Dierks Bentley has announced over 30 new dates for his “Gravel & Gold Tour,” kicking off this summer.
Chase Rice and Lee Brice will join the dates as direct support along with a diverse lineup of special guests including Graham Barham, Tyler Braden, Kaitlin Butts, Mae Estes, Ella Langley, Randy Rogers Band, Zach Top, Tanner Usrey, Bella White and more.
Bentley will visit Toledo, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Charleston, Colorado Springs and more on the trek, with a Nashville date at Bridgestone Arena set for Sept. 7. Tickets go on sale this Friday (Feb. 16). For more information, click here.
“The ‘Gravel & Gold Tour’ has been the best of my career, and I’m not ready to leave it behind,” explains Bentley. “We are so locked in with this production that it allows me to be living right in the moment with the fans, and that’s the magic! I’m bringing along some old friends and some newer artists who are all putting their own unique spin on country, bluegrass and Americana music. I can’t wait to watch their shows and hopefully sing with them too. Those collaborations are a highlight of my summer every year.”
“Gravel & Gold Tour” 2024 Dates:
* Chase Rice + Check Local Listings
^ Lee Brice + Check Local Listings
+ On sale to be announced
> On sale March 1
< On sale March 8
‘ Not a Live Nation Date
6/07 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena *
6/08 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP *
6/13 – Toledo, OH – The Huntington Center *
6/14 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center *
6/15 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center ^
6/27 – Lafayette, LA – CAJUNDOME*<
6/28 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater*
7/18 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Broadview Stage at SPAC *
7/19 – Scranton, PA – The Pavilion at Montage Mountain *
7/20 – Buffalo, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater +
8/04 – Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater
8/08 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion *’
8/09 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center *
8/10 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena *
8/15 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion *
8/16 – Syracuse, NY – Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview*
8/17 – Camden, NJ- Freedom Mortgage Pavilion *
8/22 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre STL*
8/23 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center *
8/24 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center *
8/29 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater *
8/30 – Colorado Springs, CO – Sunset Amphitheater *’
8/31 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre *\9/06 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre *
9/07 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena *
9/12 – Wilmington, NC – Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park ^
9/13 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium ^
9/14 – Simpsonville, SC – CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park^
9/19 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena * >
9/20 – Moline, IL – Vibrant Arena *
9/21 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater^
Ashley Gorley Notches Third Consecutive Week At No. 1 On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart
/by Madison HahnenAshley Gorley. Photo: Katie Kauss
For the third consecutive week, Ashley Gorley has claimed the No. 1 spot in MusicRow’s Top Songwriter Chart. His co-penned songs “All I Need Is You,” “Last Night,” “Thinkin’ Bout Me,” “This Town’s Been Too Good To Us,” “Truck Bed,” “World On Fire” and “Young Love & Saturday Nights” continue to push Gorley to the top.
“Hey Driver,” “I Remember Everything” and “Sarah’s Place” help Zach Bryan remain in the No. 2 spot. Randy Montana continues to hold on to the No. 3 spot with “Different ‘Round Here,” “This Is My Dirt” and “Where The Wild Things Are.”
Chayce Beckham (No. 4) and Chris Stapleton (No. 5) round out the top five this week.
The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.
Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.
Are You InCharge? Applications For MusicRow’s 2024 InCharge Print Directory Now Open
/by LB CantrellMusicRow is currently accepting applications for its annual InCharge print issue, the published directory of Nashville’s music industry decision makers. Now in its 37th year, InCharge is slated for an April release.
Applications for InCharge 2024 have closed. All applications will be reviewed by a selection committee to determine the candidates chosen for this year’s issue.
Note: Executives listed last year will be receiving an email from MusicRow to invite them to apply for this year’s consideration.
For advertising opportunities, please contact Sherod Robertson at srobertson@musicrow.com.
For questions regarding the directory, please contact LB Cantrell at lbcantrell@musicrow.com.
Chris Stapleton, The War And Treaty & More To Celebrate Mavis Staples In April
/by Lorie HollabaughA lineup of talent is set to celebrate music star Mavis Staples with performances during “Mavis Staples 85th: All-Star Birthday Concert.” Presented by Blackbird Presents and Live Nation, the tribute is set for April 18 at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles.
