Photo: Ryman Auditorium
Last month, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium picked up its sixth Academy of Country Music Award win for Venue of the Year—Small Capacity, as country music’s Mother Church hosted the 13th annual ACM Honors.
The moment completed the Ryman’s coveted “Triple Crown” of award triumphs, following its fifth consecutive win as the Country Music Association’s Venue of the Year, and Pollstar’s Theatre of the Year honor, which the Ryman has won for the past nine consecutive years.
“These are peer-voted awards, so that’s really important, that we are doing something right to be seen and acknowledged by our industry peers,” notes Chrissy Hall, Director of Concerts for the Ryman Auditorium.
In 2019 alone, the Ryman has been home to 283 events, including 203 concerts—a mix of country, bluegrass, rock, contemporary Christian, and more.
Throughout its 127-year history, the Ryman Auditorium has been heavily—and appropriately—associated with country music, given its former place as home to the Grand Ole Opry for just over 30 years, from 1943-1974. The hallowed stage also helped give birth to the bluegrass genre when Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys—Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, Chubby Wise and Howard Watts—performed on the stage. Elvis Presley and rock group The Byrds each made appearances at the Ryman as part of the Opry.
However, since the May Music Festival, featuring the Theodore Thomas Orchestra, led the first concert in the venerable space in 1892, the Ryman Auditorium has hosted a variety of artists, including modern day stars such as Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, and Counting Crows, but also performers, dancers and lecturers including Booker T. Washington, Metropolitan Opera star Emma Eames, Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan, Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova, Harry Houdini, Will Rogers, Marian Anderson, Louis Armstrong, Baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson, and Neil Diamond.
“Our motto has always been, even in the Lula C. Naff days, has always been ‘All are welcome.’ We try to continue that and push it forward to broaden the programming,” Hall says.
Pictured (L-R): Wu-Tang Clan’s Mathematics, Ghostface Killah, RZA, NS2’s Olivia Wright and Taki Pappas, Opry Entertainment’s Sally Williams, CAA’s Ken Ashley, Wu-Tang’s Raekwon, Method Man, NS2’s Darin Lashinsky, and Wu-Tang’s Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, GZA, Young Dirty Bastard. Photo: Steve Lowry
The Ryman Auditorium continues to strive for that objective. In June, rap group Wu-Tang Clan played a sold-out show at the venue, marking the first time a hip-hop group has headlined a show at the Ryman.
“Wu-Tang was an epic get. We were so excited, and they loved this place just as much as we do,” Hall says.
At 2,362 seats, the Ryman is a mid-sized room with a towering history—a unique selling point often used to book artists who would normally play some of Nashville’s larger venues.
“It’s a unique fan experience, especially when it’s what we call an underplay, when fans can see someone they would normally play a much bigger place, to see it here at this historical venue,” Hall says.
Hall and the rest of the Ryman team are just as determined that fans have a exemplary experience at the venue. In 2014, the Ryman’s parent company, Ryman Hospitality Properties, invested $14 million to expand and renovate the venue, including adding Café Lula, as well as a new gift shop and a theater experience titled “Soul of Nashville.” In 2017, lifesize bronze statues of Little Jimmy Dickens and Bill Monroe were installed outside the Ryman, greeting all who visit. The following year, the Ryman Premium Pass was launched, including upgraded ticket and experience options for patrons.
Pictured: Mavis Staples commemorates her All-Star Birthday Celebration at the Ryman Auditorium in 2019. Photo: Ryman Auditorium
Earlier this year, plans were announced for an outdoor stage to be added to the northeast corner of the property as well as for an Icon Walk on the plaza, with the addition of more bronze statues.
In recent years, the Ryman has hosted select artist residencies, starting with Little Big Town’s inaugural six-night residency in 2017. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit launched a six-show residency at the venue later that year, and will return to the Ryman for a seven-night run next month. Americana favorites Tyler Childers and Brandi Carlile both have residencies set for next year. The Jack White-led band The Raconteurs recently live-streamed their three-night run of shows at the Ryman.
