BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM
Chapter 483
Pictured (L-R): Cole Swindell, Frankie Ballard, Maddie & Tae, Eric Paslay, and Sam Hunt. Photo: AristoPR
The climax of Country Radio Seminar is the annual New Faces Show, a make-or-break presentation of the year’s most promising fledglings.
It is a tense occasion for the performers, since this is the first time that the all-important radio programmers will judge their showmanship. Careers have both soared and crashed as a result of this showcase.
“I know how prestigious this show is, and I don’t take it lightly,” said New Face Frankie Ballard. He has a separated shoulder and has not been playing his guitar at recent concerts. But he was determined to strap it on for this gig. So, shoulder or no shoulder, he showcased his guitar chops. And how.
The New Face who walked away from the show a star was probably Eric Paslay. The singer-songwriter was both an artistic success and an audience favorite.
Eric Paslay performs at the CRS New Faces Showcase. Photo: AristoPR
Paslay’s ballad “She Don’t Love You” was performed with clear-throated vocal finesse and was one of the most honest sounding efforts of the evening. “Song About a Girl” was groovy and funky. “Keep on Fallin” was a snappy, crackling country rocker.
“Thank you for changing my world, and for this song,” said Paslay introducing “Friday Night.” This good-time rocking hit, with its chewy, tasty rhythm groove gave him a joyous, whiz-bang finale.
The second-best New Face presentation was by Maddie & Tae. In fact, considering how truly new and how young they are, this was in some ways the night’s most impressive performance. Unlike the others on the bill, this duo doesn’t even have a full album yet.
Their vocal harmonies were flawless: These women have obviously rehearsed rigorously. The slight drawback of this was that they seemed to concentrate on delivering a perfect presentation, rather than engaging the audience.
Their breakthrough hit, “Girl in a Country Song,” was feisty, bouncy and good natured. “Fly,” the current single, was wafting, airy and lovely. The duo concluded with the warm, comforting and super-accomplished “After the Storm Blows Through.”
Maddie & Tae perform during the CRS New Faces Show. Photo: AristoPR
Madison Marlow and Taylor Dye are barely out of their teens, but they grew up right before our eyes that night. Good for them.
Frankie Ballard was my third favorite. He not only showed off his flashy guitar skills, he worked the stage like a pro and looked like a star in his leather jacket. He gave them the hits “Sunshine and Whiskey” and “Helluva Life,” drawing a big ovation from the crowd.
“I was a nobody from Battle Creek, Mich., before you played this one,” he said of “Helluva Life.” “I can’t tell you how good it feels to play this song and have people know it, and I thank country radio for that. If I wasn’t here [at CRS], I’d be singing it in some honky-tonk in Detroit. So I thank you for that.”
His finale was the raucous, Motor City rocker “Young and Crazy.” This guy was the very definition of a modern young country star.
The act with the most “buzz” leading into the New Faces show was probably Sam Hunt. His sound was full of electronic washes and programmed percussion, with auto-tuned, processed vocals. “Leave the Night On” and “House Party” led him to come off the stage and wade through the crowd at the front tables.
With its mix of spoken-word passages and melodic segments, “Take Your Time” was Hunt’s best and most evocative effort. He ended with the finely honed “Break Up in a Small Town.”
Hunt earned the Worst Wardrobe Award with his long gray t-shirt and a face-obscuring ballcap with a peak so high it looked like it belonged in a Coneheads skit. You’re in trouble when your lead guitarist knows how to visually present better than you do.
Cole Swindell performs during the CRS New Faces Showcase. Photo: AristoPR
Also wearing a ballcap was the finale New Face, Cole Swindell. This caused us to note that Ballard was the lone male act not wearing this hat, which has replaced the Stetson as country’s uniform: Is it just a coincidence that he also came across as the best looking?
Whereas Hunt was at least sonically innovative bro country; Swindell seemed merely routine bro country. In fact, his presentation was practically a Xerox of a Luke Bryan show, from the hat to the jeans to the belt buckle to the hip-thrust stage moves.
Swindell was another New Face with a heavily processed vocal. He sounded one way when speaking, then as soon as he started to sing, the auto-tuning and triple tracking kicked in on his voice. And even with all the technology, he still sounded just barely on pitch.
