B
rad Paisley just completed the west coast run of his American Saturday Night tour by selling over 100,000 tickets for shows in Bakersfield, San Francisco, Sacramento, Phoenix, San Diego and Irvine. He will take this week off from touring before heading to Florida for shows in Jacksonville, Tampa, and West Palm Beach, then it’s off to New York City for his Madison Square Garden show on Oct. 21. Paisley’s current single “Welcome to the Future” is No. 3 on MusicRow’s Country Breakout Chart.
————————
U2’s 360 Tour continues its spectacular run with sales over the weekend surpassing 180,000 tickets in three cities—Horsens, Denmark; Vienna, Austria; and Helsinki, Finland. The tour has grossed over $187 million on the European leg, and is expected to break even sometime by the end of the year, manager Paul McGuiness told Billboard. The outing costs $750,000 per day, whether or not there’s a show.
The North American leg is expected to bring in $112 million (Billboard Boxscore). When U2 played the Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on Sept. 24 it drew a record-setting 84,472 fans, and the two-night stand grossed $16.1 million. When U2 hits the Rose Bowl on Oct. 25, it will also be that venue’s largest ever attendance for a concert, with 96,000 fans expected.
————————
Gary Allan will soon embark on his Get Off On The Pain tour, sponsored by House of Blues. He is supporting his new single, “Today,” which is already climbing the charts, as well as more music from his upcoming album.
————————
Blackberry Smoke will support Lynyrd Skynyrd for seven shows this month with stops in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and New Jersey. The tour coincides with the release of Blackberry Smoke’s new album, Little Piece Of Dixie, on BamaJam Records, which is a newly formed imprint of producer James Stroud’s Stroudavarious Records. BamaJam and Stroudavarious Records are distributed by Sony Music’s RED Distribution. The project was produced by Dann Huff and Justin Niebank. Blackberry Smoke will make its first trip to Europe in December before joining Lynyrd Skynyrd’s annual Simple Man cruise, January 21-25.
————————
Recent IBMA winner Steve Martin is on his fall tour, which included a visit to The Late Show with David Letterman last night (10/5)—where he really chatted up Nashville—and The View today. He is on the road with bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers in support of his album The Crow: New Songs For the 5 String Banjo (Rounder). It was No. 1 for 12 straight weeks on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart. The tour hits the Ryman on Oct. 11.
————-
Tracy Lawrence performed for American troops stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba over the weekend as a detour from his fall tour across the U.S.
————-
Colt Ford will be joining the Larry The Cable Guy Tour this fall, with dates starting Nov. 12 in State College, Pennsylvania and scheduled through Dec. 12 in Las Vegas. Leading up to the tour and throughout, Ford will be keeping fans up-to-date from the road with his own iPhone/iTouch app. He is touring in support of his debut album, Ride Through The Country.
Nashville Scene: Women’s profiles in bluegrass have risen
/by contributorGeneration by generation, women’s profiles in bluegrass have risen
By Jewly Hight
Touring Updates: Paisley, U2, and More
/by Sarah SkatesB
rad Paisley just completed the west coast run of his American Saturday Night tour by selling over 100,000 tickets for shows in Bakersfield, San Francisco, Sacramento, Phoenix, San Diego and Irvine. He will take this week off from touring before heading to Florida for shows in Jacksonville, Tampa, and West Palm Beach, then it’s off to New York City for his Madison Square Garden show on Oct. 21. Paisley’s current single “Welcome to the Future” is No. 3 on MusicRow’s Country Breakout Chart.
————————
U2’s 360 Tour continues its spectacular run with sales over the weekend surpassing 180,000 tickets in three cities—Horsens, Denmark; Vienna, Austria; and Helsinki, Finland. The tour has grossed over $187 million on the European leg, and is expected to break even sometime by the end of the year, manager Paul McGuiness told Billboard. The outing costs $750,000 per day, whether or not there’s a show.
The North American leg is expected to bring in $112 million (Billboard Boxscore). When U2 played the Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on Sept. 24 it drew a record-setting 84,472 fans, and the two-night stand grossed $16.1 million. When U2 hits the Rose Bowl on Oct. 25, it will also be that venue’s largest ever attendance for a concert, with 96,000 fans expected.
————————
Gary Allan will soon embark on his Get Off On The Pain tour, sponsored by House of Blues. He is supporting his new single, “Today,” which is already climbing the charts, as well as more music from his upcoming album.
