Millertime Music Spot

Brad Paisley Proves He Will Be Hard To Beat This Summer

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:17:00 +0000

Brad Paisley's Beat This Summer Tour
Featuring Lee Brice, Chris Young & The Henningsens
Comcast Theater, Hartford, Connecticut
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Connecticut opened its 2013 outdoor concert series on Saturday night with Brad Paisley's Beat This Summer Tour and flocks of country music fans packed Hartford's Comcast Theater. What followed included hours of entertainment headlined by one of country music's finest performers. This leg of the tour includes four acts, countless hits, and a production value that is second to none.

I started my night by talking with Lee Brice at his meet and greet. He told me that he is excited about his new single, "Parking Lot Party" and is currently creating a new album. He further stated a single from the new material would be released early in 2014 and an album should be out by the end of Spring/early Summer, 2014. Lee is easily one of the nicest artists I've ever met and this time was no different.

I was also able to meet Chris Young. He also seemed excited when talking about his new single, "Aw Naw". He, like Lee, looks forward to releasing new material and said he wants his new song to run its course before releasing anything new. He said he expects his new album will be out by the end of the year.

It was truly a pleasure to get to meet and talk with Brad Paisley. He is truly a megastar in every sense of the word. However, when talking with him one-on-one you would hardly think he envisions himself that way. He is very humble, soft spoken and personable. We talked about playing the guitar and he gave me a few hints to improve my new found hobby. After all, who better to get advice on guitar playing than the master himself?

I, unfortunately, missed the Henningsens performance as I was in the Lee Brice meet and greet while they performed. I look forward to seeing them in the future. I walked into the PIT section just as Lee Brice was launching into "Parking Lot Party". Lee has that it factor that will undoubtedly make him a star. He combines passion, power and versatility that is rare in today's music world.

On songs like "I Drive Your Truck" and "Love Like Crazy", the lyrics tug at your emotions and his delivery is so genuine that you can tell he feels the music as much as the listener does. He has an emotional side and also a party persona that works perfectly in an outdoor country music setting.

Lee was extremely impressive throughout his entire half hour set. Each time I have seen him live has convinced me further that he on the road to stardom. He was extremely active on stage and used the catwalk to his advantage. I look forward to more from Lee Brice and fully expect him to rise to headliner status in the next few years.

Chris Young was up next and I was only able to catch a bit of his set due to my time with Brad Paisley backstage. However, Chris showcased the deep vocals that have made him a mainstay on country radio. His baritone nature was exemplary on "Gettin' You Home" and "Voices" His new single, "Aw Naw" has an infectious chorus that is sure to be yet another hit. He isn't the most active performer on stage as he lets his vocals do most of the work.

At about 9 p.m., it was finally time for the headliner to hit the stage and Brad Paisley came out swinging. His most recent #1 hit "Southern Comfort Zone" was first on an impressive setlist and it was immediately apparent that he brought out all the production stops for this tour. Images of the ocean, Paris, Italy, the cover of his most recent album, Wheelhouse, and numerous others appeared in the sky due to lasers, smoke, and lighting effects that I have never witnessed at any show before.

Brad and his band created impressive renditions of his songs that are truly unique to the original studio tracks; mostly due to the guitar solo's and jam outs that he and his band added to each song. He placed several songs from Wheelhouse in between some of his classic hits and was sure to add some form of matching imagery on the huge screens behind the stage. Whether it was a Captain America cartoon during "American Saturday Night" or a rotating tire on "Mud on the Tires", the thought Brad put into the visuals really made the show that much more impressive.

He included his opening acts as Lee Brice and Chris Young came out to a riveting version of "Outstanding in Our Field" which features Dierks Bentley, Roger Miller and Hunter Hayes on Wheelhouse. The three stars were all smiles as they traded lines on the song which I fully expect to make it to the summit on country radio in the near future. Chris Young returned to the stage during the final song, "Alcohol". As a fan, it is always a bonus to see the stars on stage together at different points of the night.

Brad's guitar skills were flaunted with no reservations the entire night. He jumped into the crowd during guitar solo's, switched guitars for each song, and used every single inch of the stage in the front, the back by the sound stage, and the catwalk. He was constantly moving, but it was with a smooth grace that was not forced, but exhaulted the swagger of a truly experienced performer.

An App was created for the Tour which is called Brad Paisley's Light Show. The crowd was encouraged to hold up on their smartphones at certain points of the night. The result was amazing colors shining from every inch of the entire aplitheater. To further up the ante of the night, a holographic image of Carrie Underwood emerged during "Remind Me", a rapping Charlie Daniels appeared on screen during "Karate" and Andy Griffin spoke to Brad via screen on "Waitin' on a Woman".

Past legends such as Elvis, Johnny Cash and George Jones were paid homage to as well. Brad Paisley did not leave anything out for this action packed performance that left the crowd trying to guess what he would do next. Even a goat made an absolutely hilarious appearance during "Celebrity".

All in all it will be very hard for any show to beat Brad Paisley's performance this summer. He seemed to think of everything and more. I was blown away by not only Paisley, but the entire night as well. From the music, to the stage, and the production, all the little intricacies were perfectly envisioned and masterfully executed.

SETLISTS:

Brad Paisley

Southern Comfort Zone
Mud on the Tires
Mona Lisa
American Saturday Night Tour
Outstanding in Our Field (with Lee Brice and Chris Young)
This is Country Music
Celebrity
Then
She's Everything
Instrumental
Old Alabama (featuring Alabama on screen)
Waitin' on a Woman (featuring Andy Griffin on screen)
Online
I'm Still a Guy
Beat This Summer
I'm Gonna Miss Her
Karate (featuring Charlie Daniels on screen)
Devil Went Down to Georgia (Charlie Daniels Band cover)
Remind Me (with Carrie Underwood Hologram)
The World
Water
Ticks (Encore)
Alcohol (Encore with Chris Young)

Chris Young

That Makes Me
Gettin' You Home
Voices
When She's On
Aw Naw
The Man I Want to Be
You
Sharp Dressed Man (ZZ Top Cover)
Neon
She's Got This Thing About Her
I Can Take It From Here
Tomorrow
Save Water, Drink Beer

Lee Brice

Parking Lot Party
Beer
A Woman Like You
I Drive Your Truck
Hard to Love
Love Like Crazy
Drinking Class

Videos:

Lee Brice - I Drive Your Truck

Brad Paisley, Lee Brice and Chris Young - Outstanding In Our Field

Alabama Goes Back to the Bowery in CT

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:53:00 +0000

Alabama
Back to the Bowery Tour
Oakdale Theater
Wallingford, CT
April 26, 2013

When I began my love affair with country music over ten years ago, my friends told me to start with three artists: Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney and Alabama. As I listened to all three and instantly loved each of their different styles, there was one thing that made me feel a bit empty: Alabama had broken up and I would never be able to see them perform live. Well, that changed thanks to the band's new reunion tour, "Back to the Bowery", celebrating 40 years together.

I was very happy when Alabama announced they would be playing the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Connecticut, the site of one of the best concert experiences of my life (see: http://millertimemusicspot.blogspot.com/2011/07/night-i-was-part-of-dierks-bentley.html). The Oakdale Theater is presented by Toyota and is a 5,000 seat performing arts center which each seat in the house has a perfect view of the stage. And, on April 26, 2013, it was filled to capacity with people of all ages to listen to a true legendary act.

Before the band took to the stage, the large screens on both sides of the stage flashed images of the band members over the course of the past forty years as well as trivia questions about their life. Alabama was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen (lead vocals), and his cousin Teddy Gentry. They were joined by Jeff Cook and later Mark Herndon (who is not with the band for this Tour). They were originally called "Wildcountry" and changed its name to 1972.

Alabama took to the stage and instantly ripped into "If You're Gonna Play in Texas (Gotta Have a Fiddler in the Band)" and the crowd went wild. The band sounded like they hadn't aged a bit as Randy Owen's vocals were spot on. The band members' had some questionable clothing choices, which showed no regard for fashion or matching; however, I doubt one person in the crowd really cared. As a green fiddle screamed, a bass guitar was pounded, and sing-a-longs ensured, it was exactly the type of show I had imagined all these years listening to their legendary songs.

The show's early part of the setlist was full of high energy as classics such as "Dixieland Delight", "Tennessee River", and a fast-moving updated version of "Song of the South", which had everyone stomping along. They gradually incorporated some ballads and even brought a couple on stage who had "Feels So Right" as their wedding song many years ago. Before "Born Country", a fan brought up an FFA flag, in which Randy was happy to hold up with pride.

Randy Owen is still quite the a showman as he dominated the performance. His vocals are still perfect and he added in jokes, jumps, waves, and comments throughout. He spoke of the Band's upcoming project which will feature many contemporary artists as well as a few new songs from Alabama. Before singing "Love in the First Degree", he stated the next time you hear this will be with Luke Bryan, hinting that it will be a radio single.

The band went off script as they dedicated a song to their friend and fellow legend, George Jones, who had passed away that morning. They performed "She Thinks I Still Care" which was followed by a standing ovation. And after ending their set with "Angels Among Us, "Roll On", and "My Home's in Alabama", there was only song that could be worthy of an Encore. The crowd clapped and chanted and the band responded with "Mountain Music", the signature song of Alabama, which was also payed tribute to in 2011 by Brad Paisley in, "Old Alabama", which featured the band.

In the end, there were no big projection screens, no smoke or explosions. Instead, it was three musicians who created one of the most legendary bands of all time, singing the hits that have made them so beloved. Song after song was a sing-a-long and I felt myself smiling as I walked out of the Oakdale Theater. I can finally say that I saw Alabama perform live.

SETLIST:

If You're Gonna Play in Texas (Gotta Have a Fiddler in the Band)
Tennessee River
Dixieland Delight
In the Sky (bye and bye)
Song of the South
Feels So Right
Lady Down on Love
Born in the World
Reckless
Born Country
Love in the First Degree
She Thinks I Still Care (George Jones cover)
When We Make Love
There's No Way
Dancin', Shaggin' on the Boulevard
Closer You Get
In a Hurry
Angels Among Us
Roll On
My Home's in Alabama
Mountain Music (Enore)

Kenny Chesney - Life on a Rock - Track by Track Dissection

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Wed, 01 May 2013 19:45:00 +0000

Track Listing for "Life on a Rock"

Pirate Flag
When I See This Bar
Spread the Love featuring the Wailers and Elan
Lindy
Coconut Tree with Willie Nelson
It's That Time of Day
Life on a Rock
Marley
Must Be Something I Missed
Happy on the Hey Now (A Song for Kristi)

Pirate Flag:

On an album which Kenny has described as his most self-reflective to date, "Pirate Flag" is easily the least personal song on the album. That being said, it fits with both today's country radio and his past summery anthems. The song is dominated by a chorus which boasts that he is leaving his fast past life and disappearing to the islands. Not much to the lyrics, but catchy nonetheless. It is currently sitting at #5 on the Mediabase Country Charts, thus, proving to be yet another successful radio single. I suspect this song will be a sing-a-long favorite on the upcoming No Shoes Nation Tour in the Summer of 2013.

When I See This Bar:

I was able to attend the Album Release Party for "Life on a Rock" (see: http://millertimemusicspot.blogspot.com/2013/05/iheart-radio-hosts-kenny-chesneys-album.html) and Kenny stated that this was his favorite song on the new album. He said the song is very reflective of his own life because it reminds him of the people he shared some of the best times of his life. Everyone has a place that reminds them of a special time in their life and this is his way to bring about that nostalgic feeling. The instruments, as all the songs on this album, give it that island flavor that Kenny is so well known for. I could easily see this being released as a radio single in the future.

Spread the Love:

The Wailers are featured on this song and actually were the ones who wrote the music for it. They then sent it to Kenny and asked him to write his own lyrics for it. I, personally, think the song is fantastic. The fact that Kenny steps out of his comfort zone and takes a reggae approach, similar to his past hit, "Everybody Wants to go to Heaven", makes it very authentic to him as a huge fan of Bob Marley, The Wailers, and the islands. When listening to this island groove, it immediately transports me to Jamaica. However, this song may not appeal to those traditional country music fans who do like to the genre bending that some artists try. I personally think music should not be genre restricted and commend Kenny and Wailers for this fantastic collaboration.

Lindy:

This is a strikingly beautiful song about a real man that used to leave on the island of St. John's. Kenny stated that he wrote the lyrics to this song after he had witnessed Lindy, a homeless man, playing the paino by himself at a Church on the island. Kenny wrote it without a guitar or any music to it. He has stated that he wrote a lot of the songs on the album without expecting anyone else to ever hear them, that they were part of a "journal that rhymed". This journal entry describes a happy, free soul who wandered around the island of St. John.

Coconut Tree:

Willie Nelson adds his one of a kind voice to a fun song with a few clever play on words. The song has a simple message, if they had their way they would disappear from all the stress of the real world and hang out on an island (i.e. a coconut tree). The trading back and forth of the lines of the song by Kenny and Willie create a fun harmonization. The is the latest in the growing list of collaborations between the two, who have obviously formed a respected relationship.

It's That Time of Day:

This is song that is obviously inspired by one of Kenny's favorite places on earth, Jost Van Dyke as the line "adios to Jost" is reiterated numerous times in the song. It is a relaxed tune that really depicts a beautiful island scene in the listener's head. He sings of a beautiful sunset that occurs at the end of a glorious day spent with his friends at sea. It's a song that is very reminiscent of the songs on a former Chesney album, "Lucky Old Sun". And why not sing about Jost Van Dyke? I visited there back in October and it truly is one of the most spectacular places on earth. This song makes me immediately want to return.

Life on a Rock:

This song is the island version of "I'm a Small Town" from his last album. Its main message is how close everyone that actually lives on an island are. They know everyone's business, date each other and party together. It is the song which incorporates the electric guitar rifts that have been so common on many of his former songs. It is set up as a typic country radio song and is less intimate the other selections.

Marley:

Another beautiful song which Kenny sings about how he escapes from the road, radio, and big stadiums. He relaxes on his boat, reads Hemmingway's "Old Man on the Sea", drinks his rum, and listens to Bob Marley. He sings the song not merely just trying to escape his life, but as being very appreciative of what his music career has given him and that he is also able to relax fully in his own way. The acoustic guitar flows and the steel drums strike with perfection while Kenny sings the song with purpose and honesty. A real stand-out on the album.

Must Be Something I Missed:

This is a song he wrote with Mac McAnnally at a time where Kenny was in a frustrated state of mind. He said Mac created the sheet music and they put together the song over the phone. It's got a fast paced, bluesy feel to it as he sings about hoping that he did not miss something in life as he lives his hectic life. The lyrics serve as the inner thoughts of a stressed out man. A unique take on a familiar topic.

