Chris Tomlin performance photo by Makayla Symmonds. [Click photo to enlarge]
welcomed a strong lineup of talented fellow musicians for his second Good Friday Nashville concert on March 30 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, performing with friends including
Matt Maher,
Tauren Wells,
Kim Walker Smith,
Christine D’Clario and
Pat Barrett.
In only its second year, the show exceeded sales expectations, with additional seats opened 360 degrees around the arena due to demand for tickets. Last year’s inaugural event became the largest ticketed Christian concert in Bridgestone Arena’s history. Again this year, all net proceeds benefit Tennessee Kids Belong, which aids foster children and families.
The show began with a video clip of the recently-deceased pastor Billy Graham delivering a sermon during one of his “Billy Graham Crusades” in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1973.
Tauren Wells
Tomlin, who has sold more than 8 million albums in his 20-plus year career, took time to greet the crowd from what he called the “praise pit” in front of the stage to the “choir loft” seats in the upper balconies.
He launched into “This Is Amazing Grace,” followed by the party-ready “God’s Great Dance Floor,” complete with falling confetti.
“You know when there is confetti on song number two, that this evening is going to be good,” Tomlin quipped.
Truthfully, the evening was more focused on unity and moments of worship than partying.
“We are all united tonight, and there is a power when you are united,” Tomlin said.
Jesus Culture’s Kim Walker Smith
Jesus Culture’s commanding vocalist Kim Walker Smith, whose formidable instrument blends an Adele-esque soul with the frayed earthiness of a seasoned rocker on “Love Has A Name.”
Smooth pop-soul vocalist Tauren Wells offered a polished, fresh rendition of his 2017 hit “When We Pray.”
Latin Christian music star Christine D’Clario offered “How Beautiful Your Name Is” in Spanish.
Matt Maher offered his 2008 hit “Your Grace Is Enough,” a song that still sounds surprisingly fresh a decade after it became a hit.
Newcomer Pat Barrett, a co-writer with Tomlin on Tomlin’s hit “Good, Good Father” and the first signing to Tomlin’s new label imprint, also performed.
Christine D’Clario
Meanwhile, Tomlin had plenty of hits from his own catalog to offer, including “Our God Is Greater,” and “Amazing Grace (Our Chains Are Gone).”
The stage lights lowered and the audience members lit up their phones across the arena, bathing the venue in a soft glow as the crowd took over singing Tomlin’s hit “How Great Is Our God.”
It wouldn’t be a Nashville concert without a surprise guest, and Tomlin welcomed country trio Rascal Flatts to the stage. The trio offered “Changed” and “God Bless The Broken Road,” before joining Wells and Tomlin for a rendition of the classic hymn “How Great Thou Art.”
“We are so humbled by all of you who filled Bridgestone Arena with worship and gave to the children of Tennessee. Our hope is that every year this event grows even bigger,” shared Tomlin. “We rejoice and sing because we know that our chains are gone and we come to God with a grateful heart for all he has done.”
The evening ended with Tomlin’s recent mega-hit “Good Good Father.”
Already planning for next year, Tomlin’s Good Friday Nashville 2019 will take place April 19, 2019.
Chris Tomlin with Rascal Flatts.
Chris Tomlin and Gary LeVox.
Pictured (L-R): John Huie – CAA, Bryan Myers – CAA, Chris Tomlin , Dan Fife – Awakening Events / Promoter, Tony Johnsen – CAA, Anthony Piedmonte – Piedmonte & Co. / Manager trade shot by Makayla Symmonds
Neil Young, Van Morrison Added To Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival
/by Lorie HollabaughThe festival lineup already includes Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Alison Krauss, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Brandi Carlile, The Head and the Heart, Old Crow Medicine Show, Ryan Bingham, Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, The Wild Feathers, JD McPherson, Delta Rae, and Particle Kid.
Tickets for the general public go on sale Friday, April 6. Citi is the official pre-sale credit card of the festival and Citi card members will have access to purchase pre-sale tickets beginning today through Thursday, April 5 at 10PM through Citi’s Private Pass program.
“This started out with a one-show storyboard two years ago. Now, you can hear, feel, smell and immerse locally in that joyous exuberance,” says Geoff Gordon, Live Nation Philadelphia Regional President. “Outlaw is really just a celebration of everything Willie, which the Picnic has been for decades.”
