Tag Archive for: featured-2

Vegas Bets on McGraw and Hill

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When Vegas bets on you, odds are in your favor to win big. Faith Hill and Tim McGraw like those odds, just like any sane superstar artists with some business savvy should.

Billed as “The biggest musical event in Venetian history,” McGraw and Hill’s famed Soul2Soul show will begin its limited engagement run at the Venetian Theatre on Dec 7 and go 10 weekends through April 2013.

“It’s thrilling for us to be a part of this extraordinary experience,” commented Hill at a town hall style press conference in the 1815-seat theater where the production will be staged. “We are creating a show that is going to be remarkable for our fans… and for us as well.” The theater and the hotel are currently undergoing renovations to accommodate the state of the art show.

Flanked by writer David Wild and Venetian COO and President John Caparella, the country couple answered questions from the national music media about the show, their marriage and Vegas. Caparella, by the way, is a former Gaylord Entertainment executive.

One stipulation for the couple’s participation was that The Venetian allow them to work around their daughters’ school schedules. They have no plans to relocate to Las Vegas full-time.

“We’re parachuting in and out too,” quipped Hill.

Ticket prices start at $95.50 and are already on sale to Venetian Grazie members, Clear Channel subscribers, and Tim and Faith fan club members. The general public gets to purchase them beginning at 10 am Monday, August 13.

But exactly what the show will entail remains unclear. McGraw noted it would feature “a lot of us together. We’re doing some things you can’t do with a different show in a different place every night.” Hill joked that she would be singing all of her hits, and McGraw would do about half of his.

McGraw made an even more intriguing comment by saying, “The chances of us not being onstage together, other than a song or two, are very slim.” The couple has collaborated on hits “Let’s Make Love,” “It’s Your Love,” “I Need You,” and “Like We Never Loved At All” but most of each artist’s hits have been solo endeavors.

“This is us together,” said McGraw. “That’s what this whole show is about.”

McGraw didn’t elaborate whether they would be helping one another on solo material or trying out new collaborative material. Though fans have long hoped for a Hill-McGraw duets album, it does not appear to be in the works for this set of performances. Hill has reportedly finished recording her long-awaited new studio album, and McGraw is in the process of recording his first collection as a Big Machine artist.

Soul2Soul will be the third country show to hit the Vegas strip, following Garth Brooks’ ongoing residency at the Wynn and Shania Twain’s upcoming residency at Caesars Palace. McGraw stressed their show was, “not trying to counterbalance anything Garth is doing.” The pair and Caparella left it open-ended as to whether they might consider extending the performances past April.

“We will certainly give fans what they want,” explained Hill, “but this gives us the opportunity to be creative together like we never have before.”

Which will, undoubtedly, be a necessity. At less than 2000 seats, the opulent Venetian Theatre is a much more intimate venue than the stadiums and arenas both artists are used to playing. It’s also likely a different audience than the rowdy stadium crowd, which will call for some adjustments in presentation.

The Venetian, by the way, was an incredibly gracious host. Media visitors from Nashville and beyond were wined and dined in true Vegas style, including an extravagant dinner at the hotel’s Tao Asian Bistro, and a delicious lunch reception following the press conference. The building also offers oodles of high-end shopping, modeled on the winding streets and canals of Venice. The well-appointed, comfortable guest suites made for a relaxing retreat away from the excitement of the gaming rooms downstairs. A complimentary tray of chocolates (including a chocolate gondola and a marbled chocolate column) was sent to the visitors’ rooms upon arrival, which this writer quickly devoured in its entirety.

After all, what happens in Vegas is supposed to stay there.

Pat Higdon To Relaunch Patrick Joseph Music

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Pat Higdon

Music publishing veteran Pat Higdon announced plans to re-launched his Patrick Joseph Music today (8/7).

Originally founded as a joint venture with Warner/Chappell Music in ’89, Higdon will join forces with New York, Los Angeles and London-based SONGS Music Publishing, founded in 2004.

The venture will dedicate itself to writer services, acquisition of new writers, and exploiting catalogs and songs from Matraca Berg, Tim Mensy, Troy Verges, Gary Harrison, Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Brett James.

“I’m excited about getting back to the creative end of the business which I enjoy the most,” said Higdon.

“Pat is widely recognized as one of Nashville’s most successful music publishers, and he has an incredible, illustrious history as an independent publisher and entrepreneur,” said SONGS Founder/CEO and NMPA Board Member, Matt Pincus. “It’s a pleasure and honor to be in business with Pat, re-launching the great Patrick Joseph Music as a destination for writers in Nashville.”

