10th Annual Faster Horses Festival Closes Successful Decade Of Shows

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Billy Currington, Shania Twain at Faster Horses in Brooklyn, Michigan. Photo Courtesy of The GreenRoom PR / Faster Horses.

The 10th annual Faster Horses Music and Camping Festival wrapped its three-day anniversary event July 14–16 in Brooklyn, Michigan with fans returning in droves to enjoy the star-studded lineup including headliners Luke Bryan, Shania Twain and Zac Brown Band. 

Dustin Lynch, Blanco Brown, Chris Cagle, and more helped kick off the three-day festival on Friday. The evening commenced with a drone show lighting up the night sky to mark the festival’s tenth anniversary, and capped off with a lively performance from Bryan.

The summer fun continued on Saturday, beginning with the annual “Faster Humans” fun run around the Michigan International Speedway, where fans raced around the track before heading to catch the day’s stacked lineup. Packed with memorable sets across both stages, fans sang along to Dwight Yoakam, Mike., Warren Zeiders and more before Zac Brown Band closed out the night.

Sunday wrapped the weekend with performances by Dylan Scott, Hailey Whitters, Billy Currington, Kameron Marlowe and Megan Moroney, followed by headliner Shania Twain who played fan-favorite hits, bringing Currington on stage for the first ever live performance of “Party for Two.” The tenth anniversary weekend closed with “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” as Twain danced under the stars in her original “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” music video outfit.

Over the weekend the crowds also gathered at the Next From Nashville Stage to catch performances from Ben Burgess, George Birge, Mackenzie Carpenter, John Morgan, Lauren Watkins and more.

Courtney Johanson Exits The GreenRoom PR, Joins Red Light Management

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Courtney Johanson

Courtney Johanson has left her position at The GreenRoom PR after more than a decade with the company. She will now fulfill a management role for Kip Moore, Caylee Hammack and Tucker Beathard at Red Light Management.

As a Senior Publicist at The GreenRoom, Johanson was involved in press campaigns for clients including Moore, Beathard, Hammack, Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, Rascal Flatts, Elvie Shane, Travis Denning, all of Live Nation’s Country Festivals and more.

She secured national television, print and online coverage and has had a hand in building critically-acclaimed album launches as well as gaining national press attention for Live Nation’s Country Festivals. Johanson has a BA in music industry management from Canterbury ChristChurch University in the United Kingdom.

“I’m saying a bittersweet goodbye to The GreenRoom PR. Having started at The GreenRoom as an intern for Mary Hilliard in 2012, I can honestly say there’s nowhere else I would have chosen to spend the last decade. I’m so thankful to Tyne [Parrish] and Kristie [Sloan] for not only being the best mentors and leaders, but also friends,” Johanson shares.

Congratulate Johanson at courtney.johanson@redlightmanagement.com.

Warner Chappell, The Core & Bailey Zimmerman Sign Brandon Wisham

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Pictured (L-R): Bryce Sherlow (WCM), Tracy Martin (The Core), Bailey Zimmerman, Brandon Wisham, Ben Vaughn (WCM), Simon Tikhman (The Core), Chief Zaruk (The Core)

Singer-songwriter Brandon Wisham has signed a worldwide global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music, The Core Entertainment and Bailey Zimmerman. 

A Savannah, Georgia native, Wisham spent his childhood in Williamston, South Carolina as the youngest of seven kids. Influenced by Luke Combs, Justin Bieber, Hardy and the Jonas Brothers, Wisham describes his sound as “country with an R&B kick.”

He recently started sharing his original songs on social media, and the posts caught the ear of rising country superstar Zimmerman. The pair quickly formed a friendship that led to Wisham moving to Nashville to begin his professional music journey. Upon arriving in Music City, he began collaborating with Zimmerman, who cut Wisham’s song “Pain Won’t Last” for his debut album Religiously. The Album.

“From the first listen of the songs that Brandon had written we knew he had a head-turning voice and we wanted to join his team,” says Ben Vaughn, President & CEO, Warner Chappell Music Nashville. “We’re extremely proud to be partnering with Bailey and the team at The Core as we welcome Brandon into the Warner Chappell family.”

