The Highwomen Drop Second Track, “Crowded Table” [Listen]

The Highwomen Drop Second Track, “Crowded Table” [Listen]

Posted on July 26, 2019

The Highwomen—Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires, Maren Morris and Natalie Hemby—have shared the second track, “Crowded Table,” from their upcoming self-titled album (Sept. 6).

“Crowded Table,” which was penned by Natalie, Brandi and Lori McKenna, follows last week’s release of lead single, “Redesigning Women.”

On their upcoming debut album that was produced by Dave Cobb, The Highwomen are joined by several guest musicians, vocalists and songwriters. The project features Sheryl Crow (background vocals, bass), Yola (vocals, background vocals), Cobb (acoustic/electric guitar), Jason Isbell (acoustic/electric guitar), Phil Hanseroth (bass, background vocals), Tim Hanseroth (guitar, background vocals), Chris Powell (drums) and Peter Levin (piano and keyboards) with songs written by Carlile, Hemby, Morris, Shires, Isbell, the Hanseroth twins, Rodney Clawson, Lori McKenna, Miranda Lambert and Ray LaMontagne among many others.

“Anyone can be a Highwoman,” Carlile says. “It’s about banding together, abandoning as much ego as humanly possible, holding one another up and amplifying other women every chance we get. Shoulder to shoulder. One push, one love.”

The supergroup’s name is a play on The Highwaymen—a supergroup that featured Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. The group will make their television debut on July 30 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Listen to “Crowded Table” below.

photo by Alysse Gafkjen/Sachs & Co.

Vols Fans “Fed the Floor” at an Elite Rate at Thompson-Boling Arena

Vols Fans “Fed the Floor” at an Elite Rate at Thompson-Boling Arena

Posted on July 26, 2019
Credit: UT Athletics

The NCAA shared its official men’s basketball attendance data for the 2018-19 season Thursday, and the numbers proved that Thompson-Boling Arena elevated its standing as one of the nation’s biggest and brightest stages for college hoops.

Tennessee ranked fourth nationally in average home attendance, drawing 19,034 fans per game last season. And UT’s total home attendance of 342,615 fans—spanning 18 games—ranked third in the country.

Tennessee sold 13,074 season tickets last season. That number by itself, without any single-game ticket sales factored in, would have been good enough to give UT the 22nd-highest average home attendance nationally.

The NCAA’s data also showed that Tennessee boasted the fourth-highest average attendance increase from 2017-18 to 2018-19, as home crowds at Thompson-Boling Arena grew by an average of 2,824 fans last year.

Taking all games into consideration—home, road and neutral-site—a total of 621,136 fans watched the Vols in-person last season. That also ranked fourth among all Division I teams.

Vol fans have become known for their “Feed the Floor” mantra, which has helped bolster Tennessee’s homecourt advantage in tangible ways. The Vols will enter the 2019-20 season tied for the nation’s longest active home win streak at 26 games. The Big Orange were a perfect 18-0 on Rocky Top last season.

In total, more than 24.6 million fans attended 5,364 Division I games featuring 351 teams last season. The average Division I attendance for 2018-19 was 4,593.

Among conferences, the SEC ranked second in average attendance (11,527) and third in total attendance (2.8 million) last season.

Fans interested in being a part of the action at Thompson-Boling Arena this coming season are encouraged to click HERE.

TOTAL HOME ATTENDANCE

Rank School           Games    Total

1.       Syracuse         19             417,852

2.       Kentucky         18             390,510

3.       TENNESSEE  18             342,615

4.       UNC                 16            315,436

5.       Indiana             21            319,335

 

AVERAGE HOME ATTENDANCE

Rank School             Games    Total

1.       Syracuse          19             21,992

2.       Kentucky          18             21,965

3.       UNC                 16             19,715

4.       TENNESSEE   18             19,034

5.       Wisconsin        15              17,170

 

LARGEST AVG. ATTENDANCE INCREASE

Rank School           2018-19   2017-18    Increase

1.      Memphis         14,065      6,225        7,840

2.      Marquette       15,611      12,323       3,288

3.      Cincinnati        11,256      8,081         3,175

4.      TENNESSEE   19,034     16,210       2,824

5.      Pittsburgh         6,749       4,117         2,632

 

