Album Release Show)
July 13 – Nashville, TN – Grimey’s In-Store
July 14 – Nashville, TN – Grand Ole Opry
July 19 – New York, NY – Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3
August 3 – Winston, OR – Riverbend Live **
August 4 – Portland, OR – Alberta Rose Theater **
August 5 – Chicago, IL – Tranquility Salon Company
August 6 – Milwaukee, WI – Boone & Crockett
August 7 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th St Entry
August 8 – Fargo, ND – Dempsey’s Public House
August 9 – Sioux Falls, SD – Icon Lounge
August 10 – Lennox, SD – The Only One
August 12 – Helena, MT – Lewis & Clark Brewing Company
August 14 – Whitefish, MT – Great Northern Bar & Grill
August 16 – Seattle, WA – Lagunitas Brewing Company
August 18 – Seattle, WA – Substation
August 19 – Portland, OR – The Old Church
August 21 – San Francisco, CA – Hotel Utah Saloon
August 23 – Los Angeles, CA – Hotel Cafe
August 25 – Joshua Tree, CA – Joshua Tree Saloon
August 27 – Corrales, NM – Corrales Bistro Brewery
August 28 – Amarillo, TX – Six Car Pub & Brewery
August 29 – Austin, TX – Cactus Cafe
August 31 – Memphis, TN – Railgarten
September 7 – Knoxville, TN – Pretentious Beer Co.
September 8 – Gatlinburg, TN – Sugarlands Distilling Co.
September 27 – Lexington, KY – Willie’s Locally Known

** = Supporting Delta Rae

Mason Ramsey Signs With CAA

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Mason Ramsey. Photo: Nick Swift

Mason Ramsey has signed with CAA.

Eleven-year-old Ramsey is signed to Big Loud Records and Atlantic Records. Ramsey’s first single, “Famous,” debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes Country Songs chart and has sold an impressive 250K+ U.S. copies (300K globally), top-charted as the No.1 global streaming country song on Spotify, and launched into Billboard’s all-genre The Hot 100. He also debuted within the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

He became an internet sensation after being captured on video by a customer inside a Harrisburg, Illinois, Walmart store. Ramsey was performing Hank Williams Sr.’s“ Lovesick Blues.” In just one week, the video skyrocketed to 20 million views and has surpassed 50.9 million views since.

Ramsey made his debut at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry in April to a standing ovation, and has recently performed at such high-profile festivals as Coachella, as a special guest of DJ Whethan, Stagecoach, as a special guest of Florida Georgia Line, and the iHeartCountry Festival. He also performed for the first time at CMA Fest this year, singing the National Anthem at Nissan Stadium.

He is managed by Good Luck Have Fun and his attorney is Edward Shapiro at Reed Smith.

Q&A: Stoney’s Founder Chris Lowden Talks Expanding Presence And Footprint

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Chris Lowden, founder of Stoney’s Rockin’ Country in Las Vegas

Stoney’s Rockin’ Country, the go-to country music venue in Las Vegas, has an ever-expanding presence on the west coast and is making a footprint in Nashville with a new office.

On April 13 and 14, Stoney’s hosted the ACM Tailgate as part of ACM Party For a Cause, featuring more than 30 artists including Kip Moore and Jon Pardi. The venue expanded the festival-style outdoor event from one day in 2017, to two days this year, with proceeds benefiting ACM Lifting Lives.

In addition, Stoney’s is celebrating it’s 11th birthday this summer, as well as its first ACM Industry Award nomination for Nightclub of the Year, set to be presented in August 22 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

MusicRow spoke to founder Chris Lowden about the driving forces behind the venue, which he runs with the help of marketing director Jeff “Toad” Higginbotham.

Stoney’s prides itself on embracing emerging artists. Who has played there and who would you love to see take the stage?

There’s so much great talent that typically Vegas doesn’t see, because they are rising artists who don’t fit the showroom mold or the arena mold. With a 1200 capacity, Stoney’s fills a hole [in the market] that other places don’t, by offering shows by artists like Jimmie Allen, Stephanie Quayle and The Cadillac Three. Russell Dickerson has played here about eight times in the last three years, and the last two times he sold out. I’d love to host Cody Jinks, John D. Hale Band, Brent Cobb and Mitchell Tenpenny. Brett Young, Jon Pardi and Luke Combs have all played here, and now we can’t afford them.