Still, Swindell’s renditions of such favorites as “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight,” “Chillin It” and “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey” were all crowd pleasers.
Pictured (L-R, back row): Cole Swindell, Sam Hunt. (L-R, front row): Eric Paslay, Maddie & Tae, Frankie Ballard. Photo: AristoPR
The 2015 New Faces Show was staged in the main hall of the old Renaissance Convention Center on Friday (Feb. 27). Video clips throughout the night reminded us that the CRS convention is moving to the Omini Hotel next year. So we’ve eaten our last rubber-chicken banquet in this room.
As usual, Music Row turned out in full force for this annual extravaganza. Working the room were Tom Luteran, Tom Baldrica, Bobby Young, Bob Paxman, Rob Simbeck, Charlie Morgan, Charlie Monk, Chuck Dauphin, Clay Myers, Jessica Myers, Jessica Turri and Travis Moon of St. Jude’s Hospital, Frank Rogers, Earle Simmons, Patrick Clifford, John Ozier, Preshus Tomes, Jack Purcell, Gary Overton, Shawn Carnes of Nasville Underground Entertainment, Don Cusic, Phyllis Stark, Donna Hughes, Todd Cassetty, Sharilyn Pettus, Lorie Hollabaugh, Vernell Hackett, Andrew Capps, Ed Morris, Darin Murphy, Ken Tucker, the triple monikered Deborah Evans Price, Wynne Vanessa Adams and Allison Brown Jones, plus just about everybody else you’ve ever met in this business.
Additionally, the 2015 CRS/Country Aircheck winners were revealed throughout the evening. Winners include:
Station Of The Year: WUSN/Chicago (Major Market); WSM-FM/Nashville (Large Market); WIVK/Knoxville (Medium Market); WUSY/Chattanooga (Small Market)
Market Manager/GM: Mick Anselmo, KMNB/Minneapolis (Major Market); Dan Endom, WSIX/Nashville (Large Market); Tim Feagan, WBCT/Grand Rapids (Medium Market); Jared Stehney, WUSY/Chattanooga (Small Market)
OM/PD: Tim Roberts, WYCD/Detroit (Major Market); Charlie Cook, WKDF & WSM-FM/Nashville (Large Market); Sue Wilson, WQMX/Akron (Medium Market); Gator Harrison, WUSY/Chattanooga, TN (Small Market)
MD: Angie Ward, WUBL/Atlanta
(Major Market); Bob Pickett, KASE/Austin (Large Market); Hoss Michaels, KXKT/Omaha (Medium Market); Bill Poindexter, WUSY/Chattanooga (Small Market)
Personality/Show: Ben & Matt, KNIX/Phoenix (Major Market); Amy Paige, WSIX/Nashville (Large Market); Buzz Jackson, KIIM/Tucson (Medium Market); Dex & Mo, WUSY/Chattanooga (Small Market)
National/Syndicated Personality: The Bobby Bones Show
Platinum Label: Big Machine
Gold Label: Curb
VP/Promotion: Jack Purcell, Big Machine
Director/National Promotion: Katie Bright, WMN
Regional Director or Manager/Promotion: Alex Valentine, Big Machine
Independent Promotion Team or Executive: GrassRoots
“New Face Of Country” Professional: Kristen Johnson, Republic Nashville
PIctured (L-R): Cole Swindell, Frankie Ballard, Warner Music Nashville’s John Esposito. Photo: AristoPR
CRS New Faces performers with members of BMLG. Photo: AristoPR
Florida Georgia Line Sells Out Madison Square Garden
/by Troy_StephensonFlorida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard (L) and Brian Kelley (R). Photo: Jim Wright
Republic Nashville’s Florida Georgia Line took their Anything Goes Tour stop to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday (Feb. 25). The sold out show of 13,000 plus people was the duo’s first visit to the venue. The event included opening acts Thomas Rhett and Frankie Ballard.
The show included hits from their two-time platinum debut album Here’s To The Good Times, cuts from their gold, chart-topping sophomore album Anything Goes and closed out the night with an explosive performance of their eight-time platinum song “Cruise.”
FGL is in Europe for the first time with four upcoming shows on the C2C Country to Country festival tour and will continue the Anything Goes Tour 2015 on March 21 in Orange Beach, Ala.
