
Eric Church
Eric Church will launch the North American leg of
The Outsiders World Tour on Sept. 11 in Bossier City, La. The trek’s 31 arena dates will include stops at Madison Square Garden, Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio), Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia), the Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.), the Arena at Gwinnett Center (Atlanta), Thompson-Boling Arena (Knoxville, Tenn.), and FedExForum (Memphis, Tenn.), among others.
Tickets for the shows will go on sale beginning April 18.
Dwight Yoakam will join Church for every show, along with alternating opening acts
Brothers Osborne, Brandy Clark and
Halestorm.
Church promises fans a high-tech, 360 degree view at each tour stop. A limited number of VIP tickets will be available for each show. Each VIP ticket includes seating in the first 15 rows or in the general admission pit, an invitation to a pre-show party at The Outsiders Joint, a two-song acoustic pre-show performance by Church, a limited edition show poster, and a dedicated VIP concert concierge.
The first leg of the tour will take place throughout September through December in the U.S. and Canada and is exclusively promoted by
Louis Messina of The Messina Group/AEG Live.
The Outsiders World Tour North American dates:
Sept. 11 | Bossier City, La. | CenturyLink Center*
Sept. 13 | St. Louis, Mo. | Scottrade Center*
Sept. 16 | Minneapolis, Minn. | Target Center*
Sept. 17 | Des Moines, Iowa | Wells Fargo Arena*
Sept. 18 | Omaha, Neb. | CenturyLink Center*
Sept. 25 | Louisville, Ky. | KFC Yum! Center*
Sept. 26 | Charleston, W.Va. | Charleston Civic Center*
Sept. 27 | Greensboro, N.C. | Greensboro Coliseum*
Oct. 9 | Grand Rapids, Mich. | Van Andel Arena*
Oct. 10 | Cleveland, Ohio | Quicken Loans Arena*
Oct. 11 | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Consol Energy Center*
Oct. 16 | Charlottesville, Va. | John Paul Jones Arena**
Oct. 17 | New York, N.Y. | Madison Square Garden**
Oct. 18 | Philadelphia, Pa. | Wells Fargo Center**
Oct. 23 | Manchester, N.H. | Verizon Wireless Arena**
Oct. 24 | Uncasville, Conn. | Mohegan Sun**
Oct. 25 | Uncasville, Conn. | Mohegan Sun**
Oct. 30 | Knoxville, Tenn. |Thompson-Boling Arena**
Oct. 31 | Memphis, Tenn.| FedExForum**
Nov. 1 | Tulsa, Okla. | BOK Center**
Nov. 13 | London, Ont. | Budweiser Gardens**
Nov. 14 | Hamilton, Ont. | FirstOntario Centre**
Nov. 15 | Ottawa, Ont. | Canadian Tire Centre**
Nov. 20 | Green Bay, Wis. | Resch Center
Nov. 21 | Peoria, Ill. | Peoria Civic Center***
Nov. 22 | Evansville, Ind. | The Ford Center***
Dec. 5 | Kansas City, Mo. | Sprint Center
Dec. 6 | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Denny Sanford Premier Center***
Dec. 11 | Atlanta, Ga. | The Arena at Gwinnett Center***
Dec. 12 | Lexington, Ky. | Rupp Arena***
Dec. 13 | Birmingham, Ala. | BJCC Arena***
All dates with special guest Dwight Yoakum
*denotes Brothers Osborne
**denotes Brandy Clark
***denotes Halestorm
Eric Church Welcomes Dwight Yoakam For Tour
/by Jessica NicholsonEric Church
Eric Church will launch the North American leg of The Outsiders World Tour on Sept. 11 in Bossier City, La. The trek’s 31 arena dates will include stops at Madison Square Garden, Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio), Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia), the Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.), the Arena at Gwinnett Center (Atlanta), Thompson-Boling Arena (Knoxville, Tenn.), and FedExForum (Memphis, Tenn.), among others.
Tickets for the shows will go on sale beginning April 18.
Dwight Yoakam will join Church for every show, along with alternating opening acts Brothers Osborne, Brandy Clark and Halestorm.
Church promises fans a high-tech, 360 degree view at each tour stop. A limited number of VIP tickets will be available for each show. Each VIP ticket includes seating in the first 15 rows or in the general admission pit, an invitation to a pre-show party at The Outsiders Joint, a two-song acoustic pre-show performance by Church, a limited edition show poster, and a dedicated VIP concert concierge.
The first leg of the tour will take place throughout September through December in the U.S. and Canada and is exclusively promoted by Louis Messina of The Messina Group/AEG Live.