When did you decide to open Stoney’s?

I used to hang out at a place called Gilley’s, inside the Frontier Hotel and Casino. The General Manager was a guy named Stoney. Then in 2005 or ‘06, we found out they were going to tear down The Frontier, and there would be no more Gilley’s. So we decided to build our own place and name it after Stoney, because everybody knew who he was. We opened in 2007.

What was it like growing up in Las Vegas with family in the entertainment and gaming business?

We were in the gaming business and owned six casinos at one point. We just sold our last casino. We are transitioning from gaming to a real estate investment company that happens to have Stoney’s.

We owned the Sahara, where I saw Brooks and Dunn perform before they were famous. We had people like Tina Turner and George Carlin. The Grateful Dead used to stay at the Sahara and eat lunch in the coffee shop. My dad also helped take Siegfried & Roy from a small act inside the Lido, by working with Irvin Feld to create the show we know today.

My dad has a crazy history with Las Vegas entertainment, but also with playing music. He is a musician who left home at about age 15. He is a keyboard player and his forte is the Hammond B3. He still plays today and tours with Jack Jones.

What is the idea behind Stoney’s launch of Country AF radio?

It was born out of frustration that terrestrial radio would not play our emerging artists’ music.

So we program it with 50 percent terresetrial and 50 percent what we want to play, like Blackberry Smoke, Carlton Anderson, Travis Parker and Alex Williams. We also have a lot of content and interviews. It’s an app or you can listen online at CountryAFRadio.com.

Russell Dickerson’s sold-out show at Stoney’s Rockin’ Country on April 12, 2018.

Congratulations on your first ACM nomination. What sets Stoney’s apart from other venues?

The vibe is super cool, and it’s not just a venue. On the dance floor it’s not uncommon for half or three-fourths of the fans to be watching the show while the other half or one-fourth are line dancing or two-stepping.

The nomination is a little surreal. We’re super excited and humbled by it. Our philosoply is to be the venue that artists love to call home, love to play. We really treat them like family…as I say, “the family that you like.” We want them to know they will have a good crowd and great equipment.

Most of all the hospitality is second to none, which is what we strive for, because we really appreciate the hard work that artists put in.

 

 

Third Day’s Mac Powell Talks Farewell Tour, Upcoming Solo Projects

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On Wednesday (May 30), Christian rock band Third Day will embark on their farewell tour, after 25 years in the business. The band’s impetus came from Georgia high school buddies, vocalist/songwriter Mac Powell and guitarist Mark Lee.The band initially signed with Reunion Records and in 1996 released its self-titled debut album, a blend of southern rock grooves and inspirational lyrics, wielded by Powell’s blowtorch of a voice. The band would later align with Essential Records.

Along the way, the band’s Powell, Lee and drummer David Carr have earned four Grammy Awards, released 13 full-length studio albums (including 2017’s Revival, which was recorded in Muscle Shoals), and given music fans classics including “Come Together,” “Soul On Fire,” and “Call My Name.”

While many bands opt for longer, drawn out farewell treks, Third Day’s 20-date tour will launch tonight with two shows in Seattle, Washington, and wrap June 27 with a show at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado.

“We just reached a point where we knew it was time,” Powell tells MusicRow. “I think we are ready to call it a day on Third Day, if you will. There was a lot going on in our personal lives as fathers, husbands and as individuals, I think we realized it was time to move on to different seasons in our lives. The hard thing about it is I don’t want to say we are breaking up, because we are not. It’s more just moving on. I don’t know the right terminology for that. I think saying farewell is the best way to say it.”

Joining them will be Matt Maher, with special appearances from Zach Williams, Crowder and We Are Messengers on certain dates.

“It just came down to who are our friends and who do we want to have in front of our fans to say goodbye with,” Powell says. “Matt Maher is at the very top of that list. He’s been on the road with us a few times and we love his writing and music and him as a person. Zach and I did several shows together last year and became fast friends with him. What those guys are doing fits well with Third Day.”

