If you build it they will come.
Or in the case of music festivals, if you book it they will come.
When launching the inaugural Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tenn., hit songwriter/artist Kevin Griffin and his two business partners knew that a stellar line-up was the key to success.
The three men have their own areas of expertise—Griffin leads longtime band Better Than Ezra and is co-writer of big hits by Sugarland and Howie Day, Michael Whelan is an established businessman, and Brandt Wood owns notable Dallas clubs and music venues—but none had experience recruiting a slate of top artists for a two-day festival.
“We couldn’t afford a learning curve,” says Griffin. “Booking a festival is an artform. So we looked at some of our favorite festivals and who booked them. One that stuck out was the Newport Folk Festival. So we reached out to its booker, Jay Sweet. He loved the idea and helped us curate this festival. For talent bookers, it’s really based on his relationships with the bands and knowing what bands like playing onstage with other bands, and what bands attract other artists. There’s a big challenge with a new festival. Everybody wants to know who is playing and when you don’t have anybody committed yet, that’s hard. One of the first to commit was Willie Nelson. That was by design, because we knew once we got Willie on board, other bands [would follow]. Then we got Dawes, Band of Horses, The Decemberists. Slowly we started building a story.”
What a story. The line up also includes Wilco, Weezer, Sheryl Crow, Steven Tyler, Cage The Elephant, Dr. John, Holly Williams, Will Hoge, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Chris Stapleton, The Lone Bellow, Nikki Lane, John & Jacob and too many others to list.
Griffin, who moved to Franklin with his family almost five years ago, was inspired to start the festival while running in his adopted hometown. “In December 2013 I took a run out to Harlinsdale Farm across from The Factory in Franklin, and I was struck by the beauty of the surroundings and rolling hills and natural amphitheaters. I ran back home and told my wife, ‘I’m going to do a music festival.’”
In between work with Better Than Ezra, which closed its recent tour at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater, Griffin found time to launch the Pilgrimage Festival.
“What was exciting was that there was a lane for us that wasn’t already tapped,” he says. “Bonnaroo is amazing and so is CMA Fest, but the three of us grew up in New Orleans with Jazz Fest, a multi-genre day-festival, family friendly, with amazing food and drinks and an eclectic list of artists. You may see Dr. John on the same stage with Maroon 5 and people have learned to expect that. We started putting it together, and we were like ‘this doesn’t exist in Nashville.’ That got us excited and it excited the city of Franklin and the music community.” Like Jazz Fest, Griffin promises plenty of onstage musical collaborations, or “Pilgri-mashups,” at his event.
While Griffin estimates Harlinsdale Farm can hold 70,000-80,000 people per day, the goal for Pilgrimage is 10,000-15,000 per day. “We want it to be manageable on all fronts. We want people to get in and out easily. We’ve got a great traffic plan by working with the city of Franklin. Word of mouth is critical for a festival. We want people to want to come back next year and bring their friends, and part of that is we can’t bite off more than we can chew. Let’s have modest goals and make it really feel good, have plenty of room. We set out saying this is a boutique music festival, and that’s the path we followed.”
The event will have wood-clad stages to reflect the area’s history. There will be a Kitchen Stage and Sippin’ Stage designed to offer the region’s best food and drink. Griffin is proud to offer free admission for children 10 and under. Plus, Little Pilgrim’s Landing for kids will likely be the only place to see him perform, because he will be wearing a “promoter’s hat” instead.
Continuing with the inspiration from Jazz Fest, Pilgrimage will end both nights at about 7:30 p.m., giving attendees time to patronize local restaurants after the festival, creating a boon for the economy. There will also be nighttime performances, which are yet-to-be-announced.
“This is all about being a community partner,” sums Griffin. “When you do that, you end up being around for 40-plus years like Jazz Fest, and it’s part of the fabric of the city. That’s a lofty goal we had. To see it work is a magical thing.”
Portions of each ticket sale will benefit the City of Franklin and Franklin Parks, and MusiCares®.
Tickets range fro $499 (2-day VIP package) to $92 (single general admission tickets). Details at pilgrimagefestival.com.
Kevin Griffin
Digital Rodeo To Broadcast Jeff Walker Celebration of Life Event
/by Jessica NicholsonA celebration of the extraordinary life of Jeff Walker, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015 from 5:00-7:30 p.m. at City Winery (609 Lafayette St., Nashville, Tenn.), will broadcast live online on Digital Rodeo TV. WSM-AM’s Bill Cody will host the evening of celebration in honor of Jeff.
