CMA Music Fest A Success

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2011 CMA Music Festival Wraps Up Nightly Concerts and Nashville Readies for Next Year! Last week marked a jam-packed week for Nashville with the 2011 CMA Music Festival taking place June 9-12, and all the preliminary events which kicked-off as early as Monday. It was hot outside and the streets may have been crowded beyond belief, but it was a success nonetheless! From the special concerts at the Grand Ole Opry featuring Carrie Underwood, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, American Idol winner and runner-up Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina and others, to Autograph signings at Fan Fair Hall and fan club parties, to the CMA Fest Parade Wednesday, to the concert line-up at LP Field, the focal point of the festival, the entire week had plenty to offer for each and every country music fan. The nightly concerts at LP Field kicked-off in high gear on Thursday with the Zac Brown Band who were joined by special guests Amos Lee to perform “Colder Weather” and “Knee Deep“, and newcomer Sonia Leigh. Additionally, Zac Brown Band was joined by Randy Travis for a duet on his hit “Forever and Ever, Amen“. Even Alan Jackson popped by during the set to sing “As She’s Walking Away” with the group. Next up, Easton Corbin contributed a 20-minute set including “A Little More Country Than That“, “Roll With It“, and even a title off his new album. Sara Evans followed up Corbin’s set with her own including her latest hit single “A Little Bit Stronger” and other songs like “As If“. Season 9 American Idol finalist, Casey James brought his own flavor to the line-up with “So Sweet” and “Drive“. Lastly, Jason Aldean wrapped up the evening with hits “My Kinda Party” and “Big Green Tracker“. He was joined by collaborator Kelly Clarkson to sing their duet “Don’t You Wanna Stay“, and finished things up with the increasingly popular “Dirt Road Anthem“. The all-star line-up continued Friday night with Ashton Shepherd singing songs like “Sounds So Good” and current hit “Look It Up“. She was followed by Dierks Bentley‘s five song set which included “Sideways” and “Feel That Fire“. Lady Antebellum took over the stage next and sang the hit “Need You Now” as well as “American Honey” and “Just A Kiss“. Shania Twain graced the stage, and though she did not sing, she introduced the next act, Sugarland who covered multiple songs including “All I Want To Do“, “Stuck Like Glue“, and “Something More“. Keith Urban hit the stage next with “Put You In A Song” and “Love Somebody Like You“. Jake Owen jumped in for an unannounced duet with Urban on his own “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You“. Rounding the evening off nicely was Reba McEntire with a classic “Why Haven’t I Heard From You” and her more recent “Consider Me Gone“. Saturday night’s line-up was no less shabby starting off with Chris Young singing some of his best like “Gettin’ You Home” and “Tomorrow“. This was followed by an interesting moment Continue reading CMA Music Fest A Success→

Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina at CMA Fest

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Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina Gain Experience and Perspective at CMA Music Festival. Recent American Idol winner, Scotty McCreery and runner-up, Lauren Alaina have hit the ground running with appearances and performances every other day last week during the CMA Music Festival in Nashville. The pair attended the 2011 CMT Music Awards where they had the chance to help bring attention to the devastation created by this Spring’s storms, the relief efforts being made by some country music stars, and specifically introduce Sugarland‘s performance. Additionally, the two had the career starting opportunity Friday during the CMA Music Festival to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. Lauren sang LeAnn Rimes’ “Blue” as well as her debut single “Like My Mother Does“, and Scotty performed his debut single, “I Love You This Big” and George Strait’s “Check Yes Or No“. Saturday night during the nightly concerts at LP Field both Scotty and Lauren were able to perform with their own idols. Scotty, of course, performed a duet with Josh Turner on “Your Man” while Lauren sang “Anyway” with Martina McBride. On top of all this, both of these new and rising stars learned just recently that both of their singles are fairing very well on the charts, proving just how much American loves them. So, not only are Scotty and Lauren getting to jump right in, presenting at awards shows, performing with the artists who inspire them, and gracing the iconic Opry stage, they are already proving their worth with success on their first singles. Regardless of these opportunities and successes however, they are aware of the need to establish an identity of their own. Lauren who has sited Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert as influences in addition to Martina McBride, recognizes the need to create original content, and set herself appear as a female country artist. “I got a record deal, at 16. That’s weird. Making this record is going to be the biggest step I’m ever going to have to do. People know who I am because of a TV show, but it’s from singing cover songs…I have to be different from everybody else.” -Lauren Alaina Scotty who garnered much of his attention on Idol because of his vocal similarity to Josh Turner openly acknowledges the similarity, but underscores his responsibility to present something fresh and different, understanding that it will take a lot of hard work. “I might sound like them, kind of, but it’ll be a different career. They’re older, well-established guys. There’s going to be a lot of work for me to get out of this and hit the ground running. I’m trying to put my foot in the door.” -Scotty McCreery With CMA Fest and their whirlwind schedule concluded, hopefully Scotty and Lauren will get a little breather The they can get started on those albums they’ve promised fans! Watch Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina at the 2011 CMT Music Awards Here! More CMT Shows – More CMT Videos

