Dierks for Mayor?

Dierks Bentley is a walking, talking Chamber of Commerce for the city of Nashville. Visits by him and newer country star Hunter Hayes left favorable impressions on members of the national and local press gathered backstage at last night’s Grammy nominations concert. Other country stars, who appeared on the show but didn’t stop by the press parade, missed a wonderful opportunity to welcome the media to their hometown.

Bentley is so proud of Nashville that he thinks non-residents are lucky to visit. “It’s a good opportunity for everyone else to get a peek of Nashville,” he said. “Our town’s really special.” He also elaborated on the enormous talent pool, and community of support and respect among the industry, artists, musicians and songwriters. He received his twelfth career nomination for Best Country Solo Performance for “Home.” Of the hit, he said, “At the live show, it is great to have a song that gives the singer goosebumps night after night.” After years of nominations without wins, he joked, “They’re starting a new thing next year, where if you’re nominated 13 times it’s an automatic win.” Surrounding the February Grammy ceremony, Bentley is considering hosting his annual special-guest-packed show at the Troubadour. As for his performance of “Jackson” with The Band Perry, he explained, “We really wanted to honor the song’s original spirit but also wanted to make it new and fresh. The Band Perry came up with the arrangement. It was career highlight. Kimberly’s a fireball.”

“I’m proud to wave the country flag in the new artist category,” said first-time nominee Hayes, who will compete in the all-genre category. He appeared on the show to announce the nominees for Best Pop Vocal Album by performing a snippet of each song. Because he couldn’t find out the nominees until the last minute, he admitted the reveal “was nerve racking, fun and a little challenging.” He was nominated for Best Country Album and will compete against Bentley for Best Country Solo Performance for his hit “Wanted.” “It’s what you dream of as a songwriter,” added Hayes, “to connect with that many people. I came to town to be one crazy dreamer and to get this kind of recognition is [unbelievable]. I spent years writing this record. I want to keep evolving and searching, that’s what I live for musically.”

Performer and nominee Ne-Yo was lively. “I would absolutely make a country album, and follow one of my idols, Lionel Richie,” he told the press. “I tell everyone in L.A. that Nashville is the place to be.” The r&b star, who collaborated with Tim McGraw for the country singer’s upcoming album, added, “The fact that he’d even step down off the country music throne [to work with me] means the world to me. He’s a super open-minded guy.” Ne-Yo shared how welcoming McGraw was, inviting him over for dinner for Faith’s homemade chicken after one of their first meetings.

Hunter Hayes

The Recording Academy President/CEO Neal Portnow declared, “Nashville gets an A-plus tonight. There’s not a city like Nashville, and the warmth we felt, the collaboration and enthusiasm, it was a beautiful night.” As for the nominations show or awards ceremony returning, he added, “We have a fresh canvas, and no rules that say we have to be in a certain city. We’ve had a great experience here.” He also noted that the awards take up a week at an arena due to the extensive production and, of course, the economics of a move have to be considered.

First time nominee Rhett Walker received a nod for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song for writing the Rhett Walker Band hit “When Mercy Found Me” with Jeff Pardo. “I’m blown away!” he said. “I’m here at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville for the Grammy nomination event with my wife and our six-week-old daughter and I could not be more overwhelmed. I’m just a kid from the South that writes songs about life.”

Other first time nominees The Lumineers credited label home Dualtone as a major factor in their success. Wesley Schultz said, “In this whole process we’ve felt like underdogs, but our label has done a tremendous job.” As for the revival of roots-driven music, the band thanked Mumford & Sons and The Avett Brothers for “kicking down the door.”

Based on the nominations, Fun.’s Jack Antonoff noted, “There’s a change coming in music. If you turn on the radio it is pretty obvious.” As for their own nominations? “These things that we have no control over, we try not to think about them.”

The musical talent of rising success stories The Lumineers and Alabama Shakes is apparent, but in person their star qualities are ready-to-be-polished.

When asked about wardrobe, Alabama Shakes singer Brittany Howard drew friendly chuckles with her frank explanation: “I got these shoes at Burlington Coat Factory.” After making their debut album here, the Shakes are enthusiastic about Music City. “Nashville is a town with all kinds of sounds, there’s a lot of hidden things here,” she explained. As for the band’s nominations, she summed it up: “I’m happy and my Nana’s happy.”

Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) performs "For Your Glory" on Nashville. Photo: ABC.com

“Where He Leads Me”–Season 1, Episode 8

Judging by Nashville’s winter finale, viewers can expect some major twists in the second half of the season.

In the previous episode, Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton) and Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) co-wrote and then performed “Wrong Song” at the Ryman Auditorium. In this episode, it becomes clear that the single has been released to radio and become a smash country hit, prompting Edgehill Republic’s executives to ask for a co-headlining tour between Rayna and Juliette—an idea that Rayna, surprisingly, doesn’t immediately shoot down. Still, the label hasn’t yet asked Juliette what she thinks of the idea.

Of course, Rayna has larger worries on her mind than a tour, after husband Teddy (Eric Close) comes clean about the photos of him with Peggy Kenter (Kimberly Williams-Paisley). He swears he isn’t cheating on Rayna and she seems convinced, until politician Coleman Carlisle shows her the photos of Teddy hugging Peggy. Rayna goes to confront Peggy, but arrives at Peggy’s home just in time to see Peggy being wheeled out on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance. A neighbor reveals to Rayna that Peggy’s husband just returned from a business trip to find his wife overdosed on pills in an apparent suicide attempt. Teddy reveals the whole story to Rayna, confessing the embezzlement. A shocked Rayna essentially calls him a criminal and claims she can’t trust him anymore.

Rayna later appears at a press conference organized by Teddy to clear up the situation. Rayna takes the podium to defend her husband and their marriage, but tells him privately that she “did it for our daughters.”

While Rayna’s relationship seems to have hit a major snag, Gunnar (Sam Palladio) experiences a breakup and a first kiss with a new flame, all in one episode. At the beginning of the episode, Gunnar’s girlfriend Hailey (Chloe Wang) attempts to convince Scarlett (Clare Bowen) to audition as the lead singer of a band, which tests her loyalty to writing with Gunnar. Scarlett tells Gunnar of Hailey’s idea. Just a block or two away, Gunnar and Hailey break up at Legato Gelato in Edgehill Village, after he confronts her about the idea for Scarlett to front a band and she realizes Gunnar’s strong feelings for Scarlett. He meets Scarlett at the Bluebird Cafe, revealing his romantic intentions and his very recent breakup with Hailey, before he shares a spontaneous first kiss with a confused Scarlett. Gunnar later performs “When The Right One Comes Along” (written by Justin Davis, Georgia Middleman and Sarah Zimmerman) at the Bluebird Cafe, as Scarlett watches and wrestles with her feelings for him. She announces that she wants to take a break from writing with Gunnar, that is, until their publishing company tells them that their song “Fade Into You” is on hold to be recorded by an artist.

As Scarlett and Gunner wade through the new dimension of their relationship, Avery Barkley’s career seems to finally be gaining traction. After a full band performance of “Peace In The Valley” (written by Gillian Welch), Avery (Jonathan Jackson) receives an invitation to fly to Atlanta to work with industry bigwig Domino Wells (Wyclef Jean). However, Avery’s loyalty to his band members, and a close friend in particular, is tested when Avery is informed that the producer only wants work with him, not the rest of the band.

Deacon (Charles Esten) gets an offer to be a guitar player for the newly sober band The Revel Kings. Both Rayna and Juliette encourage him to accept the gig, which he does.

Meanwhile, Juliette’s pious athlete boyfriend, Sean Butler (Tilky Jones), maintains his stand of abstinence before marriage and asks his country singer girlfriend to visit church with his well-to-do family. In an attempt to impress the fam, Juliette agrees to sing a song with the church choir (“For Your Glory,” written by Kate York, Leeland Mooring and Jack Mooring), and later visits Sean’s family for dinner. At first, it seems Juliette is the perfect girlfriend in the eyes of Sean’s parents—she brings flowers for Sean’s mother and custom boots for Sean’s sister Dana (Madison Lintz). Juliette seems enchanted with the supportive, wholesome family, until Sean’s mother tells Juliette to get lost because she doesn’t want the singer’s tainted reputation to spoil Sean’s good-boy persona.

This seems to make Juliette determined to be part of the Butler clan. At the close of the winter finale’s, she invites Sean to her home where Juliette has set up a romantic outdoor atmosphere, complete with candles. Partly revealing the conversation she had with Sean’s mother, Juliette then asks him to marry her.