Tag Archives | CMA Fest

Sony Partners With Omni Hotel For Special Performances And Signings During CMA Fest

By on June 5, 2017 in In The Press
As a gesture of gratitude for the thousands of country music fans arriving in Music City for the 2017 CMA Music Fest, Sony Music Nashville is partnering with the Omni Nashville Hotel to create exceptional artist experiences.  From Thursday, June 8 through Sunday, June 11, over 10 personal artist appearances at various Omni Nashville venues, including Bongo Java and Barlines, will be available to Music Fest attendees as capacity limits allow. Starting Monday, June 5, an updated list of Sony Music Nashville artist activities, can’t-miss performances and surprise happenings at the Omni Nashville Hotel will be posted HERE.
“We’re very excited to be partnering with Sony Music Nashville for this year’s festival to create an unforgettable experience for our guests,” says Tod Roadarmel, Area Director of Sales and Marketing, Omni Nashville Hotel.
 
“There’s no more centralized hub during CMA Music Fest than the Omni Nashville Hotel, connected to the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum and across the street from Fan Fair Hall in Music City Center—so it became the perfect headquarters for Sony Music Nashville’s activations,” remarks EVP/Marketing & New Business John Zarling. “Our team worked hard with our friends at Omni to create unique fan experiences with our artists as a thank you for all of the support they show us throughout the year. The engagement from our artists and our partners will ensure unforgettable moments during this year’s Music Fest.”
At Bongo Java, the FYE Pop-Up Store will be fully stocked with Sony Music Nashville CDs, 12” vinyl and exclusive merchandise. RCA Nashville/Zone 4’s Kane Brown and River House Artists/Columbia Nashville’s Luke Combs are confirmed for FYI store signings, with others to be added.
 
Also at Bongo Java, Sony Music Nashville is hosting a Coffee With…Series, and singer-songwriters currently confirmed are Arista Nashville’s Cam, LANCO and Seth Ennis and Columbia Nashville/Epic Records’ Levon.
 
Barlines, Omni Nashville’s own honky-tonk and live music destination, will provide the stage for a multi-artist performance series titled Barlines LIVE! with Sony Music Nashville presented by BoneOn Sportwear Acts confirmed are Monument’s Walker Hayes, Sony Music Nashville newcomers Ben Gallaher, Levon and Fairground Saints.
 
Fan perks at the Omni – Sony Music Nashville CMA Music Fest experience include a chance to enter to win a trip back to Nashville to attend a Brad Paisley & Friends Band Against Cancer℠ Opry concert event.  Band Against Cancer℠ is a Brad Paisley and Sarah Cannon partnership that unites music and healthcare to help connect those touched by cancer with community-based treatment options and resources.
Throughout CMA Music Fest, the Sony Music Nashville radio channel will air in the Omni’s lobby, retail areas and Bongo Java. In guest rooms, the Sony Music Nashville video channel will air.
 
Collector’s edition Omni room key cards will be available to hotel guests, featuring Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and others. Guests receiving one of 10 Dolly Parton limited-run cards will be recipients of an autographed Dolly Pure & Simple CD.
 