Eli Young Band At The Rib Room

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Eli Young Band At Neumeier’s Rib Room in Fort Smith, AR! This past Thursday (June 9) the Eli Young Band headlined a sold out show at Neumeier’s Rib Room in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Downtown Garrison Avenue was a non-stop party with doors opening at 6:00pm. Guests had a few drinks and ate a few ribs while waiting for the show to begin at 8:00 pm. 2 Steps Back were the openers and did a spectacular job of warming up the crowd. I’m almost sure the beer garden shook with excitement as EYB took the stage. The first song they played was their hit “When It Rains” and the last song they played was another enormously local hit “Oklahoma Girl“. In between was “Jet Black & Jealous“, “Radio Waves“, “So Close Now“, “Enough Is Enough“, “Always The Love Songs“, “Crazy Girl“, “Highways And Broken Hearts“, “Small Town Kid“, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Gimme Three Steps“, Tom Petty’s “American Girl“, along with others. I have seen these boys numerous times at numerous venues, as the opener or headline act, let me tell you I have not been disappointed once! They interact with the crowd and enjoy their time on the stage. They are currently on a jam-packed touring schedule, tonight and tomorrow playing in Texas and Sunday in Nashville at the CMA Music Fest. Their songs are very relatable, in fact I dare you to not relate to one in some way, I promise it’s impossible. If you are into the “red dirt” type music they play then I strongly advise you to take a look at their schedule to find a show near you!

Little Big Town Hosts Ride For A Cure

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Little Big Town Hosts The 5th Annual Ride For A Cure. Sunday, June 12, will be the 5th Annual Ride For A Cure in support of the T.J. Martell Foundation . Lyons Chevrolet is presenting the event and registration begins at 8am at the Roundabout Plaza in downtown Nashville. Bo Bice, Eric Paslay, Kelleigh Bannen, Dean Alexander, and Cali Rodi will be there bright and early for the morning entertainment. The riders will take off at 10:30 am and head to Harley-Davidson, Columbia. Once everyone has arrived Little Big Town will take the stage for the afternoon jam. Jake Owen, David Nail, Laura Bell Bundy, and Jarrod Niemann will also be taking the stage and GAC’s Storme Warren and syndicated radio host Big D will be there to EMCEE. Tickets can be purchased at the event, VIP $300, riders $35, and afternoon jam $20. Gates in Columbia will open at 10:30 am for non-riders. The T.J. Martell Foundation is a national non-profit organization that supports innovative research for leukemia, cancer, and AIDS.

Craig Morgan’s New Single

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Craig Morgan’s New Single This Ole Boy Craig Morgan will release his newest single “This Ole Boy” to country radio June 21. The song is his first with Black River Entertainment and has Morgan very excited! “This Ole Boy” is written by Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson, and Rhett Atkins and is “the perfect sing-along country love song”. The single will be on Morgan’s sixth studio album that is set to be out early 2012.

CMT Music Award Performances!

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CMT Music Award Performances Make The Night! Tonight was the night for the long awaited CMT Music Awards! Although I am happy for all the artists who received a buckle, I’m not happy with all of the results. But…life goes on, life isn’t fair, there is always next year, on to the next, and every other “keep your chin up” moto out there is running through my mind. So instead of giving my thoughts on the winners, I’ll give my thoughts on the major performances. Country stars had Nashville rocking and everyone else in America wishing we were there! It started off strong with Toby Keith and his latest single “Made In America“. This Oklahoma native has a tremendous amount of pride for his country and never fails to describe it in his lyrics! The Band Perry was next with the intro of “Love The Way You Lie” originally by Rihanna and then went straight into their latest hit “You Lie“. It was an energetic display with sister Kimberly traveling from the main stage, to a mini stage equipped with her piano, then back to the main stage. One of my favorite parts of the night was Luke Bryan singing “Country Girl (Shake It For ME)”. He looked like he was having the time of his life on stage dancing to his recent hit! This performance definitely brought up the level of excitement in the enormous room. Rascal Flatts was backed by a very talented choir as they sang “I Won’t Let Go“. It was touching and I was very impressed with their humble performance. For the first time in 3 years Big and Rich graced the stage with a little help from their favorite redneck woman, Gretchen Wilson. The three rocked the stage with “Fake ID“, a comical tale of a youngster looking for a good time! My all-time favorite part of the night by far was Sheryl Crow with host Kid Rock and their performance of “Collide“. These two always hit the ball out of the park when the team up, “Picture” is still a classic in my mind! Tonight the duo was both sincere and entertaining, ending the song with a slow dance. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, that is country music at its finest! Zac Brown Band kept it tropical and breezy with “Knee Deep“. Sugarland had an emotional performance with “Stand Up“, having two sisters from Joplin, Mo join them on stage to wave the “LOVE Flag”. Keith Urban shared with us “Long Hot Summer“, which is sure to be the next summer hit. Lady Antebellum gave us a surprise when they followed up their song “Just A Kiss” with “Kiss” by Prince. The extra something at the end was fun and livened up their whole performance! Probably the most shocking part of the night was Jason Aldean with Ludacris and their re-vamped version of “Dirt Road Anthem“. Aldean always impresses me with his “rapping” abilities and having the rap star Continue reading CMT Music Award Performances!→

