IEBA Board; Tin Pan Passes; CRS Rates

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The International Entertainment Buyers Association has elected several new board members and a new executive committee. The organization is also busy planning its 40th anniversary conference, set for October 3-5 in Nashville.

IEBA Executive Committee
Chairman: Barry Jeffrey, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
Outgoing Chairman: Randy Wright, Integrity Events
President: Linda Smith, Glenn Smith Presents
VP: Rick Murray, Greylock Entertainment
Treasurer: Karen Clark, Pinnacle Financial Partners
Secretary: Larry Werner, Panhandle Productions

Newly-elected IEBA Board members— Todd Boltin, Variety Attractions; Christy Bowen, Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo; Jim Carter, Murray State University; Charlie Davis, Paradise Artists; Jeff Hill, CAA; Greg Janese, Paradigm Agency; Scott Morris, ICM; Lori Otelsberg, Signature Entertainment and Promotions; Huston Powell, C3 Presents; Brenda Tinnen, AEG Kansas City.

Watkins College of Art, Design & Film student Michael Korfhage created the Tin Pan South logo.

Among the local board members in the middle of 3-year terms are Steve Lassiter, APA; Fran Romeo, Romeo Entertainment Group; Clarence Spalding, Spalding Entertainment; Sally Williams, Ryman Auditorium; and Philip Lyon, Lyon & Phillips, PLLC – legal counsel. The IEBA staff consists of executive director Tiffany Davis and assistant Andrew Farwell.

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The 18th Annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival presented by Regions Bank will be held Tuesday, March 30 – Saturday, April 3, in Nashville. Produced by NSAI, the world’s largest all-songwriter festival features seasoned pros and new faces performing in some of Music City’s best listening rooms. Fast Access Passes, which provides preferred access to all the shows, go on sale Wednesday, March 10 at tinpansouth.com. Proceeds from the festival benefit the NSAI Legislative Fund.

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Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. has extended its first ever $99 Unemployment Rate and approved the on-site sale of single-day passes for CRS 2010, to be held Feb. 24-26, 2010.

The $99 Unemployment Rate offers a financial break to those currently without work but still wanting to attend Country Radio Seminar. The new deadline to apply for the Unemployment Rate is Feb. 15, 2010.  This registration provides attendees access to educational events and songwriter showcases only. Tickets to the Music City Jam™, New Faces of Country Music Show® and daily luncheons must be purchased separately.

Underwood First CMA Music Festival Performer

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Carrie Underwood surprised one of her biggest fans last week with a phone call telling her she will be among the stars performing at this year’s CMA Music Festival Thursday through Sunday, June 10-13 in Nashville.

Underwood took time out of her packed Super Bowl rehearsal schedule, where she sang the national anthem last night, to call 15-year-old Riley Ahlstrand with the news. Ahlstrand, an ardent fan of the Festival, was being interviewed by WKRN News 2’s Brad Schmitt when Underwood called him and Ahlstrand to share the news.

Ahlstrand came to WKRN’s attention after she sent an email to CMA: “My dream is to meet Carrie Underwood, and the CMA Music Festival is my absolute favorite thing. I want more than anything for Carrie Underwood to appear at CMA Music Festival this year. Thank you so much for everything that you do, and for putting on such a spectacular week June 10-13! This truly is the ultimate fan experience.”

Underwood’s video for “Temporary Home” debuted on iTunes with a two-day exclusive, Feb. 2-3, and shot to No. 1. Now it is in Hot Shot rotation on CMT and in Turbo rotation on GAC.

Looking ahead, Underwood will make her first appearance at the prestigious Hollywood Bowl on Sat., Oct. 2, with a concert performance that will involve the renowned Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Fans can also be watching for Carrie on upcoming covers of Cosmopolitan and Allure.

Webb Wilder Leads “Hillbillies For Haiti
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Nashville rocker Webb Wilder is pulling a posse of his musical pals together for a benefit concert to help victims of the recent tragic earthquake in Haiti. “Hillbillies For Haiti” is scheduled for Tuesday, February 16 at Nashville’s Mercy Lounge. Wilder will perform with his band, the Beatnecks, and will be joined by a stellar group of Nashville musicians including Steve Forbert, Stacie Collins, Peter Cooper, Bill Lloyd, Gary Nicholson, Mike Henderson, Colin Linden, Anne McCue, Kevin Gordon and more artists to be announced.

The 18-and-over show begins at 7:00 with a suggested donation of $10 at the door — a great night of music for an even greater cause.