The farewell trek includes three nights at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, on June 18, 19 and 23.

“It’s going to be a big party in Nashville,” Powell says. “We have so many friends and people behind the scenes that work in management, business management, booking, label, all those people. It will be, in a way, a last chance to see them and say thank you to them. Nashville is always a unique town for us and we have a love for the town.”

So why would one of Christian music’s most successful bands choose to hold a farewell concert in a smaller, if historic, venue like the Ryman Auditorium, rather than some of Nashville’s larger venues?

“My wife asked the same thing,” Powell laughed. “We knew our fans would be great and support us but we had no idea to what extent. We wanted to plan it conservatively when it came to booking the tour with the number of shows and at the venues we were playing. We wanted to try to keep it intimate enough where people didn’t get lost in an arena. That’s why we chose a lot of these places like the Fox Theater in Atlanta. We could have chosen to go to the arena, but we wanted to keep it smaller. That’s why the Ryman fit so well.”

Twenty-five years after Third Day first formed, Powell still sounds amazed at the accolades the band has earned, which includes plenty of RIAA-certified heavy metal (two multi-platinum albums, 5 Platinum albums, and 14 Gold-certified projects), 24 GMA Dove Awards, and 31 No. 1 radio singles.

“When we started, we thought, ‘Man if we can just make a couple of records and tour a few times, that would be amazing.’” he says.

At the time of the interview, Powell said he and his Third Day cohorts were still configuring a set list to honor both the numerous chart-topping singles fans have come to expect, as well as personal favorites.

“I think every night will be different in some way. We have a big list of songs that make sense that are No. 1 radio hits, and then fan favorites that may have never been radio singles, and then songs we want to do as a band and as individuals. It’s going to be a long, great night of music.”

The final tour will also highlight music and stories from Lee’s autobiography Hurt Road, which released last year.

There is plenty of solo music in the works after the farewell tour wraps.

Lee has been in the studio working on new music with Third Day keyboard player Scotty Wilbanks. Meanwhile, Powell has been working simultaneously on two projects, including an upcoming Christmas album, as well as a project for Mac Powell and the Family Reunion. He has also been in the writing room with several collaborators, including Eric Paslay.

“I’ve got enough songs for a couple of records,” Powell says. “That’s part of the fun of this time of music we live in. Music can be released fairly quickly and as an independent I can release it when I want to. But we’re still working on the music.”

Powell says he can’t rule out future collaborations with his Third Day cohorts.

“Something might happen down the road. We are not ending because we hate each other or anything like that. I think it’s good terms we are on with each other. Because of that, there is always the chance of something in the future, and I hope that does happen.”

Steven Curtis Chapman Extends SCC Solo Tour Into Fall

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Steven Curtis Chapman is continuing his successful tour, SCC SOLO: Hits, History, and Influences tour this Fall for a third season. He’ll visit 21 markets on the SCC SOLO tour, which kicks off on Aug. 11 in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, and wraps Nov. 18 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
He is also releasing a new single, “Remember to Remember,” which he was inspired to write after his 2017 best-selling memoir, Between Heaven & The Real World.  The song is Chapman’s first single in almost two years, and will be available on all digital formats.
The upcoming fall run of the tour will offer more stops at historic and iconic theaters across the U.S., such as San Francisco’s Marines’ Memorial Theatre, The Lyric Theatre in Birmingham, Alabama, and The Folly Theater in Kansas City, Missouri.
“I had such a great time on the past two legs of the SCC Solo Tour, sharing stories and taking my friends on a musical journey in cities across the country,” Chapman said. “Since I couldn’t squeeze all the places I wanted to visit during the spring run, I’m excited to be coming back with more dates for SCC SOLO this fall. I hope you’ll come join me for what is proving to be one of the most special tours I’ve ever experienced.”

Ashley McBryde To Bring The Girl Going Nowhere Tour To 30+ Cities

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Ashley McBryde will soon take her soulful country voice and her realistic stories of small town life to cities across the U.S. and Europe when she embarks on her first headlining tour, dubbed The Girl Going Nowhere Tour (after her breakthrough album, Girl Going Nowhere). The tour will launch in Atlanta on Sept. 5, and will wrap on Dec. 15 in Rochester, New York. Several of the U.S. shows will feature opener Dee White.

