The Grand Tour Makes A Stop At Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena
Outback Concerts in association with Country Music Hall of Fame member George Jones announce the final Nashville show as part of The Grand Tour to be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN on Friday, November 22, 2013.
Special guest Tanya Tucker will be on hand for the Nashville concert amongst other friends of The Possum, yet to be announced.
“The Grand Tour will have surprises throughout the shows – you never know who may show up! The Possum has lots of friends so it is going to be the most exciting thing to see who shows up during the final show. You should come too – and we can be surprised together!” said Jones.
Renegade Radio Nashville and artist manager Dale Morris (Kenny Chesney, Alabama, Jake Owen) have teamed up to present a live performance every Monday night at Fontanel Mansion. The show, entitled Andy Gibson & The Buds, features Curb recording artist Andy Gibson, as well as several other artists, songwriters, and musicians.
The radio station, which just began its second year broadcasting live from Music Row, has been given sole broadcast rights to the show.
“It’s an honor to be working with Mr. Morris, as well as a wonderful team of people, on such a fun show every week,” said ‘Captain Jack’ Aponte, the voice and President of Renegade Radio. “There’s something for everyone at Andy Gibson & The Buds – a culmination of the latest sound coming from Nashville and some classic favorites. We’re thrilled to be a part of it.”
Aside from broadcasting live, Captain Jack hosts the show, which takes place at Fontanel’s Pepsi Studio Gallery and begins every Monday night at 7:30pm. Andy Gibson & The Buds is also sponsored by Budweisser and Cafe Fontanella.
To purchase tickets for the show, visit www.ticketmaster.com and search Fontanel.
About Renegade Radio:
Renegade Radio Nashville began as the brainchild of longtime broadcasting veterans Captain Jack Aponte and Bob Steele. With a solid vision of utilizing the latest technology to reach the largest audience worldwide, Renegade Radio Nashville began Internet broadcasting on June 7, 2011. The station currently has listeners tuning in from 143 different countries and, in December of 2011, became the first ever Internet radio station to be granted reporting status with Music Row Magazine. For more information on Renegade Radio Nashville, visit www.renegaderadionashville.com.
About Fontanel Mansion:
Minutes from downtown Nashville, Fontanel Mansion is a 27,000 square foot log home set on over 100 acres of land formerly owned by country great Barbara Mandrell. Offering daily tours, the mansion is the only country musician mansion to give outsiders a glimpse into the life of a country legend. The property also features The Woods Amphitheater, hiking trails, The Farmhouse, The Silo Shop, Cafe Fontanella, and The Pepsi Studio Gallery. Fontanel Mansion is available for private events and weddings. For more information regarding Fontanel Mansion, visit www.fontanelmansion.com.
Musicians Corner, Nashville’s free weekly lawn party in Centennial Park, will kick off the first of nine fall music events on Saturday, September 1. The Musicians Corner fall season takes place on Saturday afternoons from 3-6 PM in Centennial Park from September 1 to October 27. View the complete fall season schedule here!
“Musicians Corner is one of the best gathering places for the Nashville community and our visitors to spend an afternoon enjoying free music in a beautiful metro park setting,” said Mayor Karl Dean. “Musicians Corner events continue to serve as a fine showcase for why we are Music City.”
HEAR OVER 60 ARTISTS FOR FREE
Matthew Perryman Jones
The fall season of Musicians Corner will feature over 60 free multi-genre musical performances including The Blind Boys of Alabama, Sam Bush, a Nashville Symphony quartet, Karen Elson, Regi Wooten & Friends, Ashley Cleveland, Matthew Perryman Jones, Phil Keaggy, Jeremy Lister, The Farewell Drifters, Shannon Whitworth, Yarn, The SteelDrivers, Shannon Sanders, and The Vespers. Lightning 100 Acoustic Stage performers were selected through an open submission process in partnership with AmericanSongspace.com.
EXPERIENCE A FABULOUS KICK OFF EVENT
Through a grant from South Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts, The Blind Boys of Alabama will headline Musicians Corner’s September 1 Fall Kick Off event, which also features main stage performances by a Nashville Symphony quartet, Karen Elson and Jeremy Lister. The Blind Boys of Alabama will also take part in a symposium titled “The Influence of Music on The Civil Rights Movement” earlier that day, presented in partnership with Fisk University and made possible through South Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts.
ENJOY TWO MORE VERY SPECIAL EVENTS
Hoots and Hellmouth
This fall, Musicians Corner will also present several special events in partnership with local music organizations. Saturday, September 15th will feature an Americana Music Festival event with Sam Bush, Hoots and Hellmouth, Charlie Faye, and more.
“We had a very successful partnership with Musicians Corner during last year’s festival and are looking forward to another wonderful afternoon of Americana music in Centennial Park,” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association.
On Saturday, September 22, Musicians Corner and Music City Roots will present a Square Dance event featuring Carolyn Martin, folk trio The Stray Birds, and more artists to be announced.