The Sony Music Nashville booth will be open 10 am to 6 pm, Thursday through Sunday, and will be positioned outside of Bongo Java, adjacent to the Omni Nashville lobby.
Adding an exciting virtual and real-life dimension to the Omni Hotel partnership as well as the entire 2017 CMA Music Fest experience, Sony Music Nashville is partnering with Metaverse to produce a four-day Augmented Reality for fans. Festival attendees who download the Metaverse app will be able to participate in a scavenger hunt across downtown Nashville involving Sony Music Nashville artists and potential prizes. Fan can download the app now from the iTunes store or Android markeplace and get ready to play June 8 through 11.
About Sony Music Nashville
Sony Music Nashville includes its three country label operations – Arista Nashville, Columbia Nashville and RCA Nashville – and Provident Music Group, one of the world’s leading Christian music companies.  Sony Music Nashville is a division of Sony Music Entertainment.
About Omni Hotel
Located in the heart of exciting downtown Nashville, Omni Nashville Hotel is adjacent to the Music City Center, fully integrated with the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum on three levels, and within walking distance of the city’s most popular restaurants, cultural attractions, live music and sports venues. The Omni Nashville offers a wide range of dining options, including Barlines, Bob’s Steak & Chop House and Kitchen Notes, and includes a full-service Mokara Spa and a coffee shop, Bongo Java.  With stylish guest rooms and over 80,000 square feet of meeting space, the Omni Nashville Hotel offers a genuine, authentic guest experience, making it a true landmark destination in Music City.  To obtain additional information or book accommodations, visit omnihotels.com/Nashville or call 615-782-5300.
About CMA Music Fest
The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience™ began in 1972 as Fan Fair®, bringing 5,000 fans to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. Now 45 years later, the legendary Festival has become the city’s signature music event hosting more than 88,500 fans from every state and two dozen foreign countries. The 2016 CMA Music Festival featured 11 stages with more than 600 artists and 100 hours of music. And it all benefits music education. Since 2006, CMA and the CMA Foundation have donated more than $17.5 million to sustainable music education initiatives across the U.S. thanks to the fans who attend CMA Music Festival and the artists who perform for free. CMA Music Festival will be filmed for a national television special to air on the ABC Television Network. This is the 14th consecutive year the event will be filmed for a network television special, a feat no other music festival has achieved. “CMA Fest 2017” is executive-produced by Robert Deaton.
About Metaverse
About Metaverse: Metverse is a Gamification Platform (mobile app) that annotates the physical world with interactive experiences. Some people describe it as “Pokemon Go as a Platform.” Just like with Pokémon Go, you walk up to experiences inside the Metaverse app and tap them to interact with them. Metaverse can be used for all kinds of experiences including scavenger hunts, loyalty programs, interactive storytelling, gaming, brand activations, retail gamification, fan coalescing etc. The company is backed by 23 angel investors (including Michael Eisner) and is founded by former Googlers.
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Love and Theft – “Whiskey On My Breath,” Aliens and Drinking with Pets

By on March 8, 2016 in artist spotlight, Interviews, Special Events
Eric Gunderson and Stephen Barker Liles of Love and Theft with Alanna Massey of Focus on the 615

Eric Gunderson and Stephen Barker Liles of Love and Theft with Alanna Massey of Focus on the 615

Love and Theft is making a stand about addiction with their latest single “Whiskey On My Breath.” The duo, comprised of Eric Gunderson and Stephen Barker Liles, has dealt with losing family members to alcoholism.

“It’s a pretty heavy topic,” Stephen said. “But it’s not all about drinking. It’s just about addictions in general. Almost everyone has their own addiction. It doesn’t have to be alcohol. It could be social media.”

GUILTY 🙋🏼

The single skyrocketed from #200 to #2 on iTunes with a little support from the Bobby Bones Show.

“Bobby heard ‘Whiskey On My Breath’ and really related to it,” Eric said. “His mother died of alcoholism at 46.”

Eric struggled with alcoholism and was proudly 311 days sober at the time of our interview.

“Singing about it every night when I was still drinking was almost like I was giving myself a guilt trip in a way,” Eric said. “I was getting up there singing about the one thing that scared me to death more than anything – whiskey on my breath. It’s been good to get away from it and change my lifestyle.”

Eric’s new go-to drink is soda water or Diet Coke with a few limes. Stephen still enjoys an adult beverage every now and then.

“I drink vodka and water pretty much because you’re hydrating while you’re drinking.”

Good strategy, Stephen! That’s not his only advice about drinking.

Stephen, since you’re a year older and so much wiser than Eric, give us your words of wisdom. This is your legacy!

Eric: Give us like half of a tweet – so you get like 13 characters or something. Make this count, this is it. This will live on forever. Ladies and gentlemen, Stephen Barker Liles’ words to live by.

Stephen: You’re not drinking alone if your pet is with you.

Eric: Wow.

Stephen: It’s for all the pet lovers out there.

Eric, what’s the deal with your Twitter bio: “Life coach, alien expert, ceiling fan collector…follow me”?

Eric: Oh just two things I’m really passionate about. I’m really obsessed with aliens and area 51. No I’m kidding… I just put it on there as a joke. And then I watched an episode of something on TV where this guy collected oriental fans, and I thought it was so weird and strange. So I thought I’d put it on there, too. None of that’s true.

Stephen: CMA Fest we could get Love and Theft fans… for the fans.

Eric: Oh yeah the ones where you mist yourself!

OK guys… back to the important stuff. What do you have going on this year?

Stephen: We’re traveling all year playing tons of shows. We’ve been doing about 100 shows a year for 6 or 7 years. Some years we’re gone 200 days. There’s no telling how many shows we’re gonna do this year. We’re on pace for a lot.

Eric: It’s been the busiest beginning of a year for us as far as acoustic shows go.