Founded in 2004, SONGS publishes and administers for Mighty Seven Songs (Crush Management) and Mom and Pop Music Publishing (Q Prime Management), JT Harding (co-writer “Somewhere with You” and “Alone With You”) and Sleigh Bells. SONGS maintains a writer roster including Diplo (Usher, No Doubt, Justin Bieber, MIA, Major Lazer), Brian Lee (Lady Gaga, Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen), Matt Thiessen (Relient K, Katy Perry, Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen), Q-Tip, and publishes titles including “Good Time” (Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen), “Climax” (Usher), and a portion of the Pharrell Williams catalog.

Higdon has spent time with Nashville’s Woodland Sound, Cedarwood Publishing, MCA Music, rising to become MCA’s Vice President of Nashville operations. He served as Senior Director of Creative Services at Warner/Chappell Music, with whom he founded Patrick Joseph Music as a joint venture. A similar relationship was established in 1992 with Los Angeles-based Windswept Pacific Entertainment before spending the past 12 years at UMPG.

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill Bring “Soul2Soul” to The Venetian

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Tim McGraw and Faith Hill perform at the Rod Laver Arena on March 20, 2012, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo: Martin Philbey)

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill announced today (8/7) at an exclusive press conference they will bring their Soul2Soul to The Venetian this winter.

Being billed as “the biggest musical event in the history of The Venetian,” the limited engagement opens on Dec. 7 and covers 10 weekends through April 2013. A ticket pre-sale will begin tomorrow and tickets for the general public will go on sale Monday, Aug. 13.

Soul2Soul at The Venetian will mark the first time in six years that McGraw and Hill have performed together in the United States. Soul2Soul will feature an all-new production with innovative lighting and set design technologies that were synonymous with the Soul2Soul concerts. The Venetian Theater will also be modified to accommodate this new production.

“We are creating a show that will be completely different from what we’ve done before – and might ever do again,” said Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. “In arenas and stadiums, you’re always faced with the challenge of finding ways to make people feel closer to the action, no matter where they might be sitting. Now everyone will be close, so it opens up all kinds of creative possibilities and we’re looking forward to exploring those so that we can really give our fans something truly special.”

“It’s not every day that Las Vegas welcomes such stellar star power to the Strip,” said John Caparella, president and chief operating officer of The Venetian, The Palazzo & Sands Expo. “Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are country music’s first couple and we are proud to have such extraordinary talent. When they hit our stage in December it will surely be the hottest ticket in town.” Caparella’s connection to Nashville include his prior stint as Chief Operating Officer of Gaylord Entertainment Company until he left the company in 2009.

Notable duets between the two include “Let’s Make Love,” “It’s Your Love,” and “I Need You.” Collectively, they’ve sold 70 million albums, won eight Grammy Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards, 14 American Music Awards, seven People’s Choice Awards and 26 Academy of Country Music Awards.

The couple’s first Soul2Soul Tour in 2000 visited 65 North American cities, grossed nearly $50 million and was witnessed by close to 950,000 people. Joining forces again in 2006 for the Soul2Soul II Tour, the superstar couple played 74 shows in 56 cities, selling 1.1 million tickets. The tour was rebranded the following year as Soul2Soul 2007 when the couple hosted opening acts including Taylor Swift, and grossed some additional $52 million. Combined, the 2006-07 tours grossed $141 million and supported almost 150 crew, 22 trucks, and 14 busses.

McGraw and Hill took to Australia this past March for a 6-show run before McGraw headed out on a summer headlining tour with Kenny Chesney, which has surpassed sales of 1-million tickets. Hill performed during CMA Fest in Nashville, which will be aired as part of ABC’s CMAMusic Festival: Country’s Night to Rock, September 17.

This residency joins Shania Twain’s upcoming stay at the Caesars Palace Coliseum and Garth Brooks’ current residency at the Wynn’s Encore Theatre.

Members of The Venetian’s loyalty program, Grazie, as well as Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s official fan communities and Clear Channel subscribers will be able to purchase advance tickets through the pre-sale starting tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 8 at 10 a.m. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, Aug. 13 at 10 a.m. Performances are scheduled for 8 and 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 7, 8; 14, 15; Jan. 18, 19, 25, 26, 2013; Feb. 1, 2, 15, 16, 22, 23, March 1,2; April 12, 13, 26 and 27.

Ticket prices are $95.50, $175.50 and $255.50 and $295.50 inclusive of tax. A limited number of VIP Packages – including preferred seating in the first two rows, a complimentary pre-fixe dinner at a select resort restaurant, two complimentary drinks at the show, a merchandise credit and more – will be available for $1,000, inclusive of tax. Performance dates and times are subject to change. Tickets are available for purchase at any Venetian | Palazzo Box Office, online at venetian.com or by phone at 702-414-9000.

For more information on Grazie and to become a member, please call Grazie Services at 702-414-1500 or click here.

Click here to watch the full press conference.

