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  • ERIC CHURCH HITS RADIO WITH ‘LIKE A WRECKING BALL.’

    Audio
    Eric Church

    Eric Church’s latest single, “Like a Wrecking Ball,” is probably one of the sexiest songs to hit the airwaves in a long time. The song is about the physical intimacy between two adults, and Church makes no apologies for telling you exactly what’s up…so to speak.

    “I hate innuendo. I don’t like where people get cute. I’m 36 years old. I’m not 12. I don’t need people to disguise what we’re talking about. I think we can get so cute with stuff like that. Al Green didn’t get cute. Conway Twitty didn’t get cute. They said it. We’re adults, and this is an adult record. We’ve always made adult music,” Eric explained when The Outsiders album was released. “I like songs like that, and that’s what this song is. This song is about sex. It’s about not being home to see your wife or girl for a long time, and thinking about that, preparing for that and executing that [laughs] is what this song’s about. It has nothing to do with anything else.”

    Church, who became a father for the second time last month, continues The Outsiders World Tour this week. He takes his “Wrecking Ball” to Washington, D.C. Tuesday (March 10th).

    Audio / Eric Church says “Like a Wrecking Ball” is absolutely about what it says in the song.

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    Eric Church (Like a Wrecking Ball) OC: …their life. :49
    “I hate innuendo. I don’t like where people get cute. I’m 36 years old. I’m not 12. I don’t need people to disguise what we’re talking about. I think we can get so cute with stuff like that. Al Green didn’t get cute. Conway Twitty didn’t get cute. They said it. We’re adults, and this is an adult record. We’ve always made adult music. I like songs like that, and that’s what this song is. This song is about sex. It’s about not being home to see your wife or girl for a long time, and thinking about that, preparing for that and executing that [laughs] is what this song’s about. It has nothing to do with anything else. I mean…that’s what it is, and the honesty of that, I hope people find refreshing, because I’ve not found anybody that hasn’t felt that at some point in time during their life.”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Like a Wrecking Ball)

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    LINER Hey everybody, this is Eric Church, and here’s my latest single, ‘Like a Wrecking Ball.’

  • LUKE, CHURCH, DIERKS, LADY A, AJ, LBT, DARIUS, KEITH AND SAM HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED AS PERFORMERS FOR THIS YEAR’S CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL.

    Press
    Alan Jackson / Darius Rucker / Dierks Bentley / Eric Church / Keith Urban / Lady Antebellum / Little Big Town / Luke Bryan / Sam Hunt

    NASHVILLE – CMA Music Festival will be the hottest concert destination of the summer with today’s announcement that Country Music superstars Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church,Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt,Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town,Neal McCoy, Oak Ridge Boys, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, Cole Swindell,The Band Perry, Keith Urban, Wynonna & The Big Noise, and Zac Brown Band will each take the stage during the Nightly Concerts at LP Field. The 2015 CMA Music Festival takes place Thursday, June 11-Sunday, June 14 in downtown Nashville.

    Subscribers to CMA Exclusive, CMA’s e-newsletter, were the first to learn about the star-studded lineup Wednesday morning.

    “CMA Music Festival is all about the fan experience,” said CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern. “Our fans snapped up LP Field tickets at a record pace, and we wanted to reward that loyalty by sharing this exciting lineup with them first this morning.”  

    While the relationship between artists and fans is the foundation for the event, CMA Music Festival benefits music education programs for children in need. Wednesday morning, Thomas Rhett welcomed guests to Nashville Children’s Theatre for a performance of “Jack’s Tale: A Mythic Mountain Musical,” which was funded by a $10,000 grant from the CMA Foundation from the 2014 CMA Music Festival. Threats of snow in Nashville prevented a majority of students from attending, but he warmly greeted the enthusiastic crowd.

    “When I was little I was in a play called ‘A Christmas Carol’. I was Scrooge,” Thomas Rhett told the student-filled crowd. “Music education was super important for me, and today was a good reminder of how neat it is to see the Country Music community band together to help give back to that through CMA Fest.”

    The CMA Foundation presents grants on behalf of the artists who perform at CMA Music Festival each year for free and has donated more than $11 million to music education initiatives across the country since 2006.

