K-Mart and Sears had 32-inch TV sets for $97. Verizon had Samsung tablets for $99. Best Buy was selling laptops for under $200.
This year Black Friday either set records for spending or was below expectations. I have read each analysis and I don’t understand what either side is saying. According to one report, 44% of the total US population shopped Friday-Monday. I believe this is a low estimate as at least 50% of the entire population was at the Partridge Creek Mall in Macomb, Michigan on Friday. It took me until Saturday to find a parking space.
Americans spent $59 BILLION dollars over the weekend in retail sales.
Here is where the numbers get crossed up: There was either a 13% increase in total weekend sales over last year, or sales were down from a 16% growth last year over 2010.
There was a 3.5% increase in the number of store visits, but there was a 1.8% drop in revenue from those visits.
Well yeah, they were pooped out from looking for a parking space. I get that.
What scares me the most is that the average amount consumers plan to spend on gifts is $423. I did that before lunch Friday and I have 15 more people to buy for. Which means a lot of you should be looking for Christmas cards this year instead of Xboxes or fruit baskets.
The website www.blackfriday.com listed hundreds of stores and sales for last week. I browsed the coupons and the sales but failed to see one ad for music or radios. I know how hard it is to find a radio that doesn’t also include an iPod/iPhone connection.
After the east coast got hammered by Sandy, I went looking for a “simple” battery radio to throw in the car this winter. But they didn’t have it at Target, Walmart or Sam’s. And trying to find a radio in Radio Shack is like trying to find Victoria in Victoria’s Secret. She’s not there. I’ve looked.
We’ll get some numbers this week on music sales. I suspect that Red is going to be under a lot of Christmas trees. There is a new Toby Keith album this season, as well as new music from Jamey Johnson, Jason Aldean, and Jerrod Niemann, and Christmas CDs from Blake Shelton, Lady A and Scotty McCreey.
I listen to a lot of country radio each week and I didn’t hear any mention of “Pick up some country music while you’re out shopping on Black Friday.” I didn’t hear ads about stocking stuffers while 150 million Americans were out shopping in stores or on-line this past Monday.
I don’t know anything about marketing hard goods to the American consumer, but it seems to me that getting them in the store is half the challenge. If the big guys are going to do that for you, led by the news media and the culture in this country to not be left behind, why not put a bug in their ear?
There is nothing really hot this year. I went online and looked at some sites and these are what they considered the top ten gifts for 2012:
1. iPhone Virtual Video Glasses
2. Atari iPad Arcade Console
3. Air Guitar with Laser Strings
4. Remee Mind Control Dreaming Mask
5. Retro iPhone Rotary-style Headset
6. Fog Ring Blaster
7. NFL Logo Toasters (Creates team logo on the toast.)
8. Beer Box Cowboy Hat
9. iPhone Pinball Magic Console
10. Polly the Insulting Electronic Parrot
I seriously doubt this list’s credibility, but I would like to see the Logo Toaster in action.
There are at least four goofy things on this list, though if the mind control mask works I am going to buy one. Why can’t we add a battery powered radio and a six pack of country music CDs to the list?
Heck, radio should be running ads for radios everyday. The brick and mortar stores should remind the guy with $423 in his pocket that he can get a half dozen CDs and knock off half his list… before getting himself a Polly the Insulting Electronic Parrot.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MusicRow.)
Johnny Cash Museum Preps Opening
/by Jessica NicholsonNashville will soon be home to The Johnny Cash Museum, which could house the world’s largest collection of memorabilia from the late country entertainer. Plans call for over 1,000 items to be displayed in the museum, including Cash’s 12th grade report card, a dining room set from his home with wife and country performer June Carter Cash, and handwritten lyrics to the song “My Lord Is Gone,” which Cash penned just days before his death in 2003.
Located at 119 3rd Ave. South, the museum is set to open in 2013. The museum’s store, an 850-square-foot retail space, is already open daily from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Among other items, the retail shop offers autographed vinyl albums, books, T-shirts and photographs.
The Cash family sanctioned friend, biographer and archivist Bill Miller to oversee the museum’s creation. He is investing millions of dollars in the project as well as displaying much of his personal collection.
Updates are posted on The Johnny Cash Museum’s Facebook page.
New Music Venue Coming to Gulch
/by Jessica NicholsonNashville’s Gulch area will soon be home to a new live music venue, Anthem, which will be located at 125 12th Ave. N., across from 12th & Porter. The space was formerly home to night club Mai. Anthem is scheduled for a soft opening on New Year’s Eve.
