Jason Isbell Readies New Album, Extends Tour, Adds TV Appearances & Prepares to Invade Europe

Jason Isbell Readies New Album, Extends Tour, Adds TV Appearances & Prepares to Invade Europe

Posted on May 1, 2017

If selling out a five-night run at the Ryman Auditorium in two hours is any indication, Jason Isbell has already perfected his “Nashville Sound.”

The Grammy-winning singer/songwriter will release his upcoming album, The Nashville Sound, on June 16, as he continues a 50-plus-date tour of the U.S., including multiple stops at New York’s Beacon Theatre, Austin’s ACL Live at the Moody Theater and the aforementioned five-night run in October at the Ryman.

To coincide with the album’s June release, Jason will perform on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, CBS Saturday Morning and The Daily Show With Trevor Noah.

Jason’s new 10-song album addresses a range of real-life subjects, according to the press release, including politics and cultural privilege (“White Man’s World”), longing nostalgia (“The Last of My Kind”), love and mortality (“If We Were Vampires”), the toxic effect of today’s pressures (“Anxiety”), the remnants of a break-up (“Chaos and Clothes”) and finding hope (“Something to Love”). Songs such as “Cumberland Gap” and “Hope the Highroad” find Jason and his bandmates going back to their rock roots full force.

The new studio album will reunite Jason will his band, the 400 Unit (Derry deBorja, Chad Gamble, Jimbo Hart, Amanda Shires and Sadler Vaden), for their first project together since 2011’s Here We Rest.

Dave Cobb, who produced Jason’s previous albums, Southeastern (2013) and Something More Than Free (2015), will also helm The Nashville Sound.

After his five Ryman shows in October, Jason will head across the pond to perform concerts in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Jason Isbell’s U.S. Tour

Month Date Location Venue Support Tickets?
May 4 Springfield, MO The Gilloz Theatre Strand of Oaks Sold Out
  5 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theatre Strand of Oaks  
  6 Peoria, IL Limelight Strand of Oaks Sold Out
  12 Florence, AL Shoals Community Theatre   Sold Out
June 17 Asheville, NC Thomas Wolfe Auditorium Amanda Shires Sold Out
  18 Raleigh, NC North Carolina Museum of Art Amanda Shires Sold Out
  19 Philadelphia, PA The Fillmore Philadelphia Amanda Shires  
  22 New York, NY Beacon Theatre Amanda Shires  
  23 New York, NY Beacon Theatre Mountain Goats
  24 New York, NY Beacon Theatre Mountain Goats  
  26 New Haven, CT College Street Music Hall Mountain Goats  
  27 Boston, MA Blue Hills Bank Pavilion Mountain Goats  
  29 Canandaigua, NY Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center Iron & Wine
  30 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion Mountain Goats  
July 1 Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Mountain Goats  
  2 Huber Heights, OH Rose Music Center at the Heights Mountain Goats  
  5 Papillion, NE Sumtur Amphitheatre Mountain Goats  
  7 St. Paul, MN The Palace Theatre Mountain Goats Sold Out
  11 Sioux Falls, SD The Washington Pavilion Mountain Goats  
  12 St. Louis, MO Peabody Opera House Mountain Goats  
  14 Austin, TX ACL Live at the Moody Theater Mountain Goats  
  15 Austin, TX ACL Live at the Moody Theater Amanda Shires  
  16 Austin, TX ACL Live at the Moody Theater Amanda Shires  
  18 Houston, TX Revention Music Center Amanda Shires  
  19 Jackson, MS Thalia Mara Hall Amanda Shires  
  21 Miami Beach, FL The Fillmore Strand of Oaks  
  22 St. Augustine, FL St. Augustine Amphitheatre Strand of Oaks  
  23 North Charleston, SC North Charleston Performing Arts Center Strand of Oaks  
Aug. 20 Shreveport, LA Shreveport Municipal Auditorium Amanda Shires  
  22 Tulsa, OK Cain’s Ballroom Amanda Shires  
  25 Huntsville, AL Von Braun Center Amanda Shires  
  27 Columbus, OH Ohio Theatre Amanda Shires  
  29 Toronto, ON Massey Hall Amanda Shires  
  30 Akron, OH Goodyear Theater Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
Sep. 1 Chicago, IL Chicago Theater Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  2 Chicago, IL Chicago Theater Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  5 Moorhead, MN Bluestem Center for the Arts Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  7 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  8 Salt Lake City, UT Red Butte Garden Amphitheater Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  9 Missoula, MT The Wilma Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  11 Portland, OR Keller Auditorium Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  12 Seattle, WA The Paramount Theatre Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  15 Jacksonville, OR Britt Pavilion Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  16 Oakland, CA Fox Theater Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  17 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  20 Tucson, AZ The Rialto Theatre Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  23 Dallas, TX Bomb Factory Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  24 Oklahoma City, OK Criterion Theater Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  26 Baton Rouge, LA River Center Performing Arts Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  27 Mobile, AL Saenger Theatre Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  29 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
  30 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls  
Oct. 10 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium   Sold Out
  11 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium   Sold Out
  13 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium   Sold Out
  14 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium   Sold Out
  15 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium   Sold Out
ABC’s “Dirty Dancing” Reboot Features Lady Antebellum Singing “Hey! Baby”

