The US Department of Justice plans to approve the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Regulators are demanding that the companies make a few concessions to ensure fair competition, including licensing its Ticketmaster Host ticketing software to concert promoter and venue manager Anschutz Entertainment Group, and divesting its self-ticketing subsidiary Paciolan to promoter and manager Comcast-Spectacor.
For the next decade, the new Live Nation Entertainment will be barred from taking retaliatory action against venues that choose to use another ticketing company.
The merger will create a “big three” in the touring world, made up of the new Live Nation Entertainment, AEG and Comcast-Spectacor.
Live Nation’s Michael Rapino will act as Pres./CEO, Irving Azoff will be Executive Chairman, and Barry Diller will serve as chairman. Former Live Nation shareholders will have a 49.99 percent in the new company, with former Ticketmaster shareholders holding a 50.01 percent stake.
The UK Competition Commission approved the merger on Dec. 22. UK clearance followed regulatory approval in Norway and Turkey. Canada is expected to follow suit.
Live Nation announced plans to buy Ticketmaster Entertainment for about $400 million in stock in February 2009. This news came not long after Live Nation launched its own ticketing service, and signed multimillion dollar 360 deals with superstars including Jay-Z and Madonna.
Opponents of the merger argued that Live Nation Ticketmaster would have a monopoly on the touring industry. They believed the combined company would have control over a large share of the ticketing market, many of the country’s major venues, and would have ties to numerous superstar artists.
Ticketmaster holds a majority stake in Front Line Management which, in turn, has partnerships with several top Nashville managers, including Dale Morris & Associates (Kenny Chesney), DS Management (Alison Krauss), and Spalding Entertainment (Brooks & Dunn, Jason Aldean).
McGraw/Paltrow Movie Filming Free Concert
/by Sarah SkatesGwyneth Paltrow
The public is being invited to a concert that is being filmed for the new country music movie Love Don’t Let Me Down, starring Tim McGraw and Gwyneth Paltrow.
GAC’s Storme Warren will host the event on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. Extras should plan to stay from 4-11 PM. McGraw will welcome the crowd but will not perform.
The scene being filmed is the big comeback concert of Paltrow’s character, superstar “Kelly Canter.” Playing Kelly’s opening acts are Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester and Garrett Hedlund (Tron Legacy). The music being used is by Nashville tunesmiths. The Lost Trailers will also entertain fans with an acoustic set.
Admission is free and participants must be at least 18 years old. E-mail freefilmconcert@gmail.com to request tickets. Concertgoers are encouraged to new or slightly worn shoes for Soles4Soul’s Haitian relief efforts.
Parking details and more at information here.
Strait/Reba Tour Opens, Shows Selling Out
/by Sarah SkatesThe George Strait/ Reba co-headlining tour opened in Baltimore over the weekend with special guest Lee Ann Womack. At the show Womack joined Reba onstage for a duet of her 1993 smash “Does He Love You.” Comedian Melissa Peterman, who costarred with Reba on her namesake sitcom, also made a special appearance.
Tickets to the Feb. 20 tour stop in Tulsa, OK went on sale Saturday (1/23) and were gone in less than an hour, marking the first time in the history of the Bank of Oklahoma Center that over 18,000 tickets have been sold for one event. It will be Strait’s first appearance in the city in more than 13 years.
Reba is celebrating her No. 1 hit “Consider Me Gone” with a party for industry friends today (1/25), and will join fans for a live video chat immediately afterward at 7 PM/CT. In more Reba news, she has launched a new line of fine gifts at Dillard’s called Studs & Stitches.
Ticketmaster/Live Nation Merger To Get US Approval
/by Sarah SkatesFor the next decade, the new Live Nation Entertainment will be barred from taking retaliatory action against venues that choose to use another ticketing company.
The merger will create a “big three” in the touring world, made up of the new Live Nation Entertainment, AEG and Comcast-Spectacor.
Live Nation’s Michael Rapino will act as Pres./CEO, Irving Azoff will be Executive Chairman, and Barry Diller will serve as chairman. Former Live Nation shareholders will have a 49.99 percent in the new company, with former Ticketmaster shareholders holding a 50.01 percent stake.
The UK Competition Commission approved the merger on Dec. 22. UK clearance followed regulatory approval in Norway and Turkey. Canada is expected to follow suit.
Live Nation announced plans to buy Ticketmaster Entertainment for about $400 million in stock in February 2009. This news came not long after Live Nation launched its own ticketing service, and signed multimillion dollar 360 deals with superstars including Jay-Z and Madonna.
Opponents of the merger argued that Live Nation Ticketmaster would have a monopoly on the touring industry. They believed the combined company would have control over a large share of the ticketing market, many of the country’s major venues, and would have ties to numerous superstar artists.
Ticketmaster holds a majority stake in Front Line Management which, in turn, has partnerships with several top Nashville managers, including Dale Morris & Associates (Kenny Chesney), DS Management (Alison Krauss), and Spalding Entertainment (Brooks & Dunn, Jason Aldean).
Crook & Chase On WSIX; Paradiso Hires King
/by Sarah Skates————————————
Paradiso Music, LLC has added Steve King as Creative Director and Staff Producer. He will oversee production and artist development for the company founded in 1994 by John Pisciotta. During his twelve years in the Nashville music industry, King has held a variety of positions, working with unsigned independents to multi-platinum superstars. He has recorded and toured with Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, and Big Kenny among others. Paradiso Music is part of the Ripcord Entertainment parent company.
