In Pictures: Stranger Friends, SESAC, BMI, Academy Of Country Music

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Stranger Friends Unveil EP at Nashville Event

Pictured (L-R): John Martin; Bart Herbison, Executive Director, NSAI; Jamie Floyd; Jimmy Metts, manager, Torque Management; and Tim Fink, VP, Production, SESAC. Photo: Joshua Black Wilkins

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

Pictured (L-R): Jeremy Ivey, SESAC Mgr. of Creative Services ET Brown, and Margo Price.

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

Pictured (L-R): Greggory Smith, Jimi Cravity, and Cristina Wheeler.

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

Pictured (L-R): Provident’s Holly Zabka, New Artist of the Year winner Zach Williams, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, and Gospel Music Association’s President & Executive Director Jackie Patillo.

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

Walker Lukens performs at BMI’s Howdy Texas Party in Austin, TX on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017. Photo: Courtesy of BMI by Erika Goldring

Liz Cooper and the Stampede perform at BMI’s Howdy Texas Party in Austin, TX on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017. Photo: Courtesy of BMI by Erika Goldring

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

Pictured (L-R): Jacob Knight, Red Light Management; Lee Brice; Pete Fisher, ACM CEO; and Enzo DeVincenzo, Red Light Management. Photo: Brandon Campbell/Academy of Country Music

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.

Pictured (L-R): Pete Fisher, ACM CEO; Jamie Houston, Levon’s producer and co-writer; Levon; and Liz Cost, Sony Music Nashville. Photo: Michel Bourquard/Academy of Country Music

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.

 

 

BMI, YouTube Reveal First Speed Dating For Songwriters In Nashville

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BMI’s Leslie Roberts and YouTube’s Lindsay Rothschild pose before the performances. Photo: Steve Lowry/BMI

BMI and YouTube joined forces last night to bring BMI’s Speed Dating for Songwriters™ to Nashville after hosting other successful events in New York and Los Angeles. 

Eight weeks ago, twelve songwriters (four topliners, four artists and four track producers) took advantage of the unique opportunity to mingle and collaborate. Each writer spent exactly seven minutes with each of the other writers, listening to their music, providing feedback and getting to know each other. At the end of the night, they were paired off into four groups and tasked with writing a song within the next six to eight weeks. Last night, friends, family and industry VIPs met at BMI to hear the results. 

Top Row (L-R): Nick Wayne, Danielle Blakey, Cameron Montgomery, Jordan Minton, Johnny Dibb, Mikey Reaves, Joey Crouse. Bottom Row (L-R): BMI’s Leslie Roberts, Caroline Watkins, Emily Landis, Tia Scola, Parker Welling, YouTube’s Lindsay Rothschild. Photo: Allen Ralph/YouTube)

Bobby Karl Works The Room: The Listening Room Celebrates New Location

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The Listening Room

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.

A recent private event setup at The Listening Room.

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.

 

A recent performance at The Listening Room.

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.

The Listening Room

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?

Weekly Chart Report 10/20/17

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Click here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report.

Touring Career Workshop Expands Session Lineup In Wake Of Las Vegas Tragedy

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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.

‘Billboard’ Charts To Put Greater Emphasis On Paid Subscription Streams

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In 2018 the Billboard charts will put a stronger emphasis on paid versus ad-supported streaming subscription activity. It has been traditionally recognized that 1,500 on-demand song streams from an album make up one equivalent album sale (SEA).

Beginning in 2018, plays occurring on paid subscription-based services (such as Amazon Music and Apple Music) or on the paid subscription tiers of hybrid paid/ad-supported platforms (such as SoundCloud and Spotify) will be given more weight in chart calculations than those plays on pure ad-supported services (such as YouTube) or on the non-paid tiers of hybrid paid/ad-supported services.

Currently, Billboard has two defined types of streaming plays for the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart (and our other hybrid songs charts): on-demand (such as Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube) and programmed (such as Pandora and Slacker Radio), with on-demand having a greater weight. The Billboard 200 — and our other consumption-ranked albums charts — uses a single tier of only on-demand audio streams (paid or ad-supported) from subscriptions services. Video streams do not contribute to the Billboard 200’s calculations, but are incorporated into the Hot 100.

The Billboard 200 is made up of sales and streaming data.

The Hot 100 is made up of radio airplay, sales data and streaming.

Read more at Billboard.com.

ACM Lifting Lives To Donate $250K To Support Las Vegas Relief Efforts

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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.”

 

Belmont University Grad Katie Pruitt Signs With Round Hill Music

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Pictured (L-R): Penny Gattis, Senior Director, A&R, Round Hill Music; Katie Pruitt; Mark Brown, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Round Hill Music

Round Hill Music has added singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt to its roster, inking an exclusive co-publishing deal with the recent Belmont University graduate.

Pruitt won 2016’s inaugural Nashville Songwriting Scholarship from the BMI Foundation, and earned this year’s Holly Prize from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

“Katie is an exceptionally talented singer, songwriter, and artist,” says Round Hill Music’s Mark Brown. “I am really looking forward to working with her.”