All of Jeff’s many friends are invited to gather for music and laughter, and to share stories and memories. Valet parking is available at the venue. RSVP to ashley@crb.org.
Joe Ginsberg Signs Worldwide Publishing Deal With BMG Nashville
/by Troy_StephensonPictured (L-R): Kevin Lane (BMG, Creative Director); Daniel Lee (BMG, Senior Creative Director; Joe Ginsberg; Kos Weaver (BMG, Executive Vice President); Sara Knabe (BMG, Senior Creative Director).
Joe Ginsberg has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with BMG through the company’s Nashville office. Ginsberg co-wrote Miranda Lambert’s recent hit single “Little Red Wagon” and has also had success as a member of the Reprise Records recording group Single File.
Though based in Los Angeles, Ginsberg has been traveling regularly to Nashville this year building a strong network of local collaborators while he continues to write for and secure activity in multiple formats.
Artist Updates: Carrie Underwood, Clint Black, Old Crow Medicine Show, Brian Collins
/by Jessica NicholsonCarrie Underwood To Headline Apple Music Festival
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood will headline one of 10 nights at this year’s Apple Music Festival, becoming the first country music artist to participate in the global event live from London. Carrie will perform on Sept. 21 during the festival which takes place at London’s Roundhouse from Sept. 19 to Sept. 28. Apple will broadcast all performances to music fans around the world for free, live or on-demand via Apple Music and in stunning HD with Apple TV.
Underwood joins previously announced performers Pharrell Williams, One Direction, Florence+The Machine, The Weeknd, The Chemical Brothers, Take That, and Disclosure.
Apple hosted the iTunes Festival in London for eight years and renamed the event after the launch of Apple Music.
Old Crow Medicine Show Adds Ryman Tour Date
Old Crow Medicine Show
Old Crow Medicine Show will help ring in the new year in Dec. 31 with a show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Tickets will go on sale Friday, Sept. 11 at 10 a.m.
Tickets are $49.50 and $69.50, plus applicable service charges, and will be available via ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets, Ryman box office, ryman.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.
Clint Black’s Nashville Concert To Be Aired Via Sinclair Broadcast Group
Clint Black. Photo: Kevin Mazur
Clint Black‘s upcoming Concert for a Cause, which will be held Oct. 3 at Nashville’s James K. Polk Theatre, will be broadcast via Sinclair Broadcast Group. The concert marks the culmination of the Clint Black Dream Recording Session Contest. The evening will include performances from Black and the four finalists, Blake Esse, Jefferson Clay, Julie McCloud, and Sasha Aaron, are on sale now and can be purchased via the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
Sinclair Broadcast Group owns and operates programs or provides sales services to 163 television stations in 79 markets. Sinclair’s television group includes affiliations with ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, MyTV, NBC, Azteca, Telemundo, and Univision.
“We are delighted that this broadcast will provide a nationwide audience for the concert and will help raise money and awareness to accelerate a cure for Rett Syndrome,” commented Rob Weisbord, Director of Digital Interactive Marketing for Sinclair Broadcast Group. “Clint Black and his Chideo experience reflect the values we believe in as a company, and we are excited to be a part of this Concert for a Cause.”
Brian Collins’ “Shine A Little Love” Reaches No. 1 on CMT Pure 12-Pack Countdown
The video for “Shine A Little Love” can be viewed at cmt.com.
Stoney LaRue Plans ‘Us Time’ With Fans
/by Sarah SkatesStoney LaRue will release a new album Oct. 16 via eOne Music. Us Time is a shout out to his loyal fans aka, The LaRue Crue, offering recordings of some of the most requested songs at his popular live shows. Included are covers such as Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic,” and Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman,” as well as LaRue never-before-recorded originals “Us Time” and “Easy She Comes.” The project is available for pre-order now.
“I am excited, honored, blessed and extremely elated that I get this opportunity to work with the people I do and that the fans gave me their ideas on what they wanted to see from me on this record. It is their record and I am honored to be the voice,” says LaRue. “There is so much that went into this project and I am very proud of it. I mean, how often do you also get to have your fans on the cover of your project!”
According to LaRue’s team, he has independently sold over 900,000 albums and tracks, and his last two releases hit the Top 15 on the Billboard Country Music Chart.
