Tim McGraw and Steve Moore, Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors. Photo: Alan Mayor
Chapter 340
Inspirational, is what it was.
Yes, the 2010 CMA Music Festival was a bounty of sounds. And, yes, it was intolerably hot. But the experience of being with those people, those fans, did my heart good. What spirit. What stamina. What love. I saw these things everywhere, from autograph lines, to concerts, from fan-club parties, to shops and restaurants.
Just for the record, we set one, as I predicted we would. The daily attendance was 65,000, and that doesn’t include the music industry or the media. The four nightly LP Field concerts were sell-outs at 49,000 per night.
How was it? Read on.
THURSDAY NIGHT
Carrie Underwood Photo: Alan Mayor
It was awesome gazing out at the crowd and seeing every seat in the coliseum full, all the way up to the top row in the top tier. This has never happened before. I hesitate to mention this, but I was at Fan Fair when it was held at Municipal Auditorium more than 30 years ago. I was there when it moved to the Fairgrounds. I was there when it moved downtown. And I was there when it changed its name. All of that is prelude to saying I never dreamed I would see this day.
With a Thursday-night bill that was book-ended by Alan Jackson and Carrie Underwood, with oh-by-the-way Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, Danny Gokey and Jason Aldean along for the ride, no wonder opening night was such a smash. The Oak Ridge Boys sang the National Anthem and tossed in “Elvira” for good measure.
Brad Paisley arrives at his fan club party at Nashville Shores. Photo By: Sharon Eaves
Speaking of Carrie, I believe she was the first with a fan-club party, having staged hers at Municipal Auditorium on Tuesday (6/8). On Thursday evening, Brad Paisley delighted the 700 attendees of his fan club party at Nashville Shores by arriving by boat. His crew and band members were good sports at being dunked into tubs. Are you with me? Brad’s new hit is “Water,” and the tour is “H2O.”
Across town at the Belcourt Theater, the 42nd annual IFCO show was staged. That’s right, this event actually pre-dates Fan Fair. Hit songwriter Victoria Shaw opened, bringing along Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Gary Burr as her accompanist and harmony singer. Also, Canadian country Female Vocalist of the Year winner Jessie Farrell sang splendidly. But the coolest surprise was Doug Stone, singing the Victoria-and-Gary tune “Too Busy Being in Love.” Gary Morris, who has shed 80 pounds, enthralled the crowd next.
The tuneful and hilarious double Grammy winning Riders in the Sky performed its show #4,598 for the IFCO crowd. Rhonda Vincent & The Rage brought out Gene Watson for their duet “Staying Together.” We couldn’t let him leave without “Farewell Party,” which Mr. Magnificent nailed to the wall.
The silent auction only raised $200 for Second Harvest, but every little bit helps. Working the room were Cathy Gurley, Joe Bob & Suzi Barnhill, Trisha Walker-Cunningham, Jo Walker Meador, Beth Gwinn, Sarah Brosmer, Jim Bessman, Lisa Wysocky, Hope Powell and, of course, the indomitable Loudilla and Kay Johnson.
FRIDAY
The Chevy stage opened with James Wesley and closed with vivacious Emily West. The Durango Acoustic Corner in the Convention Center was at its best with the likes of Shawn Camp and The Randy Kohrs Band in the early afternoon. Alas, Ty Herndon up at the GAC Music City Zone Stage on the Courthouse Square, played to only around 100 people at noon. Sometimes during the weekend, acts up there played to less than 50. This zone is too far off the beaten track.
Riverfront Park had a splendid day, highlighted by the brilliant Patty Loveless and Chris Young around lunchtime. Mighty Craig Morgan was the afternoon finale. On a sadder note, one of the Riverfront security folks, Rock Solid’s Fred Stapleton, 34, expired that night in a closed medical tent. So far, the cause is unknown.
Ron Cox, Dan Ekback, Guy Penrod, Bill Denny, Bob Doyle, Lon Helton, Georgia Middleman, Jimmy Harnon, David Preston, John Juliano, Kitty Moon Emery, Ed Benson, Heath Owen, Tim Wipperman, George Briner, J. Horton Frank and Two Foot Fred worked the CMA’s Industry Hospitality Suite at LP Field that night. Proud parents Rick & Barb Lambert said they have opened a winery to make and market Miranda Lambert Wine back home in Lindale, Texas. Field trip!
