Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

RECORD-BREAKING TICKET SALES INSPIRE EMI RECORDS NASHVILLE’S ERIC CHURCH TO ANNOUNCE SECOND LEG OF 2012 HEADLINING TOUR: THE BLOOD, SWEAT & BEERS TOUR

“Drink In My Hand” Marks Church’s First-Ever Top 5 and Climbing Single on Country Billboard Charts

Few albums demanded attention in 2011 like Eric Church’s CHIEF, and subsequently ticket sales for his headlining tour are smoldering with the plea. Having broken Jason Aldean’s record for the highest number of tickets ever sold for a live event at the Landers Center in Southaven, MS, and experiencing near sell-outs in additional markets, Church will now bring his “delightfully overemphatic outlaw aspirations and snarling power chords,” as SPIN describes them, to fans in Atlantic City, New York City, Orlando, Nashville, Minneapolis and more,  (full list below). Meanwhile, the Best Country Album of the Year 2012 GRAMMY nominee is celebrating  his first-ever top five and climbing single on the Country Billboard charts, “Drink In My Hand.”

Due to overwhelming demand, Church will now headline several coveted venues including Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO for the first time in his career. “Every good artist reaches a watershed moment and Eric Church has arrived at his with CHIEF,” wrote The Boston Globe; and there’s no challenging their prediction now as Church garnered placement on numerous “Best Of” lists for 2011.

Tickets for upcoming dates are on-sale now and fans also have the option to purchase a special “VIP Package” where they’ll be treated to an exclusive VIP pre-concert party and intimate acoustic performance from Church backstage. For more information and to purchase, visit www.ericchurch.com.

The full list of Church’s upcoming tour dates is below, with an asterisk (*) denoting a new addition.

Eric Church The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour Dates:

1/19      Fort Smith, AR- Fort Smith Convention Center

1/20      Cape Girardeau, MO- Show Me Center

1/21      Southaven, MS- Landers Center

1/26      Madison, WI – The Alliant Energy Center

1/27      Saginaw, MI- The Dow Event Center

1/28      Terre Haute, IN- The ISU Hulman Center

2/2        Savannah, GA-Savannah Civic Center

2/3        Knoxville, TN-Thompson Boling Arena

2/4        Norfolk, VA-Ted Constant Center

2/16      Greenville, SC-Bi-Lo Center

2/17      Salisbury, MD- Wicomico Civic Center

2/18      Greensboro, NC-Greensboro Coliseum

2/23      Battle Creek, MI-Kellogg Arena

2/24      Cleveland, OH-Wolstein Center at CSU

2/25      Ft. Wayne, IN- Allen County War Memorial Col.

3/1        Portland, ME- Cumberland Country Civic Center

3/2        Lowell, MA- Tsongas Center at UMASS Lowell

3/3        Indiana, PA- Kocalchick Center

3/8        Oklahoma City, OK- Chesapeake Energy Center

3/9        Jonesboro, AR – ASU Convocation Center*

3/10      Orange Beach, AL- Amphitheater at The Wharf

3/14      New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom*

3/15      Binghampton, NY – Broome County Arena*

3/16      Reading, PA – Sovereign Center*

3/17      Atlantic City, NJ – Etess Arena*

3/22      Estero, FL – Germain Arena*

3/23      Orlando, FL – UCF Arena*

3/24      Tallahassee, FL – Tallahassee Civic Center*

4/12      Tupelo, MS – BancorpSouth Arena*

4/13      Bossier City, LA – Centurylink Center*

4/14      Auburn, AL – Alpha Psi Rodeo*

4/19      Evansville, IN – Ford Center*

4/20      St Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena*

4/21      Pikeville, KY – Eastern KY Expo Center*

4/26      Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena*

4/27      Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena*

4/28      Bloomington, IL – US Cellular Coliseum*

5/3        Springfield, MO – JQH Arena*

5/5        Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena*

5/10      Toledo, OH – Huntington Center*

5/11      Hoffman Estates, IL – Sears Centre*

5/12      Youngstown, OH – Covelli Center*

5/17      Minneapolis, MN – Target Center*

5/18      Topeka, KS – Landon Arena*

5/19      Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre*

Opening acts for various dates include Brantley Gilbert, Sonia Leigh, Blackberry Smoke, Jon Pardi, The Cadillac Black and Drake White. 

AUDIO: Eric Church talks about rehearsing for his upcoming Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour.

Eric Church (tour rehearsals) OC: … translate to the show.