The Live-Streamed Event Showcases New Music And Rising Stars
Gloriana performing (Kissed You) Goodnight Photo Credit: Sara Kauss/Getty Images North America
Last night, Billboard and Pepsi’s Summer Beats Concert Series rolled into Nashville’s Cannery Ballroom with a performance from Gloriana streamed live over the interwebs. The night also featured performances from Jana Kramer, Randy Houser, Jerrod Niemann and Easton Corbin.
Although throughout the night we were under the impression that everyone would be streamed live, Gloriana still put on a great show as only the harmonizing trio can. The performance came on the eve of their sophomore album release, A Thousand Miles Left Behind, available NOW!
The highlight of the show was how the band utilized their social media presence to obtain some on-stage assistance: After asking if any fans were attending the show who were on a first date, one lucky new couple got to accompany the guys on stage during – you guessed it – (Kissed You) Goodnight. Naturally, the first-daters were asked to kiss at the climax of the song… and they did… a lot (left).
Watch it below!
The band was excited to perform some new material, although they had been awake since 3 a.m. EST to do Good Morning America! We had an on-air interview with the band. Watch that here!
We also caught up with Jana, Jerrod and Easton off-camera to discuss the Summer Beats Series and all the artists’ respective new music.
Long-time friend of FOCUS Jana Kramer is currently on tour with superstar Brad Paisley. When asked about the tour she stated:
“It’s going amazing! [Brad] is the most genuine, authentic, real, charismatic entertainer ever. He is an amazing person to learn from, and he’s just super gracious.”
Her single is approaching the top 10 with a bullet, and should get there next week! I asked what her next single is going to be, and although she is apparently sworn to secrecy, she did state that “One Tree Hill fans will be very happy.” (I’m going to SPECULATE it’s What I Love About Your Love… again, that’s unconfirmed, but if it proves true, just say you heard it here first.)
Jerrod Niemann and Randy Houser arrive at Summer Beats
Jerrod Niemann’s highly anticipated sophomore album is dropping October 2nd, on the heels of his well-received new single Shinin’ On Me. Get excited about this album, because Jerrod is reinventing himself while staying true to his country music’s roots:
“We’ve departed from the straight-up digital recording. This is an analog/digital hybrid with a new technology called “clasp” that allows you to actually dump your analog recording into digital real time… the thing you get is that fat analog sound… I wanted to use instruments that cater to that… and I wanted to honor all areas of country music going back to the 20’s, but do our own interpretation.”
Easton Corbin – who was sporting an awesome Pabst Blue Ribbon belt buckle – has a new single out with Lovin’ You Is Fun, and a new album coming out September 18th, and he promises with this record, “the best is yet to come.”
“I think [this new album] shows a little growth as a new artist,” said Easton. “But that being said, it’s still right there doing that country thing…. I’m just really excited about it.”
Every artist expressed the same sentiment with regards to playing the Cannery Ballroom: it’s great to play in the 615!
“It’s just fun to be playing in Nashville!” said Jana. And Easton concurred, stating: “We actually never get to play in Nashville… I’m glad to be home!”
Did you miss the live stream last night? Don’t worry! Gloriana’s entire performance is available at pepsi.com!
Kristen Wright is a Nashville up-and-comer with a sweet but powerful voice, and the kind of creative singer-songwriter spirit you only (truly) find on rare occasion. Her album “In The Year Of Letting Go” is her first recording project, the culmination of years of writing and honing her craft at Belmont University.
The six song EP seems to be the perfect introduction for Kristen. She wrote, arranged and produced each song on the album. The lyrics are creative and introspective but also universal, telling beautiful stories. The music is acoustically driven, all featuring a prevalent acoustic guitar or piano, and her effortless voice ranges somewhere between Joy Williams of The Civil Wars and Joss Stone. (How I came up with those two, I’ll never know… but listen, and let me know if I’m wrong.)
While each song is poignant, the song Quitter gained Kristen quick notoriety and a spot in Belmont University’s coveted Fall Follies show. The song has a slow-tempo, jazzy, lounge feel to it, showcasing Kristen’s vocal range and some amazing instrumentation including a viola.
For those indie or singer-songwriter fans, take a listen to this one. It’s a refreshing departure from mainstream, although songs like Quitter would be well deserved to find a place in the radio.
Natasha Borzilova’s newest CD “Out Of My Hands” broke my computer. Seriously, my Mac didn’t want to play it; it kept skipping. I was able to listen to the album in its entirety in my car, but after doing so, I really couldn’t blame my computer: I didn’t want to listen to it either.
Good news though: Natasha is a true singer/songwriter. The songs come from the heart and stay out of the way of genre labels and mainstream sensibilities. She wrote every song and produced the album herself, and even adds her talents on the acoustic guitar.
The music is not generally bad, it just did nothing for me. Her airy voice sounds contrived in some way, almost like a classically-trained vocal was trying to stuff itself inside a soft, folk style.