The Outsiders World Tour North American dates:
Sept. 11 | Bossier City, La. | CenturyLink Center*
Sept. 13 | St. Louis, Mo. | Scottrade Center*
Sept. 16 | Minneapolis, Minn. | Target Center*
Sept. 17 | Des Moines, Iowa | Wells Fargo Arena*
Sept. 18 | Omaha, Neb. | CenturyLink Center*
Sept. 25 | Louisville, Ky. | KFC Yum! Center*
Sept. 26 | Charleston, W.Va. | Charleston Civic Center*
Sept. 27 | Greensboro, N.C. | Greensboro Coliseum*
Oct. 9 | Grand Rapids, Mich. | Van Andel Arena*
Oct. 10 | Cleveland, Ohio | Quicken Loans Arena*
Oct. 11 | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Consol Energy Center*
Oct. 16 | Charlottesville, Va. | John Paul Jones Arena**
Oct. 17 | New York, N.Y. | Madison Square Garden**
Oct. 18 | Philadelphia, Pa. | Wells Fargo Center**
Oct. 23 | Manchester, N.H. | Verizon Wireless Arena**
Oct. 24 | Uncasville, Conn. | Mohegan Sun**
Oct. 25 | Uncasville, Conn. | Mohegan Sun**
Oct. 30 | Knoxville, Tenn. |Thompson-Boling Arena**
Oct. 31 | Memphis, Tenn.| FedExForum**
Nov. 1 | Tulsa, Okla. | BOK Center**
Nov. 13 | London, Ont. | Budweiser Gardens**
Nov. 14 | Hamilton, Ont. | FirstOntario Centre**
Nov. 15 | Ottawa, Ont. | Canadian Tire Centre**
Nov. 20 | Green Bay, Wis. | Resch Center
Nov. 21 | Peoria, Ill. | Peoria Civic Center***
Nov. 22 | Evansville, Ind. | The Ford Center***
Dec. 5 | Kansas City, Mo. | Sprint Center
Dec. 6 | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Denny Sanford Premier Center***
Dec. 11 | Atlanta, Ga. | The Arena at Gwinnett Center***
Dec. 12 | Lexington, Ky. | Rupp Arena***
Dec. 13 | Birmingham, Ala. | BJCC Arena***
All dates with special guest Dwight Yoakum
*denotes Brothers Osborne
**denotes Brandy Clark
***denotes Halestorm
Address Book Updates (4/8/14)
/by Jessica Nicholson• • •
Industry Ink (4/8/14)
/by Jessica NicholsonRyan Huie
The Ryan Huie Fund has been set up in memory of Ryan Huie, son of Dawn and CAA’s John Huie, and brother of Jason Huie. Ryan Huie grew up in Franklin, Tenn., attended Walnut Grove Elementary, Brentwood Academy and graduated from Pepperdine University.
He worked at Outback Concerts, then joined the Agency Coalition. Most recently, he was involved in starting a new music management company.
In lieu of flowers, the Ryan Huie Fund will benefit MusiCares. Make a donation here.
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For more information on the position, visit destinynashville.com.
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The Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum presented Pete Anderson: California Country’s Second Generation on Saturday, March 22. Anderson discussed his career, including his collaborations with Dwight Yoakam that helped re-establish the Bakersfield Sound as a force on country radio. He also performed songs from the Bakersfield repertoire and from his latest release, Bird Above Guitarland.
Pictured (L-R): are Billy Burnette, Gary Swan, Pete Anderson, Curatorial Director Mick Buck, Lael Eccard and Gary Morse.
Azoff MSG Acquires 50 Percent Stake in Burns Entertainment
/by Jessica NicholsonIrving Azoff
Azoff MSG Entertainment (AMSGE), the joint venture between Azoff Music Management and the Madison Square Garden Company, has acquired a 50 percent stake in celebrity and music procurement firm Burns Entertainment. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
For over 44 years, Burns Entertainment has represented many consumer brands, working to match them with celebrities and licensing music for advertising campaigns and promotions. Burns has worked globally on behalf of companies including Unilever, Dr. Pepper, Snapple Group, Beam Global, Audi, Sprint and hundreds of others.
“We are thrilled to have Burns as part of the AMSGE family,” said Irving Azoff, CEO of Azoff MSG Entertainment. “Bob Williams, Doug Shabelman, and Marc Ippolito have built a globally recognized business and we are looking forward to helping take it to new heights.”
AMSGE recently acquired a 50 percent stake in Pop2Life (P2L), an experiential marketing and music agency that specializes in branded entertainment, social experiences, and unique promotions.
Walmart Reportedly Planning To Reduce CD Shelf Space
/by Jessica NicholsonThe retail giant will supposedly offset sales losses by displaying CDs more prominently in the electronics/entertainment department of its stores.
The cutback in product will likely make it even more difficult for newcomer artists’ product to be placed on the retailer’s shelves nationwide, as Walmart relies on an array of new and recent titles, as well as catalog product from established artists.
Label sources estimate that Walmart’s average inventory will decline from approximately 3,500 titles to around 2,100.
Country Stars Earn RIAA Certifications
/by Sarah SkatesDigital Single Awards are now based on song sales and on-demand streams.
Earning their first Platinum single certifications were Republic Nashville singer-songwriter Cassadee Pope for “Wasting All These Tears,” and Warner Music Nashville rising star Cole Swindell for “Chillin’ It.”
Tallying three-times Platinum was Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel” (Capitol Nashville).
Welcoming their first Gold song certifications were Christian musician Britt Nicole for “Gold” (Sparrow) and California-bred country crooner Jon Pardi for “Up All Night” (Capitol Records Nashville).
