Pictured (L-R): The RCA Nashville promo team’s Larry Santiago, David Berry, Elizabeth Sledge, and Keith Gale; Brooks; RCA’s Josh Easler; Yearwood; Overton; and RCA’s Dan Nelson, Matt Galvin, and Parker Fowler. Photo courtesy of RCA Nashville.
launched a triumphant musical comeback during the first show of his world tour last night (Sept. 4). Brooks performed to a packed house of nearly 20,000 fans at Rosemont, Ill.’s Allstate Arena (near Chicago). He offered a mix that relied heavily on his lengthy list of signature ’90s hits including “The Dance,” “Friends In Low Places,” “The River,” “Ain’t Going Down ‘Til The Sun Comes Up,” “Calling Baton Rouge,” as well as a few newer songs, including “Man Against Machine,” and his current single, “People Loving People.”
Also on the bill was Brooks’ wife and superb vocalist
Trisha Yearwood, who emerged halfway through the show for a duet of “In Another’s Eyes,” followed by “XXXs and OOOs (An American Girl),” “How Do I Live,” “Wrong Side of Memphis,” and her latest single, “PrizeFighter.”
Singer-songwriter
Karyn Rochelle opened the show. Rochelle penned songs including
Kellie Pickler‘s “I Wonder,” “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” “Red High Heels” and Yearwood’s “Georgia Rain” (from 2005’s
Jasper County), as well as “Let The Wind Chase You,” “This Is Me You’re Talking To,” and “Cowboys Are My Weakness,” (all from 2007’s
Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love). Rochelle’s self-titled album released Sept. 2 on iTunes.
All photos courtesy of Bev Moser/Moments By Moser.
Twitter Adds In-App Buying Power
/by Sarah SkatesUsers will get access to offers and merchandise they can’t get anywhere else and can act on them in the Twitter apps for Android and iOS. As of now, the service is mostly being used to sell merch, not music downloads.
After tapping the “Buy” button, users enter their shipping and payment information, which is then sent to the merchant for delivery. The user’s info is stored after the first transaction, so they can buy on Twitter in the future without having to re-enter it.
To build the technology, Twitter partnered with Fancy, Gumroad, Musictoday and Stripe as platforms for the initial test, with more partners to follow soon.
A wide variety of brands and artists are on board for the test, ranging from fashion (Burberry), to charities (The Nature Conservancy), to pop stars (Pharrell).
Katie Armiger Announces European Headlining Tour
/by Kelsey_GradyArmiger is touring in support of her latest album, Fall Into Me, which was produced by Grammy winner Chad Carlson (Taylor Swift) and features Armiger’s collaborations with Nashville songwriters, including Blair Daly (Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw), Joe West (Toby Keith) and Bruce Wallace (Dierks Bentley, Trace Adkins, Montgomery Gentry), among others.
“I’m so excited about taking my music overseas,” says Armiger. “It’s been a dream of mine for years!”
U.S. and international tour dates are as follows:
Sept. 6 – CountryStock Music Fest – Rainier, Ore.
Sept. 11 – First Responders Salute – Fayetteville, N.C.
Sept. 19 – Toby Keith’s Bar & Grill – St. Louis Park, Minn.
Sept. 24 – Rumba Cafe – Columbus, Ohio
Sept. 25 – Toby Keith’s Bar & Grill – Auburn Hills, Mich.
Sept. 26 – Musica – Akron, Ohio
Oct. 10 – Emens Auditorium – Muncie, Ind. (with Easton Corbin)
Nov. 8 – Indian River Firefighters Chili & Salsa Cook-Off -Vero Beach, Fla.
Nov. 16 – Oran Mor – Glasgow
Nov. 17 – Islington Assembly Hall – London
Nov. 18 – Birmingham Glee Club – Birmingham
Nov. 19 – Cluny 2 – Newcastle
Nov. 20 – Cambridge Junction – Cambridge
Nov. 24 – Loft Arts Centre – Liverpool
My Country Nation Premieres 2014 Series Programming
/by Jessica NicholsonThe network, which was launched earlier this month by Brad Paisley, Taillight, ARC Entertainment, and WME, unveiled the new shows on mycountrynation.com.
