Stranger Friends Unveil EP at Nashville Event

Stranger Friends, the duo comprised of Nashville songwriters John Martin and Jamie Floyd, unveiled music from their self-titled EP at an industry showcase at The Back Corner on Wednesday night (Oct. 18). The duo’s EP was released today (Oct. 20).

The band will headline the Broken Wheel Concert Series in Nolensville, Tennessee, on Saturday (Oct. 21). In addition, Floyd and Martin will participate in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Songwriter Session on Dec. 23.

 

SESAC Celebrates Margo Price Album Release

SESAC affiliates Jeremy Ivey and Margo Price and SESAC Manager of Creative Services ET Brown celebrated Price’s upcoming album All American Made at an album pre-release show at Grimey’s in Nashville on Tuesday (Oct. 17).  The new album was released today (Oct. 20).

 

SESAC Team Members Attend Dove Awards

SESAC affiliate Jimi Cravity and SESAC Creative Services team members Greggory Smith and Cristina Wheeler attended the 48th Annual Dove Awards on Tuesday night (Oct. 17) in Nashville.

 

BMI Hosts Dove Awards After Party

BMI and the Gospel Music Association celebrated another successful year of Christian music with an after party following the 48th Annual Dove Awards on Tuesday night (Oct. 17). The BMI lobby was packed with industry insiders and Dove award winners and nominees, including New Artist of the Year winner Zach Williams.

 

BMI, Wrangler Kick Off Weekend Two of ACL Fest

Last week, BMI and Wrangler kicked off weekend two of the Austin City Limits Music Festival with a celebration of music and fashion. The well-attended Howdy Texas party was held at the Yeti Flagship Store and featured performances by BMI’s Walker Lukens and Liz Cooper & the Stampede. The bands were outfitted in a variety of vintage-inspired Wrangler collections and guests were given the opportunity to take home free limited edition merchandise custom stitched by Fort Lonesome.

 

Academy of Country Music Welcomes Lee Brice, Levon

The Academy of Country Music welcomed Curb Records recording artist Lee Brice to the office while he was in Los Angeles recently. While at the Academy, Brice performed his new single, “Boy,” and previewed songs from his upcoming self-titled album out Nov. 3, Lee Brice.

Columbia Nashville/Epic Records recording group Levon also visited the Los Angeles office and performed their current single, “Ms. Marianne,” and other songs from their self-titled EP, Levon.

Click here to watch a video from Levon’s visit featuring an exclusive interview and clips from their performance.

 

 

One of my favorite nightspots has been “supersized.”

At the grand opening of the new Listening Room on Thursday (Oct. 19), I couldn’t get over how vast and cool the new space is. “It’s a lot bigger than I thought I wanted,” said owner Chris Blair. “But the building and the location were just too good to pass up.”

The old room, down the hill on Second Avenue, held 180. The new space, in the old International Harvester building at 618 4th Ave. S. has a capacity of 350. It has a balcony above the bar. It has an adjacent restaurant with 150 more seats and a spacious patio that holds another 100. Plus, there’s a private meeting room with a groovy conference table and the building’s original antique boiler.

The vibe is clean and industrial contrasted with warm, vintage-wood tables and doors, all built by Blair, himself. What’s even better is how great the place SOUNDS. Entertaining at the open house was the male-female duo Smithfield, harmonizing beautifully. The sight lines from every table are completely clear and the audio was consistently
pristine throughout the space.

In case you’re wondering, yes, Carly Pearce has been to the new venue. “She just had her CD-release party here,” Blair reported. That was two weeks ago, when the construction dust was still settling.

Carly is one of the Listening Room’s most illustrious graduates. Since 2014, the venue has been the home of the weekly Song Suffragettes showcases, where Carly got her Nashville start. She estimates that she performed at least 150 times at the old Listening Room.

Over the years, the club has also hosted then-unknowns ranging from Keith Urban to Chris Stapleton, not to mention attractions like Matraca Berg, Gretchen Peters and Suzy Bogguss. For several years, the old Listening Room hosted the annual Grammy viewing parties.

I have a feeling that the new Listening Room is poised to host even greater soirees. For one thing, it is in the heart of what could become a music-mecca neighborhood.

 

Here’s why: Head east from Music Row down Division Street past Frugal MacDoogal Liquors, and you’ll find that the new SoBro bridge drops you practically at the front door of The Listening Room, Rocketown and the new second location of the Fond Object hipster venue/record shop. Go one block further east and you’re at the doorstep of 3rd & Lindsley.

The new bridge makes all of these venues suddenly “neighbors” of Music Row. It’s also a shortcut to City Winery, if you turn left onto Lafayette when you come down off the ramp.

The divine Ronna Rubin tub thumped for the grand opening of The Listening Room. Lightning 100’s Rev. Keith Coes and Gary Kraen schmoozed. Jennifer Bohler, Lisa Konicki and Fred Pierson mingled.

So did Channel 5’s Jesse Knutson, The Recording Academy’s Nathan Pyle, singer-songwriter Electra Mustaine (daughter of Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine, who is also a Nashville resident), Craig Campbell, Neal Spielberg, Tom Roland, Nikki Boon, Heather Middleton, Chase Armstrong, April Macri and Lesley Albert.

While the music wafted, we snacked on pulled-pork crostini with cranberries, bacon-wrapped apple wedges, veggie skewers and flatbreads with buffalo and/or spinach-artichoke dip. There’s a smoker out back, so the restaurant menu is full of fresh, tasty stuff.

Did I mention that there’s a cheap parking lot next to the new venue? And valet service?

The upcoming Touring Career Workshop, slated for Wednesday, Oct. 25 at Soundcheck Annex, has expanded its programming lineup in the wake of the Las Vegas tragedy. A “Situational Awareness and Safety” session with Mike McGrath (venue security director/tour accountant) will be a workshop-wide event instead of a previously-planned breakout session. The session will give tips and pointers on situational awareness on the road.

In addition to that session, the Touring Career Workshop has added “Immediate Action Medical” session with Case Jumper.

Touring Career Workshop is a free event for music industry professionals founded by Chris Lisle and Erik Parker in 2011. For more information, visit touringcareerworkshop.com.

The Academy of Country Music’s ACM Lifting Lives will donate $250,000 to organizations in support of those affected by the recent Las Vegas tragedy at Route 91 Harvest Festival.

The ACM’s annual awards show has been held at various venues in Las Vegas since 2003 (not including the ACM’s 50th anniversary show, which was broadcast from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas in 2015).

A $200,000 donation will be made to MGM Resorts Foundation “Victim Relief & First Responders’ Fund,” which has been established to help the Las Vegas community heal and recover by providing humanitarian aid for victims, their families and organizations that serve first responders.

The National Compassion Fund will receive a donation of $25,000, with 100 percent of the funds to be distributed directly to the Las Vegas victims. Additionally, Friends of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Foundation will receive $25,000 for providing counseling and support for the first responders, victims and the families.

“This money will go a long way in aiding the healing and recovery of people who so desperately need it,” said ACM CEO Pete Fisher. “Our sizable contribution to the MGM Resorts Foundation not only will aid victims, but will send a very special sentiment to our long-time partners in Vegas.”