ABC’s “Dirty Dancing” Reboot Features Lady Antebellum Singing “Hey! Baby”

Posted on May 1, 2017

ABC’s made-for-television reboot of Dirty Dancing features Lady Antebellum covering “Hey! Baby,” a song Bruce Channel took to the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 1962. Bruce’s version of the song was used in the original incarnation of Dirty Dancing in 1987 when Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) teaches Baby Houseman (Jennifer Gray) how to dance on a fallen tree.

The three-hour television remake of Dirty Dancing stars Abigail Breslin as Baby and Colt Prattes as Johnny, as well as actors Katey Sagal, Debra Messing, Bruce Greenwood and Billy Dee Williams.

Dirty Dancing airs on ABC on May 24 at 8 p.m. ET, while the soundtrack drops five days before on May 19. Lady Antebellum’s new album, Heart Break, will drop on June 9.

ABC’s Dirty Dancing Soundtrack

  1. “Be My Baby” – Bea Miller
  2. “Big Girls Don’t Cry” – Karmin
  3. “Love Man” – J. Quinton Johnson
  4. “Do You Love Me”- Colt Prattes, Nicole Scherzinger, J. Quinton Johnson
  5. “Fever” – Katey Sagal, Colt Prattes
  6. “When I’m Alone” – J. Quinton Johnson
  7. “Wipe Out” – American Authors Feat. Lindsey Stirling
  8. “Hungry Eyes” – Greyson Chance
  9. “Hey! Baby” – Lady Antebellum
  10. “Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On” – Nicole Scherzinger, Abigail Breslin
  11. “Cry to Me” – Seal
  12. “They Can’t Take That Away” – Debra Messing
  13. “Love Is Strange” – Abigail Breslin, Colt Prattes
  14. “They Can’t Take That Away (Reprise)” – Bruce Greenwood
  15. “She’s Like the Wind – Calum Scott
  16. “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” – Sarah Hyland, J. Quinton Johnson
  17. “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” – The Cast of Dirty Dancing

Photo by Eric Ray Davidson

Just a Second There, Professor: Kenny Chesney Drops New “Rich and Miserable” Video With Actor John C. McGinley [Watch]

Just a Second There, Professor: Kenny Chesney Drops New “Rich and Miserable” Video With Actor John C. McGinley [Watch]

Posted on May 1, 2017

If you’re a fan of the 1999 movie Office Space, you probably remember actor John C. McGinley—in the role of consultant Bob Slydell—delivering the line, “Well, just a second there professor, we, uh, we fixed the glitch.”

