Brad Paisley is working on his next album between stops on his “Virtual Reality” tour. He’s recording in the studio he built on his property, and says that’s a major player in the increased creativity he’s feeling: “As of like this week, I’m busting at the seams for people to hear it. I finally am at that point. And I cannot believe what I’ve come up with already.” No word on a release date yet.
Looks like David Nail will be taking some time off from playing the guitar. During the City of Hope celebrity softball tournament last week, he fractured his right ring finger and detached a tendon trying to catch a low line drive. David tweeted, “This is a lesson to not play like you're 18 when you're 33.” He’ll see a specialist this week to see about getting that finger fixed up.
Blake Shelton was able to make it to Nashville last week, in spite of a crazybusy schedule. According to Blake, “This is the first time I’ve been to Nashville in I don’t know when. In fact, Miranda and I combined #1 parties last week to get that celebration in we wanted to do. I’m working on the next studio album and I’ve been in the studio all this week workin’ on a Christmas record.”
Jake Owen is so busy that he hasn’t even had time to honeymoon with his new wife Lacey. When they were talking about getting married, he told her his schedule was crazy all through 2013, and she insisted they “just do it now.” They were married in May, but since Jake’s on the “Brothers of the Sun” tour with Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney, it doesn’t look like a honeymoon will happen any time soon.
Rascal Flatts is loving the crowd reaction to “Banjo:” “It’s one of those tunes that’s so infectious that when we do it live it’s an immediate crowd pleaser, so we’re really, really thrilled with its success.” They’re also loving working with Little Big Town, a group that both Joe Don Rooney and Gary LeVox were in, at separate times, before Rascal Flatts was born. Little Big Town is opening for them on tour and the two vocal groups got together to record a song. As Gary says, "We’re all splitting verses and there’s a lot of voices. We thought it was a great idea at the beginning until we got the catering bill!" The “Changed 2012 Tour” kicks off this weekend.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Today's Country Tidbits
The CMA Music Festival is history for 2012, and lots of fans will make their hotel reservations for 2013 before they leave Nashville today. The event is a fan favorite, but it’s also an artist favorite. Here are thoughts from just a few who performed at the CMA Music Festival this year:
Brad Paisley on the craziest thing done by a fan: “Tattoo of your face...on a leg. The woman that did that is very sane, from what I can tell. Truthfully, she’s the nicest person you’d ever want to meet, but she walks around with my face...luckily the artist was really good. I mean it did...it looked just like an eight-by-ten of me.”
Carrie Underwood, on the weird things she gets asked to sign: “I signed a diaper once. It was not used. I’ve signed body parts but mostly any body parts was intoxicated people...it was just easier to sign instead of argue with them. Don’t you have anything else? Like a piece of paper?”
Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley on who they’d wait in line to see: “[Charles] I mean, as a fan right now I think it’s hard to beat a Luke Bryan or a Jason Aldean show. They’re such a fun...you know, they’re such fun, high energy shows. So, as a fan I would sit in line to go watch those shows, that’s for sure. [Hillary] Reba, George Strait, Trisha Yearwood...I’d love that.”
Jason Aldean on what he loves about the CMA Music Festival: “A week like this where we can show our appreciation and kind of tell them thank you in person and do some extra stuff just so they can come out and be a part of it to me is...that’s easy stuff, you know, and it’s definitely worth it. So, it’s a cool thing that the CMA does every year.”
Blake Shelton on being back in Nashville: “This is the first time I’ve been to Nashville in I don’t know when. In fact, Miranda and I combined #1 parties last week to get that celebration in we wanted to do. I’m working on the next studio album and I’ve been in the studio all this week workin’ on a Christmas record.”
Zac Brown on his plans for Nashville: “We just opened a big studio here in Nashville this last week and we’re coming to Nashville, we’re infiltrating. We’re gonna have a restaurant here and a bar here eventually.”
