Wade Bowen Adds Acoustic Tour Dates

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Wade Bowen continues his summer touring schedule with the addition of two northeast acoustic shows next month. Bowen will join fellow Texas native and Red Sox baseball star Josh Beckett at Boston’s House of Blues for The Beckett Bowl 10 Man Jam on Aug. 20. All proceeds will benefit The Josh Beckett Foundation.

Bowen will then head to New York City where he is slated to perform a full acoustic set at Joe’s Pub on Aug. 22. “I love throwing down with the band each night on tour, but I jump at the chance to play acoustic shows…especially when Josh Beckett calls you up to help,” said Bowen. “I look forward to heading northeast to see some familiar faces and hope to meet some new fans.”

Produced by Justin Niebank, Bowen’s recent release The Given includes nine songs penned by the artist, and a cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “To Live Is To Fly” featuring guest vocals by Guy Clark.

Fans can now purchase tickets to both shows by visiting www.wadebowen.com.

Colt Ford Debuts Video From Upcoming Album

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Colt Ford with "Lizard Lick Towing" cast.

Colt Ford recently released a new music video for “Back,” the lead single from his fourth studio album, Declaration of Independence, due out Aug. 7. The video was shot in his hometown Athens, Ga. and directed by Potsy Ponciroli and produced by Shannon Houchins.

“Back” was co-written by Ford, Houchins and Noah Gordan, and features guest Jake Owen.

Available for pre-order on iTunes, the album also includes collaborations with Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker, Kix Brooks, Montgomery Gentry and more.

In more news from Ford, he appeared on a recent episode of truTV’s, Lizard Lick Towing. The docu-series follows the Shirleys, a family that repossesses vehicles and machinery.

Ford was forced to postpone an acoustic show in Charlestown, MD for local station WXCY earlier this week (7/23). Public safety officials became concerned due to the overwhelming number of fan phone calls to the station and venue. Ford explains the postponement and promises to return in a short video.

In career album sales, the Average Joes artist has passed the 900k mark and is heading for one million. He has sold over 3.1 million digital singles since his 2008 debut. Other Ford ventures include his brand of Goodtime Vodka and Moonshine, and a partnership with Santa Fe Cattle Co. for his “Mr. Goodtime” burger.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (7/25/12)

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Clay Wilson, Gordon Mote

Newcomer male artists are jostling for position this week.

Duking it out for the DisCovery Award are Nick Verzosa, The Clay Wilson Band, Troy Cook Jr. and Chad Sullins & Last Call Coalition. Cook is a Nashvillian. Sullins hails from Oklahoma. Verzosa and Wilson are Texans. Our winner is The Clay Wilson Band, for having the complete package of solid singing, a fresh instrumental approach and super songwriting.

As a Music Row session musician, Gordon Mote usually works in the shadows of big country stars. Today, he steps into the spotlight with a Disc of the Day award. He may be blind, but he has the sharpest country-music vision of the week.

NICK VERZOSA/7th Year Senior
Writer: Nick Verzosa; Producer: Walt Wilkins; Publisher: none listed; NV (www.nickverzosa.com)
—It’s a burbling, bubbling, tangy, twangy, quasi-rockabilly fun fest. “They say that college is the best years of your life, so why would you want to graduate?” So he’s drinking all night, sleeping until noon and being a goof-off. Dude, sounds like a plan.

CHARLIE McCOY, RICKY SKAGGS & ROY CLARK/Mind Your Own Business
Writer: Hank Williams; Producer: Charlie McCoy & Eric Paul; Publisher: none listed; Diamond Disc (track) (www.charliemccoy.com)
—Country Hall of Fame member McCoy has a Hank Williams tribute CD called Lonesome Whistle. His mournful harmonica tones are perfect for Hank’s bluesy melodies. Among his guests on the set are Skaggs and Clark, who join him for a swinging version of this classic. Ricky not only sings, but provides a mandolin solo; and Roy does the same on electric guitar. The whole collection is highly listenable.

CHELSEA BAIN/What If I
Writer: Tommy Collier/Jim Cooper/Terri Jo Box; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Starplane/Jimvision/Songs of Merf, SESAC/ASCAP; Rock Ridge/Jobe
—Lilting, pleading and yearning, to the accompaniment of soft strings and twinkling acoustic instruments. Extremely well produced, whoever you are.

LUKE BRYAN/Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
Writer: Luke Bryan/Jeff Stevens/Shane McAnally; Producer: Jeff Stevens; Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree/Peanut Mill/Chrysalis/Big Motor/Crazy Water/Little Blue Egg, BMI/ASCAP; Capitol (track)
—It may be over, but that’s no reason not to go to bed together one more time. Uptempo, which is what he does best.