Chesney Sets Four Summer Shows In Vegas
/by Sarah SkatesChesney’s Keg In The Closet shows are usually held in college town bars, with he and his band promoting a party atmosphere driven by his hits, cover songs from U2, Steve Miller, Van Halen, Tom Petty, and more, in a 3-hour set.
“The beauty of the Joint is that not only is it a great rock and roll room, but they’ll let us get up there and play… and play… and play,” says Chesney. “We have so much fun, because we can throw in all kinds of stuff we don’t get to play in our regular show, and the audiences are diverse enough that no matter what we throw at them, they know the songs!”
The superstar is playing a few major outdoor festivals this summer, and is anticipating the April 21 release of Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3-D, the concert film which captures five of his stadium shows.
Chesney has played at the Joint before, when he was part of the grand opening in April 2009 along with Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi and the Killers.
Release Dates: Valentine’s Day, Buxton, Shelton and Lonestar
/by Freeman———
Sarah Buxton tracklist:
1. American Daughters; 2. Outside My Window; 3. Radio Love; 4. For Real; 5. Wings; 6. Love Like Heaven; 7. Space; 8. Innocence; 9. That Kind of Day; 10. Stupid Boy; 11. Big Blue Sky
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Hillbilly Bone tracklist:
1. Hillbilly Bone; 2. Kiss My Country Ass; 3. You’ll Always Be Beautiful
4. Can’t Afford To Love You; 5. Delilah; 6. Almost Alright
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Lady A To Appear On Ellen, Jimmy Kimmel and More
/by MichelleLady A celebrated the success of their 5 week No. 1 single "Need You Now", in Nashville. Pictured (L-R): Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott, Steve Moore, Josh Kear.
To promote their sophomore album, Need You Now, set for release Jan. 26, Lady Antebellum will be making various media appearances. Their schedule is highlighted by a Jan. 27 performance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, a performance slot on both the MusiCares Tribute to Neil Young on Jan. 29 and CBS’s telecast of the GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 31, as well as a two song outdoor concert on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Feb. 2. The band will wrap up three weeks on the road with a trip to Vancouver for a performance on TODAY live from the 2010 Olympic games on Feb. 16.
Lady A is offering fans who purchase either the physical or digital album, through any retailer, added bonus content through ladyantebellum.com. One track will be given away each month in 2010 with the first track available on Jan. 26. Additionally, the band is world-premiering the album online through MySpace Music, and they will also participate in AOL’s “Sessions” program and Yahoo’s “Maximum Performance” series. Recently Lala started offering the uptempo track “Stars Tonight” through the Facebook gift store, a first time promotion for a country artist.
Lady A is also currently prepping to join Tim McGraw’s Southern Voice Tour kicking off on Feb. 11 in Omaha, NE.
Walmart’s SoundCheck to Feature Josh Turner
/by adminOne way to stay connected with new offereings is to subscribe to the site’s free RSS feed. One can also stay connected via various social networking outlets such as Twitter and Facebook. Many of the performances can also be enjoyed via free iPhone apps such as the one featuring Miranda Lambert’s exclusive performance from Starstruck Studios released Oct. 31, 2009.
New Music From Texans Josh Abott Band And Zane Williams
/by Sarah SkatesJosh Abott Band
Fast rising Texas act Josh Abbott Band played over 250 shows last year, packing Texas hot spots such as Wild West in Lubbock, Cowboys in San Antonio and Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth. Coming off the success of their 2008 debut album Scapegoat, the Josh Abbott Band now returns with their sophomore album She’s Like Texas hitting streets Feb. 16.
Produced by Erik Herbst, Josh Abbott wrote or co-wrote all of the 12 tracks on the album including the lead off single, “All Of A Sudden,” which landed inside the Top 10 on the Texas Music Chart and brand new single, “She’s Like Texas,” to hit radio mid-January. Released via Pretty Damn Tough Records / Thirty Tigers, the album features special guest performances from Kacey Musgraves, Roger Creager and Trent Willmon.
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Zane Williams
Fellow Texan Zane Williams released a new album this week called The Right Place. He’ll mark the occasion with a party for all of his Tennessee friends and fans at Judge Beans BBQ in Brentwood, TN on Friday, Jan. 29. The show will begin at 6:00pm and it is free to the public. Radney Foster, another Texas native, produced the project for the singer-songwriter. Williams is also celebrating his writing credit on Jason Michael Carroll’s current hit single “Hurry Home.”
The Band Perry’s New Video; Josh Thompson At “Music In The City”
/by Sarah SkatesPictured l to r: Neil Perry, Kimberly Perry, Trey Fanjoy, Reid Perry. Photo credit: Justin Key
Republic Nashville’s The Band Perry – siblings Kimberly, Neil and Reid Perry – teamed up with award-winning video director Trey Fanjoy (Taylor Swift, Keith Urban) for their first video, “Hip To My Heart.” Shot last week in Nashville, the video is for the trio’s debut single, currently a Top 35 hit – and climbing – on the country singles’ chart. The video is scheduled for release in the next few weeks.
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Pictured (l-r): Columbia Nashville Dir of Nt'l Promotion Mike Wilson, VP Promotion Skip Bishop, Thompson, Sony Music Nashville Chairman Joe Galante, Columbia Nashville VP of Nt'l Promotion Jimmy Rector.
Columbia Nashville recording artist Josh Thompson performed at Nashville Lifestyles’ “Music In The City” party on Jan. 19. The sold-out event at the Tin Roof benefited the W.O. Smith School. “Music in the City” also featured Love and Theft, Josh Kelley, Jessie James, and Steel Magnolia.