TK's New Restaurant

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AJ Celebrates An Amazing Quarter Century Of Success

Alan Jackson and his family, as well as members of his road band and many of his co-writers were on hand as the superstar’s exhibit, 25 Years of Keepin’ It Country, was unveiled. Included in the exhibit are the guitar he played on the CMA Awards when he debuted “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” just two months after the September 11th terrorist attacks and the nation’s response that inspired the song; the front of an old, red Ford pickup truck that served as Jackson’s first Fan Fair booth, before his sister and brother-in-law had it made into a desk; The water ski Jackson rode, while wearing his trademark white cowboy hat, in the “Chattahoochee” music video; a collection of belt buckles from the Houston Rodeo -- which Jackson has played more than 20 times. Alan’s “first love,” a used 1955 Ford Thunderbird, will be on display in the conservatory of the Hall of Fame.

“It’s just hard to believe that I’m included in this great building with so many legends of great American music and to be a part of it is just unreal, this whole thing’s unreal,” says Alan. “We’re glad to share it and I hope that all of my fans especially will enjoy seeing what they helped build.”

Alan Jackson: 25 Years of Keepin' It Country opens to the public on Friday (August 29th).
A little tidbit -- the reason the exhibit is called Keepin' It Country -- other than the obvious -- is that with every correspondence the legendary George Jones would send to Alan, he'd sign it 'Keep It Country.'

Alan will also take the stage in the museum's new 800-seat CMA Theater as its 2014 Artist-in-Residence on October 8th and 22nd.
Both Wednesday night concerts start at 7 p.m. Tickets go on sale at Noon on Monday, September 8th.

Jennifer Nettles Is A "Guest Mom"

Nettles is the guest editor of the August issue of Momtastic, and as part of her duties, she reveals her list of mom-essentials for babies.

The  singer’s and husband Justin Miller’s son Magnus Hamilton Miller turns 2 in December.

Some of her necessities include zip up onesies and sleepers ("The zipper makes it very easy for quick diaper changes. Especially for those in the middle of the night."), a Boppy pillow ("great for breastfeeding support and also good for laying baby on and around as he/she develops into sitting up."), Fisher Price swing ("Magnus loved this thing! Consequently, so did we!") and a Bumboo Floor Seat ("Magnus loved being able to feel independent and 'sit up' before he could do it on his own.").

Florida Georgia Line Remembers Where They Came From With “Dirt”

FGL’s latest single is definitely different from their hits like “Cruise” and “This Is How We Roll,” but Tyler Hubbard says that was part of the appeal of the song. “We’ve done the party songs, we’ve done the upbeat fun stuff, and this is just a song that everybody can relate to. People young or people older, everybody kinda has that place in their life that’s home and that they have a special spot in their heart for. So I think that’s the kinda thing we’re tryin’ to capture with this song.”

The guys knew the song was one they wanted to record the first time they heard it. Tyler says, “When we first heard ‘Dirt’, I mean, we were blown away. It was one of those songs, you kinda get done listenin’ you have chill bumps on your arms, and you’re just like, wow, I can really relate to that. So, it his us hard the first time we heard it.”

They also like the message of the song. “(It’s) just kind of a little reminder of the importance of where you came from,” says Tyler, “where you grew up, and just in general where you live now and whatever that area is for you in your life.”

Luke Bryan’s "Crash My Playa" Tix Now Available

The exclusive four-day country concert event – including performances from Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line and Cole Swindell – will take place in Riviera Maya on January 23 – 27, 2015. This intimate country concert experience has limited availability, and full package details and reservations can be found at www.crashmyplaya.com. 

All packages for Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa include four nights / five days all-inclusive accommodations at one of the unique participating resorts, airport transfer to and from the hotel, admission to each night’s exclusive beach performances, a limited edition Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa event poster, beach bag, and beach towel. Food featuring local flavors, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available inside the venue and are included with all Crash My Playa packages.  Optional themed adventures and activities that explore the riches of the Riviera Maya will also be offered – from ATV rides to zip lines through the jungle, snorkeling and SCUBA diving, tours through the ancient Mayan ruins and more.

Guests from each resort will receive complimentary ground transportation to and from the Crash My Playa performance area each evening, including two full Luke Bryan shows on January 24 & 26, Florida Georgia Line performing on January 25, and Cole Swindell’s concert on January 23. Other special guests, including Kelleigh Bannen, Dustin Lynch, Eric Paslay, DJ Rock and Chris Stapleton will also be in attendance for the musical destination event and all-inclusive Caribbean vacation experience. 

LINE-UP BREAKDOWN:

January 23: Cole Swindell featuring Dustin Lynch
January 24: Luke Bryan featuring Kelleigh Bannen
January 25: Florida Georgia Line featuring Eric Paslay
January 26: Luke Bryan featuring Chris Stapleton 

Dierks Bentley Drunk On A Plane

The Multi-Platinum singer/songwriter has landed at the No. one spot on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase radio charts this week with country music's biggest summer hit “Drunk On A Plane.” It is the second consecutive No. 1 hit off his critically acclaimed album RISER on Capitol Records Nashville and the 12th of his career as both a singer and a songwriter.