Chesney’s Big Super Bowl Weekend

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Country superstar Kenny Chesney is gearing up for a very busy Super Bowl weekend. With his longtime love of that laid-back Big Easy vibe and his fond memories of suiting up and scrimmaging at a training session with the hometown team a few seasons back, and despite his well-publicized friendship with Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, the former high school footballer will be rooting for the Saints this year. In a recent interview with New Orleans’ Times Picayune, Chesney took some time to explain his allegiance.

“I would love to see the Saints win the Super Bowl, because they’ve never won it, and what it would mean to the city of New Orleans,” Chesney told journalist Keith Spera. “After Katrina, the music scene in New Orleans took such a hit. Everything did. If they win the Super Bowl, it would be a shot that the town needs. I’m pulling for that. Of course, if the Colts win, I’ll be happy for Peyton, too — nobody works harder than him.”

The Chesney brand will be everywhere during Super Bowl week. His satellite channel, No Shoes Radio, has been broadcasting from the Surfcomber Hotel in Miami. Today (2/5) Chesney is scheduled to chat on the Mike and Mike Show on ESPN-2 and ESPN Radio. And on Sunday, he’ll appear on the Super Bowl edition of ESPN’s NFL Sunday Countdown.

Chesney will do the Super Bowl itself in style. After spending much of the week in Nashville editing his forthcoming concert film, Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3-D, he’ll head down to  South Florida for the big game. He’s even performing at the Saints’ private post-game party. They’ll take in the game from Chesney’s suite in Sun Life Stadium.

“I didn’t have an allegiance to New Orleans growing up, but the more I’ve played there and been there and seen the spirit of the town…it’s a great music town and a great sports town,” Chesney said. “It’s a town that I’ve grown to love.”

Mix Magazine Announces Third Annual “Mix Nashville”

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Mix magazine announced programming today (2/5) for the third annual Mix Nashville, a professional audio event being held May 25-26 at Soundcheck Nashville. This gathering offers two full days of panels on the business and applications of studio and live production and features top engineers, producers and executives from the Nashville community.

This year’s programming will showcase everything from advances in production technology to new business strategies in the Mix Nashville expert panel series. Scheduled topics include The Power of Collaboration; Advanced Plug-In Techniques; Boosting Revenue; Recording Guitar; and Analog Techniques: When To Reach For The Rack.

This year’s event also marks the return of the popular Anatomy of a Hit Panels, which feature industry-leading producers, artists and engineers discussing the production techniques behind some of today’s biggest songs.

“We started Mix Nashville two years ago because we discovered a need to bring engineers, producers, record industry executives and manufacturers together under one roof,” says Mix Editor Tom Kenny. “Nashville is a true recording community, and the techniques and styles employed from Music Row to Berry Hill to Franklin are the techniques and styles of the recording industry at large. It’s a town steeped in analog recording and the latest digital technologies. And country music continues to sell. There is plenty to learn from Nashville.”

In addition to the expert panels, manufacturer partners will outfit the Soundcheck facility and host a series of master classes and hands-on product demos in themed production spaces: Plug-in Pavilion, Live Sound Showcase and Analog Alley. Post-panel Q&As will give attendees the opportunity to connect with some of the biggest names in the music industry.

Over the last two years, the event was attended by nearly more than 1,500 people from the Nashville professional audio community. Event programming has featured appearances by Dann Huff, Bill Vorn Dick, Jacquire King, Vance Powell, John McBride, George Massenburg, Robert Scovill, Buford Jones, Tony Brown, Lee Ann Womack, and Chuck Ainlay.

Nashville’s Buck Howdy Wins A Grammy

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There’s been a lot of well-deserved coverage of Nashville’s big showing at last week’s Grammy Awards. But while big stars like Taylor Swift, Kings Of Leon and Zac Brown have gotten the lion’s share of the attention, one Nashville winner seems to have slipped through the press coverage cracks. Nashville-based, Stetson-wearing childrens artist Buck Howdy is actually a four-time Grammy nominee, and this year he finally took home the prize.

Howdy took home the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album For Children for his latest release, Aaaaah! Spooky, Scary Stories & Songs, released on Prairie Dog Records. The singer beat out some pretty heavy competition to win the big prize, including Ed Asner’s Scat and Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales.