TOTAL ATTENDANCE – ALL GAMES

Rank School             Total

1.      Kentucky           664,559

2.      Virginia             647,934

3.      Michigan State 638,448

4.      TENNESSEE   621,136

5.      Syracuse          618,344

 

UT Athletics

Alabama Cancels Two Additional Shows as Randy Owen Deals With Health Issues

Alabama Cancels Two Additional Shows as Randy Owen Deals With Health Issues

Posted on July 26, 2019

After canceling two shows in Canada on July 19 and 20, Alabama has canceled their upcoming shows in Columbus, Ga., on July 26 and Bristol, Tenn., on July 27 as frontman Randy Owen continues to deal with vertigo and migraines.

Alabama’s management company, Conway Entertainment Group, released a statement on behalf of the Hall of Fame group: “Unfortunately, the group Alabama has to announce the postponement of this weekend’s concerts in Columbus, Georgia, and Bristol, Tennessee. Randy Owen has been advised by doctors that he can not perform this weekend as he continues treatment for vertigo and migraines. We apologize for any inconvenience for those that have tickets to these shows, but wish to reassure fans that Alabama is trying to reschedule these shows as soon as possible.”

Alabama is celebrating a half-century of making music with their current 50th Anniversary Tour. The cross-country trek kicked off in January with an announced run of more than 50 shows through November, featuring an array of openers, including Charlie Daniels Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Beach Boys, John Anderson, Restless Heart, Exile, John Michael Montgomery, Scotty McCreery and more.

Alabama 50th Anniversary Tour

  • CANCELLED July 26 | Columbus Civic Center | Columbus, GA (w/ John Michael Montgomery)
  • CANCELLED July 27 | Thunder Valley Amphitheatre | Bristol, TN (w/ John Michael Montgomery)
  • Aug. 16 | State Fair of West Virginia | Lewisburg, WV
  • Aug. 17 | PNG Bank Arts Center | Holmdel, NJ (w/ Scotty McCreery)
  • Aug. 23 | Van Andel Arena | Grand Rapids, MI (w/ Restless Heart)
  • Aug. 24 | The Country Fest’s Neon Nights | North Lawrence, OH
  • Aug. 29 | Mohegan Sun Arena | Wilkes|Barre, PA (w/ The Charlie Daniels Band)
  • Aug. 31 | Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion | Gilford, NH (w/ The Charlie Daniels Band)
  • Sept. 1 | Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion | Bangor, ME (w/ The Charlie Daniels Band)
  • Sept. 13 | Fox Theatre | Detroit, MI (w/ Exile)
  • Sept. 14 | Tailgates N’ Tallboys | Peoria, IL
  • Sept. 27 | Martin Luther King Jr. Arena | Savannah, GA
  • Sept. 28 | Hertz Arena | Estero, FL
  • Oct. 3 | Colonial Life Arena | Columbia, SC (w/ The Charlie Daniels Band)
  • Oct. 4 | Legacy Arena at the BJCC | Birmingham, AL (w/ The Charlie Daniels Band)
  • Oct. 10 | Donald L. Tucker Civic Center | Tallahassee, FL (w/ The Charlie Daniels Band)
  • Oct. 11 | Spectrum Center | Charlotte, NC (w/ The Charlie Daniels Band)
  • Nov. 1 | WinStar World Casino & Resort | Thackerville, OK
  • Nov. 8 | Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Alliant Energy Center | Madison, WI (w/ The Charlie Daniels Band)
  • Nov. 9 | Bankers Life Fieldhouse | Indianapolis, IN (w/ Restless Heart)
  • Nov. 20 | Bridgestone Arena | Nashville, TN (w/ The Charlie Daniels Band)
  • Nov. 22 | Royal Farms Arena | Baltimore, MD
  • Nov. 23 | Wicimico Civic Center | Salisbury, MD (w/ Exile)

photo by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com

Luke Combs Shares Unreleased Track, “Every Little Bit Helps” [Listen]

Luke Combs Shares Unreleased Track, “Every Little Bit Helps” [Listen]

Posted on July 26, 2019

Luke Combs is on an unbelievable hot streak right now.