The Band Perry’s Kimberly and Reid on sharing news with fans last week: “[Kimberly] We revealed the name of our brand new fan club, which is called The Fans Perry. So, you’ve got The Band Perry and The Fans Perry...[Reid] Kind of a play on words there, you see that?”
Kip Moore, on meeting Willie Nelson: “I’m a massive Willie Nelson. I grew up on, ‘Red Headed Stranger’ being play nine million times in my house. My mom loved Willie, and I think my mom was so cool that all of a sudden I fell in love with Willie Nelson.”
Craig Morgan is on “Hotel Impossible” on the Travel Channel today.
Brad Paisley on the craziest thing done by a fan: “Tattoo of your face...on a leg. The woman that did that is very sane, from what I can tell. Truthfully, she’s the nicest person you’d ever want to meet, but she walks around with my face...luckily the artist was really good. I mean it did...it looked just like an eight-by-ten of me.”
Carrie Underwood, on the weird things she gets asked to sign: “I signed a diaper once. It was not used. I’ve signed body parts but mostly any body parts was intoxicated people...it was just easier to sign instead of argue with them. Don’t you have anything else? Like a piece of paper?”
Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley on who they’d wait in line to see: “[Charles] I mean, as a fan right now I think it’s hard to beat a Luke Bryan or a Jason Aldean show. They’re such a fun...you know, they’re such fun, high energy shows. So, as a fan I would sit in line to go watch those shows, that’s for sure. [Hillary] Reba, George Strait, Trisha Yearwood...I’d love that.”
Jason Aldean on what he loves about the CMA Music Festival: “A week like this where we can show our appreciation and kind of tell them thank you in person and do some extra stuff just so they can come out and be a part of it to me is...that’s easy stuff, you know, and it’s definitely worth it. So, it’s a cool thing that the CMA does every year.”
Blake Shelton on being back in Nashville: “This is the first time I’ve been to Nashville in I don’t know when. In fact, Miranda and I combined #1 parties last week to get that celebration in we wanted to do. I’m working on the next studio album and I’ve been in the studio all this week workin’ on a Christmas record.”
Zac Brown on his plans for Nashville: “We just opened a big studio here in Nashville this last week and we’re coming to Nashville, we’re infiltrating. We’re gonna have a restaurant here and a bar here eventually.”
The Band Perry’s Kimberly and Reid on sharing news with fans last week: “[Kimberly] We revealed the name of our brand new fan club, which is called The Fans Perry. So, you’ve got The Band Perry and The Fans Perry...[Reid] Kind of a play on words there, you see that?”
Kip Moore, on meeting Willie Nelson: “I’m a massive Willie Nelson. I grew up on, ‘Red Headed Stranger’ being play nine million times in my house. My mom loved Willie, and I think my mom was so cool that all of a sudden I fell in love with Willie Nelson.”
Craig Morgan is on “Hotel Impossible” on the Travel Channel today.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Today's Country Tidbits
Jason Aldean decided to see if his concert is big enough to sell out a stadium yet, and the answer is a resounding “yes.” Tickets for the August 5th concert at Columbus Ohio’s Crew Stadium are already sold out, well in advance of the show. It’s the first concert to sell out this far in advance in Crew Stadium History. Says Jason, “Columbus, Ohio, hope you’re ready to throw down with us!”
Rumors are flying that Carrie Underwood and Steven Tyler are going to do a duet for the next Aerosmith album. When asked about the truth to those rumors, Carrie is pretty coy: “I worked with him quite a bit in the past. We obviously have a great working friendship – working relationship. We look for opportunities to hang out together whenever we can. I’d never count anything out with us.”