In Kenny Chesney’s new video for “Rich and Miserable,” it’s McGinley who is now the professor.

Kenny tapped McGinley for the video, which stars the actor giving a speech in a college lecture hall, challenging the notion of what has value, how you define happiness and what really makes you rich. The tune, which was written by Jesse Frasure, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, is featured on Kenny’s 2016 album, Cosmic Hallelujah, and it has not been released as a single.

“When I called John [C. McGinley] to see if he’d do this for me, we talked for a while about what the song was about,” said Kenny. “It was something we’d talked about before, and he told me he understood why I thought this song was important. Those lines he delivers are something he and I both feel very deeply—and it’s something I think we’d all do well to consider. The fact he’d come do this video for me, knowing it’s never going to be a single . . . This video is strictly for calling attention to the message . . . says a lot about who he is, and the things that he values. Like me, he hopes this is a discussion worth having. Maybe this video does that.”

Watch the new video for “Rich and Miserable” below.

Watch Little Big Town Team With a Bunch of Muppets for Educational Ditty

Watch Little Big Town Team With a Bunch of Muppets for Educational Ditty

Posted on May 1, 2017

Apparently, it’s not enough for the members of Little Big Town to be loved by everyone walking the face of the earth—now, LBT is going after everyone who crawls the face of the earth.

Karen, Kimberly, Jimi and Phillip recently made an appearance on the long-running kids’ program Sesame Street to sing “I Is for Instruments” with a little help from Cookie Monster, Elmo, Grover and Abby Cadabby.

Watch LBT’s educational ditty below.

Scotty McCreery Announces the Release of New Song, “Five More Minutes,” on May 5 [Listen]

Scotty McCreery Announces the Release of New Song, “Five More Minutes,” on May 5 [Listen]

Posted on May 1, 2017

Scotty McCreery announced on social media today (May 1) that he will release his new song, “Five More Minutes,” on May 5.

Well it's about time…🙌🏼 Releasing #FiveMoreMinutes to yall this Friday! 5/5/5MM

A post shared by Scotty McCreery Official (@scottymccreery) on

The new tune, which was co-written by Scotty, Frank Rogers and Monty Criswell, will be available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon.

“‘Five More Minutes’ is probably my favorite song I’ve ever performed and definitely my favorite song I’ve ever written,” said Scotty.

Scotty co-wrote the song two weeks after his grandfather died in 2015, and performed the song onstage at the Grand Ole Opry in June 2016, which you can watch below.

 

 

Scotty McCreery Announces the Release of New Song, “Five More Minutes,” on May 5 [Listen]

Scotty McCreery Announces the Release of New Song, “Five More Minutes,” on May 5 [Listen]

Posted on May 1, 2017

Scotty McCreery announced on social media today (May 1) that he will release his new song, “Five More Minutes,” on May 5.

Well it's about time…🙌🏼 Releasing #FiveMoreMinutes to yall this Friday! 5/5/5MM

A post shared by Scotty McCreery Official (@scottymccreery) on

The new tune, which was co-written by Scotty, Frank Rogers and Monty Criswell, will be available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon.

“‘Five More Minutes’ is probably my favorite song I’ve ever performed and definitely my favorite song I’ve ever written,” said Scotty.

Scotty co-wrote the song two weeks after his grandfather died in 2015, and performed the song onstage at the Grand Ole Opry in June 2016, which you can watch below.

 

 

Big Bang: Lee Greenwood Tweaks His Anthemic Tune to “God Bless the NRA”

Big Bang: Lee Greenwood Tweaks His Anthemic Tune to “God Bless the NRA”

Posted on May 1, 2017

The National Rifle Association held its 146th annual NRA Meetings and Exhibits conference in Atlanta over the weekend (April 27–30), and they brought out their big gun, President Donald Trump, for a keynote speech on April 28.