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
BURGETTSTOWN, PA – KEYBANK PAVILION
Willie Nelson & Family
Van Morrison
Sturgill Simpson
Brandi Carlile
The Commonheart
Lukas Nelson + Promise of the Real
Particle Kid
Other Artists To Be Announced
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
HERSHEY, PA – HERSHEYPARK STADIUM
Willie Nelson & Family
Van Morrison
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Sturgill Simpson
Lukas Nelson + Promise of the Real
Particle Kid
TBA
Other Artists To Be Announced
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
TORONTO, ON – BUDWEISER STADIUM
Willie Nelson & Family
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Sturgill Simpson
Terra Lightfoot
Lukas Nelson + Promise of the Real
Particle Kid
Other Artists To Be Announced
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
SCRANTON, PA – THE PAVILION AT MONTAGE MOUNTAIN
Willie Nelson & Family
Van Morrison
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Lukas Nelson + Promise of the Real
Particle Kid
TBA
Other Artists To Be Announced
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
CAMDEN, NJ – BB&T PAVILION
Willie Nelson & Family
Van Morrison
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Greensky Bluegrass
Lukas Nelson + Promise of the Real
Particle Kid
Other Artists To Be Announced
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
HOLMDEL, NJ – PNC BANK ARTS CENTER
Willie Nelson & Family
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Sturgill Simpson
Greensky Bluegrass
Lukas Nelson + Promise of the Real
Particle Kid
TBA
Other Artists To Be Announced
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
MANSFIELD, MA – XFINITY CENTER
Willie Nelson & Family
Sturgill Simpson
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Margo Price
Lukas Nelson + Promise of the Real
Particle Kid
Other Artists To Be Announced
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – SARATOGA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Willie Nelson & Family
Neil Young + Promise of the Real
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Lukas Nelson + Promise of the Real
Particle Kid
Other Artists To Be Announced
Jason Isbell, Ashley Monroe, Jamey Johnson, Bobby Bare, Jessi Colter To Play CMHoF Show
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will present a concert, under the musical direction of Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings, to mark the opening of the museum’s new major exhibition, Outlaws & Armadillos: Country’s Roaring ’70s. The concert, exhibit and additional programs will explore an era of intense cultural exchange between Nashville and Austin, Texas, in the 1970s, when country music’s Outlaw movement was on the rise.
Outlaws & Armadillos opens May 25, for a nearly three-year run, with the separately ticketed concert set for 8 p.m. that day.
The unparalleled roster of artists slated to grace the stage of the museum’s CMA Theater includes Country Music Hall of Fame member Bobby Bare and a veteran crew of renegades and iconoclasts including Jessi Colter, Joe Ely, Michael Martin Murphey, Gary P. Nunn, Willis Alan Ramsey, Kimmie Rhodes (appearing with Delbert McClinton) and Billy Joe Shaver, all of whom are represented in the exhibit.
From a new generation of torchbearers will come Jason Boland, Jack Ingram, Jason Isbell, Jamey Johnson, Ashley Monroe, Amanda Shires, and Colter Wall, ensuring that the audience will experience an unprecedented and historic evening of melody and mayhem.
This special concert is being made possible with support from sponsors Ben Milam Whiskey and Luckenbach Texas, a legendary Texas music venue.
The museum’s new exhibition, Outlaws & Armadillos, spotlights the revolution that took place when Bare, Guy Clark, Tompall Glaser, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, Jerry Jeff Walker, and others took creative control from their record labels, in order to develop new sounds that were as frank as their lyrics.
Co-curated by museum staffers Peter Cooper and Michael Gray with Austin filmmaker Eric Geadelmann, the exhibit includes items such as the still where storyteller Tom T. Hall and the “bootleg preacher” Will D. Campbell made whiskey, the Randall knife that once belonged to Guy Clark’s father, the paintings of Susanna Clark, the outfit worn by Joe Ely when he worked at a circus, the remarkable photography of Leonard Kamsler and Marshall Fallwell Jr., the Gibson guitar played by Cowboy Jack Clement, and the Armadillo art of Jim Franklin.
The concert will paint a vivid picture of the era, in Nashville and in Austin, and its lasting impact.
“We pondered how to put on a concert that would do justice to this spectacular era and to these spectacular artists,” said Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young. “The only possible answer was, ‘Call Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings.’”
Tickets for the May 25 concert are $40.95 and include museum admission. The concert will be recorded for future broadcast on satellite radio SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country channel. The radio presentation will include additional content related to the museum exhibit. Tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. CDT on Friday, April 6, and can be purchased here.
Jack White’s ‘Boarding House Reach’ Debuts Atop Albums Chart
/by Jessica NicholsonPhoto: David James Swanson
Boarding House Reach, the third solo album from Third Man Records/Columbia artist Jack White, has debuted at No. 1 this week on Nielsen Soundscan’s Top 200 albums rankings, with 121,000 in traditional album sales. The feat marks White’s third consecutive chart-topping debut for a new solo release.