Julianne Hough, photo: Alan Mayor
On stage, Storme Warren introduced Tennessee Titan Rob Bironis, who promised us a Super Bowl win (we’re going to hold you to that) before tossing footballs into the crowd autographed by teammates Kenny Britt and Courtland Finegan. The Band Perry did a fine harmonious job on “The Star Spangled Banner.”
Pageant singer Julianne Hough (See me toss my pretty hair? Look at these legs? How do you like by sparkly dress?) opened. You had to count Josh Turner as an evening highlight. The crowd squealed every time he hit a low note, formed dancing “train” lines and circled the stadium during “Long Black Train” and then kept on dancing in the aisles when he sang “Why Don’t We Just Dance.”
Keith Urban, Photo: Alan Mayor
Miranda Lambert rocked out on my favorite, “Famous in a Small Town.” Then she led her band through a frothing set that included her biggest hits. Keith Urban had them singing along, word-for-word, from his very first song. During his set, he brought out Little Big Town, Sarah Buxton and Tony Brown to accompany him on “A Little Help From My Friends,” illustrated by Nashville Flood footage on the video screens. Nice. Reba McEntire and Kid Rock ensued. Speaking of the latter, can somebody explain his stardom to me? Yes, he’s a fun guy. But he can’t sing, doesn’t play an instrument, isn’t funny, has a foul mouth, isn’t handsome and is a second-rate rapper. I guess it is just one of those Mysteries of Life.
SATURDAY
First up with a fan-club party on Saturday morning was Vince Gill, singing and telling stories at the Belcourt Theater. When I dropped by, the Fan Fair autograph booths at the Convention Center were being worked by Bryan White, Cherryholmes, Riders in the Sky, Julianne Hough, Mark Chestnut and Mark Wills. Plus, superstars Rascal Flatts were harmonizing to the delight of those gathered.
Upstairs at the Durango Acoustic Corner, Sarah Darling turned in a very nice set. Other highlights there included Lynn Anderson and Elizabeth Cook. Energetic Trent Tomlinson was tearing it up on the Chevy Stage when we arrived at the Bridgestone Arena. Jason Meadows made an appearance at the “K-9’s in Flight” show, but he proved to be an inept Frisbee tosser to the diving doggies. The Fontanel bus was parked nearby to transport fans to Nashville’s newest attraction.
One of the coolest sets of the festival was Jeffrey Steele’s inside the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Conservatory. The fans probably didn’t know who he was. But when he told stories and sang “My Town,” “Every Day,” “I’m Trying,” “Speed,” “Love Is a Beautiful Thing,” “My Wish” and the rest (sounding better than their hit recorded versions), they truly “got” what a Nashville songwriter is.
In the Family Zone, the ABC soap stars were autographing and doing Q&A sessions for the highly informed TV devotees. By the time we got to Riverfront, Hall of Famer Mel Tillis and his superb Statesiders band were giving a course in Country Music 101 and showing the kiddies exactly how to do it right. Gloriana followed. I bet you’d never predict those two on the same bill.
Schmoozing in the backstage hospitality tent were Neal Speilberg, Merrill Warner, Doug Casmus and Brad Schmitt. The General Jackson glided by picturesquely behind us.
Saturday night at LP field, Jeff Walker, David M. Ross, Chuck Aly, Ernie & Jerry Williams, Charlie Monk, Carson Chamberlain, Steve Moore and Keith Stegall were wining and dining in the hospitality suite, pausing for a splendid rendition of the National Anthem by Jamie O’Neal.
The robust voiced Randy Houser proved to be a high-energy opening act, alternately soaring on his ballad “Anything Goes” and rocking out with “Boots On.” Wow. What a singer. Easton Corbin was next. Then Billy Currington livened things up with a hit-packed set. Storme introduced The Thunderbolts, the pilots who did the jet fly-overs each night following the National Anthem. They stood at parade rest while cheers erupted.
Dozens of beach balls bounced through the crowd while The Zac Brown Band warbled “Toes.” This was followed by the first Fan Fair “jam” instrumental, including a drum solo (!). Zac brought out Joey + Rory and harmonized with them on their ode to the fans, “This Song’s for You.” That was a nice moment. I loved it that Zac and his boys sang “Free,” which is my favorite by them. Martina McBride turned in a splendid set, which included some unexpected tunes as well as her hits. Rascal Flatts closed.
