Today's Country Tidbits

Tonight in Nashville, Keith Urban and John Mayer will be filming CMT Crossroads. John got into town early and was spotted dining with friend Taylor Swift at Cabana, a Nashville hot spot. They were with about 15 friends, so it's not like it was a romantic date or anything...don't start rumoring!

In case you missed the breaking news report here yesterday, Kenny Chesney is planning to play four shows in Vegas, at the Hard Rock there. He'll do the shows on May 14th and 15th, and on July 2nd and 3rd. He loves to play The Joint at the Hard Rock because the farthest seat from the stage is only 155 feet, plus he can play whatever he wants to play for as long as he wants to play. Expect the shows to be upwards of 3 hours long and include not just his hits, but also cover songs he likes to play. A special guest or two is not out of the question, either. To book a table or sky box, email the Hard Rock in Vegas at nightlife@hrhvegas.com.

How hot is Rascal Flatts? So hot they can all but sell out a show even before it's announced. They're the headliners for the Gift of Music benefit concert in Nashville next month, and the show, which features Kellie Pickler, Jason Michael Carroll, Keith Anderson, Little Big Town and a surprise guest or two, sold out in 20 minutes. There are a few $500 VIP tickets still available, which get you a great seat, dinner, valet parking and a shot at winning autographed memorabilia. Interested? Call 615-371-8878 - quickly!

Miranda Lambert and her Mom, Bev, are featured in the February issue of Southern Living magazine. Get Mom's meat loaf recipe and read about Miranda's family life. In the article, Miranda reveals the three things every southern woman should do before she dies: learn to change a tire, drive a tractor and cook something fried. I've got 2 out of three...how bout you? Anyone got a tractor I could borrow for the weekend?

At her #1 party for "Consider Me Gone," Reba was reminiscing about the first Valentines Day that she and Narvel spent as a married couple. He gave her a diamond tennis bracelet. She gave him a chain saw. They had just bought a piece of land that needed clearing, and Narvel went to work with his new toy. Next day, his shoulders, arms and neck were killing him, so he hired a crew to finish the job. Reba says she doesn't know what happened to the chain saw, but she still has her bracelet!

Bocephus has found him some new rowdy friends to tour with this year. Hank Williams Jr. will hit the road in April, taking Eric Church, Jamey Johnson and the Grascals along for the ride. Tickets for these shows go on sale Saturday through Ticketmaster: April 2 – Charleston, WV, April 3 – Louisville, KY, April 9 – Bossier City, LA, April 10 – Lafayette, LA, and April 17 – Pikeville, KY (w/ The Grascals only) More dates will be announced soon.

Is this a good thing for music lovers or not? After a year of study, the government has allowed Live Nation and Ticketmaster to merge into one company. No word on the new entity's name, or whether this means more or less concert ticketing surcharges.

Darryl Worley has teamed up with Wrangler Jeans to give away an autographed guitar, cd and a ton of Wrangler western wear. Check it out.

Don't forget to stop by Target to get free 3D glasses. Carrie Underwood is part of a Michael Jackson tribute on this Sunday's Grammy Awards show, and the glasses will let you see the tribute the way the producers would like you to.

When hot artists release a new cd, they're booked on a bunch of shows. Lady Antebellum's much-anticipated sophomore album comes out today, and here's their schedule for the next couple of weeks: they'll be on the Ellen show tomorrow, will be part of the MusiCares Tribute to Neil Young on Friday, will perform at the Grammys on Sunday, and will do a special outdoor concert for the Jimmy Kimmel Live show on February 2nd. Then on February 16th, they'll be on the Today show, live from Vancouver, the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics. One thing's certain - if you want to see them on tv, you'll have no trouble finding them!

CDs out today - Lady Antebellum "Need You Now," and Vince Gill "Vince Gill: Love Songs."