UTA has added Mary Allen to its team of Music City agents.

Allen previously worked as a founding agent at Mint Talent Group. Before Mint, she spent six years as a booking agent at Madison House in Boulder, Colorado. Her roster includes French electronic music artist CloZee, The Polish Ambassador, The Funk Hunters, Apashe, Tripp St., Memba, Rome in Silver, NotLö, Veil, sumthin sumthin, Player Dave, and more.

Aaron Arkin and Vatana Shaw have also joined the company as a Music Crossover Agent and Music Brand Partnerships Agent, respectively. Both of them will be based in Los Angeles.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mary, Aaron and Vatana to the UTA team,” shares David Zedeck, Partner and Co-Head of Global Music. “Their combined expertise in touring, development of music-driven content and brand partnerships will be integral as we continue to expand the scope and resources of our music department.”

Allen’s addition follows a series of new hires over the last 18 months that include Scott Clayton, Nashville office co-heads Jeffrey Hasson and Matthew Morgan, and Nashville-based agents Brett Saliba, Matt Korn, Zach Hartley, Emily Wright, Emily LaRose, Marissa Smith, Elisa Vazzana and Buster Phillips.

Pictured: Morgan Wallen and surprise guest Jimmie Allen at Bridgestone Arena on March 16. Photo: David Lehr

Morgan Wallen kicked off his three-night stay at Nashville’s Bridgestone arena with a jam-packed evening of music on Wednesday (March 16).

His entertaining show covered a lot of his 30-song, top-selling sophomore project, Dangerous: The Double Album. The project, which topped the all-genre Billboard 200 Albums year-end chart with 3.2 million units sold in 2021, also just won Album of the Year at the 2022 ACM Awards.

Pictured: Morgan Wallen and surprise guest Ronnie Dunn at Bridgestone Arena on March 16. Photo: David Lehr

Interestingly, the singer started his set tenderly, rising up onto the stage, seated at a piano to play his most recent No. 1 hit, “Sand In My Boots.” Wallen donned a brown corduroy pearl-snap shirt, jeans and Tecovas, and smiled up into the crowd who cheered furiously.

After ramping things up for “Something Country” and “Up Down,” Wallen addressed the hometown crowd.

“My name is Morgan Wallen. I really appreciate you being here tonight,” he said. “There’s a lot of people who believed in me for a long time in the building tonight, a lot of people who have been through a lot with me. This is very special to me.

“Most of the songs we’re going to play tonight just won ACM Album of the Year,” he added. “And it wouldn’t have been possible without y’all.”

Wallen played 17 songs from Dangerous, in addition to some older material. He sounded great throughout the night, sometimes with an even more pronounced country accent than what’s featured on the recordings. Fans raged for his redneck-and-proud anthems, “Still Goin Down,” “Country Ass Shit,” and “Somethin’ Country.” The women in the audience, of which there were many, squealed over his romantic side on “Silverado For Sale,” “Somebody’s Problem,” “More Than My Hometown,” and “Seven Summers.”

Wallen also kept the visual affects to a minimum. The two big screens stayed on him most of the time, and his stage lit up with flames and smoke on his more hard-hitting tracks. But as it turns out, he didn’t need much pizzazz. If Wallen and his arsenal of streaming hits weren’t enough, he enlisted a lot of special guests throughout the night.

Pictured: Morgan Wallen and Ernest perform “Flower Shops” at Bridgestone Arena. Photo: David Lehr

Frequent collaborator and label-mate Ernest, who Wallen referenced throughout the night when telling stories behind some of the songs, finally joined him on stage to perform their collaboration, “Flower Shops.” Bridgestone Arena went wild for Ernest, and the Nashville native gleamed back.

Jimmie Allen joined him at one point to perform a rousing version of Wallen’s debut single, “The Way I Talk.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night was when Country Music Hall of Famer Ronnie Dunn casually strolled out onstage to help Wallen sing “Talkin’ Tennessee.” The two then traded verses on “Neon Moon,” with Wallen grinning ear to ear at the legend. “You’re killin’ it man!” Dunn told him.

Both Hardy and Larry Fleet, who served as openers for the show, re-joined Wallen at some point to sing with the star.

A highlight of the evening came with Wallen’s cover of Jason Isbell‘s “Cover Me Up.” He instructed concert-goers to pull out their cell phones to light the arena as he sang. His signature rasp, paired with thousands of people singing along, made for a special moment.