Martina McBride and crew at CMA Music Festival. Pictured (l-r): RCA Nashville’s Norbert Nix and Keith Gale; Sony Music Nashville’s Paul Barnabee; Morris Artists Management’s Brandon Gill; Sony Music Nashville’s Gary Overton and Tom Baldrica; McBride; Morris Artists Management’s Mike Betterton (rear), Will Hitchcock, Clint Higham, Matt Petty, and Tiffany Benken; and Martina’s husband John McBride.
SUNDAY
The big news on Sunday was Taylor Swift’s marathon, 13-hour-plus autographing stint at Bridgestone Arena. Some fans had camped out overnight outside the venue, and more than a few of the teen girls were in tears after meeting their idol. Taylor greeted each like a long lost friend: “Ooh, look how pretty you are. How are you?” I am told that there were 10,000 in there when she did her mini concert and that more than 1,000 autograph seekers were accommodated. The gig was on June 13, the length was supposed to be 13 hours and Taylor’s lucky number is 13. Got that?
Outside Bridgestone, Gary Morris kicked things off on the Chevy Stage. Inside the convention center, the Durango Acoustic Corner featured the likes of bluegrassers Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Grascals and Cherryholmes. For the first time, performances on this stage were broadcast live by WSM’s 650. This experiment, usually hosted throughout the weekend by Bill Cody, was an audio triumph.
This year’s Sunday Mornin’ Country show was actually in the afternoon in TPAC’s Polk Theater. It was a tribute to Roy Clark and a Hee Haw reunion featuring Roni Stoneman, Charlie McCoy, The Nashville Edition, Lulu Roman and more.
Martina McBride’s annual YWCA Celebrity Auction was again held in the Family Zone. Her “Barbie” doll likeness went for $1,500. Brad Paisley’s guitar fetched $5,000.
More industry folks than ever packed the CMA suite that night at LP Field. Ed Hardy, Sarah Trahern, Bobby Young, Jonathan Pinkerton, Victoria Shaw, Charles Dorris, Rick Shipp, LeAnn Phelan, Tom Baldrica, John Elliott, Scott Hendricks, Gary Overton, Karen Byrd, Paul Barnabee and Ben Fowler were all there. Mayor Karl Dean and Nashville First Lady Anne Davis had just returned from a national mayors conference in Oklahoma City and were surprised to see that that metropolis is now billing itself as “Music City,” and citing Nashvillians such as Vince Gill and Kings of Leon as proof. How dare they?
On stage, CMT’s Evan Farmer hosted. Mark Wills did the “Star Spangled Banner” honors, followed by the most perfectly timed fly-over of the fest. Comedian Paul Harris opened. Justin Moore followed. The first highlight was Kellie Pickler’s sprightly set. Then Blake Shelton sang “She Wouldn’t Be Gone” and more with great gusto. Trace Adkins, Darius Rucker and Brad Paisley were this year’s CMA Music Festival finale.
By the way, the fans’ “tweets” shown on the big screens were almost universally banal. Most of them read, “CMA Fest Rocks!” or something like that. One said, “Nashville is so awesome.” Well, yes, actually, it is.
Twitter Places Tweets Location
/by adminUsers will be able to tag tweets with specific places and create new Twitter Places. It will also be possible to search for recent tweets from a specific place. Naturally there will be API functionality to let programmers incorporate the new information streams into applications and widgets. Location-based social networks Gowalla and Foursquare will also be integrated into the mix.
Twitter expects to “roll out” Places in 65 countries over the coming week. Watch for an “Add your location” link below the Tweetbox to explore. Twitter devotees can follow @geo for updates about this new functionality which is expected to work with multiple browsers including Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Explorer.
BamaJam Attracts 300,000 Fans
/by Sarah SkatesDierks Bentley and the Grascals, Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images North America
Rodney Atkins at BamaJam, Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images North America
Bamajam 2010 organizers say the event was a success, drawing about 109,000 fans each day, for an aggregate gate count of 300,000 over three days.
Held June 3-5 in Enterprise, Alabama, The Verizon Wireless Bamajam Music and Arts Festival 2010 hosted a musical variety including Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, Train, Rodney Atkins, Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley, Gregg Allman, and Buddy Guy.
Kenny Chesney, Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images North America
Early results show that the estimated economic impact from the festival is $6-8 million for Enterprise and the county. If nearby Dothan, AL is included, the economic impact rises to $10-11 million for restaurants, hotels, gas, air, stores, shops and labor employed for the festival. Every hotel in a 50 mile radius was booked. BamaJam created over 2,000 temporary jobs.