Marcus Hummon’s Pilgrimage—Part 1

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MusicRow is excited to share a three part essay series by renowned songwriter Marcus Hummon. Among his best known hits are Rascal Flatts’ “Bless the Broken Road,” Sara Evans’ “Born to Fly,” Tim McGraw’s “One of These Days,” and Dixie Chicks’ “Ready to Run” and “Cowboy Take Me Away.” Hummon and co-writers Bobby Boyd and Jeff Hanna won a 2005 Grammy for Best Country Song for “Bless The Broken Road.”

by Marcus Hummon

A letter to a young songwriter Marcus Hummon:

The first cut I ever had in Nashville was Michael Martin Murphy’s “Pilgrims On The Way” in 1988. It was a rolling travelogue of the places and faces I had seen as I made my way to the Mecca of songwriting, Nashville Tennessee. The lines in the chorus read:

You don’t know me/ But I know you/ 
We are pilgrims/ Pilgrims on the way

Fast forward 24 years and I find myself standing in front of a couple hundred or so students from the Berklee School of Music in Boston, asked to speak about the profession of songwriting. As I look into the eyes of these hopeful souls, I tell them that songwriting is not really a vocation in the contemporary sense, that it is more like a ‘calling’. It is a prism through which we refract Truth and Beauty. I am thinking this may sound a bit pretentious coming from a songwriter who has written such luminary lyrics as…

I’m ready, ready, ready, ready to run

Still, it is exactly how I have come to feel about this life I’ve chosen. I came to Nashville as any poor pilgrim might journey to a sacred site, with little to my name, committed to seeing and visiting the holy sites, venerating the saints, facing the brokenness of my nature and hoping to achieve a kind of ‘enlightenment’ through the writing of songs; or as I sometimes refer to them, living poetry.

There are many holy sites for the songwriter. In truth they exist throughout the world, but having come to Nashville in 1986, my options narrowed a bit. First and foremost there was the Ryman Auditorium, the Mother Church of country music, and home to the Grand Ole Opry. Then to the west was Graceland, home of Elvis Presley, which would have to be seen and while I was at it, cruise the blues bars of Beale Street, stop off at Al Green’s church for a little gospel. Back in Nashville there were famous dives lining lower Broadway, places like Tootsies, where country stars had honed their songwriting and drinking skills for years. One of my favorite little dives was Mack’s Country Kitchen, where Willie Nelson, down on his luck, was said to have stripped naked, walked outside, and begged a truck to run him over. Perhaps these stories were apocryphal, but they were inspiring to the pilgrim.

In concrete terms, the first steps in the ‘stations of the cross’ would take me to the Sunday afternoon auditions at The Bluebird Café, for a slot on the Monday Open Mic Night Show. Anyone with any hope at being the next Nashville singer-songwriter-poet had to stand before the measured gaze of the Bluebird’s owner, founder, and High Priestess…Amy Kurland. The line of applicants was around the corner so I took my place, and when I had my chance I played my song for Amy with youthful exuberance. Amy was gracious enough to give me the thumbs up.

Monday night came and the chosen 12 were given their baptism by fire in front of 100 congregants packed into the little room (the room seats 75 comfortably, and so it was jammed, as it is most nights). Each novice was allowed two songs to play in front of a crowd that always seemed to have a few music biz notables lurking in the shadows. It was about this time that I learned that the open mic performance was not the only part of the evening’s liturgy. Every Monday Open Mic Night also featured the appearance of a ‘Guest Writer’…usually a successful published and/or recorded singer-songwriter. I asked the attractive young hostess at the door the name of the guest writer, and she said, ‘Kevin Welch’ with breathless anticipation. Never heard of him.

I remember thinking that I had done exceptionally well with my two songs. In fact, I was quite certain that I had been the best songwriter that evening, and flushed with self-congratulations I sat back to take a long sip on a well deserved beer, as the guest writer stepped forward. Kevin Welch was this skinny, languid, long-haired Oklahoma boy, with a wry smile and piercing blue eyes. He looked like a portrait of Jesus you might find in some Methodist fellowship hall. As he began to strum his guitar and sing, he seemed both entirely present in that little bar, but also far away. It was as if he were looking across a field, like in ‘Christina’s World,’ Andrew Wyeth’s famous portrait of American yearning. And his lyric began:

O life is like
/ A candle bright
/ Death must be the wind/
 You can close your window tight/ But it still comes blowing in

I put the beer down and felt a tightness in my chest, my mouth was suddenly very dry. The room that had seemed to pulse with restless energy now seemed as still as a tomb. He continued:

Let me watch my children grow/ 
To see what they become/ 
O Lord don’t let the cold wind blow/ ‘Til I’m too old to die young

As he sang my mind left the tomb and was transported to a field far off, the same field that Christina and Kevin were staring across. I could see a house on the hill, and the lights on the porch coming on as night approached. I could see, standing on that porch, my beloved…my wife yet to find, my children yet to be born, and my heart was filled with a great yearning. I yearned for a life full of meaning, full of living poetry.