Us Time Track Listing:
1. Box #10— Jim Croce
2. Into The Mystic— Van Morrison
3. Feet Don’t Touch The Ground— Brandon Jenkins
4. Us Time— Stoney LaRue and Dean Dillon
5. Oklahoma Breakdown— Mike Hosty
6. Empty Glass— Dean Dillon and Gary Stewart
7. Til the Morning Comes— Stoney LaRue and Brandon Jenkins
8. Easy She Comes— Stoney LaRue and Mando Saenz
9. Seven Spanish Angels (with Cody Canada)— originally recorded by Willie Nelson and Ray Charles, written by Troy Seals and Eddie Setser
10. Train to Birmingham— John Hiatt
11. Wichita Lineman—originally recorded by Glen Campbell, written by Jimmy Webb
Big Loud Records Adds Clapper As SE Region Director of Promotion
/by Jessica NicholsonDavid Clapper. Photo: Courtesy of CatMax Photography
David Clapper has joined Big Loud Records as Southeast Region Director of Promotion, following the appointments of Stacy Blythe (National Director of Promotion) and Dave Kirth (West Coast Region Director of Promotion). Clapper will report directly to President Clay Hunnicutt.
Clapper spent the past 13 years at Cox Media Group in Atlanta, working in Promotions and Marketing, and as Director of Branding and Programming. Prior to Cox, he worked as Southeast Regional for MCA Records.
Clapper can be reached at clapper@bigloudrecords.com or at 615-329-2729.
“David is the perfect fit for the team we are building and a natural to handle the Southeast region,” shares Hunnicutt. “His background in both radio and records along with his unmatched creative spirit, gives him a unique perspective that will benefit the stations he works with, our artists and the entire team at Big Loud Records.”
“I can’t even begin to explain how thrilled I am to get in on the ground floor with Big Loud Records,” says Clapper. “It’s such an exciting time for Country music and for the Big Loud team. This is going to be an amazing experience and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work alongside Clay Hunnicutt and Stacy Blythe. Time to hit the road again!”
Big Loud Records is the newly launched label founded by manager Seth England, producer Joey Moi, songwriter Craig Wiseman, manager Kevin “Chief” Zaruk and radio veteran Hunnicutt.
Weekly Register: Maddie & Tae Notches Top Country Debut
/by Jessica NicholsonLuke Bryan continues riding high atop both the Soundscan country tracks chart and country albums chart this week. Bryan’s “Strip It Down” moved 42k this week, while his album Kill The Lights moved 38k. However, some of country’s top females are close behind. Maddie & Tae, Cam, and Danielle Bradbery all offer strong sales showings this week.
Maddie & Tae‘s debut project Start Here enters at No. 2 on the country albums chart this week, with 28k (24k album only). The album debuts at No. 7 overall, and No. 5 current country digital album overall.
Sam Hunt‘s Montevallo (13k) follows at No. 3 on the country album chart, Zac Brown Band‘s Jekyll+Hyde (8.3k) at No. 4, and Eric Church‘s The Outsiders (8.3k). The Weeknd debuts at No. 1 on the overall album chart, with Beauty Behind the Madness selling 411k (326k album only).
Overall album sales are down 3.6 percent from last year, with overall digital album sales up .4 percent. Country album sales are down 3 percent from last year, while country digital album sales are up 4.8 percent.
This time last year, Ariana Grande‘s My Everything was the top overall album, moving 169k, while Brad Paisley‘s Moonshine in the Trunk was the top country album, moving 53k.
Cam. Photo: Ninelle Efremova
On the country tracks chart, Cam’s “Burning House” lands as the No. 2 country track with 36k, followed by Sam Hunt‘s “House Party” (35k), Keith Urban‘s “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” (34k) and Chris Janson‘s “Buy Me A Boat” (33k). On the overall chart, pop prince Justin Bieber returns with “What Do You Mean?” Beiber’s new track debuted at No. 1 overall, with 337k.
The top country debut this week is Danielle Bradbery’s “Friend Zone,” which moved 7.4k.
Overall tracks are down 10.2 percent from this time last year, while country track sales are down 15.7 percent from last year. This time last year, Jason Aldean‘s “Burnin’ It Down” was the reigning country track, with 76k, while Taylor Swift‘s “Shake It Off” was the peak overall track, with 355k.
The next few weeks will see releases including Brett Eldredge‘s Illinois (Sept. 11), Ben Folds‘ So There (Sept. 11), Jewel‘s Picking Up The Pieces (Sept. 11), Alabama‘s Southern Drawl (Sept. 18), Home Free‘s Country Evolution (Sept. 18), and Clare Dunn‘s self-titled major label debut (Sept. 18).