————————
Blackberry Smoke will support Lynyrd Skynyrd for seven shows this month with stops in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and New Jersey. The tour coincides with the release of Blackberry Smoke’s new album, Little Piece Of Dixie, on BamaJam Records, which is a newly formed imprint of producer James Stroud’s Stroudavarious Records. BamaJam and Stroudavarious Records are distributed by Sony Music’s RED Distribution. The project was produced by Dann Huff and Justin Niebank. Blackberry Smoke will make its first trip to Europe in December before joining Lynyrd Skynyrd’s annual Simple Man cruise, January 21-25.
————————
Recent IBMA winner Steve Martin is on his fall tour, which included a visit to The Late Show with David Letterman last night (10/5)—where he really chatted up Nashville—and The View today. He is on the road with bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers in support of his album The Crow: New Songs For the 5 String Banjo (Rounder). It was No. 1 for 12 straight weeks on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart. The tour hits the Ryman on Oct. 11.
————-
Tracy Lawrence performed for American troops stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba over the weekend as a detour from his fall tour across the U.S.
————-
Colt Ford will be joining the Larry The Cable Guy Tour this fall, with dates starting Nov. 12 in State College, Pennsylvania and scheduled through Dec. 12 in Las Vegas. Leading up to the tour and throughout, Ford will be keeping fans up-to-date from the road with his own iPhone/iTouch app. He is touring in support of his debut album, Ride Through The Country.
Holly Williams Weds, Swift Sings With Mayer
/by Sarah SkatesPhoto by: Tec Petaja Photograph
Singer Holly Williams wed drummer Chris Coleman on Sunday, Sept. 27 in an evening ceremony at Nashville’s Cedarwood mansion. The bride wore a gown by Vera Wang, and the all-star guest list included Kid Rock, Rascal Flatts’s Jay DeMarcus, and of course, her father Hank Williams Jr. who walked her down the aisle. Among musician Coleman’s groomsmen was Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill.
The magazine reports that DeMarcus performed at the reception, as did Kid Rock who sang a few Bob Seger tunes as well as his own hit, “All Summer Long.” The bride and groom also took the stage for a version of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.”
Get all the details at People.com.
———————
Taylor Swift is a guest on John Mayer’s upcoming new album, Battle Studies. It will be released on Nov. 17, 2009 by Columbia Records, and features Swift on a song called “Half of My Heart.” Mayer, a seven-time Grammy winner, co-produced his fourth album with Steve Jordan and it is described as having the warmth, melodies and simplicity of 70’s and 80’s California rock/pop. The album’s first single is “Who Says.”
———————
Nashvillians Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Gloriana, Carter Twins and Miley Cyrus appear on the compilation A Very Special Christmas Volume 7, alongside Colbie Caillat, Charice, Vanessa Hudgens, Sean Kingston, Ashley Tisdale, and others. Set for release Nov. 24 through the Universal Music Enterprises, the album features original recordings of new and traditional Christmas songs. Selling one million copies in its first year, the premier 1987 album, A Very Special Christmas, and the subsequent albums in the series, have generated more than $100 million for Special Olympics, the most ever raised by a benefit recording series.
SAE Will Host Nashville Music Business Camp
/by Sarah SkatesConfirmed panelists include opening speaker Dave Pomeroy, President of the AFM Local 257-Nashville, who will discuss pensions and pay scales in “Musicians Are Worldwide Providers of Music” followed by a question and answer discussion. Also on the schedule are Kat Atwood (Publicity Director, Music City Media & Marketing), Sheila Shipley Biddy (artist manager and former MCA/DECCA executive), Shannon McCombs (national on-air personality), Bernard Porter (CEO of Porter-Gentry Productions and President of PCG Nashville), Suzanne Skinner (professional image consultant), Sheree Spoltore (Nashville Songwriters Association National Membership Director) and Robert Vonch III (owner of USIND Solutions).
NSAI is sponsoring professional songwriter rounds, and attendess will also get to showcase. Preshias Harris, organizer of NMBC, says other topics at the camp will encompass styling and imaging, entertainment law, publicity, touring, booking, radio promotion, artist management and record production.