I left the Bluebird Café that night, scared and excited. Listening to Kevin Welch perform “Too Old To Die Young,” I realized how far I had to go on my journey. At the same time I said a prayer of thanks for having chosen the path of the pilgrim on the way.

 

Weekly Chart Report (8/3/2012)

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WBCT PD Dave Taft (L) visits with Billy Currington before a show in Grand Rapids last week.

SPIN ZONE
It was only a matter of time, really. Little Big Town released the irresistible “Pontoon” on the cusp of summer and after 14 weeks, it has floated up to the CountryBreakout Chart’s No. 1 spot. Last week’s No. 1 Keith Urban drops back to No. 2, and Love and Theft moves up to No. 3 with “Angel Eyes.” Blake Shelton’s “Over” holds at No. 4, and Lady Antebellum scoots up to the No. 5 spot with “Wanted You More.”

Major movers include Tim McGraw’s “Truck Yeah,” leaping 19-13 in its 5th week charting. Jason Aldean’s brand new “Take A Little Ride” gains 424 and moves 32-25. Eric Church’s “Creepin’” is one spot behind him at No. 26 with a gain of 335 spins. Toby Keith’s “I Like Girls Who Drink Beer” debuted at No. 59 in the previous chart and adds 554 spins to rocket up to No. 34.

One of this chart’s big surprises is a posthumous appearance by Waylon Jennings, whose version of Tony Joe White’s “Goin’ Down Rockin’” lands at No. 66. The track appears on the new collection Goin’ Down Rockin’: The Last Recordings of Waylon Jennings (Saguaro Road), due out September 11. Also debuting are Brantley Gilbert (“Kick It In The Sticks”) at No. 62, EMI Records Nashville newcomer Kelleigh Bannen (“Sorry On the Rocks”) at No. 69, Stephanie Grace (“Hey There”) at No. 79 and Zach Paxson (“Good Luck With That”) at No. 80.

Frozen Playlists: KDKD, KVAY, KVVP, WJVL, WKBQ, WXXK

Upcoming Singles
August 6
Lucas Hoge/Do What Makes You Feel Good/Animal House
Florida Georgia Line/Cruise/Republic Nashville
Chelsea Bain/What If I/Rock Ridge-InstiGator
Her & Kings County/Family Tree/Elektra Nashville-WMN
Heidi Newfield/Why’d You Have To Be So Good/Sidewalk
Rich O’Toole/Red Wine On Your Lipstick

August 13
One Night Rodeo/Real Good/Fox Hill
Bucky Covington with Shooter Jennings/Drinking Side of Country/eOne

Big Ride’s Craig Wayne Boyd previewed his new CD for Mark and Shelly of the Breakfast Bunch at WWBE/Selinsgrove, PA last week. Boyd’s “I Ain’t No Quitter” lands at No. 50 on this week’s CountryBreakout Chart. (L-R): Mark Roberts, Boyd, and Shelly Marx

New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Brantley Gilbert/Kick It In The Sticks/Valory – 62
Waylon Jennings/Goin’ Down Rockin’/Saguaro Road – 66
Kelleigh Bannen/Sorry On The Rocks/EMI Nashville – 69
Stephanie Grace/Hey There – 79
Zach Paxson/Good Luck With That/FutureGrass – 80

Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Toby Keith/I Like Girls That Drink Beer/Show Dog-Universal – 554
Jason Aldean/Take A Little Ride/Broken Bow – 424
Luke Bryan/Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye/Capitol – 343
Eric Church/Creepin’/EMI Nashville – 335
Tim McGraw/Truck Yeah/Big Machine – 293

Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Toby Keith/I Like Girls That Drink Beer/Show Dog–Universal – 31
Luke Bryan/Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye/Capitol – 19
Jason Aldean/Take A Little Ride/Broken Bow – 18
Kip Moore/Beer Money/MCA – 14
Brantley Gilbert/Kick It In The Sticks/Valory – 14
Eric Church/Creepin’/EMI Nashville – 13

On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Jon Wolfe/It All Happened In A Honky Tonk/Vision–Average Joes – 169
JB and The Moonshine Band/No Better Than This/Average Joes – 156
Katie Armiger/Better In A Black Dress/Cold River – 152
Craig Morrison/Fences/Lucky 53’s–GMV Nashville – 149
John Maison/Love Is A Trip/Big High Five – 145

Warner Music Nashville's HER & Kings County rock the boat in San Francisco with a group of local PDs & MDs

Songwriter Bob McDill to be Honored at ASCAP Awards

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Bob McDill

ASCAP has announced it will honor Country music songwriter Bob McDill with the prestigious Golden Note Award at its 50th Annual Country Music Awards, to be held Oct. 29 at Opryland Hotel.

