May 2013

With more than 40 artists confirmed, the Bud Light Stage at Bridgestone Arena Plaza will be rockin’ with back-to-back daily concerts during the 2013 CMA Music Festival, Thursday-Sunday, June 6-9, in downtown Nashville. Free and open to the public, the Bud Light Stage lineups kick-off on Thursday, June 6 at 10:30 AM/CT featuring crowd favourites and up-and-comers entertaining fans each day until 5:00 PM/CT. “The location of the Bud Light Stage is perfectly situated to provide a place to discover new talent and reconnect with well-known hit makers,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “This stage was one of our most popular destinations in 2012 and I’m expecting the same level of enthusiasm and attendance again this year.” Artists performing on the Bud Light Stage at the Bridgestone Arena Plaza include: Lauren Alaina; Dean Alexander; Katie Armiger; Frankie Ballard; Kelleigh Bannen; Big Smo; Bucky Covington; Dailey & Vincent; Sarah Darling; Emerson Drive; Rose Falcon; Andy Gibson; JT Hodges; Chris Janson; Angie Johnson; Krystal Keith; LoCash Cowboys; Robin Meade; Randy Montana; David Lee Murphy; Parmalee; Mac Powell; Michael Ray; Chase Rice; Canaan Smith; Joanna Smith; Chris Stapleton; Steel Magnolia; Pam Tillis with Lorrie Morgan; James Wesley; Chuck Wicks; and Drake White. With 11 stages and many free lifestyle exhibits to explore throughout the Festival footprint in Nashville, CMA Music Festival is a great, family-friendly entertainment value. The concerts at the Bud Light Stage are fun in the sun and within easy walking distance of all the Festival event sites, including the all-new AT&T® U-verse® Fan Fair X (FFX) with autograph signings, concerts, lifestyle exhibits, marketplace, live broadcasts, demonstrations and more in the brand new, state-of-the-art Music City Center. It all kicks off Thursday, June 6 with ‘Lady A Day at FFX’ featuring Lady Antebellum performing, signing autographs, and cutting the ribbon when Fan Fair X officially opens to fans. Fan Fair X is free to four-day ticket holders, but tickets to this exciting new attraction are available to fans for $10 a day or $25 for four days from Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th June, with children 12 and younger admitted for free. Visit CMAfest.com for details. Fans can stay in the loop by visiting CMAfest.com, the official website of CMA Music Festival, where they can sign up for the CMA Exclusive e-news.

The seven-time GRAMMY winning trio Lady Antebellum scores their third consecutive debut this week atop Billboard’s all-genre Top 200 Chart with their fourth studio album GOLDEN, which sold more than 167,000 copies in its first week. “It’s been so fun to get feedback from our fans,” said Hillary Scott. “There are so many ways for us to hear from them and I love finding out how people are relating to different songs. We’re really proud of this album and thankful for all the fans and to Country Radio for supporting both ‘Downtown’ and now ‘Goodbye Town’ this week!” Since their 2006 inception, Lady A has risen quickly to become Country Music’s most influential current group. The group has won the “Vocal Group of the Year” honour from both the CMA and from the ACM’s three times in a row, earned seven GRAMMY awards and sold 11 million albums worldwide. Nine of the band’s singles are certified Gold, with four surpassing the Platinum mark.

Taylor Swift won in eight categories to dominate the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, held on May 19th in Las Vegas. In addition to a win as top artist, she was also named top female artist, top Billboard 200 artist, top digital songs artist and top country artist during the show. Swift’s RED also won the top country album and top Billboard 200 album prizes while top country song honours went to her We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. Mumford & Sons’ BABEL was voted top rock album. During the awards show, Swift performed 22. Jennifer Nettles introduced The Band Perry’s performance of Better Dig Two, and Florida Georgia Line introduced Kacey Musgraves’ acoustic performance of Merry Go ‘Round. Other presenters included Shania Twain and Kid Rock.

