Yonder Mountain Hosts Harvest Music Festival

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Bluegrass Quartet Yonder Mountain Hosts 6th Annual Harvest Music Festival. Summer is winding to a close, school is starting back up, and the worst of the heat (fingers crossed!) has passed! While one of the best things about summertime is live music and the fact that we can count on our favorite artists to be on tour, there are also plenty of music events packed into the Fall season as well (and cooler weather to boot!). One such event to look forward to is the 6th Annual Harvest Music Festival hosted this year by the bluegrass quartet Yonder Mountain String Band at Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, Arkansas Thursday, October 13th through Sunday, October 16th. The Harvest Music Festival is a family friendly event with a four day line-up of live music in addition to other events and access to hiking, biking, fishing, river-rafting and disc golf. The confirmed musical line-up features many other notable acts in addition to Yonder Mountain String Band including: Bela Fleck & the Flecktones Railroad Earth 7 Walkers featuring Papa Mali & Bill Kreuztmann Emmitt-Nershi Band Corey Smith, Cornmeal Split Lip Rayfield The Travelin’ McCoury’s Peter Rowan, The Wilders Trampled By Turtles Reckless Kelly Todd Snider James McMurtry Sara Watkins Great American Taxi Dirtfoot Mountain Sprout Greensky Bluegrass The Greencards Steep Canyon Rangers Matthew and the Atlas That 1 Guy David Lindley Jay Nash Adam Aijala and Larry Keel Danny Barnes Larry Keel & Natural Bridge Nathan Moore Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band The Trishas The David Mayfield Parade Elephant Revival Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings Big Smith Oakhurst Deep Fried Pickle Project Deadman Flats Truckstop Honeymoon PKB – Pete Kartsounes Band The Alaska String Band Gleny Rae Virus & Her Tamworth Playboys Whistle Pigs Dead Winter Carpenters Mountain of Venus Charliehorse Dumptruck Butterlips The Blackberry Bushes String Band Honeyshine Festival attendees will also have the pleasure of either participating in or just viewing the “First Annual Fiddlin’ and Pickin’ Contest” which will be judged by celebrity musicians (who have yet to be announced). The contest will include four instrument categories: Mandolin, Banjo, Flat Picking Guitar, and Fiddle, and contests will be held on October 13, 14, and 15. Those interested can submit their name up to 15 minutes before the competition. You can click here to sign up! Besides the full list of musical performances and the fiddlin’ and pickin’ contest the festival will include a couple of socially-conscious initiatives as well. Conscious Alliance (a Boulder, CO-based national non-profit organization committed to the distribution of much-needed food to impoverished communities across the United States) will be spear-heading the “Art That Feeds” Food Drive which will benefit the River Valley Regional Food Bank in Fort Smith, AR, and all donations will be distributed to those displaced in the region by the devastating tornadoes in Spring 2011. Also, Rock The Earth will be combining forces with with river-rafting experts Turner Bend and the Shimon Presents Work Exchange Team to lead a “River & Road Cleanup” on Wednesday, Continue reading Yonder Mountain Hosts Harvest Music Festival→

2011 CMA Award Nominees – Contest!

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Help Country Music News Blog choose who to vote for in the 2011 CMA Awards! It’s voting time for the 2011 CMA Awards and we’re plowin through all the nominee’s videos to help make our decisions! We’ve compiled a playlist of videos belonging to this year’s second round nominees and embedded it below to make a nice long soundtrack while we work here in the newsroom. We need YOU to play along and comment below on who you think deserves the honors and in which category? We’ll be drawing a winner from the comments to receive a special prize which will be announced on November 9th during the awards broadcast! 2011 CMA Awards Video Playlist: The 2011 CMA Awards Categories are: Entertainer of the Year Female Vocalist of the Year Male Vocalist of the Year New Artist of the Year Vocal Group of the Year Vocal Duo of the Year Single of the Year Album of the Year Song of the Year Musical Event of the Year Music Video of the Year Musician of the Year Comment with your winning picks below! * Prize provided by CountryMusicNewsBlog.com. * Entries must be received by Saturday November 8th. * Winners will not be eligible for another prize drawing until 90 days after this one. * 1 Winner will be drawn Sunday November 9th from ALL comments on THIS post with a valid email address.