“Bob McDill is one of Country music’s most eloquent and literary songwriters,” said ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams. “His dedication to the art and craft of writing honest songs that come straight from the soul has touched the hearts of millions around the world.”

The Texas-born songwriter has written 31 No. 1 songs throughout his three decade career. He has garnered four Grammy nominations, ASCAP Songwriter of the Year (1994), NSAI Songwriter of the Year three times and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985.

After Perry Como recorded his song, “Happy Man” in the ’60s, McDill moved to Nashville. He went on to score hits and cuts by Johnny Russell (“Catfish John”), Don Williams (“It Must Be Love” and “Good Ole Boys Like Me”), Waylon Jennings (“Amanda”), Alabama (“Song of the South”), Mel McDaniel (“Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On” and “Louisiana Saturday Night”), and Keith Whitley (“Don’t Close Your Eyes”).

McDill’s success continued into the ’90s with titles including “Gone Country,” “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “Why Didn’t I Think of That,” and “All The Good Ones Are Gone.”

“Bob McDill wrote [“Gone Country”] and he is one of my favorite writers of all time,” said Alan Jackson in the liner notes of his Greatest Hits Collection. “When I first heard it, I fell in love with it. I wish that I’d written it cause it says a lot of things that I’d like to say.”

ASCAP’s invitation-only gala will also award Songwriter of the Year, Songwriter/Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Publisher of the Year, and feature live performances of the top five most performed songs of 2011.

Previous recipients who have earned the Golden Note award for extraordinary career milestones include Don Williams, Garth Brooks, Lindsey Buckingham, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire and J.D. Souther.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (8/01/12)

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There is zero major-label product in the country reviewing stack this week, but there’s still plenty of quality listening to be had.

Even if there were big-time stars on hand, I doubt that any could match the excellence of the new His and Hers CD by Joey + Rory and its lead track “Josephine.” This would be a Disc of the Day winner no matter what or who the competition was.

I am also happy to report that there are a number of promising newcomers with us today. They include Kris Gordon, J.D. Shelburne and our DisCovery Award winning band Cash Creek.

BRITT & BLAIRE/Young Summer
Writer: Blaire Hanks; Producer: Dean Scallan; Publisher: Coast of Del Mar, BMI; Mt. Juliet (615-288-4234 ext 101)
—They look like such nice young kids. I hate to be the one to tell them that they’re not yet ready to play ball in the Big Leagues.

FLYNNVILLE TRAIN/The One You Love
Writer: Doug Phelps/Fred Young/Richard Young; Producer: none listed; Publisher: I B Headed/Them Young Boys/Bug, BMI/ASCAP; Whiskey Bent (www.flynnvilletrain.com)
—Note that this is written by The Kentucky HeadHunters. The Flynnville boys’ performance of the dreamy ballad is appropriately languid and lovely. The slightly bluesy melody is another plus. Highly programmable.

CRIS CUDDY/The Boy From Beaumont
Writer: Cuddy; Producer: Cris Cuddy; Publisher: Cris Cuddy, SOCAN; Factor (Canada)(track) (www.criscuddy.com)
—Subtitled “The Kid from Bakersfield,” this title tune to Cuddy’s Canadian CD is a salute to George Jones and Merle Haggard. The musical setting has an oddly Tex-Mex vibe, which doesn’t have much to do with either of those legends. For that matter, neither does Cuddy’s singing style. But it all goes down smoothly.

JOEY + RORY/Josephine
Writer: Rory Feek; Producer: Gary Paczosa; Publisher: A Sling and a Prayer/Chrysalis One, ASCAP; Sugar Hill (track)
—Joey + Rory’s new His and Hers CD kicks off with this stirring, driving saga of a frightened Civil War soldier yearning for the wife and family he left behind. It will quicken your pulse, tickle your ears and fire your brain. Gary’s production is sonic excellence. Rory’s lead vocal just about rips your heart out. A mini masterpiece. Do your ears a favor and listen to this entire awesome album with no distractions.

KRIS GORDON/The Upside of Down
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Frio (www.krisgordon.net)
—Jaunty, relaxed and breezy, this has an undeniable charm. He’s nursing a busted heart, but getting by with the help of the band and the booze. The session playing is absolutely top drawer, and he has an earnest, winning, easy-to-like vocal style.

THE MARKSMEN QUARTET/Don’t Take Your Life
Writer: Lance Carpenter/Ricky Atkinson; Producer: Mark Wheeler; Publisher: Ricky Atkinson, BMI; Rural Rhythm (track) (www.marksmenquartet.com)
—The quartet takes on a honky-tonk waltz. In classic Southern-gospel fashion, it starts off slowly with a solo vocalist telling the tale of a would-be suicide, followed by full-throated harmonizing on the choruses. Redemptive, for sure. The Marksmen have been at this for some 40 years, so they certainly know how to deliver the goods by now.

