Author Archives: Shauna "WhiskeyChick" Castorena

About Shauna "WhiskeyChick" Castorena

Shauna "WhiskeyChick" Castorena is a freelance writer for both Country Music News and Country Music On Tour. Want to collab on some content? Email me. Want my rates for commercial promo work? Get them right here.

CMA Announces Nominees For 43rd Annual CMA Awards

Posted on by

The Country Music Association has announced the final nominees in five categories for the 43rd annual CMA awards. Country star Darius Rucker and Lee Ann Womack revealed the nominees in several categories during a live broadcast from NYC’s Time Square on Good Morning America this morning (9/9). The remaining nominees will be announced by Randy Houser and CMT personalities Cody Alan and Alecia Davis during a special edition of CMT Insider at 9a (CT). The 43rd annual CMA awards will broadcast live on Wednesday, November 11th at 8p (ET) from Music City on ABC-TV. And the nominees are: Entertainer Of The Year KENNY CHESNEY BRAD PAISLEY TAYLOR SWIFT GEORGE STRAIT KEITH URBAN Male Vocalist Of The Year KENNY CHESNEY BRAD PAISLEY GEORGE STRAIT DARIUS RUCKER KEITH URBAN Female Vocalist Of The Year TAYLOR SWIFT MIRANDA LAMBERT MARTINA McBRIDE REBA McENTIRE CARRIE UNDERWOOD New Artist Award DARIUS RUCKER JAMEY JOHNSON RANDY HOUSER JAKE OWEN ZAC BROWN BAND Musical Event Of The Year “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” – BROOKS & DUNN with REBA McENTIRE “Down The Road” – KENNY CHESNEY with MAC McANALLY “Everything But Quite” -LEE ANN WOMACK with GEORGE STRAIT “I Told You So” – CARRIE UNDERWOOD with RANDY TRAVIS “Old Enough” – THE RACONTEURS with RICKY SKAGGS and ASHLEY MONROECountry Music Photo Gallery

Chicago Country Music Festival Oct. 3rd & 4th

Posted on by

Steel Guitars, Fiddle, & Harmonica Define the Chicago Country Music Festival October 3 & 4 in Grant Park Headlining this year’s Chicago Country Music Festival is Miranda Lambert! The Chicago Country Music Festival is known to deliver some of the best country performers just north of Nashville. Last year’s event attracted more than 100,000 people to hear Gretchen Wilson and Taylor Swift perform. This year, the Chicago Country Music Festival will feature three stages, a dance tent, farmers market, art fair and a Kids Corral. The fest opens daily from 11am to 9:30pm in Grant Park. For more information visit: www.chicagocountrymusicfestival.usCountry Music Photo Gallery

Luke Bryan Kicks Off Farm Tour

Posted on by

Luke Bryan could be playing at a farmhouse near you as he announces his 2009 Farm Tour! Luke Bryan has just announced his first Farm Tour show on October 5 in Statesboro, Georgia. The concept for this tour came from Bryan as his way to give back to local farming communities. These special one-off shows will continue throughout Bryan’s career with additional dates already planned for 2010. Further details on these Farm Tour shows will be announced at a later time. GAC’s Top 20 will film their show on site in Statesboro. “Being from a rural farming community, the Farm Tour is something I have envisioned for a very long time,” says Bryan. “I love the thought of setting up on a farm and building our own little world, starting small and growing it each time. We can never do enough to bring awareness to the hard working farmers of this country.” The October 5 Farm Tour concert will be held at Hurricane Plantation in Claxton, Georgia, just outside of Statesboro, with proceeds going to a scholarship fund for students at Georgia Southern University, where Luke Bryan graduated from. Tickets are available online Thursday, September 10 at lukebryan.com and also hard tickets available September 12 at Harry’s BBQ & Seafood in Hagan, GA. Great American Country will film the Top 20 Countdown Show from the show. The first-ever Farm Tour show is also the kick-off for Bryan’s Doin’ My Thing album launch where he plans to head to multiple cities in a two week timeframe to meet his fans and play new music. Doin’ My Thing is due in stores October 6.Country Music Photo Gallery

Jewel Announces Fall Tour Dates

Posted on by

Jewel takes her act on the road with these new fall tour dates! Tuesday, October 27th      Baltimore, MD Lyric Opera House TIME: Tuesday, October 27th PRICE: $22.00 – $47.00 Opening: Meiko Wednesday, October 28th Charlotte, NC Knight Theater TIME: 7:30pm PRICE: $39.50 – $59.50 Opening: Meiko Thursday, October 29th     Durham, NC The Carolina Theatre of Durham TIME: 8:00pm PRICE: $39.00 – $47.00 Opening: Meiko Friday, October 30, 2009 Birmingham, AL Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center – Jemison Concert Hall TIME: 8:00pm PRICE: $38.00 – $58.00 Opening: Meiko Saturday, October 31st     Melbourne, FL King Center for the Performing Arts TIME: 8:00pm PRICE: $28.00 – $48.00 Opening: Meiko Sunday, November 1st     Ft. Myers, FL Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Hall TIME: 7:30pm PRICE: $26.50 – $46.50 Opening: Meiko Tuesday, November 3rd     Miami Beach, FL The Fillmore at Jackie Gleason Theater TIME: 7:30pm On sale Friday, September 11th at 10am Opening: Meiko Wednesday, November 4th Sarasota, FL Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall TIME: 8:00pm PRICE: $30.50 – $60.50 Opening: Meiko Thursday, November 5th     Jacksonville, FL Florida Theatre TIME: 8:00pm PRICE: $31.50 – $41.50 Opening: Meiko Friday, November 6th     Biloxi, MS Beau Rivage Theatre TIME: 8:00pm PRICE: $29.95 – $49.95 Opening: Holly Williams Saturday, November 7th     Vicksburg, MS Ameristar Casino TIME: 7:30pm PRICE: $40.50 – $50.50 On sale Monday, September 14th Opening: Holly Williams Sunday, November 8th     Quapaw, OK Downstream Casino Resort On sale Saturday, September 5th at 12:00pm Opening: Holly Williams Tuesday, November 10th     Wichita, KS Orpheum TIME: 8:00pm PRICE: $38.00 – $98.00 On sale Friday, September 11th at 9am Opening: Holly Williams Thursday, November 12th Austin, TX One World Theatre TIME: 7:00pm PRICE: $130.00 – $190.00 Opening: Holly Williams Friday, November 13th     Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater On sale Saturday, September 19th at 10:00am Opening: Holly Williams Saturday, November 14th Bossier City, LA Horseshoe Casino & Hotel On sale Friday, September 18th at 10:00am Sunday, November 15th     Ft. Worth, TX Bass Performance HallCountry Music Photo Gallery

