February 12, 2018, Issue 588

February 12, 2018, Issue 588 Closing Time: New Faces Of Country Music Show performers and CRS/Country Aircheck Awards radio winners bring the 2018 event to a close Wednesday (2/7). Pictured (front, l-r) are Mercury’s Lauren Alaina, River House/Columbia’s Luke Combs, Big Machine’s Carly Pearce, Atlantic/WEA’s Michael Ray and WUSN/Chicago’s Marci Braun; (middle, l-r) Country Aircheck’s Lon Helton, WIVK/Knoxville’s Nikki Thomas, KNIX/Phoenix’s Lois Lewis, Midland’s Mark Wystrach and Jess Carson, WSIX/ Nashville’s Gator Harrison and Ryan McKiddy and KUAD/Ft. Collins, CO’s Brian Gary; (back, l-r) KRTY/San Jose’s Nate Deaton, KUAD/Ft. Collins, CO’s Justin Tyler, Midland’s Cameron Duddy, Country Aircheck’s Chuck Aly, WAMZ/Louisville’s Jay Cruze, KUZZ/Bakersfield’s Brent Michaels and Cumulus’ Charlie Cook. ©2018 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] February 12, 2018 Page 4 Radio Reacts To CRS 2018 The CRS experience is different for everyone, so Country Aircheck reached out for a cross-section of thoughts and opinions, starting with a seminar rookie. KRTY/San Jose’s Jamie Jackson: I had such an amazing time and I am incredibly grateful to have been given this opportunity. As a Rusty Walker Scholarship winner, we met the board members on Monday. They welcomed us and [said] we can look for them and ask questions any time we feel the need. What really impressed me was that while out and about at different sessions or hangs, a lot of them stopped me to ask how things were going. It was nice of them to take the time to do that. I enjoyed the smart speaker and streaming sessions. I also really enjoyed the Q&A with Jamie Brad Paisley – he has such a fun personality. Jackson One [limitation] I found in sessions was the lighting. It was pretty dark, which was fine I Can’t Feel My Face: CRS/Country Aircheck Awards label for the first day. But having activities every minute of the day into winners celebrate with the New Faces Of Country Music the late hours of the night (or early morning), and coming into Show performers Wednesday (2/7). Pictured (front, l-r) are that dark room for the first sessions of the day made it a little Mercury’s Lauren Alaina, River House/Columbia’s Luke hard to keep your eyes open, no matter how compelling the Combs, Big Machine’s Carly Pearce, Atlantic/WEA’s Michael information was. Ray;(middle, l-r) Capitol’s Bobby Young, MCA’s Katie Dean, Midland’s Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach and Jess Carson I saw and heard so much music in just a few days, with the and Sony’s Lauren Thomas; (back, l-r) Country Aircheck’s Sony show being my favorite. I love the guitar pull style. I also Lon Helton and Chuck Aly, Big Machine’s Brooke Diaz, and really enjoyed the New Faces Show. Lauren Alaina’s “Three” and Black River’s Mike Wilson, Rick Froio and Bill Macky. Michael Ray’s “Her World Or Mine” stood out. WIVK/Knoxville’s Nikki Thomas: In addition to the spectacular emceeing talents of Royce Risser, there were a lot of things I really enjoyed this year. This was my third or fourth New Faces Recap year for the Programming Mentoring Breakfast and once Big Machine’s Carly Pearce was “wined” by fellow artists in again, we had some super-talented people come through. her intro video while CRS attendees dined at Wednesday’s (2/7) It’s always exciting to hear their ideas and New Faces Of Country Music Show. Pearce answer their questions. I loved having kicked off the night with a set that included Cumulus’ Mary Berner at the event as a current single, “Hide The Wine” as well as speaker. She has such great presence and her debut chart topper, “Every Little Thing.” brings a wonderful energy into the room. Up next was Atlantic/WEA’s Michael Ray Her leadership and insight make her one with hits “Kiss You In The Morning” and of the best in the business. Randy Lane’s 10 “Think A Little Less,” plus a new song from Trends Impacting Morning Radio was also his upcoming album, “Her World Or Mine.” very intriguing. Radio is constantly evolving Big Machine’s Midland put their harmonies and growing and CRS is a great chance Nikki Thomas to good use on current single “Make A Little” and the trio’s debut No. 1, “Drinkin’ Carly to soak up so much information. I can’t Pearce imagine skipping a year! Problem.” “CRS changed our lives,” said ©2018 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] February 12, 2018 Page 6 Here’s Your Sign: Rachel