The album is also the best-selling rock album and alternative album. It earned fourth-largest sales week for a vinyl album since Nielsen began tracking sales in 1991. 27,000 units of Boarding House Reach‘s sales this week were on vinyl LP.
Boarding House Reach marks White’s first new album in nearly four years.
The Wild Feathers Debut New Single “Big Sky”
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Wild Feathers have released a new single, “Big Sky,” which debuted on March 30 on Sirius XM The Highway as a “Highway Find.”
On “Big Sky” the Wild Feathers reunite with producer Jay Joyce, who oversaw the group’s 2013 self-titled debut and 2016’s Lonely Is a Lifetime. The band, Taylor Burns, singer-guitarist Ricky Young, singer-bassist Joel King, and drummer Ben Dumas, embrace their more countrified influences on the new project.
“We’ve always just made our music regardless of what genre it’s supposed to fit in,” says guitarist and vocalist Taylor Burns. “We were surprised but excited when we found out that the Highway wanted to play it right away. It just reminded us of the old school way that radio used to discover bands.”
Industry Ink: SSM Entertainment, Riley Green, PLA Media
/by Jessica NicholsonNew Signing For SSM Entertainment
Pictured (L-R): Patti Olsen-Garafola, Ashley Barron and Dean Scallan.
Ashley Barron has signed with SSM Entertainment. She joins a growing roster of artists at SSM Entertainment/SSM Nashville Records including Branch and Dean, Alexandra Demetree, AC Jones and Wes Hayden.
“Ashley has such a positive spirit and undeniable drive, and we could not be more thrilled to welcome her to our SSM family,” said label CEO Dean Scallan.
Label President, Patti Olsen-Garafola, said 2018 is already looking bright for this emerging artist. The label is set to release Barron’s debut single to country radio later this year.
BMLG Records’ Riley Green Gives Back To Florida Hometown
Pictured (L-R): Tom Hargery (GM, Iron City), Jason Westbrook (Production / Security Manager, Iron City), Riley Green, John Grass (Head Football Coach, JSU), Ed Lett (Athletics Development Director, JSU), Pamela J. Hoyes Beehler (Ph. D- First Lady, JSU), John M. Beehler (Ph.D., CPA-President, JSU)
BMLG Records artist Riley Green, a Jacksonville, Florida native, performed a benefit show on Friday (March 30) to aid those affected by tornadoes that devastated his hometown on March 19.
One of his Green’s first moves was to contact Steve Demedicis, the owner of Iron City in Jacksonville – a venue that Riley has sold out several times. Demedicis told Riley he could perform a hometown show at his venue and not only would he allow all tickets sales to be used for relief efforts, Iron City would also donate an additional $1,500.00. Todd Hagerty, General Manager of the entertainment complex at 513 22nd St. South, agreed to cover all expenses and production related to the benefit concert. Green performed to a sold-out crowd and presented the Jacksonville State University Foundation with a check for $50,000.
Green had previously attended the university and played quarterback for the school’s football team.
PLA Media Adds Blue Honey To Roster
Chris Tomlin Stresses Hope, Unity At Second ‘Good Friday Nashville’ Concert
/by Jessica NicholsonChris Tomlin performance photo by Makayla Symmonds. [Click photo to enlarge]
In only its second year, the show exceeded sales expectations, with additional seats opened 360 degrees around the arena due to demand for tickets. Last year’s inaugural event became the largest ticketed Christian concert in Bridgestone Arena’s history. Again this year, all net proceeds benefit Tennessee Kids Belong, which aids foster children and families.
The show began with a video clip of the recently-deceased pastor Billy Graham delivering a sermon during one of his “Billy Graham Crusades” in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1973.
Tauren Wells
Tomlin, who has sold more than 8 million albums in his 20-plus year career, took time to greet the crowd from what he called the “praise pit” in front of the stage to the “choir loft” seats in the upper balconies.
He launched into “This Is Amazing Grace,” followed by the party-ready “God’s Great Dance Floor,” complete with falling confetti.
“You know when there is confetti on song number two, that this evening is going to be good,” Tomlin quipped.
Truthfully, the evening was more focused on unity and moments of worship than partying.
“We are all united tonight, and there is a power when you are united,” Tomlin said.
Jesus Culture’s Kim Walker Smith
Jesus Culture’s commanding vocalist Kim Walker Smith, whose formidable instrument blends an Adele-esque soul with the frayed earthiness of a seasoned rocker on “Love Has A Name.”
Smooth pop-soul vocalist Tauren Wells offered a polished, fresh rendition of his 2017 hit “When We Pray.”