Happy on the Hey Now (A Song for Kristi):

This song is an emotional dedication for a friend of his who has passed away. Instead of taking a sad approach on the death of a loved one, he takes the opposite approach. He sings of celebrating her life, finding strength in her, and making sure she never dies by keeping her memory alive. The line "still I'm a strong believer that I will see you again" gives hope to anyone who has lost someone very dear and close to them in their life. In his friend's Kristi's passing, he makes sure that he will remember her "living life in the moment, happy on the hey now". It is a beautiful dedication and how we should be so lucky to remember our loved ones when they pass. And the song is perfectly placed to end an album full of so many personal songs.

iHeart Radio Hosts Kenny Chesney’s Album Release Party for Life on A Rock

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:59:00 +0000

Kenny Chesney is an artist who is used to singing country anthems in front of 60,000 plus fans on a nightly basis. However, on the day before his new album, “Life on a Rock”, was set to be released, it was no coincidence that Kenny sat with 50 lucky fans to discuss what he described as his most personal album to date.

iHeartRadio hosted this exclusive Album Release Party at the iHeartRadio Theater presented by P.C. Richard & Son and Bobby Bones, host of The Bobby Bones Show, syndicated on Country radio stations nationwide, joined Kenny on stage for the festivities. Fans were treated to an hour of stories behind where the songs from “Life on a Rock” came from.

Kenny told the crowd that he had written the songs on the album for himself, never thinking they would ever be heard, let alone be put on an album. He said the album, at first, was a personal “journal that rhymed”. Songs such as “Lindy”, “Marley”, “When I See This Bar”, and “Must Be Something I Missed” where actually written without a guitar in his hands or any music to the lyrics. He further eluded that he thinks that his music has changed over the course of the past few years because he has changed as a person. He stated “if my music did not change it would not be authentic”.

Kenny was not serious and deep the entire party as he shared jokes and stories behind “Coconut Tree” with Willie Nelson and “Spread the Love” which features the Wailers. With a big smile and a deep laugh, he said that working with the Wailers was a lot like working with Willie. He told us he had spent two days with Willie at his house in Maui, Hawaii, sitting at a poker table trading the guitar back and forth. He also said that the Wailers had sent him the song “Spread the Love”, but wanted him to create his own lyrics to the song and that was how it was born.

During the course of the hour, it was a unique experience to be so up close and personal with one of the top entertainers in the entire world and see him describe what he was thinking at the time he created such personal songs. I could see the true authenticity in the songs on “Life on a Rock” as he intently described what he meant by his lyrics. Bobby Jones did a great job by asking some humorous questions and adding in his own humor. The iHearRadio Theater was the perfect intimate, yet state of the art setting to make the hour long party a once in a lifetime experience.

Track Listing for "Life on a Rock"

Pirate Flag
When I See This Bar
Spread the Love featuring the Wailers and Elan
Lindy
Coconut Tree with Willie Nelson
It's That Time of Day
Life on a Rock
Marley
Must Be Something I Missed
Happy on the Hey Now (A Song for Kristi)

Blake Shelton: iHeart Radio Live Series in NYC

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:35:00 +0000

BLAKE SHELTON
iHEART RADIO LIVE SERIES
NEW YORK CITY
MARCH 27, 2013

On Wednesday night, Blake Shelton, one of country music’s hardest working stars, took to the iHeart Radio Theater stage in the heart of Tribeca, New York City. The intimate show was part of iHeartRadio Live, a Clear Channel entertainment production that features performances by today’s top recording artists. Blake has been able to juggle his time between hosting the Voice on NBC, his marriage with Miranda Lambert, touring across America, and still find time to create new music. On Tuesday, his new album, “Based On A True Story”, was released and his show at the intimate iHeart Radio Theater showcased some of the new tunes.

Blake took to the stage singing “Drink On It” and followed it up with a few of his past hits. In typical Blake Shelton fashion, his sarcastic wit and sense of humor played a role through his comments between songs. Before singing “Ol Red”, he said “I want to play something new, but I need to see if you all remember who the hell I am”. He followed it up with his first number one single, “Austin” and dedicated the song to all his fans watching on iHeart Radio’s internet live stream.

He then performed three new songs off of his new album. First up was “Country on the Radio” which is an upbeat song dedicated to people who love the simple things in life. He mentioned that he loves the song because growing up all he had was “tadpoles and country radio”. He followed it up with the first single off of the new album, which has already hit #1, “Sure Be Cool If You Did”. Blake stated what attracted him to this song was it reminded him of his favorite song of all-time, George Strait’s “The Chair”. He laughed as he said it does not sound the same at all, but it has the same message.

Next up was his newest single, “Boys Round Here”. Easily the most energetic song of the night, highlighted by former The Voice contestant, Gwen Sebastian’s background vocals, who served as a back-up singer for the entire night. “Boys Round Here” had the capacity crowd dancing and moving as the song adds a touch of rap to the verses and a full country sound to the chorus. Blake is able to showcase his vocals, sense of humor, and swagger in what is sure to be another hit.

Blake wrapped up the night with “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking”, “Honeybee” and “God Gave Me You”. Before the latter of the three, he actually got serious for a moment and stated how he came to find the song. He said he and Miranda had been in a fight and he was driving in his truck, when he stopped on a contemporary Christian station. He felt the words of God Gave Me You” were his life at that time and the song was singing to him. He had to record it because it meant so much to him and had him thinking about Miranda and getting his life together. It was a nice touch by Blake to add a personal moment to an intimate crowd setting. On that night and through his new album, Blake showcased just what he was put on this earth to do, above all else, tell stories though music.

Photo Credit: Roger Kisby for iHeartRadio.

Saturday Night Country Music in NYC with Rodney Atkins, Josh Thompson & Tyler Farr

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:38:00 +0000

Rodney Atkins
Best Buy Theater, Times Square, New York City
with Josh Thompson & Tyler Farr
March 23, 2013

On Saturday night, country music fans flocked to New York City to drink, dance, and sing along with Rodney Atkins, Josh Thompson and Tyler Farr at the Best Buy Theater, located in the heart of Times Square. Despite the brisk and windy Spring weather, fans lined up hours ahead of time to secure their spots at the front of the General Admission venue. Once inside, they were entertained with a fast moving, high energy show from the moment Tyler Farr took the stage until Rodney Atkins chased the Devil out of the building.

Tyler Farr, a new name in the country music genre, took to the stage at approximately 8:00 p.m.. He took to the stage with a single guitar and no backing band and performed an impressive acoustic set. I was first introduced to Tyler on the Blake Shelton & Friends Cruise back in October (see: http://millertimemusicspot.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-blake-shelton-friends-cruise-review.html) and have become a big fan of his music. He has a unique voice that is both powerful and deep.

Tyler started off with a few cover songs, including Charlie Daniels, Johnny Cash, and even an acoustic version of Flo Rida's "Whistle". He then switched things up and sang his last single (and the first off of Columbia Records), "Hello Goodbye". It is always difficult for a new artist to capture the attention of the crowd while playing acoustic, and the crowd began to talk during the first verse. However, when the bombastic hook was projected from Tyler, the crowd immediately shut up. I could hear people around me whisper phrases such as "Wow", "he is really good", and "what a voice". For the rest of the set people gave him the respect that he deserves.

He finished his set with an impeccable performance of the fun "Hot Mess" and his latest single, "Redneck Crazy". He urged the crowd to call their radio station and request the song "because I'm too damn tired of being broke." Somehow, I think his fortune is about to change. I expect big things from Tyler Farr and when he returns to New York City next time, he will be a household name.

Josh Thompson took the stage after Tyler Farr and came out swinging immediately. His performance consisted of high energy backed by a rocking band from start to finish. I last saw Josh perform as the opening act on the Dierks Bentley tour a few years ago (see: http://millertimemusicspot.blogspot.com/2011/07/night-i-was-part-of-dierks-bentley.html) and his live performance has improved greatly as he is very confident and at home in front of a crowd.

Josh's setlist was covered with drinking and party music and the crowd responded with raised glasses. However, he was most authentic on the hit song, "Way Out Here" which sings about a proud country man who grew up on patriotism and real morals. The crowd seemed to agree as a resounding chant of USA thundered through the venue. Josh appreciated the love as he raised his own cup back at the crowd.

Josh ended his set with his first single, "Beer On the Table" and easily accomplished the goal of an opening act warming the crowd up for the headliner. I look forward to the next release by Josh Thompson, who has recently signed with Show Dog Universal, a music label owned by Toby Keith.

Time finally came for one of country music's finest hit makers, Rodney Atkins to take the stage. I've seen Rodney a half dozen times at this point, and he never disappoints (see: http://millertimemusicspot.blogspot.com/2011/11/rodney-atkins-takes-back-road-to-nyc.html). This night was no different.

Rodney has a slew of #1 hits which were instant sing-a-longs. He came right out of the gate with "Farmer's Daughter" and included songs from each of his three albums. The backdrop of the Best Buy Theater added to the performance as HD images of streets, back roads, the American Flag, as well as laser light shows mesmerized the NYC crowd.

Rodney Atkins has a great ability to descriptively tell a story through his songs. Tunes such as "Take a Back Road", "Watching You" and "Cabin in the Woods" take the listener to place where it seems as if you were there along with him. Rodney, who usually sticks to his own songs, added in a cover of Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again" which was a pleasant surprise.

Rodney's band keeps getting stronger and stronger, from the impressive skills of drummer, Kevin Rapillo, to the numerous guitarists who really have upped the energy level of Rodney's set. Songs like "Cleaning This Gun" and the patriotic "It's America" had a bit more passion and vigor when played live than the already impressive studio cuts.

He finished the night off with an encore performance of his biggest song to date, "If You're Going Through Hell". The crowd sang along, word for word, with Rodney and stomped their feet along to the beat. All in all, Rodney's set was dependable, professional, and highly enjoyable. I look forward to more from Rodney, Josh and Tyler Farr as well as more shows at the impressive Best Buy Theater.

Setlists:

Rodney Atkins:

Farmers Daughter
About the South
He's Mine
Take a Back Road
One the Road Again (Willie Nelson Cover)
Cabin in the Woods
Country Boy
Friends With Tractors
Cleaning This Gun
Watching You
It's America
These Are My People
If You're Going Through Hell (ENCORE)

Tyler Farr:

Long Haired Country Boy (Charlie Daniels' Cover)
Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash Cover)
Whistle (Flo Rida Cover)
Hello Goodbye
If You Were Mine
Hot Mess
Redneck Crazy

Josh Thompson:

Down For a Get Down
Blame It on Waylon
Outlaw Music Out of Hand
Won't Be Lonely Long
Hard Working God Fearing
Hillbilly Limo
Way Out Here
Cold Beer
Can't Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones Cover)
Beer On The Table
Drink Drink Drink

Jason Aldean's Night Train Tour - A Review In Pictures (w/ Jake Owen, Dee Jay Silver, & Thomas Rhett)

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:42:00 +0000

Jason Aldean's Night Train Tour
w/ Jake Owen, Dee Jay Silver, & Thomas Rhett
Mohegan Sun Arena, Connecticut
March 1, 2013

Country music mega-star, Jason Aldean, brought his Night Train Tour to Connecticut's Mohegan Sun Arena for two sold out nights. He is joined by Jake Owen, Dee Jay Silver, and Thomas Rhett on this leg of the tour. I was able to attend the show Friday, March 1, 2013. I will be doing a full review of the Tour in July at Fenway Park. Until then, I thought I would bring you some photo's from the explosive show. Below, you can see some of the great sights you will see on this Tour. If you are lucky enough to score a ticket to the Night Train Tour, you will not be disappointed by any of the four great acts. Enjoy some pictures and feel free to contact me on twitter, at @ryankentm, with any questions you may have about the show.

JASON ALDEAN

JAKE OWEN

DEE JAY SILVER

THOMAS RHETT

Country 92.5's 2013 Concert for St. Jude's Kids

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 20:40:00 +0000

Country 92.5 Presents the 20013 Concert for Kids
Dustin Lynch, Jerrod Niemann, Jana Kramer,
Randy Houser & Courtney Drummey
Cadillac Ranch, Stonington, CT
February 25, 2013

Each year, Connecticut's Country Music radio station puts together an acoustic show at the Cadillac Ranch, in Southington, CT. The show is a benefit for St. Jude's Children Hospital in Memphis, TN, a charity country music singers have always greatly supported. This year's show included Jerrod Niemann, Jana Kramer, Dustin Lynch, and Randy Houser.

Before the show, the ticket holders lined up in the cold to get entry to the Cadillac Ranch. Jerrod Niemann appeared and walked up and down the line greeting fans, taking photos, and making jokes. I caught up with him and cracked some jokes about the time we spent on the Blake Shelton Cruise this past October (see: http://millertimemusicspot.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-blake-shelton-friends-cruise-review.html). He joked with me, saying: "those were better, warmer times. Also blurrier times". I thought this accessibility to the fans was a classy move by Jerrod and it made the time spent by the fans on line a lot easier.

The show consists of a guitar pull, as each of the artists stay on stage the whole time, joining in on each other's songs. Jerrod carried the show's banter, as he added numerous jokes and comments about each of the artists. He even added a baseball themed song about an old man getting hit by a ball that had everyone cracking up.

Jana Kramer tried to add into the banter and discussed a bit of her new engagement with Brantley Gilbert. She got a huge round of applause when she sang her new single "Whiskey" and "Why You Wanna" became an instant sing-a-long with the crowd. The actress (One Tree Hill, Entourage) turned singer's live voice has improved each time I have seen her perform.

Jerrod sang his top four hits, including a slower version of his new single, "One God Can Love You More" The slower, acoustic version added to the beautiful lyrics of the song, which he co-wrote with Lee Brice. All throughout the show, Jerrod was making jokes, but there is no comedy when it comes to his music as he is a true hit-maker. When he belted out "Lover, Lover" during the last pull, the crowd may not have been louder all night.

Dustin Lynch had the girls in the crowd straight giddy as I overheard numerous comments about his looks. But his voice is most impressive about him. Backed by a ridiculously impressive guitarist from his band, Dustin took us through four of the cuts from his debut album. But "Cowboys & Angels", his first #1 single, was the absolute highlight of the whole night. One of, if not the best country song of the year had all the significant others in the crowd holding on to each other tight. I expect great things from him in his career.