Interested students/participants can register and obtain ticket information, including cost and panel schedule, at the Nashville Music Business Camp Web site www.nmbcamp.com. Special discounts are also being extended to various organizations. For more information, please contact Preshias Harris at Preshias@pcgnashville.com or Robert Vonch at Robert@pcgnashville.com.
TV Guide: Country Edition
/by Sarah SkatesNashville musicians are making the media rounds. See where your favorite artists are set to turn up.
Kenny Chesney will perform for the full hour of PBS’s Austin City Limits on Oct. 17. Joining him will be good friend and fellow CMA Vocal Event nominee Mac McAnally (for “Down The Road”). The concert will be taped at University of Texas, and include plenty of hits as well as the never-before-performed “Somewhere In The Sun.”
———————
Dierks Bentley will take a detour from Brad Paisley’s American Saturday Night tour this week to perform his hot new single “I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes” tonight (10/5) on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson the following day (airing Oct. 12). To watch the intimate video for the new single click here.
———————
Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers will be on The Late Show with David Letterman tonight (10/5) on CBS, and on The View tomorrow (10/6) on ABC. The Rangers’ new Rebel Records release, Deep in the Shade, will be in stores tomorrow.
———————
Trace Adkins will make several media appearances while he’s on the East Coast next week. Today, (10/5) he’ll visit political commentator Glenn Beck on his daily radio show, and guest on his television show later this evening. On Tues., Oct. 6, Adkins will appear on Fox & Friends, on the FOX News Channel and perform an acoustic version of his latest hit single, “All I Ask For Anymore.”
———————
Brooks & Dunn perform greatest hits, as well as new music from their album, #1s…And Then Some, when Invitation Only: Brooks & Dunn premieres Friday, Oct. 30 at 10 PM/ET on CMT. Taped in Nashville just days after announcing their split, the show features the duo performing before a small studio audience, taking questions from fans and delivering revealing and candid answers.
———————
Derek Sholl appeared on FOX’s Fox and Friends on Friday, Oct. 2 and is set for the syndicated morning TV show Daytime on Wednesday, Oct. 7. New artist Sholl is working to bring attention to combat veterans who are struggling to readjust to life at home. His new music video for “When They Come Back” debuted yesterday on GAC.
McBride And Adkins Announce Tour
/by MichelleAdkins and McBride
Martina McBride and Trace Adkins are gearing up for their Shine All Night Tour, starting Nov. 20 and covering 40 cities across the U.S. through the spring of 2010. The tour is sponsored by SunnyD, and marks the beverage company’s first music partnership. The outing is also sponsored in part by GAC, and will feature McBride and Adkins each performing full-length shows.
Blake Shelton and The Lost Trailers will join the tour for a few select dates. Concert promotions include a series of irreverent TV commercials featuring McBride and Adkins to be aired on GAC, as well as local television spots and online. Visit www.ShineAllNight.com for tour details and exclusive content. Also, to coincide with the tour announcement, McBride is launching a redesigned website at www.MartinaMcBride.com.
TOUR DATES
Nov. 20 Moline, IL
Nov. 21 St. Paul, MN
Nov. 22 Milwaukee, WI
Dec. 3 Colorado Springs, CO
Dec. 4 Park City (Wichita), KS
Dec. 5 Oklahoma City, OK
Dec. 10 Greensboro, NC
Dec. 11 Columbia, SC
Dec. 12 Duluth, GA
Dec. 13 Birmingham, AL
Jan. 22 Little Rock, AR
Jan. 23 Independence, MO
Jan. 24 Council Bluffs, IA
Jan. 29 Reading, PA
Jan. 30 Worcester, MA
Jan. 31 Fairfax, VA
Feb. 11 Dallas, TX
Feb. 12 Beaumont, TX
Feb. 13 Bossier City, LA
Feb. 14 Pensacola, FL
Feb. 19 Buffalo, NY
Feb. 21 Columbus, OH
Feb. 25 Ft. Wayne, IN
Feb. 26 Cleveland, OH
Feb. 27 Pittsburgh, PA
Feb. 28 Highland Heights, KY
Mar. 5 Champaign, IL
Mar. 6 Evansville, IN
Mar. 12 Richmond, VA
Mar. 14 Manchester, NH
Mar. 26 St. Louis, MO
Mar. 27 Green Bay, WI
Mar. 28 Dekalb, IL
Apr. 8 Loveland, CO
Apr. 9 Rapid City, SD
Apr. 10 Bismarck, ND
CMA Awards Schedule Superstar Performances
/by Sarah SkatesThe 43rd Annual CMA Awards show, airs live from Nashville’s Sommet Center on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Also playing that night are Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, Sugarland and first-time CMA nominee Darius Rucker.