    Tickets to the Nightly Concerts at LP Field sold out in November. Across the river from the stadium, there are countless free and low-cost entertainment options for fans around downtown Nashville as part of the CMA Music Festival. Seven free entertainment stages give fans an opportunity to choose their musical adventure, including the hugely popular Chevrolet Riverfront Stage, which consistently fills the Cumberland riverbank each of the four days.

    AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X at Music City Center moves the CMA Music Festival party inside, with musical performances on three stages, artist interactions, meet-and-greets, shopping and other unique fan experiences. Tickets to AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X are available now atCMAfest.com (AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X admission is included in four-day CMA Music Festival tickets). AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X tickets are $10 per day or $25 for a four-day pass.

    The Nightly Concerts will be taped for a three-hour prime time special airing later this summer on the ABC Television Network.

    For upcoming talent announcements and all other info stay connected with CMA on Facebook.com/CMA,Twitter.com/CountryMusic, Instagram.com/CMA, and sign up for CMA Exclusive, CMA’s e-newsletter. Fans can also download the 2015 CMA Music Festival mobile app foriPhone or Android to view the latest artist lineups and to plan their festival experience.

    -30-

    **Suggested Tweet**: The 2015 #CMAfest LP Field lineup is here! Download the app to plan your Fest experience http://countrymu.sc/MF15app 

  • ERIC CHURCH TO HOST THE OUTSIDERS SHOW ON SIRIUSXM.

    Press
    Eric Church
    NEW YORK–February 27, 2015–SiriusXM announced today in an exclusive story with USAToday.com that CMA and ACM award winner Eric Church will host Outsiders Radio, a monthly radio show on SiriusXM’s The Highway.
    Outsiders Radio will explore the country music singer/songwriter’s personal music influences and play his current favorites. Church will also play exclusive, never before heard music from his own archives. The premiere episode of Outsiders Radio will celebrate the one year anniversary of the release of his groundbreaking album, The Outsiders, and play two exclusive tracks that were not released on the album.
    Outsiders Radio will air on the last Friday of every month starting today, Friday, February 27 at 10:00 pm ET via satellite on The Highway channel 56 and through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as online at siriusxm.com. The show will also be rebroadcast on Mondays at 12:00 am ET and Wednesdays at 11:00 pm ET. 
    After the broadcast, Outsiders Radio will be available on SiriusXM On Demand for subscribers listening via the SiriusXM App for smartphones and other mobile devices or online at siriusxm.com. Visit www.siriusxm.com/ondemand for more info about SiriusXM On Demand.
    The Highway plays new country music. Listeners will hear music from Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood.
    Church’s current album, The Outsiders, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart and the Billboard Country Albums Chart in February 2014 and has since garnered GRAMMY, ACM and CMA top album nominations. The Outsiders features his No. 1 hits “Give Me Back My Hometown” and “Talladega” and is the follow-up to Church’s Platinum-certified Chief, (named the 2012 Album of the Year by both CMA and ACM, and GRAMMY-nominated for Best Country Album) which featured five Top 20 singles: “Homeboy” (certified Platinum for sales in excess of one million singles); the Top 10 “Like Jesus Does” and the Top 5 “Creepin’” (both certified Gold for sales in excess of 500,000 singles each); and two No. 1 hits “Drink in My Hand” (certified Platinum) and “Springsteen” (certified Double Platinum for sales in excess of two million singles). Church’s 2006 debut album, Sinners Like Me (2006) and his sophomore album Carolina (2009) are both RIAA Gold-certified. Carolina had three hit singles: the Top 10 “Hell on the Heart” as well as Top 20 hit “Smoke A Little Smoke” and Top 10 smash “Love Your Love The Most,” which were both certified Gold. Sinners Like Me spawned three Top 20 singles: “How ‘Bout You,” “Two Pink Lines,” and “Guys Like Me.”
     For more information on SiriusXM, please visit www.siriusxm.com.  

     

  • ERIC CHURCH IS READY FOR SECOND CHILD TO ARRIVE.