Stephen: I’m gonna have a Companion Pass at the end of the year if I keep flying Southwest!

“Whiskey On My Breath” soaring to the top of the charts, drinking with pets, aliens and a busy year ahead. There ya have it, folks – Love and Theft!

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First CMA Fest Media Experience

By on June 25, 2015 in Special Events

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The last time I rose with the sun was for a deep-sea fishing trip when I lived in Florida. Now, three weeks into my new Nashville life, I was up at 5:30 a.m. twice in one week to live the dream of covering CMA Fest. With a media pass around my neck, I ventured into the chaos of downtown Nashville and surrounded myself with artists, fans and four days of country music.

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CMA Music Fest Outtake Reel

By on June 21, 2013 in Special Events

Just because the finished product looks good doesn’t mean it always goes smoothly. FOCUS on the 615 had a few moments filming during CMA Music Festival that were a little awkward, embarrassing or just plain weird…

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Striking Matches Interview | CMA Fest

By on June 18, 2013 in A Closer Look @, Artists to Watch, Special Events

Talented young duo Striking Matches talk to Matt at CMA Fest about their music, their incredible year and their new album!

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Craig Campbell Celebrity Cornhole Challenge | CMA Fest

By on June 13, 2013 in Community, Special Events

Highlights and interviews from the first annual Craig Campbell Celebrity Cornhole Challenge to benefit the TJ Martell Foundation in the fight against colon cancer. The event will be held each year during CMA Music Fest in Nashville, TN. Interviews include Campbell, Jerrod Niemann, Dean Alexander, The FARM, Love and Theft, LoCash Cowboys, Rob Bironas from the Tennessee Titans and more!

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Randy Travis Debuts Moving Tribute in Honor of George Jones

By on June 13, 2013 in In The Press

“Tonight I’m Playin’ Possum” Now Featured on iTunes

Randy Travis Randy Travis has delivered a hit with the surprise debut of the George Jones tribute song, “Tonight I’m Playin’ Possum.” The heartfelt single is now available on iTunes.  “Tonight I’m Playin’ Possum” was recently recorded by the country icon and singer Joe Nichols. This is the first song from Randy’s new album that’s set to be released this fall.

“It was an honor when I received a request to record this tribute to George Jones, and after I heard how well Keith Gattis had written “Tonight I’m Playin’ Possum,” I was excited to record it.  Thanks to Joe Nichols for coming in and helping on this project,” says Randy Travis.

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Florida Georgia Line Prove All-Stars of CMA Fest

By on June 12, 2013 in A Closer Look @, Special Events

Florida Georgia Line

From awards, to packed stadiums, to number one songs, the hot new duo came from virtual ambiguity just one year ago.

Forget the fact that last year at this time Florida Georgia Line wasn’t signed to a label. Forget the fact that last year at this time the song “Cruise” was just beginning to be a subconscious thought in the minds of radio stations. Forget the fact that last year the duo played the BMI Tailgate Stage outside of LP Field to roughly 150 people during CMA Fest week.

On second thought… forget none of that. Remember it well, because this is a true success story. This story proves that raw talent and hard work (and yes, a whole lot of luck) pay off. Because this year during CMA Fest, Florida Georgia Line may have been the hottest act in town.

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Interview With Florida Georgia Line

By on June 11, 2013 in A Closer Look @, Special Events

FOCUS Catches Up With Hot Duo Before Stars For Second Harvest Benefit at The Ryman Auditorium

Matt Williams catches up with hot duo Florida Georgia Line during the Stars for Second Harvest benefit at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. The group talks about their massive success since being INTRODUCED at this very event last year, their collaboration with Nelly, and much more!

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Maggie Rose’s New Music Video for “Better” Premiering May 30th

By on May 28, 2013 in In The Press

Maggie Rose

Get Up Close and Personal with Maggie Rose by Tuning Into CountryWeekly.com‘s Google+ Hangout

RPM Entertainment’s Maggie Rose has pulled the heartstrings of many country music fans with her new chart-topping single “Better,” found on her debut album Cut To Impress. The music video can be seen online exclusively at CountryWeekly.com before it hits the video networks later in the week.

Filmed at two locations in Nashville, TN, one being the once home of Nashville’s mayor during the Civil War, the video was produced by Yeah Yeah Creative and takes the viewer on a journey of healing.  The song lyrics  (I just want to move on/ with my life/ put the pieces back together/ I just want to feel better) lend themselves to many different interpretations, so Rose and her creative team decided to play on the ambiguity while creating the video concept.

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