Live Nation, Ticketmaster Announce Deal

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Live Nation plans to buy Ticketmaster Entertainment for $2.5 billion in an all-stock merger of equals, the companies announced today (2/10) following much speculation. Pending regulatory approval, the combined entity will be called Live Nation Entertainment. It will be headed by Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino as CEO, Ticketmaster Entertainment CEO Irving Azoff as executive chairman, and Ticketmaster chairman Barry Diller as non-executive chairman.

Under terms of the agreement, Ticketmaster shareholders will receive 1.384 shares of Live Nation common stock for each share of Ticketmaster they own. Live Nation and Ticketmaster shareholders would each own about 50 percent of the new company.

By combining ticketing, marketing, data centers and back-office functions, it is expected the combined entity would save $40 million a year. Executives also hope to improve access and transparency, ticket pricing options, invest in better ticketing technology, and increase event attendance.

“This combination will drive measurable benefits to consumers and accelerate the execution of our strategy to build a better artist-to-fan direct distribution platform,” Rapino said in a statement. “As every industry observer knows, too many tickets go unsold and too many fans are frustrated with their ticket-buying experiences. The current inefficiencies in the system result in higher costs and confusion over access to seats. Together, we will work to simplify the ticketing process and ultimately increase attendance at live events. This is also a logical step in the evolution of our business model, creating a more diversified company with a stronger financial profile that will drive improved shareholder value over the long term.”

The companies will continue to operate independently until the transaction is completed and will work together to determine the location of the combined company’s headquarters.

Grammy “Sounding” Board

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Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood

Is it live or is it Memorex?

Remember that old commercial for magnetic tape? Remember magnetic tape? Anyhow, the gist of it was guessing whether what you heard was pre-recorded or not. And that was the game I played all night long during the Grammy telecast.

Not surprisingly, Music City’s finest fared best. Those were unquestionably live vocals by Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus during their performance of Taylor’s song “Fifteen.” That’s especially cool because Taylor can sometimes be a little “pitchy.” Carrie Underwood’s powerhouse delivery of “Last Name” was also emphatically live. You could question whether it was “country” or not, but there was no denying her performance.

Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift

Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift

The evening’s winningest champs Alison Krauss and Robert Plant were predictably jaw-dropping. I love the way their disparate voices create that harmonic overtone.

Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland’s “Stay” was also a terrific live vocal. Keith Urban’s guitar work during the Bo Diddley tribute and the great Justin Timberlake and Al Green collaboration on “Let’s Stay Together” was also on the money. Kenny Chesney’s performance of “Better as a Memory” was swathed in smoke, so it was a little difficult to tell whether or not it was live. But it was unquestionably lovely.

Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney

The deal is, they record the rehearsals. So when show time arrives, the audio guys have the choice to give us either the pre-recorded or the live performance. So Katy Perry can run all over the stage in her fruits-and-veggies outfit and not sound at all out of breath. Piped in? You bet. The Jamie Foxx, Ne-Yo and Smokey Robinson medley of tunes by The Four Tops also sounded totally pre-taped, as did T.I. with Justin Timberlake.

Coldplay, Radiohead and U2 were all toss-ups. Who can tell? Especially with the USC marching band tossed into the mix. The Rap Pack? Who cares? Although the extremely pregnant M.I.A.’s polka-dotted onesy was certainly eye-catching.

The live pop performances included Paul McCartney’s. It might have been garage-y, but maybe that’s the way “I Saw Her Standing There” should sound. Stevie Wonder and The Jonas Brothers were remarkably well mixed and very exciting.

Jennifer Nettles returned to the stage to sing with Best New Artist winner Adele. The result was soulful and heartfelt. Neil Diamond was low-key but effective. Of all people, Kid Rock sounded good. His energy level was winning as well. Naturally Jennifer Hudson killed. But she should have left her lobster bib at the restaurant.

Kanye West and an evidently Reynolds-Wrapped Estelle sounded like live vocals to tracks. The multi-artist New Orleans tribute was kind of a train wreck and was definitely blah. Whitney Houston sounded rather incoherent, but was gowned beautifully. I don’t think she’ll ever live down that reality series Being Bobby Brown. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Gwyneth Paltrow were both nice diversions. Don’t even bother trying to hear anything from Lifetime Achievement honoree Brenda Lee. She didn’t even get to stand and wave, never mind sing or speak.