Exclusive: Keeping Pace with Allison Jones, SVP A&R at BMLG
/by Eric T. Parker“I’m super competitive,” said Jones. “I’m terrified someone else might hear a song I want, or someone might see the next The Band Perry before I do…There’s a reason I have two computers in my office, because I don’t want to get rid of any music. Reba has called asking for a song from 5 years ago. I have it! The IT department hates me. I have 10,000 songs in my iTunes, all categorized in playlists. For security I’m trying to do it all on DropBox now. I hide unreleased songs using different names so nobody can see those.”
Remaining in-the-know about the freshest talent has paid off for Jones but requires a staff of four constantly keeping their ears to the ground. “I don’t know if we ever have time to feel prepared for what’s next. It goes back to A&R being subjective, you can’t quantify if something is good or bad—you have to trust your gut. Usually when things are dropped on our plate, we have to run at 1,000 mph to get it done. That way we’re not second-guessing our decisions.”
A yearly release schedule ebbs and flows for Jones, who finds time to invest in every project delivered to market. “Every project is very collaborative and respective,” she continued. “Some projects don’t need me as much as others. But of course I’m always listening to songs for everybody.”
Select projects Jones recalls come from an expanding roster of artists, some include:
Tim McGraw Signs New Publicity Deal
/by Jessica NicholsonTim McGraw
Tim McGraw has signed with PMK*BNC for publicity. The singer and actor will be repped by Executive VP Kristen Foster.
McGraw was previously repped by Nashville-based The GreenRoom PR.
McGraw recently performed Glen Campbell’s Academy Award-nominated tune “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” at the Oscars. The song was nominated in the category of Best Original Song.
The entertainer’s Shotgun Rider Tour ’15 will launch in June, with opening acts Billy Currington and Chase Bryant. He recently released the single “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools” to radio.
Industry Ink: CMHoF’s Clary Exits, Creative Nation Adds Office Manager, NATAS Scholarship
/by Jessica NicholsonClary Exits CMHoF Post
Kay Clary
The Country Music Hall of Fame’s Kay Clary has exited her post as Interim Director of Communications, and will be taking a year off for travel.
Clary previously spent seven years working at BMI. Clary can be reached at kay.clary@gmail.com.
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Creative Nation Adds New Staff Member Christina Wighton
Christina Wighton
Creative Nation has hired Christina Wighton as office manager to their team in Nashville. She will manage day-to-day office responsibilities and assist the Creative Nation staff.
Most recently, Wighton worked at Kobalt Music’s New York City as the receptionist, handling administrative work for the Business Affairs, HR and Sync departments. She relocated to Nashville in February.
NATAS Establishes Scholarship In Honor of Jackie Pillers
Jackie Pillers
The Nashville/Mid-South Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has established the Jackie Pillers Memorial Scholarship in honor of the late television news producer. The scholarship will be given annually to one or more high school students interested in pursuing a career in media.
Contributions can be made to the scholarship by completing the following form and sending it to emmynash@aol.com.
Save The Date: Charity Golf Tournaments
Save The Date for the Miller Harris Memorial Golf Tournament. It will be held Sept. 14, 2015 at the Temple Hills Golf Club, located at 6375 Temple Road in Franklin, Tenn. For more information, visit millerharrisfoundation.org.
Also, The HoriPro Honors Golf Tournament will be held May 14, 2015 at Henry Horton Golf Course, located at 4358 Nashville Hwy. in Chapel Hill, Tenn. The tournament’s roots reach back 32 years. The event, which launched in 1967 as The Four Star Tournament, has been sponsored by Four Star Music, Combine, Acuff-Rose, Larry Butler Music, and Don Gant Music, before HoriPro took over as the event’s sponsor.
How Will Radio Survive The Connected Cars Of The Future?
/by Sarah Skates(L-R): Moderator Chris Barker (Partner, C3), Derek Kuhn (QNX/Blackberry), Joel Hoffman (Chief Automotive Strategist/Intel), John Ellis (Ellis & Assoc., former Sr. Technologist/Ford), and Paul Brenner (Emmis/NextRadio).