Porter’s Call Announces Staff Additions & Forthcoming Leadership Changes

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Pictured (L-R): Jared Farley, Chad Karger, Audrey Ragan, Al Andrews, Beth Barcus and Phil Shay

Porter’s Call, the nonprofit organization dedicated to providing counsel, support and encouragement to recording artists, has added Audrey Ragan as Office & Hospitality Manager and Jared Farley as a Porter. Additionally, Phil Shay, who joined Porter’s Call in 2022, has been named Director of Development. The organization has also announced forthcoming leadership changes, which are set to take effect in May of 2024.

Founder & Executive Director Al Andrews will step down from his role, and Beth Barcus and Chad Karger will take the helm as Co-Executive Directors come spring of next year. Barcus and Karger have been Porters within the organization for two decades combined. Andrews wholeheartedly supports the nonprofit he founded 22 years ago and plans to always be an enthusiastic ambassador for the organization.

“I cannot express how bright the future of Porter’s Call looks to me,” he shares. “Handing off the leadership into the capable hands of Beth and Chad was an easy decision. I believe in them and trust them to lead Porter’s Call, with the support of the entire team, for years to come.”

“This is an exciting and wonderful time to extend the mission of Porter’s Call that Al created and Beth and Chad will shepherd into the future. The addition of Phil, Jared and Audrey will expand their ability to serve the artist community,” adds Board President Matt Signore.

Porter’s Call is also hosting their 14th annual “Evening of Stories” on Tuesday, Aug. 29 at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.

Industry Ink: Play It Again Entertainment, Got Your 6 VetFest, Elle King, Music Row Build

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Play It Again Entertainment Promotes Alyssa Ramsey

Alyssa Ramsey

Play It Again Music Group’s label and management entity, Play It Again Entertainment, has promoted Alyssa Ramsey to Manager of Label Services/Day-to-Day. In this new role, Ramsey will oversee label projects and artist development, including A&R, marketing, branding, and release timelines. As part of Play It Again’s management team, Ramsey acts as Day-to-Day manager for Dylan Marlowe and reports to both Cade Price and Dallas Davidson.

“Alyssa Ramsey is always working. She loves our artists and spends every day making sure there are no stones unturned. I truly believe that she wants to make our artists’ dreams come true as much as they do! Alyssa has been instrumental in breaking Dylan Marlowe as an artist and is well on her way to do the same with Tyler Chambers. She’s been an exceptional addition to PIAMG and we are lucky to have her,” says Davidson.

Since first joining Play It Again Music Group in 2021, Ramsey has continued to take on responsibilities and has been an integral part of PIAE’s successes with her prior titles being Creative Assistant and Project Manager.

The Fort Worth, Texas native graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 2019 with a B.S. in Advertising. Ramsey followed her passion for Texas country artists into the booking industry where she made stops at Red 11 Music in Nashville and Rodeo Austin. She made the official move to Nashville in the fall of 2020 and began as the Creative Intern at Anthem Entertainment while also completing an M.A. in Music Business from Berklee College Of Music.

 

Gretchen Wilson, Brian Kelley, More Perform at Got Your 6 VetFest

Gretchen Wilson, Brian Kelley. Photo: Danielle Del Valle / Getty Images for Bob Woodruff Foundation

The Bob Woodruff Foundation hosted the second annual Got Your 6 VetFest, a family-friendly event for the local veteran and service member community, at the Loveless Cafe and Barn in Nashville on July 15.

The evening’s live programming included special musical performances by Gretchen Wilson, Brian Kelley, The War and Treaty, Briston Maroney and Ashley Cooke. Longtime WKRN News anchor Bob Mueller received a surprise award, the Generous Persson Award, onstage during the event. Mueller, the winner of 10 Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award, was recognized for his tireless contribution to journalism and commitment to helping his community. The event also included rides, games, and a raffle for guitars signed by musical legends including Dolly Parton, Keith Urban, Reba and Amy Grant.