Fun Photos From Music Fest Week
/by Sarah SkatesSunTrust hosts Hot Dog Day, Kellie Pickler plays LP Field, Miranda Lambert wins at the CMT Awards, and tons more.
SunTrust hosted its 12th annual Hot Dog Day last week at its Music Row branch. The bank served over 1,500 hot dogs to lunch guests. Pictured (L-R): Ed Theis, Andrew Kintz, Diane Pearson, Mandy Gallagher, Daniel Hill, Lori Badgett, Ryan Carrothers, Kyle Young, Marion Williams, Billy Lynn. In front: Mustard (Shellien), Hot Dog (Gray Williams), and Ketchup (Stephanie).
Kellie Pickler helped close out CMA Music Festival 2010 with a Sunday night performance at LP Field. Pictured backstage before the show with Sony Music executives. (L-R): Skip Bishop, VP Arista Nashville Promotion; Gary Overton, Sony Music Nashville CEO; Tom Baldrica, Sony Music VP Marketing; Pickler; Paul Barnabee, Sr. VP Finance and Operations; and Bryan Frasher, VP Promotion, BNA Records.
Republic Nashville’s The Band Perry attended their very first CMA Music Festival last week, performing on the Riverfront Stages Friday morning then delivering the national anthem at LP Field later that evening. Pictured post-performance at the riverfront (L-R): Republic Nashville’s Stacy Blythe, Kathleen Drosey and label president Jimmy Harnen, Reid Perry, Kimberly Perry, CEO of Big Machine Label Group Scott Borchetta, Neil Perry and Republic Nashville’s Megan Whalen.
Among the winners at the June 9 CMT Awards was Miranda Lambert, who took home her first trophy for Female Video of the Year for "White Liar." Pictured (L-R): Manager Marion Kraft; Miranda Lambert; Brian Philips, President, CMT; Joe Galante, former Sony Music Nashville CEO. Photo: Krista Lee
Pictured at the Billboard Country Music Summit (L-R): Time Life Indie Radio Regional Adelle Borchetta, Time Life/Saguaro Road Records artist Bo Bice, and Time Life Indie Radio Manager Mike Borchetta.
Jett Williams made the radio rounds at Music Row Live! during CMA Music Fest in support of her dad’s box set on Time Life, Hank Williams Complete Mother Best Recordings….Plus!. During interviews, Williams got a chance to catch up with friend Aaron Tippin.
A Google iTunes Entry?
/by adminReportedly, Google met with leaders from the four major record labels during the Consumer Electronics Show last January to discuss features that a possible service might offer. Techcrunch.com reported several weeks ago it found a “Google Music” logo hosted on Google’s domain.
Reportedly, labels would welcome a strong iTunes challenger to give them a stronger negotiating position in the marketplace. Amazon and MySpace have not been able to significantly weaken Apple’s dominance. Google recently purchased Simplify Media a sreaming, cloud-based service. iTunes bought LaLa last year, a similar company. Clearly all parties are working to launch some kind of cloud based streaming offering.
Garth Adds Vegas Dates
/by Sarah SkatesTickets for the upcoming series will go on sale Saturday, June 19 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets are available exclusively at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-877-65-GARTH. Tickets are $125 plus fees and tax.
Concert Dates:
September 10, 11, 12
October 1, 2, 3
October 22, 23, 24
November 5, 6, 7
November 19, 20, 21
Concert times:
Fridays 8 p.m., Saturdays 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m., Sundays 8 p.m.
Nashville Artists Well Represented at Teens Choice
/by adminGloriana—(L-R) Cheyenne Kimball, Rachel Reinert, Tom and Mike Gossin.
Nashville artists are represented in numerous categories including Taylor and Miley Cyrus in the Female Artist division and Swift also gets a nod in the Female Country Artist list. Kings of Leon and Paramore got recognized for Rock Group, and the complete list of country artists nominated for the country Teen Choice trophies are listed below.
“We are just so blown away and excited by this nomination for a Teen Choice Award,” said Gloriana’s Cheyenne Kimball, who is in the running for Country Group. “It’s amazing to be recognized, especially by all the teens who have shown us so much support and continue to show us support – this is just such an honor – thank you!!”
Winners receive mini size surfboard trophies.