Latin Christian music star Christine D’Clario offered “How Beautiful Your Name Is” in Spanish.
Matt Maher offered his 2008 hit “Your Grace Is Enough,” a song that still sounds surprisingly fresh a decade after it became a hit.
Newcomer Pat Barrett, a co-writer with Tomlin on Tomlin’s hit “Good, Good Father” and the first signing to Tomlin’s new label imprint, also performed.
Christine D’Clario
Meanwhile, Tomlin had plenty of hits from his own catalog to offer, including “Our God Is Greater,” and “Amazing Grace (Our Chains Are Gone).”
The stage lights lowered and the audience members lit up their phones across the arena, bathing the venue in a soft glow as the crowd took over singing Tomlin’s hit “How Great Is Our God.”
It wouldn’t be a Nashville concert without a surprise guest, and Tomlin welcomed country trio Rascal Flatts to the stage. The trio offered “Changed” and “God Bless The Broken Road,” before joining Wells and Tomlin for a rendition of the classic hymn “How Great Thou Art.”
“We are so humbled by all of you who filled Bridgestone Arena with worship and gave to the children of Tennessee. Our hope is that every year this event grows even bigger,” shared Tomlin. “We rejoice and sing because we know that our chains are gone and we come to God with a grateful heart for all he has done.”
The evening ended with Tomlin’s recent mega-hit “Good Good Father.”
Already planning for next year, Tomlin’s Good Friday Nashville 2019 will take place April 19, 2019.
Chris Tomlin with Rascal Flatts.
Chris Tomlin and Gary LeVox.
Pictured (L-R): John Huie – CAA, Bryan Myers – CAA, Chris Tomlin , Dan Fife – Awakening Events / Promoter, Tony Johnsen – CAA, Anthony Piedmonte – Piedmonte & Co. / Manager trade shot by Makayla Symmonds
Entertainment Marketing Agency FlyteVu Opens Austin Office
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Megan Runser and Morgan McKenzie
Nashville-based entertainment marketing agency FlyteVu has announced the opening of its second office in Austin, Texas, and two new hires Megan Runser and Morgan McKenzie as Account Managers.
Megan Runser will help lead the Austin team across a number of clients, including Bumble, Big Beat Dallas, and more. Prior to joining FlyteVu, Runser was the Director of Marketing at Austin-based Kendra Scott and helped launch the jewelry, home, and beauty brand’s first international presence in the UK in 2017. She also previously held marketing positions with Google and lululemon athletica. Project Manager Liz Ivy will be relocating from Nashville to join Runser in the Austin office.
Morgan McKenzie joins FlyteVu’s Nashville office from The Infinite Agency in Dallas, Texas. She was most recently a Brand Manager where she planned, managed, and executed marketing campaigns for a number of accounts from CPG to non-profits.
“Known for its live music culture and an incubator for fast-growing tech brands, along with established and iconic corporations, Austin is a natural next step for FlyteVu. We are thrilled that Megan and Morgan have joined our FlyteVu family and look forward to the company’s continued growth and expansion to further serve our clients across the country,” said Laura Hutfless, Partner at FlyteVu.
FlyteVu’s new office is located at 5540 N Lamar Blvd in Austin, Texas.
Megan and Morgan can be reached at megan.runser@flytevu.com and morgan.mckenzie@flytevu.com.