“The Bob Woodruff Foundation has spent years helping to educate people about the physical and hidden wounds of war. Today, most veterans and their families are thriving, and it’s great to see the progress we’ve made,” says Anne Marie Dougherty, CEO of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “But some veterans still face real challenges—loss of income, food, housing insecurity, or social isolation. They need our help, and that’s why this Foundation exists: to support the men and women who made the commitment to stand for us. Our service members had our 6—our backs—as they say in the service. And we have theirs.”

The Bob Woodruff Foundation was founded in 2006 after reporter Bob Woodruff was wounded by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq. Since then, the organization has raised awareness about the tough challenges veterans and military families face and invested over $120 million to ensure that our nation’s veterans, service members and their families have stable and successful futures.

 

Elle King Celebrates Latest Gold Certification On Summer Tour

Elle King, Dierks Bentley

With the summer tour season at full throttle, Elle King rides out of Calgary after her show at the Stampede Corral Arena and back into the U.S. for a string of sold-out shows out west.

After taking the stage as co-host and performer for the 50th anniversary of CMA Fest, King appears on the three-hour CMA Fest primetime special that airs on Wednesday, July 19 at 7 p.m. central on ABC, and is available the next day on Hulu. While backstage at CMA Fest, King and co-host, duet partner and friend Dierks Bentley were surprised with a Gold plaque for their song “Worth A Shot,” which is featured on her critically acclaimed album Come Get Your Wife.

In addition to co-hosting with Bentley and Lainey Wilson, King performs two songs on the CMA Fest special, including her award-winning smash single “Drunk (And I Don’t Want To Go Home)” with Miranda Lambert, as well as a collaboration with Wilson and Tanya Tucker on “Texas (When I Die).”

 

Music Row Build Continues 2023 Porch Party Series

Pictured (L-R): Sherry Stinson (SVP Habitat Nashville), Penny Gattis (Music Row Build Ambassador/Eclipse Music GM), Beth Laird (NOW Founder/Creative Nation, Founder) Abbey Adams (NOW Founder/Red Door Music Group GM), Johnny Haffner (Chef)

Habitat for Humanity’s Music Row Build has continued its Porch Party Series, bringing guests together for an intimate porch dining experience. Proceeds benefit the Music Row Build, whose mission is to bring the music community together to support affordable housing Nashville through education, advocacy and experiencing hope in action at the Habitat build site.

June’s dinner was hosted by Nurturing Outstanding Women (NOW) founded by Abbey Adams and Beth Laird. NOW is a mentor program committed to creating room for women in business. Guests enjoyed a vibrant menu prepared by local chef Johnny Haffner.

The upcoming dates for the rest of the Porch Party Series are July 27, Aug. 24, Sept. 28 and Oct. 26.

Boy Named Banjo To Kick Off ‘Dusk Til Dawn Tour’ In September

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Pictured (L-R): Willard Logan, William Reames, Barton Davies, Ford Garrard and Sam McCullough. Photo: Evan Harney

Boy Named Banjo will travel coast to coast this fall on their “Dusk Til Dawn Tour” starting in September. The band will be joined by Brother Elsey, Will Jones and Cassandra Lewis on select dates.

Kicking things off on Sept. 14 in Atlanta, they will make stops in Los Angeles, Houston, New York City, Birmingham, Washington D.C., Charleston and more through Dec. 2.

Formed in their teens, Boy Named Banjo includes Barton Davies (banjo), Ford Garrard (bass/standing bass), Sam McCullough (drums) Willard Logan (mandolin, acoustic/electric guitar) and William Reames (acoustic guitar/harmonica). The group recently released their uplifting anthem “What Keeps Me Going,” which arrived on the heels of their Grand Ole Opry debut.

“As a band, putting on the best show possible every night is something we take a lot of pride in,” says Davies. “We’re so thrilled to have over 30 opportunities to do that on our ‘Dusk Til Dawn Tour’ this fall. We have some amazing artists joining us that our fans are going to love.”
Tickets go on sale this Friday (July 21) and are available for presale now. For more information, click here.

Jason Aldean Back In The Saddle On ‘Highway Desperado Tour’

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Jason Aldean. Photo: Theo Wargo

Jason Aldean had a bit of a rocky start to his “Highway Desperado Tour” last weekend, which kicked off with shows in Bethel, New York (July 14) Hartford, Connecticut (July 15) and Saratoga Springs, New York (July 16).

