New Music Out Today:
• “The Driver“, the debut solo album from Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley. Stevie Nicks joins him on a cover of Tom Petty’s “Southern Accents”. His album also features Miranda Lamberton “I Wish You Were Here”, and he gets help from both Dierks Bentley and Eric Paslay on the title track.
• “The Ghosts of Highway 20“, Lucinda Williams.
Carrie Underwood’s “Storyteller” Tour Features a 48-Foot Center Stage, Seven Elevator Lifts . . . And At Least One Harmonica
CARRIE UNDERWOOD said that her “Storyteller” tour would be her biggest ever, and she wasn’t kidding. It kicked off last weekend, and from what we’re hearing, everyone’s impressed. Let’s start with the heavy lifting.
There are 17 semi-trucks and eight buses. The stage has seven elevator lifts and spans 150 feet across. The center stage rotates 360-degrees so she can perform in the round. And there are four massive oval video screens so no one misses a thing.
She also brought the fun stuff. There’s a sparks-shooting jukebox, lasers, swaying spotlights, and fireworks. And yes, a huge mirror ball, but don’t hold that against her.
Carrie’s such a pro that it’s hard to pick a favorite performance, but there are two that people are talking about.
She does an unplugged version of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” that features her alone on the stage with her guitar player. And get this: She’s the one who plays harmonica on her song “Choctaw County Affair”. I want to hear that.
Dierks Bentley is Getting an Exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame
DIERKS BENTLEY is getting his own exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame. “Dierks Bentley: Every Mile a Memory,” opens March 4th and runs through September 6th. He says, quote, “It’s crazy to be considered for something like this.
“Just being in the building as a visitor is humbling, but to be featured in one of the exhibits is something I never would’ve believed if you’d suggested it when I started chasing this dream.”
If you’re interested, check out CountryMusicHallofFame.org.
Chase Rice Has a Win-Win Situation with the Super Bowl
When it comes to Sunday’s Super Bowl, CHASE RICE will be rooting for everyone. First of all, he’s a hugePEYTON MANNING fan. Quote, “I love who he is as a person, love his character, and love his passion for the game.”
But Chase is from North Carolina, AND one of his old friends used to play for the Panthers, so he can’t root against them. So, he’s backing everyone. Quote, “Lucky for me, I get a win-win situation. If the Broncos win, I’m happy for Peyton.
“If the Panthers win, then we finally brought a Super Bowl home to Carolina.”
SAM HUNT went to Peyton Manning’s quarterback camp when he was in high school. Even better, he got to meet him a couple of years ago at a KENNY CHESNEY concert. Quote, “It was pretty cool to be on stage with two people who inspired me in two different arenas. Peyton with football and Kenny with music.”
ASHLEY MONROE’s “The Blade” has a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album, and believe it or not, it’s her first-ever nomination as a solo artist. And that includes country music awards. Quote, “As a solo artist I’ve never been nominated for an award from country music awards or anything. So to get it from the Grammys the first time, it was like a sigh of relief.”
ERIC PASLAY is pulling for Peyton Manning on Sunday, but it’s not a loyalty thing. Quote, “I tend to root for the underdog, and he kind of is right now, because [people] are like, ‘Well, he’s old.’ But he’s not really that old. But [mostly] he seems like a guy who’ll share good wisdom with kids down the road and maybe winning the Super Bowl when he’s old would be a cool story to hear.”
LORETTA LYNN is sharing a new song called “Who’s Gonna Miss Me?“. It’s one of the tracks from her album“Full Circle”, which is out March 4th. The album also features guest performances from Willie Nelson andElvis Costello.