Choice Music: Female Artist
Miley Cyrus, Ke$ha , Lady Gaga , Shakira , Taylor Swift
Choice Music: Rock Group
Kings of Leon , MGMT , Muse, Paramore, Train
Choice Music: Male Country Artist
Luke Bryan , Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley , Darius Rucker , Keith Urban,
Choice Music: Female Country Artist
Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood , Gretchen Wilson
Choice Music: Country Group
Gloriana , Lady Antebellum , Rascal Flatts , Sugarland, Zac Brown Band
Festival Attendance Booms, Up 16 Percent
/by Sarah SkatesFans at the Nightly Concerts at LP Field in Downtown Nashville during the 2010 CMA Music Festival. Photo: Donn Jones / CMA
CMA Music Festival attendance hit an all-time high this year. Each night at LP Field was a complete sell-out, with average nightly attendance topping 49,000, for an increase of 16.7 percent over last year. This tally includes four-day ticket packages, promotional and single night tickets. In all, 37 artists participated in the 40 hours of star-packed Nightly Concerts at LP Field.
Estimated daily attendance throughout the Festival in 2010 was 65,000 compared to 56,000 in 2009. The increase was felt in the free zones, public events, and concert venues, including Riverfront Park, which experienced a daily increase of 6.4 percent over 2009, when the area was opened to the public for the first time.
When the final counts were tallied, there was a 33.3 percent increase in the sale of four-day ticket packages, which resulted in a decline in the sale of single night tickets.
“After all we have been through, and all the hard work everyone contributed to getting the venues and businesses ready for our fans, this is a huge win for everyone who cares about Music City,” said Steve Moore, Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors. “This community needed a big win and we got it.”
According to the NCVB, the direct visitor spending generated by CMA Music Festival in 2009 was $22 million. Figures for 2010 are expected to be even higher and will be released by the NCVB at a later date. Businesses in Downtown Nashville that suffered catastrophic flooding were motivated to jump-start their recovery by re-opening in time for CMA Music Festival.
CMA will donate half the net proceeds from the event to music education through a partnership with the Nashville Alliance for Public Education called “Keep the Music Playing,” and the remaining half to flood relief via The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Festival partners including the ABC Television Network, Chevy, and Manwich also stepped up with flood relief donations.
Fans enjoy the activities, free samples and giveaways in the Fun Zone on Saturday, June 12. Photo: Donn Jones
“The Sixth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade” drew an estimated 14,000 cheering spectators. Following the procession, the fun kicked into high gear with “The Fifth Annual CMA Music Festival Block Party” on the Chevy Music Stage at the Bridgestone Arena Plaza before an estimated crowd of more than 7,000.
The Greased Lightning® Fan Fair® Hall at the Nashville Convention Center drew appearances by 253 artists and celebrities. Exhibit booths sold out in record time. Attendance over the four days was 55,385 – an increase of 4.25 percent from 2009’s high of 53,000. Highlights included visits from Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, The Judds, Kix Brooks and Taylor Swift.
New digital applications were a big success. More than 4,500 fans downloaded the new CMA Music Festival iPhone app; more than 7,000 created their own custom schedule of Festival events via the Web site; digital promotions added more than 34,900 subscriptions to the CMA, Chevy, GAC, and Jason Aldean mobs; and more than 54,000 texts were sent to the jumbo screens at LP Field.
According to Music City Merchandise, which designs and produces the Festival’s merch collection, the event experienced record merch sales in 2010, up 10 percent over sales in 2009.
The Festival was filmed for a three-hour television special “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” hosted by Tim McGraw and scheduled to air Wednesday, Sept. 1 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer. Gary Halvorson is the Director.
2011 CMA Music Festival will take place Thursday through Sunday, June 9-12, in downtown Nashville.
The Riverfront stage. Photo: Donn Jones
Bobby Karl Works The Room: Fan Fair Finale
/by Bobby KarlTim McGraw and Steve Moore, Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors. Photo: Alan Mayor
Chapter 340
Inspirational, is what it was.
Yes, the 2010 CMA Music Festival was a bounty of sounds. And, yes, it was intolerably hot. But the experience of being with those people, those fans, did my heart good. What spirit. What stamina. What love. I saw these things everywhere, from autograph lines, to concerts, from fan-club parties, to shops and restaurants.