    Audio
    Eric Church

    Eric Church and his wife Katerine are expecting to welcome their second child – a boy – any minute, and they’re excited about him joining their family, including three-year-old Boone. Eric says his oldest son has prepared him to be a parent.

    “I think Boone has prepared us for what parenting is – being a parent. Especially early on, the stuff with Boone was so foreign, and we were so stressed out about it. We’re not as much this time” says Church. “I think the good part of that is we kind of know what to expect, you know, and what that’s gonna be. So, it’ll be interesting to see how different they are and get to meet him and see where the differences lie AND the similarities between the two.”

    Church is getting ready to hit the airwaves with his latest single, “Like a Wrecking Ball,” from The Outsiders album.

    Audio / Eric Church and his wife Katherine are expecting their second child any day now, and their son, Boone, has prepared them for the new arrival.

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    Eric Church (Boone has prepared for second child) OC: …between the two. :43
    “I think Boone has prepared us for what parenting is – being a parent. Especially early on, the stuff with Boone was so foreign, and we were so stressed out about it. We’re not as much this time. I told Katherine the other day, I almost felt bad because the baby is moving a lot in her stomach. It’s almost like an alien, like you’ll see a foot come out of her belly, you know. With Boone, it was so new and now, it’s just like, ‘yeah.’ I don’t really take it for granted, but I’m kinda going, ‘Yeah, we’ve done it once before.’ And I think the good part of that is we kind of know what to expect, you know, and what that’s gonna be. So, it’ll be interesting to see how different they are and get to meet him and see where the differences lie AND the similarities between the two.”

     

  • VALENTINE’S DAY LINERS: Brothers Osborne, Canaan, Darius, David, Dierks, Church, Paslay, Gary, Strait, Jennifer, Jon, Josh, Kacey, Keith, Kelleigh, Kip, LBT, Luke, Sam

    Audio
    Brothers Osborne / Darius Rucker / David Nail / Dierks Bentley / Eric Church / Eric Paslay / Gary Allan / George Strait / Jennifer Nettles / Jon Pardi / Josh Turner / Kacey Musgraves / Keith Urban / Kelleigh Bannen / Kip Moore / Little Big Town / Luke Bryan / Sam Hunt

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey, this is T.J., and I’m John, and we’re Brothers Osborne. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Canaan Smith (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey, what’s up guys? I’m Canaan Smith, wishing you a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Valentine’s Day)

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    “What’s up y’all? This is Darius Rucker, hoping you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER David Nail (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey, this is David Nail, wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey, it’s Dierks Bentley, hoping you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”


    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey! This is Eric Church, hoping you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

     

    Audio / LINER Eric Paslay (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hi! This is Eric Paslay, hoping you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Gary Allan (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey, this is Gary Allan, wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER George Strait (Valentine’s Day)

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    “This is George Strait, wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Jennifer Nettles (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey! This is Jennifer Nettles, hoping you have a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hi! It’s Jon Pardi, and I hope you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Josh Turner (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey! This is Josh Turner, and I want to wish you and your sweetheart a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Kacey Musgraves (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hi, this is Kacey Musgraves, and I hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone. This is Keith Urban. Make the day special for your ‘Once in a Lifetime’ love.”

    Audio / LINER Kelleigh Bannen (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey y’all, it’s Kelleigh Bannen, hoping you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

     

    Audio / LINER Kip Moore (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey! What’s happening, everybody? This is Kip Moore. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

     

    Audio / LINER LBT (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey! We’re Little Big Town. Happy Valentine’s Day!”

     

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hey y’all, it’s Luke Bryan. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

     

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Valentine’s Day) 2

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    “Hey y’all. It’s Luke Bryan. Happy Valentine’s Day. Make sweet love to your other.”

     

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Valentine’s Day)

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    “Hi! This is Sam Hunt, wishing you a very Happy Valentine’s Day.”

     

  • ERIC CHURCH HAD A STANDOFF WITH COMEDIAN KATHY GRIFFIN AT THE GRAMMYS IN 2012.

    Audio
    Eric Church

    Eric Church is nominated for four Grammys, including Best Country Album (The Outsiders), Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song for “Give Me Back My Hometown” and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for Keith’s latest single, “Raise ‘Em Up.” The North Carolina native also has a coveted performance slot, as well.