The North Carolina native is the first country artist in history whose first five singles have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. His sixth single, “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” is currently No. 2 on the chart after only 11 weeks. In addition, Luke recently made history as the first artist to simultaneously top all five Billboard country charts for multiple weeks: Top Country Albums, Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, Country Streaming Songs and Country Digital Song Sales. He was also inducted into the Grand Ole Opry earlier this month.

As he continues working on his sophomore album, Luke hasn’t been shy about sharing new tunes with his fans, which is exactly what he did on July 25 when he sampled “Every Little Bit Helps” on his YouTube page.

Check out the new track.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Zac Brown Band Announces New Album, “The Owl,” & Releases New Single, “Leaving Love Behind” [Listen]

Posted on July 26, 2019

The field mouse is fast, but the owl sees at night.

Zac Brown Band announced they will release their sixth studio album, The Owl, on Sept. 20.

According to a press release, “The Owl will feature intricate melodies and dynamic vocal arrangements that Zac Brown Band has long been known for, as well as explore new sounds through unexpected collaborations with producers and writers across different facets of the music world, including Skrillex, Andrew Watt, Jason ‘Poo Bear’ Boyd, Max Martin, Benny Blanco, Ryan Tedder and more.”

The title was inspired by the lore surrounding the great horned owl, which can see perfectly at night, making it a reliable guide, even during dark times.

In addition, ZBB is back on country airwaves with the release of their new single, “Leaving Love Behind.”

“We’ve been working tirelessly on this album over the past couple years, ensuring every detail is perfect,” said Zac Brown. “We are always pushing ourselves as musicians by blurring genre boundaries and incorporating all kinds of music we are personally inspired by, elevating what we are capable as a group. This album will have something for everyone, The Owl is exciting, raw, and unexpected. We couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished on this record and can’t wait to finally share it with the fans.”

ZBB is currently headlining The Owl Tour through August.

Listen to “Leaving Love Behind” below.

photo by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com

Vols to Visit Kansas for Big 12/SEC Challenge

Vols to Visit Kansas for Big 12/SEC Challenge

Posted on July 25, 2019

Matchups for the 2020 Big 12/SEC Challenge were announced Thursday, and Tennessee is slated to visit Kansas on Saturday, Jan. 25.

The high-profile showdown serves as a rematch of last season’s top-five clash in the NIT Season Tip-Off championship game, which the second-ranked Jayhawks won in overtime.

Other challenge matchups set for Jan. 25 are: Kansas State at Alabama, TCU at Arkansas, Iowa State at Auburn, Baylor at Florida, Kentucky at Texas Tech, LSU at Texas, Mississippi State at Oklahoma, Missouri at West Virginia and Oklahoma State at Texas A&M.

“The Big 12/SEC Challenge is a unique opportunity to showcase our basketball programs,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. “Playing the event on a single-date in January puts our programs in the college basketball spotlight.”

All 10 games will air across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU and will be available on the ESPN app. ESPN’s College GameDay Covered by State Farm–the Saturday roadshow that discusses the top storylines of the college basketball season–will originate from one of the challenge sites.

At historic Allen Fieldhouse, the Jayhawks enjoy one of the nation’s most daunting homecourt advantages. Kansas owns a 234-13 (.947) home record under longtime head coach Bill Self, who boasts more conference titles (14) than home losses (13) at KU.

Tennessee owns a 1-3 all-time record vs. Kansas, dating to 2009. That first-ever meeting took place at Allen Fieldhouse, with KU claiming a 92-85 victory. The Vols avenged that loss the following season by upsetting the top-ranked Jayhawks in Knoxville on Jan. 10, 2010. The four previous meetings have been decided by an average of nine points.

Tennessee’s all-time record against current members of the Big 12 stands at 14-17. Fifth-year UT head coach Rick Barnes—who spent 17 seasons coaching in the Big 12 before transitioning to Knoxville—owns a 160-94 record against current Big 12 teams and has led his teams to seven wins over Kansas. Barnes’ Texas squad posted a 74-63 win at Allen Fieldhouse in 2011.