“I think this is the first time we’ve ever really had to rehearse for a headline arena tour, or any other kind of tour, because it’s such a big tour. I mean, it’s the first time that we’ve really had control of the stage, it’s the first time we’ve had this size set, this size of production. And it’s gonna be neat to go in, and you can kind of feel the energy already, even though we’re a couple of weeks away. You can feel it building. I mean, every day gets ya a little closer. It’s like a distant drum that gets louder and louder, and I’m excited. Usually, in touring season, I’m dreading starting again, because I don’t feel like we had enough time off. Every year, it gets shorter and shorter. This is the first year that I mean, I’m chomping at the bit. My band’s been chomping at the bit. We’re ready to get out there and play, and we’re as excited as we’ve ever been, and I think it’ll translate to the show.”

Eric Church and his wife, Katherine, enjoyed their first Christmas as new parents. As you know, they welcomed Boone McCoy into the world on October 3^rd, 2011, and wouldn’t you guess, Boone already has his first guitar. The instrument was a gift from his doting dad. “I wanted to buy a guitar that was from the year he was born,” explains the “Drink in My Hand” singer. “I mean, as a guitar fan, one of the things you always ask about any guitar, you say, ‘What year is that?’ I wanted it to be something I could put up, and when the time came…I wanted to tell him the significance of it.” Eric promises he won’t be a stage dad and push guitar-playing or music in general on the young tyke, but he just wanted to be able to give Boone a cool memento of his first year in the world.

• “Drink in My Hand” is hovering close to the top of the country charts, which would make this Eric’s FIRST No. 1 single…EVER!

Eric Church (gave Boone 1^st guitar) OC: …to your kid. :33

“I wanted to buy a guitar that was from the year he was born. I mean, as a guitar fan, one of the things you always ask about any guitar, you say, ‘What year is that?’ I wanted it to be something I could put up, and when the time came – it’s a really nice guitar, and when the time came, I wanted to tell him the significance of it. It’s just neat to have a moment like that, and whether he plays guitar or not. I mean it’s not something I’m gonna push on, but it’s something that was important to me to be able to say, ‘This was from the year you were born, and from right after you were born – your first Christmas.’ So, I just think that’s a neat thing – as a musician – to have something like that to be able to give to your kid.”

Lady Antebellum‘s Own the Night remains the No. 1 country album again this week. The collection sold nearly 54,000 copies to land at No. 1 on the country album chart and at No. 4 overall.

When Keith Urban launches the first leg of his 2013 North American Tour this summer, he’s taking along Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch. This isn’t the first time he’s toured with Little Big Town – they have hit the road together several years ago and they’ve collaborated together on a few different projects, as well. “We’ve toured with Little Big Town before, and I love them. I’ve always loved them. I love the record they made, and I just felt like if they wanted to come out, it’d be a great time to collaborate together,” says Keith. “I feel it’s more collaborative when anybody comes out with us. All of us are putting on a show for the audience, ‘cause it starts the minute they walk into the arena.”

In the meantime, catch Keith on American Idol on FOX on Wednesdays and Thursdays [check local listings for times].

Keith Urban 2013 Tour Dates:
July 18 – Cincinnati, OH
July 19 – Twin Lakes, WI
July 20 – Monticello, IA
July 25 – Charlotte, NC
July 26 – Raleigh, NC
July 27 – Atlanta, GA
August 4 – Detroit, MI
August 8 – Washington, DC
August 9 – Canandaigua, NY
August 10 – Boston, MA
August 16 – Houston, TX
August 17 – Dallas, TX
August 22 – Birmingham, AL
August 23 – St. Louis, MO
August 24 – Indianapolis, IN
September 12 – Cleveland, OH
September 13 – Pittsburgh, PA
September 14 – Philadelphia, PA
September 21 – Mountain View, CA
September 22 – Sacramento, CA
September 27 – Los Angeles, CA
September 28 – San Diego, CA
September 29 – Phoenix, AZ
October 4 – Tampa, FL
October 5 – West Palm Beach, FL

Keith Urban (LBT on tour) OC: …the arena. :17
“We’ve toured with Little Big Town before, and I love them. I’ve always loved them. I love the record they made, and I just felt like if they wanted to come out, it’d be a great time to collaborate together, ‘cause I feel it’s more collaborative when anybody comes out with us. All of us are putting on a show for the audience, ‘cause it starts the minute they walk into the arena.”

Thomas Rhett, who’s been opening some shows for Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert, wrote a song for Dierks called “Dierkin’ It.” Check it out in the latest DBTV episode below.

Modern Family‘s Eric Stonestreet makes a special appearance in the latest edition of Webisode Wednesday. He goes in the studio and behind-the-scenes with Lady Antebellum during the making of their latest single, “Downtown.”

By the way, “Downtown” will be available on iTunes beginning February 5th.

Go behind the scenes with Luke Bryan and the band at the 2012 ACA Awards in Las Vegas. Luke opened the show with “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” and was the nights biggest winner with 9 awards!

Kip Moore is getting ready to hit the airwaves with his brand new single, “Dirt Road.” In the video below, he details the story behind the song.