Today's Country Tidbits

Kenny Chesney is celebrating release week of “Welcome to the Fishbowl” with a free concert on the Jersey Shore today. The show will be webcast live from the beach in Wildwood, NJ at 8:30pm Eastern on VEVO. Then tomorrow he’ll be up late, guesting on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Friday morning he’ll be up early to be part of the Today Show. About the album, Kenny says fans will hear a new, more honest Kenny: “That’s the most important thing for me, is to be able to dig a little deeper than we’ve been, and take the audience on a little but different journey than we’ve been. And to be able to do that, I really feel like I gotta – as hard as it is – is to be incredibly honest. And to show what it took to record the song. I think they’re going to hear it in my voice in some of these songs.”

Luke Bryan is part of the 3rd annual ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp this week, visiting with musically talented but developmentally disabled kids in the studio. He’s really looking forward to one part: “I’m gonna stop by the studio and just pat ‘em on the back, get some hugs, get some pictures, and I’m looking forward to hearing the song. I’m sure it’ll be great, and cheer ‘em on, and I can’t wait to see their performance and see them get out there and do what they do so well. And that really feels special, and they have such a great way of brightening our day.”

The football team does it up right in Detroit. The Lions’ head coach, Jim Schwartz, is a big fan of Randy Houser and missed him the last time he played in Detroit. So Jim decided to create an event for Randy to headline. “Coach’s Kickoff” will be held at Ford Field in Detroit on August 5th and will feature an autograph session with the team, followed by an open team practice and Randy’s concert. Tickets go on sale this Friday.

Keith Urban has decided to kick off his 2013 tour in Australia. Make plans for shows in Brisbane on January 25th and 26th. According to Keith, it’ll be “new music, new show – it’ll be a blast!”

Jennifer Nettles is on cloud 9 with the upcoming birth of her first child. She and Justin Miller were married in November of last year, and their baby is due in November of this year.

Pistol Annies have created a new online community called The Henhouse. There’s “dating advice you won’t get from your momma,” according to Miranda Lambert, as well as music, a video channel for fans to share their inspirations and more. The project got its start one night on the tour bus as the ladies were dishing out dating advice to a member of their crew. Perhaps alcohol was also involved…

Carrie Underwood graces the cover of the Canadian version of Elle Magazine.

Congrats to Eric Church, who has the #1 song again this week with “Springsteen.” “Springsteen’ is one of those songs that every night that I sing it, I can remember being 16 years old at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Charlotte, North Carolina – my first amphitheater experience up there on the lawn. And I can remember spreading that blanket down, and I can still see the faces of the people that were there with me.”

Lee Brice will be on the Today show tomorrow morning. In addition, he’s celebrating the platinum status of his #1 song, “A Woman Like You.”