The ACM Artist of the Decade had to stop his Hartford show mid-performance and postpone it after suffering heat exhaustion from the extreme heat in the region over the weekend. He rescheduled the Hartford date at Xfinity Amphitheater to Sunday, July 30, and tickets from the previous Hartford date will automatically be valid for the new date.

Aldean heads to Ohio, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts next through the end of the month before heading south for shows in Charleston, Atlanta, Tuscaloosa and 29 more cities throughout the fall.

“Highway Desperado 2023 Tour” Dates:
Thu Jul 20 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
Fri Jul 21 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Fri Jul 28 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium
Sat Jul 29 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
Fri Aug 04 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium
Sat Aug 05 – Atlanta, GA  – Lakewood Amphitheatre
Sun Aug 06 – Tuscaloosa, AL – Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
Thu Aug 10 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Fri Aug 11 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Fri Aug 18 –Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford Premier Center
Thu Aug 24 – Estero, FL – Hertz Arena
Fri Aug 25 – Jacksonville, FL – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
Sat Aug 26 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater
Thu Sep 07 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Fri Sep 08 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Sat Sep 09 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Thu Sep 14 – Rogers, AR  – Walmart AMP
Fri Sep 15 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Sat Sep 16 –Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Thu Sep 21 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
Fri Sep 22 – Portland, OR – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
Sat Sep 23 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
Thu Sep 28 – Mountain View, CA  – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Fri Sep 29 – San Bernardino, CA – Glen Helen Amphitheater
Sat Sep 30 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre
Thu Oct 05 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Fri Oct 06 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Sat Oct 07 – Denver, CO  – Ball Arena
Thu Oct 12 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
Fri Oct 13 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center
Sat Oct 14 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
Thu Oct 19 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
Fri Oct 20 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
Sat Oct 21 – Toledo, OH – Huntington Center
Fri Oct 27 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Sat Oct 28 – Tampa, FL – MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre

Kelli Wasilauski Named Director Of Operations Of The Oriel Company’s Nashville Office [Exclusive]

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Kelli Wasilauski

Kelli Wasilauski has joined The Oriel Company as Director of Operations of its Nashville office.

Charlotte Burke Bass is exiting the position after helping the company establish the Music City division of the PR company that represents Kelsea Ballerini, Old Dominion, Jason Isbell, Zoe Kravitz, Maroon 5, Questlove, Robyn, André 3000, Phoebe Bridgers, and recent Emmy nominees Juliette Lewis and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, as well as Stagecoach Music Festival.

“We really enjoyed getting to know Charlotte over the course of this past year and working with her on the launch of The Oriel Co’s Nashville office. We thank her immensely for her work and are very supportive of her decision to take a step back from the daily grind of agency life,” shares The Oriel Co.’s Co-Founder, Carleen Donovan.

She adds, “We conducted a very wide executive search and immediately connected with Kelli. Chloe Walsh, Jen Appel and I have been so impressed with Kelli and knew immediately she was someone we could trust implicitly, collaborate with and grow with our agency. I speak for our entire team here when I say how excited we are to have her aboard here at The Oriel Co!”

Wasilauski brings more than eight years of music industry experience to her new role at The Oriel Co. She most recently served as VP of Publicity at Adkins Publicity. Since its inception, she helped grow the company’s roster to more than 20 clients and worked on notable campaigns including Billy Ray Cyrus’ record-breaking “Old Town Road (Remix)” with Lil Nas X, Tanya Tucker’s Grammy award-winning While I’m Livin’ album and The Judds‘ “Dream Chasers” Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum exhibit. Wasilauski spearheaded PR efforts for Bill Anderson’s Hall of Fame exhibit, “Bill Anderson: As Far As I Can See,” and his album of the same name, which yielded the Hall of Famer his inaugural Grammy nomination as an artist.