CHAD SULLINS & THE LAST CALL COALITION/That God for Jack Daniels
Writer: Erspamer/Sanchez/Sauder; Producer: Wes Sharon; Publisher: Radio 229/Scout World, no performance rights listed; Smith Entertainment (track)
—I like these guys. Sullins has a dry, dusty, slightly raspy delivery. The song is a wry, winking little gem. The rocking band kicks serious butt. And when everybody shouts along in unison at the finale, the party is in full swing.

THE ROYS/Still Standing
Writer: Lee Roy/Elaine Roy; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Rural Rhythm (www.theroysonline.com)
—This bluegrass duo serves up a sprightly ditty of survival with plenty of fleet-fingered instrumental support. Their strongest outing yet.

THE CLAY WILSON BAND/Not OK
Writer: Clay Wilson; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; CWB (www.theclaywilsonband.com)
—She’s gone, and he’s definitely down in the dumps about it. The intimacy of the vocal, the solid songwriting and the moody instrumental support are all first rate. It builds to a surprisingly frothy, thrashing conclusion. Yet another welcome gift from the Lone Star State.

GORDON MOTE/Call Me Gone
Writer: Kenneth D. Hinson; Producer: Gordon Mote & Phil Johnson; Publisher: Songs of Calvary, BMI; New Haven (track) (www.gordonmote.com)
—Gordon is a first-call session keyboardist for the likes of Brad Paisley, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts and Alan Jackson. He also has a side career as a gospel record maker. His latest offering is titled Songs I Grew Up Singing. This lead single from it is as country as grits, saturated with moaning melody, spiced with a recitation, full of rolling piano work and led by a heartfelt vocal. Say Amen.

SHAWNA RUSSELL/Sounds Like a Party
Writer: Shawna Russell/Keith Russell/Tim Russell; Producer: Julian King, Clif Doyal & Tim Russell; Publisher: Blue Buckaroo, BMI; Way Out West (615-319-1863)
—Bopping and energetic, if a little generic sounding.

TROY COOK JR./Lazy American Dream
Writer: Don Bradley; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Peachmint, BMI; TCJ (www.troycookjrmusic.com)
—He thinks people on food stamps have 52-inch, HD television sets and free, all-inclusive health insurance. Also, they go out on the town while the kids are away at school and have “a real nice place to live.” I prescribe a tour of an urban housing project.

Big Smo Tomorrow at Pickin’ on the Patio

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Big Smo

• New Warner Music Nashville artist Big Smo will headline tomorrow night’s (7/26) Pickin’ On The Patio party at 5 p.m. at the WMN offices. Big Smo’s brand of hick-hop became a YouTube sensation with the video “Kickin’ It In Tennessee,” from his third independent album, American Made. Big Smo, the self-proclaimed “Boss of the Stix,” recently played at CMA Music Festival and BamaJam and has upcoming tour dates with Brantley Gilbert. Pickin’ On The Patio is held the fourth Thursday of every month, from May to September. The next one will be Aug. 23. www.therealbigsmo.com

The Wallflowers

• The Americana Music Festival and Conference is teaming with Live On The Green to present The Wallflowers at the free weekly concert series as part of the festival on Thurs., Sept. 13. Delta Spirit and The Dunwells will open the show. The Wallflowers’ new studio album was recorded in Nashville and by produced Jay Joyce. The free, public concert series is held at Public Square Park in front of the Metro Courthouse. Presented by Lightning 100 in partnership with the Nashville Mayor’s Office, the series runs for six Thursday nights beginning Sept. 6 through October. For the full lineup and event details, visit www.liveonthegreen.net.

• The Nashville Public Library presents Courtyard Concerts Aug. 14 – Oct. 9. The lunchtime performance series will run Tuesdays from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Among the performers will be The Wanna Beatles (8/14), Gypsy Hombres (8/28), Riders in the Sky (9/11), The SteelDrivers (9/25) and Jason D. Williams (10/9). For more information, visit www.library.nashville.org.

• The Music City Festival & BBQ Championship will feature performances by David Ball and The Pioneer Playboys, Grand Funk Railroad, The Fabulous Thunderbirds featuring Kim Wilson, and music from the Nashville Blues Society. To be held Aug. 24 – 25 at the Lawn at Riverfront and nearby Riverfront Park, the event will have the best grill masters in the nation vying for $25,000 in cash and prizes. There will also be a car show, kids zone, craft beers, and Hooters Hot Wing Eating Championship. Proceeds benefit the Wounded Warrior Project and Shriners Hospitals for Children. Advance tickets start at $10. Details at www.musiccitybbqfestival.com.