CMT Music Award Winners

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Complete List of the 2011 CMT Music Award Winners! Well, the 2011 CMT Music Awards proved to be eventful! With Kid Rock hosting and awesome performances from Lady Antebellum, Luke Bryan, Sugarland and others, it was definitely a memorable night. Check out a complete list of the winners below! Video of the Year Taylor Swift Female Video of the Year Miranda Lambert Male Video of the Year Blake Shelton “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking” Performance of the Year Zac Brown Band and Jimmy Buffet “Margaritaville” Duo Video of the Year Sugarland “Stuck Like Glue” Collaborative Video of the Year Rascal Flatts and Justin Bieber “That Should Be Me” USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year The Band Perry “If I Die Young” Group Video of the Year Lady Antebellum “Hello World” Best Web Video of the Year Blake Shelton “Kiss My Country Ass” Best Video Director of the Year Trey Fanjoy (award eligible videos include: Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me” and Blake Shelton’s “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking“) Nationwide On Your Side Award The Band Perry

Carrie Underwood in Nashville

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Carrie Underwood Discusses Scotty McCreery at Billboard Country Music Summit, Hosts Fan Party At Opry. It’s CMA Music Fest week in Nashville, and though she won’t be performingCarrie Underwood has still had a busy start! She kicked off the week speaking at this year’s Billboard Country Music Summit where she discussed an array of topics including her personal goals on entering American Idol (back in the day!), recording with Brad Paisley and new American Idol winner and runner-up, Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina discussing the difficulty of breaking into the industry. “…now days there aren’t too many avenues of real discovery as far as… if somebody like me who lives in Oklahoma just started playing in bars around Oklahoma, there’s no way I’m going to get discovered…but American Idol is for people like me. It’s for people like Scotty [McCreery] and Lauren [Alaina] who were in small towns and didn’t know how to do it, but had a love for music and a great talent and did their thing.” -Carrie Underwood Additionally, Carrie hosted her annual fan club party at the Grand Ole Opry yesterday, June 7th. The party started with a 45-minute by Underwood and her band followed by a Q&A session, and concluded with a round of “Fan Club Feud” (the Carrie Underwood version of “Family Feud”). That evening Carrie performed at two sold-out shows at The Opry. Unfortunately, Carrie will not be featured in the line-up of performances at this year’s CMA Fest, as she has headed off to Australia for a two-week promotional trip to support her “Play On: Deluxe Edition” CD, which will be released in Australia and New Zealand on Friday, June 10.

CMT Music Awards Adds The Band Perry

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The Band Perry, Martina McBride Announced as Additions to CMT Music Awards Airing Tonight! The fan-voted 2011 CMT Music Awards will air this evening, Wednesday June 8th, at 8pm ET/PT on CMT and cmt.com. There is already a long list of star presenters and performers, both from the country scene and others who are just getting in on all the country fun including Jason Aldean, Shania Twain, American Idol winner and runner-up Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts, Justin Beiber, and more! And the list just keep growing! The Band Perry has now been added to the list of performers! Additionally, Martina McBride and Little Big Town will be acting as presenters in this evenings festivities. Celebrity Apprentice contestant Gary Busey, actress Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon will also present awards. Also, Taylor Swift, with the help of Shania Twain and Glee actor Chord Overstreet, has wipped up a humorous reenactment of Thelma & Louise as part of the show’s opener. Clearly, it is going to a fun night! So, be sure to tune in! If you have to miss the fun, just check back in with us, and we will fill you in on all the details! For a complete list of performances, presenters, and award nominees click here.