Mark Your Calendar—April 2018
/by Eric T. ParkerSingle Add Dates
Craig Campbell. Photo: Kelly Marie Photography
April 2
Tyler Rich/The Difference/Valory
Nick Brennan/Simply Irresistible/MC1 Nashville
Wild Blue Country/Here We Are/The United States Air Force Academy Band
Sara Spicer/Jump/HH
Matt Mason/E
April 5
Wes Hayden feat. Andy Griggs/There’s Always Now/SSM Nashville
April 6
October Rose/Closer/October Rose Music
April 9
Midland/Burn Out/Big Machine
Old Dominion/Hotel Key/RCA Nashville
Craig Campbell/See You Try/Red Bow
Melissa Mickelson/Hold On/Tower Hill Entertainment
Andrea Vasquez/Sugar Coat It/Arrow Music Agency
April 16
Thomas Rhett/Life Changes/Valory
Smith & Wesley/Hook Line & Sinker/Dreamwalkin’ Records
Cort Carpenter/Holy Ground/Triple C Records
Lefroy/Mexican Getaway/Stallion Records
Charles Parker/Party Girls/Charles Parker Music
Dallas Remington/Never Turned Around
April 23
Rodney Atkins/Caught Up In The Country/Curb Records
Parmalee/Hotdamalama/Stoney Creek Records
Bobby Wills/Won’t You Be Mine/MDM Recordings
Dushane Band/Forever For Now/KES Music Group
Homer Hart/Buckle Up/PLAY2WIN Records
April 30
Davisson Brothers Band/Po Boyz/Dreamlined Entertainment
Industry Events
6th Annual ACM Party for a Cause in Las Vegas
April 14
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2018 Induction Ceremony at Public Auditorium in Cleveland
April 15
ACM Awards in Las Vegas
Album Release Dates
Point of Grace/Beautiful Name
April 6
Various/Restoration [Elton John reinterpreted]/Universal Music Group Nashville
Various/Johnny Cash: Forever Words/Legacy Recordings
Don Gibson/The Best of the Hickory Records Years (1970-1978)/Omnivore Recordings
Blackberry Smoke/Find A Light/Thirty Tigers
David Lee Murphy/No Zip Code
April 13
Jason Aldean/Rearview Town/Broken Bow Records
John Prine/The Tree of Forgiveness/Oh Boy Records
CJ Solar/Get Away With It [EP]/Sea Gayle Records
April 20
Brothers Osborne/Port Saint Joe/EMI Nashville
Ashley Monroe/Sparrow/Warner Music Nashville
Old Crow Medicine Show/Volunteer/Columbia Records Nashville
Donovan Woods/Both Ways/Meant Well
Joshua Hedley/Mr. Jukebox/Third Man Records
April 27
Willie Nelson/Last Man Standing/Legacy Recordings-Sony Music Entertainment
Beth Nielsen Chapman/Hearts of Glass
Southern Halo/Just Like In The Movies
Muscadine Bloodline/Muscadine Bloodline [EP]
April 29
Eric Church/61 Days In Church/EMI Nashville
Taylor Swift And Craig Wiseman Trade Shots, Stories At Surprise Bluebird Cafe Appearance
/by Jessica NicholsonCraig Wiseman and Taylor Swift. Photo: Taylor Swift/Instagram
Taylor Swift thrilled a Bluebird Cafe audience in Nashville Saturday night with a surprise appearance, sitting in with singer-songwriter Craig Wiseman. The two, who are old friends, met at a charity show when Swift was just a teen.
Her performance was filmed for a documentary in honor of Bluebird Cafe’s 35th anniversary, and she acknowledged just how special the venue has been to Nashville writers throughout its history. It has special significance for the pop star as well, since Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta saw her play there when she was in the 8th grade and offered her a label deal.
Swift also talked about “Better Man,” which she wrote and Little Big Town Recorded, and how it felt to have another artist experience success with a song you’ve penned.
“When I would play writers nights … I didn’t have the experience of a writer writing something and then it going out into the world and you earing it from someone else’s perspective until recently,” Swift told the Tennessean. “Little Big Town gave me the opportunity to feel that way … to be at the Bluebird and play a song you’ve maybe heard on the radio. I will always be forever grateful to them for that.”
Wiseman and Swift traded shots of Fireball Whisky during the special show along with songs and stories, recalling a CMT afterparty at Wiseman’s office years ago where the shots were flowing that resulted in a headache for Swift the next day. Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour launches in May and will visit Nashville’s Nissan Stadium Aug. 25.
Trisha Yearwood’s New SiriusXM Show Launches Today On Garth Channel
/by Lorie HollabaughTrisha Yearwood
Trisha Yearwood is launching a new weekly SiriusXM show, Trisha’s Take Five, today (Monday, April 2) that will air on Garth Brooks’ exclusive SiriusXM channel, The Garth Channel.
On the show each week, Yearwood will handpick a new four-song theme and then invite listeners to choose the fifth track. The series premiere will kick off with the theme of “Auto-Pilot,” with Trisha selecting songs including “Little Red Corvette” by Prince and “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman among her favorites.
“I’m so excited to share my favorite music with SiriusXM listeners, and I’m honored to host my own show on Garth’s SiriusXM channel,” said Yearwood. “I love The Garth Channel because it explores such diverse music. No artist is influenced by just one genre of music. But of all the great voices you’ll hear on The Garth Channel, I’m most excited about including the voice of the listener on Trisha’s Take 5.”
“I have been lucky enough to be best friends with Trisha Yearwood for over 20 years now. I have found everything I have done gets better when Trisha is added. Her addition to SiriusXM is no exception. The Garth Channel just got better,” said Brooks.
Trisha’s Take Five will air Mondays at 5 p.m. ET on The Garth Channel, SiriusXM channel 55 and through the SiriusXM app. The weekly show will rebroadcast on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. ET, Fridays at 9 a.m. ET, Saturdays at 3 p.m. ET and Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.