Young In The Nation follows Josh Clark, who has 1.4 million Vine followers), his girlfriend and their best friends on an 800-mile road trip to see as many Country shows as possible and meet as many stars as possible. Lambert, Aldean, Lady Antebellum and others make guest appearances.
Made In The USA will feature prankster Tom Mabe (seen on CMT, Comedy Central, and NBC) debuting 10 exclusive pranks pulled off by Mabe and a cast of guest collaborators.
This Week In The Nation, hosted by Megan & Liz, is a twice-weekly variety of country-centric content, including pop culture, news, viral videos, comedy, and behind-the-scenes footage with Country artists.
Buddy Lee Attractions Signs Brooke Hogan
/by Jessica NicholsonBrooke Hogan joined by BLA staff, and manager Drew Davis/McGee Entertainment (far right)
Buddy Lee Attractions has signed Brooke Hogan to its roster. Hogan was a regular on Brooke Knows Best and Hogan Knows Best (both on VH1). She made her first foray into the music scene with the help of pop music manager Lou Pearlman (Backstreet Boys, N’Sync), who recorded her first pop-country album. She released her debut album Undiscovered in 2006, followed by The Redemption in 2009.
BLA also represents Gwen Sebastian, Jason Michael Carrol, The Lacs, Bucky Covington, The Roys, and Outshyne.
ole Digital Inks Online Publishing Deal With Moraine Music Group
/by Jessica Nicholsonole Digital manages and collects online revenues for ole clients via direct deals with YouTube and other services.
“Our research has shown that many artists and other rights-holders often aren’t paid all the royalties they are owed from online music services, but ole Digital changes that by applying our extensive publishing expertise to the digital world,” said Robert Ott, Chairman and CEO of ole. “We’re happy to welcome the Moraine Music Group to ole Digital and look forward to working with them to guarantee that their artists are paid fairly.”
Studio A Building: 'No Longer Economically Viable'
/by Sarah SkatesBravo Development has shared with the media reports from engineers and building inspectors regarding the property at 30 Music Sq. W. which it recently purchased for more than $4 milllion from a group that includes members of the Bradley family, who established the property’s first recording studio.
30 Music Sq. W. currently houses Ben Folds’ Grand Victor Sound studio (formerly known as RCA Studio A), as well as other offices.
While the new documents, including an open letter from Bravo’s Tim Reynolds, do not explicitly state that the building will be demolished, it is likely that a wrecking ball is headed for the site. The letter states: “the building is no longer economically viable ‘as it is.'” According to the other reports, the property does not meet building codes, has numerous HVAC and electrical problems, water damage, is structurally unsound, and doesn’t meet requirements for the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Bravo has approached various cultural institutions about their interest in helping salvage the few elements of Studio A that are under its ownership.
Folds fought to preserve the space on the grounds that it was home to numerous landmark recordings, and rallied many supporters for the cause. Following the sale, the musician and his studio are vacating the space.
Previously, Reynolds told MusicRow that he would withdraw from the project if saving the studio was not an option.
Ultimately, the debate brought to the forefront the important question of how to best balance the rights of property owners while protecting property with historical significance.
Click below to view the reports.
Field inspection report
Open letter from Tim Reynolds
Engineering report
Garth Brooks Stages First Comeback Show in Chicago
/by Kelsey_GradyPictured (L-R): The RCA Nashville promo team’s Larry Santiago, David Berry, Elizabeth Sledge, and Keith Gale; Brooks; RCA’s Josh Easler; Yearwood; Overton; and RCA’s Dan Nelson, Matt Galvin, and Parker Fowler. Photo courtesy of RCA Nashville.
Garth Brooks launched a triumphant musical comeback during the first show of his world tour last night (Sept. 4). Brooks performed to a packed house of nearly 20,000 fans at Rosemont, Ill.’s Allstate Arena (near Chicago). He offered a mix that relied heavily on his lengthy list of signature ’90s hits including “The Dance,” “Friends In Low Places,” “The River,” “Ain’t Going Down ‘Til The Sun Comes Up,” “Calling Baton Rouge,” as well as a few newer songs, including “Man Against Machine,” and his current single, “People Loving People.”