Randy Houser has one of the best vocals in music today. And in the intimate Caddy Ranch, those booming vocals were straight bombastic. He soared on "Like a Cowboy", had the place rocking during "Boots On", and his new single, "Running Out of Moonlight" had people ready to immediately request it on Country 92.5. The final song of the night was very fitting as his first #1, "How Country Feels" was belted out by Randy as well as every last person in the crowd.

Each of the artists was on point and were quick to acknowledge both Country 92.5 and St. Jude's Hospital. I am proud to have donated to St. Jude's as well as attend this event the past five years. There was a poster signing at the end of the night, where those who bought the posters could meet the artists and get their signatures. An overall classy evening where it's always great to see musicians get together for a worthy cause.

SETLIST:

Good Time Coming On - Jana Kramer
Baseball Song - Jerrod Niemann
One More Drinkin' Song - Jerrod Niemann
Dancing in the Headlights - Dustin Lynch
Boots On - Randy Houser
Whiskey - Jana Kramer
What Do You Want From Me -Jerrod Niemann
Cranks My Tractor - Dustin Lynch
Like a Cowboy - Randy Houser
Hope It Rains - Jana Kramer
Only God Can Love You More - Jerrod Niemann
Name On It - Dustin Lynch
Running Out of Moonlight - Randy Houser
Why You Wanna - Jana Kramer
Lover, Lover - Jerrod Niemann
Cowboys & Angels - Dustin Lynch
How Country Feels - Randy Houser

VIDEOS:

Only God Can Love You More

Cowboys and Angels

How Country Feels

King George Rides Away In Hartford

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:09:00 +0000

George Strait
The Cowboy Rides Away Tour
w/ Martina McBride
February 23, 2013
XL Center, Hartford, CT

When George Strait left the stage on Saturday night in Hartford, Connecticut, I felt a feeling that I've never experienced post-concert before. It was a sadness that came with an immediate realization that it would most likely be the final time I'd ever hear his voice live again. The feeling for the two hours before that was of great admiration for a true musical living legend. The thirty three song set that King George performed was done so with passion, grace, and without the frills that most performers need to accompany their live performances.

Martina McBride opened the show with an hour long performance of her own. I had never seen her live before and her voice was very impressive. The squared shape "in the round" styled stage, which placed a microphone at all four sides, seemed to take away from Martina's performance as she did not capture the audience's attention as much as when George was out there. Nonetheless, her vocals were beautiful as she went through her catalogue of hits. She also appeared on stage during George's set for a Johnny Cash & June Carter song, "Jackson"', as well as "Golden Ring"', a George Jones & Tammy Wynette cover.

Before George took to the stage, video clips of award shows and past memories played on the various screens around the XL Center. Also, clips of other artists played with messages for King George, including Tim McGraw, Reba, Ronnie Dunn, Kenny Chesney, and Blake Shelton. The lights went low, and George walked on stage with his signature black hat and black guitar. He belted out "Here For a Good Time" and the two hour sing-a-long began.

Mid-way through the show, George strategically placed songs in a chronological order of his time as an artist as he sang older songs such as "80 Proof Bottle off Tear-Stopper" and "Honky-Tonk Crazy". He broke up the normal chain of events when he sang "Happy Birthday" to his wife and gave a wounded warrior and his wife a new house plus groceries for a year. The crowd was in the palm of his hands with every move and each song.

There were no flashy screens, extravagant light shows, or pyrotechnics needed. Just a man with a guitar and a microphone, making his way around the stage so each side of the arena could get a glimpse of him as he sang his stories. It is what makes George Strait so unique in comparison to most artists, you don't need the "show" of a concert; instead, you just want to hear and see the man who has fifty-nine #1 hits do what God intended him to do.

The crowd cheered just by the opening notes of a few songs, such as "Amarillo By Morning", "Ocean Front Property", "Stars on the Water" and "Give It Away". Other tunes, such as "I'll Always Remember You", "Troubadour" and the final number, "The Cowboy Rides Away" brought the emotional feelings on as you could see those song's words meant as much to the man himself as it did for the crowd.

All in all, it was a concert event that I will never forget. I really hope this was not the last time I ever see George Strait live, but with the announcement of his retirement from touring it seems inevitable. But if it was, it was a display of perfection by the King of Country Music, complete with true class all the way... but would anyone expect anything else as the Cowboy Rides Away.

SETLIST:

Here For a Good Time
Ocean Front Property
Check Yes or No
I Saw God Today
Drinkin' Man
A Showman's Life
Love's Gonna Make It Alright
Arkansas Dave
Jackson (Johnny Cash & June Cover, sung with Martina McBride)
Golden Ring (George Jones & Tammy Wynette Cover, sung with Martina McBride)
Happy Birthday (sung for his wife)
Blame It On Mexico
Her Goodbye Hit Me In the Heart
80 Proof Bottle of Tear-Stopper
Honky-Tonk Crazy
Marina Del Rey
A Fire I Can't Put Out
The King of Broken Hearts
Where the Sidewalk Ends
The Chair
River of Love
How Bout Them Cowgirls
Stars on the Water
Give It Away
Amarillo By Morning
Give It All We Got Tonight
I'll Always Remember You
Troubadour
Unwound
Same Kind of Crazy (ENCORE)
All My Ex's Live In Texas (ENCORE)
Folosm Prison Blues (Johnny Cash Cover) (ENCORE)
The Cowboy Rides Away (ENCORE)

VIDEO:

"I'll Always Remember You"

My Vegas Weekend with Tim McGraw & Faith Hill: Soul 2 Soul

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:27:00 +0000

Soul 2 Soul
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
Venetian Theater, Las Vegas, NV
February 15 and 16, 2013

If you ever doubted the power that country couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill has, all thoughts would be erased if you spent any time at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. Tim and Faith's images are displayed on huge billboards, advertisements, and slot machines all over the hotel and casino. Even the elevators play a commercial with snippets of their songs continuously on repeat. All of the advertising for the "two icons, ten weekends" paid off as I was treated to two sold out shows at the intimate Venetian Theater. I saw the early show on Friday, February 15th (8:00 p.m.) and the late show on Saturday, February 16th (10:30 p.m.) as they performed two shows each night.

The Venetian Theater is covered with roman statutes, red and gold drapery, candles and chandeliers. The stage is quite small and was illuminated with blue lights and silver bars. The Waylon Jennings classic "Are you sure Hank Done It This Way" blasted over the speakers right before the lights went low and Tim and Faith's silhouettes appeared on a large screen on stage and the two shared in singing "Like I Never Loved At All". However, to everyone's surprise, when the shade dropped, the two were not on stage, but walking in from the back of the theater down the aisles on both sides. Faith sang the appropriate "Hey Baby Let's Go to Vegas" and both shook hands and took pictures with fans as they made their way down the aisle to the stage.

As they got on stage, Tim ripped into the megahit, "Something Like That" as Faith danced around her husband, full of smiles. It thrilled the crowd to see the two interact on stage with true affection. Thee setup of the show was class all the way. The backdrop for each of the songs were detailed with intricate moving shapes and an impressive light show. Tim and Faith combined their respective band members for a megaband that added an impressive backing of instruments and vocals.

Each night was essentially the same, despite some of the banter and their wardrobe. At one point, halfway through the show, the two sat at chairs and spoke directly to the crowd. The first night, the two were absolutely hysterical. They joked about orthodontists, twitter, the Grammy's, and Duck Dynasty. Faith told the crowd how she wants to be like Beyonce to which Tim responded with "Oh, Beyonce and Jay-Z ain't got nothing on us".

They also spoke about their music influences. Faith said her first ever show was Elvis, when she was eight years old. To which Tim responded with "yeah, he was fat". She also said she loved Tammy Wynettte, George Strait, Reba and Aretha Franklin.

Tim said he grew up on Merle Haggard and George Jones, but when he got older he got into Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, and Rush. However, he said the band that made him want to make his own music was the Eagles. Tim sang two Eagles songs after Faith sang a bit of Tammy Wynette. He playfully said, "that sounded good, what you got Faith?" She responded by singing a bombastic Aretha Franklin song and he said "oh well, this is where I get my ass kicked".

The show's setlist was set up similarly to Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne Tour (see http://millertimemusicspot.blogspot.com/2011/11/watch-throne-madison-square-garden.html) in that the couple performed songs separately mixed in with duets. The crowd responded with a plethera of cheers and screams during their most intimate songs. "Like I Never Loved at All" and "It's Your Love" were performed with passion. They embraced each other with hugs and kisses after many of the songs and the audience could see the true admiration the two have for each other.

One glaring omission from the setlist was "Let's Make Love". Instead, they opted to sing "Like I Never Loved At All" twice. Despite that one exclusion, the rest of the choices were perfect. I had previously seen Tim live a half dozen or so times, but this was the first time I'd ever seen Faith. She really surpassed my expectations and his voice was impeccable and she moved around the stage with true grace and class. A stand-out moment was her performance of "Cry" which she appeared in front of green lights and a four illuminated circles that moved dramatically around the stage (see video below).

Tim performed an astounding version of "Live Like You Were Drying" that brought people to tears before the Encore. As the lights went dim, two chairs facing each other, with a single microphone rose from beneath the stage. Faith walked in from the left and Tim from the right and sat down grasping each other. They performed a beautiful rendition of "I Need You", all while looking into each other's eyes. At song's end, they kissed, hugged, stood up and bowed. They the walked off the stage and up the aisle to the exit, hand-in-hand. You could not help getting goosebumps watching the two mega-stars perform to perfection, all the while showing style and elegance. But, most of all, they displayed true love for each other.

SETLIST:

Like I Never Loved At All (Snippet)
Hey Baby Let's Go To Vegas
Something Like That
This Kiss
Real Good Man
Let Me Let Go
It's Your Love
Cowboy In Me
One of Those Nights
Cry
Like We Never Loved At All
Time (Tammy Wynette Cover)
Can't Tell You Why (Eagles Cover)
Life In The Fast Lane (Eagles Cover)
Dr. Feelgood (Aretha Franklin Cover)
Breathe
American Heart
Felt Good On My Lips
Take Another Piece of My Heart
Live Like I Was Dying
I Need You (Encore)

VIDEOS:

Like I Never Loved At All

It's Your Love

I Need You

Cry

Felt Good On My Lips

A Conversation with John Driskell Hopkins of the Zac Brown Band

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:07:00 +0000

A Conversation with John Driskell Hopkins of the Zac Brown Band

I had the privilege of speaking with John Driskell Hopkins the day before he won a Grammy Award with Zac Brown Band for best country album of the year. Hopkins released a side project with the bluegrass band, Balsam Range, and spoke to me about working with both bands.

You can see my review for "Daylight" at: http://millertimemusicspot.blogspot.com/2013/02/john-driskell-hopkins-and-balsam-range.html as well as my review for Zac Brown Band's Grammy Award winnning "Uncaged" at: http://millertimemusicspot.blogspot.com/2013/02/john-driskell-hopkins-and-balsam-range.html.

Below is my conversation with Hopkins:

Q: How did you get together with Balsam Range?

A: Well, I am a fan. I listen to them on radio and I listen to a lot of Bluegrass radio where ever I go. Whenever I need my fix, I have my collection with me because I love Bluegrass music. They (Balsam Range) are on the radio, they have four albums plus had song of the year back on their last record. These guys are amazing, not only are they accomplished in the genre, but when you listen to them you realize there is something different about these guys. Their song choices are very heartfelt and they've got a more modern feel but they way they get after music is very traditional at the same time. They are just amazing and there is something different about Balsam Range that sets them apart to me. I found their website and e-mailed them asking if they were interested in making the record.

Q: How long did you all work on the record together?

A: It was in the middle of 2011 that we met and got together. Over the next year we played some gigs together and talked about how we would pursue the record. Of course I was a bit busy with you fans, but eight months later in February of 2012 we got in the studio. We made the record back in North Carolina and finished it all over the southeast in Florida, and over here at my house and mixed it in Nashville. We got done in August and the hard release was in October for our shows. We then did a radio release in January.

Q: The one thing that stood out to me was your style on DJ and Shady Bald Breakdown. How do you describe that style?

A: It something I learned from my early college days from some artists you have heard over the years, as well as in historical jazz music. It is singing without words, freestyling. It is like solo'ing, really. My instrumental chops are strongest in my throat. I've always tried to embrace that.

Q: I have seen you do everything from "Baby Got Back" to "Enter the Sandman" at live shows. Is there any type of genre you won't try?

A: No! With us there are no rules.

Q: What type of music to you grow up listening to? What would you say your roots are in?

A: Well I have always listened to pop radio and have been affected by country in my decisioning. We also grew up on Church music and spent a lot of time in the mountains. We were exposed to lots of different styles. And radio became a big part of my musical experience. I loved Journey and big vocal harmonies like that. When I got older I got into U2 and R.E.M. and later Pearl Jam, as well as Marty Robbins. I love rich sounding artists. It's been a long list of artists. I've been attracted to good music, no matter what it is. I never went country and stayed country, or went rock and stayed rock.

Q: I guess that why you and Zac blend so well. As in your last ZBB album you had Island Song and Overnight, two non-traditional country songs.

A: All of us in that band are alike in that respect. We all appreciate and write different styles and want to play different styles. Bluegrass to me is a wonderful marriage of country and folk and I've always been an acoustic guitar player. Then I learned the bass guitar and that's what I mainly play in the Zac Brown Band and I think that was a good choice for me which fits great.

Q: How many instruments can you play?

A: Well, I can play a few. I am proficient on the bass and that's it. My guitar playing is decent. I'm learning how to play the banjo. I love them all. I know a few chords on the madolin. As far as when I sit down to sing a song with the intrument, yeah, give me a few minutes and I can put it together. It's just what musicians do. As far as the guys in Balsam Range, they are far more proficient on their instruments than I. But as my dad always said, surround yourself with people that are better than you and that is a way of proving yourself.

Q: The banjo player, Marc Pruett, really stands out on the album.

A: The world famous, Grammy Award winning, Marc Pruett. He is the real deal and all the guys in Balsam Range are like that. Being able to hang with them has been a real joy for me.

Q: They are playing the Opry next month, correct?

A: Yes, we are. I will be with them.

Q: Any chance you can tell me what songs you will be playing at the Opry?

A: Well, I am pretty sure we will sing "I Will Lay Me Down". Not sure about the other as we were given two songs. It will either be "She Don't Love Me Today" or "Runaway Train", just not sure yet. "I Will Lay Me Down" is our strongest tune and we want to play that for sure. The other choices are will we knock it off the rails or take it straight down the pike. Either choice is going to be great for me, but I haven't decided yet.

Q: Any chance we see Balsam Range on the road with ZBB in the future?