Just for the record, we set one, as I predicted we would. The daily attendance was 65,000, and that doesn’t include the music industry or the media. The four nightly LP Field concerts were sell-outs at 49,000 per night.
How was it? Read on.
THURSDAY NIGHT
Carrie Underwood Photo: Alan Mayor
It was awesome gazing out at the crowd and seeing every seat in the coliseum full, all the way up to the top row in the top tier. This has never happened before. I hesitate to mention this, but I was at Fan Fair when it was held at Municipal Auditorium more than 30 years ago. I was there when it moved to the Fairgrounds. I was there when it moved downtown. And I was there when it changed its name. All of that is prelude to saying I never dreamed I would see this day.
With a Thursday-night bill that was book-ended by Alan Jackson and Carrie Underwood, with oh-by-the-way Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, Danny Gokey and Jason Aldean along for the ride, no wonder opening night was such a smash. The Oak Ridge Boys sang the National Anthem and tossed in “Elvira” for good measure.
Brad Paisley arrives at his fan club party at Nashville Shores. Photo By: Sharon Eaves
Speaking of Carrie, I believe she was the first with a fan-club party, having staged hers at Municipal Auditorium on Tuesday (6/8). On Thursday evening, Brad Paisley delighted the 700 attendees of his fan club party at Nashville Shores by arriving by boat. His crew and band members were good sports at being dunked into tubs. Are you with me? Brad’s new hit is “Water,” and the tour is “H2O.”
Across town at the Belcourt Theater, the 42nd annual IFCO show was staged. That’s right, this event actually pre-dates Fan Fair. Hit songwriter Victoria Shaw opened, bringing along Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Gary Burr as her accompanist and harmony singer. Also, Canadian country Female Vocalist of the Year winner Jessie Farrell sang splendidly. But the coolest surprise was Doug Stone, singing the Victoria-and-Gary tune “Too Busy Being in Love.” Gary Morris, who has shed 80 pounds, enthralled the crowd next.
The tuneful and hilarious double Grammy winning Riders in the Sky performed its show #4,598 for the IFCO crowd. Rhonda Vincent & The Rage brought out Gene Watson for their duet “Staying Together.” We couldn’t let him leave without “Farewell Party,” which Mr. Magnificent nailed to the wall.
The silent auction only raised $200 for Second Harvest, but every little bit helps. Working the room were Cathy Gurley, Joe Bob & Suzi Barnhill, Trisha Walker-Cunningham, Jo Walker Meador, Beth Gwinn, Sarah Brosmer, Jim Bessman, Lisa Wysocky, Hope Powell and, of course, the indomitable Loudilla and Kay Johnson.
FRIDAY
The Chevy stage opened with James Wesley and closed with vivacious Emily West. The Durango Acoustic Corner in the Convention Center was at its best with the likes of Shawn Camp and The Randy Kohrs Band in the early afternoon. Alas, Ty Herndon up at the GAC Music City Zone Stage on the Courthouse Square, played to only around 100 people at noon. Sometimes during the weekend, acts up there played to less than 50. This zone is too far off the beaten track.
Riverfront Park had a splendid day, highlighted by the brilliant Patty Loveless and Chris Young around lunchtime. Mighty Craig Morgan was the afternoon finale. On a sadder note, one of the Riverfront security folks, Rock Solid’s Fred Stapleton, 34, expired that night in a closed medical tent. So far, the cause is unknown.
Ron Cox, Dan Ekback, Guy Penrod, Bill Denny, Bob Doyle, Lon Helton, Georgia Middleman, Jimmy Harnon, David Preston, John Juliano, Kitty Moon Emery, Ed Benson, Heath Owen, Tim Wipperman, George Briner, J. Horton Frank and Two Foot Fred worked the CMA’s Industry Hospitality Suite at LP Field that night. Proud parents Rick & Barb Lambert said they have opened a winery to make and market Miranda Lambert Wine back home in Lindale, Texas. Field trip!
Julianne Hough, photo: Alan Mayor
On stage, Storme Warren introduced Tennessee Titan Rob Bironis, who promised us a Super Bowl win (we’re going to hold you to that) before tossing footballs into the crowd autographed by teammates Kenny Britt and Courtland Finegan. The Band Perry did a fine harmonious job on “The Star Spangled Banner.”
Pageant singer Julianne Hough (See me toss my pretty hair? Look at these legs? How do you like by sparkly dress?) opened. You had to count Josh Turner as an evening highlight. The crowd squealed every time he hit a low note, formed dancing “train” lines and circled the stadium during “Long Black Train” and then kept on dancing in the aisles when he sang “Why Don’t We Just Dance.”