The venue will include space for entertaining 1,000 attendees, as well as a 400-capacity VIP room that will overlook the main floor. Anthem also boasts a 3,000-square-foot staging/green room for artists and their entourages and a full kitchen headed by Chef Chad Combs, who previously oversaw the menu at Whiskey Kitchen, Lime and Radius10.
“The architectural renderings have gone through several evolutions as we explored all the opportunities to maximize the space while still making it feel cozy,” Austin Ratliff of The Status Group (who co-owns Anthem with London Parfitt) said via a release. “And now that we are under construction, I can’t wait to see the final results of our efforts.” Ratliff and Parfitt have previously worked with Nashville-area restaurants including Virago, Whiskey Kitchen and Tavern.
Weekly Chart Report (11/29/2012)
/by Sherod RobertsonThunder 102’s GM and Marketing Mgr., Paul Ciliberto, received the 2012 SYDA Foundation Community Service Award earlier this month (11/15).
SPIN ZONE
Dierks Bentley‘s “Tip It On Back” jumps to the No. 1 spot this week on the MusicRow Chart. The Capital Nashville artist’s title track climbed into the top spot after spending only 17 weeks on the chart. Zac Brown Band‘s “Goodbye In Her Eyes” leaps five places to No. 2, followed by Darius Rucker‘s “True Believers” at No. 3. Rounding out the Top 5 is Brad Paisley‘s “Southern Comfort Zone” at No. 4, and Kip Moore‘s “Beer Money” at No. 5.
Big movers this week include Carrie Underwood‘s “Two Black Cadillacs” jumping from No. 47 to No. 29, gaining 550 spins. The Band Perry‘s “Better Dig Two” also made a big climb, adding 430 spins to reach No. 14. Jason Aldean‘s “The Only Way I Know” added 377 new spins while Toby Keith‘s “Hope On The Rocks” added 372 spins, both in their fifth week on the chart.
Making its debut this week, Lee Brice‘s “I Drive Your Truck” landed at No. 62. There were eight additional debuts, including Aaron Lewis‘ “Forever” at No. 71 and Michael Dean Church‘s “Still Not Over You” at No. 74.
Also, Captain Jack at Renegade Radio Nashville has new on-air hours (4 – 7 p.m. CT) and call times (Wednesdays 12 noon – 2 p.m. CT).
Frozen Playlists: WOKA, WAKG, KICR, WZMR, KYKK, WXXK
Upcoming Singles
December 3
Lee Brice/I Drive Your Truck/Curb
Jillian Kohr/What You’ve Done
Josh Pruno/23rd Psalm/Lawrence Music Group
Big & Rich/Party Like Cowboyz/Warner Bros.-W.A.R.
December 4
Doug Briney/Deja Vu All Over Again/CBM Records
December 17
The Henningsens/American Beautiful/Arista
LeAnn Rimes/Borrowed/Curb
Austin Webb/It’s All Good/Streamsound
Holiday Singles
Tim McGraw/Mary And Joseph/Big Machine Records
Lorrie Morgan/Wrapped Up In Love/Octabrook Records
Craig Morrison/Santa Claus Boogie/Lucky 53s-GMV Nashville
Clinton Gregory/Peace On Earth Again/Melody Roundup Records
Kyle Park/Winter Wonderland
Phil Vassar/Merry Christmas Darling/Rodeowave Entertainment
Tanya Tucker/Merry Christmas Wherever You Are
New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Lee Brice/I Drive Your Truck/Curb – 62
Aaron Lewis/Forever/Blaster Records – 71
Michael Dean Church/Still Not Over You/MDC – 74
Luke Pilgrim/Back Road Lullaby/MMG – 75
Hillbilly Vegas/Little Miss Rough And Tumble/Red Dirt Music Company – 76
Brent Cobb/Love On Me/Carnival – 77
Craig Campbell/Outta My Head/Bigger Picture – 78
The Roys/Still Standing/Rural Rhythm – 79
Bill Gentry/Hell And Half Of Georgia/Tenacity Records – 80
Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Carrie Underwood/Two Black Cadillacs/19-Arista Nashville – 33
Dustin Lynch/She Cranks My Tractor/Broken Bow Records – 26
Lee Brice/I Drive Your Truck/Curb – 25
Kelly Clarkson w/ Vince Gill/Don’t Rush/19 Recordings/RCA Nashville – 24
Love and Theft/Running Out Of Air/RCA Nashville – 15
Hayden Panettiere/Telescope/BMLG – 14
Toby Keith/Hope On The Rocks/Show Dog-Universal – 14
Aaron Lewis/Forever/Blaster Records – 14
Tim McGraw/One Of Those Nights/Big Machine – 13
Taylor Made/That’s What Life Is/LG Records – 12
Thompson Square/If I Didn’t Have You/Stoney Creek – 12
Kix Brooks/Moonshine Road/Arista Nashville – 12
Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Carrie Underwood/Two Black Cadillacs/19-Arista Nashville – 550
The Band Perry/Better Dig Two/Republic Nashville – 430
Jason Aldean/The Only Way I Know/Broken Bow – 377
Toby Keith/Hope On The Rocks/Show Dog-Universal – 372
Tim McGraw/One Of Those Nights/Big Machine – 368