Before President Trump took the stage, 74-year-old Lee Greenwood delighted the gun-owning advocates in attendance to a tweaked rendition of his anthem, “God Bless the USA.”

Lee subtly changed the words to “God bless the NRA” during one of the song’s choruses.

As for President Trump, he had some kind words for Lee after his performance: “Also, my friend—he’s become a friend, because there’s nobody that does it like Lee Greenwood. Wow. Lee’s anthem is the perfect description of the renewed spirit sweeping across our country. And it really is, indeed, sweeping across our country. So, Lee, I know I speak for everyone in this arena when I say, we are all very proud indeed to be an American. Thank you very much, Lee.”

You can check out Lee’s performance below, and take special note at the 2:41 mark for Lee’s lyrical switch-a-roo.

Kelsea Ballerini and Maren Morris Take Home Radio Disney Music Awards

Kelsea Ballerini and Maren Morris Take Home Radio Disney Music Awards

Posted on May 1, 2017

Kelsea Ballerini had a busy night at the Radio Disney Music Awards on Sunday night (April 30). Not only did Kelsea host the show and perform, but she also took home two trophies for Favorite Country Artist and Favorite Country Song (“Peter Pan”). Kelsea was also nominated for the all-genre Breakout Artist of the Year and Best Crush Song (“Yeah Boy”).

Maren Morris was the only other country star to win a Radio Disney Music Award. Maren copped the trophy for Best New Country Artist.

Check out the country winners, as well as the country nominees.

Country Favorite Artist

  • Kelsea Ballerini WINNER
  • Florida Georgia Line
  • Dan + Shay
  • Maddie & Tae
  • Sam Hunt

Country Favorite Song

  • “Peter Pan” –  Kelsea Ballerini WINNER
  • “80s Mercedes” – Maren Morris
  • “From the Ground Up” – Dan + Shay
  • “H.O.L.Y.” – Florida Georgia Line
  • “Think of You (feat. Cassadee Pope)” – Chris Young

Country Best New Artist

  • Maren Morris WINNER
  • Lauren Alaina
  • Old Dominion
  • RaeLynn
  • Temecula Road

Breakout Artist of the Year

  • Alessia Cara WINNER
  • Daya
  • DNCE
  • Hailee Steinfeld
  • Kelsea Ballerini

Best Crush Song

  • “Let Me Love You (feat. Justin Bieber)” – DJ Snake WINNER
  • “On Purpose” – Sabrina Carpenter
  • “Starving (feat. Zedd)” – Hailee Steinfeld & Grey
  • “Wild (feat. Alessia Cara)” – Troye Sivan
  • “Yeah Boy” – Kelsea Ballerini

Favorite Tour

  • Selena Gomez’s Revival Tour WINNER
  • Hunter Hayes’ 21 Tour
  • Justin Bieber’s Purpose Tour
  • Meghan Trainor’s The Untouchable Tour
  • Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato’s Future Now Tour

Photo by Radio Disney Twitter

Watch Faith Hill Get Booed Onstage by Spunky St. Louis Crowd

Watch Faith Hill Get Booed Onstage by Spunky St. Louis Crowd

Posted on May 1, 2017

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw took their Soul2Soul Tour to the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., on April 27, which also happened to be the first day of the NFL Draft.

Faith found out the hard way that the “NFL” is still a sore subject for St. Louis fans, whose former home team—the Rams—relocated to Los Angeles last year.

Before the show kicked off, Faith addressed the crowd by saying, “I have to confess something. Do you know what I was watching before I came out here? The NFL Draft.”

That’s when the boo-birds came out.

“What? You’re booing me? What the heck?” said Faith, as Tim began to explain that the fans were booing the Rams, not her. The sports buff and showman that he is, Tim assuaged the situation by giving a shout-out to St. Louis’ NHL and MLB teams. Tim’s well-timed rescue was received with fervent cheers from the spunky crowd.

Check out the footage below.

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