The Acoustic Festival Of Britain announces an added major attraction, the sensational 20yr. old Blues Boy, Dan Owen from Shrewsbury, will play on Saturday 1st June. A meteoric rise to international stardom for this young bluesman was seen live on the Andrew Marr show recently, on his return from America , where he was special guest of Willie Nelson. He performs ‘rootsy’ blues infected songs on guitar with the help of his home made ‘stomp box’ and occasional harmonica. April 2013 saw Dan recording in Nashville with Grammy winning producer Vance Powel. He said: “It’s weird how it all happened. I got on a plane for the first time last week and was in Nashville which is an amazing place. We went to Willie Nelson’s 80th birthday party with Neil Young, Sheryl Crow and Nora Jones, some amazing people that I have known to watch but then got to see them in front of me.”
Dan played guitar and sung the Willie Nelson song Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die at the end of the party. He was also invited to play the song on the Andrew Marr programme and is also taking to the road with ZZ-Top as an opening act for their European dates. Dan will also perform at Glastonbury among other festivals and release his first recordings on ‘BluesBoy Recs’. He has played and recorded with Bruce Springsteen, and Sheryl Crow in Nashville in recent weeks. The Acoustic Festival of Britain at Uttoxeter Racecourse May 31st – June 2nd is the ultimate showcase for the British un-plugged music scene. This year’s festival sees a mix of old and young artists featured, from headliners The Hollies and The Proclaimers to the youthful footstompin Rusty Shackle and young musician of the year Polly Money. The rootsy feel is welcoming to the folk music fans who can see some of their favourites, Rory McLeod, award winning songstress Patsy Matheson and the Irish music band of the year The Rovin Crows. The infamous John Otway and former folk-punks Martin Stephenson and Sex Pistol Ed Tudorpole will create a grin on faces over the Saturday with their witty songs and stories. Several generations will have favourites to look forward to seeing, Curved Air from 1970s then The Christians and Belle Stars from the 1980s and 1990s, The Quireboys from the millenium and stars from the last decade include Gareth Gates, Baka Beyond and guitar supremo Rodney Branigan. Two of Britains got talent stars will feature, Pelico the acoustic group and 13 years old guitarist and singer Laura Thalia, both play on Saturday, as do the fabulous Babajack , award winners of 2012 British and Best European blues band , as featured on Jools Holland. Childrens entertainment is as always a big feature at the event, this year an added bonus of a Big top is welcomed, to go along with the scores of workshops, painting, bubble mania and fun palace . Children are only £1 entry.

There was a time when folk music was heard all across America and around the world, from coffee houses to concert halls, when a new generation of folk groups and singer-songwriters helped to change the sound of music forever. Now, THE FOLK YEARS brings listeners back to a time when songs were woven from the many threads of America’s rich musical tapestry by, now legendary and iconic artists, such as The Weavers, The Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan, The Seekers, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Simon and Garfunkel, The Byrds, Don McLean and many more. For fans of the genre, THE FOLK YEARS, from StarVista Entertainment/Time Life is the most comprehensive collection of folk and folk rock hits ever assembled. Available in an 8 CD set, the collection is housed in a handsome box which also includes a 52-page lyrics booklet including liner notes and the bonus DVD “Legends of Folk: The Village Scene”, a documentary bursting with rare and historic full-length performances. THE FOLK YEARS can be purchased online at www.timelife.com/products/the-folk-years. From the greatest hits of the folk revival in the 1950s and the legendary folk scene of the early 1960s to the emergence of folk rock, and even the beginning of the singer-songwriter era, never before has one collection captured the very essence of folk music like THE FOLK YEARS. Timeless songs featured include “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” and “Tom Dooley” by The Kingston Trio, “Lemon Tree” by Trini Lopez, “California Dreamin’” and “Monday, Monday” by The Mamas & the Papas, “Turn, Turn, Turn (To Everything There is a Season)” and “Mr.Tambourine Man” by the Byrds, “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by Peter, Paul and Mary, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” by Joan Baez, “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” and “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” by Bob Dylan and more. Also included is “Legends of Folk: The Village Scene” from 4-time Emmy® award winning director Jim Brown and hosted by Peter, Paul and Mary’s Noel Paul Stookey. Originally seen on PBS, the feature-length documentary includes rare and historic full-length performances by artists like Simon Garfunkel and Joan Baez, plus Dylan’s historic performance of “Blowin’ in the Wind” at the Newport Folk Festival of 1963. It also features interviews with such folk luminaries as Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas, Don McLean, John Sebastian of The Lovin’ Spoonful, Maria Muldaur and others who strummed and sang through the 1960s. 
Aside from hosting “Legends of Folk,” Stookey also hosts the long-form infomercial that takes viewers on a journey through folk and folk rock from the fifties through the early seventies and features more than 75 historic performance clips of the songs in the collection. Along the way, this folk icon also performs some classic songs including “If I Had a Hammer”, “Tom Dooley” and “Walk Right In.” Shot in The Bitter End, the historic Greenwich Village club where many folk artists – including Peter, Paul and Mary — had their start and performed and recorded over the years, one of the program’s special moments has Stookey singing part of “Blowin’ in the Wind” and introduces Bob Dylan’s historic performance of that song at The Newport Folk Festival in 1963.