Imagine a car that drives itself, that knows your schedule and drives you to your appointments. It knows the quickest route and can reroute based on accidents or heavy traffic. If you are running late, it can notify your appointment. The video below shows all this and more, and was viewed by attendees at the CRS panel “The Power of the Connected Car” on Thurs., Feb. 26.
Panelists discussed the capabilities of the cars of the future, including autonomous drive, cars that can communicate with each other and share information, and how users can make purchases through the car’s ecosystem.
Panelist Paul Brenner of Emmis/NextRadio said, “I applaud you for attending, you’re hearing from three guys that will decide your future,” referring to his fellow panelists. Brenner is working to help traditional radio evolve to compete with the growing popularity of streaming and on-demand music. The NextRadio app plays over-the-air FM broadcasts on smartphones.
Panelists noted that following the debut of streaming music, there was a few years before the technology made its way to automobiles, which helped the terrestrial radio industry maintain a foothold with the public, particularly in cars. Today, technology allows more music listening options in vehicles, and listeners could choose to get music from other outlets, instead of over-the-air radio. Terrestrial radio’s foothold is eroding.
One downside of terrestrial radio, is that users don’t get to select the music. “You listen to what other people tell you to,” noted John Ellis (Ellis & Assoc., former Sr. Technologist, Ford).
Panelists including Brenner, Ellis, Joel Hoffman (Chief Automotive Strategist, Intel), and Derek Kuhn (QNX/Blackberry) agreed that going forward, the car’s ecosystem (think of it like an operating system) will play a bigger role when consumers purchase a new vehicle. It will be similar to cell phone purchases today, which are based heavily on the operating system (Android vs. Apple) instead of the hardware, or phone itself.
Today, terrestrial radio doesn’t have a prominent place in these automotive ecosystems.
In order to survive, radio companies need a strategy said panelists. They will need to enhance user experience and engagement. Brenner said, “[Radio] will have to innovate and establish an advantage they can’t take away from you.”
Safety is a major concern that goes along with having automobiles with lots of features. Security of the information being exchanged is also a top priority.
When asked how long it will be before the cars of the future are on streets, the panelists explained that currently the auto industry can’t meet the expectations of the next generation of drivers (today’s children) while balancing the safety issues of distracted driving.
Mark Your Calendar – March 2015
/by Eric T. ParkerMarch 2
Gary Allan/Hangover Tonight/MCA
John King/On Your Lips/Black River
Kayla Calabrese/Whisper/SMG
LiveWire/Quit You/Way Out West Records
Alan Turner/Bull Riding Babe/HMG Nashville
Jake Gill/Say It Goodbye/HMG Nashville
March 9
Eric Church/Like A Wrecking Ball/EMI Nashville
Trisha Yearwood/I Remember You/Gwendolyn-RCA Nashville
Brothers Osborne/Stay A Little Longer/EMI Nashville
Eli Young Band/Turn It On/Republic Nashville
Montgomery Gentry/Folks Like Us/Blaster Records
Logan Mize/Can’t Get Away From A Good Time/Arista Nashville
Ashley Monroe/On To Something Good/Warner Bros.
Ruthie Collins/Ramblin’ Man/Sidewalk Records
Dexter Roberts/Dream About Me/First Launch Records
David Shelby/Oh Yeah/Star Farm
March 16
Drake White/It Feels Good/Dot Records
Striking Matches/Hanging On A Lie/I.R.S. Nashville
Wade Bowen/When I Woke Up Today/AMP
Sammy Hakim/Empty Bottle/EXT Records
March 23
RaeLynn/For A Boy/Valory Music Co.
Sarah Dunn Band/Bye Bye/Audacity Records
Claire Petrie/C’est La Vie, You Never Can Tell/Playback Records
March 30
Casey James/Fall Apart/Columbia Nashville
Cash Creek/Even Angels Have Bad Days/Heartland Records
March 2
Aaron Tippin/Aaron Tippin 25/Nippit Records
Casting Crowns/Glorious Day: Hymns of Faith/Cracker Barrel
March 3
Shania Twain/SHANIA: Still The One Live from Vegas [CD/DVD]/Mercury Nashville
Asleep At The Wheel/Still The King: Celebrating the Music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys/Bismeaux
March 9
Jordyn Stoddard/Southern Tide/ J Stodd
March 10
Luke Bryan/Spring Break…Checkin’ Out/Capitol Nashville
Eli Young Band/Turn It On [EP]/Republic Nashville
March 17
Allison Moorer/Down To Believing/eOne Nashville
March 24
Striking Matches/Nothing But The Silence/I.R.S.