The CMA Music Festival in Nashville is being blessed (so far, anyway!) with the best weather in recent memory. Bright blue skies, highs in the mid 80’s and not too much humidity are making for good times for the record crowd. Last night, Brad Paisley and Lady Antebellum performed at LP Field, and Brad Paisley explained the fans this way: “That’s what this festival is all about. These are the hardest core, of the hard core. They’re the people that come out – they’re the first to buy tickets to your concerts. They’re the first to buy your album. They don’t take any convincing. They love you sort of no matter what.” Lady A’s Charles Kelly says of the experience, “You’ll sit there and talk to them by name, give them a hug...I just can’t think of any other genre that has that kind of connection and people that come back the same time every year. You know where they’re gonna be. It’s really kind of a funny thing, you know? It’s really cool.” One of today’s highlights is a singing competition at the Caesars Entertainment Total Rewards booth in Fan Alley. The winner gets a trip to Las Vegas to see “Shania: Still the One.” Can’t be in Nashville today but still want a shot at the prize? You can enter online from June 18th through July 15th. Good luck!
Just when you thought there couldn’t be any more awards comes the 2012 Big Daddy Awards. Given out by a national prostate cancer awareness group, nominees include Keith Urban, Trace Adkins, Toby Keith, Darius Rucker, Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley. The winners will be chosen by your vote.
If you’re in or around Mobile, Alabama, be on the lookout for a movie set with a tall country star in the midst of it. Tracy Lawrence is in Mobile, filming L.A. Dirt, a move about a young man’s dream to become a champion dirt track racer. Tracy plays the role of the lad’s uncle. Filming starts Saturday and should run through the end of this month.
Jennifer Nettles is on “Duets” tonight on ABC.
Rumors are flying that Carrie Underwood and Steven Tyler are going to do a duet for the next Aerosmith album. When asked about the truth to those rumors, Carrie is pretty coy: “I worked with him quite a bit in the past. We obviously have a great working friendship – working relationship. We look for opportunities to hang out together whenever we can. I’d never count anything out with us.”
The CMA Music Festival in Nashville is being blessed (so far, anyway!) with the best weather in recent memory. Bright blue skies, highs in the mid 80’s and not too much humidity are making for good times for the record crowd. Last night, Brad Paisley and Lady Antebellum performed at LP Field, and Brad Paisley explained the fans this way: “That’s what this festival is all about. These are the hardest core, of the hard core. They’re the people that come out – they’re the first to buy tickets to your concerts. They’re the first to buy your album. They don’t take any convincing. They love you sort of no matter what.” Lady A’s Charles Kelly says of the experience, “You’ll sit there and talk to them by name, give them a hug...I just can’t think of any other genre that has that kind of connection and people that come back the same time every year. You know where they’re gonna be. It’s really kind of a funny thing, you know? It’s really cool.” One of today’s highlights is a singing competition at the Caesars Entertainment Total Rewards booth in Fan Alley. The winner gets a trip to Las Vegas to see “Shania: Still the One.” Can’t be in Nashville today but still want a shot at the prize? You can enter online from June 18th through July 15th. Good luck!
Just when you thought there couldn’t be any more awards comes the 2012 Big Daddy Awards. Given out by a national prostate cancer awareness group, nominees include Keith Urban, Trace Adkins, Toby Keith, Darius Rucker, Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley. The winners will be chosen by your vote.
If you’re in or around Mobile, Alabama, be on the lookout for a movie set with a tall country star in the midst of it. Tracy Lawrence is in Mobile, filming L.A. Dirt, a move about a young man’s dream to become a champion dirt track racer. Tracy plays the role of the lad’s uncle. Filming starts Saturday and should run through the end of this month.
Jennifer Nettles is on “Duets” tonight on ABC.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Today's Country Tidbits
Kind of a fun shift for the CMT Music Awards last night, as Brad Paisley, Eric Church and Hank Williams Jr. played their sets on an outdoor stage. It’s the first time this award show has catered to fans who couldn’t get tickets - nice move! Here’s why Toby Keith likes being at this particular show: “I got a lot of CMT Awards in my office at home. But they always put together a great show. It’s different – to me it’s not as sterile as the other award shows. It’s more hang out, hang loose and the whole night’s funner. They’ve got a wonderful package this year.” Jason Aldean feels the same way: “The CMT Awards are always one of those awards shows that are really laid back and loose and a lot of fun and to me I think they got one of the coolest trophies in all the awards shows.” And Zac Brown is even more direct: “I feel like getting to come play on that show and celebrating the kind of glimpse into country music rather than being a political side of country music – I feel like it’s a lot different. You know, I don’t feel the...I don’t feel the politics as much I guess.”