    We’re sure he has a primo spot near the stage this year, but back in 2012, he was hanging out in the aisle because Kathy Griffin was sitting in his seat and wouldn’t budge. “She was in our seat at the Grammys. It’s not her fault, I guess, but she wouldn’t get out of the seat, so when we arrived at the Grammys to sit in the seat, we had a little standoff. You know, first Grammys,” says Eric. “My wife and I ended up having to sit in the aisle right before they did the nominees for Country Album [laughs], which would have been great if we won, ’cause then they would’ve had to pan over to Kathy Griffin and us sitting in the aisle. So, literally, they just about didn’t let us in. So, to go from there to being able to play the show is pretty cool.”

    The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles Sunday (February 8th) on CBS.

    Audio / Eric Church recalls having a standoff of sorts with comedian Kathy Griffin

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    Eric Church (Grammys 2015 Kathy G) OC: …pretty cool. :30
    “Kathy Griffin-she was in our seat at the Grammys. It’s not her fault, I guess, but she wouldn’t get out of the seat, so when we arrived at the Grammys to sit in the seat, we had a little standoff. You know, first Grammys. My wife and I ended up having to sit in the aisle right before they did the nominees for Country Album [laughs], which would have been great if we won, ’cause then they would’ve had to pan over to Kathy Griffin and us sitting in the aisle. So, literally, they just about didn’t let us in. So, to go from there to being able to play the show is pretty cool.”



  • ERIC CHURCH TAKES CBS NEWS ON THE ROAD, BEHIND-THE-SCENES.

    Press
    Eric Church

    LOS ANGELES – (Feb. 5, 2015) – With music’s biggest night approaching, Eric Church gave the folks at CBS a rare behind the scenes look at the 100-plus person production of his wildly popular “The Outsiders World Tour.”

    Camera crews followed the GRAMMY Award-nominated performer and his crew for 24 hours on a recent 220-mile run from Fresno, California, to Los Angeles. They captured the monumental effort it takes to put on the nine-month tour–assembling and tearing down the stage and lighting rig which stage manager Sam Coats called “100,000 pounds of rock your city” and loading it into 14 tractor-trailers after each show–and the difficult 18-plus-hour days crews work to pull it all off.

    “These guys, they’re my family,” Church told CBS’ Mark Strassmann. “They would have my back in any situation and I would have theirs.”

    “The Outsiders World Tour” hits SAP Center in San Jose, California, on Thursday night and then fans can catch Church performing live on the 57th annual GRAMMY Awards this Sunday on CBS. Church heads into Sunday’s show and performance with four nominations, including Best Country Album for “The Outsiders” and Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance for “Give Me Back My Hometown.”

    Church told Strassman that his live show is the key to his popularity and that “The Outsiders World Tour” was planned to celebrate with fans. “I felt like this was our moment,” Church said. “… I don’t think we have any of our other success without (touring).” Check the interview out here: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/eric-church-massive-tour-operation-behind-the-scenes/.

    Church will perform at the Houston Rodeo on March 3 and then restart “The Outsiders World Tour” on March 4 at the Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. Several members of “The Outsiders” tour crew have been with Church for years and he hopes new fans will come out and see what a little teamwork can accomplish.

    “They’ve busted their ass since 7 a.m.,” Church said of his crew, “and they’ve been out there doing what they do. And I feel like when I walk out there, I get to, for them, spike the ball.”

    To buy tickets or learn more about Eric Church, visit www.ericchurch.com orwww.facebook.com/ericchurch and follow @EricChurch on Twitter.

    Video / Eric Church CBS This Morning

  • ERIC CHURCH LOOKING FORWARD TO HIS GRAMMY PERFORMANCE.

    Audio
    Eric Church

    Eric Church has nominations in four categories at this year’s GRAMMY Awards, including Best Country Album (The Outsiders), Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song for “Give Me Back My Hometown” and Best Country Duo/Group Performance with Keith Urban for Keith’s “Raise ‘Em Up.” The North Carolina native also has a coveted performance slot, as well.