Canaan Smith/Canaan Smith [EP]/Mercury Records Nashville
March 31
Darius Rucker/Southern Style/Capitol
Josh Turner/TBA/MCA Nashville
Various/NOW That’s What I Call The ACM Awards 50 Years/UMG-Sony Music Entertainment-ACM
Jon Wolfe/Natural Man/Tone Tree Music
March 23
ASCAP Christian Music Awards
March 24
Fourth Annual Rising Women on the Row at Nashville’s Omni Hotel
March 24-28
Tin Pan South 2015
March 27
Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City opens at the CMHoF
March 29
The second annual iHeartRadio Music Awards on NBC
March 30
Photo Roundup: Country Radio Seminar
/by Kelsey_GradyArtists, radio executives, and label executives were shining brightly last week during Nashville’s annual Country Radio Seminar.
Lady Antebellum during their “How 3 Become 1” panel during CRS. Photo: Sara Kauss/AristoPR
CRS Panel. Photo: AristoPR
Keith Urban during his panel titled “Being Present.” Photo: Sara Kauss/AristoPR
Pictured (L-R): BMLG’s Allison Jones, Laurel Kittleson, Erin Burr, and Katie Rose.
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood visit CRS. Photo: AristoPR
The Swon Brothers with Jana Kramer. Photo: Sara Kauss/AristoPR
Pictured (L-R): Grand Ole Opry’s Pete Fisher, BMLG’s Scott Borchetta, RaeLynn, BMLG’s George Briner, and Jimmy Harnen. Photo: AristoPR
Leadership Music Accepting Applications For Class of 2016
/by Jessica NicholsonThe organization’s aim is to expose participants to each segment of the music industry, and to discuss issues affecting all facets of the industry. Once selected, attendees will attend a four-hour orientation and welcome reception in September, as well as six all-day sessions once a month (on Fridays), and two-day opening and closing retreats during the program. A one-time tuition fee for the program is $1,000.
Leadership Music has more than 1,000 alums.
“When we enter into the selection process, our uppermost goal is to select a passionate, balanced and diversified class of professionals, who are, individually and collectively, the best and brightest leaders in their field and represent all segments of the music industry,” executive director Debbie Schwartz Linn says. “Each year, the selection committee has the difficult task of determining the class slate from far more qualified applicants than we have slots. We are seeing a record level of interest in Leadership Music, which means there are more qualified candidates from which to choose. That’s a good problem to have, but it is often frustrating for those who have applied multiple times. Each year varies depending on how many applicants apply from each category. We strongly encourage applicants to keep applying if not selected. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and well worth the effort.”
Applications must be submitted online no later than March 31, 2015. Application forms, program dates, and more can be found at leadershipmusic.org/apply.
LifeNotes: Services Set For Guitar Great James “Spider” Wilson
/by Robert K OermannJames “Spider” Wilson
A celebration of the life of James “Spider” Wilson is scheduled for 1 p.m. this afternoon (Monday, March 2) at Woodbine Hickory Chapel.
Wilson was an enduring country guitar great who passed away on Thursday, Feb. 26 at age 79. His career spanned six decades and included a very long stint in the Grand Ole Opry’s staff band, 1953-2006.
He was a Nashville native who listened to the Opry through the windows of the Ryman Auditorium when he was a boy. He first came to prominence as a teenaged member of the band of Little Jimmy Dickens beginning in 1947. His sizzling guitar runs were the star’s sonic trademark in his early years. Wilson also toured with Ray Price. During this era, he reportedly acquired his “Spider” nickname because of his lanky frame.
He became a member of the Opry’s staff band at the age of 18. Wilson was also notable as a session musician on Music Row. In addition to Dickens and Price, he backed such stars as Faron Young, Marty Robbins, Buddy Emmons, Dolly Parton and Bill Anderson on recordings.
Young’s “Sweet Dreams” (1956), Price’s “My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You” (1957) and Skeeter Davis’s “The End of the World” (1962) are among the many hits featuring his guitar work.