Hall credits the Ryman’s operations, in addition to its enviable history, with bringing performers back again and again.
“It’s the excellence of the tech team, the FOH team, the marketing team, the box office team, it makes my job easier,” Hall says. “It’s a really small industry, and the artists and their teams really do talk to each other. If you have a reputation for being a difficult place to play, that does get around. So the ease of an experience here makes it easier for artists to want to come back. And for any other artists that team works with, they think, ‘Oh, this will be a great place to play.’”
Photo: Ryman Auditorium
Music Expo Nashville Announces Full Program Lineup
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Music Expo conference series presented in association with Sound On Sound magazine has announced its program lineup for Nashville’s full day of workshops and talks hosted by SAE Institute on Saturday, Sept. 21.
Music Expo Nashville 2019 welcomes back over 30 speakers including multiple Grammy-winning producers, engineers, songwriters, artists and leading technology brands. Newly added to the lineup are producers and engineers Gena Johnson (Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile), Piper Payne (Third Eye Blind, Madame Gandhi, Geographer), Dave Gardner (Louis Armstrong, Portugal The Man, Bassnectar) and Raelynn Janicke. Newly added music industry leaders include Dead Horse Branding’s Melissa Core-Caballo, MusicRow Magazine’s Sherod Robertson, Average Joes Entertainment’s Nathan Thompson, Oh Boy Records’ Jody Whelan and Navigation Partners’ Peggy Dold.
Keynote speakers and Producers F. Reid Shippen and Jacquire King kick off the event, opening the day with a talk about relationships, reputation and staying alive in the music business. The program will offer tracks covering creative, technology and music business, and acknowledge all stages of music creation with an emphasis on production. Highlights include a streaming panel led by top Nashville industry leaders, a beat-making session, a drum recording clinic, a three-part production series and talks from several award-winning producers and engineers.
Music Expo offers unparalleled access to some of the most successful creators, and is open to the public. Limited tickets are still available starting at $30 by visiting musicexpo.co/
Newly added program highlights in addition to previously announced include:
Opening Keynote – Relationships, Reputation, and Staying Alive in the Music Business – F. Reid Shippen and Jacquire King host a discussion moderated by Triple 8 Management’s Alena Moran about fostering meaningful relationships, finding knowledgeable collaborators, developing a successful musical and professional reputation, and how to create a sustainable career through weaving together diverse activities. They will share their personal journeys and explain what it takes to have a successful and creatively fulfilling career.
An Insider’s Guide to Streaming: Playlisting, Best Practices and the Powerful Tools for Artists – Join top executives Beville Dunkerley (Pandora) and Nathan Thompson (Average Joes Entertainment) and Jody Whelan (Oh Boy Records) to discuss the powerful tools available to artists when it comes to streaming, the tips and tricks of playlisting and the various strategies of releasing music. Moderated by MusicRow Magazine’s Sherod Robertson, this powerful panel of label and streaming perspectives will offer up an insider’s guide to the latest trends, common pitfalls and success, and share how artists can leverage and effectively maximize exposure in the current digital landscape.
Drum Recording Techniques with Zach Allen Presented by Leapwing Audio – Great drum recordings take preparation! Simplify the variables in the studio when it comes to capturing the sounds of drums. Grammy-winning Engineer Zach Allen will discuss a variety of techniques and demonstrate mic choice and placement with a live drummer in the studio. This Q&A session will be interactive and highlight the rhyme and reason behind mic techniques, preparation and the various ways to achieve different sounds.
Production Tips and Secrets – In this power-packed class, award winning producer/engineer Robert Venable will share advanced production techniques and secret tips to take your music production skills to the next level. Whether you’re new to the recording industry or already know it all, we’re sure you’ll learn some new tricks to add to your arsenal! Don’t miss this one!
