May 31, 2011 Issue 245 Game-Planning Scotty ‘Curb Big Machine’ Takes Indy “It seems like the biggest opportunity this format has ever When Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon climbed out had.” That’s UMG/Nashville Sr. VP/Promotion Royce Risser of his car Sunday (5/29) after taking racing’s most prestigious summing up American Idol winner Scotty McCreery, who is event, some of the first words out of his clearly not your ordinary new artist. mouth were “Curb” and “Big Machine.” More than 29 million viewers watched the Idol That’s right, country music’s most season finale last week and cast more than 120 million prominent indie labels sponsored the car votes as the 17-year-old McCreery edged 16-year- that won Indy. Country Aircheck spoke old Lauren Alaina. Both debuted singles that night. with Mike Curb and Scott Borchetta McCreery’s, “I Love You This Big” landed at No. 46 today, and the grins have still not worn off. (See on today’s Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart. Scotty McCreery photo, page 3.) With the heavy lifting already done in terms of “Mike and I were talking at a function back in familiarization, what does Country radio think of February,” Borchetta says. “We’ve both been racers this rare opportunity? “No brainer!” That’s how forever. I asked him about Indy and he said he might Clear Channel’s WMIL/Milwaukee PD Kerry be putting together a deal to get Dan Wheldon.” Scott Borchetta Wolfe sees it. “He gets to start at least as a ‘B’ level “I mentioned we were going to try again,” act. That much TV exposure punched his out-of-the- Curb says. “I asked, ‘Do you want to go in chute value into high gear, at least in the beginning. Lauren Alaina with us?’ We’ve had a long history with Scott’s If the talent is there, and most of America believes family, he used to work out of our offices and it is, then he just bypassed five years of set-up and label/manager we’re really good friends. He came up with the expense that any other new act would have to go through.” idea to name it the ‘Curb Big Machine.’ I called Today (5/31) was McCreery’s official add date and 24 other Scott about a month ago and said, ‘Hey, maybe Mike Curb programmers seemed to agree with Wolfe on the add board. “I you’ll bring us some luck.’ I’ve been trying to Love You This Big” is the week’s second-most added record after win this race for about 50 years and this is Scott’s first time. So “Remind Me,” the duet from format superstars Brad Paisley and like everything else, Scott’s really out in front.” Carrie Underwood, who was, coincidentally, the Idol champ in 2005. Of course, Curb’s track record is pretty outstanding: “We won (continued on page 8) ©2011 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] May 31, 2011 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 3 Putting The Indie In Indy: The 100th Indianapolis 500-winning “William Rast Curb Big Machine” family celebrates with driver Dan Wheldon (front). Pictured (l-r) are Linda & Mike Curb, Sandi Spika Borchetta, Scott Borchetta, Borchetta’s nephew Seth Hellman, and team owners Bryan Herta and Steve Newey. Daytona with Richard Petty in 1984,” he says. “It was Petty’s day long and then to win the historic 100th Indianapolis 500 and 200th NASCAR victory. Dale Earnhardt won his first NASCAR to do it in that fashion – it’s one of my best days ever.” championship in the Curb Records car in 1980. So we’ve had real success in NASCAR, we just couldn’t win the Indy 500.” Country Throwdown Take Two And right up to the end, he thought his streak would continue. Willie Nelson, Jamey Johnson and more helped the Country “Here we go again,” Curb said of his mindset Sunday. “We’ve Throwdown Tour open its second season this weekend. WOKQ/ been second or third in IndyCar races so many times. Next thing Dover, NH OM Mark Ericson attended I know, he won. It was an amazing feeling.” Saturday’s show at Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Borchetta gives the play-by-play: “We thought we had a top- Pavilion in Gilford, NH before filing this report: five finish and were pretty happy. We were running third behind “The show and the ACM nominated Scott Dixon in the Target car, but didn’t think we’d get around facility go together quite well,” he says. him. We thought the leader would run out of gas. When we got “The side stage was active all afternoon for around Dixon it was