The 2020 Big 12/SEC Challenge marks the event’s seventh year. Tennessee is 4-1 in the event, as the Vols did not take part in the inaugural challenge. Four of the SEC’s 14 teams are idle during the challenge each year because there are only 10 teams in the Big 12.

The Big 12 won the challenge in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2019. The SEC claimed its lone win in 2018, and the series was tied in 2017. The Big 12 has a cumulative advantage of 35-25 (.583).

Tennessee’s 2019-20 non-conference schedule now features contests against Florida State, Purdue or VCU, Memphis, Cincinnati, Wisconsin and Kansas.

UT Athletics
Ryan Johnson and Trey Smith Named to Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

Ryan Johnson and Trey Smith Named to Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

Posted on July 25, 2019
Credit: UT Athletics

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – Tennessee offensive linemen Ryan Johnson and Trey Smith have been named to the 2019 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, as announced by the Wuerffel Trophy and Chick-fil-A Foundation® on Thursday afternoon.

Johnson and Smith are two of 93 players from college football’s Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) to be named to the preseason watch list. The SEC had 14 players named to the list, leading all conferences.

The Wuerffel Trophy, known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service,” is presented each February in Fort Walton Beach.  Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel from the University of Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy is awarded to the FBS player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.

Johnson, who is entering his redshirt junior season for the Vols, has been a mainstay along UT’s offensive front for the past two seasons. He started all 12 games for the Big Orange in 2018 after starting the final four contests of the 2017 season. As a redshirt sophomore, Johnson was named to the 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-District Team and earned a spot on the Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll.

The Brentwood, Tenn., native was also named to the PFF College SEC Offensive Team of the Week on Nov. 13 after the Vols’ 24-7 upset victory over No. 11 Kentucky. Johnson was recently chosen to be a member of the 2019-20 VOLeaders Academy Class as well. He has already earned a degree in civil engineering and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in structural engineering.

Smith started all 12 games for Tennessee as a true freshman in 2017 en route to earning All-SEC second team and SEC All-Freshman Team honors as well as Freshman All-America honors from multiple organizations. The Jackson, Tenn., native was a preseason All-SEC selection in 2018 and started the first seven games of last season before having to miss the remainder of the year due to blood clots.

Smith was named to the 2018 SEC Community Service Team and was a member of the 2017-18 VOLeaders Academy Class that traveled to Ecuador for a 10-day cultural exchange trip that provided applied leadership and service opportunities focused on community development and social change through sport.

A current list of nominees can be found at www.wuerffeltrophy.org beginning on Aug. 1. Semifinalists for the award will be announced on Nov. 5 and finalists will be announced on Nov. 18. The formal announcement of the 2019 recipient will be made at the National Football Foundation’s festivities in New York City on Dec. 10. The presentation of the 2019 Wuerffel Trophy will occur at the 51st All Sports Association Awards Banquet on Feb. 14, 2020 in Fort Walton Beach.

Tennessee 2019 Preseason Watch List Selections 
Jarrett Guarantano – Maxwell Award
Darrell Taylor – Chuck Bednarik Award, Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Ty Chandler – Doak Walker Award
Dominick Wood-Anderson – John Mackey Award
Brandon Kennedy – Rimington Trophy
Ryan Johnson – Wuerffel Trophy
Trey Smith – Wuerffel Trophy

 

UT Athletics

“CMA Fest TV Special” Reveals 29-Song Lineup

“CMA Fest TV Special” Reveals 29-Song Lineup

Posted on July 25, 2019

If you weren’t lucky enough to be one of the 80,000-plus fans who descend on Nashville during each day of CMA Fest this year, Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini have you covered.

Kelsea and TR will once again co-host an upcoming three-hour television special on ABC that features 2019 CMA Fest performances from more than two dozen artists. Filmed during Nashville’s annual CMA Fest on June 6-9, the television special will include more than 30 of country music’s biggest names as they hit the stage during the four-day event, including Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Chris Janson, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Midland, Old Dominion, Pistol Annies, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett and Brett Young.