A: I'd love to. Whenever they are around I'd love to have them in. It puts a lot of us on stage together but its cool with me and cool with Zac. We had a good time with them all the other night. But with schedules it is hard coordinate. It's quite the commitment and I have to be sensitive to them.

Q: We would love to have you in the greater New York City/Tri-State area. When I saw you with ZBB at Madison Square Garden the atmosphere was electric. What were your feelings that night?

A: That was a big night for us. Getting to play Madison Square Garden is maybe the biggest venue ever. You know, its like the golden ring. I'd love to bring Balsam Range up there with us at some point.

Q: I saw you guys will be at the Grammy Awards this weekend and you are nominated.

A: Yes and Zac will be on stage doing a Levon Helm tribute with some other artists. Whatever you have read is as much as I know there.

Q: Thank you for your time and continued success with all your music projects.

A: Thanks man, and I hope this album will be well received for a long time.

John Driskell Hopkins and Balsam Range - "Daylight": Track by Track Dissection (plus an interview with John Driskell Hopkins)

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:27:00 +0000

Track by Track Dissection
John Driskell Hopkins and Balsam Range - "Daylight"

John Driskell Hopkins, founding member of the Grammy Award Winning Zac Brown Band, got together with Bluegrass specialists, Balsam Range to create "Daylight". It is mainly a bluegrass album which incorporates shades of country, folk, rock, and roots music. Balsam Range, an award winning band in their own right, consists of Caleb Smith, Marc Pruett, Buddy Melton, Tim Surrett, and Darren Nicholson.

I found the album to be a beautiful listening experience with unique blends of harmony and a display of true skillmanship, intrumentally. What follows is a track by track review of what I heard and felt when listening to each of the songs. I was also able to speak with John over the phone about this project and our conversation is listed after the review. I urge all with able ears to get a copy of Daylight. The exceptional vocal abilities of John really shine as his deep, profound voice pump passion to each and every track.

1. Runaway Train (Featuring Jerry Douglas)

The album starts out with John's voice mimicking a train and some simple guitar picking. What follows is bombastic first song which takes listeners inside the mind of man who seems to be completely out of control in his life. "Runaway Train" is a rollicking ride of emotions sung with passion and, at times, controlled anger. Musically, the guitars use a bit of slap throughout which add to the dramatic tone of the song.

2. I Will Lay Me Down (Featuring Zac Brown)

This, as a big Zac Brown Band fan, was a true highlight. The melody of the track is absolutely beautiful with all instruments connecting, tied together with a skilled rift. John sings of not having a problem passing away happy, as long as he has lived a complete life. Zac Brown adds his star vocals, harmonizing with John, as well as a solo verse. The storyline, the instruments, and the harmonizes produce a masterfully executed track. It was also refreshing to see two members of the Grammy Award Winning Zac Brown Band step outside of their normal country music setting and take on a true Bluegrass song.

3. Daylight (Featuring Tony Trischka)

The title track takes on a more country vibe as it has a charming feel to a simple love song. John sings about a man who knows he must find a way to see through all of life's problems to see how to truly find love. The guitar work on the song really shines with several competing rifts and melodies meshed together to produce a beautiful tune.

4. Nothing

The banjo is the star of this song as my ear constantly heard the instrument stand out above all others. The song seems to be about a man who is very relieved that his woman has broken up with him. What starts off somewhat solemn becomes a happy tune of a thankful man. While the banjo is prominent, you can hear the immense skill of Balsam Range as all instruments again combine to a comforting combination.

5. Bye Baby Goodbye (Featuring Joey + Rory)

John's vocals are never better on the album as he is able to show how he can impressively hit both low and high octaves. Country duo, Joey + Rory, add their skills to the song as a guest feature. Joey and John trade bars within the song and, at times, harmonize together, singing words of a mutual break-up. The song is more about the vocals than the instruments, which is rare on the "Daylight" album, yet effective nonetheless.

6. She Don't Love Me Today

A light-hearted and humorous tune which has a fast tempo throughout. The song's basic message is how a man and woman can love each other unconditionally, but, at times, can be at each other's throats. John sings of how much he loves his woman, but how has done something stupid and is paying for it at home. The banjo, played by Marc Pruett, is again very prominent throughout this witty song.

7. Be My Girl

A slow, soulful song which is more country than Bluegrass. John's delivery really makes the track work, specifically how he holds the last note of "girl" in the chorus. It's a beautiful set up where a man is describing what he has envisioned if she would agree to be with him. The Band uses complex and extremely skilled sheet-music throughout this entire album, yet they keep it relatively simple on this track, and it worked perfectly.

8. The Devil Lives in a Mason Jar

This is another track where John and the boys get to flex their muscles and sing with ripe passion. As the song plays it builds with a sense of anger and mystery. The message of the song of how, when this man drinks alcohol, he becomes a different, more devilish person. John has a unique way of sounding possessed when he wants to and this song showcases that.

9. How Could I? (Featuring Levi Lowrey)

This song takes more of a folk song than any other. Levi Lowrey is a song-writer who seems to create songs with a dark and poignsnt feel to them. The man in the song is disgusted with himself for taking certain things for granted. The harmonization of Levi with John was simple, yet effective.

10. It's Not Ok

This is a remake of the song off of the Triple Platinum Zac Brown Band album "The Foundation". Daylight's version is much more bluegrassy and a fresh take on a fan favorite song. I have seen John take lead vocals on this tune various times at a ZBB show. I found it entertaining that Balsam Range took it upon themselves to pay homage to the original while putting their own stamp on it. Pruett's banjo is the biggest difference between the original and this version.

11. The Grass Don't Get No Greener

This track had me on my toes at all times. It starts off with an almost show-tune type of feel, but John comes in with some thunderous vocals, followed with various other members of Balsam Range singing for the first time all album. The tempo is unbelievably fast at some points, and slow and controlled at others. Quite the musical kitchen sink.

12. DJ

This is a song I can play over and over again. The voice freestyling displayed by John is so unique in today's music. The voice modulations mirrored the instruments as the band frolics through the song with mastery. I dare you to listen to this song and not have phrase "diggity-da-boom" running through your head the rest of the day.

13. Shady Bald Breakdown

An instrumental track (besides some freestyling by John towards the end) which shows how immensly talented Caleb Smith, Marc Pruett, Buddy Melton, Tim Surrett, Darren Nicholson, and John Driskell Hopkins are. Fast paced, intense, and exquisite are all terms that came to my mind while listening to this song. It is a perfect ending to superb album, as no words are needed to depict the mastery behind this collaborative project.

A MTS EXCLUSIVE

*A Conversation with John Driskell Hopkins*

Q: How did you get together with Balsam Range?

Q: How long did you all work on the record together?

Q: The one thing that stood out to me was your style on DJ and Shady Bald Breakdown. How do you describe that style?

Q: I have seen you do everything from "Baby Got Back" to "Enter the Sandman" at live shows. Is there any type of genre you won't try?

A: No! With us there are no rules.

Q: What type of music to you grow up listening to? What would you say your roots are in?

Q: I guess that why you and Zac blend so well. As in your last ZBB album you had Island Song and Overnight, two non-traditional country songs.

Q: How many instruments can you play?

Q: The banjo player, Marc Pruett, really stands out on the album.

A: The world famous, Grammy Award winning, Marc Pruett. He is the real deal and all the guys in Balsam Range are like that. Being able to hang with them has been a real joy for me.

Q: They are playing the Opry next month, correct?

A: Yes, we are. I will be with them.

Q: Any chance you can tell me what songs you will be playing at the Opry?

Q: Any chance we see Balsam Range on the road with ZBB in the future?

Q: We would love to have you in the greater New York City/Tri-State area. When I saw you with ZBB at Madison Square Garden the atmosphere was electric. What were your feelings that night?

Q: I saw you guys will be at the Grammy Awards this weekend and you are nominated.

A: Yes and Zac will be on stage doing a Levon Helm tribute with some other artists. Whatever you have read is as much as I know there.

Q: Thank you for your time and continued success with all your music projects.

A: Thanks man, and I hope this album will be well received for a long time.

Tim McGraw - Two Lanes of Freedom : Track by Track Dissection

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:32:00 +0000

Track by Track Dissection
Tim McGraw's "Two Lanes of Freedom"

Country Music Megastar Tim McGraw released his first album, "Two Lanes of Freedom" on February 5, 2013, via his new label, Big Machine Label Group. The album clearly displays that the chains of his past have been unlocked and his musical persona has been released. The album is solid from start to finish with flashes of brilliance that brings us back to his past country music dominance. This project is easily his best effort since 2007's "Let It Go". Below, I give my first person dissection of each track on the Deluxe album. I am excited to see McGraw perform with his wife at the Venetian in Las Vegas (which I will be reviewing next week) as well as on his own headlining tour this summer.

1. Two Lanes of Freedom

The first song of the album is the title cut and it is vintage Tim McGraw. The song starts off soft and soulful, but, at forty-five seconds, the drums kick in and his voice soars for the rest of the track. It is a simple song lyrically, telling a story of a man freely driving around back roads with his woman by his side. However, the chords in the song showcase Tim's voice perfectly as he reaches impressive high and low notes with ease. I could pinpoint five tracks on the album that would do extremely well at country radio if they were released as singles and this is certainly one of them. I envision him kicking off his summer concerts with "Two Lanes of Freedom" as the first song of his setlist. He performs this song with the soulful dramatics that long-time Tim McGraw fans have come to love.

2. One Of Those Nights

Currently sitting in the Top 5 on Mediabase, "One of Those Nights" creates an atmosphere of sheer happiness through the themes of love and parties. The track excels with the way McGraw uses tempo to his advantage. The chorus is slower, but the verses display a rapid word-play which, at times, boarders a rapping style. The song is sexy and fun, perfect for the anticipation of an early Friday night when you are hoping for a great night. I expect this single to reach number 1 before February leaves us.

3. Friend of A Friend

Every good country album needs a heartbreak song and "Friend of a Friend" is Tim's take on one. The song is about a man who is trying to give off the impression to his ex that he does not care, although he knows everything about her. To me, the man is a boarder-line stalker, justifying to himself why he knows everything about the woman who clearly left him a long time ago. Musically, the song flows with Tim's voice rollicking up and down throughout.

4. Southern Girl

Another sexy song, showcasing Tim's twang and fun side. It has catchy lyrics talking about what men love most about Southern Girls. This is another song that I feel would do well on country radio. The song does some fun things with the equalizer at the end of the chorus that makes the song very appealable. It is not a deep song by any means, but has a pop-country feel to it without selling out on the Tim McGraw brand.

5. Truck Yeah

This song was released as a single on July 3, 2013 and became Tim's highest solo chart debut at #22 on the Country Billboard Charts. It went on to peak at #10. As a radio cut, I could never buy into this song. It seemed like a sloppy and stupid topic making all most no sense to me at all. However, when I saw him perform it live on the Brothers of the Sun Tour with Kenny Chesney, I saw it for what is was, a fun song, especially when played live and loud. Certainly not the song with the most quality, but it obviously had some appeal to the larger masses.

6. Nashville Without You

This, for me, is one of the best songs on the album. While I don't think it will necessarily be a single, it has a beautiful tune combined with hidden dedications galore. Not only does he pay homage to the City of Nashville and its fans, but he really thanks all of the artists who have come before him. With clear compliments to Willie Nelson ("hey blue eyes, crying in the rain"), Johnny Cash ("hey fire, burning round the ring"), Dwight Yoakam ("no long white Cadillac"), Hank Williams Jr. ("no country boy can survive") and the list goes on. I would love him to release this as a single, but it may not have enough commercial appeal as some of the others. Either way, it is a real standout song to me with a unique way of dedicating a song to a number of country legends.

7. Book Of John

A song about a book found in the attic of a family's house of memories. It has a feeling of nostalgia throughout as the family recounts all the memories that go along with the pictures described in the song. At the end of the song, you learn that photo book was made by their deceased father. It is one of those songs that make country music great, a song which can tug at your heart while painting a descriptive picture in your mind as it is sung.

8. Annie I Owe You A Dance

A song about a regretful father, who is looking back at so many of the major moments in his daughter's life that he missed. Tim delivers the song with sadness in his voice, probably because he is so involved in his daughters' lives that he cannot believe anyone would live a life like that. It is not clear if the father really gets a second chance in the song or not, be he clearly knows he does not deserve it.

9. Mexicoma

Simply put, a clear radio hit. Tim sings a song about his alcohol-induced reaction to a break-up that just occurred. The man has no idea where he is, but he knows it is somewhere near Mexico, or Oklahoma. With catchy lyrics such as "the sun still shines on a fool like me" and "I'm sitting here stoned at Tortilla Jones, where nobody knows my name and that's okay by me", the song has a playful tone about a man who is obviously attempting to justify the binge he just went on post break-up. Trumpets and even a hint of an accordion play in the background giving it a unique sound very different from the usual fiddle or steel guitar.

10. Number 37045

A song about an inmate who used to be the life of the party, but killed someone while he drove drunk. He now lives his life wondering what is happening outside his jail cell. The lyrics paint a picture of how solemn his life has become because he is so regretful of what he did. All he has to hang on to are the sounds of birds or a church bell in the distance. It is one of the few songs that show an inmate in a sympathetic and apologitic state.

11. It's Your World

This is a song that will get every woman who listens to it excited. It is a man's honest acceptance that he is willing to do everything and anything to keep his woman and "it's your world baby, I'm just living in it". Another fast tempo, fun song that has commercial appeal to it.

12. Tinted Windows

Another song about past memories. This one remembers a girl he had when he had his first car, which, you guessed it, had tinted windows. Tim's band, the Dancehall Doctors, get to shine on this one as there are various spots of solo instrumentals and collaborative dramatic jam outs. Not much to it lyrically, but the song is pleasing to the ear as the Band really nails it. The piano stands out during the verses and the guitars scream on the chorus.

13. Highway Don't Care (featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban)

This song will go Platinum, mark my words. Not only does it have lyrics from Tim and teen-sensation Taylor Swift, but it includes some electric guitar solos from the highly talented Keith Urban. I was afraid this song would be too poppy, but I was pleasantly surprised when I heard it. It is perfectly executed as Tim and Taylor engage each other in a manor where one (Tim) describes a woman's actions while she is driving and the other (Taylor) sings what that woman hears on the radio. It starts slow and picks up continuously throughout this masterpiece. Urban's skills, which are arguably the best in country music, get a few solos where he makes his presence very well known. In the end, its a song about how a woman, who just went through a break-up, takes to the Highway to try to drive away her tears, but knows it won't help, only love will. The back and forth interplay of Tim and Taylor really makes what this song what it is. Instead of the standard single verse feature that most songs stick to, the three stars are interacting at the same time. The result is excellence.