Wallen closed his set with an encore of “Heartless,” his new single “Wasted On You,” and his first No. 1, “Whiskey Glasses.”

Throughout the night, Wallen spoke with a lot of pride for his homestate, and a lot of love for his fans.

“For me it was always music and baseball,” he said. “I always imagined myself playing the World Series or something. I never thought I’d be in Bridgestone Arena singing music, that’s for sure. But it feels like the World Series for me tonight.”

Pictured: Hardy and Morgan Wallen performing Hardy’s “He Went To Jared.” Photo: David Lehr

Hardy was also thrilled to play for a Nashville crowd. The singer-songwriter leaned heavily into his rock sensibilities throughout his high-energy set, even playing his brand new rock single “Sold Out.” He was visibly psyched performing “4X4” and “Unapologetically Country As Hell,” showing off his significant growth in confidence as a showman.

“I’m very thankful to call myself a hit songwriter at this point in my career,” Hardy told the crowd before performing a hit he co-wrote for Blake Shelton, “God’s Country.” He also brought special guests for the first Nashville night. Lauren Alain and Devin Dawson joined him for their hit song, “One Beer.”

Larry Fleet got the evening started with some songs from his first full-length album, Stack Of Records. Later he joined Wallen onstage for his critically-acclaimed track “Where I Find God.”

Wallen, Hardy, and Fleet will hit the Nashville stage again Thursday and Friday night. Tickets are still available here.

Noah Gordon

Grammy award-winning engineer and producer Noah Gordon has launched 8 Track Entertainment, a multi-faceted publishing, production and live touring events company. The new venture will also unveil details about a new country label in the coming weeks.

Led by Gordon, initial hirings include Jeff Goodwin as Vice President/Marketing and Partnerships; Bill Harbin as Vice President/Corporate Partnerships; and Claire Cook-Taylor as Vice President/Public Relations/Media.

“It’s truly an exciting time to be in Entertainment… feels like the Wild West! 8 Track isn’t traditional… we’re bringing decades of experience in Corporate Relationships & Partnerships and marrying that to a completely independent music, media, marketing, touring and content driven company,” shares Gordon, President of 8 Track Entertainment. “8 Track is rooted in the nostalgia of Muscle Shoals, but we know how to do business in 2022.”

The recently launched publishing division, 8 Track Publishing, has already celebrated the company’s first No. 1 Billboard Hot Country Song with Aaron Lewis‘ “Am I The Only One,” co-written by 8 Track songwriter, Ira Dean. Dean also penned five songs and co-produced Lewis’ No. 1 album Frayed at Both Ends, which topped iTunes Country Album chart in January 2022.

A 30-year music industry veteran, Gordon’s production credits include songs by Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn, Brad Paisley, Montgomery Gentry, Jake Owen, Darius Rucker, Jacob Bryant and more. Additionally, Gordon produced Colt Ford’s No. 1 Billboard Country and Indie album, Declaration of Independence, and Ford’s No.1 Billboard Rap and Indie album, Thanks For Listening. An ASCAP award-winning songwriter, Gordon has over 50 cuts by artists such as Charlie Daniels, John Michael Montgomery, Randy Travis, Craig Morgan, Joe Nichols and Clay Walker. Gordon most recently served as VP, A&R/Publishing at Average Joes Entertainment.

A marketing industry executive with 40 years experience in corporate partnerships, Goodwin has developed marketing plans for companies including Kimberly Clark, Coca-Cola, Georgia Pacific, Winfield, Land O’ Lakes, Jive Communications and others. He was formerly head of A&R for Airborne Records.

Harbin has worked in corporate America as VP of National Accounts/Sales for 22 years. He created and developed corporate partnerships of multiple Fortune 500 companies, including Coca-Cola, Syngenta, Georgia Pacific, Winfield, Land O’ Lakes, Budweiser, Kleenex and others. Harbin previously served as the CEO and Co-Founder of Prestige Sports Media & Entertainment.

Previously Head of Public Publicity at Average Joes Entertainment, Cook-Taylor began her career at Capitol/EMI Records in LA. Previous career stops include Los Angeles-based Windsor Publications; Magnatone Records Nashville; VP, Publicity at Kenny Rogers’ Dreamcatcher Entertainment; Moraine Music Group; and her own Cook Media as Independent Management and Publicity.