New Music From Taylor Swift

Posted on by

Taylor Swift announced she will be re-releasing “Fearless” but with 6 additional songs! Straight from Taylor Swift’s Myspace blog: “There’s a lot going on that I’m very excited about. One of the things at the top of my favorite things list is that I have new music coming out! What’s that you say? We just put out Fearless last year? I know! We’re not putting out a whole new album. We’re re-releasing Fearless with SIX new songs added. I’m so excited for you to hear this new music, see the new pictures, and watch the 50 million hours of bonus content. I love you a lot and I’ll see you on the road!”Country Music Photo Gallery

Drive By Truckers Outsell Taylor Swift

Posted on by

Drive By Truckers are quickly becoming a household name, even topping Taylor Swift in album sales this last week! My sincere congratulations go out to Drive By Truckers, who just a couple short years ago I saw perform a live show in an itty bitty venue in Phoenix Arizona to a half-drunk, crowd that mostly showed up on a friend’s begging. This week they left Taylor Swift in the dust in overall record sales, making themselves the top-selling country act for the first week of September (according to StreetPulse). Everywhere I go friends here in Oklahoma are telling me “Hey,have you heard that new band “Drive By Truckers?” and I just smile. I smile because we’ve been featuring Drive By Truckers for YEARS! You see, this is WHY I do what I do! I push press for artists I love as a born and raised country music fan because I want to share all of their hard work, trials and successes with other music lovers. I celebrate the achievements of  struggling artists and DIY touring bands because someday I hope I can help make their dreams come true. Sure, I may not know these guys personally, only through their music, but music can change lives.It’s the only thing I know that can hurt, heal, lift, or bring down a person in 3 minutes or less. It drives people to dream, inspires people to look at themselves in new light, even teaches how to handle struggles we all face. Of course now I’m way off track and you’re wondering what this has to do with Drive By Truckers right? Well, when you see a band like this playing in a dive bar in a strange town  for little more than gas money and a love of the music, you get humbled by the shared commitment to and importance of that music. And to see even ONE band go from that dive bar scene to beating the biggest sales pitch in Nashville is a success that I think ALL music fans can celebrate with me.Country Music Photo Gallery

Bryan White Free Download

Posted on by

Bryan White releases his new single “Little Things” and he’s giving it away for free! Bryan White is giving fans a taste of the first single off his new album  “Dustbowl Dreams” which marks his eight studio album. To get your copy of “The Little Things” visit www.bryanwhite.com today!Country Music Photo Gallery

Brooks & Dunn Final Album Release: #1’s and then some

Posted on by

Brooks & Dunn release their supposed final album today: #1’s and Then Some Hot on the heels of announcing their breakup, Brooks & Dunn’s last studio release hits store shelves. #1’s…And Then Some is a 2-disc collection of a total 30 tracks covering the entire span of the duo’s chart-topping career. Fans will also be treated with two original songs, and some classic hits. Additional tracks include ‘Neon Moon’ and ‘That Ain’t No Way to Go’ to their anthemic ‘Only In America,’ ‘Red Dirt Road,’ ‘Play Something Country,’ and many more, including their ACM and CMA Song of the Year winner, ‘Believe.’Country Music Photo Gallery

2009 CMA Website Goes Live!

Posted on by

The 2009 CMA Award nominations will be revealed Wednesday September 9th LIVE on ABC! NASHVILLE – The announcement of the final nominees for the 2009 CMA Awards will be carried live on Wednesday, Sept. 9, from the “Good Morning America” studios in the heart of New York City’s Times Square on the ABC Television Network. . “The 43rd Annual CMA Awards” will be broadcast live from the Sommet Center in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 11 (8:00-11:00 PM ET/delayed PT) on ABC and is hosted for the second year by reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Brad Paisley and reigning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Carrie Underwood. The final nominees in select categories will be announced by Darius Rucker, who has quickly established himself as a fan and industry favorite with three No. 1 singles to his credit, and Lee Ann Womack, a former CMA Female Vocalist of the Year with 18 career CMA Awards nominations to her credit. The live announcements will take place during the 8:30 AM/ET half-hour of the morning news program. “I was so honored to perform at the 2008 CMA Awards Show, and I feel privileged to be a part of this year’s nominee announcement,” said Rucker.Country Music Photo Gallery