Florida Georgia Line earned two RIAA Platinum song awards for popular tracks “’Round Here” and “Stay” plus a Gold song award for “This Is How We Roll” (Republic Nashville).
Labelmate Brantley Gilbert earned Platinum certifications for “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do” and “Country Must Be Country Wide,” and a Gold award for “Bottoms Up.”
The highly successful WOW Christian and gospel music enterprise secured two new Gold albums in March: WOW Hits 2014 (Sparrow Joint Venture) and WOW Gospel 2011 (RCA Inspiration).
Hirings, Promotion At Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum
/by Jessica NicholsonAmy Holm
Joe Chambers, Founder and CEO of Nashville’s Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, has announced a round of hirings and a promotion at the organization.
Amy Holm joins as Director of Public Relations. Holm moved to Nashville from Bellingham, Wash. where she attended Western Washington University and earned degrees in Journalism/Public Relations and History.
Holm can be reached at amy@musicianshalloffame.com or (615) 244-3263 Ext. 111
Tyler Hancock
Tyler Hancock has been added as Director of Special Events. Hancock is a Belmont University graduate and comes to the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum from Premier W.E.D. And Corporate Board Member.
Hancock can be reached at tyler@musicianshalloffame.com or (615) 244-3263 Ext. 118
Blake Chambers
Blake Chambers joins as Operations Manager and is responsible for the day to day operation of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.
Chambers can be reached at blakemhof@gmail.com or (615) 244-3263 Ext. 115
Jay McDowell
In addition, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum’s Multimedia Curator, Jay McDowell, is promoted to Multimedia/Assistant Museum Exhibit Curator where his responsibilities will also include assisting in acquiring museum exhibits and artifacts and historical research of exhibits and artifacts.
McDowell can be reached at jay@musicianshalloffame.com or (615) 244-3263 Ext. 117
NMPA Adds Renzer To Board
/by Jessica Nicholson“David has been in the publishing business for over a quarter of a century, and was at the forefront of shepherding our industry through the transition to the digital age,” said Irwin Z. Robinson, chairman of the NMPA Board.
Prior to joining Spirit, Renzer served as chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). Major signings include the catalogs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Justin Timberlake, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, U2, and Mary J. Blige. He began his career at Zomba Music Publishing.
“The strength of our organization comes from the commitment of Board members to the songwriting and publishing community,” said NMPA president and CEO David Israelite. “David’s leadership and experience is a tremendous asset to our organization.”
Artist Updates (4/8/14)
/by Jessica NicholsonDunn took part in writing six of the 14 songs on Peace Love and Country Music, including three he wrote by himself, “Let’s Get The Beer Joint Rockin’,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “Country in Texas.”
The physical edition of Peace Love and Country Music is available exclusively at Country Outfitter, at countryoutfitter.com. Digital editions are available at all digital retailers.
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The series will run from April 30 through May 2. Performances begin at 7 p.m. at Starbucks-Colonnade at 9811 Interstate 10 W., San Antonio, Texas.
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Emmylou Harris, singer-songwriter and animal activist, was recently awarded by national animal welfare organization Best Friends Animal Society, in recognition of her work to protect animals.
Following her concert at Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, Marc Peralta, executive director of Best Friends-Los Angeles, presented Harris with an award. “Emmylou Harris is a longtime friend to animals in need, exemplifying the Best Friends spirit that every pet deserves a second chance. Emmylou has given many dogs and cats that second chance at a great new life and is a powerful ally in the fight to save them all,” Peralta said.
Pictured (L-R): Greg Siegel, Sr. VP, Live Nation; Rick Merrill, general manager, Wiltern Theatre; Emmylou Harris; Marc Peralta, executive director, Best Friends – Los Angeles; and Amy Wolf, celebrity and entertainment relations manager, Best Friends Animal Society.
Music City Roots Moving To Factory at Franklin
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Factory, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, also houses the Americana Music Association, Sugar Hill Records, Dark Horse studios, and several other organizations in the music community.
“Music City Roots is the perfect flagship for our vision to highlight Americana music and regional art and food culture here at The Factory at Franklin,” said its events manager Tami Pryce.
Most Wednesdays, Roots will be staged in The Factory’s 10,000 square foot Jamison Hall, though when a larger capacity is needed, MCR will move to the larger Liberty Hall. The show will continue to be broadcast live over local radio partner Hippie Radio 94.5 FM and webcast via its own website at musiccityroots.com.
MCR’s streaming service, RootsRadio.com, will create a broadcast booth in The Factory’s main hall, allowing opportunities for live programming and interviews alongside its regular 24-hour stream of Music City Roots performances.
“We have loved our home out ‘on the edge of Music City’ at the Loveless Cafe and deeply appreciate the magical musical moments we created together at the Loveless Barn…and we look forward to continuing the tradition at the historic Factory.” says Music City Roots co-executive producer and creator Todd Mayo.
“Loveless Cafe is pleased to have been the original setting for Music City Roots,” says Jessica Charlton, Loveless Cafe Brand Manager. “We celebrate the show’s growth and look forward to continued partnership opportunities.”
The final MCR “Spring Season” at the Loveless Barn will run April 9 through June 18.