I will venture to guess that Natasha is enjoyable as a live performer. Given the proper band and setting, I would enjoy songs like Better Than Me. Her passion and talent are apparent; they just didn’t translate to the recording studio.
Overall: Not for everyone, but probably captivating for a select few.
Here it is, an interview with Thompson Square from CMA Fest! We caught up with the country music couple at the Muve Music party before they took the stage to perform for Country Music Gives Back. We talked about their work with the organization, their sophomore album and touring with Lady Antebellum on their “Own the Night” Tour. Check it out below!
(Apologies for the noisy background. We had an unexpected shotgun interview without privacy or a proper mic but hey, I think it turned out alright! Also, thanks to Thompson Square publicist Natalie Gilgore for almost breaking her arm holding my recorder!)
The 24th annual Nashville Pride Festival was held Saturday, June 16, at Riverfront Park from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. The annual event is a chance for the LGBT community and its allies to gather in celebration of advances made for LGBT equality.
For the first year ever, Nashville Pride started the day with an Equality Walk presented by Fifth Third Bank, a one-mile loop that will include participants from more than 20 community groups as a way to increase awareness beyond the festival gates.
This year’s festival was highly attended, and boasted an eclectic entertainment line-up that included Hello Kelly, Jenn Foster, Ian Harvie, Jermiah Clark, Antigone Rising, Kerli and Kristy Lee on the Bridgestone Main Stage. A variety of popular local acts also performed throughout the day on the Local Stage and the Tribe & Play Entertainment Stage featured DJ’s and drag performances.
Hello Kelly
There was music, food vendors, SWAG and people with no agenda other than having a good time. The crowd was as diverse as could be: I saw people ranging in age from 14 to 70-something. I saw families. I saw people from all races and backgrounds. Business people, blue-collar workers, entertainers, stay-at-home-moms… all coming together with a general sense of happiness and fun.
I was only able to attend a couple hours, but it was a great time. I got to see Hello Kelly, a hot new group I will be covering relatively frequently. I also saw the wonderful Jenn Foster, a crowd favorite. Mayor Karl Dean was also on hand to speak in the early afternoon; proudly conveying that Nashville is a diverse and inclusive city.
The purpose of Nashville Pride is to maintain a sense of community and awareness of, about, and for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and culture throughout Middle Tennessee.
Three straight days of Musicians Corner… what could be better? How about pairing it up with the American Artisan Festival, which took place in Centennial Park last Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The structure was slightly different from the typical Saturday: Forgoing the Lightning 100 Acoustic Stage, each act played acoustically on the main stage. Some went solo; some opted for accompaniment; all were terrific.
The American Artisan Festival is held each year in Centennial Park on Father’s Day weekend, and features fine arts, crafts and food from around the country. This year marked the first time Musicians Corner partnered with the festival to bring free music to its patrons.
The Cumberland Collective
Day one featured the likes of Jameson Elder, Anthony Snape, Jessica Campbell and Robby Hecht. Musicians Corner friend Holley Maher was set to close the day out; however, a sudden downpour forced her and her accompanying vocalist Merry Ellen Kirk to postpone until Saturday.
With the weather turning gorgeous for Saturday’s event, Musicians Corner saw a substantial number of regulars in addition to the festival goers, making it a large and rambunctious crowd. After Holley and Merry Ellen were able to kick things off, we saw performances by Sarah Siskind, Blue Mother Tupelo, The Cumberland Collective, Liz Longley, and the first ever Musicians Corner writer round featuring Danny Myrick, Kimberly June and Kendal Marvel.
Father’s Day on Sunday was a more relaxing day with Perrin Lamb, Sam Lewis, the Hogslop String Band, Ferrier and David Mead. A great way to end the weekend and a great place to bring dad.
Each artist brought something unique and enjoyable to the table. Standouts for me were the writers round (although I love writers rounds) when we were able to hear songs from the songwriters themselves such as Don’t Think I Can’t Love You cut by Jake Owen and She’s Country, the huge hit for Jason Aldean. I also loved The Cumberland Collective, which is made up of several extremely talented individuals that come together to jam and sing an eclectic mix of songs. They take turns singing their own songs with the accompaniment of everyone else on stage. Refreshingly original and incredible music as well.
You just never know who you'll run into...
We should give a special thanks to the Musicians Corner volunteers who showed up all three days. This sort of thing depends on them, and they are truly incredible. Next week (although those volunteers may not show up out of exhaustion) is another great lineup. The Kopecky Family Band, Halfbrass, The Rebecca West, SHIROCK, Nick Flora, Charity Vance and Michael Castro will all take the stage while Musicians Corner is back to the same place and time.
Musicians Corner is a non-profit program of The Conservancy for the Parthenon & Centennial Park. The spring season of runs every Saturday through June, and features great artists, special guests and fun activities. For additional information and the entire spring schedule please visit www.musicianscornernashville.com.
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Outback Concerts in association with Country Music Hall of Fame member George Jones announce the final Nashville show as part of The Grand Tour to be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN on Friday, November 22, 2013.