Josh Kelley Joins Lady Antebellum

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Josh Kelley Joins Lady Antebellum For The Fall ‘Own The Night 2011 Tour’. Josh Kelley will be joining Lady Antebellum this fall for their Own The Night 2011 Tour! The Grammy Award winning trio and the singer/songwriter will kick things off in Knoxville, TN on November 11. I’m sure this tour will be full of excitement and fun, with a few pranks thrown in there between the brothers! “I can’t wait to get on the road with Lady Antebellum. They put on a high-energy show and I’ve gotten to see them perform a few times this summer when we’ve played at the same fairs and festivals. I know their fans like to have a good time and I’m ready to get them fired up! I’m also excited to tour with Lady A because I know my brother, Charles, and I will play a lot of golf!” -Kelley Josh has recently been on Miranda Lamberts Revolution Tour and will join Taylor Swift’s Speak Now tour next week, through September. Kelley’s latest single “Gone Like That” was released in March and is the follow up to the top 15 hit “Georgia Clay“. Below is the video for your enjoyment! =) [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Z-mpyRx4A&ob=av2e]

Rodney Atkins’ New Album

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Rodney Atkins’ Fourth Studio Album Hits The Market October 4th. Rodney Atkins’ newest album, Take A Back Road, will hit stores Tuesday, October 4th. The Curb Records’ platinum selling artist has been going strong all summer, touring non-stop since the beginning of June. The second single/title track of the album, “Take A Back Road“, is the fastest rising single of his career. “I have put a lot of time into the recording of this album and am excited to say I think it is progressive and representative of who and where I am today. We are thrilled with the reaction of ‘Take A Back Road’.” -Atkins With this being his 4th studio album and having numerous hits under his belt (“Watching You“, “Cleaning This Gun“, “Farmer’s Daughter“, “These Are My People“, “If You’re Going Through Hell“, “It’s America“), I find myself wondering why he gets so little recognition. Rodney Atkins hosted and organized “Music City Gives Back” this June, is currently working with Pillsbury’s Biscuitfest, will soon be touring in the fall, and no doubt will make an appearance at the annual CMA Awards. Atkins is also getting ready for the shooting of GAC‘s original series “Origin” and will be shooting in several locations for the video of “Take A Back Road“. Sounds like a busy man! Make sure to snatch up Take A Back Road as soon as it hits the shelves, I’m sure Atkins will give us a few more hits this go around! The track listing is below and I have to say numbers 6,8, and 10 have got me curious… Track Listing 1. Take A Back Road 2. He’s Mine 3. Family 4. The Corner 5. She’s A Girl 6. She’d Rather Fight 7. Feet 8. Cabin In The Woods 9. Just Wanna Rock N’ Roll 10. Growing Up Like That 11. Tips 12. Lifetime 13. Farmer’s Daughter

5 Reported Dead in Sugarland Stage Collapse

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A severe storm brings down the stage at the Indiana State Fairgrounds just moments before Sugarland was set to perform, killing a reported 5 victims and injuring dozens more. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of those lost loved ones during last night’s horrific stage collapse at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. It is reported that five were killed and at least 40 injured as severe weather caused the stage rigging to become unstable and fall to the ground with very little warning. Sugarland has predictably cancelled tonight’s performance, and there is no word yet on rescheduling the concert as all parties involved are in deep sorrow over last nights events.

Luke Bryan Announces Farm Tour

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Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour Returns For The Third Year In A Row! If you think the CMNB staff is on a bit of a Luke Bryan kick, well you’re right, we can’t get enough! We are happy to announce the Georgia native is hosting his third consecutive Farm Tour. This mini-tour will not take away from his other projects he has going on, the 6 shows will fit right between Tim McGraw’s Emotional Traffic Tour and his headline CMT On Tour: Luke Bryan Tailgates & Tanlines. “We have such a blast at these shows. We look forward to bringing music into some of these areas where concert tours can’t get to. There’s nothing like building a tour set in the middle of a crop field!” -Bryan Bryan came up with the idea for the Farm Tour as his way of giving back to local farming communities. What better way to celebrate the American Farmer than an outdoor, rocking concert?! All the proceeds made at each show will go to a local student from a farming family. It will be in scholarship form for a local college of that area. Tickets are on sale now and below are the dates and locations of the tour! September 29 – Clemson, SC (Clemson University) September 30 – Athens, GA (Tucker Plantation) October 1 – Macon, GA (Luther Williams Field) October 5 – Statesboro, GA (Longneedle Farm) October 6 – Valdosta, GA (Coffee Weed Plantation) October 7 – Carrollton, GA (VFW Fairgrounds)