Canada’s Dale Boyle won Second Place in the Americana category of the International Songwriting Competition. The ISC drew over 20,000 submissions from 119 countries and three winners were selected in each of the 22 categories. With the competition featuring a prestigious list of judges including Tom Waits, Jeff Beck, and Martina McBride, the New York Times calls the ISC “the songwriting competition to take note of…” Dale is among a small number of Canadians to have ever won in the Americana category, and he is the first Québec artist to do so. The song that earned Dale the 2nd place Americana win, “You Might Come Around,” is a duet with Juno award nominee Annabelle Chvostek which also features fiddle and mandolin from Juno nominee and multiple Maple Blues award winner, Michael Jerome Browne. “You Might Come Around” is available on Dale’s latest album release, THROWBACK. “Wondrous duet” Alan Cackett (Maverick Magazine) {UK}

Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell Wed May 8: Manchester, Bridgewater Hall Thu 9: London, Hammersmith Apollo Fri 10: Birmingham, Symphony Hall Sun 12: Belfast, Waterfront Wed 15: Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Thu 16: Gateshead, The Sage

On Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 March 2013, C2C: Country to Country will see a line up of some of the leading country music artists in the world on stage together, including Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Vince Gill, Little Big Town, Brantley Gilbert, Kristian Bush and LeAnn Rimes The spirit of Nashville is set to be captured in The O2 with a number of pop up stages and The Town Square – a bespoke retail area – being created as part of the Country to Country festival. These pop up stages, which will be open from midday, will offer free performances, showcasing emerging country artistes. The pop up stage entertainment is in addition to the stellar line up of some of the biggest names in country, who will be performing in The O2 Arena. Confirmed acts for the pop up stages include Robert Vincent; Jill Johnson; Dean Owens; The Good Intentions; Ags Connolly; Alan West; Raintown and Raevennan Husbandes.

This year’s line up includes: Mindy Smith, Ruth Moody, Good Lovelies, Phil Lee, I See Hawks in LA and Suffolk’s own Neil Innes. Guardian top ten small music festival award winners Maverick Festival have announced a new way to attend the festival this year. Maverick Festival has teamed up with Hackney company Festival of the Bicycle to put together a 60mile cycling tour from London to Maverick which is based in the idyllic Suffolk countryside. Cycle lovers will set off from a location in East London on Friday 5th July – in time to set up camp and enjoy the first bands on stage. The festival takes place over the weekend of the 5th, 6th and 7th July and to join the tour will cost an extra £10 per ticket and will follow the Sustrans national route 1. Organisers encourage London based festival goers to make the trip one to remember by joining the tour, where bands will perform at secret points along the route, and a vehicle will ease the load by driving camping bags from the start to end point. Prizes will be given for categories including best dressed and most courageous rider and the soundtrack for the ride will be provided by local From A to B sponsor, Hackney GT. Festival of the Bicycle co-founder, Sophie Bailey is looking forward to July: ‘Tour de Maverick will run at the same time as the Tour de France on the continent! Our tour will run at much more of a leisurely pace for all music enthusiasts to take in the sounds and sights of Suffolk and get to the festival energised and in need for one of those magical ciders. We attended Maverick Festival last year and loved it! We’re looking forward to coming back in style in 2013, and adding an extra element of adventure to the weekend.’ This year the Maverick festival celebrates its sixth birthday with a stellar lineup that includes some of Canada‘s finest roots musicians, THE GOOD LOVELIES, RUTH MOODY and LEEROY STAGGER, sun-soaked country rockers from California I SEE HAWKS IN LA, the Nashville outlaw PHIL LEE, the UK‘s best and brightest DANNY GEORGE WILSON, THE CARRIVICK SISTERS and HATFUL OF RAIN plus, with his unique, Pythonesque take on Americana, Suffolk‘s very own NEIL INNES. To buy tickets: https://www.ticketweb.co.uk/event/VGD0507 Blog:http://festivalofthebicycle.tumblr.com/tourdemaverick Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/festivalofthebicycle

Country music veterans Sammy Kershaw, Aaron Tippin and Joe Diffie have teamed up for an American tour they’re calling “Roots & Boots.” On stage together, the trio perform acoustic versions of their more than 40 Top Ten hit songs, as well as share stories about the roots of their music “The ‘Roots & Boots’ tour is three friends who love country music having a good time, telling jokes about each other and telling jokes on each other,” says Kershaw. “We tell stories behind all of our songs. It’s a great show, so don’t be square, be there!” Diffie adds, “Sam, Aaron and I have a great time doing these shows and the fans do too. It’s always an adventure.” Tippin says of the tour, “Being onstage with Sammy and Joe is a blast. I admire both of these guys so much. We have a great time together and the show is different every night and always a lot of fun.” Kershaw’s platinum-selling albums have had hits such as “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “I Can’t Reach Her Anymore” and “National Working Woman’s Holiday.” Tippin’s fame was launched with the release of his uncompromising single “You’ve Got to Stand For Something.” He followed that with other major hits including “Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly,” “There Ain’t Nothing Wrong with the Radio” and “Kiss This.” Since he first topped the charts in 1990 with “Home,” Diffie has delivered twelve #1 hits, twenty top 10’s and four gold and platinum albums.