Those performing include Chris Stapleton, The War And Treaty, Black Pumas, Grace Potter, Hozier, Jackson Browne, Jeff Tweedy, Michael McDonald, Nathaniel Rateliff, Norah Jones, Robert Randolph, Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’ and more.
Staples is both a Blues and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer as well as a civil rights icon and three-time Grammy winner. The Kennedy Center honoree has also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and National Arts Lifetime Achievement Award. Considered a soul, gospel and R&B pioneer, Staples was No. 46 on Rolling Stone’s 200 Greatest Singers of All Time list. She marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., performed at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration and for former U.S. President Barack Obama.
Over the past few decades, Staples collaborated with Prince, Bob Dylan, Arcade Fire and Bon Iver, among others.
“At the end of last year, I was talking about retiring,” she says. “But after sitting with it for a while, I stopped myself and thought, ‘Well, what would I do?’ I asked the Lord, ‘Why am I still here? What do you want of me? Have you kept me around for a reason?’ And the only reason I could see is to sing my songs. That’s why I’m still here, and I’m looking forward to this show with my friends singing my songs too!”
“Producing this show is the honor of my life, as we all come together to celebrate a woman whom has given so much to so many over the years through her actions, her music and her magic,” says Keith Wortman, Blackbird Presents CEO & Chief Creative Officer.
Tickets for the celebration will be available this Friday (Feb. 16). For more information, click here.
Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson & Cowboy Troy Revive MuzikMafia For 20th Anniversary Tour
/by Lorie HollabaughBig & Rich and Gretchen Wilson are reviving the iconic MuzikMafia for a 20th-anniversary celebration tour set to kick off Feb. 23 at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.
A musical movement founded in the early 2000s, MuzikMafia became synonymous with breaking genre boundaries and fostering creativity. Big & Rich, Wilson and Cowboy Troy, key figures in the original MuzikMafia lineup, are set to bring back the magic that made the movement a force to be reckoned with. The legendary MuzikMafia jam sessions launched numerous careers and often had stars like Kid Rock, Martina McBride, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Bon Jovi, Faith Hill and others drop by to jam on any given night.
The tour is expected to showcase a mix of classic hits from their massive debut albums Here For The Party and Horse Of A Different Color that defined the artists’ careers, as well as new collaborations that demonstrate their enduring creativity.
“Reuniting for the ’20th Anniversary Celebration Tour’ feels like coming home,” says Big & Rich. “The energy and camaraderie that defined the movement are as alive as ever, and we can’t wait to share that with our fans.”
Wilson adds, “I’m not sure if it’s the smile on Kenny’s face, the fire in John’s eyes, or the red of my neck…but something tells me this year’s 20th anniversary is gonna be epic!”
MuzikMafia “20th Anniversary Celebration Tour” Dates:
2/23 – San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, San Antonio, TX
3/9 – Ostrich Festival, Chandler, AZ
4/6 – Rock the Country, Gonzales, LA
5/10 – Rock the Country, Rome, GA
6/2 – Worldwide Technology Raceway, Madison, IL
6/8 – Bradley 315 Fest, Bourbonnais, IL
6/21 – Rock the Country, Mobile, AL
7/6 – Pearl River Resort, Choctaw, MS
7/12 – Country Concert, Fort Loramie, OH
7/13 – Beaver Dam Amphitheater, Beaver Dam, KY
7/19 – Rock the South, Cullman, AL
7/27 – Rock the Country, Anderson, SC
8/16 – Turning Stone Resort Casino – Event Center, Verona, NY
8/17 – Foxwoods Resort Casino – Premier Theater, Mashantucket, CT
Nate Smith Considers Triumph After Tragedy On Upcoming EP ‘Through The Smoke’
/by Lorie HollabaughNate Smith has revealed his new EP, Through The Smoke, will arrive April 5. He dropped the debut single from the upcoming project, “Bulletproof,” on Friday (Feb. 9).