Doug Stone At The Grape Festival

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Doug Stone Headlines Thursday Night at the Tontitown Grape Festival. This year marked the 113th annual Tontitown Grape Festival in Tontitown, AR. The festival was 5 days long, Tuesday August 9 – Saturday August 13th, with free entertainment each day. The headliners were: Tuesday Jamie O’neal, Wednesday Chuck Wicks, Thursday Doug Stone, Friday Studio B featuring Patrick Hall, and Saturday Andy Griggs. Thursday I decided to partake in the small town’s festivities, convincing myself I couldn’t miss the legendary Doug Stone. The weather couldn’t have been better, a breezy 75 degrees with the smell of carefully prepared food filling the air! I sampled some grapes, a cup of local wine, and purchased my grandpa a leather keychain with “Thomas” imprinted on it! Focusing on what I came for, I strategically placed my lawn chair at the perfect position among the crowd gathered on the asphalt, not too close, yet not too far. Not in the middle, but not too much on the side where all I got was a view of the sound system. When I was comfy, I sat and watched the artists do their thing. Western Justice, a close to the area Oklahoma band, was first up. Even with one band member down, the guys had a great show! They never once dropped their momentum. Sammy Sadler was next to take the “Gold Medal” stage. Known by many for an awful tragedy that occurred when he was a young man in 1989, “Murder On Music Row” has only made Sadler the strong, capable, and talented artist he is today. His album, Heart Shaped Like Texas, is available now and includes “I Wanna Be Loved By You“, “I’ll Always Have Denver“, “Thank God“, “If This Ain’t Heaven“, the title track “Heart Shaped Like Texas“, plus 6 others. Sadler sang his heart out and impressed a slew of people! Unfortunately when Stone took the stage, I almost regretted my decision of coming. I had such high hopes for the man who gave us numerous top ten hits including “In A Different Light“, “Why Didn’t I Think Of That“, “I’d Be Better Off (In A Pinebox)”, “Jukebox With A Country Song“, “Fourteen Minutes Old“, and “Made For Lovin’ You“. The crowd really seemed to enjoy his performance and easy-going attitude, but I knew he could have done so much better. It was a very “comical” show, full of jokes and laughter. The members of the band were very talented and did their best to keep their front man on his toes. Stone seemed to be having a great time, so much that he forgot his own lyrics on several occasions. I believe his favorite part of the evening was pointing out random fans who decided to leave early and talking to them (once during a song). Sticking it out until he was done performing proved to be my biggest task this week (possibly this month). Tonight is the last night the festival will take place, so don’t miss your chance to Continue reading Doug Stone At The Grape Festival→

The Band Perry Announce Tour

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The Band Perry Launch Purveyors of Performance Tour. The Band Perry has announced they will be launching their own tour, Purveyors of Performance. The tour will include their own headlining performances in addition to support performances for Keith Urban, Reba McEntire and one other artist who has yet to be announced. The tour will kick-off August 15th in Lewisburg, West Virginia, will cover approximately 75 shows all over the country, and will conclude in Tupelo, Mississippi on November 19th. “It has always been our dream to play Country music. We’ve been on the road as a family band for thirteen years and experienced the intimacy of theaters, the energy of county fairs and the joy of connecting with new faces as we support these amazing artists at arenas and amphitheaters. Artists like Tim McGraw, Keith Urban and Reba were the ones who originally inspired us to dream big…now they have helped our dreams come true. We couldn’t be more grateful to them or excited about the future.” -The Band Perry The group is currently finishing up with Tim McGraw‘s Emotional Traffic tour before they embark on Purveyors of Performance. They were recently honored with two nominations at the Teen Choice Awards, and have more exciting events to come in the rest of August! They will be performing Sunday, August 14th on CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night To Rock in addition to being featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on August 17th.

Jamey Johnson Performs at Farm Aid 2011

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Jamey Johnson Joins Willie Nelson and Others at 2011 Farm Aid Performances. Even though Jamey Johnson is currently on tour and simultaneously recording a new album, he is still taking the time to perform at the Farm Aid 2011 Saturday, August 13th at the Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City. Johnson is joining a line-up of performers which includes Willie Nelson among others. Farm Aid is a long running benefit concert founded to support American family farmers. The benefit has managed to raise over $39 million to aid family farmers all over the country and help them thrive. The mission of Farm Aid has a special meaning to Jamey as he grew up on a family farm in Alabama. “When I was a kid, we had a little bit of land and just about every bit of it was farm…I can’t even name for you everything that we grew from this land. But the fact that we couldn’t make enough money to sustain it meant that we had to eventually move off of it and let it go to someone else.” -Jamey Johnson Especially considering the current climate in the nation from government to the economy, support systems like Farm Aid are little beacons of hope for American farmers. By focusing on family farmers, Farm Aid helps to promote American grown food which fills plates in American homes for American citizens. “Farm Aid is not just important to me, it’s important to anybody who eats. Farm Aid is set up to look after the family farmer, the ones that actually take part in the same crops that they produce for other people. They are not just growing food to send down the line; their family eats the same foods that they sell.” -Jamey Johnson Beyond taking the time to help support American farmers, Jamey Johnson has a lot going on. He recently finished up touring on Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown, and is now traveling all over the country on his own tour. He will be performing at the 5th Annual ACM Honors in Nashville on September 19th (which will also be in part a tribute to his good friend, singer/songwriter Hank Cochran, who passed away in 2010.). Somewhere in the middle of all this, Johnson is also finding time to complete his next album.