Keith Urban, Photo: Alan Mayor
Miranda Lambert rocked out on my favorite, “Famous in a Small Town.” Then she led her band through a frothing set that included her biggest hits. Keith Urban had them singing along, word-for-word, from his very first song. During his set, he brought out Little Big Town, Sarah Buxton and Tony Brown to accompany him on “A Little Help From My Friends,” illustrated by Nashville Flood footage on the video screens. Nice. Reba McEntire and Kid Rock ensued. Speaking of the latter, can somebody explain his stardom to me? Yes, he’s a fun guy. But he can’t sing, doesn’t play an instrument, isn’t funny, has a foul mouth, isn’t handsome and is a second-rate rapper. I guess it is just one of those Mysteries of Life.
SATURDAY
First up with a fan-club party on Saturday morning was Vince Gill, singing and telling stories at the Belcourt Theater. When I dropped by, the Fan Fair autograph booths at the Convention Center were being worked by Bryan White, Cherryholmes, Riders in the Sky, Julianne Hough, Mark Chestnut and Mark Wills. Plus, superstars Rascal Flatts were harmonizing to the delight of those gathered.
Upstairs at the Durango Acoustic Corner, Sarah Darling turned in a very nice set. Other highlights there included Lynn Anderson and Elizabeth Cook. Energetic Trent Tomlinson was tearing it up on the Chevy Stage when we arrived at the Bridgestone Arena. Jason Meadows made an appearance at the “K-9’s in Flight” show, but he proved to be an inept Frisbee tosser to the diving doggies. The Fontanel bus was parked nearby to transport fans to Nashville’s newest attraction.
One of the coolest sets of the festival was Jeffrey Steele’s inside the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Conservatory. The fans probably didn’t know who he was. But when he told stories and sang “My Town,” “Every Day,” “I’m Trying,” “Speed,” “Love Is a Beautiful Thing,” “My Wish” and the rest (sounding better than their hit recorded versions), they truly “got” what a Nashville songwriter is.
In the Family Zone, the ABC soap stars were autographing and doing Q&A sessions for the highly informed TV devotees. By the time we got to Riverfront, Hall of Famer Mel Tillis and his superb Statesiders band were giving a course in Country Music 101 and showing the kiddies exactly how to do it right. Gloriana followed. I bet you’d never predict those two on the same bill.
Schmoozing in the backstage hospitality tent were Neal Speilberg, Merrill Warner, Doug Casmus and Brad Schmitt. The General Jackson glided by picturesquely behind us.
Saturday night at LP field, Jeff Walker, David M. Ross, Chuck Aly, Ernie & Jerry Williams, Charlie Monk, Carson Chamberlain, Steve Moore and Keith Stegall were wining and dining in the hospitality suite, pausing for a splendid rendition of the National Anthem by Jamie O’Neal.
The robust voiced Randy Houser proved to be a high-energy opening act, alternately soaring on his ballad “Anything Goes” and rocking out with “Boots On.” Wow. What a singer. Easton Corbin was next. Then Billy Currington livened things up with a hit-packed set. Storme introduced The Thunderbolts, the pilots who did the jet fly-overs each night following the National Anthem. They stood at parade rest while cheers erupted.
Dozens of beach balls bounced through the crowd while The Zac Brown Band warbled “Toes.” This was followed by the first Fan Fair “jam” instrumental, including a drum solo (!). Zac brought out Joey + Rory and harmonized with them on their ode to the fans, “This Song’s for You.” That was a nice moment. I loved it that Zac and his boys sang “Free,” which is my favorite by them. Martina McBride turned in a splendid set, which included some unexpected tunes as well as her hits. Rascal Flatts closed.
Martina McBride and crew at CMA Music Festival. Pictured (l-r): RCA Nashville’s Norbert Nix and Keith Gale; Sony Music Nashville’s Paul Barnabee; Morris Artists Management’s Brandon Gill; Sony Music Nashville’s Gary Overton and Tom Baldrica; McBride; Morris Artists Management’s Mike Betterton (rear), Will Hitchcock, Clint Higham, Matt Petty, and Tiffany Benken; and Martina’s husband John McBride.