Billy’s little girl is growing up – Miley Cyrus and her boyfriend of three years, “Hunger Games” co-star Liam Hemsworth, got engaged on May 31st. He gave her a 3.5 carat diamond ring…niiiiiiice!
Billy’s little girl is growing up – Miley Cyrus and her boyfriend of three years, “Hunger Games” co-star Liam Hemsworth, got engaged on May 31st. He gave her a 3.5 carat diamond ring…niiiiiiice!
Sheryl Crow, who occasionally collaborates with country artists, just revealed that she found out six months ago there’s a brain tumor in her head. According to her doctors, it’s benign, but it has caused her some memory problems. She battled breast cancer five years ago and has been cancer-free since then.
Miranda Lambert’s next single is “Fastest Girl in Town.” This isn’t the official music video – she hasn’t made it yet – but you can hear the song here…
Love and Theft took on Las Vegas and they think they won…check out these videos and see what you think!
And this is a rock band poised to break big from Nashville. The debut single from Goodbye June has a video featuring two big fans, country star Steve Holy and St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher. The two had a blast playing the good guys/bad guys in this video…
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Today's Country Tidbits
The CMA Music Festival consumes Nashville for the rest of this week. It’s a very unique event – no other music format has anything like it. Eric Church describes it this way: "All year long, we go to their town, and at this time of year they're coming to mine. I can still sleep in my bed at night, and we still get to hang with the fans all day. It's a really cool thing." There will be 200 hours of live music performed by nearly 500 artists, none of whom are compensated for the shows, or for the hours spent signing autographs. All proceeds go to music education in Nashville’s public schools. Luke Bryan will be extra-busy, as the ABC crew will be following him around, filming for the behind-the-scenes special that airs in September. According to Luke, “It’s probably going to be my busiest CMA Fest ever. So we’re excited. Last year I didn’t get the chance to participate in everything, so this year I’m coming back with a big bang. It’s going to be a fun time. I’m really excited about hosting and certainly getting on stage and playing a big show for the fans.”
Carrie Underwood likes the song selection process, and she looks for something very special in each song: “Being able to hear a song and not imagining anyone else singing that song except me…that’s how you know it’s meant for you is when you hear something, and you’re just like, ‘Yep, that belongs to me. No one else. No one else would sing that.” Yep – shoe-aholic Carrie was meant to sing “you better get to gettin’ on your goodbye shoes.”
Shania Twain fans, take note: she’s promising that her show in Vegas will feature her spirit and passion in 4D. Not sure what the 4th D could be, but new shows have been added to the early 2013 calendar. Those tickets go on sale Friday. Shania’s run at Caesar’s Palace begins December first.
Country-star-studded action on your TV tonight – the CMT Music Awards air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at 8 Eastern. Yes, all the big stars will be there, either performing or presenting. Last year, The Band Perry won, and this year they’re nominated in the Group Video of the Year for “All Your Life.” Kimberly says, “We got to take home the CMT Award last year for New Artist video, and we’re just so excited to be nominated in this category.” Good luck to all the nominees!
Carrie Underwood likes the song selection process, and she looks for something very special in each song: “Being able to hear a song and not imagining anyone else singing that song except me…that’s how you know it’s meant for you is when you hear something, and you’re just like, ‘Yep, that belongs to me. No one else. No one else would sing that.” Yep – shoe-aholic Carrie was meant to sing “you better get to gettin’ on your goodbye shoes.”