CASH CREEK/It’s All About the Money
Writer: Joseph Harris/Donald Kees; Producer: Kimo Forrest & Chris Latham; Publisher: Sixteen Stars/Sony-ATV Acuff Rose, BMI; Omaha/Tristar (track) (www.cashcreekband.com)
—The title tune to the debut Cash Creek CD is a bluesy, dobro-laced, rocking social statement about lawyers, politics and hypocrisy. It is also very, very cool. Check these boys out.

AMY AMES/Do Drop In
Writer: Amy Ames/Eddie Hedges; Producer: Eddie Hedges; Publisher: Amy Ames/Eddie Hedges, BMI; Grand Channel (CDX) (www.amyames.com)
—The drummer sounds like he’s pounding on an aluminum frying pan. The band is shouting the lines loudly back at her. Perhaps they’re trying to drown out her pitch-challenged vocal.

LUCAS HOGE/Do What Makes You Feel Good
Writer: Lucas Hoge/Keesy Timmer/Corey Barker; Producer: Lucas Hoge & Chris Latham; Publisher: none listed, ASCAP/BMI; AHMG (CDX) (818-429-3655)
—The track is rollicking, with plenty of energetic guitar work. His voice isn’t particularly distinctive or memorable, but he gives the performance his all.

J.D. SHELBURNE/Farmboy
Writer: J.D. Shelburne/Bob Stewart; Producer: Greg Cole; Publisher: GiraffeKey, BMI; Star Base (CDX) (www.jdshelburne.com)
—He inherits his dad’s down-home values and is super happy about it. The track rocks, and he belts out his lyric like a pro. This has plenty of get-up-and-go, and the spelling of “F-A-R-M-B-O-Y” is ear catchingly clever.

Bobby Karl Works Eric Church’s Platinum Party

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EMI Records Nashville’s Eric Church celebrated the RIAA Platinum certification of his album Chief, as well as his most recent No. 1 “Springsteen” yesterday (7/30) at Marathon Music Works. Church was presented a platinum plaque, and a platinum special edition of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey. UPtown’s Smoke Shop handed out platinum wrapped cigars to mark the occasion, and trucks were on hand from Carl Black Chevrolet. Pictured (L-R): Producer Jay Joyce, Q Prime Management’s John Peets, Capitol Nashville’s Steve Hodges, Eric Church, Capitol Nashville’s Tom Becci, and Capitol Nashville’s Cindy Mabe. Photo: Alan Poizner

Chapter 404 

How do I love thee, Eric Church? Let me count the ways. First of all, in a sea of country nothingness, Church is a Real Artist. Furthermore, he is a true Country Music artist. Second of all, as a songwriter, he stands head and shoulders above most of his peers. He is now also that current rarity, a Platinum Nashville record maker.

And maybe most important of all, he got to this Platinum place the old-fashioned way. I love it best that he did it with an incendiary live show that he took to the People, winning fans one by one over a period of six years.

“Eleven singles and three albums later, we’re finally here,” said Capitol/EMI’s Cindy Mabe at the Marathon Music Works party to celebrate on Tuesday (7/30). Not only is the Church CD Chief Platinum, so is its No. 1 single “Springsteen.”

The album’s “Homeboy” and “Drink in My Hand” are Gold. The superb “Creepin’” has just been released as the collection’s fourth single. The label’s Steve Hodges gave out its pointy “Impaler” awards to honor the two-week reign of “Springsteen” at the top of the charts.

Other label gifts presented by Cindy, Steve and Tom Becci included customized “Platinum” sunglasses for the star, custom cigars to “Smoke a Little Smoke,” a brass cigar cutter, commemorative plaques (natch) and a customized, Platinum-labeled bottle of Jack Daniel’s. When all the goodies were gone from the round “table” that held them, the cloth was removed, revealing the ultimate gift, a whole barrel of Jack.

The bash was hosted by BMI. Presenters included not only the label folks and BMI, but music publishers Sony/ATV, BMG Chyrsalis and ole.

“Eric and his guys went out every night and took it to the People,” said ole’s Arthur Buenahora. “You put it on your shoulders and took it out there. You’re a Real Artist, and you sing Real Songs.” He and ole’s Gilles Godard gave out gift iPads to “Springsteen” writers Church, Ryan Tyndell and Jeff Hyde. “This one is special to me,” Arthur stated. “Ryan is a special guy with a special gift.”

BMG’s Sara Johnson talked about the diversity of Jeff’s songwriting. “It’s your first No. 1, and it’s with your band mates and your friends, so that has to feel fantastic,” she added.

Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson said of Eric, “He made the impossible, possible, and he did it against all odds.”

