CMT Blog: On Tour

For years I've been curious about the CMA Songwriters Series in New York City and since it coincided with this trip, I caught the early show last night (Nov. 5) at Joe's Pub. The lineup was pretty remarkable: host Bob DiPiero, Jessi Alexander, Jon Randall and Mark D. Sanders. DiPiero opened with "Blue Clear Sky," co-written by Sanders and recorded by George Strait. On his next time through, he played "Southern Voice," the new single from Tim McGraw. Randall offered a new song he co-wrote with Brad Paisley and Bill Anderson, "If You Can't Make Money, Make Love," an incredibly catchy and fun tune. Sanders told the audience that songwriters always know they're onto something when the crowd sings along with a song they've never heard before, which is exactly what happened.

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Nothing says the CMA Awards are in town like pecan logs and apple butter. So the folks at Cracker Barrel are setting up a temporary store right in downtown Nashville from Nov. 7-12. It's really to celebrate the Alan Jackson Collection with more than 40 items like clothes, jewelry, CDs and rocking chairs. So if you want to browse around for all things Alan Jackson and get an autograph from Jackson himself, go to the corner of First Avenue and Broadway between 9 and 11 a.m. on Tuesday (Nov. 10). Actually, go earlier than that. Fans are encouraged to line up as early 6:00 a.m. to get a ticket for a place in line. (Like an estate sale, only countrier.)

I'm in New York City for the next few days to catch some music, take some meetings and reconnect with some friends who have recently relocated here. I also decided that I'd come up as a reward for my diligent marathon training so I started my celebration at a cool venue called City Winery. One of my all-time favorite singer-songwriters, Shawn Colvin, was wrapping up a three-night stand there last night, so I savored a glass of house Zin and a few hours of acoustic music. Now that's what I like: wine, women and song. She sang "Trouble" early in the set, then quipped, "And this is the most uptempo stuff I've got." Colvin used to live in New York City so it was like a quiet homecoming for her. I was also able to catch an opening set from Matthew Perryman Jones, who just happened to be accompanied by the musician I wrote about yesterday, Peter Bradley Adams. Of course, jubilant celebrations ensued much later in the night when the Yankees won the World Series and I have a feeling that the city will be moving slow this morning relatively speaking. I'm venturing out now for coffee, so I'm about to find out.

Could this contest possibly have any more prizes? This week kicks off the CMT on Tour With Jamey Johnson sweepstakes, and I just did some research on it. Even though I'm not eligible to enter, I can still pine for the grand prize, right? The winner gets a trip for two to see Johnson in 2010 in the city closest to him/her. (That includes airfare because the city closest to you may not actually be all that close.) Plus, you get two nights at a hotel, the two concert tickets AND an autographed guitar. I think the only way this sweepstakes could get any better is if they were giving away Johnson's actual guitar, which is autographed by Willie Nelson, George Strait and about 10 other artists he admires. The contest ends Dec. 6, so enter soon.

Carrie Underwood is performing a free concert on Dec. 5, but there are a couple of catches. One, you have to be a guest at the Atlantis, a resort in Paradise Island, Bahamas. And two, you still need a lot of money. Rooms for that weekend start at $246 a night, but then skyrocket up to the four-digit prices for the really nice luxury suites. That said, if you've been looking for a tropical vacation and some good country music, you'd probably have the time of your life. And like I said yesterday, I think Underwood herself could use some R&R after the November she's having. So who knows? Maybe you'll see her on the beach, scuba diving or plummeting down the 60-foot Leap of Faith water slide.

Patty Loveless started off her show at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium Monday night (Nov. 2) by saying that it was good to be home. The Georgia resident did formerly live here in Middle Tennessee but I suspect the remark also had something to do with setting the audience up for a night of rootsy, down-home music. With the stage decorated with throw rugs, vintage lamps and acoustic instruments, she repeatedly referred to it as her living room and treated the crowd with the warm and friendly manner of a hostess being asked to sing for her guests. And they kept asking for about two hours, with Loveless reminding fans that they were "in it for the long-haul." Two hours may not seem that long, but with the emotional roller-coaster she took us on, I don't think a crowd could handle much more.

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It's not everyday that a celebrity or a country singer makes their way through my hometown of Mattoon, Ill. So, when I read a story about Trace Adkins back home, I was quite surprised, but not nearly as surprised I'm sure as the employees of Neal Tire and Auto Service who met him a couple of weeks ago -- on the side of the road. When a call came through that an unmarked bus had a flat tire just outside of town, this seemed like an every day job for the tire company employees. And fortunately, they were able to find a large replacement tire and were ready to send this bus full of country music fans (or so they thought because the bus driver was wearing a CMT shirt) on their way. Well, that was until Trace Adkins stepped off and began shaking hands and thanking the men for their help. The manager even has an autographed picture displayed proudly at the store's front counter. "It's definitely something to talk about," he said. "It shows he's a quality person."

Looking through a photo gallery from Keith Urban's little gig Friday (Oct. 30) at a Verizon Store near Nashville, it looks like he has a permanent smile on his face. I know he has a lot to be happy about (cute baby, lovely wife, a new single racing up the charts). And I know he loves playing live, because I've seen him in countless venues and he always seems to be having a good ol' time. So maybe he's just one of those glass-is-half-full kind of guys. But now that I have seen the pictures, I want details. Did he play the parking lot? How crowded was it? What time did fans start lining up? Did people come from far away places? Was there a traffic jam on the streets leading to the store? How long did he play? What did he play -- new stuff or old stuff? And how did this mini-show compare to one of his elaborate arena shows? If you were there, give us some scoop, please.

I still can't decide whose side I'm on. But as this Garth Brooks ticket fight rages on, I can see how angry the ticket brokers are. Long story short, they will not be able to sell their ample inventory of Garth-in-Vegas tickets because Steve Wynn, the owner of the resort hosting the concerts, has put his foot down. So in a retaliatory move, the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) is pulling its annual summer conference and show from the Wynn hotel. Their spokesperson said, "NATB brings hundreds of brokers each year to the Wynn at our annual ticket broker conference but now they've lost our business." Why is the group so furious? Because in an effort to cease scalping activity, the Wynn released a statement (OK, warning) that all ticket buyers need to identify who will use the tickets or risk having their purchase canceled. The spokesman for NATB added, "Fans hire brokers to help them find the tickets they want, for the price they can pay, or to resell the tickets they can't use. Wynn has no right to tell these fans, 'Hey, tough luck -- unless you bought them at our box office within two hours of going on sale then you can't go to the show.'" What I'd love to know is, whose side are you on, readers?

Photo credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

When the Steep Canyon Rangers tell stories to their future grandchildren, they'll probably start spinning yarns with, "Back in October 2009 ..." The bluegrass band started out the month with the IBMA Awards at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, followed by an after-hours gig at the Station Inn with Steve Martin. Within a week's time, they joined Martin at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco, then flew to New York City for Carnegie Hall and The Late Show With David Letterman. Along with backing Martin in a dozen major markets, they also played a handful of festival dates and released a sturdy new album, Deep in the Shade, which has climbed to No. 3 on Billboard's bluegrass chart and helped them secure the cover of Bluegrass Unlimited's November issue. And somewhere in the madness, I managed to catch up with them for a few minutes in Nashville during one of their many visits here lately.

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