Shania Twain fans, take note: she’s promising that her show in Vegas will feature her spirit and passion in 4D. Not sure what the 4th D could be, but new shows have been added to the early 2013 calendar. Those tickets go on sale Friday. Shania’s run at Caesar’s Palace begins December first.
Country-star-studded action on your TV tonight – the CMT Music Awards air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at 8 Eastern. Yes, all the big stars will be there, either performing or presenting. Last year, The Band Perry won, and this year they’re nominated in the Group Video of the Year for “All Your Life.” Kimberly says, “We got to take home the CMT Award last year for New Artist video, and we’re just so excited to be nominated in this category.” Good luck to all the nominees!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Today's Country Tidbits
Kenny Chesney and his long-time record label, Sony, have come to an agreement that keeps that relationship going. Not only will they stay together, Kenny gets his own imprint – Blue Chair Records. According to Kenny, "I moved to Nashville to be a songwriter, so to have my own label imprint feels like beyond a dream come true."
Tim McGraw has a new record label – Big Machine Music – and will be releasing a new album soon. Meanwhile, he gets to try out the songs that might be on the album on the Brothers of the Sun tour audiences. “That’s one of the highlights of me doing any tour is going out and playing new music. And I look forward to that every single night, I mean—I almost want to run to the new songs when I’m onstage!” Just how big is the Kenny Chesney/Tim McGraw entourage? Check it out - 283 crew members, 20 buses, and 80 tractor-trailers are needed to carry it all around, set it up and tear it down. The vehicles will travel about 20,000 miles by the time the tour ends at the end of summer.
Dierks Bentley says that his dad was the man who taught him about country music: “My dad's my biggest influence in country music, because my dad loved country radio, so we always drove around listening to country radio – George Strait and Hank Williams and Randy Travis and all those guys. So, without him, I wouldn't be doing this, for sure.”
Today in Nashville, Jake Owen, Vince Gill, Florida Georgia Line and stellar songwriter Dallas Davidson will sing their hearts out at the 8th annual Stars for Second Harvest benefit concert at the Ryman. Road trip alert – you can probably still get there in time!
Have you paid attention to the lyrics of Chris Young’s song, “Neon?” You should – Chris explains: “The rhymes in that are so smart, and I had nothing to do with writing that song, so I can totally say that. I love the way they wrote this song. It’s like just when you think they painted themselves into a corner where there’s not a good rhyme they find out a way either around it or a really, really funny one.” Tolerate the commercial and check out the video…
Alan Jackson’s “Thirty Miles West” is out today, and he’s quick to explain the slightly strange title: “Where I grew up was on Highway 34 there outside of Newnan, Georgia and it wasn’t actually the official Dixie Highway. That’s where we came up with thirty miles...I think I’m thirty miles west of the official highway that runs through Georgia that’s called the Dixie Highway, so that’s just kind of the title that came from looking at the map and figuring out where the Dixie Highway was and all that kind of stuff.” Celebrating the album’s release, he’s on the Today show and the Late Show with David Letterman today.
Carrie Underwood’s “Good Girl” is the #1 country song this week.
Tim McGraw has a new record label – Big Machine Music – and will be releasing a new album soon. Meanwhile, he gets to try out the songs that might be on the album on the Brothers of the Sun tour audiences. “That’s one of the highlights of me doing any tour is going out and playing new music. And I look forward to that every single night, I mean—I almost want to run to the new songs when I’m onstage!” Just how big is the Kenny Chesney/Tim McGraw entourage? Check it out - 283 crew members, 20 buses, and 80 tractor-trailers are needed to carry it all around, set it up and tear it down. The vehicles will travel about 20,000 miles by the time the tour ends at the end of summer.
Dierks Bentley says that his dad was the man who taught him about country music: “My dad's my biggest influence in country music, because my dad loved country radio, so we always drove around listening to country radio – George Strait and Hank Williams and Randy Travis and all those guys. So, without him, I wouldn't be doing this, for sure.”