“The career of Eric Church continues on its upward trajectory,” added BMI’s Jody Williams. “Since our celebration of his last No. 1, a lot has occurred.” Yes, indeedy. Eric’s tour has sold half a million tickets. He’s the subject of TV specials on both GAC and CMT.

“His career has a depth like no other artist in this format,” added Jody. “It’s been a blast watching your career unfold.”

He announced that Avenue Bank is making a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the songwriters’ charity of choice.

Both Jody and Arthur had personal, as well as professional ties to this celebration. The former signed Jeff to his Jody Williams Music in his pre-BMI days and recommended Jeff as a multi-instrumentalist for Eric’s band. Jody gave Jeff a humorous “Stay Humble Award,” a plaque picturing white bread, bologna and water.

Arthur signed Ryan to Sony, took Ryan with him when he went to ole and introduced Eric to his supremely gifted producer, Jay Joyce. Arthur and Ryan are co-producing the brilliant new Warner signee Charlie Worsham.

“You guys are the top, the cream of the crop,” said Ryan. “This No. 1 is going to buy a lot of diapers.” He and his wife are expecting their first baby, a boy, on Nov. 23.

“Jody believed in me when nobody else did,” said Jeff. “I feel really privileged and blessed to be part of this….I might drink half of that barrel.”

“There are moments in your life when you want to pause, and this is one of them,” said Eric. “The passion I’ve seen from everybody [on Music Row] is what we always look for. I have the best team around me. That’s because it was about the Music. And that’s why I came to this town.” Manager John Peets beamed at stage left.

Ron Cox, Shawn Camp, Jonathan Yudkin, Erika Wollam & Roger Nichols, Pete Fisher, Cindy Watts, Clay Bradley, Donna Hughes, Steve & Ree Guyer Buchanan, Kevin Herring and Hunter Kelly applauded with enthusiasm and quaffed adult beverages. So did the ubiquitous Charlie Monk, plus Rachel Dobson, Hank Adam Locklin, Betsy Morley, Ed Morris, Angela Lange, Bob Paxman, Chuck Swaney, David Preston, Sarah Skates, Andrew Kintz, Earle Simmons and Leslie Roberts.

Like Gilles Godard said, “It takes a village to make a No. 1 hit.” In this case, a Marathon Village.

"Springsteen," co-written by Church and first-time chart-toppers Ryan Tyndell and Jeff Hyde, is Church’s biggest hit to date and the second No. 1 from Chief. Pictured are (L-R): EMI Capitol Records Steve Hodges, Cindy Mabe, and Tom Becci; Q Prime Management’s John Peets; producer Jay Joyce; co-writer Ryan Tyndell; Eric Church; co-writer Jeff Hyde; Sony ATV Music Publishing’s Troy Tomlinson; BMI’s Jody Williams; BMG Music’s Sara Johnson; and Ole Music’s Arthur Buenahora and Gilles Godard. Photo by Alan Poizner

 

Kickstarter and The Million Dollar Campaign

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Amanda Palmer promoting her Kickstarter campaign

Three months ago Kickstarter celebrated its third anniversary collecting funds for creative projects. With the system, the general public is able to kick start projects with financial support to receive rewards.

Kickstarter began publicly releasing its statistics June 21, 2012. Since the company’s launch in April 2009, $302 million has been pledged towards projects classified in 13 categories including music, film/video, publishing, art, theater, and photography.

Fifty-four percent of Music campaigns have reached their goals, Country being the most successful genre at 62%. The catch, however, is that donations are paid on an all-or-nothing basis. Meaning, if the forecasted financial goal is not met, all pledges will be void and the project remains unfunded.

With a total of 65,425 projects launched for all categories (3,756 in progress), and an overall success rate of 44.01%, the paid total equates to some $249 million.

In May, musician Amanda Palmer set out to raise $100,000 with her campaign. Thirty days later, the musician became an anomaly, breaking the $1 million mark with the support of almost 25,000 backers. Palmer’s $1.2 million marks Kickstarter’s seventh most profitable campaign—the highest being for a watch that syncs with smartphones that reached $10.3 million.

It is worth mentioning that Palmer did not get her start with this Kickstarter project. She had an established following from a Roadrunner Records deal as part of The Dresden Dolls. When the duo separated from the label in 2010, Palmer maintained constant communication with fans online.

For creators, clearly defined goals with fun and creative incentives are key. Palmer’s fans received a digital album for donations of just $1; a PDF for $5; $25 and $50 for digital plus CD or vinyl, respectively; and a limited-edition art book plus the above for $125. Kickstarter outlined a breakdown of the rewards with the corresponding graph.

Of nearly 23,000 digital pre-orders, a notable 80% of Palmer’s backers paid in excess to receive tangible additions including private shows, personal mixtapes, and studio visits.