Wammack’s signing with RCA becomes official during theSony Music Nashville CRS Guitar Pull Tuesday (2/6). Pictured (l-r) are the label’s Jim Catino, Dennis Reese, Steve Hodges, Margaret Tomlin and Randy Goodman, Wammack, Maverick’s Clarence Spalding and the label’s Ken Robold, Taylor Lindsey and John Zarling. the band’s Mark Wystrach, referring to single “One Number Away” and his chart toppers, “When It Rains their 2017 BMLG Luncheon performance. It Pours” and “Hurricane.” –Wendy Newcomer “To come back one year later and be on the New Faces Show, after the year we’ve had, these are the kind of moments that Chart Chat bring you back, full-circle. ... Thank you Congrats to Old Dominion, for believing in us.” Steve Hodges, Dennis Reese Opening her set at a piano with and the RCA promotion staff on securing this week’s No. 1 “Three,” Mercury’s Lauren Alaina Luke Combs packed a one-two punch with No. 1s with “Written In The Sand.” The “What Ifs” (a solo effort that night, without duet partner Kane song is the second-chart topper Brown) and “Road Less Traveled,” as well as new single “Doin’ from Happy Endings. Writers Fine.” River House/Columbia’s Luke Combs’ intro video revealed are Shane McAnally and the his red-bearded burly fans known as “Luke-Alikes” and even had band’s Matthew Ramsey, one pretend to start his set. Combs closed the night with current Trevor Rosen and Brad Tursi. Old Dominion ©2018 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] February 12, 2018 Page 10 And kudos to Shane Allen and the Columbia crew on ways the industry can stay competitive moving forward. According notching 34 adds for Maren Morris’ “Rich,” topping this to iHeartCountry’s Rod Phillips, “We are in the radio business, week’s board. but it is really the content business, and it’s unlimited.” He pointed to the widening array of platforms for interacting with listeners – computer, mobile phone and traditional broadcasts. LBT & Friends Open Tour “It still starts with a great show,” Cumulus’ Mike McVay said, Little Big Town’s The Breakers Tour opened last week (2/8) in citing the importance of entertaining the audience. Not only Oklahoma City, and KTST & KXXY’s Bill Reed was there to break the should hosts engage fans on social media and cultivate their own story for Country Aircheck. “I’ve been looking forward to Little Big brands, those who understand sales and advertising have an Town’s first headlining tour to come through OKC, but was curious edge in the market, according to McVay. NYU music/technology as to who they would tour with,” Reed says. “Kacey Musgraves and professor Larry Miller said, “Some of the skills we need to Midland are perfect choices [for] a night of great variety.” develop are the ones that drove us to get into this business in The latter opened the show on a small stage in the middle of the first place – the passion and love of storytelling.” Phillips the venue floor. “They were tight but also have a looseness about it agreed that a great host needs more than just a good voice and that shows why they won’t be openers long,” Reed says. Musgraves enunciation. McVay sees promise in upcoming generations. “I’m showcased new material during her set. “She’s good in this setting excited about Millennials,” he said. “They aren’t going to say ‘AM/ and will grab more fans as the tour progresses,” he adds. FM,’ they just say ‘entertainment.’ They will break down barriers, “I’ve seen Little Big Town several times through the years – from and we will see things we never thought possible.” our conference room to now headlining Chesapeake Energy Arena – McVay also sees room to improve the radio experience for and each time I come away thinking these guys really like performing listeners and advertisers, by hiring copywriters to write better and could do it no matter the setting,” Reed says. “’Oklahoma City, spots and playing fewer ads in a row with more frequent we used to just practice like this in our living room, so let’s cozy on breaks. “Radio is still our core business, and it’s a good one,” up and play,’ they told the crowd. And play they did. My favorite part summed Phillips. “Give listeners a reason to not listen to the was seeing them on the smaller stage out front. Midland came out music elsewhere.” during ‘Day Drinking,’ handing out a few beers to the crowd on the BMLG Lunch: Wednesday’s event was a showcase of stars- way to the stage.

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