Shania Twain Surprised By UMG Nashville Staff With ‘Now’ No. 1 Celebration

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Pictured (L-R): UMG Nashville CEO & Chairman Mike Dungan, Shania Twain, and Maverick Management’s Scott Rodger. Photo: Chris Hollo

While in Music City this week, Shania Twain was surprised by UMG Nashville CEO & Chairman Mike Dungan, along with the UMG Nashville staff, with a champagne toast and plaque in celebration of Twain’s long-awaited album NOW debuting No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart in the U.S. and topping the sales charts in Australia, the U.K. and in her native Canada.

Her first album in nearly 15 years, NOW is one of Twain’s most personal to date as she singlehandedly wrote every song on the 16-track collection including her latest “We Got Something They Don’t,” impacting radio Oct. 30.

Twain co-produced the critically-acclaimed album with Matthew Koma, Ron Aniello (Bruce Springsteen, Gavin DeGraw), Jake Gosling (Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes) and Jacquire King (Kings of Leon).

Shania Twain with UMG Nashville and Maverick Management celebrating her NOW No. 1 album debut. Photo: Chris Hollo

CMT ‘Artists Of The Year’ Honored Hottest Artists At Year’s Most Exclusive Event

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Pictured (L-R): Chris Stapleton, Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line, Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban and Luke Bryan. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images/CMT

Last night (Oct. 18) CMT hosted its most exclusive honors ceremony, CMT Artists Of The Year. The special brought in more than 1.1 million viewers for the premiere telecast and the encore, up 73 percent from last year.

Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center was surrounded by tour busses and dawned in formal black as invitees proceeded to a pre-party, hosted by Variety, which dawned its Music City Industry Impact Report issue.

CMT’s Frank Tanki welcomed guests to the pre-party, reminding guests the honors would be transformed as a healing night of music for the natural and man-made devastation over the past few months. Variety’s Executive Editor Steven Gaydos then welcomed many of the guests he featured in his fifth annual industry report.

Drinks did not stop flowing after the pre-party. Hosted tables on the symphony floor were tended to by servers, with bottles of wine on each table. The likes of Lionel Richie, Nicole Kidman, Diane Warren, John Oates, Backstreet Boys, Little Big Town, Lee Ann Womack, Vince Gill and Amy Grant as the clock counted town to 7 p.m. [CT] when the show would air live.

Artists of the Year for 2017 included Luke Bryan (six-time recipient), Chris Stapleton (two-time recipient), Keith Urban (first receipt), Florida Georgia Line (five-time recipient) and Jason Aldean (six-time recipient).

Pictured (L-R): Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman, CMT/TV Land GM Frank Tanki. Photo: CMT

Pictured (L-R): Keith Urban, Lionel Richie, Nicole Kidman, Common and Andra Day. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images/CMT

The five artists welcomed guests with a powerful speech, aimed at healing after the disasters in Las Vegas, Puerto Rico, Texas, Charlottesville and California. “Everything we go through, we can get through when we stick together,” said Urban, echoed by Aldean.

Artists rallied around Aldean, who was performing when tragedy in Las Vegas struck. “It could have been any one of us standing on that stage,” said Bryan in a video tribute. The evening wrapped with Stapleton and Urban joined Aldean for a performance of the late Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” with background vocals from Little Big Town. Prior to the tribute, Amy Grant ushered in an in memoriam segment, for “those taken too soon.”

Urban performed the most unique rendition of his MusicRow and AIMP Song of the Year and 2017 CMA Single/Song of the Year nominee “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” The brilliant piano-driven and muted horn version had the audience on their feet even before it ended.

Bryan was introduced by fellow 2017 American Idol judge Lionel Richie. Bryan’s success was noted particularly due to his connection with fans before a performance of his 2015 hit “Fast.”

Stapleton was introduced by music protégé’s and labelmate Brothers Osborne, with what is sure to amount to an FCC violation when they announced Stapleton as “F****** awesome.” Stapleton performed “Broken Halos” with wife Morgane.

 

 

Backstreet Boys brought a tribute for Florida Georgia Line, who noted they have been in the studio with the duo, along with recent co-headlining dates on the road. The ’90s boy band performed “H.O.L.Y.”

Additionally, the evening featured a performance of the Ram Truck Song of the Year, Sam Hunt’s “Body Like A Backroad,” which has become the longest No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Hunt was in Hawaii at the last date of his tour, so Phillip Phillips stood in.

The evening began with Lee Ann Womack and Danielle Bradbery joining Andra Day and hip-hop artist Common for Day’s 2017 title “Stand Up For Something,” in addition to Day joining for another performance with Little Big Town, “Rise Up,” a song she released in 2015.

It’s especially poignant that the special performed strongest in the Las Vegas market, where it posted a 1.77 household rating, an increase of 1867 percent. Not only ratings, but the CMT special raised more than $1 million in media value across a myriad of platforms. Three public service announcements for the special leveraged media relationships for CMT One Country’s campaign. To help, visit cmtonecountry.com to find out how you can help those affected by the recent devastating hurricanes, wildfires and mass shooting in Las Vegas.

CMT’s Artists of the Year will re-telecast on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 10 p.m. CT and Saturday, Oct. 21 at 10 a.m. CT.

Pictured (L-R): Kimberly Schlapman and Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town, Danielle Bradbery, Andra Day, Lee Ann Womack, Jimi Westbrook and Philip Sweet of Little Big Town. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images/CMT