awesome. local talent as well as some of the more rock-leaning Throwdown “We were watching from the turn-two suite, so we couldn’t see artists. This is one of the few events that Meadowbrook allows the final turn,” he continues. “We were watching on this huge screen tailgating at, so patrons were in and out at will. and when the leader hit the wall we lost it. We were all high-fiving “The main stage went live at 6pm, and main stage acts and then we realized: We’re in turn two! We have to get to victory alternated with side stage acts. The crowd was a little under lane, which is like a mile away. So we all take off running, piling in 5,000, and since they weren’t all in one place at any one time golf carts, bicycles, whatever we could find to get us there. it was still pretty easy to move around. My morning show partner “To be at Indy with a car is a lifelong dream. To see our name and I put Lee Brice onstage to kick things off. We spoke to fans on that car, be competitive all month long, to be in the race all that came from all the New England states and a number of folks ©2011 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] May 31, 2011 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 4 who made the trek from Canada. The first show of the season for MY TUNES : MUSIC THA T SHAPED MY LIFE Meadowbrook US Cellular Pavilion was one wild party!” WZZK/Birmingham PD Justin Case discusses his most influential songs, News & Notes albums and concerts: The CMA Music Festival and Chevrolet have expanded their 1. Pink Floyd, Foxboro, MA, 1994: There partnership to include a private Industry Test Drive benefit were low clouds, fog and mist, which only event, sponsorship of the CMA Global Artist Party (6/6), the added to the atmosphere. It was cold, but free Riverfront Stage, the Seventh Annual CMA Music Festival I don’t think anyone cared. Plus, my wife Kick-Off Parade (6/8) and the Sixth Annual CMA Music Festival bought the tickets, and she wasn’t as deep into Floyd as I was. We were center stage Chevrolet Block Party, among other events during the Festival. Justin Case New label imprint BNG Music Group has signed singer/ about ten rows back. songwriter Samantha Stroh to a recording and publishing deal. 2. Journey, Foreigner, Billy Squire (or any combo), Market Square Arena, 1980-83: Two words: “inflatable jukebox.” Her first release to radio will be in the Fall, with a yet-to-be- 3. Billy Joel, Glass Houses Tour: It doesn’t seem right, but I named radio promotion team attached to the project. think this was my first concert. I wore a pink-knit tie with paisley The 100th episode of Today In Country Music History – Weekend suspenders and checkerboard Vans. It was a double-date, and Edition, is set to air June 4-5. The weekly show is produced and we didn’t know how to act. We quickly learned proper concert hosted by Carl Geisler. For more information, click here. behavior for the second show — Nazareth. Congratulations to Albright & O’Malley client station CICX/ 4. Yes, Fort Wayne, IN, 1984: I went because it was a Friday Barre, Ontario, Canada for helping to raise $105,000 during its night and was glad I did. I was blown away. Could not believe “Radio for Radiology Radiothon” May 25-26. All funds will go they could recreate that sound live. The vocals, the musicianship to the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre. and the glow-in-the-dark stripes on their clothing were amazing. Former WGAR/Cleveland PD Chris Miller has launched Still memorable 25 years later. Chris Miller Digital offering brand-building web content and 5. Shania Twain, Grant Park, Chicago, 2003: It was the last thing I helped with before leaving Chicago. It was a huge free social media help. Miller can be reached here. show with lots of energy and filmed for a TV special. The crowd loved her. She had so much fun with them. Very cool. Chart Chat • A highly regarded song or album you’ve never heard: U2’s Congrats to Brad Paisley, Skip Bishop, Lesly How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb; Norah Jones’ Come Away With Tyson and the Arista staff on scoring this week’s Me; Santana’s Supernatural. top-charting single with Paisley’s “Old Alabama.” • An “important” piece of music you just don’t get: Steely The song is the second single from his album This Dan’s Aja. We were shopping for albums and a neighbor talked Is Country Music, which was released last week.