If You Book It They Will Come—Kevin Griffin Talks Pilgrimage Festival
/by Sarah SkatesOr in the case of music festivals, if you book it they will come.
When launching the inaugural Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tenn., hit songwriter/artist Kevin Griffin and his two business partners knew that a stellar line-up was the key to success.
The three men have their own areas of expertise—Griffin leads longtime band Better Than Ezra and is co-writer of big hits by Sugarland and Howie Day, Michael Whelan is an established businessman, and Brandt Wood owns notable Dallas clubs and music venues—but none had experience recruiting a slate of top artists for a two-day festival.
“We couldn’t afford a learning curve,” says Griffin. “Booking a festival is an artform. So we looked at some of our favorite festivals and who booked them. One that stuck out was the Newport Folk Festival. So we reached out to its booker, Jay Sweet. He loved the idea and helped us curate this festival. For talent bookers, it’s really based on his relationships with the bands and knowing what bands like playing onstage with other bands, and what bands attract other artists. There’s a big challenge with a new festival. Everybody wants to know who is playing and when you don’t have anybody committed yet, that’s hard. One of the first to commit was Willie Nelson. That was by design, because we knew once we got Willie on board, other bands [would follow]. Then we got Dawes, Band of Horses, The Decemberists. Slowly we started building a story.”
What a story. The line up also includes Wilco, Weezer, Sheryl Crow, Steven Tyler, Cage The Elephant, Dr. John, Holly Williams, Will Hoge, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Chris Stapleton, The Lone Bellow, Nikki Lane, John & Jacob and too many others to list.
Griffin, who moved to Franklin with his family almost five years ago, was inspired to start the festival while running in his adopted hometown. “In December 2013 I took a run out to Harlinsdale Farm across from The Factory in Franklin, and I was struck by the beauty of the surroundings and rolling hills and natural amphitheaters. I ran back home and told my wife, ‘I’m going to do a music festival.’”
In between work with Better Than Ezra, which closed its recent tour at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater, Griffin found time to launch the Pilgrimage Festival.
“What was exciting was that there was a lane for us that wasn’t already tapped,” he says. “Bonnaroo is amazing and so is CMA Fest, but the three of us grew up in New Orleans with Jazz Fest, a multi-genre day-festival, family friendly, with amazing food and drinks and an eclectic list of artists. You may see Dr. John on the same stage with Maroon 5 and people have learned to expect that. We started putting it together, and we were like ‘this doesn’t exist in Nashville.’ That got us excited and it excited the city of Franklin and the music community.” Like Jazz Fest, Griffin promises plenty of onstage musical collaborations, or “Pilgri-mashups,” at his event.
While Griffin estimates Harlinsdale Farm can hold 70,000-80,000 people per day, the goal for Pilgrimage is 10,000-15,000 per day. “We want it to be manageable on all fronts. We want people to get in and out easily. We’ve got a great traffic plan by working with the city of Franklin. Word of mouth is critical for a festival. We want people to want to come back next year and bring their friends, and part of that is we can’t bite off more than we can chew. Let’s have modest goals and make it really feel good, have plenty of room. We set out saying this is a boutique music festival, and that’s the path we followed.”
The event will have wood-clad stages to reflect the area’s history. There will be a Kitchen Stage and Sippin’ Stage designed to offer the region’s best food and drink. Griffin is proud to offer free admission for children 10 and under. Plus, Little Pilgrim’s Landing for kids will likely be the only place to see him perform, because he will be wearing a “promoter’s hat” instead.
Continuing with the inspiration from Jazz Fest, Pilgrimage will end both nights at about 7:30 p.m., giving attendees time to patronize local restaurants after the festival, creating a boon for the economy. There will also be nighttime performances, which are yet-to-be-announced.
“This is all about being a community partner,” sums Griffin. “When you do that, you end up being around for 40-plus years like Jazz Fest, and it’s part of the fabric of the city. That’s a lofty goal we had. To see it work is a magical thing.”
Portions of each ticket sale will benefit the City of Franklin and Franklin Parks, and MusiCares®.
Tickets range fro $499 (2-day VIP package) to $92 (single general admission tickets). Details at pilgrimagefestival.com.