2012 Railroad Revival Announces Fall Tour

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Willie Nelson & Family, Band of Horses, Jamey Johnson and John Reilly & Friends have enlisted in the 2012 Railroad Revival Tour. The second annual tour will travel from town to town on 16 vintage 1940s rail cars to set up open air, pop-up concert venues near the tracks. Performances will include spontaneous and unique collaborations on stage.

A documentary from last year’s outing with Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show is available today (7/24) on DVD and at iTunes. Watch a clip of the film below.

This year, the route kicks off at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, GA surrounded by the historical steam locomotives and railcars.

Early bird tickets go on sale for a discounted price, Fri., July 27 at 10 a.m. CT. For more information, click here.

Railroad Revival Tour: 

OCT. 20—Duluth, GA: Southeastern Railway Museum
OCT. 21—TBA
OCT. 22—Memphis, TN: Memphis Central Train Station
OCT 23—Oklahoma City, OK: Downtown Airpark
OCT. 24—Old Town Spring, TX
OCT. 26—Tempe, AZ: Downtown
OCT. 27—San Pedro, CA: Ports O’ Call
OCT. 28—Oakland, CA: Middle Harbor Shoreline Park

Big Easy Express Official Trailer from S2BN Films on Vimeo.

Summer Beats Concert Series Comes to Nashville

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Pepsi and Billboard bring the Summer Beats Concert Series to Nashville on Monday, July 30. Easton Corbin, Randy Houser, Jana Kramer, Jerrod Niemann and Gloriana will perform at the Cannery Ballroom at 8 p.m.

The event will be live streamed on Pepsi’s Twitter page and on Pepsi.com and fans watching from home will be able to influence elements of the performance in real-time. The concerts will also be promoted on Billboard.com and will be available on-demand after the show.

The Summer Beats Concert Series kicked off in June and will culminate with a finale event in New York City in late August.

CMHoF Honors Elvis in August

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Elvis Presley

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will present Celebrate the King, a slate of special programs in August honoring Elvis Presley. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Country Music Hall of Fame member’s death.

Songs Fit for a King: Top Songwriters Remember Elvis will be hosted Aug. 11 in the museum’s Ford Theater. Jerry Chesnut (“T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” “It’s Midnight,” “Never Again”); Mac Davis (“In the Ghetto,” “Memories,” “A Little Less Conversation”); Dallas Frazier (“There Goes My Everything,” “True Love Travels on a Gravel Road,” “Wearin’ That Loved on Look”); and Billy Swan (“I Can Help”) will tell stories about their compositions.

August 18 will see Presley’s producer, Chips Moman sitting in for an interview. Moman produced Presley’s ’69 comeback hits including “Suspicious Minds,” “In the Ghetto” and “Kentucky Rain.”

Additionally, the museum will host free Hatch Show Print demonstrations, present two films, and offer a complimentary Elvis and Country Music visitor guide. A slap bass demonstration will also be available with admission. A complete list of Elvis-themed programs is below.

Presley’s ties to Nashville include recording over 200 songs at Nashville’s RCA Studio B. Presley, who died on August 16, 1977, was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1998.

The museum currently displays Presley’s 1960 “Solid Gold” Cadillac, his 1928 Kimball Gold Piano, and archival footage from The Ed Sullivan Show.

Sat., August 11             
1:00 p.m. Family Program: Make Letterpress Art with Hatch Show Print— SunTrust Community Room at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Free.
1:30 p.m. Songs Fit for a King: Top Songwriters Remember Elvis— Streamed live on countrymusichalloffame.org. Included with museum admission. Free to museum members. Limited seating. Program pass required.

Sun., August 12               
2:00 p.m. Film Screening: Elvis: That’s the Way It Is – Special Edition (2001)— Filmed in 1970, this concert documentary follows a number of Elvis Presley rehearsals and performances, primarily at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. For the 2001 special edition, the film was re-edited to remove interviews and add more performances. 96 minutes. Free.

Sat., August 18            
1:30 p.m. Interview: Chips Moman— In addition to production work from iconic musicians, Moman co-wrote “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love),” “The Wurlitzer Prize (I Don’t Want to Get over You)” and “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” and “Do Right Woman.” Streamed live on countrymusichalloffame.org. Included with museum admission. Free to members. Limited seating. Program pass required.

Sun., August 19               
1:00 p.m. Slap Bass Demonstration: Joe Fick— Fick performed or recorded with Sonny Burgess, James Burton, D.J. Fontana, Wanda Jackson, the Jordanaires and Boots Randolph. Fick portrayed Elvis’s bass player, Bill Black, in the 2006 Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line. Included with museum admission. Free to members. Limited seating. Program pass required.
2:00 p.m. Film Screening: Elvis ’56 (1987)— Tracing the rise of Presley in 1956, when the 21-year-old singer went from regional acclaim in the South to worldwide stardom. Narrated by Levon Helm. 60 minutes. Free.