SUNDAY
The big news on Sunday was Taylor Swift’s marathon, 13-hour-plus autographing stint at Bridgestone Arena. Some fans had camped out overnight outside the venue, and more than a few of the teen girls were in tears after meeting their idol. Taylor greeted each like a long lost friend: “Ooh, look how pretty you are. How are you?” I am told that there were 10,000 in there when she did her mini concert and that more than 1,000 autograph seekers were accommodated. The gig was on June 13, the length was supposed to be 13 hours and Taylor’s lucky number is 13. Got that?
Outside Bridgestone, Gary Morris kicked things off on the Chevy Stage. Inside the convention center, the Durango Acoustic Corner featured the likes of bluegrassers Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Grascals and Cherryholmes. For the first time, performances on this stage were broadcast live by WSM’s 650. This experiment, usually hosted throughout the weekend by Bill Cody, was an audio triumph.
This year’s Sunday Mornin’ Country show was actually in the afternoon in TPAC’s Polk Theater. It was a tribute to Roy Clark and a Hee Haw reunion featuring Roni Stoneman, Charlie McCoy, The Nashville Edition, Lulu Roman and more.
Martina McBride’s annual YWCA Celebrity Auction was again held in the Family Zone. Her “Barbie” doll likeness went for $1,500. Brad Paisley’s guitar fetched $5,000.
More industry folks than ever packed the CMA suite that night at LP Field. Ed Hardy, Sarah Trahern, Bobby Young, Jonathan Pinkerton, Victoria Shaw, Charles Dorris, Rick Shipp, LeAnn Phelan, Tom Baldrica, John Elliott, Scott Hendricks, Gary Overton, Karen Byrd, Paul Barnabee and Ben Fowler were all there. Mayor Karl Dean and Nashville First Lady Anne Davis had just returned from a national mayors conference in Oklahoma City and were surprised to see that that metropolis is now billing itself as “Music City,” and citing Nashvillians such as Vince Gill and Kings of Leon as proof. How dare they?
On stage, CMT’s Evan Farmer hosted. Mark Wills did the “Star Spangled Banner” honors, followed by the most perfectly timed fly-over of the fest. Comedian Paul Harris opened. Justin Moore followed. The first highlight was Kellie Pickler’s sprightly set. Then Blake Shelton sang “She Wouldn’t Be Gone” and more with great gusto. Trace Adkins, Darius Rucker and Brad Paisley were this year’s CMA Music Festival finale.
By the way, the fans’ “tweets” shown on the big screens were almost universally banal. Most of them read, “CMA Fest Rocks!” or something like that. One said, “Nashville is so awesome.” Well, yes, actually, it is.
Forbes Ranks Top Earning Country Stars
/by adminForbes also points to the over 2,000 U.S. country radio stations as another meaningful income source for artists/writers noting that eight of the ten most played artists on radio last year were country artists. For the list, Forbes tabulates box office receipts, merchandise and album sales, publishing royalties and endorsement/licensing deals. The period is from June 2009 to June 2010.
Full details HERE
1. Kenny Chesney leads the list with estimated earnings of $50 million, down slightly from the previous year’s $65 million.
2. Toby Keith $48 million
3. Taylor Swift $45 million
3. Rascal Flatts $45 million
5. Tim McGraw $30
6. Keith Urban $28
7. George Strait $25
8. Brad Paisley $22
9. Alan Jackson $15
10. Carrie Underwood $13
People’s Hot Country Guys
/by Sarah SkatesPeople magazine highlights “Country’s Hottest Guys” for its new July issue. Tim McGraw, who was named the hottest of the hunks, graces the cover.
The issue also features a behind-the-scenes look at the recent Brooks & Dunn tribute, a Q&A with Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert about their upcoming wedding, and exclusive pictures from Vince Gill’s daughter Jenny Gill’s wedding.
The 24 other sexy men featured in the publication are (in no particular order): Trace Adkins, Kenny Chesney, Randy Montana, George Strait, Jason Aldean, Billy Currington, David Nail, Phillip Sweet, Gary Allan, Tom Gossin, Joe Nichols, Josh Thompson, Lee Brice, Mike Gossin, Jake Owen, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Jimi Westbrook, Kristian Bush, Blake Shelton, Chuck Wicks and Chris Young.
In conjunction with the magazine, People is offering free downloads from Trailer Choir, Thompson Square, Court Yard Hounds, Jaron and The Long Road to Love and more at www.people.com/free.