“I’ve been through a lot of adversity in my life, but ‘through the smoke’ came to mind one day and I thought that was the perfect way to describe making it through tragedy,” says Smith. “It captures what it looks like on the other side of heartbreak, on the other side of tragedy, on the other side of giving everything you’ve got to go after what you want to do in life. I think this EP is a transition between all the fire and pain and everything I went through, and then overcoming. And that’s what I want people to feel. It’s layered in there.”
Smith’s smash hit “World On Fire” has scored eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, which ties Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night,” Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett’s “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” and Lonestar’s “Amazed” for the second-longest No. 1 reign since the chart’s inception in 1990. The song also topped the Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart for three weeks. With over 170 million global streams to date, “World On Fire” follows Smith’s Platinum, multi-week No. 1 debut single “Whiskey On You.” Only 19 songs went No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart last year, two of which belong to Smith.
Additionally, he kicked off his headlining “World On Fire Tour” last month, and will join Wallen for his “One Night At A Time 2024 Tour” this spring and summer.
BBR Music Group To Throw It Back Again For CRS 2024
/by Lorie HollabaughBBR Music Group is throwing it back again this year for Country Radio Seminar (CRS) with its Decades Party, set to take place Feb. 29 at the Omni Nashville Hotel in the Broadway Ballroom.
The event will feature Parmalee, Chayce Beckham, HunterGirl and more performing hits from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and beyond, and will include a few surprises as well. Hosted by Blair Garner, the evening aims to be a true celebration of the music that defines a generation.
“Last year’s Decades Party was like totally rad! Grab your leg warmers and hairspray and come dance the night away with your BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville family,” says JoJamie Hahr, EVP, Recorded Music, BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville.
The party will immediately follow Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley, and is open to all CRS registered attendees. Beginning on Feb. 27, on-site registration for CRS will be available at the Omni Hotel Nashville. For more information, click here.
Messina Touring Group Promotes Three To VP
/by LB CantrellLauren Caire, Keena Cheatham, LeeAnn Rotondo
Messina Touring Group, the promoter for touring giants such as Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton, Ed Sheeran, Eric Church, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Shawn Mendes and The Lumineers, has promoted three team members to VP roles.
Lauren Caire has been elevated from Director of Finance to VP of Finance, Keena Cheatham has risen from Promoter Rep to VP of Touring and LeeAnn Rotondo has been promoted from Director of Ticketing to VP of Ticketing.
“It thrills me to see our MTG team grow—these individuals are just another example of the incredible MTG team,” shares CEO Louis Messina. “Watching them grow and achieve makes me so happy; the success of our team is my biggest accomplishment.”
Caire joined MTG in 2015 as a Senior Accountant. She has since managed finances for the company and all of its tours, including a marquee year in 2023 anchored by Swift’s headline-dominating “Eras Tour,” Sheeran’s record-breaking “Mathematics World Tour,” Strait’s stadium run and more. The Nashville native also managed the design and opening of MTG’s first office outside of its Austin home base in 2019, expanding the promoter’s presence into Music City. She is currently overseeing MTG Nashville’s upcoming move to Nashville Yards.
Cheatham joined MTG in 2013 as a Promoter Rep on Swift’s “Red Tour,” and has had a role in over half of the MTG roster in both the pop and country music sectors. The MusicRow N.B.T. Class of 2024 member leads the charge for some of the promoter’s biggest clients, including serving as the point person for Sheeran since 2014 and playing an instrumental part in Church’s “The Gather Again Tour,” which reported over 860,000 in ticket sales, grossed over $100 million and took home the award for Top Country Tour at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards.
Rotondo joined MTG in 2015 as a Ticket Manager, primarily to assist with ticketing for Swift’s “1989 Tour.” Now she spearheads all ticketing for Swift’s tours, as well as many other MTG clients including Church, Chesney and Shelton. Under her direction, ticketing at MTG has evolved from an isolated process led by each touring team into an innovative model with a centralized department that leads all tours at the forefront of the quickly-evolving ticketing industry.
Congratulate Caire via lauren@messinatouring.com, Cheatham via keena@messinatouring.com and Rotondo via leeann@messinatouring.com.
Dierks Bentley To Return To The Road On ‘Gravel & Gold Tour’
/by Lorie HollabaughDierks Bentley has announced over 30 new dates for his “Gravel & Gold Tour,” kicking off this summer.