14. Let Me Love It Out of You

A bluesy love song where the man is pleading with his woman to stop fighting and just let him love her. A simple guitar and piano play alongside while Tim puts forth a very convincing delivery of reasons why they should stop fighting. The song is included on the deluxe version of the album, but is just as good as any of the other tracks. The electric guitar really speaks as an additional voice as it screams and begs with a sense of sexyness.

15. Truck Yeah (Live)

This is just an added bonus thrown in for the fans who like this song. Enjoy this live performance video of the song:

Remembering Lance Tilton, The Inspiration Behind Zac Brown Band's Lance's Song

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:51:00 +0000

In a time where mainstream music seems to rule the airwaves, it is hard to find musicians who stay true to themselves. The Zac Brown Band are one of the few music acts who do just that, but have found commercial success along with their honest approach. And through their incredible talent and beautiful songwriting, fans were introduced to a song entitled "Lance's Song" off their latest album, "Uncaged". I had written a review, back in July of 2012, on this blog about that album (see http://millertimemusicspot.blogspot.com/2012/07/zac-brown-band-uncaged-track-by-track.html) in which I discussed each track individually. In my post, I had written:

9. Lance's Song

I need to learn the real meaning behind this song, but it is clearly dedicated to a musician who has passed away. The lyrics tell a story about a man who obviously lived his life engulfed in music, but apparently was not given the credit and respect he deserved until he passed away. Zac sings, with love and pain in his voice: "But they don't know what they got, until its gone, like it or not. You live on life, you try to do what's right, we're all here a-waiting for our silver invitation to the big band in the sky". It is a beautiful dedication to someone the ZBB obviously admired.

After seeing my blog, Troy Tilton, the brother of Lance Tilton, and the subject of ZBB's "Lance's Song", reached out to me. Troy has truly done a service to his brother's memory as he has discussed many facets of his life, music career, and tragic passing. With Troy's permission, I have created this article so that Zac Brown Band fans and the entire music world can discover who Lance Tilton was and the true story behind the lyrics in Lance's Song.

Troy explained to me that his brother, Lance, was a self taught drummer who started playing drums when he was about six years old. Lance was well known, in the Atlanta, Georgia area, as a skilled drummer who sat in with numerous bands in countless live sets. Lance's relationship to Zac Brown and the ZBB was through his friendship with fiddler, Jimmy De Martini. Before Jimmy had joined ZBB, he was in a tribute band with Lance called Dave Mathews Cover Band better known as DMCB. When DMCB broke up, Jimmy began playing in ZBB and Lance formed a band called Jade Hollow with the former bass player of DMCB, Jon Morrison. Lance free-lanced for several Atlanta based bands and, at one point, was a temporary fill-in drummer for some of the shows that Zac played.

In speaking with Troy and reading various other website's articles in which have discussed "Lance's Song", it is evident that no one has taken the time to really learn about Lance or the true meaning behind the lyrics that Zac and Nic wrote. In an effort to clarify the song and help fans understand what the true story is, Troy has stated to me, "I believe what gives Lance's Song an air of mystery is that the lyrics never really explain the circumstances around Lances death. Lance and Jon Morrison, on Cinco De Mayo (in) 2010, accepted a small gig in Chattanooga, Tennessee. After the show, around 2:00 a.m., Lance and John decided to drive back to Atlanta (approximately a two hour drive). While driving through Dalton, Georgia, Lance fell asleep behind the wheel, drove off the road and into a tree, instantly killing Lance and seriously injuring Jon.

At one point in the song, Zac sings:

"Rollin down the windows
Trying hard to fight the sleep
Money's never much for a band in Tennessee
Another night of playing
To a crowd with no ears
Wanna hear the songs they know
And fill their bellies full of beer"

Troy interpreted those lyrics for me: "the gig John and Lance played in Chattanooga was small and didn't pay much (money). It didn't make sense to them to pay for a hotel that night and that is why they decided to drive home."

As you can see from the picture above, Lance is playing the drums with Zac Brown and Jimmy De Martini. "Lances Song" was co-written by Zac Brown and Nic Cowan, a musician on Zac's Label, "Southern Ground". Occasionaly, Lance played drums in Nic Cowan's band at local shows. The photos you see on this post are found on Lance's webpage (http://us.myspace.com/lanceondrums/photos), including those with Zac, the Band, Willie Nelson and numerous other artists.

From listening to "Lance's Song" countless times, researching who Lance Tilton was, and my conversations with his brother Troy, it truly is apparent that Lance lived his life engulfed in music, with honesty in his craft. He had played the drums with a plethora of talent in his life and inspired one of the great bands in music today to create a beautiful dedication to him. I hope this article finally allows the truth about the song to come to the forefront and allows people to discover who Zac got his inspiration from.

LYRICS TO "Lance's Song"

Doing what you love has a high price to pay
Some put on a suit, but he ran the other way
Drums drown out the yuppies
And the one's who couldn't dream
Cause the freedom music gave him was worth more than anything

They don't know
What they got
Until it's gone
Like it or not
You live on love
You try to do what's right
We're all here waiting for our silver invitation
To our big band in the sky

Rollin down the windows
Trying hard to fight the sleep
Money's never much for a band in Tennessee
Another night of plain'
To a crowd with no ears
Wanna hear the songs they know
And fill their bellies full of beer

But they don't know
What they got
Until it's gone
Like it or not
You live on love
You try to do what's right
We're all here waiting for our silver invitation
To our big band in the sky

And when he closed his eyes
Fell into a dream that never dies
And when the thunder comes
You can hear his kick drum in the sky
Feel the rain
Fall from our eyes

Cause we don't know
What we got
Until it's gone
Like it or not
You live on love
You try to do what's right
For him there's no more waiting
Got his silver invitation
To do a little playing
For the big band in the sky

ZBB Live Video Performance of "Lance Song"

Zac Brown Band's Bucket List Moment at Madison Square Garden

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 18:48:00 +0000

Zac Brown Band

Madison Square Garden

November 17, 2012

w/ Blackberry Smoke & Levi Lowrey

There are not many venues in the World that bring about an immediate sense of excitement. Madison Square Garden is absolutely one of them. On November 17, 2012, the Zac Brown Band displayed an amplified version of themselves as their performance was one of passion, talent, and excellence. I can honestly say it was the best country music concert I have ever seen.

After short sets from Blackberry Smoke and Levi Lowrey, two acts that Zac has signed to his Southern Ground Record label, the crowd's energy began to grow each second. The headliners were streamed live on Fuse TV and HD Camera's were out in full force. As the giant white screen that covered the stage displayed a ten second countdown, the screams, clapping, and cheering from the hyped up crowd was at a defeaning level. The white sheet dropped and the Band ripped right into their #1 hit "Keep Me in Mind".

The setlist was perfectly planned out, with a rollercoaster feel of fast, upbeat songs to emotional ballads and masterful covers of epic songs. A few songs in, during "Colder Weather", Zac took off by himself to the middle of the catwalk and looked up at the crowd and around the sold out arena as he sang the powerful lyrics. It was clear to all that Zac could not hold back his emotion as tears began to roll from down his eyes. It was a powerful moment for a fan like me and it was clear that Zac understood the moment.

Most of the Band's hits were played that night as "Toes", "Free", "The Wind" and "Kneep Deep" were instant sing-a-longs. There were songs where each Band Member showcased their jam-band skills. "Who Knows" became a fifteen minute jam out and "Uncaged" was an all out Southern Rock Jam. Zac indicated that he needed to make a new Bucket List because headlining the Garden was at the top of his current list.

There was even an acoustic set where the Band sat on crates and barrels at the front of the catwalk as they played a new song called "One Day"' and covered "All Apologies" by Nirvana and "Sweet Emotion" by Aerosmith. Combine that set with the cover of Metallica's "Enter the Sandman" during the bombastic encore and I challenge you to find me another band, be it in country music or any other genre, with the range to be able to pull off each of those classics without a flaw.

At one point, Zac's father surprised him on stage during "Highway 20 Ride" as they shared an emotional hug. There was a drum off between Chris Fryar and Daniel De Los Reyes. Jimmy D'Martini ripped out fiddle solos that had people shaking their heads in amazement. Clay Cook took over vocals on "Can't You See"' and took over the catwalk on several amazing electric guitar rifts with the charisma that only he contains. Coy Bowles and John Hopkins switched instruments from guitars, Cellos, mandolins, to steel guitars. There was not a second where each Band member wasn't a key part of the act, each equipped with immense skill and musical talent.

Of course the night ended with the biggest hit of the Band's career thus far, "Chicken Fried". The entire crowd exploded as the Band played the megahit with grace, passion and pride. The crowd danced and sang with sheer happiness. Zac and the Band took a bow and thanked the crowd. After the two plus hour set, I found myself more satisfied with a live concert performance than ever before.

I saw ZBB for the first time, in February 2009, when they were a relatively unknown Band playing the small Bowery Ballroom in NYC. I was there a year later when they upgraded to Terminal 5, a ballroom sized venue in the City. Last summer, I was there at Metlife Stadium when they served as the opening act on Kenny Chesney's Stadium tour. But Zac understood this moment, he understood what it meant to headline at Madison Square Garden. During "Colder Weather" he showed the emotion and the entire Band responded with an epic performance sure to be talked about for years to come. I'm sure everyone hopes they return to the Garden year after year. I just don't know how another show can ever compare to his one. #ZBBMSG lived up to the hype and much more.

SETLIST:

Keep Me In Mind
As She's Walking Away
Uncaged
The Wind
Colder Weather
Natural Disaster
Toes
Goodbye In Her Eyes
Who Knows
The Problem with Freedom (w/ Levi Lowrey)
All Apologies (Nirvana Cover)
One Day
Sweet Emotion (Aerosmith Cover)
Fiddle Intro into Free
Free
Into the Mystic (Van Morrison Cover)
Whiskey's Gone
Can't You See (Marshall Tucker Band Cover with Blackberry Smoke)
Knee Deep
Highway 20 Ride
Devil Went Down To Georgia (Charlie Daniels Band Cover)
Percussion/Drum Solo (with Massif)
Jump Right In (Encore)
Enter the Sandman (Encore - Metallica Cover)
America The Beautiful (Encore)
Chicken Fried (Encore)

Part I: City Goes Country: Food, Fashion & Fun with the Zac Brown Band

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 17:01:00 +0000

City Goes Country: Food, Fashion & Fun with the Zac Brown Band

Part I of my joint article with Momalamode can be found on her site:

http://momalamode.net/2012/11/11/city-goes-country-food-fashion-fun-with-the-zac-brown-band/

The Blake Shelton & Friends Cruise - A Review in Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:08:00 +0000

The Blake Shelton & Friends Cruise aboard the Norwegian Cruise
Featuring: Blake Shelton, Trace Adkins,
Lee Brice Neal McCoy, Easton Corbin,
Randy Houser, Jerrod Niemann, Jana Kramer,
Chuck Wicks, Willa Ford, Tyler Farr, Rae Lynn,
Chris Cavanaugh, Brett Eldredge, Frankie Ballard,
JJ Lawhorn, McKenna Faith, Brinley Addington,
Logan Mize, HER and Kings County, Joanna Smith,
Maggie Rose, Clayton Anderson, Brandon and Leah, and Nik and Sam

Destinations:
1) Miami, Florida
2) San Juan, Puerto Rico
3) St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
4) Tortolla
5) Nassau, Bahamas

Day 1: Miami

Blake Shelton Welcolmes the Crowd

Neal McCoy Performs Poolside during the Sail Away Paty

Hung out with JJ Lawhorn & Chuck Wicks

Blake Shelton Performs in the Arena

Spoke with Frankie Ballard & Chris Cavanaugh, two future stars

DAY 2: At Sea

Q&A with Blake Shelton poolside

Frankie Ballard Show by the pool

JJ Lawhorn show at the Spinnaker Lounge

Met Blake Shelton

Randy Houser Show in the Arena

Chris Cavanaugh performed in the Atrium

DAY 3: PUERTO RICO

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Home to the 1st ever Pina Colada

Neal McCoy at the Arena

Neal McCoy and Brett Eldredge

Brett Eldredge

Lee Brice

Tyler Farr

DAY 4: St. Thomas

Jerrod Niemann at the Arena

Tyler Farr withh Jerrod Nieman and Lee Brice at the Atrium

DAY 5: Tortolla and Joste Van Dyke Bay

The famous Soggy Dollar Bar

Brett Eldredge Poolside Concert

Lee Brice at the Arena (Best Concert/Performance of the trip)

Lee brought out Randy Houser, Tyler Farr & Jerrod Niemann for the encore

Chuck Wicks & Chris Cavanaugh in the Lobby Bar

Willa Ford at the Atrium

Tyler Farr at the bar

DAY 6: At Sea

Artist Q&A

Trace Adkins and Neal McCoy at the Pool

Logan Mize performs poolside

Jana Kramer performs in the Lounge

Trace Adkins meet and greet

Lee Brice meet and greet

Neal McCoy meet and greet

Easton Corbin meet and greet

Randy Houser meet and greet

Jerrod Niemann meet and greet

Trace Adkins at the Arena

Trace Adkins with Randy Houser

Chris Cavanaugh at the Atrium

Neal McCoy - Poolside under the stars

DAY 7: Atlantis, Bahamas

Jana Kramer

Tyler Farr performing in the Atrium

Hanging with Neal McCoy at the Easton Corbin show

Easton Corbin at the Arena

Partying with Willa Ford at the Bliss Nightclub

Artist jam session to finish things off

HERS and Kings County

Good friends, great times

Back to Miami

Legendary Musicians Show Their Love For Levon Helm in New Jersey

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:06:00 +0000

Love For Levon
October 3, 2012
Izod Center, NJ

Last night, where most of the world was watching the Presidential Debates or the last night of the Major League Baseball Season, a large group of legendary musicians celebrated the life and music of their friend, the late, great Levon Helm. With a fairly simple stage setup, filled to the brim with drums, guitars, fiddles, saxophones, trumpets, and more, the show kicked off with a Q104.3 radio announcer, Ken Dashow, speaking about his first encounter with Levon. The first two songs belonged to members of the Allman Brothers Band, first Warren Hayes and then along with Gregg Allman.

The first half of the show was dominated by the Midnight Ramble Band, who would play weekly shows for fans with Levon at his home in Woodstock, New York. It was very enjoyable to see each of the different artists come out and share short stories about Levon and sing one of his many songs. Things kicked into high gear when Jakob Dylan, son of Bob Dylan and the lead singer of the Wallflowers sang a rocking cover of "Ain't Got No Home". John Hiatt and Mike Gordon sang the famous "Rag Mama Rag" and the show took a short intermission.

