Issue 144 Strait Leads Country Charge King George Headlined the Biggest Weekend in Country Music So Far This Year Saturday
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June 8, 2009 Issue 144 Strait Leads Country Charge King George headlined the biggest weekend in country music so far this year Saturday. With Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley opening tours, Kenny Chesney commanding a stadium show, and dozens of stars playing for more than 120,000 fans at BamaJam, per-capita live country music exposure may have hit an all-time high. The weight of history, however, marked George Strait’s show at the grand opening of the state-of-the-art Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX (6/6). Early in her opening set, Lee Ann Womack (filling in for an ill Julianne Hough) sang, “I hope you never lose your sense of wonder.” And 60,188 in attendance seemed Cowboys Like Us: UMG/Nashville traveled in style to the Strait show. Pictured permanently awestruck -- as much by the building itself as by (l-r) are UMG’s Royce Risser, KSCS/Dallas’ Chris Huff and girlfriend Bridget Goodenbour, Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler, BPP’s Mara Sidweber, MCA’s Van the performance lineup, which also included Blake Shelton and Haze, Mercury’s Allen Mitchell and Damon Moberly, UMG’s Ken Robold, Reba. The $1.15 billion structure will hold 80,000 for football Tennessee Titans QB Kerry Collins and UMG’s Luke Lewis. and more than 100,000 when it hosts the 2011 Super Bowl. (continued on page 2) R&R, RIP The first time I saw Radio & Records I Young Joins Republic/Nashville was doing overnights at a Country station in Graham Entertainment Sr. VP/Promotion Denver. I was in a music meeting when the MD showed us that & Artist Development Bobby Young has first issue, which had arrived unannounced, and pronounced that joined Republic/Nashville as Dir./National henceforth it was our bible. Every week after that there was a Promotion. He will also cover the Southeast race to the front desk when the mail was delivered, and that race region for the label. The move is a return continued at every station for which I ever worked. At KHJ/Los for Young, who worked the Southeast for Angeles, we got a number of copies by courier on Wednesday Republic sister Big Machine before moving to Bobby Young afternoon, just hours after they were printed. Graham/Country Thunder in July of last year. (continued on page 5) ©2009 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] June 8, 2009 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 2 Strait Leads Charge (continued from page 1) MY TUNES : MUSIC THA T SHAPED MY LIFE KKBQ/Houston OM/PD Johnny Chiang, who made the trip Carolwood Sr. Dir./Nat’l Promotion Chris from a town that boasts its own massive NFL edifice, said, “This Palmer discusses his most important songs, makes Reliant Stadium look small.” Though workers toiled almost to artists or concerts: the moment the doors opened and 1. KISS, Binghamton, NY 1985: I was 15 and still have much to do, the building it was my first concert. Even though it was the “no makeup” KISS, I was in awe. was certainly one of the night’s 2. Mötley Crüe, Binghamton, NY 1987: stars. And the crown jewels were I was a drummer and I about died when two breathtaking 60-yard-long HD Tommy Lee’s drum set flew above the crowd screens hanging from the rafters. Chris Palmer and went upside down! I saw the Crüe in The largest HD screens in the world Nashville this year ... ugh. Not so much. 3. Hank Williams, Jr., Hank Live: This was the album that got me gave every fan a front-row view. into country and where I’ve been ever since. Great record. A game-winning roar greeted 4. Joe Diffie, A Thousand Winding Roads: Still one of the greatest Strait as he took the stage, and the Strait on the big screen country records ever made. significance of the event wasn’t lost on him, either. “I’ve done a lot 5. Jason Mraz, Waiting For My Rocket To Come: It restored my of things in my career,” he said. “This is right up there at the top ... faith in “popular” music. • A highly regarded song or album you’ve never heard: U2’s because I’m such a big Dallas Cowboys fan.” Halfway through his The Joshua Tree. set, Strait implored Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to flex one of the • An “important” piece of music you just don’t get: Anything stadium’s other features, urging the crowd to chant, “Jerry, open the Nirvana ever sang. roof!” Jones obliged and the roof panels began to retract, opening • An album you played or listened to incessantly: It’s a toss up a hole that evokes the iconic look of the team’s old home, Texas between Who’s Next and Who Are You, both by The Who. I played those over