Kelly Clarkson w/ Vince Gill/Don’t Rush/19 Recordings-RCA Nashville – 367
On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Richie Fields/Smile – 158
Josh Abbott Band/I’ll Sing About Mine/PDT-Atlantic-WMN – 141
Jason Cassidy/Ride Of Your Life / – 131
Kix Brooks/Moonshine Road/Arista Nashville – 131
Lisa Matassa/Somebody’s Baby/It Is What It Is-9North – 128
Carrie Underwood recently met up with WLHK PD Bob Richards at the Indianapolis stop of her “Blown Away” tour. Pictured (L-R): Arista Nashville promo rep Ryan Dokke, Underwood, and Richards.
Lisa Matassa visited Bill Cody at 650 AM WSM while promoting her Dec. 4 EP release Somebody’s Baby. (L-R): Cody, Matassa and Jonathan Shaffer
Painted Horse Records artist Ryan Broshear recently visited with WIFE Radio in Connersville, IN to take calls from fans and perform on the air. He is on the Lightning Bugs And Mason Jars 2012 tour through Christmas. Pictured (L-R): Broshear and WIFE PD Ted Cramer
Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum Could Open By Year End
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum at Nashville Municipal Auditorium is tentatively slated to open by the end of the year, founder Joe Chambers told Nashville Post. The museum, formerly located where the Music City Center now resides, will move to the auditorium which boasts nearly 200,000 square feet.
The opening will take place nearly a year after Chambers and his team began work inside the lower level of the Municipal Auditorium. The first floor will house the museum’s exhibit space and hall of fame inductees. Chambers has a 20-year lease with the city for the museum’s new home.
The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum at Nashville Municipal Auditorium will focus on popular music of the 1960s and 1970s. While it will be located in Music City, music from Detroit, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Memphis, Philadelphia and Nashville will be represented. This will include exhibits on Motown, Muscle Shoals, Sun Records, Stax Records and American Sound Studios.
Book Releases: Dolly Parton, Alan Jackson
/by Eric T. Parker“I know that I’ve learned some things in my life that are important to me, and I think they might be good ideas to pass along to you,” said Parton. “Not as advice, but as information that I have found has helped me over the years. I still have dreams of what I want to do next.”
Parton made the media rounds promoting the 128-page book on release day (11/27), even appearing on Comedy Central’s Colbert Report where she duetted with the host on “Love Is Like a Butterfly.”
Parton’s Imagination Library will benefit from sales of the book.
••••
Titled Seasons of Sweetbriar – A Photographic Collection of Home, the project began as an intimate collection for his three daughters before the family sold the estate following his wife Denise’s diagnosis with colorectal cancer in 2010.
“That rocked my world, as I’m sure it does every person who gets a cancer diagnosis,” said Denise Jackson. “This became an obvious way for us to do something meaningful.”
The full purchase price of each book will be donated to the fund. To purchase a copy for $25, visit Jackson’s official website. Autographed copies are available for $50.
Charlie Cook On Air: Black Friday Sales
/by Sherod RobertsonThis year Black Friday either set records for spending or was below expectations. I have read each analysis and I don’t understand what either side is saying. According to one report, 44% of the total US population shopped Friday-Monday. I believe this is a low estimate as at least 50% of the entire population was at the Partridge Creek Mall in Macomb, Michigan on Friday. It took me until Saturday to find a parking space.
Americans spent $59 BILLION dollars over the weekend in retail sales.
Here is where the numbers get crossed up: There was either a 13% increase in total weekend sales over last year, or sales were down from a 16% growth last year over 2010.
There was a 3.5% increase in the number of store visits, but there was a 1.8% drop in revenue from those visits.
Well yeah, they were pooped out from looking for a parking space. I get that.
What scares me the most is that the average amount consumers plan to spend on gifts is $423. I did that before lunch Friday and I have 15 more people to buy for. Which means a lot of you should be looking for Christmas cards this year instead of Xboxes or fruit baskets.