The second half of the show was full of big names and great songs. Grace Potter sang a soulful rendition of "I Shall Be Released" as she sat at a piano. It was refreshing to see her step outside of her hard rock ways with her band the Nocturnals. John Mayer came out for one of his two songs after that with Ray LaMontagne for "Tears of Rage". John stuck to what he does best, playing an amazing electric guitar. He did not sign at all, but wow'd the crowd with his intrumental skills.

Next up was a real highlight to me as a die hard country music fan. Dierks Bentley and Eric Church took over the next twenty minutes with amazing tributes to Levon. Dierks sang two famous The Band songs and started off with the melodious "Rocking Chair". He performed it in true Dierks fashion with a clear profound country-folk sound that certainly would have made Levon proud.

Surprisingly to me, he followed it up with the famous song "Chest Fever" and brought out legendary band mates of Levon's, Jon Randall, Jessi Alexander, and the amazing Garth Hudson. The cover became a jam out, just as the original The Band version and Dierks again nailed the vocals. The crowd was on their feet during the entire song and really seemed to show their respect for Dierks' performance.

Up next was country music's newest superstar, Eric Church. Eric came out with his usual aviator sunglasses, but his performance was very scaled down in comparison to his live shows. He was very focused on giving an intimate performance as he sang two lesser known Levon Helm songs, "A Train Robbery" and "Get Up Jake". Both songs are very lyrics driven as they build a story as it goes along.

Eric commented between songs that "In a world where there is a lot of bought fame, Levon was always about the music. I learned to march to a different drummer from Helm." And then he let loose Eric Church-style on "Get Up Jake" as he pounded his chest a few times and displayed his normal live actions. The crowd gave him an overwhelming standing ovation when he finished that lasted a bit longer than any of the other artists that performed before him.

Joe Walsh of the Eagles followed with a duet with Robert Randolph. Joe Walsh was easily the most animated of all the performers that night as he let completely loose and used every inch of the stage. He performed a thunderous version of "Up On Cripple Creek".

My Morning Jacket took over the stage for a few songs. I honestly had never heard their music before and really did not know much about them, other than them being in an American Dad episode. However, they really showcased some incredible musical talent. The songs they performed became true jam-outs. And when they were joined by Roger Waters of Pink Floyd for the classic song "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" the entire Arena became a full on sing-a-long. That song became the true highlight of the night for all.

Roger Waters told a story about a red Arkansas hat that Levon had given him. Roger actually brought the hat with him on stage and said it has become his fishing hat and will be one of his prized possessions until the day he dies. Roger sang a beautiful rendition of "Wide River to Cross" and then invited the entire ensemble on stage.

At that point, all the musicians from the night stood together with three microphones and sang the classic The Band song: "The Weight".

Roger took over one microphone, Lucinda Williams another, and Dierks Bentley and Eric Church shared the third microphone. It was a touching way to end a great tribute to amazing legend. Levon surely must have been looking down and thanking all in attendance for keeping it going.

SETLIST:
1. "The Shape I'm In" - Warren Haynes
2. "Long Black Veil" - Gregg Allman and Warren Haynes
3. "Trouble in Mind" - Jorma Kaukonen and Barry Mitterhoff
4. "This Wheel's on Fire"- the Midnight Ramble Band with Larry Campbell on vocals
5. "Little Birds"- the Midnight Ramble Band with Amy Helm and Teresa Williams on vocals
6. "Listening to Levon" - Marc Cohn
7. "Move Along Train" - Mavis Staples
8. "Life is a Carnival" - Allen Toussaint and Jaimoe
9. "When I Paint My Masterpiece" - John Prine with Garth Hudson
10. "Anna Lee" - Bruce Hornsby
11. "Ain't Got No Home" - Jakob Dylan and Rami Jaffee of the Wallflowers
12. "Whispering Pines" - Lucinda Williams
13. "Rag Mama Rag" - John Hiatt, Mike Gordon
14. "Baby Don't You Do It" - David Bromberg and Joan Osborne
15. "I Shall Be Released"- Grace Potter
16. "Tears of Rage" - Ray LaMontagne with John Mayer
17. "Rockin' Chair" - Dierks Bentley
18. "Chest Fever" - Dierks Bentley, Jon Randall, Jessi Alexander, and Garth Hudson
19. "A Train Robbery" - Eric Church
20. "Get Up Jake" - Eric Church
21. "Tennessee Jed" - Larry Campbell with John Mayer
22. "Up on Cripple Creek" - Joe Walsh and Robert Randolph
23. "Ophelia" - My Morning Jacket
24. "It Makes No Difference" - My Morning Jacket
25. "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" - Roger Waters with My Morning Jacket
26. "Wide River to Cross" - Roger Waters and Amy Helm
27. "The Weight" - Entire Ensemble

Video of the Ensemble Cast performing "The Weight"

Bruce Celebrates His Birthday In the Swamps of Jersey

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 15:58:00 +0000

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
Wrecking Ball Tour
Metlife Stadium, NJ
September 22, 2012

On a very strange night in New Jersey, a sold out Stadium full of fans waited in the tunnels of Metlife Stadium for hours to celebrate Bruce Springsteen's birthday. The crowds began filing into the entrance between 6 pm and 7:30 pm. However, anyone with GA Floor Access was told they were not allowed in due to the threat of an intense lightening storm. Yes, rain was in the forecast, but the weather at that point was sunny with clear skies. The lightening never came, but there were intervals of heavy rain, but the Stadium kept all of the fans waiting until after 10:00 p.m.. There were fights, upset fans and disappointment all around. That was until the show started and Bruce simply stated "thanks for coming to my birthday party". Then all was forgotten ...

The show started rather slowly, but we were just happy to see the Band and hear Bruce's voice. A few songs in, the Jersey concert staple "Badlands" was played and that got the crowd geared up. However, Bruce slowed things down with a few more rather obscure songs. It wasn't until he played arguably the three best and most popular songs off of his newest album ("We Take Care of Our Own", "Wrecking Ball" and the bombastic "Death To My Hometown") were played that the show really kicked into drive.

From there, Bruuuuuuce had the crowd in the palm of his hands. He mentioned numerous times that it was his birthday. In fact, the Band and crowd sang Happy Birthday not once, but twice to him. During the encore, Bruce's mother was brought out on stage and a gigantic birthday cake as well. It was not the normal Springsteen show, but that is what made it memorable.

At one point, Bruce brought out Gary US Bonds, a former drummer of the band who had also done some solo work. They sang a few of his songs together and Bruce seemed quite jubilant over these collaborations. Bruce also threw in some "weather" related songs due to the strange September weather that night: "Who'll Stop the Rain" and ""Waitin' on a Sunny Day". The set closed with a awesome ten minute rendition of "Jungleland" and everyone knew the best was yet to come with the encore.

Thunder Road started the encore and Bruce let the crowd sing half the song (see video below). What followed was a nine song encore which included some of the Band's most iconic songs ("Born to Run", "Dancing in the Dark", "Glory Days" and Tenth Avenue Freeze Out"). Bruce was full of smiles and he and Stevie Van Zandt took over the big screens riling up the crowd and joking around like two school boys. It was great to see how close the two stars are after all these years.

The show ended in true E Street Band fashion, with one last Happy Birthday to Bruce, followed by a bevy of fireworks and a cover of "Twist and Shout". The Band took one final bow together, thanked the crowd and disappeared into the tunnels of Metlife Stadium. Despite the show starting three hours late, Bruce played his typical three hour and a half set. Any normal band would have shortened the set and would not have played until 1:30 in the morning. But it was Bruce Springsteen's birthday party and there was nothing normal about this particular September night.

SETLIST:

Out in the Street
The Ties That Bind
Cynthia
Badlands
Who'll Stop the Rain?
Cover Me
Downbound Train
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
Death to My Hometown
My City of Ruins
It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City
Jole Blon (with Gary US Bonds)
This Little Girl (with Gary US Bonds)
Pay Me My Money Down
Janey Don't You Lose Heart
Happy Birthday
In the Midnight Hour
Into the Fire
Because the Night
She's the One
Working on the Highway
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Meeting Across the River
Jungleland
Thunder Road (Encore)
Rocky Ground (Encore)
Born To Run (Encore)
Glory Days (Encore)
Seven Night to Rock (Encore)
Dancing in the Dark (Encore)
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (Encore)
Happy Birthday (Encore)
Twist and Shout (Encore with Fireworks)

VIDEOS:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

THUNDER ROAD

Toby Keith Proceeds to Party in Hartford, CT

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 16:03:00 +0000

Toby Keith
Live in Overdrive Tour
w/ Brantley Gilbert & Thomas Rhett
September 20, 2012
Comcast Theater - Hartford, CT

It may have been a cool Fall night in Hartford, Connecticut, but things were sure on fire inside the Comcast Theater. As a matter of fact, they were exploding at times. Country music's Big Dog Daddy, Toby Keith, brought his high octane Live in Overdrive Tour to New England with support from Brantley Gilbert and newcomer Thomas Rhett. As usual, Connecticut made this show yet another sell out for Toby and they were not disappointed one bit.

Up first was Thomas Rhett, who recently released an EP to Itunes. His sound is very new age country and his live persona was very likeable. He sang typical country tunes about drinking, love, and being from a small town. However, the standout song in his set was his newest single "Beer With Jesus". It's a very lyrics driven song about what he would say if he could spend time, and have a beer, with Jesus. I expect it will do very well at country radio and he sang the song with passion and soul.

At one point, Rhett jumped into the crowd and ran all the way to the back section with a megaphone as he sang and rapped the lyrics "Front Porch Junkies". It seemed to win over the crowd and keep them enticed to his set. Overall, I was very impressed with his set and look forward to seeing more from him.

Up next was Brantley Gilbert. He is an artist who has turned from songwriter to country music's rising star in one short year. He penned such tunes as Jason Aldean's "Dirt Road Anthem" and "My Kinda Party" before scoring his own deal. Both songs went on to be megahits for Aldean, but Brantley has started collecting number 1 songs of his own (Country Must Be Country Wide, You Don't Know Her Like I Do). However, it is his live performances that take him to the next level.

Most of Brantley's songs are loud and have a bad boy swagger. His performance matched that description and more. He stomped around the stage throwing up rock signs and flexing his muscles. He had the crowd pumping their fists right along with him. His songs like "Take It Outside" and "Kick It In the Sticks" had the energy level inside the venue up to a 10.

However, it was on "You Don't Know Her Like I Do" that Brantley seemed to be most authentic. It's a song about a confident man trying to explain his love for a woman to someone who just can't seem to understand. Brantley's live delivery made the song much more passionate and showcased the depth of his vocal talent. The rest of his set was full of energy and he certainly had the crowd in the palm of his hand. He sets out next week on his first headlining tour and I look forward to catching him again soon.

The main event was yet to come and was preceded by the annual humorous Toby Keith/Ford F-150 video clip. After the video, the shade over the stage fell and the first of many pyrotechnic exploded and out came Toby to the bombastic "American Ride". And in true Toby Keith form, the concert began with two American-themed songs (American Ride & Made In America) and ended with two American songs (American Soldier and Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue).

Toby's setlists don't change much from show to show as he likes to play his hits for the fans while adding in his newest singles. While America was a main theme of his set, so was alcohol. His last three singles are all centered around everyone's favorite liquids and the crowd sang along to "Beers Ago", "I Like Girls Who Drink Beer", and the infectious "Red Solo Cup". Before singing the latter of the drinking anthems he proclaimed it is the song that "you cannot stop, you can only hope to contain it".

While those songs are all good and fun, it is some of his other material that makes me such a Toby fan. "God Love Her", "How Do You Like Me Now", "Should've Been a Cowboy" and "Beer for My Horses" are classic country songs and among the genre's best. Toby let his band members have their shines as well, especially guitarist Rich Eckhardt who really showcased his immense talent at the front of the catwalk multiple times.

But in the end, Toby Keith concerts are defined by his encore, which I have often claimed is the best encore in music, period. Some nights he brings out multiple soldiers, family members of military members, etc. On this night, Toby brought out a single soldier to stand next to him while he sang his patriotic anthems. The soldier had an American flag on his back and was visibly moved while Toby sang the meaningful lyrics. Both "American Soldier" and "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" rang home a little more since we, as a Nation, just remember 9/11. The soldier Toby brought up at the end was Marine Corps Sgt. Greg Caron. He lost his legs in Afghanistan last November when he stepped on a roadside bomb.

All in all, it was the typical Toby Keith show: Opening acts who are major talents and got the crowd amped and ready, and a headlining show full of hits, action, explosions, and big production. You know what you are going to get at Toby show and that is okay, because it is one of the best concerts, year in and year out, that music has to offer.

SETLISTS:

Toby Keith

American Ride
Made in America
Get Drunk & Be Somebody
God Love Her
I Like Girls That Drink Beer
Beers Ago
I Wanna Talk About Me
Whiskey Girl
Weed with Willie
Who's Your Daddy
Get out of my Car
Red Solo Cup
As Good as I Once Was
I Love This Bar
Should've Been a Cowboy
Beer For My Horses
How Do You Like Me Now
A Little Less Talk
American Solider (ENCORE)
Courtesy of the Red White and Blue (ENCORE)

Brantley Gilbert

My Kinda Party
Hell On Wheels
Dirt Road Anthem
You Don't Know Her Like I Do
My Kinda Crazy
Courtney Must be Country Wide
Take it Outside
Kick it in the Sticks

Thomas Rhett

All American White Boys
Make me Wanna
Beer With Jesus
Front Porch Junkies
Something To Do With My Hands

VIDEOS:

Beer With Jesus - Thomas Rhett

Country Must Be Country Wide - Brantley Gilbert

Beers Ago - Toby Keith

Red Solo Cup - Toby Keith

Should've Been a Cowboy - Toby Keith

The Full Zac Brown Band Experience at Mohegan Sun

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 16:13:00 +0000

Zac Brown Band
September 1, 2012
Mohegan Sun Arena
Uncasville, Connecticut

On Saturday, September 1, 2012, I had the privilege of having the full Zac Brown Band experience: access to the Eat & Greet, a Pit Pass, and an up close and personal look into the most talented group of musicians country music has to offer. It started off with an orange wristband and a brief wait in the lobby the Mohegan Sun Arena. I've had several meet and greets with other artists in numerous different rooms within the Arena, but this Eat & Greet experience was deep into the halls of the Arena. We walked into a large room where several of the Band's trucks were and saw several tables set in the form of an inside picnic.