Overall, however, I have to give the telecast a sonic “A.” It is a gargantuan task to make a wide variety of genres sound good and an even bigger one to do it on an international live telecast. I hope all the engineers involved celebrated afterward.

Photos courtesy Grammy.com, by John Shearer/WireImage

Paul Barnabee Takes on Expanded Role at Sony

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Paul Barnabee will assume the title of Senior Vice President, Sales & Operations for Sony Music Nashville, expanding his responsibilities to include oversight of the label group’s Digital Business department in addition to his current role overseeing the Sales and Finance departments, as well as the operational functions of the label group. Formerly Senior Vice President, Finance & Operations, Barnabee reports directly to Sony Nashville Chairman Joe Galante.

A native of East Islip, NY, Barnabee first came to the RCA Label Group (now Sony Music Nashville) in 1995, advancing to Vice President of Finance before being named Senior Vice President, Finance & Operations, in 2003. He has actively served on the Board of Directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Middle Tennessee for the past four years and is the proud father of sons, John and Spencer.

Digital Summit Reveals Speakers

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The Leadership Music Digital Summit will host top-notch speakers including Ted Cohen, TAG Strategic; Dorrian Porter, Mozes; Greg Scholl, The Orchard; Jim Lucchese, The Echo Nest; Ali Partovi, iLike; Jim Cicconi, AT&T; and Dave Ulmer, Motorola. These and other yet-to-be announced experts will discuss how cutting edge technology relates to mobile communication, ISPs, social networking, intellectual property, money and more.

To be held at Belmont University’s Curb Event Center, sessions include Reforming the Digital Copyright System; Supply and Accessibility of Capital for Music Industry Innovation; and Creating, Cultivating and Monetizing the Artist-Fan Relationship. 

This year’s expanded two-day event runs Mon., March 23-Wed., March 25, with added networking opportunities and more live music. All registration fees are currently at or below 2008 prices, starting as low as $129. More than 600 attendees are expected.

Country Stars Dance, Design, and Drop Ticket Prices

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Chuck Wicks and Jewel are joining the cast of celebrity competitors on the popular ABC series, Dancing with the Stars. For the show’s eighth season Wicks will dance with fellow country artist, and two-time Dancing champion Julianne Hough, who also happens to be his girlfriend. Jewel and her husband, rodeo star Ty Murray, will be paired with professional dancers and compete against each other. The season premiere is Mon., March 9 at 7 PM/CT.

Keith Urban and the promoters behind his Escape Together World Tour have responded to the downward economy by offering $20 tickets with no additional fees. A select number of these cheap seats will be made available for all dates on the tour which opens in May. Urban’s sixth studio album, Defying Gravity, will be released March 31.

Toby Keith will debut his new clothing line, TK Steelman, with a Feb. 18 launch party at his I Love This Bar & Grill in Harrah’s Las Vegas. Developed with Royal Merchandising Group, which produces merchandise for his restaurants, the initial line is designed for the male 25-54 demographic with Keith-approved T-shirts, polos, jeans, cowboy hats, bandanas, belts, and more. The launch date coincides with the MAGIC Marketplace fashion trade convention going on Feb. 17-19 in Las Vegas.

Lance Miller

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“George Jones & Jesus”

Big 7 Records

“When I die and they carry me to the final frontier, I want them to play Lance Miller’s ‘George Jones & Jesus.’”
—Ken Batista, KPIX-CBS/San Francisco

Lance Miller’s new single “George Jones & Jesus” is being released to country radio. The song recently debuted at No. 61 on Music Row’s CountryBreakout™ chart in its first week of being reported.

Gleaning the best from the past (his father Melvin Miller and outlaws like Haggard and Waylon) and the present (George Strait, Alan Jackson and Tim McGraw), Lance Miller has forged a unique sound for himself. Unapologetic about the breadth of his influences, Lance is the guy who not only knows all the words to B-side country classics but also has Tom Petty and Def Leppard on his iPod.

Growing up in Southern Illinois, Lance looked up to his father, a pretty solid country singer himself. When he was younger, Lance didn’t even realize those Haggard tunes weren’t his daddy’s. “We thought Dad wrote those songs, they were so much a part of our lives,” he says. His father’s influence has carried with him to Nashville, through a season of Nashville Star, and still informs his work.