Ask Me Anything – Acclaimed Mixing Engineers Piper Payne, Shani Gandhi and Gena Johnson will join together for an Ask Us Anything round. Answering Q&A’s from the audience about mixing, the three pros will double down and share their differing approaches and varying techniques and tips!
How to Create Compelling Mixes – What makes the difference between a mix and a compelling one? In this fascinating session, Craig Anderton shares techniques and secrets about how you can grab your listeners’ attention, keep them hooked, and leave them wanting more.
Exclusive: Anthem Entertainment Acquires Half Of Ree Guyer’s Wrensong Entertainment Catalog
/by Jessica NicholsonRee Guyer
Music and entertainment content and service company Anthem Entertainment has acquired 50% of Ree Guyer’s Wrensong Entertainment catalog and entered into a co-venture with Wrensong Publishing Corp. Wrensong continues to be run by Guyer.
The Wrensong catalog includes over 20 No. 1 country hits, including Old Dominion’s “Make It Sweet,” “No Such Thing As a Broken Heart” and “Hotel Key,” as well as chart-topping hits by Dierks Bentley, The Band Perry, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, and Jason Aldean. The catalog also includes “Dive Bar”—performed by Blake Shelton and Garth Brooks—peaking at No. 16 on Billboard’s US Country Airplay chart.
“I am thrilled to announce our co-venture with Ree and the acquisition of the Wrensong Entertainment catalog. Ree is a powerful, creative force and runs one of the top independent music publishing companies on Music Row. I feel privileged that Ree has selected Anthem to partner with and I am personally very excited to have a new sister in our house,” commented Anthem Entertainment CEO, Helen Murphy.
Guyer, President and Owner of Wrensong Entertainment said, “I am thrilled to be partnering with Anthem. Helen is a strong and imaginative leader who has empowered me to expand my company through Anthem’s global resources.”
Wrensong Entertainment is an Independent Music Publishing/Artist Development company with offices in Nashville, TN and Minneapolis, MN. It was founded in 1983 by father-daughter team, Ree and Reyn Guyer. It has been instrumental to the careers of several significant country artists, including Old Dominion, the Pistol Annies, Ashley Monroe, and Jon Randall.
Guyer and the Wrensong team have focused on developing a catalog that includes “Where’ve You Been,” “How Can I Help You Say Goodbye” and “Whiskey Lullaby,” all Grammy or CMA-nominated Songs of the Year. Other hits in the Wrensong catalog include “Better Dig Two” (The Band Perry), “Hell on Heels” (Pistol Annies), “Wild One” (Faith Hill), “Gonna Take A Lot of River” (Oak Ridge Boys), “Heart Like Mine” (Miranda Lambert), “Drink On It” (Blake Shelton), “Am I the Only One” (Dierks Bentley), “The Truth” (Jason Aldean), “Sangria” (Blake Shelton), “Say You Do” (Dierks Bentley), “Break Up With Him” (Old Dominion), “Ask Me How I Know” (Garth Brooks), and many more. Wrensong is also home to album cuts by many other major label acts from Ray Charles to Heart and Reba to Kenny Chesney—selling over 130 million albums.
Anthem Entertainment is comprised of a music publishing division, recorded music label, production music division, and a leading film and television audio-visual secondary rights (AVSR) management company. Anthem Entertainment operates offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Nashville, and Toronto with a team of approximately 200 dedicated industry professionals.
Jake Owen Inks New Publishing Deal
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Phil May (WCM), Will Overton (WCM), Jess Rosen (Greenberg Traurig), Jake Owen, Christina Wiltshire (WCM), Ben Vaughn (WCM)
Jake Owen has inked a worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music Nashville. Owen has earned seven No. 1 songs at country radio, including “Beachin’,” “American Country Love Song,” and most recently, “I Was Jack (You Were Diane)” off his latest album, Greetings From… Jake, which marked his first album for Big Loud.