The website www.blackfriday.com listed hundreds of stores and sales for last week. I browsed the coupons and the sales but failed to see one ad for music or radios. I know how hard it is to find a radio that doesn’t also include an iPod/iPhone connection.
After the east coast got hammered by Sandy, I went looking for a “simple” battery radio to throw in the car this winter. But they didn’t have it at Target, Walmart or Sam’s. And trying to find a radio in Radio Shack is like trying to find Victoria in Victoria’s Secret. She’s not there. I’ve looked.
We’ll get some numbers this week on music sales. I suspect that Red is going to be under a lot of Christmas trees. There is a new Toby Keith album this season, as well as new music from Jamey Johnson, Jason Aldean, and Jerrod Niemann, and Christmas CDs from Blake Shelton, Lady A and Scotty McCreey.
I listen to a lot of country radio each week and I didn’t hear any mention of “Pick up some country music while you’re out shopping on Black Friday.” I didn’t hear ads about stocking stuffers while 150 million Americans were out shopping in stores or on-line this past Monday.
I don’t know anything about marketing hard goods to the American consumer, but it seems to me that getting them in the store is half the challenge. If the big guys are going to do that for you, led by the news media and the culture in this country to not be left behind, why not put a bug in their ear?
There is nothing really hot this year. I went online and looked at some sites and these are what they considered the top ten gifts for 2012:
1. iPhone Virtual Video Glasses
2. Atari iPad Arcade Console
3. Air Guitar with Laser Strings
4. Remee Mind Control Dreaming Mask
5. Retro iPhone Rotary-style Headset
6. Fog Ring Blaster
7. NFL Logo Toasters (Creates team logo on the toast.)
8. Beer Box Cowboy Hat
9. iPhone Pinball Magic Console
10. Polly the Insulting Electronic Parrot
I seriously doubt this list’s credibility, but I would like to see the Logo Toaster in action.
There are at least four goofy things on this list, though if the mind control mask works I am going to buy one. Why can’t we add a battery powered radio and a six pack of country music CDs to the list?
Heck, radio should be running ads for radios everyday. The brick and mortar stores should remind the guy with $423 in his pocket that he can get a half dozen CDs and knock off half his list… before getting himself a Polly the Insulting Electronic Parrot.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MusicRow.)
Primetime ‘Nashville’: Lovesick Blues
/by Sarah SkatesDivas onstage.
Lovesick Blues—episode 107
Whether the fur is flying or they are just tolerating each other—Nashville is at its best when Juliette and Rayna share the screen. On Wednesday night’s episode (11/28), the dueling divas were forced to perform a duet at the EdgeHill Republic Records 25th anniversary concert. Claws came out when they couldn’t agree on what song to sing, so they teamed up to write one. The result was a sassy uptempo, ironically called “Wrong Song,” and actually penned by Marv Green, Sonya Isaacs, and Jimmy Yeary. Juliette and Rayna’s performance of the song at the end of the episode was a high point of the season thus far, with the mulit-Platinum upstart and the respected superstar strutting around the Ryman stage in sizzling hot dresses. Seeing Buddy Miller as band leader was an added bonus.
The episode offered plenty of juicy, plot-propelling bombshells. Trying to get over Avery, Scarlett hit the honky-tonks with Gunnar and his girlfriend. A few tequila shots later she was jamming onstage with The Cadillac Black singing “Ring of Fire,” and Gunnar’s romantic feelings for his co-writer were obvious. But she bolted from the bar and took a cab to her ex Avery’s house, just in time to walk in on him and his manager Marilyn—who was topless.
The cougar-manager is equally adept at making moves on the business front as she is in the bedroom. She landed Avery a big, headling gig at the Tequila Cowboy on Broadway and introduced him to Atlanta-based label head Dominic (Wyclef Jean).
It’s no-more-Mr.-nice-guy for Coleman after he was arrested for drugs during a traffic stop orchestrated by Lamar, so he is threatening to leak damaging photos of Teddy if he doesn’t drop out of the mayoral race. But Lamar has plenty more tricks up his Brooks Brothers sleeve to keep his son-in-law in the race.
In less shocking show moments, the romance heated up between Juliette and her football player beau Sean, and Deacon played sad songs at Bluebird, including the David Rawlings, Gillian Welch and David Lee Murphy tune “Papa Writes to Johnny.”