The TV special will also feature collaborations between Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus and Keith Urban; Kelsea Ballerini and The Chainsmokers; Brothers Osborne, Brooks & Dunn and Ashley McBryde; Brantley Gilbert and Lindsay Ell; Tim McGraw and Luke Combs; Maren Morris and Brandi Carlile; and Carrie Underwood and Joan Jett.

2019 marks Thomas Rhett’s fourth year co-hosting the event, while Kelsea returns for a third year. The TV special will air on Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. CT on ABC.

Check out this year’s lineup below.

  • Kelsea Ballerini – “Miss Me More”
  • Kelsea Ballerini and The Chainsmokers – “This Feeling”
  • Dierks Bentley – “Living”
  • Brothers Osborne – “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)”
  • Brothers Osborne and Brooks & Dunn– “Hard Workin’ Man”
  • Brothers Osborne with Brooks & Dunn and Ashley McBryde – “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone”
  • Kane Brown – “Good as You”
  • Luke Bryan – “Knockin’ Boots”
  • Luke Combs – “Beer Never Broke My Heart”
  • Dan + Shay – “All To Myself”
  • Florida Georgia Line – “Talk You Out Of It”
  • Brantley Gilbert and Lindsay Ell – “What Happens In A Small Town”
  • Chris Janson – “Good Vibes”
  • Miranda Lambert – “Locomotive”
  • Lil Nas X with Billy Ray Cyrus and Keith Urban – “Old Town Road”
  • Little Big Town – “The Daughters”
  • Tim McGraw and Luke Combs – “Real Good Man”
  • Midland – “Mr. Lonely”
  • Maren Morris – “Girl”
  • Maren Morris and Brandi Carlile – “Common”
  • Old Dominion – “Make It Sweet”
  • Pistol Annies – “Sugar Daddy”
  • Rascal Flatts – “Back to Life”
  • Blake Shelton – “God’s Country”
  • Thomas Rhett – “Look What God Gave Her” and “T-Shirt”
  • Carrie Underwood – “Southbound”
  • Carrie Underwood and Joan Jett – Medley of “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” “Bad Reputation,” Crimson and Clover,” “Fresh Start” and “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll”
  • Keith Urban – “We Were”
  • Brett Young – “Here Tonight”

photos: Maren Morris, Dierks Bentley & Luke Bryan by Curtis Hilbun; Carrie Underwood by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Watch Midland Perform “Mr. Lonely” on “The Tonight Show”

Watch Midland Perform “Mr. Lonely” on “The Tonight Show”

Posted on July 25, 2019

Midland—the trio comprised of Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy and Jess Carson—stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on July 24 to perform their new single, “Mr. Lonely.”

Penned by the trio with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, “Mr. Lonely” is the lead single from Midland’s upcoming sophomore album, Let It Roll, which drops on Aug. 23. The fast-moving honky-tonker is currently No. 35 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart after 15 weeks.

Midland will kick off its Mr. Lonely Tour on Sept. 17.

Watch Midland perform “Mr. Lonely” on The Tonight Show below.

photo by Andrew Lipovsky/NBC

Lifetime Releases Trailer for New Movie About Patsy Cline & Loretta Lynn [Watch]

Lifetime Releases Trailer for New Movie About Patsy Cline & Loretta Lynn [Watch]

Posted on July 25, 2019

Lifetime released the first trailer for its new friendship flick, Patsy & Loretta, which chronicles the real-life bond between Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn in the 1950s and ’60s.

Before her death in a plane crash in 1963, Patsy was an established star who took up-and-comer Loretta under her wing to help her navigate the male-dominated world of country music.

Starring roles feature Megan Hilty as Patsy and Jessie Mueller as Loretta. Filmed in Nashville in the spring, Patsy & Loretta was directed by Callie Khouri, who created Nashville.

“I sure loved Patsy,” said Loretta via Facebook. “It broke my heart when we lost her. We always had lots of fun together. This movie is coming out this Fall.”

Patsy & Loretta is set to air on Lifetime on October 19 at 7 p.m. CT.

Watch the new trailer below.

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