The project followed Owen’s American Love album, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 4 on Billboard’s 200 all-genre albums chart, while his 2011 album Barefoot Blue Jean Night produced four consecutive No. 1 songs including the 2x platinum title-track “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” and the platinum-certified hits “Beachin’,” “Anywhere With You,” “Alone With You,” and “The One That Got Away.”
Owen recently made his acting debut in the feature film The Friend, which was presented at the Toronto International Film Festival. Owen is repped by WME for booking and managed by Good Company Entertainment.
Jason Aldean’s We Back Tour To Launch In January
/by Lorie HollabaughJason Aldean revealed details today on his upcoming 2020 We Back Tour launching Jan. 30 in Columbia, South Carolina. Named after the new lead single from his upcoming ninth studio album, 9, which will be released Nov. 22, the 20-city trek will visit Orlando, Wichita, Oklahoma City, Biloxi, Des Moines and more through March. For the first leg of the tour, Morgan Wallen, Riley Green and Dee Jay Silver will offer direct support.
Citi is the official presale credit card of the tour and Citi card members will have access to purchase presale tickets on Tuesday (Sept. 17) through Citi EntertainmentSM. General on sale begins this Friday (Sept. 20) for select cities at jasonaldean.com, with additional ticket on sale information continuing to roll out over the coming weeks.
2020 WE BACK TOUR Dates:
1/30/2020 Columbia, SC – Colonial Life Arena
1/31/2020 Orlando, FL – Amway Center
2/01/2020 Jacksonville, FL – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
2/06/2020 Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena**
2/07/2020 Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center Arena**
2/08/2020 Fargo, ND – Fargodome**
2/13/2020 Moline, IL – TaxSlayer Center
2/14/2020 Springfield, MO – JQH Arena**
2/15/2020 Wichita, KS – InTrust Bank Arena
2/20/2020 Charleston, WV – Charleston Coliseum
2/21/2020 Charlottesville, VA – John Paul Jones Arena*
2/27/2020 Bossier City, LA – CenturyLink Center
2/28/2020 Oklahoma City, OK – Chesapeake Arena
2/29/2020 Jonesboro, AR – First National Bank Arena**
3/05/2020 Lafayette, LA – Cajundome
3/06/2020 Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum**
3/07/2020 Tupelo, MS – BancorpSouth Arena
3/12/2020 Madison, WI – Veterans Memorial Coliseum**
3/13/2020 Columbia, MO – Mizzou Arena
3/14/2020 St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center**
*Lineup May Vary
BREAKING: Michael Martin Launches Endurance Music Group, Adds Scooter Carusoe, Clint Lagerberg To Roster [Exclusive]
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Josh Saxe, Michael Martin, Mark Ahlberg. Photo: Ed Rode
Michael Martin has been tapped to lead the full-service publishing house Endurance Music Group. Martin will serve as President for the new Nashville-based venture, with Mark Ahlberg as Sr. VP and Josh Saxe as Sr. Creative Director.
The company debuts with a roster including Scooter Carusoe (Chris Janson’s “Drunk Girl,” Darius Rucker’s “For The First Time”), Clint Lagerberg (Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” Rascal Flatts’ “Here Comes Goodbye”), and emerging artist-writers Jake Rose and Ryan Plappert.
Endurance Music Group also represents the catalogs of songwriters including Kevin Kadish (Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass,” Morgan Wallen’s “Whiskey Glasses”), BMI Songwriter of the Year Ross Copperman (Kenny Chesney’s “Tip Of My Tongue,” Brett Eldredge’s “Love Someone”), Hillary Lindsey (Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush,” Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color”), Extreme Writers Group (George Strait’s “I Saw God Today,” Heartland’s “I Loved Her First”) and Matt Jenkins (Florida Georgia Line’s “Confession,” Keith Urban’s “Cop Car”).