    “I think to play that room is, to this point in time in our career, I anticipate would be a highlight, if not THE highlight,” says Eric. “So, I think to be able to go do that is something you always dream about. Something I’ve always dreamed about is playing the Grammys and playing in that room. So, it’s gonna be interesting to see how it goes; kind of nerve-wracking, but I’m looking forward to it.”

    Eric’s wife Katherine is due to give birth to the couple’s second child very, very soon, and he’s hoping the delivery will happen AFTER the GRAMMY Awards.

    “Katherine’s due right around [The Grammys], so it’s gonna be, she’s gotta make it past the Grammys. If she does that (laughs), fingers crossed.”

    The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles Sunday (February 8th) on CBS.

    Audio / Eric Church says he’s always dreamed of performing at the GRAMMY Awards.

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    Eric Church (GRAMMYS 2015) 1 OC: …forward to it. :43
    “It’s a little intimidating to think about the GRAMMYS and what it is, but I think the biggest thing for me is I’ve been a big advocate of music without walls and barriers and restraint, and that’s what the GRAMMYS are; that’s what that room is. There’s every genre in there, not just the popular, commercial ones, but all of ‘em – producers, musicians, artists, writers. And I think to play that room is, to this point in time in our career, I anticipate would be a highlight, if not THE highlight. So, I think to be able to go do that is something you always dream about. Something I’ve always dreamed about is playing the GRAMMYS and playing in that room. So, it’s gonna be interesting to see how it goes; kind of nerve-wracking, but I’m looking forward to it.”



    Audio / Eric Church hopes his wife gives birth to their second child AFTER the GRAMMY Awards on Sunday (February 8th).

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    Eric Church (GRAMMYS 2015) 2 OC: …fingers crossed. :08
    “Katherine’s due right around [The Grammys], so it’s gonna be, she’s gotta make it past the Grammys. If she does that (laughs), fingers crossed.”


  • ERIC CHURCH GIVES FANS IN SALT LAKE CITY A VERY SPECIAL SHOW!

    Press
    Eric Church
    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – (Feb. 1, 2015) – Eric Church knows what a bummer it is to have your Saturday night plans ruined by a concert cancelation. So rather than pull the plug last minute on his show in Salt Lake City Saturday night after a stomach bug knocked out most of his band and crew, Church gave the crowd something specialand promised them more to come.
     
    “If you’ve seen our show so far on this tour, you’re probably wondering what the hell is going on right now. Well, so am I,” Church told the crowd. “Here’s the deal: Yesterday we had the stomach flu strike our band, our crew, everyone. We had no one to hang video, lights, nothing. But I’m still here. I’m still standing. We’ve talked about how every show on THE OUTSIDERS TOUR is different. Well, tonight will be the most different one. Shit there’s nobody left. It’s just me. I’m going to give you everything I got.” 

    He then announced he’d be back Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, with a full band, and launched into a mostly solo set alone on a stage built for eight with just his acoustic guitar. He gave his fans a stripped-down performance reminiscent of his days as a scrappy club performer. Back then, Church would give his band a break during their six-hour sets and hold the stage alone.

    Church played acoustic versions of current hits “Give Me Back My Hometown,” “Drink In My Hand,” “Cold One” and his most recent No. 1 hit “Talladega.” He also played deep-cut favorites such as “These Boots,” “How ‘Bout You” and “Livin’ Part of Life” from early in his career.  
    Halestorm opened the show with a full 45-minute set. The production and stage were scaled back – only four spotlights and a minimal floor lighting package showcased Church in this unique setting. Guitar players Jeff Hyde, Jeff Cease and Driver Williams joined Church for a few songs and Lzzy Hale came onstage for a remarkable acoustic rendition of “That’s Damn Rock and Roll.” Church worked six mic positions (scaled back from the normal 14), still performing to every section of the 360-degree setup. 