In October, McBryde will head to the U.K. for several shows with Luke Combs, stopping in Birmingham, London, Manchester and more.

McBryde has opened shows for Eric Church and Chris Stapleton, and most recently was the opener for Combs’ Don’t Tempt Me With A Good Time Tour and Miranda Lambert’s Livin’ Like Hippies Tour.

Tickets for the tour go on sale Friday, May 25.

Ashley McBryde’s 2018 “The Girl Going Nowhere Tour” dates are as follows:
Sept. 5 – Terminal West, Atlanta, GA*
Sept. 6 – 40 Watt Club, Athens, GA*
Sept. 7 – Blind Horse Saloon, Greenville, S.C.*
Sept. 8 – Rome City Brewing Company, Rome, GA*
Sept. 11 – Mammy’s Kitchen, Bardstown, KY
Sept. 12 – Washington County Fair, Abington, VA
Sept. 13 – The Hamilton, Washington, D.C.*
Sept. 14 – Phase 2 Nightclub, Lynchburg, VA*
Sept. 20 – Red Rocks Amphitheater (w/Little Big Town), Morrison, CO
Sept. 22 – Arkansas State University, Mountain Home, AR
Sept. 27 – The Basement East, Nashville, TN*
Sept. 28 – Zydeco, Birmingham, AL*

(International Dates)
Oct. 3 – O2 Institute (w/ Luke Combs), Birmingham, U.K.
Oct. 4 – Shepherd’s Bush Empire (w/ Luke Combs), London, U.K.
Oct. 5 – Shepherd’s Bush Empire (w/ Luke Combs), London, U.K.
Oct. 7 – O2 ABC, Glasgow (w/ Luke Combs), Scotland
Oct. 8 – O2 Ritz Manchester (w/ Luke Combs), Manchester, U.K.
Oct. 10 – Islington Assembly Hall, London, U.K.

Oct. 13 – Mighty Mississippi Music Festival, Greenville, MS
Oct. 25 – Elevation, Grand Rapids, MI*
Nov. 1 – The Lyric Theatre, Oxford, MS*
Nov. 2 – The Barn at The Wicked Wheel (benefiting Girls Inc. of Bay County), Panama City, FL
Nov. 7 – Brick Street Bar, Oxford, OH*
Nov. 8 – The Bluestone, Columbus, OH*
Nov. 9 – Eight Seconds Saloon, Indianapolis, IN*
Nov. 10 – Dusty Armadillo, Rootstown, OH*
Nov. 29 – The Blue Note, Columbia, MO*
Nov. 30 – Revolution Music Room, Little Rock, AR*
Dec. 5 – Gramercy Theatre, New York, NY*
Dec. 7 – The Foundry at the Fillmore, Philadelphia, PA*
Dec. 8 – Chameleon Club, Lancaster, PA*
Dec. 12 – Jergel’s Rhythm and Grill, Warrendale, PA*
Dec. 13 – Iron Works, Buffalo, NY*
Dec. 14 – The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA*
Dec. 15 – Anthology, Rochester, NY*
* denotes a show with special guest Dee White

Live Nation Launches Women Nation Fund To Promote Female-Led Music Companies

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Live Nation Entertainment has established the Women Nation Fund, an early-stage investment fund focused on female-led live music businesses. Live Nation is setting up the fund and will provide access to the company’s resources and capital for underrepresented female entrepreneurs in the concert promotions, events and festival spaces.

Live Nation’s President/CEO Michael Rapino said, “As the leader in live entertainment, we want to meaningfully address this issue, change the dynamic and widen the playing field. The Women Nation Fund is a first step towards empowering new entrepreneurs and creating more opportunity for women in this sector of the live music business.”

The Women Nation Fund will identify, fund and grow the pool of female-led festivals, events and promotion companies available on a worldwide basis. Entrant businesses must be female-founded and oriented around concert promotion, festivals or live venue management. The Women Nation evaluating team is comprised of Live Nation female executives with diverse domain expertise including Anna Sjolund (Co-Managing Director/Head Promoter, Live Nation Sweden), Amy Corbin (Promoter, C3), Virginia Davis (Founder, G Major Management), Amy Howe (COO, Ticketmaster), Lesley Olenik (VP, Touring), Maura Gibson (President, Front Gate Tickets), Kelly Chappel (VP, Touring) and Carrie Davis (Chief Communications Officer).