Martin was previously Vice President at ASCAP, where he led the performance rights organization to major market share growth in country music and managed the company’s relationships with many high-profile songwriters. His career has also included stops at Fame Music, Moraine Music Group and Extreme Writers Group, which he co-founded. Extreme helped launch the career of two-time BMI Country Songwriter of the Year Rodney Clawson and held a catalog that included Strait’s “I Saw God Today,” as well as Rascal Flatts’ “Here Comes Goodbye” and Jason Aldean’s “Why.”
Ahlberg has handled administration for Big Loud Shirt, Sea Gayle Music, Big Tractor Music, Extreme Writers Group, Wide Open Music Group, Parallel Music Publishing and Centricity Music Publishing. As part of the launch, Ahlberg brings his company, Amplified Administration, under the Endurance umbrella. Amplified will continue to provide publisher and label administration services to outside clients, while also representing portions of the Endurance catalog.
Saxe joins from Round Hill Music, where he focused on back catalog exploitation and oversaw the signing of Jimmy Robbins, as well as the expansion of his co-venture, JRM Publishing. He also managed the company’s joint venture relationships with Ashley Gorley’s Tape Room Music and Big Loud Publishing. Saxe previously worked at BMG and held the co-chair position on the Leadership Council of Young Entertainment Professionals.
The company is backed by New York-based Raven Capital Management, a private equity fund manager that has contributed an existing music catalog and has committed to fund future acquisitions. Raven co-founder Jeremy Tucker will serve as Endurance’s chairman. The firm has more than $1 billion under management; other media assets in Raven’s investment portfolio include Open Road Films (acquired in 2018), Exclusive Media (acquired in 2015) and Crossroads Live, Inc. (owner of David Ian Productions, Limited, acquired in 2019).
Martin commented, “I am absolutely thrilled to make my return to music publishing by helping to launch Endurance Music Group. Jeremy is an incredible partner who truly understands the needs of a modern publishing house, and we have an amazing team in place to take care of our talented songwriters and the catalogs we represent. Here’s to the journey!”
Tucker added, “Michael’s passion, creativity and experience speak volumes. We are extremely excited to partner with Michael and the rest of the Endurance team, and believe their strategic vision will deliver results not just for Raven, but most importantly, for our songwriters.”
Endurance Music Group can be contacted at info@endurancemg.com.
Miranda Lambert Teams With Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack On New Track
/by Jessica NicholsonMiranda Lambert will launch her Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour tonight (Sept 9) with the first of two nights at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Lambert teamed with tourmates Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes, and Caylee Hammack for a rendition of “Fooled Around and Fell In Love,” which released today.
“The girls on the Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars Tour can sing their asses off,” said Lambert. “There’s something crazy about seeing these artists with a new fire in their eyes. It reignites your own flame. I’m so excited to watch them every night on tour.”
Tommy Emmanuel Documentary To Get U.S. Premiere At Nashville Film Festival
/by Jessica NicholsonTommy Emmanuel
Tommy Emmanuel‘s journey from Australian guitar prodigy career as a Grammy-nominated guitarist, composer, recording artist and performer is the center of a new documentary film, Tommy Emmanuel-The Endless Road.
The project, directed by Jeremy Dylan and produced by Jamie Lewis, will have its U.S. premiere at the upcoming 50th Nashville Film Festival, on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 3 p.m. The film will screen at Nashville’s Regal Hollywood Theaters. In July, the film premiered at Australia’s Melbourne Film Festival, where it won Best Music Documentary.
“It’s very appropriate that the film has its US debut in Nashville because Nashville has been a big part of my life, not just musically but I have so many friends here and so many influences, it’s a great city,” Emmanuel notes.
“The journey of Tommy Emmanuel is a quintessentially Nashville story,” says Dylan. “Tommy’s relationship with mentor, surrogate father and ‘Mayor of Music City’ Chet Atkins is an emotional backbone of the film, Nashville is the refuge that turns into a home as Tommy’s marriage crumbles and he is forced rebuild his life and the climax of the film as a scorching performance at the Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman.”