    Saturday’s complete set list is as follows:  
    “Talladega”
    “Drink In My Hand”
    “Guys Like Me”
    “How ‘Bout You”
    “I’m Getting’ Stoned”
    “Creepin’”
    “Like Jesus Does”
    “Cold One”
    “Livin’ Part Of Life”
    “Give Me Back My Hometown”
    “That’s Damn Rock and Roll”
     “Before She Does”
    “Homeboy”
    “These Boots”
    “Like A Wrecking Ball”
    “Jack Daniels”
    “Smoke A Little Smoke”
    “Thunder Road”
    “Springsteen” 

    Fans looking to experience Church’s prowess as a live performer have a unique chance to catch him at the GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 8 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The North Carolina native is up for four GRAMMYs, including Best Country Album and Best Country Song, and will play a yet-to-be-announced song on the CBS broadcast.

    THE OUTSIDERS WORLD TOUR returns to the road on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California.  
    Supporting acts for the May 25 bonus show in Salt Lake City will be announced at a later date. Fans wishing to attend should hold onto all physical tickets. Those unable to attend that show can seek a full refund at point of purchase beginning Wednesday, Feb. 4, until 5 p.m. day of concert.

    Tickets are available at www.ericchurch.com, all Smith’s Tix outlets, www.smithstix.com, the arena box office or by phone at (800) 888-TIXX or (801) 467-TIXX. To learn more about Church, visit www.facebook.com/ericchurch, or follow @EricChurch on Twitter.  

  • ACM AWARDS NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED.

    Audio
    Dierks Bentley / Eric Church / Kacey Musgraves / Lady Antebellum / Little Big Town / Luke Bryan

    The nominations for the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards have been announced, via its social media outlets.
    The awards show will take place April 19th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan return to co-host the event.

    Entertainer of the Year
    Jason Aldean
    Garth Brooks
    Luke Bryan
    Miranda Lambert
    Florida Georgia Line

    Male Vocalist of the Year
    Jason Aldean
    Dierks Bentley
    Luke Bryan
    Eric Church
    Brad Paisley
    Blake Shelton

    Female Vocalist of the Year
    Brandy Clark
    Miranda Lambert
    Martina McBride
    Kacey Musgraves
    Carrie Underwood

    Group of the Year
    Lady Antebellum
    Little Big Town
    Rascal Flatts
    The Band Perry
    Zac Brown Band

    Album of the Year

    Old Boots, New Dirt, Jason Aldean
    Producer: Michael Knox
    Record Label: Broken Bow Records

    Pain Killer, Little Big Town
    Producer: Jay Joyce
    Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville

    Platinum, Miranda Lambert
    Producers: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf
    Record Label: RCA Nashville

    Riser, Dierks Bentley
    Producers: Ross Copperman, Jaren Johnston
    Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville

    The Outsiders, Eric Church
    Producer: Jay Joyce
    Record Label: EMI Records Nashville

    Vocal Duo of the Year
    Brothers Osborne
    Florida Georgia Line
    Dan + Shay
    Maddie & Tae
    The Swon Brothers

    New Artist of the Year (currently open for fan voting)
    Brett Eldredge
    Tyler Farr
    Sam Hunt
    Kip Moore
    Thomas Rhett
    Chase Rice
    Cole Swindell
    Dan + Shay

    Single Record of the Year (awarded to artist/producers/record company)

    “American Kids” Kenny Chesney
    “Automatic” Miranda Lambert
    “Dirt” Florida Georgia Line
    “Drunk On A Plane” Dierks Bentley
    “I Don’t Dance” Lee Brice

    Vocal Event of the Year
    Lonely Tonight – Blake Shelton Featuring Ashley Monroe, Producer: Scott Hendricks, Record Label: Warner Bros. Records
    Meanwhile Back At Mama’s – Tim McGraw Featuring Faith Hill,  Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw, Record Label: Big Machine Records
    Somethin’ Bad – Miranda Lambert Duet With Carrie Underwood, Producers: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf, Record Label: RCA Nashville
    The South – The Cadillac Three Featuring Florida Georgia Line, Dierks Bentley & Mike Eli, Producers: Dann Huff, Justin Niebank, Record Label: Big Machine Records
    This Is How We Roll – Florida Georgia Line Featuring Luke Bryan

    Video of the Year
    American Kids – Kenny Chesney. Director: Shaun Silva, Producer: Don Lepore
    Cop Car – Keith Urban, Director: John Urbano, Producer: Michelle Abnet
    Drunk On A Plane – Dierks Bentley, Director: Wes Edwards, Producer: Clarke Gallivan
    I’m Not Gonna Miss You – Glen Campbell, Director: James Keach, Producer: Julian Raymond
    Somethin’ Bad – Miranda Lambert Duet With Carrie Underwood, Director: Trey Fanjoy, Producer: Trent Hardville

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet talks about his hopes for Pain Killer.

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    LBT (hopes for Pain Killer) 2 OC: …test of time. :24
    PHILLIP: “Winning awards and having success, commercial success with Tornado, I think, gave us a bigger platform, and for me, I hope that platform – I’m really proud that we made Painkiller, because it’s the best thing we’ve ever done and that we have a platform to share it on is amazing. So, I think we wanted to step up to the challenge and know there’s a great platform here, what are we going to put on it? And we wanted something to stand the test of time.”

     

    Audio / Kacey Musgraves is passionate about her song, “Follow Your Arrow.”

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    Kacey Musgraves (Follow Your Arrow) 2 OC: …accepting other people. :43
    “I get like fired up when I talk about this song, because it’s so fun to play and it’s always interesting. I’m always wary whenever I play it a little bit because it does push some buttons, but people young and old seem to get a kick out of it and just appreciate that fact that like I’m showing love to people who don’t usually get that in our genre. And, too, it’s just funny because no matter what side of the coin you’re on, gay, straight, left, right, black, white, anything, I mean there’s always going to be an opposing opinion so it doesn’t matter. Like society is going to have an opinion either way. You’re never going to make society happy completely. I mean if you’re too fat, then you need to lose weight, but if you lose too much weight, then oh, she’s on crack. It’s just about being who are and accepting other people.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley says his ACM-nominated album Riser is a snapshot of his life at the moment.

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    Dierks Bentley (Riser snapshot) OC: …decided for me. :45
    “I think every record I’ve made has always been a little bit of a Polaroid snapshot of where I was at that place and time when I made it. This particular album just has a lot of scenery in the picture. I mean there’s a lot that’s gone on in the last two years, more so than any other time in my life. You look at some of the bookends of the making of this record – my Dad passing away at the start of the process and then my son Knox being born at the end of the process. It was unexpected…when I made this record I just wanted to have the best songs. I wasn’t sure what they were going to be about, but I wanted them to be the best. I wanted to write my best songs, I wanted to write a lot of songs. I wanted to listen to a lot of outside songs and find the best songs that I could for whatever I was going to write about, but I wasn’t sure what it was gonna be, and then life came along and decided for me.”

    Audio / Eric Church says the story of his ACM-nominated “Give Me Back My Hometown,’ appeals to him as a songwriter.

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    Eric Church (Give Me Back My Hometown) OC: …songwriter. :41
    “I love that it’s about ‘Give Me Back My Hometown,’ but it’s about a guy that’s still in his hometown. He’s in the most familiar place, the place he knows better than anything, but because his female lover left him there, all those places that he knows so well, become so haunting and foreign to him. The loneliness and sadness of it, it’s one of the sadder songs we’ve ever done. To be at the place that you grow up at that is your home, and the person that left you there took that from you, there’s nothing lonelier than that. So, I love that dichotomy of ‘Give Me Back My Hometown,’ when the person’s in it, they’re standing in it, and that appealed to me as a songwriter.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about one of his favorite songs on the album, “Drink a Beer.”

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    Luke Bryan (Drink a Beer) OC: …the album. :50
    “‘Drink a Beer’ is the best way I can describe it is — it’s the coolest sad song I’ve ever heard.  It’s the saddest sad song you’ve ever heard but it’s like it could be played at any really environment and you’re not going to tank the mood. You’re just going to make people reflect and the perfect way you’re going to make them revert back to somebody that they lost, whether it’s their granddad that they used to sit on a boat and drink a beer with. It’s whoever in your life that you’ve lost that you would have shared a beer with, and I think it’s just a perfectly written sad song, and it’s one of those that I’m honored that it found its way to me and I’m honored that it can be on the album.”