Spider Wilson was also a familiar face and sound on television. He spent 29 years in the band of Ralph Emery’s local program The Morning Show on WSMV-Channel 4, frequently trading quips with the host. He was also in the “house band” on the nationally syndicated TV series hosted by singer Bobby Lord.
James “Spider” Wilson is survived by his wife Shirley, by sons David and Darryl, by daughter Julie Hannah, by sister Jo Ann Ferguson, by four grandchildren, one great-grandchild and many other family members and friends.
Woodbine Hickory Chapel is at the Woodbine Funeral Home at 5852 Nolensville Road. Jonas Taylor will officiate at the service. The interment will be at Woodlawn Cemetery.
Bobby Karl Works the CRS New Faces Show
/by Bobby KarlBOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM
Chapter 483
Pictured (L-R): Cole Swindell, Frankie Ballard, Maddie & Tae, Eric Paslay, and Sam Hunt. Photo: AristoPR
The climax of Country Radio Seminar is the annual New Faces Show, a make-or-break presentation of the year’s most promising fledglings.
It is a tense occasion for the performers, since this is the first time that the all-important radio programmers will judge their showmanship. Careers have both soared and crashed as a result of this showcase.
“I know how prestigious this show is, and I don’t take it lightly,” said New Face Frankie Ballard. He has a separated shoulder and has not been playing his guitar at recent concerts. But he was determined to strap it on for this gig. So, shoulder or no shoulder, he showcased his guitar chops. And how.
The New Face who walked away from the show a star was probably Eric Paslay. The singer-songwriter was both an artistic success and an audience favorite.
Eric Paslay performs at the CRS New Faces Showcase. Photo: AristoPR
Paslay’s ballad “She Don’t Love You” was performed with clear-throated vocal finesse and was one of the most honest sounding efforts of the evening. “Song About a Girl” was groovy and funky. “Keep on Fallin” was a snappy, crackling country rocker.
“Thank you for changing my world, and for this song,” said Paslay introducing “Friday Night.” This good-time rocking hit, with its chewy, tasty rhythm groove gave him a joyous, whiz-bang finale.
The second-best New Face presentation was by Maddie & Tae. In fact, considering how truly new and how young they are, this was in some ways the night’s most impressive performance. Unlike the others on the bill, this duo doesn’t even have a full album yet.
Their vocal harmonies were flawless: These women have obviously rehearsed rigorously. The slight drawback of this was that they seemed to concentrate on delivering a perfect presentation, rather than engaging the audience.
Their breakthrough hit, “Girl in a Country Song,” was feisty, bouncy and good natured. “Fly,” the current single, was wafting, airy and lovely. The duo concluded with the warm, comforting and super-accomplished “After the Storm Blows Through.”
Maddie & Tae perform during the CRS New Faces Show. Photo: AristoPR
Madison Marlow and Taylor Dye are barely out of their teens, but they grew up right before our eyes that night. Good for them.
Frankie Ballard was my third favorite. He not only showed off his flashy guitar skills, he worked the stage like a pro and looked like a star in his leather jacket. He gave them the hits “Sunshine and Whiskey” and “Helluva Life,” drawing a big ovation from the crowd.
“I was a nobody from Battle Creek, Mich., before you played this one,” he said of “Helluva Life.” “I can’t tell you how good it feels to play this song and have people know it, and I thank country radio for that. If I wasn’t here [at CRS], I’d be singing it in some honky-tonk in Detroit. So I thank you for that.”
His finale was the raucous, Motor City rocker “Young and Crazy.” This guy was the very definition of a modern young country star.
The act with the most “buzz” leading into the New Faces show was probably Sam Hunt. His sound was full of electronic washes and programmed percussion, with auto-tuned, processed vocals. “Leave the Night On” and “House Party” led him to come off the stage and wade through the crowd at the front tables.
With its mix of spoken-word passages and melodic segments, “Take Your Time” was Hunt’s best and most evocative effort. He ended with the finely honed “Break Up in a Small Town.”
Hunt earned the Worst Wardrobe Award with his long gray t-shirt and a face-obscuring ballcap with a peak so high it looked like it belonged in a Coneheads skit. You’re in trouble when your lead guitarist knows how to visually present better than you do.