Discount Deadlines Draw Near For CRS, Americana Festival

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COUNTRY RADIO SEMINAR

Country Radio Seminar’s Crazy Days of Summer promotion ends July 31. Those who register before the deadline receive the $349 CRS 2013 registration rate, a savings of $150 from the $499 Regular rate. A New Faces of Country Music Show ticket is included with the registration.

CRS 2013 will be held Feb. 27 – March 1, 2013 at the Nashville Convention Center.

Following the Crazy Days of Summer promotion, the CRS $399 Early Bird Rate will be offered through Nov. 30. The $499 Regular Rate takes effect Dec. 1 and remains open until CRS begins on Feb. 27, 2013.

Registration and details about CRS 2013 at www.CountryRadioSeminar.com.

AMERICANA MUSIC FESTIVAL

Organizers of the Americana Music Festival and Conference are offering $200 off the Walk-Up price for attendees who register before July 31. The early registration rate is $350 for Americana Music Association members and $450 for non-members. Registration includes access to all daytime music, panels and workshops; priority admission to nighttime showcases and a ticket to the Sept. 12 Americana Honors & Awards show at the Ryman Auditorium.

The Festival and Conference runs Sept. 12 -15 in Nashville. Registration and details at AmericanaMusic.org.

For sponsorship, advertising, and exhibitor information contact 615-386-6936.

Kobalt Signs McCartney’s MPL to Admin Deal

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Kobalt Music Group Ltd. has signed an exclusive long-term deal with Paul McCartney and MPL, one of the world’s largest, privately owned music publishing companies, which was founded by the famed Beatle in 1971.

With the exception of the US, Canada, UK and Eire territories, Kobalt will administer the songs of three MPL catalogs: MPL Communications, MPL Music Publishing, and Cherio Corporation throughout the world and provide synch licensing services.

The catalogs contain McCartney copyrights “Ebony and Ivory,” “Say Say Say,” “Jet,” “My Love,” “Band On The Run,” “Vanilla Sky,” and “Freedom,” ranging from post-Beatles solo material, to work with Wings, and songs by late wife Linda McCartney.

Elsewhere the catalogs are home to evergreen copyrights “Unchained Melody,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Till There Was You,” “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” “Sentimental Journey,” and songs from landmark Broadway musicals Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and The Music Man. The catalogs contain works by Frank Loesser, Carl Perkins, Joe Young, Harry Warren, Big Joe Turner, Jelly Roll Morton, Maurice Williams, Louis Jordan, Bessie Smith, Loudon Wainwright III, Hugh Masekela, Jule Styne, Roy Orbison, Hoagy Carmichael and over 1,200 other major songwriters.

In the wake of EMI Music Publishing’s acquisition by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the New York Times sees McCartney’s signing with Kobalt as particularly significant. Most of the Beatles catalog is with Sony/ATV and McCartney’s catalog was previously with EMI. More here.

Country Gals Plan Christmas Shows

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Wynonna Judd will set out with her band, The Big Noise, for Wynonna’s Rockin’ Christmas Tour performing a blend of classic Christmas favorites, as well as her own holiday songs and biggest hits in early December.

“Expect this Christmas tour to be different than the previous years. We’ll still have the classics, but this year I’m ready to rock,” said Wynonna.

Premium seats and pre-show meet & greet passes are available for five current ticket holders as part of her Tweet Your Seat campaign.

Dates for Rockin’ Christmas Tour
Thurs 12/6 – Newark, OH
Sat 12/8-9 Riverside, IA
Fri 12/14 – St. Michael, ND
Sat 12/15 – Larchwood, IA
Sun 12/16 – Fayetteville, AR
Tues 12/18 – Ft. Worth, TX
Fri 12/21 – St. Petersburg, FL
Sat 12/22 – Sarasota, FL

• • • •

Lorrie Morgan will bring a festive Enchanted Christmas Dinner & Show to Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Resort beginning Nov. 16 through Christmas Day (12/25).

As part of Gaylord Opryland’s 29th Annual A Country Christmas celebration, the show will feature Christmas classics, selections from her Merry Christmas from London album, and hits from her 16-album career. In addition, each evening will begin with a traditional holiday meal with trimmings.

“There is something about the snow and the lights and the sparkle in children’s eyes during the Holiday season that is absolutely magical,” said Morgan. “I remember coming to Opryland and the Grand Ole Opry with my father as a child; year, after year, the experience was like a whimsical storybook.”

Tickets are available online priced at $69 for adults and $39 for children ages 4-11 (children under 4 are free but must have ticket for seating assignment).

Morgan is currently in the studio with touring companion Pam Tillis working a new project entitled Grits & Glamour.