and over and over. Stadium. As the Texas sky became visible and the crowd screamed at • One obscure or non-country song everyone should listen to jet-engine decibel levels, Strait and band performed “Texas.” It was a right now: “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows” by Lesley Gore. It’s goose bump moment for all -- even those who weren’t Texans. on iTunes. Chesney Plays Ketchup Almost 50,000 joined Kenny Chesney at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field, home of the Steelers. Joining Chesney on his now third show at the stadium were Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry and Sugarland. Kenny toured the parking lot Kenny tailgate parties early in the afternoon, visiting the flotilla Chesney amassed along the river. “Much to our surprise, he pulled up to our main boat, where hometown country act Abby Abbondanza had just finished his set,” says Froggy quadcast honcho Frank Bell. “Kenny hopped on board the boat and, using Abby’s equipment, performed a WIL Rascals: WIL/St. Louis PD Greg Mozingo and APD/MD Danny Montana three song set in front of several thousand ecstatic fans, many of whom take the backstage tour with Rascal Flatts before the kick-off of their had just participated in Froggy’s Day of a Thousand T-Shirts about 30 Unstoppable tour. Pictured (l-r) are label rep Dale Turner, RF’s Jay DeMarcus, yards away.” Mozingo, RF’s Gary LeVox, Montana and RF’s Joe Don Rooney. ©2009 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] June 8, 2009 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 3 BIR T HDAYS Tuesday (6/9) - Les Paul, Gerrie McDowell ([email protected]), Jessica Wade ([email protected]), Lance Houston ([email protected]). Wednesday (6/10) - Joanna Carter, Kaci Jones, R. W. Smith (rwsmithradio@ gmail.com), Dave Wright. Thursday (6/11) - Jay McDowell. Friday (6/12) - Junior Brown, Chris Young, Jeff Allen, Guy Floyd, Candace Nuyens, Mark Phillips ([email protected]), Danielle Taylor ([email protected]). Saturday (6/13) - Jason Michael Carroll, Joe Barnhill Jr., Lori Hartigan ([email protected]). Sunday (6/14) - Matt Corbin ([email protected]), Bobby Roberts, Mary Forest Findley ([email protected]). Monday (6/15) - Michael Britt (Lonestar), the late Waylon Jennings; Terri Gibbs; Roger Springer; Jeff Stevens ([email protected]); the late Joe Deters; Mary Martin; Joel Raab ([email protected]). Flatts Rock St. Louis WIL/St. Louis morning co-host Pat James was in the house as Rascal Flatts launched their American Living Unstoppable Tour Saturday. “Loved the show,” he says. “It didn’t take long before it was obvious to me that they are a front runner for Entertainer of the Year.” The group opened with their new song “Summer Nights” and their two-level stage was backed by multiple video screens. Darius Rucker, who played between opener Cledus T. Judd and Flatts, returned to the stage for the encore, which included the Hootie tune “Hold My Hand” and Flatts’ version of “Life Is A Highway.” Paisley Draws ‘Em Out In Charlotte, Brad Paisley kicked off his American Saturday Night Tour on the appropriate evening. WKKT OM/PD Bruce Logan says, “The show started with Brad entering the pitch black stage with just a guitar to sing the opening notes of ‘Start A Band’ Brad Paisley acoustic. The crowd went berserk when the black curtain dropped and the stage lit up to reveal his full band on risers in front of a gigantic LED display and three moveable screens that interacted with Brad throughout the entire show.” Paisley’s personally created animations were a big hit. “He even found time during the show to save Carrie Underwood from a train, rescue Kenny Chesney from angry islanders and stop a gigantic lizard from eating Reba,” Logan says. “He did decide to let Toby and the Dixie Chicks work out their own problems. Probably a wise choice. “Whatever you do, don’t leave until you see the end. Brad and the band dance for you!” BamaJam Packs ‘Em In Nothing over the weekend can compare with BamaJam’s raw numbers. The multi-genre gathering in Enterprise, Alabama drew an aggregated 121,000 fans across its three days (June ©2009 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] June 8, 2009 Country Aircheck Weekly Page 4 TU B E CHECK a PD/afternoon jock. Send packages to her at 2330 W. Grand, Springfield, MO 65802. Tuesday 6/9 - Randy Owen, Jason Aldean, One to One (re-air) (GAC). Wednesday 6/10 - Kenny Chesney, GAC Special: Lucky Old Sun (re-air). Artist News Jo Dee Messina is sending fans in town for the 2009 CMA Thursday 6/11 - Dierks Bentley, Martina McBride, Julianne Hough, Music Festival on a scavenger hunt for 20 tickets to her fan club John Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Larry King Live (CNN).