Emmanuel is one of five guitarists ever designated by Atkins as a CGP, or Certified Guitar Player. The two released an album together in 1997, dubbed The Day Finger Pickers Took Over The World. Emmanuel also earned two Country Music Awards of Australia honors in 2005 and 2007 and two ARIA Awards.
Ryman Auditorium Celebrates “Triple Crown” Of Live Entertainment Wins
/by Jessica NicholsonPhoto: Ryman Auditorium
Last month, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium picked up its sixth Academy of Country Music Award win for Venue of the Year—Small Capacity, as country music’s Mother Church hosted the 13th annual ACM Honors.
The moment completed the Ryman’s coveted “Triple Crown” of award triumphs, following its fifth consecutive win as the Country Music Association’s Venue of the Year, and Pollstar’s Theatre of the Year honor, which the Ryman has won for the past nine consecutive years.
“These are peer-voted awards, so that’s really important, that we are doing something right to be seen and acknowledged by our industry peers,” notes Chrissy Hall, Director of Concerts for the Ryman Auditorium.
In 2019 alone, the Ryman has been home to 283 events, including 203 concerts—a mix of country, bluegrass, rock, contemporary Christian, and more.
Throughout its 127-year history, the Ryman Auditorium has been heavily—and appropriately—associated with country music, given its former place as home to the Grand Ole Opry for just over 30 years, from 1943-1974. The hallowed stage also helped give birth to the bluegrass genre when Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys—Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, Chubby Wise and Howard Watts—performed on the stage. Elvis Presley and rock group The Byrds each made appearances at the Ryman as part of the Opry.
However, since the May Music Festival, featuring the Theodore Thomas Orchestra, led the first concert in the venerable space in 1892, the Ryman Auditorium has hosted a variety of artists, including modern day stars such as Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, and Counting Crows, but also performers, dancers and lecturers including Booker T. Washington, Metropolitan Opera star Emma Eames, Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan, Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova, Harry Houdini, Will Rogers, Marian Anderson, Louis Armstrong, Baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson, and Neil Diamond.
“Our motto has always been, even in the Lula C. Naff days, has always been ‘All are welcome.’ We try to continue that and push it forward to broaden the programming,” Hall says.
Pictured (L-R): Wu-Tang Clan’s Mathematics, Ghostface Killah, RZA, NS2’s Olivia Wright and Taki Pappas, Opry Entertainment’s Sally Williams, CAA’s Ken Ashley, Wu-Tang’s Raekwon, Method Man, NS2’s Darin Lashinsky, and Wu-Tang’s Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, GZA, Young Dirty Bastard. Photo: Steve Lowry
The Ryman Auditorium continues to strive for that objective. In June, rap group Wu-Tang Clan played a sold-out show at the venue, marking the first time a hip-hop group has headlined a show at the Ryman.
“Wu-Tang was an epic get. We were so excited, and they loved this place just as much as we do,” Hall says.
At 2,362 seats, the Ryman is a mid-sized room with a towering history—a unique selling point often used to book artists who would normally play some of Nashville’s larger venues.
“It’s a unique fan experience, especially when it’s what we call an underplay, when fans can see someone they would normally play a much bigger place, to see it here at this historical venue,” Hall says.
Hall and the rest of the Ryman team are just as determined that fans have a exemplary experience at the venue. In 2014, the Ryman’s parent company, Ryman Hospitality Properties, invested $14 million to expand and renovate the venue, including adding Café Lula, as well as a new gift shop and a theater experience titled “Soul of Nashville.” In 2017, lifesize bronze statues of Little Jimmy Dickens and Bill Monroe were installed outside the Ryman, greeting all who visit. The following year, the Ryman Premium Pass was launched, including upgraded ticket and experience options for patrons.