Each of the Band members was at the entrance ready to greet each of the lucky fans with wristband. After shaking hands with each of them, I spotted Chef Rusty Hamlin, the Band's head road Chef. I had tweeted him earlier in the day and he was happy (and extremely excited) to show me each of the dishes he had prepared for us. He explained he got all of the ingredients at a local farm, Holmberg Orchards. He then told us to head to the bar because there was an open bar with Jack Daniels and Landshark.

Zac Brown then gave a short speech and handed the microphone to Chef Rusty who spoke about the various food options, which included ratatouille, sweet potatoes with pecans, coleslaw, beef, pork, cornbread fritters, and more. It was truly incredible food with an insane amount of flavors and freshness. On top of that, each of the members moved about the tables and spent time speaking with the fans. The access to the band, the open bar, and the amazing food made the Eat & Greet a truly remarkable experience.

I spoke to Zac about the type of guitar strings he likes to play with. I had noticed he uses nylon strings and wanted to know why. He spent a good deal of time really explaining it to me. He said he grew up playing classical music and learned on those strings. And for the style he plays, with such intensity, it is easier on his finger tips. I also asked Clay Cook if he was going to be singing any songs that night and he said that the Band does not make up the setlist until right before they go on stage because they "want to play songs they feel like playing on that particular night". That explains why their setlists are completely different each night (much unlike most of the country music world who basically play the same songs each night).

I then made my way down to the Pit area as the opening act, Levi Lowery, was finishing his set. A giant white sheet/screen covered the stage as a countdown was on to the main event. The sheet flew up and the band wasted no time as the opening guitar intro to the title cut of their new album "Uncaged" was up first. The stage was an enormous set, with moving cranes and lights, three huge projection screens, and the band members stationed as a cohesive unit. When the second song played was "Toes", we knew that the setlist that night was going to be amazing.

Throughout the set, it was very apparent that each member of the Band is a vital and unique part. Of course, Zac is the leader. But, each member is unbelievably talented in their own right. Songs like "The Wind" and "Who Knows", which the latter of which became a fourteen minute jam out, really showcase the diversity and skill. Each member gets their own time in the spotlight playing their respective instruments.

I was on the left side of center, right alongside the fiddler, Jimmy De Martini, who I have often referred to as the most talented musician in country music. If anyone wants to argue with me, bring it. He absolutely blew my mind as well as everyone standing around me. When he would rip into a fiddle solo, whether it was on "Devil Went Down To Georgia", "Free" or "Sic Em On A Chicken", mouths dropped. He is worth the price of admission in of itself.

The Band did a three song acoustic set, where they sat down on crates and boxes in the front of catwalk and were joined by Levi Lowrey. I was not a huge fan of this portion as I'd rather see the Band going all out in their natural element. But there was also something very genuine about the set. They gave a bit of insight into what it must be like when they are creating their songs. Still, the excitement level of the crowd seemed to die down. But when the opening fiddle notes of "Free" started when the Band returned to the stage, there was no downtime for the rest of the night.

The Encore began with a ten minute jam out between the Fryar and De Los Reyes. The bongos and drums were smashed with such intensity that I could feel the vibrations from the floor up into my body. And with true class and patriotism, the Band finished the night off with "America, The Beatiful" as a pre-lude to their signature song, "Chicken Fried". While most of the night was a sing-a-long, the crowd was never louder during the final megahit.

Zac thanked the crowd and each of the members took a bow. They exited the stage and never have I ever been so full of satisfaction from a concert experience. Between the backstage experience and the exhilirating performance, I saw a state of class, intimacy, talent, and perfection, that not many other music acts can match, nor care to put forth. Zac's attention to details and his care for his fans help Zac Brown Band stand apart at the forefront of musical entertainment.

SETLIST:

Uncaged
Toes
Not Okay
As She's Walking Away
No Hurry
The Wind
Can't You See (Marshall Tucker Band Cover)
Colder Weather
Jump Right In
Keep Me In Mind
Wherever We Break Down (Acoustic Song with Levi Lowrey)
One Day (Acoustic Song)
Sweet Emotion (Acoustic Song - Aerosmith Cover)
Free
Into the Mystic (Van Morrison Cover)
Who Knows
Knee Deep
Sic Em On A Chicken
Sweet Annie
Devil Went Down To Georgia (Charlie Daniels Band Cover)
Drum Solo's by Chris Fryar & Daniel De Los Reyes (ENCORE)
Whiskey's Gone (ENCORE)
America The Beautiful (ENCORE)
Chicken Fried (ENCORE)

VIDEOS:

Jump Right In

Devil Went Down To Georgia

Review: The Brothers of the Sun Make History as they become Giants of NJ

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 17:23:00 +0000

Brothers of the Sun Tour
Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw
with Jake Owen and Grace Potter
Metlife Stadium, NJ - August 11, 2012

Last year Kenny Chesney came to Metlife Stadium with Zac Brown Band and made history as the biggest country music show of all time in the New York/New Jersey area. This year, Chesney brought, long-time friend and megastar, Tim McGraw along with him and they upped the ante. By the time the lights went out at the home of the Super Bowl Champions, Chesney & McGraw had finished a set for 56,285 fans, breaking that previous record (see http://www.countrymusicislove.com/2012/08/kenny-chesney-tim-mcgraw-show-at-metlife-stadium-sets-all-time-record-for-nycnj-country-event.html).

As I pulled into the Stadium parking lot I saw a crowd rushing towards the side where a shirtless Tim McGraw was standing outside his bus. He was simply standing there posing with no shirt, a bandana and atheltic shorts. Women were flocking to take pictures and to take a gander at the unbelievably fit singer.

I did not get into the actual Stadium for Jake Owen or Grace Potter's sets, but by the time I took my seat, a few minutes before McGraw took to the stage, the Stadium was already at full capacity. New Jersey's Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run" began to play over the sound system as McGraw's band took to the stage and the big screens followed the lead man's walk up from backstage to the forefront. He walked to the front of the catwalk, took the microphone and immediately launched into "Felt Good On My Lips".

McGraw's style is very different from Chesney's. There is no running around or jumping up and down. Instead, he strolls around the stage pointing to and slapping hands with fans. He takes a lot of time standing with his arms out stretched. But, the style works well for the man who has become a true sex symbol in music, movies, and fashion. His set worked in many amazing classics, a few slower ballads, and a couple of new, un-released singles.

A few people in the crowd brought along jerseys of his father, Tug McGraw, a former Phillies and Mets pitcher, in which Tim was happy to grab the jersey and hold it up to the crowd. He even brought his mother out on stage during "Let It Go". The new song "Mexicoma" was a big miss as most of the crowd did not seem to be interested in it at all. But when the opening notes of songs like "Where the Green Grass Grows", "Last Dollar" or "Something Like That" were played, the entire Stadium seemed to jump out of their chairs and get right back into it.

Overall, McGraw's set did not flow as well as Chesney's, but when his classic songs were played, the sound level from the crowd was no different. He finished off the set with an emotional rendition of "Live Like You Were Dying" and came back out after a short encore to "Cowboy In Me" and "I Like It, I Love It". By this time, the sky had turned dark and the stadium had become illuminated with lights, screens, and energetic fans. He finished the hour and half set with his newest single, "Truck Yeah". The lights went dark, the crowd was satisfied, yet the main event was yet to come.

After about a half an hour, a ten minute video, showcasing Kenny Chesney's many travels to beaches around the world, while the song "Welcome to the Fishbowl" was played over the speakers. It culminated with a video of Chesney standing atop the empty Stadium with two football helmets in hand. He stated he was happy to be in the home of the "New York Jets and the Super Bowl Champion New York Football Giants". The crowd roared and Chesney emerged from a hole in the middle of the Stadium.

From there, Chesney did not slow down for the rest of the night. He was off and running with "Beer In Mexico" then got onto a swing to fly over the crowd to the main stage as he sang "Keg in the Closet". The swing has become synonomous with Chesney Stadium shows as are songs about the summer. When he touched down to the main stage he did not disapoint as he ripped into "Summertime". The perfect start to a perfect set.

Chesney played all of his hits and his entire hour and a half solo set was nothing short of a sing-a-long. He played up to Giants and Jets fans alike. He sang of old memories with "I Go Back" and "Anything But Mine". And he told stories of forbidden love on tunes such as "Come Over" and Somewhere With You".

A true highlight was when he brought out Grace Potter for their duet to "You and Tequila". This song is easily one of my favorite country songs and I have seen him perform it live many times. However, this was the first time I saw him do it live with Grace. Their voices go together with such ease as the song combines love, alcohol, and the summer - three things that are clear influences in Chesney's music.

Chesney, as usual, worked up quite the sweat. He ran from side to side and gave his all into the performance. It is not suprising that he can fill up Stadiums across America. His songs equal his performance and the crowd really responds to what he does on stage. He is a true superstar in every sense of the word.

His final song of his set was "Boys of Fall". I was bit disappointed that Eli Manning nor none of the home team's players emerged on stage for this song. But I quickly moved past that when Tim McGraw emerged from the center stage during the first song of the encore, and the two Brothers of the Sun sang "Feel Like A Rockstar" from dueling stages, ala Jay-Z and Kanye West on their Watch The Throne Tour.

The encore was the real highlight of the night as the two megastars traded verses on "Indian Outlaw" and "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy". The two used every inch of the stage, with Tim's swagger and Kenny's energy in full force. They were full of smiles and truly seemed to enjoy sharing the spotlight. The night was finished with "Running on Empty", as Jake Owen and Grace Potter emerged on stage as well. They took a solid ten minutes to sign autographs for the crowd and give out a New York Giants helmet to a young girl.

The record breaking concert was everything the fans had hoped for and more. That beautiful August night was country music at its finest with two of its stars shining bright in the biggest stage of all. One can only hope that Kenny Chesney keeps his Stadium tours alive so that more and more fans can witness this summertime staple.

SETLIST:

Kenny Chesney

Welcome to the Fishbowl (Intro & Video)
Beer in Mexico
Keg in the Closet
Summertime
Reality
No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem
How Forever Feels
I Go Back
Come Over
Anything But Mine
Back Where I Come From
Livin' In Fast Forward
Young
Somewhere With You
Never Wanted Nothing More
You and Tequila (with Grace Potter)
Out Last Night
When The Sun Goes Down
Don't Happen Twice
Boys of Fall
Feel Like A Rockstar (ENCORE - with Tim McGraw)
She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy (ENCORE - with Tim McGraw)
Indian Outlaw (ENCORE - with Tim McGraw)
Running on Empty (ENCORE - with Tim McGraw and Jake Owen and Grace Potter)

Tim McGraw

Felt Good On My Lips
For A Little While
Down on the Farm
Real Good Man
Last Dollar
Unbroken
Everywhere
Where the Green Grass Grows
Mexicoma
All I Want is a Life
Just to See You Smile
Better Than I Used to Be
Let It Go
How Bad Do You Want It
Back When
Something Like That
Southern Voice
Live Like You Were Dying
Cowboy In Me (Encore)
I Like It, I Love It (Encore)
Truck Yeah (Encore)

VIDEOS:

Where The Green Grass Grows

I Go Back

You And Tequila

You and Tequila (Crowd Singing)

Kip Moore at the Bowery Ballroom, NYC

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:53:00 +0000

Kip Moore
Bowery Ballroom, NYC
w/ Chase Rice
August 3, 2012

Kip Moore brought his band up from Nashville to the busy streets of New York City as they took to the stage at the Bowery Ballroom on Friday night. Moore, who is arguably country music's newest rising star, released his album, "Up All Night" on April 24, 2012. Before the show began I was able to catch up with Kip and he told me he was "going to rock it tonight". Let's just say, he lived up to those words.

Chase Rice, a relatively new name on the country circuit kicked off the show with a few acoustic tunes. Rice is a former runner up on CBS' "Survivor" during the season set in Nicaragua. He has a very nice touch in his songwriting and connected with the crowd, despite sitting on a stool the entire time and not having a back-up band. Songs such as "Only A Country Girl" and "Dirt Road Communion" seemed to resonate with fans and many even knew the words. He told me after the show that he plans on setting out on Tour in the Fall with Kellie Pickler, among other names. I look forward to hearing more from him the future

When it was time for Kip Moore to the hit the stage, the Friday Night New York City crowd was amped and ready. Moore and his band came out swinging with "Crazy One More Time" and his newest single, which is currently #35 and climbing on the Billboard Country Singles Chart, "Beer Money". The crowd seemingly knew every word and Moore was full of smiles and energy as he and his talented band pounded out the two album favorites. He stated to the crowd "man, I can drink with the best of them, but NYC you kicked my ass. I came crawling back at 4 am last night".

Throughout his set, Moore thew in humorous statements in between his songs. Moore has been dubbed the "Hill-billy Springsteen" for his songwriting style as well as his gravely voice. This was extremely apparent on a song called "New York City, which he played acoustically. He apparently had written that day in his hotel room when a "certain feeling overcame him". But this intimate song really showcased how much talent he has.

Amongst numerous party songs that had the crowd enticed throughout, he mixed in a few love and breakup songs. He talked about the three stages after a break-up before singing about the stages in "Fly Again" and he had all love birds hugging and kissing during the amazing song "Hey Pretty Girl". He stated he wrote that song when one of his guitarists told him that his wife was having a baby and they needed to really make it happen at that point. His statement "we are all designed to find someone who you can go through life with" really resonates during that song. I personally think that "Hey Pretty Girl" should be his next single.

Moore was full of anecdotes and commentary on his songs and he told a true story of telling off a record company who wanted to change who he was during "Reckless". But the highlight of the night came when he spoke about his old pick-up truck. He told the crowd his first truck had 400,000 miles on it with no air conditioner and the windows wouldn't go down. But one day his father let him take his truck and ... "Something Bout A Truck" was born. The crowd sang most of the first verse and Moore was happy to let them do it. A full on sing-a-long ensued and Moore was most active and energetic as he absolutely fed on that energy (see video below).

Moore finished off the flawless set with a cover of Tom Petty's "Free Falling". I was hoping for a Springsteen cover, but no one seemed to mind. I have been extremely impressed with his first album and was hoping his live performance would live up to my expectations. That night, he did that and more. He truly showed me he has the "it" factor that many new artists lack. I expect we will hear a lot more from Kip Moore in the future.