Also on the bill was Brooks’ wife and superb vocalist Trisha Yearwood, who emerged halfway through the show for a duet of “In Another’s Eyes,” followed by “XXXs and OOOs (An American Girl),” “How Do I Live,” “Wrong Side of Memphis,” and her latest single, “PrizeFighter.”
Singer-songwriter Karyn Rochelle opened the show. Rochelle penned songs including Kellie Pickler‘s “I Wonder,” “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” “Red High Heels” and Yearwood’s “Georgia Rain” (from 2005’s Jasper County), as well as “Let The Wind Chase You,” “This Is Me You’re Talking To,” and “Cowboys Are My Weakness,” (all from 2007’s Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love). Rochelle’s self-titled album released Sept. 2 on iTunes.
All photos courtesy of Bev Moser/Moments By Moser.
Dustin Lynch Preps for Superstardom with Sophomore Album
/by Eric T. ParkerAs part of the promotion of his sophomore album launch, the Broken Bow recording artist took to the Nashville stage at 3rd and Lindsley last night (Sept. 4) to perform a sampling of new music, covers and his own hits.
Free launch parties have been sporadically announced in major cities across the country leading up to the Sept. 9 release of Where It’s At. The 15-track record, produced by Brett Beavers, Luke Wooten and Mickey Jack Cones, includes previewed titles “Sing It To Me,” “After Party,” “Mind Reader” and “All Night.”
Parking overflowed to accommodate the completely packed house, full of fans and media professionals alike. A front-heavy setlist was ruffled with tunes from his self-titled debut, including “Cowboys and Angels” and “She Cranks My Tractor.” Lynch tipped his hat to Alan Jackson and Garth Brooks, writers and performers that influenced the Tullahoma, Tenn., native, in his own “She Wants A Cowboy.” A Brooks cover seems to be a mainstay for Lynch’s set—last night’s was “Rodeo.” Of course, the show ended with the increasingly popular “Where It’s At (Yep, Yep).” Everyone was pleased.
Coming up, the Lipscomb University graduate will be the official spokesperson for CMT’s Empowering Education initiative, encouraging Americans in economically-depressed areas to go back to school. Pledging a commitment to education on social media using Thunderclap by Sept. 18, fans will be entered in the grand prize package for a VIP trip to the 2015 CMT Music Awards in Nashville.
Lynch will be in NYC next week performing a free show outside the FOX News Plaza on album release day. The first 100 fans will receive an autographed CD.
Tech News: Rdio, Vevo
/by Jessica NicholsonThere are also streams curated by Rdio staffers and artist “tastemakers.” The new model will aid in Rdio’s competition with services including Beats Music and Google’s Play Music All Access.
Cumulus’ NASH should be fully integrated with Rdio by next year, with a streaming station, on-demand content and exclusive interviews for new releases. This comes in exchange for a 15 percent stake in the company, with options to increase to 20 percent. “We expect Rdio to become the digital platform for all of our local brands and national syndicated content distributed through WestwoodOne,” said Cumulus’ Lew Dickey.
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“Bringing our first Chief Product Officer on board is an important milestone for Vevo,” said company chief Rio Caraeff. “David is a seasoned product management leader with more than 15 years spent working at the intersection of media and the web at a range of start-ups as well as global, established technology driven companies. With David’s leadership, Vevo is well-positioned to grow our product operations as we approach our five year anniversary later this year.”
Industry Ink: AristoWorks, UMPG, SwerVRecords, Capitol CMG Publishing
/by Jessica NicholsonFlorida-based Resnik Music Group has built a music catalog of more than 4,000 titles collected from purchasing or absorbing nearly 100 publishing imprints. RMG’s catalog includes songs from various formats, including Country, Americana, Gospel and doo-wop.
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The Song List contains information on songs controlled by UMPG, including song title, songwriters names, PRO affiliation, UMPG control percentage and, to the extent available, the International Standard Musical Work Code (ISWC), a permanent and internationally recognized reference number for the identification of musical works.
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Capitol CMG Publishing celebrated five-time Dove Award-winning songwriter Sue Smith on her latest No. 1 single, “Calvary’s Cry,” recorded by Daywind Records’ Brian Free & Assurance. This marks Smith’s ninth No. 1 single for Capitol CMG Publishing.
Pictured (L-R): Capitol CMG Publishing’s John Andrade, Sue Smith, Matt Ewald, and John Thompson