Pictured: Mavis Staples commemorates her All-Star Birthday Celebration at the Ryman Auditorium in 2019. Photo: Ryman Auditorium
Earlier this year, plans were announced for an outdoor stage to be added to the northeast corner of the property as well as for an Icon Walk on the plaza, with the addition of more bronze statues.
In recent years, the Ryman has hosted select artist residencies, starting with Little Big Town’s inaugural six-night residency in 2017. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit launched a six-show residency at the venue later that year, and will return to the Ryman for a seven-night run next month. Americana favorites Tyler Childers and Brandi Carlile both have residencies set for next year. The Jack White-led band The Raconteurs recently live-streamed their three-night run of shows at the Ryman.
Hall credits the Ryman’s operations, in addition to its enviable history, with bringing performers back again and again.
“It’s the excellence of the tech team, the FOH team, the marketing team, the box office team, it makes my job easier,” Hall says. “It’s a really small industry, and the artists and their teams really do talk to each other. If you have a reputation for being a difficult place to play, that does get around. So the ease of an experience here makes it easier for artists to want to come back. And for any other artists that team works with, they think, ‘Oh, this will be a great place to play.’”
Photo: Ryman Auditorium
The Weeks’ New Album ‘Two Moons’ Out Today
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Weeks new album, Two Moons, is out now. The album was recorded in Nashville with Eric Masse. Exclusive bundles including limited run vinyl, cassettes & CDs are available now at crookedletter.net.
“Two Moons is about someone trying to find the meaning of it all and altering their mind to make that journey a little easier, ultimately freaking out, and just when they think all is lost, they meet someone going through the same thing as them who ends up guiding that person back to reality and to happiness,” explains Cyle Barnes, The Weeks’ lead singer.
In support of their new album, the band is currently on their Fall North American tour running through Nov. 16. The tour will feature support from Spendtime Palace, The Vernes, Future Thieves, H.A.R.D, and The Minks on select dates.
Two Moons Track Listing:
Paper Mâché Houses
Comin’ Down
Two Moons
Girls Like You
The Real King
Believe Whatever
Scared of the Sunshine
In the Flowers
Fool’s Gold
Too Much Light
Lineup For BMI Stage At 2019 Austin City Limits Music Festival Announced
/by Lorie HollabaughWeekend one kicks off with indie-pop songwriter, Weyes Blood, while Nashville storyteller Droney will bring his brand of blues, folk, and pop. Up-and-coming country artist Andress, Canadian hard rock band cleopatrick, and folk-pop singer-songwriter Faye Webster will also round out the first weekend’s lineup. On October 10th, BMI will bring its signature Howdy Texas event back to Yeti’s flagship store on South Congress. The party will feature the quirky pop singer-songwriter Caroline Rose, alongside local DJ Jonathan Terrell.
Rolling into weekend two, the stage will feature Chris Shifflet of Foo Fighters, with his raucous country-rock band fresh off the release of his latest solo project. Pop singer-songwriter Wrabel, self-produced Austin-based Dayglow, bilingual singer/rapper Kat Dahlia, and alternative rock duo The Score complete the dynamic lineup.
“We’re so excited to celebrate our first ACL since the opening of our new Austin office earlier this year,” says Mason Hunter, AVP Creative, Nashville. “This has been a historic year for BMI and we’re so thankful to our partners at C3 for allowing us to continue investing in Austin’s music scene.”
For well over a decade, the BMI stage has had a hand in launching some of music’s biggest stars on the staple ACL stage, including memorable performances from Miranda Lambert (‘03), Alessia Cara (‘15), Luke Combs (‘16), City and Colour (‘08), Gary Clark, Jr. (‘11), Shakey Graves (‘13), Jon Pardi (‘11, ‘14), Catfish and the Bottlemen (‘14), lovelytheband (‘18), and Maren Morris (‘16), who went on to win a Grammy within a year of appearing on the BMI ACL stage.
Billy Strings