Businesses selected by the fund will be given access to Live Nation resources such as strategic advisory, industry contacts and mentorship across lines of business and functional areas.

For more information and to apply to the Women Nation Fund, please visit: https://womennationfund.livenation.com/

Bobby Bones Announces Six-Show Nashville Residency

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Bobby Bones is bringing his Red Hoodie Comedy Tour back home to Nashville this Fall for a limited six-show residency at the historic Franklin Theatre. Bones will perform two shows nightly during the local stint across dates in September and November. Singer/songwriter Tenille Townes will open for Bones on the added dates.

“I’m excited to get to bring the tour home for a few dates,” Bones said. “I can tell jokes and then go sleep in my own bed.”

The shows will be held at the Franklin Theatre on Sept. 1 (at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.), Nov. 23 (7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.) and Nov. 24 (7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.).

Tickets go on sale this Friday, May 18 at bobbybonescomedy.com.

Devin Dawson To Join Brett Eldredge’s Fall Tour

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Having wrapped the spring dates of Brett Eldredge’s Long Way Tour this past weekend in New York, Warner Music Nashville/Atlantic Records recording artist Devin Dawson will join labelmate Eldredge again for a second set of tour dates this fall. The tour’s fall dates will begin Sept. 13 in Denver, Colorado, and will run through Oct. 19 in Boca Raton, Florida.

Before joining Tim McGraw & Faith Hill for the summer 2018 leg of their Soul2Soul The World Tour, Dawson will be taking his headline tour overseas this month with stops in Germany, Netherlands and the UK. Recently, Dawson received the ultimate surprise during his stop at ELLEN, where Ellen DeGeneres herself presented him on-air with his very first RIAA Gold-certified plaque for “All On Me.”

Andrew Colvin, Adam Voith Join WME’s Nashville Office

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Pictured: Andrew Colvin (L), Adam Voith (R)

Andrew Colvin and Adam Voith have joined WME’s Nashville office. The duo join from Billions where they worked with a leading roster of contemporary artists including Bon Iver, Dawes, Brett Dennen, Robert Ellis, Jason Isbell, Lucero, Kevin Morby, Mumford & Sons, Erin Rae, The Staves, Justin Townes Earle, and Vampire Weekend.

“Andrew and Adam have distinguished themselves with their impeccable taste, stellar reputations, and a unique understanding of artists’ needs. Since arriving in Nashville less than a decade ago, they have already had a significant impact on the music community here,” said Scott Clayton, Head of WME’s Rock Division and Co-head of the Nashville office.

“Andrew and Adam are a tremendous addition to our team as we continue to build out our contemporary business in Nashville,” added Jay Williams, Partner and Co-Head of WME’s Nashville office. “We look forward to working with them to provide their artists with further resources to support their careers.”

Colvin moved to Nashville in 2012 and subsequently to Billions following nearly a decade in New York with Ground Control Touring. The artists he has worked with include The Baseball Project, Blue Rodeo, Brett Dennen, Cory Chisel, Dawes, Dawn Landes, The Dream Syndicate, Justin Townes Earle, Jason Isbell, Jonny Fritz, Lucero, The Minus 5, Robert Ellis, The Sadies, and Traveller. He has been nominated for Third Coast Agent of the Year by Pollstar.

Voith moved to Nashville in 2011, and has been in the business for nearly two decades working at various boutique agencies. The artists he represents include Amason, Bear’s Den, Blank Range, Bon Iver, Dams of the West, Hiss Golden Messenger, Kevin Morby, The Mountain Goats, Mumford & Sons, Erin Rae, ROSTAM, The Staves, The Tallest Man on Earth, and Vampire Weekend. Voith earned a nod from Pollstar as Third Coast Agent of the Year, and has been nominated multiple times for the Bobby Brooks Agent of the Year award. His client Mumford & Sons took home Major Tour of the Year in 2014.