Today in Nashville, Jake Owen, Vince Gill, Florida Georgia Line and stellar songwriter Dallas Davidson will sing their hearts out at the 8th annual Stars for Second Harvest benefit concert at the Ryman. Road trip alert – you can probably still get there in time!
Have you paid attention to the lyrics of Chris Young’s song, “Neon?” You should – Chris explains: “The rhymes in that are so smart, and I had nothing to do with writing that song, so I can totally say that. I love the way they wrote this song. It’s like just when you think they painted themselves into a corner where there’s not a good rhyme they find out a way either around it or a really, really funny one.” Tolerate the commercial and check out the video…
Alan Jackson’s “Thirty Miles West” is out today, and he’s quick to explain the slightly strange title: “Where I grew up was on Highway 34 there outside of Newnan, Georgia and it wasn’t actually the official Dixie Highway. That’s where we came up with thirty miles...I think I’m thirty miles west of the official highway that runs through Georgia that’s called the Dixie Highway, so that’s just kind of the title that came from looking at the map and figuring out where the Dixie Highway was and all that kind of stuff.” Celebrating the album’s release, he’s on the Today show and the Late Show with David Letterman today.
Carrie Underwood’s “Good Girl” is the #1 country song this week.
Dierks Bentley lost his dad on Friday, and on Saturday he tweeted, “My Dad died yesterday. It was an honor to comfort him as he left us. Thank you fans for the time and understanding.” Dierks was scheduled to play a concert in Washington DC Saturday, and Big & Rich stepped in to cover for him. It was the first show in 10 years that Dierks missed, and he vowed to play a show in DC soon. Meanwhile, his Last Call Ball, scheduled for this Wednesday in Nashville, has been postponed, too. He’ll resume his touring schedule on June 9th in Detroit. Leon Bentley was 88. The photo is one Dierks shared via Twitter of their two hands near the end.
Throughout their career, Rascal Flatts has sold more than six million concert tickets. You might think they’ve been on stage so much that they wouldn’t have to rehearse, but you’d be wrong. They’ve been rehearsing their “Changed” tour, working out on the stage, practicing the songs from the new album and basically just trying to get back into “live” mode. “You know, when we put together the kind of show that we put together it’s kind of the same format every night. So, once you rehearse it and you know it well, you just go out and try to execute it the best you can. It’s kind of like a football player having a game plan. You just go out and try to make the plays. But, I get pumped up and high on adrenaline, really.” The tour kicks off in 12 days in Hartford Connecticut.
Lady Antebellum is excited to cap their Own the Night 2012 world tour in Australia. The last stops on the tour will be in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, with the final show in Sydney on October first.
Eric Church’s fall leg of The Blood, Sweat & Beers tour adds Justin Moore and Kip Moore (no relation). It kicks off September 13th in Amherst, MA.
Kellie Pickler is honored to be on her 5th USO tour of the Middle East, saying, “I come from a military family so I’ve always had a respect for our military men and women, but having been there...it changes everything about you. You leave one person and you come back a different person.”
Keith Urban showed a little skin – and undies! – on Australian TV. It was an accident – he was changing position, stood up and this is what the camera captured.
Tonight is Darius Rucker’s 3rd Annual Darius and Friends event in Nashville, raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The Wildhorse Saloon is the location and in addition to Darius, Rodney Atkins, Clint Black, Sunny Sweeney, Chuck Wicks and “surprise special guests” will all perform.
As CMA Music Festival week nears, plans are being made for the annual ABC special, “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock.” Luke Bryan and Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry will co-host the show, which will air September 17th.
Also in September, a really great reason for a road trip. Zac Brown Band’s Southern Ground Music & Food Festival hits Nashville September 21st and 22nd. ZBB will headline both nights and food will be available from “Cookie,” the band’s mobile kitchen. Local restaurants will also set up booths for the hordes of music and food lovers. Tickets go on sale this Thursday.
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