Cole Swindell performs during the CRS New Faces Showcase. Photo: AristoPR
Also wearing a ballcap was the finale New Face, Cole Swindell. This caused us to note that Ballard was the lone male act not wearing this hat, which has replaced the Stetson as country’s uniform: Is it just a coincidence that he also came across as the best looking?
Whereas Hunt was at least sonically innovative bro country; Swindell seemed merely routine bro country. In fact, his presentation was practically a Xerox of a Luke Bryan show, from the hat to the jeans to the belt buckle to the hip-thrust stage moves.
Swindell was another New Face with a heavily processed vocal. He sounded one way when speaking, then as soon as he started to sing, the auto-tuning and triple tracking kicked in on his voice. And even with all the technology, he still sounded just barely on pitch.
Still, Swindell’s renditions of such favorites as “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight,” “Chillin It” and “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey” were all crowd pleasers.
Pictured (L-R, back row): Cole Swindell, Sam Hunt. (L-R, front row): Eric Paslay, Maddie & Tae, Frankie Ballard. Photo: AristoPR
The 2015 New Faces Show was staged in the main hall of the old Renaissance Convention Center on Friday (Feb. 27). Video clips throughout the night reminded us that the CRS convention is moving to the Omini Hotel next year. So we’ve eaten our last rubber-chicken banquet in this room.
As usual, Music Row turned out in full force for this annual extravaganza. Working the room were Tom Luteran, Tom Baldrica, Bobby Young, Bob Paxman, Rob Simbeck, Charlie Morgan, Charlie Monk, Chuck Dauphin, Clay Myers, Jessica Myers, Jessica Turri and Travis Moon of St. Jude’s Hospital, Frank Rogers, Earle Simmons, Patrick Clifford, John Ozier, Preshus Tomes, Jack Purcell, Gary Overton, Shawn Carnes of Nasville Underground Entertainment, Don Cusic, Phyllis Stark, Donna Hughes, Todd Cassetty, Sharilyn Pettus, Lorie Hollabaugh, Vernell Hackett, Andrew Capps, Ed Morris, Darin Murphy, Ken Tucker, the triple monikered Deborah Evans Price, Wynne Vanessa Adams and Allison Brown Jones, plus just about everybody else you’ve ever met in this business.
Additionally, the 2015 CRS/Country Aircheck winners were revealed throughout the evening. Winners include:
Station Of The Year: WUSN/Chicago (Major Market); WSM-FM/Nashville (Large Market); WIVK/Knoxville (Medium Market); WUSY/Chattanooga (Small Market)
Market Manager/GM: Mick Anselmo, KMNB/Minneapolis (Major Market); Dan Endom, WSIX/Nashville (Large Market); Tim Feagan, WBCT/Grand Rapids (Medium Market); Jared Stehney, WUSY/Chattanooga (Small Market)
OM/PD: Tim Roberts, WYCD/Detroit (Major Market); Charlie Cook, WKDF & WSM-FM/Nashville (Large Market); Sue Wilson, WQMX/Akron (Medium Market); Gator Harrison, WUSY/Chattanooga, TN (Small Market)
MD: Angie Ward, WUBL/Atlanta (Major Market); Bob Pickett, KASE/Austin (Large Market); Hoss Michaels, KXKT/Omaha (Medium Market); Bill Poindexter, WUSY/Chattanooga (Small Market)
Personality/Show: Ben & Matt, KNIX/Phoenix (Major Market); Amy Paige, WSIX/Nashville (Large Market); Buzz Jackson, KIIM/Tucson (Medium Market); Dex & Mo, WUSY/Chattanooga (Small Market)
National/Syndicated Personality: The Bobby Bones Show
Platinum Label: Big Machine
Gold Label: Curb
VP/Promotion: Jack Purcell, Big Machine
Director/National Promotion: Katie Bright, WMN
Regional Director or Manager/Promotion: Alex Valentine, Big Machine
Independent Promotion Team or Executive: GrassRoots
“New Face Of Country” Professional: Kristen Johnson, Republic Nashville
PIctured (L-R): Cole Swindell, Frankie Ballard, Warner Music Nashville’s John Esposito. Photo: AristoPR
CRS New Faces performers with members of BMLG. Photo: AristoPR