“George Jones & Jesus” can be found on Miller’s debut album, Old Back in the New School, which is available on iTunes. Programmers can download the song from Play MPE.

www.lancemiler.com

Tickets Walk, Tours Talk, Covers Contest

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If there is weak economy, apparently Taylor Swift fans don’t know or care. This morning (2/6) the young superstar’s supporters bought up every ticket to her Staples Center appearance in a record-breaking two minutes. The May 22nd LA show is part of Swift’s Fearless 2009 tour which officially kicks off April 23 in Evansville, IN. The 19-year old singer/songwriter will also get a chance to try out the Staples Center venue this Sunday (2/8) when she performs live on the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. Swift is planning to sing— for the first time on TV—her song “Fifteen” in a special duet version with Miley Cyrus. The Fearless tour is set to visit 50 cities in 38 states and provinces in the U.S. and Canada. Joining Swift will be Kellie Pickler and Gloriana. The tour is produced and promoted by The Messina Group (TMG) a partner of AEG Live. http://www.taylorswift.com

Tickets for Keith Urban’s Escape Together World Tour, go on sale beginning 2/13 and expectations are high that this will also be one of the Summer’s biggest concert events. The dates start in Uncasville, CT on May 7 and run through the end of August. Urban’s current single “Sweet Thing” is his 18th Top 5 single and his 6th studio album Defying Gravity, is set for a March 31 release. In addition, Urban will perform at the Daytona 500, Feb. 15 on Fox TV. http://www.keithurban.net

Rascal Flatts fans were given the chance to submit original designs for the cover of the band’s Unstoppable album due out April 7, 2009. The winning design will be revealed on Feb. 12 during a Flatts concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The cover contest was conceived and executed in a partnership with People’s Choice whose stated mission is “to empower music movie and television enthusiasts with a voice in the entertainment industry.” Four final designs have been chosen and fans can vote their favorite http://www.pcavote.com

NSAI Spring Training

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NSAI’s Spring Training, formally known as their Spring Symposium, will be held April 3-4 at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville during Tin Pan South week. The event is the organization’s biggest and longest running event, and features two days of informative panels, intensive educational seminars, special guest performances, and the chance to play a song for a music publisher. The event will include a special opening interview & performance from Hall of Fame songwriter/artist Ray Stevens, the feature segment If You’ve Got a Dream, I’ve Got a Plan with hit songwriter Kelley Lovelace, and a Pro Songwriting Panel featuring 2008 Hall of Fame nominee Kye Fleming, Clay Mills and surprise guests. Jeffrey Steele will be the closing guest and will perform a few songs for attendees. Register by Feb. 27 to receive a $75 discount. http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com

(Clockwise from top left) Ray Stevens, Kelley Lovelace, Jeffrey Steele, Clay Mills, Kye Fleming

(Clockwise from top left) Ray Stevens, Kelley Lovelace, Jeffrey Steele, Clay Mills, Kye Fleming

Truckers Rolling To Willie’s World

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It’s always heartwarming to witness a dream come true. Especially when the dreamer is the legendary Willie Nelson. Nelson’s alternative fuel truck stop, Willie’s World in Carl’s Corner, Texas, has finally grown from vision to reality. Nelson will celebrate the occasion during the fifth annual Willie World Grand Opening event, Feb. 24-25. Also performing will be Ray Benson and Asleep At The Wheel.

Willie’s World features bio-Willie fuels that are refined on site giving truckers the opportunity to benefit farmers and help the environment. There are also two restaurants—smoking and non-smoking—which contain amenities such as a poker room, large screen TVs and more. SIRIUS/XM radio broadcasts its “Willie’s Place” channel live 24/7 from the enclave. http://www.biowillieusa.com/

Disclaimer—Today, I’m waving the flag.

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Billy Dean

Billy Dean

It’s awfully hard to argue with the power of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and the voices of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Especially when they’re backing Billy Dean on a patriotic anthem. Maybe there’s inspiration and hope in the air or something. Whatever the cause, I fell for “Wave On, Old Glory.” It’s the Disc of the Day.

Wouldn’t you have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Mel Tillis Jr., Tammy Rogers of The SteelDrivers and Dierks Bentley sat down to write together? Especially when they came up with something as cool as “Behind These Walls.” It earns Kentucky native Clay Underwood a DisCovery Award.

