FOCUS on the 615
Nashville's premier entertainment blog including album, song and show reviews and exclusive artist interviews.
(l. to r.): Casey James; Doobie Brothers Tom Johnston and John Cowan; Charlie Worsham at 3rd & Lindsley late show. Photo credit: Moments by Moser
Pleasant spring temperatures brought out the crowds for the first night of the 23rd Annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival Presented by Regions Bank. Packed Festival venues all across town presented a diverse group of songwriters that covered virtually every genre of music, and there was no shortage of surprises last night.
The Country Music Association announced today that Jim Ed Brown and The Browns, Grady Martin, and The Oak Ridge Boys will become the newest members of the revered Country Music Hall of Fame.
Chase Rice made his debut appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America on Monday, March 23, performing his new single “Gonna Wanna Tonight” from his chart-topping mainstream debut album Ignite The Night. The performance kicks off an action-packed week for Rice as he heads out on The Big Revival Tour with Kenny Chesney this Thursday, March 26. The highly-anticipated tour launches with two sold-out nights at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and continues through the summer.
Country music superstar Brad Paisley will host a night of stand-up comedy featuring comedians Jon Reep, Greg Hahn, Theo Von,Sarah Tiana, Keith Alberstadt and more at TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall on Thursday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m., as part of the weeklong Wild West Comedy Festival. Year two of the festival is set for Tuesday, April 14 through Sunday, April 19 in Nashville, and brings a full slate of all-star comedians to its lineup. Tickets to the Paisley-hosted evening go on sale this Friday, March 27 atwww.wildwestcomedyfestival.com.
Following his 80+ city, sold-out headlining “YEE YEE NATION” tour, country music sensation Granger Smith announced today his forthcoming EP, 4X4, will be available on May 4 via Thirty Tigers. Esteemed producer Frank Rogers, whose credits include Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker and Josh Turner, helmed the four-song project, which includes a new track from Granger’s notorious country boy alter-ego, Earl Dibbles Jr.
Fleetwood Mac christened the building on March 14, 1980 and throughout its history Rosemont, Illinois’ now-dubbed Allstate Arena has housed some of the greatest names in entertainment. Everyone from The Allman Brothers to The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band to The Eagles and McCartney have fashioned the arena a touring mainstay in America’s heartland, but last night (March 20,2015), and nearly 35 years to the day since its opening, 7-time GRAMMY nominee Eric Church set the new bar for live concert attendance with 18,626 fervent fans assembled for his The Outsiders World Tour.
For the sixth year in a row, Platinum-selling country artist Darius Rucker will host his annual “Darius and Friends” benefit concert in Nashville, Tenn. on Monday, June 8 at the Wildhorse Saloon, benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The event has received an overwhelming response in past years, with consistent sellouts and over $439,000 raised in total, and fans have come to look forward to kicking off CMA Fest with Rucker and his friends. Friends performing with Darius in past years have included Luke Bryan, Radney Foster, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Charles Kelley (Lady Antebellum), Dustin Lynch, Justin Moore, Jerrod Niemann and Kenny Rogers, among others. The lineup for this year’s event will be announced in the coming weeks.
(L to R) Kennedy Taylor Covington, Katherine Cook, Bucky Covington, Dr. Jen Ashton, Dr. Travis Stork
Photo Credit: The Doctors
Country Star and American Idol Finalist Bucky Covington appeared on an episode of the daytime medical talk show The Doctors on Friday February 27th, with his family to raise awareness about a cause that is very close to their hearts: the use of a heart medication to help with a rare form of birthmark requiring treatment. Bucky’s infant daughter Kennedy was diagnosed with Infantile Hemangiomas at 3 weeks old. After conferring with specialists, Bucky and fiancé Katherine decided that the best choice for their daughter would be to start a treatment process to reverse the advancing of the birthmark preventing permanent damage to the skin.
Rising country star and outdoor enthusiast Jon Pardi has been chosen as NRA Country’s Featured Artist for March. The California native has received high praise for his debut album,Write You A Song, featuring hits “Up All Night” and “Missin’ You Crazy.” Pardi was hand-picked by country legend Alan Jackson to join him on his 25th anniversary Keepin’ It Country Tour this spring, hitting Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on April 11th, presented by NRA. In between touring with Alan Jackson and selling-out his own headlining shows, Pardi is writing and recording music for his upcoming sophomore album.
Superstar vocal group Rascal Flatts’ Vegas residency wrapped this weekend, following a nine-show run at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The first-ever country residency to take place at the intimate venue featured show-stopping performances receiving critical praise, with Las Vegas Sun touting it as a “straightforward jam session with one of country music’s biggest acts in the past decade.” For their last show, the trio brought out surprise guest Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe for a ground shaking version of “Kickstart My Heart.”