In a May 22 blog post, Palmer debunks a frequent question of: “Are you loaded?” with a detailed analysis of the cost layout for overhead, rewards, and touring, noting she will personally take home about $100,000:

It COSTS REAL MONEY to manufacture and distribute a record, to have a staff and a publicist, to promote an artist and tour a band. That will never truly change.
 But now, because we can reach out fans directly without the machine, artists are empowered to call the shots and keep whatever’s leftover…not the labels. Of course, I could send cheap-ass jewel case CDs, fire my staff, make a cheap book on xerox paper, and tour just with a solo piano…with no crew, no band….and RAKE IN THE DOUGH. I could potentially do that and walk with close to half a million dollars. but the products would suck and nobody would ever trust me again.

There are no fees to begin a campaign, but successful projects are subject to a 5% Kickstarter fee and anywhere from 5-10% processing fee from Amazon. The company is based out of New York, currently supporting a staff of 39.

Weekly Register: The TEA Wave

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Isn’t it fun to watch the “human wave” seemingly glide around the perimeter of a stadium as excited fans toss their arms up creating an energy that moves across the crowd with such ease and grace?

That movement could be a way to visualize the active switch taking place to digital music, especially among country consumers. YTD digital country album sales are up 40.7% and digital country tracks are ahead almost 13%. These two numbers are high enough, but when you factor in country’s almost 30% TEA Index (track equivalent albums; 10 tracks=1 album) it shows the balance between albums and track sales is also being boosted substantially by digital track sales.

During the past few years total country album sales have been mostly constant, but the physical slice of that same size pie is definitely contracting. There’s a lot of factors at work contributing to the digital uptick. Physical shelf space has been shrinking, making it more difficult to find catalog and other fan favorites in local music sections which pushes consumers online. At the same time adoption of digital tools including mobile, tablet, laptop and desktop continues to explode. Whereas once upon a time many consumers just didn’t know how to purchase and download an album, the procedure is becoming so “user friendly” that even Mom and Grandma are starting to give it a try.

Nielsen Soundscan numbers are a blessing, but they can sometimes hide the underlying essential metric—profitability. The march to files should lower costs such as shipping, manufacturing, printing and returns. But unfortunately, we are also seeing pricing slide on the digital side. Recently Amazon and Google Play offered complete new albums for $3.99 and sometimes even 99¢. In many of those cases, the store is paying full wholesale price to the label but more recently labels are begining to offer some discounts. Either way the sale prices pose a serious problem to the economic album equation. Consumers will soon expect to purchase new product at these attractive and lower rates which are not sustainable with today’s current royalty rates and other costs.

For example, on July 3, Amazon offered twenty album titles at 99¢ including Katy Perry and the Black Keys. According to Billboard’s Keith Caufield (7/21/12) the entire promotion scanned 454,000 digital albums for the week versus the previous week when the same twenty titles scanned a meager 64k.

I’ve been expecting to see the TEA index rise, but it’s possible that cut-rate album promotions have been artificially propping up the album share. Readers of this column will remember that the TEA index sums physical, digital and TEA (track equivalent albums; 10 tracks=1 album) then calculates the percentage of total album sales that come from TEA. Is it possible that the discount album pricing is responsible for keeping the TEA Index flat? Quite possible. Digital album discounts are the latest in a series of troubling sales revelations. (After all, if 10 tracks are sold for a dollar, that means they are only worth 10¢ each.)

Charting This Week
Topping this week’s country album list is Zac Brown Band whose Uncaged has a strong second week scanning over 78k units (40% digital downloads) and falling about 67% from last week. Old Crow Medicine Show debuts at No. 4 this week with about 17k and Warner’s The Farm is planting a few seeds starting out at No. 35 with over 2.7k. In the wake of Zac’s strong debut last week, country album sales tumbled 29% this week.

ZBB and Kenny Chesney (No. 2; 23k) are the most recent superstar releases. Chesney after five weeks has a RTD total of almost 353k and ZBB which is selling at a slightly faster clip than Kenny has 312k in week two. Also, what about Luke Bryan who continues to show strong sales. Even in week No. 50 his Tailgates & Tanlines perches nicely at No. 3 with RTD of almost 1.3 million units.

Clicking over to the digital country tracks this week’s story is all about Jason. Mr. Aldean comes a’slammin’ out of the box to scan over 189k units of “Take A Little Ride.” According to Aldean’s GreenRoom information station it’s the highest-ever digital track debut from a male country artist.

New faces in the country tracks Top 10 include Hunter Hayes (no. 3; 69k), Love And Theft (No. 7; 41k) and Gloriana (No. 10; 38k). For a list of upcoming new albums click HERE.

This writer will be on assignment studying album sales outside the U.S. for the next few weeks… please welcome MusicRow publisher Sherod Robertson who will be kindly filling in until my return.