Clay Underwood

Clay Underwood

DEREK SHOLL/But It Was
Writer: Joe Doyle/Tim Johnson; Producer: Tim Johnson; Publisher: Big Hits of Amylase/Songs of Spud/Warner Tamerlane/Warner Chappell/$1 Songs America/The Bigger They Are, SESAC; CO5 Nashville (615-469-1756)
—Pleasant and engaging, thanks largely to the well-crafted lyric. His voice is somewhat colorless.

RASCAL FLATTS/Here Comes Goodbye
Writer: Clint Lagerberg/Chris Sligh; Producer: Dann Huff & Rascal Flatts; Publisher: Big Loud Songs/Big Songs of Extreme/Big Loud Bucks/Bridge Building, ASCAP/BMI; Lyric Street
—Dramatic and highly melodic. Gary’s ultra-high tenor vocal performance is stunning.

RIVER COUNTY/We’re All Here
Writer: Curt Ryle/Jon Stone; Producer: Terry Wendt; Publisher: none listed; SYC (www.rivercountymusic.com)
—Raucous and redneck, this good time sounds like it was recorded “live.” In any case, there’s not a heckuva lot of separation—everything’s bleeding into everything else.

JOHN RICH/Shuttin’ Detroit Down
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Warner Bros. (www.johnrich.com)
—John decries wealthy executives being bailed out by Washington while the “little man” continues to suffer. “While they’re living it up on Wall Street…in the real world they’re shuttin’ Detroit down.” It’s got a good beat, and you can dance to it.

CLAY UNDERWOOD/Behind These Walls
Writer: Dierks Bentley/Tammy Rogers/Lonnie Melvin Tillis Jr.; Producer: Jimmy & Jennifer Layne & Clay Underwood; Publisher: Songs of Universal/Tunes of the Village, BMI; PCL (CDX) (www.clayunderwoodmusic.com)
—On a beautiful day, he’s shut himself in, aching and miserable. Loneliness has seldom sounded better. The production churns and burns around a passionate vocal performance of a powerful melody. Get a load of those songwriter credits.

BILLY DEAN, THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY & THE FISK JUBILEE SINGERS/Wave On, Old Glory, Wave On
Writer: Wood Newton/Jim Weatherly; Producer: Larry Beaird, Brian White; Publisher: Rope a Note/Bright Leaf, BMI/ASCAP; Hutton (CDX)
—Billy starts with simple piano accompaniment. As the sturdy song proceeds, strings begin to shimmer and soar. The finale has the whole shebang, brass, woodwinds, percussion and glorious chorus voices. Stirring, patriotic and completely thrilling. An anthem for a new era.

ALEX WOODARD & SARA WATKINS/Reno
Writer: Alex Woodard; Producer: Alex Woodard; Publisher: Woodshack, ASCAP; Woodshack (CDX) (www.alexwoodard.com)
—Watkins is the talented fiddler-singer of Nickel Creek fame. Woodard sings with a nasal rasp, so I was skeptical about whether their voices would blend well. Surprisingly, they do. And the song’s kinda cool, too.

RANDY HOUSER/Boots On
Writer: Randy Houser/Brandon Kinney; Producer: Mark Wright & Cliff Audretch III; Publisher: Songs of Windswept Pacific/How Bout That Skyline/Kinney Empire/ICG, BMI; Universal South (track)
—The “Anything Goes” man is back, this time with a slab of rockin’ country. I can almost hear them stompin’ on that dance floor now.

BLAKE SHELTON/I’ll Just Hold On
Writer: Ben Hayslip/Troy Olsen/Bryan Simpson; Producer: Scott Hendricks; Publisher: WB/Melissa’s Money/Get a Load of This/Encore Entertainment/Mr. Noise/Hillbilly Poetry/Rio Nuevo, ASCAP/BMI; Warner Bros. (track)
—He’s head over heels infatuated in this swirly, mid-tempo, groove-saturated production. As usual, Blake totally nails the vocal.

TONY “HOBO” PARKS/Take It All
Writer: Edward D. Sanford; Producer: Steve Iceberg; Publisher: Tony Hobo Parks, BMI; Plantation (CDX)
—The echo chamber only amplifies his pitch problems.