Actors Clare Bowen (“Scarlett”) and Sam Palladio (“Gunnar”) made their Grand Ole Opry debut Sat., Nov. 17 at the historic Ryman Auditorium. They sang “Fade Into You” and “If I Didn’t Know Better,” which will be featured on the soundtrack for “Nashville” to be released by Big Machine Records on Dec. 11. Photo: Joel Dennis, Hollo Photographics
Exclusive: Songwriters Make A Stand in Washington
/by Sarah SkatesPerforming at the press conference. (L-R): BC Jean, Kara DioGuardi, Lee Thomas Miller, Linda Perry, and Desmond Child.
NSAI President/hit songwriter Lee Thomas Miller and NSAI Exec. Director Bart Herbison represented songwriters and music publishers at a hearing on Capitol Hill yesterday (11/28) about the controversial Internet Radio Fairness Act. Following the hearing, they called MusicRow to report on the day’s events.
The bill would change the royalty rates paid by non-interactive online streaming radio services, such as Pandora. The company, and others like it, are seeking a lower rate, which they argue would spur digital music innovation. Most music industry organizations and trade groups oppose the bill, including SoundExchange, RIAA, the Recording Academy, ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, NSAI and NMPA. More on the background here.
“You can argue all you want about how to split up this pie, but remember we [songwriters] created 100 percent of this product. There was nothing and we made it up out of thin air.” Referencing the numerous jobs that surround music production, including careers at record labels, publishing companies, CD packaging, distribution and digital music, he continued, “Everybody else is trafficking in goods that we made. As you devalue the product, jobs go away in an already fragile industry. It’s ludicrous to go into the digital world with an assault to further devalue what is already being unfairly compensated.”
Miller performed alongside Kara DioGuardi, Linda Perry, Desmond Child, and BC Jean at the press conference, hosted by NMPA and NSAI, prior to the hearing.
“We played five songs, one each, and it was very well received,” Miller continued. “We played huge hits and explained to the press that the five songs had won multiple awards. In the last quarter, they collectively had 33 million spins on internet radio, and collectively we were paid $500. It was very powerful. I pointed out that I’m not famous, I don’t sell concert tickets or have another income stream. I write songs and I’m dependent on the royalties to raise a family. We wanted those in attendance to understand the rate internet radio is currently paying, before they went into the hearing and heard Pandora complain about unfair rates. We put a face with the creation.”
Herbison explained, “[Songwriters and publishers] get paid from a share of the ad revenue that is on the free part of Pandora [and there aren’t many ads]. I’ve been doing this 25 years, and I’ve never felt such emotion as was in that room today, based on those songs. Even some of the articles written by the tech industry today were some of the fairest I’ve seen. If the argument is that new technology gets preferential treatment on the price they have to pay for the creative product they’re distributing—that’s not what history shows. Thomas Edison put a needle to a wax cylinder and records were born and fair rate was set. Then radio came along and a fair rate was set.” He said he sensed fatigue among lawmakers, who have been asked to restructure rates several times since the dawn of the digital age. As for this bill, he added, “the next step depends on whether or not members of Congress reintroduce the legislation next year. It was a good day for songwriters and their side was presented fairly.”
Upcoming Album Releases
/by Jessica NicholsonJeff Black‘s B-Sides and Confessions Volume 2 is scheduled for release on Jan. 15, 2013. The release follows 2011’s Plow Through the Mystic. Black has been a frequent collaborator with musicians Sam Bush, the late Waylon Jennings, Alison Krauss, Dierks Bentley, Iris Dement, Wilco and others. Black’s song “Frozen Fields,” co-written with Jon Randall Stewart, was featured on the album Paper Airplanes from Krauss and Union Station, as well as on Jerry Douglas‘ album Traveler.
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Artist Updates (11/29/12)
/by Jessica NicholsonLittle Big Town postponed two concerts in California and cancelled an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno due to a death in the immediate family of one of the band members. The group’s Nov. 29 show at the Wiltern in Los Angeles will take place on Feb. 8, 2013. Little Big Town will also reschedule their Nov. 28 concert in Riverside, Calif. at a later date.
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Jamie O’Neal and Rachele Lynae are getting into the holiday spirit with a new duet of the holiday classic, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” which has been released to iTunes by the Momentum Label Group. The pair are currently in the studio finishing up Lynae’s debut album, which is scheduled for release in early 2013.
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Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw shot a music video at a Nashville soundstage on Wednesday (Nov. 28), with director Roman White. The clip will promote the new single “We Both Know,” co-written by Caillat and DeGraw. The song is featured in the Nicholas Sparks film Safe Haven, starring Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough, and set for release Feb. 14, 2013.