Chase Rice and Lee Brice will join the dates as direct support along with a diverse lineup of special guests including Graham Barham, Tyler Braden, Kaitlin Butts, Mae Estes, Ella Langley, Randy Rogers Band, Zach Top, Tanner Usrey, Bella White and more.
Bentley will visit Toledo, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Charleston, Colorado Springs and more on the trek, with a Nashville date at Bridgestone Arena set for Sept. 7. Tickets go on sale this Friday (Feb. 16). For more information, click here.
“The ‘Gravel & Gold Tour’ has been the best of my career, and I’m not ready to leave it behind,” explains Bentley. “We are so locked in with this production that it allows me to be living right in the moment with the fans, and that’s the magic! I’m bringing along some old friends and some newer artists who are all putting their own unique spin on country, bluegrass and Americana music. I can’t wait to watch their shows and hopefully sing with them too. Those collaborations are a highlight of my summer every year.”
“Gravel & Gold Tour” 2024 Dates:
* Chase Rice + Check Local Listings
^ Lee Brice + Check Local Listings
+ On sale to be announced
> On sale March 1
< On sale March 8
‘ Not a Live Nation Date
6/07 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena *
6/08 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP *
6/13 – Toledo, OH – The Huntington Center *
6/14 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center *
6/15 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center ^
6/27 – Lafayette, LA – CAJUNDOME*<
6/28 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater*
7/18 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Broadview Stage at SPAC *
7/19 – Scranton, PA – The Pavilion at Montage Mountain *
7/20 – Buffalo, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater +
8/04 – Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater
8/08 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion *’
8/09 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center *
8/10 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena *
8/15 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion *
8/16 – Syracuse, NY – Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview*
8/17 – Camden, NJ- Freedom Mortgage Pavilion *
8/22 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre STL*
8/23 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center *
8/24 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center *
8/29 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater *
8/30 – Colorado Springs, CO – Sunset Amphitheater *’
8/31 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre *\9/06 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre *
9/07 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena *
9/12 – Wilmington, NC – Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park ^
9/13 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium ^
9/14 – Simpsonville, SC – CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park^
9/19 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena * >
9/20 – Moline, IL – Vibrant Arena *
9/21 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater^
Cody Johnson & Hardy To Headline Country Thunder Bristol Festival In June
/by Lorie HollabaughCody Johnson and Hardy are set to headline this year’s Country Thunder Bristol Festival this summer, taking place June 28-29 in Bristol, Tennessee.
The fourth installment of the festival will also include performances by Bailey Zimmerman, Trace Adkins, Lonestar, Priscilla Block, Shenandoah, Travis Denning, Jake Worthington, Josh Ross and Emily Ann Roberts, with additional artists to be announced.
“The diversity of this year’s lineup guarantees something for every country music fan,” says Country Thunder Music Festivals CEO, Troy Vollhoffer. “Whether you’re a fan of traditional country, contemporary sounds, or anything in between, it will be a weekend that Eastern Tennessee will never forget.”
Two-day General Admission, Gold Circle, Platinum Experience, Camping and all the extras are on sale now at countrythunder.com or by phone at 1-866-388-0007.
Grand Ole Opry House To Celebrate 50th Anniversary In March
/by Madison HahnenHome of the famous Grand Ole Opry, the Grand Ole Opry House will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a star-studded lineup on March 16.
The lineup includes Opry members Bill Anderson, Jeannie Seely and Connie Smith, who all performed at the house’s grand opening in 1974. Additional members scheduled to perform consist of Mandy Barnett, Clint Black, The Gatlin Brothers, Del McCoury, Gary Mule Deer, Don Schlitz, Riders In The Sky and Mark Wills.
The anniversary show falls exactly 50 years to the day since the venue opened with a historic show, which featured performances by Roy Acuff, Osborne Brothers, Minnie Pearl and more, with President and Mrs. Richard Nixon in attendance. The Grand Ole Opry House is the current ACM Theater of the Year, and is nominated for Venue of the Year at this year’s CMA Touring Awards. Additionally, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.
Tickets are available now. For more information, click here.