Kevin Griffin
Country Music Association To Make Music Row Move
/by Jessica NicholsonRendering of 35MSE (Music Square East) building, currently under construction at 35 16th Avenue South. Photo: Courtesy of Panattoni Development Company
The Country Music Association will relocate corporate offices in 2016. CMA and SESAC will share the five-story office space, which was designed by Tuck-Hinton Architects, the designers of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
“This is a very exciting opportunity for CMA on several levels,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Operating Officer. “This move allows us to consolidate our day-to-day staff and TV production team under one roof while still providing a state-of-the-art event space for the industry.”
CMA intends to sign a 10-year lease with Panattoni Development Company for 27,000 feet on the first and second floor of the 35MSE (Music Square East) building, currently under construction at 35 16th Avenue South. As part of the agreement, Panattoni will acquire the current CMA building.
“We welcome the entire CMA team into our project at 35MSE and are honored to be part of their growth plans and future,” said Whitfield Hamilton, Panattoni Regional Partner. “We have attempted to create a unique business venue and scale for those who want to work on and be part of The Row, and we appreciate the opportunity to be The CMA’s new home.”
Founded in 1958, the CMA moved into its current offices at 1 Music Circle South in 1991 when the Association had 15 employees, one television show at the Grand Ole Opry, and Fan Fair was held at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. Today, CMA counts 48 full-time staff members and a full calendar of events domestically and internationally. In addition, CMA has a production team of 15 employees who work on CMA’s three annual television properties. Until now, they were housed in a separate, rented office space.
Trahern added, “Housing our television production in the same building as our Events, Marketing, and PR departments makes sense strategically – especially as the future growth of our television properties is influenced by Marketing and partnerships.”
Another advantage to the new space is the ability to continue to host industry events including artist performances, industry celebrations, press conferences, and No. 1 parties, which are currently held in CMA’s atrium. The new building will also allow for secured parking for CMA staff and Board/Committee meeting attendees.
“We are entering a new era for the Association and this expansion on Music Row provides the infrastructure, visibility, and security necessary for us to continue to grow and serve this community,” Trahern said.
‘Uptown Funk’ and ‘Burning House’ Writer/Producer Signs With UMPG
/by Eric T. ParkerJeff Bhasker
Santa Monica’s Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has signed an exclusive, worldwide music publishing agreement with Grammy-winning producer/songwriter Jeff Bhasker, according to Jody Gerson, Chairman and CEO, UMPG.
Bhasker has co-written and produced some of the highest-selling and most-performed songs in recent years, including the global smash “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars. Under his label KRAVENWORKS, he co-wrote and produced country artist Cam‘s single “Burning House.”
“Jody Gerson has been instrumental in my songwriting career,” said Bhasker. “Her guidance and knowledge is second to none. I’m very excited to continue writing songs that unite, uplift and challenge convention with her at Universal Music Publishing.”
“It’s a thrill and an honor to continue working with Jeff and bring him to Universal,” said Gerson. “His music knows no boundaries and his talents are limitless.”
Bhasker’s credits also include the hits “We Are Young” by Fun., “Run This Town” by Jay-Z, “Locked Out of Heaven” by Bruno Mars, “Headlights” by Eminem, “All of the Lights” by Kanye West, “Just Give Me a Reason” by Pink, “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys, “Find Your Love” by Drake and many more.
Thomas Rhett Plans Record-Breaking Concert For Album Release
/by Troy_StephensonThomas Rhett is set to release his sophomore album, Tangled Up, on Sept. 25. In celebration of the new music, Rhett will host a concert event on Sept. 23 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. “Tangled Up In Texas” will attempt to be a record-breaking event when fans will be asked to help set a Guiness Book of World Records title for the largest game of Twister. This will take place in addition to Rhett’s live concert that will include new music and all of his chart-topping hits.
Beginning today (Sept. 8) at www.TRTangledUp.com, fans can purchase an event package that includes entry to Rhett’s performance, optional “Tangled Up” game entry, an event T-shirt and a digital download of his upcoming album.
“Going into album release surrounded by some of my biggest fans is exactly how I want to kick off that week,” says Rhett. “That paired with the fact that we get to play new music at one of the most iconic stadiums in the world is going to be wild.”
Hosted by NASH FM’s Shawn Parr, NASH Nights will broadcast live from the event all night long including Rhett’s 7:30 p.m. concert on the stadium field. Doors to AT&T stadium will open at 4 p.m. and children under the age of 12 will be able to attend for free.