The final round of CMA Awards Ballots will be emailed to voting members on Friday, Oct. 16. The votes are due Friday, Nov. 3.
Official CMA Awards merchandise is now available on CMAawards.com. This year’s line of merchandise features six apparel items, two hats, a coffee mug, and a wine tote.
Gretchen Wilson Launches Redneck Records
/by Sarah SkatesRedneck Records has inked with RED Distribution, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. Bob Mitchell is on board as strategic consultant for radio promotions and is set to relocate to Nashville. His diverse background in the music business includes 15 years in record promotion for Sony Music, DreamWorks and the Smith Music Group, as well as experience in radio, and as a talent buyer for Billy Bob’s and Six Flags. His new contact info is: (615) 720-7467, thegardenrow@yahoo.com.
Radio promotion efforts will also be spearheaded by CO5 Nashville, led by VP Promotion Denise Roberts. One of the company’s most recent successes is taking Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long” hit to Top 3 on the national country charts.
Publicity for Redneck Records and Wilson will be managed by Craig Campbell’s Campbell Entertainment Group. He was Gretchen’s first publicist when she signed with Epic Records. Music video marketing and promotion will be handled by AristoMedia’s AristoVideo division.
The first release on the label will be Wilson’s “Work Hard, Play Harder.” Written by Wilson, and longtime collaborators John Rich and Vicky McGehee, the single will impact radio on Oct. 26 and will go out via Play MPE on Monday (10/5). The music video will begin airing mid-October and can be viewed here. Her I Got Your Country Right Here album will hit stores in early 2010.
“My management and I looked at a lot of different options over the last couple of months, and starting Redneck Records made the most sense to continue the relationships I’ve built with radio, retail and the fans,” said Gretchen. “This is a really exciting time in my life, and I’m looking forward to everyone hearing my new music.”
Day-to-day activities for Grammy winner Wilson are overseen by manager Marc Oswald at Morris Artist Management, which is a division of Front Line Management with principals including Dale Morris, Irving Azoff and Howard Kaufman. The company provides representation services for artists such as Aerosmith, Alabama, Big & Rich, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, The Eagles and others. Gretchen’s personal appearances are booked by William Morris Endeavor Entertainment with Greg Oswald as the responsible agent.
Wilson exploded onto the country music scene in 2004 with her smash hit “Redneck Woman” and has since scored three No. 1 albums with Here For The Party, All Jacked Up, and One Of The Boys. Her first book, the autobiographical Redneck Woman: Stories from My Life, landed on the prestigious New York Times Best Seller List. She has won Female Vocalist of the Year from the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, two awards each from the American Music Awards and Billboard Music awards, and a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
Nashville Rose Garden In Full Bloom
/by Sarah SkatesPictured L to R: Manuel, Barbara Mandrell, Mayor Karl Dean, Pat Bullard and Ralph Emery at Wednesday's (9/30) dedication of the Nashville Music Garden. (Photo by Katherine Bomboy)
The Nashville Music Garden took root in the Hall of Fame Park, located at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Demonbreun (across from the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum), yesterday with the help of celebrity hosts Barbara Mandrell and Lynn Anderson as well as emcee Ralph Emery in an all-star ceremony befitting a garden created to recognize Music City’s best. Mayor Karl Dean was also on hand to cut the ribbon and officially open the garden that pays tribute to the artists, songwriters, authors, television personalities, industry leaders, venues, organizations and icons who have made a positive impact on Nashville’s entertainment community.
After the public dedication, Barbara Mandrell hosted a special luncheon for the honorees at the Sommet Center sponsored by the Nashville Predators Foundation. “It has been a very exciting day and I have never felt more love, camaraderie and joy over the beauty of what this event is all about. This garden and what it represents is beautiful. The city of Nashville is beautiful,” said Mandrell.
Pictured L to R: Lynn Anderson, Pat Bullard and Barbara Mandrell stop to smell the roses at a luncheon hosted by Mandrell after Wednesday’s dedication of the Nashville Music Garden. (Photo by Katherine Bomboy)