Pictured (L-R): Marissa Messer, John Carroll, Hillary Borden. Photo: Jessica Crans

BBR Music Group announced the hiring of Marissa Messer to Director of Digital Marketing, John Carroll to Director of Streaming, and Hillary Borden to Marketing Manager.

Messer joins BBR from Soles4Souls, where she handled the non-profit’s digital presence, helping to turn shoes and clothing into opportunity by providing relief, creating jobs and empowering people to break the cycle of poverty. Prior to that, she spent time at various digital agencies. Reporting to Elise Stawarz, Sr. Director of Digital Marketing, Messer handles the strategic digital initiatives for the label’s artist roster. Reach her at marissa@bbrmusicgroup.com.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Marissa to our digital marketing team,” says Stawarz. “Marissa comes to us with incredible experience in the non-profit and agency spaces, and I’m excited for her to bring these talents to our BBR Music Group artists.”

Carroll comes to BBR from Sony Music Nashville, where he served as Associate Director, A&R. Prior to that, he worked at Universal Music Group on their Global Streaming Marketing team. Reporting to Chris Loss, VP of Streaming at BBR, Carroll collaborates with key partners to amplify all of BBR Music Group’s artists, is responsible for delivering all new music, and works to discover and provide actionable insights to connect the dots between streaming and country radio. He can be reached at john@bbrmusicgroup.com.

“John Carroll is well-versed in the big picture, yet also very much energized by the details,” says Loss. “He is creative while being analytic and is a spectacular fit for our culture and how collaborative we are here at BBR Music Group.”

Borden joins BBR from from The Bobby Bones Show, where she served as a producer, booking artists for the show and writing the weekend show, Country Top 30. Now, reporting to JoJamie Hahr, SVP of BBR Music Group, Borden is responsible for managing artist projects, creating marketing plans, streamlining advertising initiatives and coordinating with all departments on artist release plans and strategies. Reach her at hillary@bbrmusicgroup.com.

“We are so thrilled to have Hillary join our family,” says Hahr. “She has been a friend to so many of us through The Bobby Bones Show, and her talent, passion and creativity sets her in a class all of her own. We are so lucky to have her!”

5x Grammy-nominated group Maverick City Music has announced its upcoming headlining tour with 16x Grammy award-winning vocalist Kirk Franklin. The “Kingdom” arena tour, the largest so far in their career, is named after the group’s forthcoming collaboration album.

Produced by Live Nation and Undivided, the 37-city tour kicks off on June 1 at FTX Arena in Miami, making stops across North America in Atlanta, Toronto, Nashville, Los Angeles and more before wrapping up at Denver’s Ball Arena on July. Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, March 18 at 10 a.m. local time.

Since forming in 2018, Maverick City Music has featured a rotating group of members that include Chandler Moore, Naomi Raine, Dante Bowe, Lizzie Morgan, MJ George, Aaron Moses, Joe L Barnes and Brandon Lake. Their 2021 album Old Church Basement, in collaboration with Elevation Worship, earned the group three Grammy nominations across three categories.

“Kingdom” Tour Dates:
Wed Jun 01 – Miami, FL – FTX Arena
Thu Jun 02 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center
Sat Jun 04 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the FL State Fairgrounds
Sun Jun 05 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheatre
Tue Jun 07 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at the BJCC
Thu Jun 09 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Fri Jun 10 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Sun Jun 12 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
Tue Jun 14 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Thu Jun 16 – Washington DC – Capital One Arena
Fri Jun 17 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
Sat Jun 18 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Sun Jun 19 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Tue Jun 21 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
Wed Jun 22 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
Thu Jun 23 – St. Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena
Sat Jun 25 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
Sun Jun 26 – Chicago, IL– Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Tue Jun 28 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
Thu Jun 30 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Fri Jul 01 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum
Sat Jul 02 – Jackson, MS – Brandon Amphitheater
Thu Jul 07 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center
Fri Jul 08 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
Sat Jul 09 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
Sun Jul 10 – Ft. Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
Wed Jul 13 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
Sat Jul 16 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
Tue Jul 19 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Wed Jul 20 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
Fri Jul 22 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
Sat Jul 23 – Irvine, CA – Five Point Amphitheater
Sun Jul 24 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Wed Jul 27 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
Thu Jul 28 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion
Fri Jul 29 – Las Vegas, NV – Michelob ULTRA Arena
Sun Jul 31 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena