• KEITH URBAN BRINGS IT ON HOME WITH YAHOO.

    Last week, Keith Urban played the part of tour guide as part of a feature that will appear on Yahoo’s “Going Home on Ram Country” series. The Nashville transplant took the crew to several of his favorite Music City locations, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum — the recipient of the proceeds from his annual All for the Hall benefit concerts. 

    The installment will premiere August 15th at ramcountry.music.yahoo.com.

  • LADY A’s CHARLES KELLEY TUNES INTO THE 2012 SUMMER OLYMPICS.

    Lady Antebellum has wrapped up the European leg of their Own the Night 2012 World Tour, and band member Charles Kelley is using the down time to tune in to the Olympic games.

    He tweets, “Women’s Olympic volleyball so far is my favorite things I’ve seen from the games. That is until I found out when ping pong is gonna air.”

    As you may know, Lady A has a ping pong table set up backstage at each one of their concerts, but we’re not sure if they’re ready for Olympic competition just yet.  

    The band is off the road until a September 22nd date in Honolulu.  After that, Lady A heads Down Under for a string of Australian shows starting September 25th in Melbourne.

    Credit ABC News Radio for the story.

  • ERIC CHURCH CELEBRATES BOTH A PLATINUM ALBUM AND A TWO-WEEK NO. 1 SONG! (AUDIO)

    Eric Church and his album, Chief, were feted at a platinum-album party in Nashville on Monday (July 30th) in front of family (including wife Katherine and son Boone), friends, band, crew, record label and industry insiders. Eric’s recent two-week No. 1 single, “Springsteen,” was also celebrated and included presentations to the star’s co-writers, Jeff Hyde and Ryan Tyndell.

    Eric received several “platinum” items to celebrate the status of Chief — which debuted at the top of the Billboard album charts last July — including a pair of platinum sunglasses, a box of custom cigars, a custom barrel of Jack Daniels (his favorite beverage) and a special bottle of the single barrel liquor with a platinum label–the first of its kind.

    Check out what Eric had to say to those in attendance below.

  • ERIC CHURCH MAKES GOOD ON CONCERT.

    July 29, 2012

    Church determined to give fans a great show in August

    BLUEFIELD — Country music artist Eric Church believes in second chances, which is why he is coming back on Sunday, Aug. 26 to Bluefield.

    Church, along with Jake Owens, were part of the June 29 Second Chance Rocks the Two Virginias concert that was canceled due to a strong storm that swept through the area.

    At least 18,000 people had to be evacuated from Mitchell Stadium.

    Church was bummed that night. He said going on stage to perform is a release after a long day of waiting — but he understood the need to cancel the show for safety.

    “It is a reality for us every time we play in the summertime in an outdoor concert,” he said in a phone interview with the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. “It is unfortunate for us that it happened. It was out of my hands and something I had no control over. But we are making it a priority to come back.”

    Church said as soon as concert organizers informed him of the cancellation, he immediately said he would come back and give fans their concert.

    “I was disappointed for the fans. There were a lot of people that had bought tickets and came. I understood the inconvenience,” Church said.

    Two weeks before the June 29 concert, Church said he had to evacuate a concert in Buffalo, N.Y., due to a storm. He rescheduled that show as well. Ever since the concert tragedy in Indiana in 2011, he said all event organizers have brought a sense of reality to outdoor concerts in the summer. He applauds Second Chance Rocks The Two Virginias for the way they handled the situation in Bluefield.

    “I am thankful that everybody was OK and I was glad nothing happened at the show,” he added. “The bigger picture is that we are going to come back.”

    And Church is excited to give fans a second chance.

    A rising artist in the country music industry, the 35-year-old North Carolina native said he has been offered several second chances during his career.

    “Being an artist that took the long way around, it was a different plan and path. We didn’t have a lot of success with radio and TV. We had to own it and work for it. We beat ourselves up in clubs and bars,” he said. “I have had a million second chances and anything we do in life, we don’t get, unless we have had a second, third or fourth chance.”

    What can fans expect at the concert?

    Church said to be ready for a good time. The song “Springsteen” — his second No. 1 and a RIAA Platinum® single — is a crowd favorite, especially since it deals with summer and an outdoor concert.

    “It makes me reminiscence about my first outdoor concert. Being in the outdoors and in the summertime, it has the ability to transport me. If it transports me, it is transporting them as well,” he said.

    He hopes his music challenges listeners and stirs up passion. He calls his style of country music “an acquired taste.” He said he believes music lovers in this area enjoy the difference in his songs compared to other mainstream music. With his third album “Chief,” fans are becoming more familiar with Church. He has already sold more than 1 million copies since June 2011. He expects to play songs from previous albums at the concert as well.

    “We are ready to party and I appreciate the fans and I appreciated them coming the first time and now showing patience. We are going to make this thing what it should have been,” he added.

    Erik Robinson, executive director of the Second Chance Learning Center, said both Church and Owens, were determined to give fans their show.

    “I can’t say enough positive things about them,” he said. “They know what type of organization we are and they know it was hard on us to cancel. They have bent over backwards to help.”

    Robinson said concertgoers must have their original ticket stub to attend the Aug. 26 show. Tickets can also be purchased at Second Chance Learning Center in Bluefield, Va., or through Ticketmaster. Gates will open at 5 p.m. Andy Crawford will open at 6:15 p.m., followed by Jake Owens at 7 p.m. Church will take the stage at 8:30 p.m.

  • KEITH URBAN CHECKS IN FROM THE OPENING CEREMONIES AT THE 2012 OLYMPICS! (VIDEO)

    Keith Urban‘s at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, and he gives his fans a little sneak peek.

    Video / Urban Chat Extra: 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremonies

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  • THE LATEST EPISODE OF LBTV FEATURES A SUMMERTIME FAVORITE! (VIDEO)

    Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean‘s band and crews have a friendly game of wiffle ball at one of their tour stops. Who do you think is the better player?

    Video / LBTV Thursdays! Episode 26

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  • JON PARDI’S DOG BANDIT HAS EARNED HIS ROAD STRIPES. (AUDIO)

    When Jon Pardi comes back home after a long day in the studio or a few days on the road, he’s greeted by his best friend, his dog Bandit. The singer says Bandit is a mix of two purebred dogs – a Queensland Heeler and Australian Shepherd. Until Jon came along, Bandit wasn’t liked by too many folks. “Nobody wanted him ‘cause he barked all the time,” Jon explained. “He had a petition by all the neighbors in the surrounding area because he barked so much that he’d get like kicked out. And by the time I got him, like they were just ready to give him away…and the first time I got him, he sat on my lap, just never got off my lap, and we’ve been best friends ever since.” We’re sure when his owner goes on the road for a few days, Bandit is “missin’” him “crazy.”

    Jon is heading up the country charts with his single, “Missin’ You Crazy.”

    In other news, Jon and labelmate Eric Paslay wrote a major hit song (we are sure) together earlier this week.

    AUDIO: Jon Pardi talks about his “best friend,” Bandit.

    Jon Pardi (dog) 1 OC: …ever since, man. :34

    “My dog is Bandit. He’s a Queensland Heeler and Australian Shepherd. He’s two purebred dogs — his mom was an Australian Shepherd purebred, dad was a purebred Queensland Heeler, and he was a big ole dude. And I got him at a year and a half. Nobody wanted him ‘cause he barked all the time. He had a petition by all the neighbors in the surrounding area because he barked so much that he’d get like kicked out. And by the time I got him, like they were just ready to give him away and the first time I got him he sat on my lap, just never got off my lap, and we’ve been best friends ever since, man.”

    AUDIO: Jon Pardi says his dog, Bandit, made the trek with him from California to Nashville in the back of his pickup truck…and just recently, got into a bit of a skirmish with a skunk.

    Jon Pardi (dog) 2 OC: …around their face. :52

    “He stood up the whole time on the back. He was in the bed. And he’d  stay; sometimes we couldn’t sneak him into the hotel rooms so he had to sleep with all the gear and stuff in the back. But it’s good cause he’s very protective, like you don’t want to go and reach your hand in the back of the truck while Bandi is back there, ‘cause you will be bit. But he’s been a really great dog. He’s getting really old, and it’s kind of sad to watch him get old, but I still take him out when I can. He got sprayed by a skunk. He stinks, man. But I found if your dog ever gets sprayed by a skunk, listen up now, a whole bottle of peroxide, not a big bottle, the medium-sized bottle, a half a cup of baking soda and a teaspoon of like dishwashing soap, and that will clear it out. It’ll dry his skin out, and it will be good. My dog, Bandit had gotten whiter after I poured peroxide on him, but he don’t smell as bad anymore. Just don’t get it in their eyes or around their face.”

  • DIERKS BENTLEY WILL RELEASE ‘COUNTRY & COLD CANS’ EP! (VIDEO)

    Nashville, TN – July 26, 2012 – Award winning singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley is raising a glass to the end of summer with the release of a four song EP titled COUNTRY & COLD CANS at iTunes on Aug. 21. Produced by Jaren Johnston, the EP was inspired by the crowd-favorite title track and tour by the same name that recently wrapped legs in the U.S., Canada and Australia.

    With the help of college students, Bentley will kick tailgating season off at three SEC campuses to celebrate the new music in a limited COUNTRY AND COLD CANS: BACK TO COLLEGE TOUR with special guest, The Cadillac Black. The tour begins at The University of Georgia (8/20) and continues to The University of South Carolina (8/21) and culminates in The Grove at The University of Mississippi (8/22).  Tickets are available to fan club members beginning today and the general public on Friday beginning at 10:00A ET, for ticket information visit Dierks.com.
     
    “We thought we’d celebrate the end of summer and back to school with an EP of new material that’s about cutting loose…it was really inspired by how young and crazy the fans on the Country & Cold Cans Tour were earlier this year,” said Bentley.  “I’ve written a lot with Jaren, and we thought it would be fun to get the guys in my band and a couple of cases of beer and go see what happens in the studio.  I’m really happy with the tracks, and I think our crowd will dig it.”
     
    COUNTRY & COLD CANS EP Track List:
     
    1. Country & Cold Cans
     
    2. Grab A Beer
     
    3. Back Porch
     
    4. Summer On Fire

    5. Tip It On Back

    For a preview of the new music from the recording studio, visit: www.dierks.com/videos/countryandcoldcansep
     
    Bentley’s current sixth studio album HOME debuted at No. one on Billboard Country Albums chart earlier this year and has already earned three No. one hits at country radio “Am I The Only One,” “Home” and “5-1-5-0” for a career total of 10 No. one hits as an artist and songwriter.  For more information and for a full list of upcoming tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

    Video / Dierks Bentley: Country & Cold Cans EP

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  • HAPPY 1ST ANNIVERSARY TO THE ‘CHIEF!’ (AUDIO)

    Happy Anniversary to Eric Church!!!!  One year ago today (July 26th), he released his third and most-celebrated album, Chief. The platinum-certified album (his first) debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Country Albums chart and the over-all Top 200. He took time off the road to hole up in a cabin to write the songs for the album. “I felt like our career had really got to a point that, it had gotten to the next level, I wanted to make a record that was indicative to that. The only way I knew how to do that, was to pause, and just take time, and figure out where we go from there,” says Eric. “That month in the cabin, there was no television, cell phone service, which in the middle of football season is brutal. I spent a lot of time at a local bar [laughs] in Banner Elk [laughs]. But I sat there with co-writers, got them out of their element, and sometimes we’d write a song at 3 am, sometimes we would write a song at 7am, sometimes we didn’t write a song, we’d just ride around and drink beer in a four wheeler. It was really, really cool to just let the creative process, just un-harness it, and let the creative process flow. I think that “unharnessed” really became part of what the record was.”

    Chief has spawned three hits, including his first two No. 1 singles, “Drink in My Hand” and the two-week chart-topper, “Springsteen.” The fourth single from the collection, ‘Creepin’,’ is making its way up the country charts.

    AUDIO: Eric Church explains why he took time off the road to write most of the songs for his new album, Chief.

    Eric Church (taking time to write) OC: …in that cabin. 1:09

    “Well, it’s the first time taking a month off to write this record; it’s the first time I’ve taken a month off in the middle of any kind of touring season in a long time…ever. And it was for me, I thought it was time, and we, I put so much into the record making process, every time we do it, I empty the tank doing it. And this time, two records in, I felt like our career had really got to a point that, it had gotten to the next level, I wanted to make a record that was indicative to that. The only way I knew how to do that, was to pause, and just take time, and figure out where we go from there. That month in the cabin, there was no television, cell phone service, which in the middle of football season is brutal. I spent a lot of time at a local bar [laughs] in Banner Elk [laughs]. But I sat there with co-writers, got them out of their element, and sometimes we’d write a song at 3 am, sometimes we would write a song at 7am, sometimes we didn’t write a song, we’d just ride around and drink beer in a four wheeler. It was really, really cool to just let the creative process, just un-harness it, and let the creative process flow. I think that ‘unharnessed’ really became part of what the record was. It just is, there’s no rules. It’s unchained, it’s loose, it’s wild, and I think that started in that cabin.”

  • GO BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF LADY A’s EUROPEAN TOUR! (VIDEO)

    cHECK OUT the latest Webisode Wednesday, in which Lady A continue their tour of Europe with performances in Birmingham, UK, Zurich, Switzerland and Frankfurt.

    When the band performed in Ireland, Lady A’s Hillary Scott stopped by to speak with Highland Radio’s own CMA award winning DJ, Pio Mc Cann, in Dublin. Listen to their interview here.

    Video / Lady Antebellum - Webisode Wednesday - Episode 209

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