email : Webview : CA's Artist News (5/27)

This is an industry-only version of an email that Country stations in dozens of top markets deliver
to their loyal listener databases.

May 27, 2014

» Declassified: Brad Paisley traveled to Afghanistan with President Obama over Memorial Day weekend as part of a top-secret operation to thank U.S. troops for their service. A cryptic call from White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough got the ball rolling roughly two weeks ago. "I didn't know when it was going to happen, but I knew where," says Paisley. "And the only reason I knew that is because I saw someone in person and they told me. On phone lines it probably wouldn't even have been discussed. There were very few people who knew that I was gonna do this. My wife knew. Even my booking agent and people like that who were working the logistics of this out didn't know where or why. It wasn't until they turned on the news that they saw what they'd helped arrange."

Once on the ground, Paisley followed his 55-minute acoustic set by getting to know some of those in the audience. "The saddest things are like one guy in his late 20s who hands me a photo of his family," says Paisley. "It's him, his wife, a nine-month-old baby and a two-year-old girl. And he gives it to me and says, 'You can have that.' And I say thank you and put in my pocket. And I have it. There's no name on the back or anything. He just wants you to see his family and wants you to have it. Another guy came up and said, 'Hey I'm from Tennessee and I'm going home in a week! I'm gonna be at CMA Fest! Can I say 'hi' to you with my wife?' And he hands me his info. So I'm calling him in a couple of weeks and I'm gonna bring him backstage. That's the kinds of thing you dream about being able to do."

And how hard was is it to keep all this secret? "It wasn't hard at all," he says. "[We said], 'It ain't gonna leak because of us. There is no way I'm ruining this.' I mean, we're talking about our lives; especially if it leaks in a way that alerts the bad guys that we're coming. There was no way we weren't going to be 100% compliant. We were going to one of the most volatile regions of the world in total secret, and to say thank-you to our troops. There's no way I would've said no to that. These are heroes over there living this. It's a way of life to wonder if they're going to survive their mission. It's worth the risk, to me, to say thanks."

» More Than Miles: Brantley Gilbert took the launch of his new album to the streets. Literally. Just As I Am: Athens to Arlington took Gilbert on his motorcyle to Walmarts and Best Buys from Georgia, through South and North Carolina (with a quick flight to Forest City, IA and the Indianapolis 500 in the middle), where he played his new music and signed CDs for hundreds of fans at each stop. He "did the double" as part of the run, adding to his Indy 500 appearance a pre-race concert at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. His trip ended in Washington, D.C., where he was graveside at Arlington National Cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony at the grave of Cpt. Dennis White, U.S. Air Force. The ride was done in conjunction with Folds of Honor, which provides educational opportunities to the families of fallen service personnel."From riding motorcycles with my 'brothers' to performing for my fans to honoring those who gave us our freedom ... this journey has been unreal," Gilbert says.

» Gnarly Brown:

The Zac Brown Band opened their Great American Road Trip Tour in Lincoln Saturday (5/24) with a crowd-pleasing performance of "Let It Rain" from The Grohl Sessions Vol. 1. A semi-transparent ceiling-to-wall video presentation served as the backdrop. "The effect along with the light show made them appear that they were standing in the midst of the storm," our insider says. "It was a very cool effect for the opening number." The more than two-hour show included "Knee Deep," "Sweet Annie," "All Alright" and "The Wind," and covers from The Band, Bob Marley, Van Morrison, Billy Joel and Metallica. ZBB donned skeleton costumes for "Day For The Dead," which was part of at least one encore. "Overall they sounded great," says our man on the ground. "It was one of the top shows I've ever seen." See a list of upcoming dates here.

» Biker Chick:

What do you get the girl who has everything as a "thank you" for a kick-butt duet? Well, if you're Miranda Lambert and the girl is "Somethin' Bad" duet partner Carrie Underwood, the answer is a motorcyle. "Well, it's not every day @mirandalambert buys you a motorcycle," Underwood tweeted. "Next stop, motorcycle driving lessons!"

» Black & White & Web All Over:

At the Bayou Country Superfest, Florida Georgia Line had the crowd "on their feet early," Eric Church was a "smarter, next generation" Bocephus, Luke Bryan "came out swinging," Hunter Hayes contributed a "technically beautiful hour-and-then-some," before Jason Aldean closed with "a stream of his biggest rock country songs, sprinkled heavy-handedly with power ballads." –New Orleans Times-Picayune
The Zac Brown Band have "mastered the art of combining otherworldly talent with a down-home vibe." –Lincoln Journal Star
Billy Mize was once known as the Bakersfield songwriter "who did more than almost any other to challenge Nashville’s dominance of the country music scene." –New York Times

» In Case You Missed It: Tim McGraw played the Toyota Summer Concert Series stage on Today Friday (5/23) and talked about his family, his support of the military and his "airbrushed abs," and played "Overrated," "Southern Girl" and "Something Like That." Watch here, here and here.

Sara Evans joined The View Friday to talk about Slow Me Down and revealed whether she'd ever go back to Dancing With The Stars. Watch here.

Joe Nichols played "Yeah" on the Queen Latifah Show Friday. Watch here.

Rascal Flatts stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Friday to play "Rewind." Watch here.

Hit List

Taylor Swift has cancelled her June 9 concert in Bangkok, Thailand after last week's coup that left the military in charge of the country. A nighttime curfew has been in effect there since. "I'm sending my love to the fans in Thailand," Swift tweeted Tuesday (5/27). "I'm so sad about the concert being cancelled."
Dierks Bentley, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Jake Owen, Jennifer Nettles, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Lee Ann Womack and Little Big Town have been added to the performance lineup for the 2014 CMT Music Awards. Kristen Bell hosts live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena June 4. Voting for the awards continues here.

Birthdays

Wednesday (5/28): Brad Hull (Due West).

Friday (5/30): Wynonna Judd.

On TV

Wednesday (5/28): Eli Young Band, Conan (TBS).

Friday (5/30): Rascal Flatts, Today (NBC); Charlie Daniels Band, Fox & Friends (FOX).

This Week's Album Releases

Jamie O'Neal Eternal: The album's 11 tracks are covers of country classics including Patsy Cline's "Leavin' On Your Mind," Juice Newton's "The Sweetest Thing" and Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through The Night." Andy Griggs joins for George Jones and Tammy Wynette's "Golden Ring." O'Neal includes one original, "Wide Awake," as a bonus track. She co-wrote it with her father James Murphy and calls it "an ode to everyone who sleeps next to a snoring moose every night."

Upcoming Album Releases

Jun. 3 Miranda Lambert Platinum

Jun. 3 Lucy Hale Road Between

Jun. 3 Joshua Scott Jones The Healing

Jun. 3 Big Smo Kuntry Livin'

Jun. 10 Gene Watson My Heroes Have Always Been Country

Jun. 10 Demun Jones Jones County

Jun. 10 Danny Boone Fish Grease

Jun. 17 Willie Nelson Band of Brothers

Jun. 24 Breelan Angel Dirty Little Secret

» Blonde Highlight: Miranda Lambert (l), her friend Kim and horse Ellie celebrate a second-place win at a horse show in Ardmore, OK over the weekend.

» Little Moments Like That: Brad Paisley grabs a selfie with some of the service men and women he played for in Afghanistan.

» Mud On The Tires: Brad Paisley in Bagram, Afghanistan. "Now this is four wheel drive," he tweeted.