Kenny Rogers Announces Guest-Filled TV Special

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Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center was the setting yesterday (2/4) for a press conference announcing Kenny Rogers: The First 50 Years. The artist himself was on hand to unveil details of the upcoming TV special, which will celebrate the singer’s hit-filled career with a star-studded list of musical guests. Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Alison Krauss, Wynonna and The Oak Ridge Boys are some of the big names already slated to appear on the show. The array of artists will be part of the performance, and a few will host different segments of the show traveling through Rogers’ six decades of hits.

The distributed press release promises “a rollicking celebration, filled with music and comedy from some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world performing, appearing and sharing stories about Kenny Rogers and his music.”

Kenny Rogers: The First 50 Years will tape on April 10 in Connecticut at the MGM Grand At Foxwoods and will be produced by Dreamcatcher Artist Management and Locomotive Entertainment Group. Filmed in hi-definition, digital 3D, the special will find the viewer “visually surrounded and fully immersed” in the concert. Mark Lucas, who recently directed 3D concert films for Dave Matthews and Kings of Leon, will direct. Producer Monty Powell, SESAC’s 2009 Songwriter of the Year, will serve as Musical Director.

Starting Februrary 11, tickets may be purchased here, throught Ticketmaster or by calling the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Box Office at 1-866-646-0609.

“When this was first proposed to me as a 50-year celebration, something about that sounded final, and I didn’t want that, so I suggested we call it ‘The First 50 Years,’” Rogers said.  “I will tell you this, the first 50 years TV show is gonna be awesome – the next 50 years TV show is gonna be a bitch.”

Details on the network airing the special, more guest stars and other surprises will be announced shortly.

J.D. Haas Offers ACM Trip Packages

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J.D. Haas Entertainment has joined forces with the Academy of Country Music for the ninth consecutive year to produce the Official Trip Package to the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards to be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, April 18 at 7:00 CT on CBS.

The package is a deluxe 4-day, 3-night hotel stay at MGM Grand with tickets to the Awards Show, Post-Awards All-Star Jam and the All-Star concert special honoring Brooks & Dunn. The package also includes the Academy of Country Music concert on Fremont Street, airport and Fremont Street Shuttles, and a comprehensive trip winner’s kit. For more information click here or call (615) 244-9445.

Tish Stewart Joins Belmont Industry Relations

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Tish Stewart

Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business has announced that Tish Stewart has joined the school’s industry relations team as Career Development Specialist. Stewart began her career at Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management in the Career Services office. For the last four years, she has been an Executive Recruiter for The Search Firm, Inc, an outside placement firm serving companies all over Nashville and Middle Tennessee.

“We are excited that Tish has joined our team,” says Curb College Strategic Programs Director Sarah Cates. “As Career Development Specialist, she provides guidance to students and alumni and customer service to potential employers, allowing the Curb College to serve as a top-notch recruiting source for entertainment based jobs.”

In addition to Stewart’s appointment, Jamie Stamey has been promoted to Internship Coordinator for the Curb College. Stamey handles company internship opportunity postings and coordination of the college’s annual internship fair.

Americana Goes Live at Bluebird

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The Americana Music Association has announced plans for their second annual “Live at The Bluebird Cafe” concert series celebrating some of the genre’s best-loved and most influential performers. The six-show series, sponsored by the Gibson Foundation, will take place every Thursday from February 18 through March 25 and will feature artists who help define Americana music.

Americana Music Association Board member Raul Malo will kick the series off on February 18 at 9 PM.  On March 4, in an evening billed as “White Trash In Your Living Room,” fellow Board member Rodney Crowell will appear with Mary Gauthier, Minton Sparks and Elizabeth Cook.  Later in the month 2004 Americana Instrumentalist of the Year Will Kimbrough will be on hand at the intimate venue.

“It’s terrific to be back at the Bluebird for a second year” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the not-for-profit organization. “This series is an extension of our annual festival and conference in that it offers yet another opportunity for music lovers to experience Americana at its finest.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the Americana Music Association again to host some of the genre’s legendary artists and performers,” said Bluebird General Manager Erika Wollam Nichols,  “The intimacy of the Bluebird allows the audience to connect to the music in a traditional fashion, just as if the performers were playing on your front porch – up close and personal!”

Showtime for all performances will be 9pm.  Doors will open each night at 8:30pm. Seating for all shows will be general admission.  A full schedule of artists performing will be announced shortly.
Series passes are priced $125 for all six shows and available through February 10 at 3 PM CST from the Americana Music Association by calling 615-386-6936. Individual shows are priced $25 per show. More information is available here.