SETLIST

Crazy One More Time
Beer Money
Mary Was the Marrying Kind
Reckless
Good Time Girl
New York City
Fly Again
Motorcycle
Baby Break My Heart
Gunna Be a Big One
Tell Me Where the Party At
Hey Pretty Girl
Something Bout A Truck
Free Falling (Encore: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Cover)

Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Dee Jay Silver Dominate Hartford (plus an interview with Dee Jay Silver)

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:11:00 +0000

Jason Aldean
My Kinda Party Tour
w/ Luke Bryan and Dee Jay Silver
Comcast Theater, Hartford, CT
July 13, 2012

On a hot and steamy Friday night, Connecticut Country Music fans came out in droves to party with a few of the hottest names in music. Jason Aldean brought his highly successful My Kinda Party to the Comcast Theater in Hartford, CT and what ensued was what Dee Jay Silver described as a "hillbilly rave".

Up first was my meet and greet with Luke Bryan. I have met Luke a bunch of times over the past few years and despite all of the success he has attained, he is still humble and personable as ever. We spoke about his next single, which he told me is "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye", the National Anthem controversy, and how next year he is going to being headlining his own major tour. We also discussed how long of a day it had already been for him since he had performed in Central Park in New York City that very morning for Good Morning America.

I arrived to my seat just in time for Dee Jay Silver's first set. Silver is a country music DJ who combines all genres of music to country music for amazing mixes and mashups. This was the first of his two sets and he had the packed amplitheater up and dancing throughout. With amazing mixes using songs such as "Dust On The Bottle", "Smoke a Little Smoke", "Party Rock Anthem", and "Shake That Ass" he has truly created a unique style of music. I was fortunate enough to interview him on his tour bus after the show and you can see that interview within the bottom of this blog post.

Silver had the crowd amped up and ready for Luke Bryan's set. Luke came out storming with his smash hit "Rain Is a Good Thing" and never looked back. Luke is certain to be a future Entertainer of the Year. He uses every inch of the stage while he dances, jumpes, and shakes around with the swagger of a veteran performer. His dance moves have the women screaming and his music is masculine enough to have every male in the venue singing along as well.

Luke performed all of his hits within his set, including "Drunk On You", "I Don't Want This Night To End", "Someone Else Calling You Baby" and "Do I". He even threw in two covers (Lionel Richie's "Easy Like Sunday Morning" and Journey's "Faithfully") that the crowd knew word for word. However, the Comcast Theater went insane when they heard the auto tuned intro to "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)". The stage was then rushed by a contingent of women who were ready to show Luke just how well Connecticut girls could shake it. He put everything into his last song and his energy was unparalled. Luke just keeps getting better and better with each performance.

Dee Jay Silver had the hardest job of the night by filling up the time slot following Luke Bryan's amazing performance and before Jason Aldean took the stage. But, as the true professional and visionary that he is, he handled it perfectly. He gave the crowd exactly what they wanted: party music. At a time where most would head to the bathrooms, he had the sold out crowd dancing and fist pumping Jersey Shore style throughout his time.

With the two Dee Jay Silver sets and Luke Bryan's bombastic performance, the crowd was on a music high by the time Jason Aldean took the stage. The stage became a spectacular array of stars, lights, hanging HD screens, ramps, and smoke as Aldean pumped out "Johnny Cash". While he is not as much of an energetic performer as Luke Bryan is, he has his own style that works. You hardly ever see him without his black acoustic guitar and he keeps a straight face as he gets down to business. But his live vocals are what shines the brightest in his performances. As he belts out the words in "Fly Over States", "The Truth", or "Don't You Wanna Stay", you can see that he why he garnered so much success over the past few years. He is truly one of the best live vocalists in music today.

Of course, he performed crowd favorite country-rock songs such as "My Kinda Party" and "She's Country" and the country-hip-hop mega-hit "Dirt Road Anthem". But he also gave the Connecticut crowd a few sneak peaks at a few tunes off of his next album, which he said he expects to be released in October. "Take a Litte Ride" is another high energy, country-rock banger that is undoubtedly headed for country radio supremacy. It has the sound you expect from Jason that borders on commercial appeal while keeping true to his style of music. During his two song encore, he also sang "Wheels Rolling" which is another vintage Jason Aldean type song. I am starting to see a theme in his lyrics as many of the songs are about him traveling somewhere.

In the end, it is easy to see why this is one of the must see tours of the Summer. Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan put on completely different styles of performances that both show the range that country music is at in today's music world. The addition of Dee Jay Silver's two DJ sets made that Friday night in Hartford everyone's Kinda Party.

SETLISTS

Luke Bryan

Rain Is a Good Thing
Someone Else Calling You Baby
Drunk On You
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
Drinking Beer and Wasting Bullets
Easy Like Sunday Morning (Lionel Richie Cover)
Do I
Faithfully (Journey Cover)
All My Friends
Enter the Sandman (Metallica Cover)
I Don't Want This Night to End
Country Girl (Shake It For Me)

Jason Aldean

Johnny Cash
Big Green Tractor
Amarillo Sky
The Truth
Take a Ride in the City
Fly Over States
Tattoos On This Town
Don't You Wanna Stay
Dirt Road Anthem
My Kinda Party
She's Country
Wheels Rolling
Hicktown

Dee Jay Silver Interview – July13, 2012

Question: It seems like everyone was a DJ or wanted to be a DJ at some point in their life, how did you take it to the next level and get to this point?

Answer: I’ve been doing this for awhile now. I toured with the rapper, Nelly, doing his afterparties and was on the Jackass World Tour with the MTV guys. Then I did a Remix of “She’s Country” with Country Grammar and my agent, Kevin Neal, who is also Jason Aldean’s agent, heard it at the Country Music Awards three years ago. Kevin then walked up to me at the Tabu Nightclub in Las Vegas and simply asked me “do you want to go on Tour with Jason Aldean?”

Question: Wow, so it was one song and the right person listening that gave you your shot?

Answer: God put it in the right hands. Now we are going on two years. In fact, Brooks & Dunn on their last Tour, used my remix of “She’s Country” as one the songs right before they walked on stage. I was blown away by that honor.

Question: I know you have a lot of free material on the Iphone App, Soundcloud. How long have you been doing that?

Answer: Over the past few years I have been putting up lots of mixes for free on the App. But my record deal came through and you will be seeing my music on Itunes.

Question: What kind of record deal?

Answer: I am proud to say I am the first ever DJ to be offered a country record deal.

Question: So what should be expecting from you next?

Answer: Working with some of the biggest names in country music, past and present.

Question: Have you become close with Jason and Luke?

Answer: Absolutely, they are two of my great friends now. I was just speaking to Luke before I spoke to you and we were talking about how far he has come. He just got to play Good Morning America in Central Park and I told him that was a bucket list type of thing. We both cannot believe we get paid to do what we are doing and love.

Question: I am a big fan of all genres of music. I think it is phenomenal that you can combine each of the genres into the country world on your mixes. I hear everything from country to Jay-Z to LMFAO on your mixes. Where did you come up with the idea that hip-hop and country could actually mix?

Answer: I think it is such a cross roads right now and music is a kick drum from being rock and roll. Look at Jason’s music, there is not much difference between the high energy music he performs and rock and roll. On this Tour, we are basically throwing the largest country club party every night.

Question: If you are in a honky-tonk or a country bar and you hear a country song mixed with a hip-hop, rock and roll, or pop song, what are the chances it is a Dee Jay Silver mix.

Answer: If you heard a country mix, chances are I might have had something to do with it. I change the keys, switch the pitch, and reverse the chorus. My mixes of “Dust on the Bottle”, “Rodeo”, “Crazy Town”, among others, are getting a lot of play.

Question: I know I heard you did a mix of Lee Brice’s “Parking Lot Party”. What else are you working on?

Answer: I just met with Lee's people last week and we are going to be working on some stuff together. Actually, ESPN College Game Day heard that “Parking Lot Party” mix and we filmed a whole section for this Fall’s ESPN College Game Day with the mix.

Question: When did you put out your first country mix?

Answer: Over five years ago. It was the first country mix ever made. It's funny, now, I have clubs all over the nation asking me to come and play an hour of country music mixes. I couldn’t believe it because it was at a time where people either hated country music or loved it. Times have changed and it is one of the most popular types of music out there now. My first country club mix went through about 10,000 copies.

Question: Are there any other artists out there you admire or want to work with?

Answer: The Zac Brown Band right now is killing it. Musically, there are not many that can compete with them and they are blowing up. I would love to do something with them. And Eric Church is my boy. There are not many solo acts right now that get more energy when I play a mix of his, Luke’s, and Jason. You saw it tonight - it was the biggest country club in the world tonight. What an honor it is to be on the road with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan.

Special thanks to Dee Jay Silver for allowing me to do the interview with him. Good luck in your already impressive career.

Zac Brown Band: Uncaged - Track by Track Dissection

noreply@blogger.com (ryankentm) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 16:53:00 +0000

Zac Brown Band - Uncaged
Track by Track Dissection

I do not want to describe this post as a review. I have too much respect for the Zac Brown Band to "review" their music. This blog post is more of a dissection of each of the tracks by a fan who already had great admiration for the talents of each of the Band members. I must say I had high expectations for this album before I even listened to it - and it surpassed those expectations and more. Here are my thoughts about each of the tracks as I listened to the album:

1. Jump Right In

The name speaks for itself on the first track of Zac Brown Band's third album, "Uncaged" as the band jumps right into the hit making music that they have become famous for. "Jump Right In" starts off with a short yet effective intro highlighted by the infamous Zac Brown guitar picking along with a few whistles and bongos, courtesy of new member Daniel de los Reyes. But after about ten or so seconds, the whole Band gets involved to create a musical explosion. The song has the inner linings of the country music jam band that the ZBB are, but with a commercial appeal that could easily make the song yet another #1 on the Country Music Charts. The song has lyrics that will stick in your head all day long: "...you can jump right in, let music pull in you in, you can jump right in...it's the Southern Wind, sings again, an idle lullaby".

2. Uncaged

Uncaged lets the Band showcase their southern rock side as the song includes a multitude of guitar licks, drum bashing, and all out jam outs alongside the powerful Zac Brown voice. I can easily see this song becoming one of those songs that the Band goes nuts on for about ten minutes in their live shows as the song is more about the musical instruments than the lyrics. The euphoria of the seven ridiculously talented members showcase why the Band is truly on a different level than any Band in any genre in today's music.

3. Goodbye In Her Eyes

This song may go on to become the most successful song, commercially, off of this album. It is an epic story of a man who knows the woman who he loves so much is leaving him and he cannot do anything about it. The song unfolds with the lyrics painting a vivid picture that could almost be the summation to a sad romantic movie. Zac is never better as he hits low and high octaves with ease and the Band gets to sing background vocals as a unit, more so than any song I've heard from them before. Furthermore, it is the first song on this album that fans get to hear the immense talent of Jimmy De Martini on the fiddle. Overall, this song is sad, beautiful, and powerful all at once.

4. The Wind

The first single released to country music is ZBB's ode to bluegrass music. The picking and strumming of the guitars as well as the rapid fire fiddle and quick moving vocals create a song that I challenge anyone to not want to at least tap their foot to, if not get up and dance to. After just a few short weeks it is already in the top 20 on the country charts and moving quickly up from there. The Band just released a unique, animated music video to the song which can be seen here:

5. Island Song

For me, this was the absolute stand-out song on the album. It is a reggae song more than it is a country song. But for all intensive purposes, Zac may have created a new genre of music with his reggae-country masterpiece. The lyrics immediately take you to a place "down in the islands, down in the islands". Zac's reggae delivery is that of perfection. I had heard him sing in this style before at a few of his past shows, but he really nails it in this song. I found myself daydreaming as he sings about drinking rum at a tiki bar down in the islands. ZBB has always had a beach themed song on each of their albums, whether it be "Toes", "Knee Deep" or "Where the Boat Leaves From", but this track takes that theme to a whole new level.

6. Sweet Annie

Musically, this song reminds me a lot of "Colder Weather" as it gradually builds from a soft melody to a power ballad. The lyrics depict a man who has seemingly let everyone down in his life and he is pleading with a woman Annie to not give up on him and to give him another chance. He starts out defeated, but by the last verse he seems to gain more confidence in himself and makes his plea to let him stay with her. It is another sad yet beautiful ballad that portrays the pain that love can have on a man.

7. Natural Disaster

Another very unique song which starts out with a forty second acapella intro singing about a preacher's daughter when all of the sudden the pace of the song picks up tremendously. It becomes a rolling country song that has beautiful lyrics about a woman who the man knows may bad for him, but cannot stop himself from loving her. The vocals pick up in pace as the song goes and creates a very effective song in which both the lyrics and the melody are equally phenomenal: "She's like rain when she rolls in, but there's sunshine in her thunder, it makes the loneliest heart wonder if the ride is worth the pain".

8. Overnight (Featuring Trombone Shorty)

Simply put, I was not expecting this song when it came on. It is, in no way, a country song. It is a flat out R&B song. That being said, Zac showcases the unbelievable depth of his talent. His delivery alongside the blues guitar, trumpet and trombone and that are featured in the song make this song, by far and away, the most unique that I have heard from ZBB. It is smooth, sexy and totally out of the box. Zac is definitely not afraid to do things his own way and he does not disappoint with his track.

9. Lance's Song

I need to learn the real meaning behind this song, but it is clearly dedicated to a musician who has passed away. The lyrics tell a story about a man who obviously lived his life engulfed in music, but apparently was not given the credit and respect he deserved until he passed away. Zac sings, with love and pain in his voice: "But they don't know what they got, until its gone, like it or not. You live on life, you try to do what's right, we're all here a-waiting for our silver invitation to the big band in the sky". It is a beautiful dedication to someone the ZBB obviously admired.

10. Day That I Die (featuring Amos Lee)

This, for me, was yet another stand-out on the album. When I first heard this song, I thought to myself that Zac Brown has probably never been more truthful in his songwriting than in this song. When he states that "I believe that I was born with a song inside of me" and "when I live out my days and to the very end, I hope find they find me in my home with my guitar in my hands" I know he is being competely honest. While I always give full credit to ZBB as a Band and completely respect each Band Member's outstanding talents, this song is all about Zac and his dedication to music. Amos Lee is feautured on the track and his verse echoes what Zac is saying. Throughout this masterpiece you can hear the honesty that both artists are singing about. It's very hard to think about your life, your legacy, and how you spend the last moments of your life. Zac has figured it out. I found myself getting goosebumps while listening to his sincerity.

11. Last But Not Least

A simple song about a man letting his woman know that he loves her and that she is important to him. Charismatic Clay Cook adds his vocals to the middle verse as he and Zac make it known to the woman they are with that they may have been their last love, but that it is the one that means the most because they will end up wit her. The song also works well as it was undoubtedly strategically placed as the last song of the album.

Top Picks: Island Song, Day That I Die, Goodbye In Her Eyes, Jump Right In