Prior to Adkins Publicity, Wasilauski worked with artists including Big & Rich, Kiefer Sutherland and Locash and coordinated events and on-site press for Dolly Parton’s “Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund,” “All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers’ Farewell Concert Celebration,” “A Heroes & Friends Tribute to Randy Travis” and Charlie Daniels’ Volunteer Jam.

Congratulate Wasilauski at kelli@theoriel.co.

Ryan Vojtesak Re-Enters Top 5 On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Ryan Vojtesak

Ryan Vojtesak re-enters the top five on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week, moving from No. 6 to to No. 4. He is co-writer on Morgan Wallen’s tracks “Last Night,” “You Proof,” “Thinkin’ Bout Me,” “Everything I Love” and “Cowgirls.”

Filling out the top five, Ashley Gorley sits atop the chart at No. 1 for the 11th consecutive week as a co-writer on Chris Janson’s “All I Need Is You,” Parmalee’s “Girl In Mine,” Russell Dickerson’s “God Gave Me A Girl,” Hardy’s “Truck Bed,” Nate Smith’s “World On Fire” and Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night,” “Cowgirls,” “Everything I Love,” “Thinkin’ Bout Me” and “You Proof.”

Tracy Chapman remains at No. 2 with Luke Combs’ cover of her solely-written “Fast Car” still rising. Zach Bryan‘s “Something In The Orange” keeps him at No. 3 and Chase McGill sits at No. 5 with six charting songs.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Brandy Clark & Lori McKenna Announce Co-Headlining Tour For Fall

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Brandy Clark (Photo: Victoria Stevens) & Lori McKenna (Photo: Thomas Heney)

Award-winning songwriters Brandy Clark and Lori McKenna are teaming up for a special tour this fall.

“An Evening with Brandy Clark & Lori McKenna” will kick off Sept. 28 and features the two together on stage swapping stories and performing songs from their catalogues as well as material they’ve penned for others.

The trek includes stops in Houston, Dallas, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Boston and more through Oct. 15. Tickets will be available for presale starting tomorrow (July 18), with general sales following this Friday (July 21).

Clark released her self-titled album produced by Brandi Carlile earlier this spring, and will embark on her own extensive headlining tour this fall as well, visiting Chicago, Minneapolis, Nashville, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, among others. In addition to her work as a solo artist, Clark has written songs such as “A Beautiful Noise,” the Grammy-nominated duet performed by Carlile and Alicia Keys, and Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow.”

She also composed the music and lyrics for the new hit Broadway musical comedy, Shucked, alongside her longtime collaborator Shane McAnally. With the show, Clark won Outstanding Music at the 67th Drama Desk Awards. Shucked also earned Tony Award and was nominated for nine total this past year.

McKenna will release her new album, 1988, this Friday. Produced by Dave Cobb, the record is named for the year she married her husband and serves as a love letter to her family and lifelong friends. In celebration of the new music, McKenna will tour this summer with headlining shows at Philadelphia’s World Café Live, New York’s City Winery, Nashville’s CMA Theater, Evanston’s Space and more.

Along with her solo artistry, McKenna has penned songs for Taylor Swift, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, George Strait, Sheryl Crow, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill and Reba McEntire. She also co-wrote “Always Remember Us This Way,” which was featured in the 2018 film A Star Is Born. In the past few years, she has won three Grammy Awards for Best Country Song and two CMA Song of the Year honors in addition to becoming the first female ACM Songwriter of the Year.

“An Evening with Brandy Clark & Lori McKenna” Tour Dates:
Sept. 28—Houston, TX—The Heights Theater
Sept. 29—Dallas, TX—The Kessler Theater
Sept. 30—New Braunfels, TX—Gruene Hall
Oct. 5—Knoxville, TN—Bijou Theatre
Oct. 6—Chattanooga, TN—Walker Theatre
Oct. 7—Rocky Mount, VA—Harvester Performance Center
Oct. 8—Durham, NC—Carolina Theatre of Durham/Fletcher Hall
Oct. 12—Buffalo, NY—Asbury Hall at Babeville
Oct. 13—Laconia, NH—The Colonial Theatre of Laconia
Oct. 14—Northampton, MA—Academy of Music
Oct. 15—Boston, MA—The Wilbur