“I think I knew even back when we were in the studio making this album that we were on to something special, but once you let it fly out into the world, you just never know what will happen,” said Bentley. "First, 'I Hold On' came out and really hit people in an emotional, personal way, and I was totally blown away by all the stories I heard and how impactful some of those lyrics were for a lot of people. And now, the reaction to 'Drunk' has just been crazy…two VERY different songs that the fans have taken and made their own. I'm just trying to live in every minute and soak it all in.  In the few quiet minutes I've got, I spend a lot of time thinking about how grateful I am to be here doing this and how many people have supported me and my music. The guys in radio are first on that list…I'm beyond thankful for those relationships. 12 No. ones…crazy!"

Rolling Stone also recently included the track as one of the "10 Best Country Songs of 2014 So Far,” calling it the “best sing-along of summer.”  And E! handpicked Bentley’s infectious track to represent country music on their "2014 Official Songs of Summer" list alongside hits by Beyonce, Sam Smith and Ariana Grande.  Since takeoff, the track's hilarious music video debuted on FUNNY OR DIE and went on to score the most votes for "funny" of any music video in the web site's history.

After a summer of capacity crowds in amphitheaters across the country, Bentley will wrap the first leg of his headlining 2014 RISER TOUR in Nashville, TN with his ninth annual "Miles & Music for Kids” on Sept. 28. The tour has now officially been extended with an additional 20-plus dates through the end of the year.  For ticket information and a full list of upcoming tour dates, please visit www.dierks.com.

Hunter Hayes On TODAY Show Concert Series Friday

Multi-instrumentalist and four-time GRAMMY nominee Hunter Hayes recently scored his third consecutive Choice Male Country Artist title at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards, taking home the trophy amongst stiff competition that included label-mate Blake Shelton and fellow chart-topping country artists Luke Bryan, Jake Owen and Keith Urban. Although he was unable to attend the ceremony, Hayes sent a heartfelt “thank-you” video message to the fans who voted him to the top spot. Click here to watch.

The Teen Choice Award comes at a prime time for Hayes, who is gearing up to perform on the TODAY Show as part of its Toyota® Concert Series on Friday, Aug. 22. Hayes will perform three songs, including his current single “Tattoo” and the poignant lead single “Invisible” from his most recent album Storyline, as well as the No. 1 smash hit from Hayes’ debut album, “I Want Crazy.” Hayes is a co-writer on all three songs and co-produced both Storyline and Hunter Hayes along with Dann Huff.

Click here to watch the official music video for “Tattoo.”

Following his TODAY Show appearance, Hayes will also headline Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day in Flushing, N.Y. on Saturday, Aug. 23.  The event is the largest single-day, grassroots tennis and entertainment event in the world and takes place each year the Saturday before the U.S. Open. Proceeds from Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day benefit the USTA Foundation, which helps fund the National Junior Tennis & Learning Network. For more information, visit www.arthurashe.org.

Hayes just completed the international leg of his promotional tour for Storyline and is currently headlining dates across the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.HunterHayes.com or connect on Twitter and Facebook @HunterHayes.

Media Contacts:
Essential Broadcast Media, LLC
Ebie McFarland / Stephanie Rew
(615) 327-3259
ebie@ebmediapr.com / stephanie@ebmediapr.com

Label Contact:
Warner Music Nashville
Nikki Herceg
(615) 214-1446
nikki.herceg@wmg.com

Country Goes Motley

Country stars lined up to pay homage to iconic rock group Motley Crue on the new Big Machine release, Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Motley Crue, which arrives at retail on August 19th. 

Justin Moore, Florida Georgia Line, Rascal Flatts, Brantley Gilbert, LeAnn Rimes, Darius Rucker, Eli Young Band, Cassadee Pope, The Mavericks, Big & Rich, The Cadillac Three, Aaron Lewis, Nashville stars Sam Palladio and Clare Bowen, Lauren Jenkins and Gretchen Wilson all recorded Motley Crue’s hits in tribute to the band, who, after more than 30 years together and over 80 million albums sold worldwide, have decided to call it quits.

The idea for Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Motley Crue at first didn’t make sense to the band, but Vince Neil says they quickly came around to giving their stamp of approval. “I just kind of couldn’t wrap my head around it because my head is still like what country was 30 years ago, say when I was growing up, and I didn’t really realize that country music has become the new rock ‘n’ roll, and so all of a sudden I started listening to these bands and going, ‘This actually makes sense. I mean, this is really cool! So it became really exciting and after listening to the songs for the first time of all the acts I was like, ‘These guys all hit a homerun on this record.’”

The first single from Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Motley Crue is Justin Moore’s version of “Home Sweet Home,” featuring Vince Neil.

Garth And Kenny Can Still Move Crowds AND Tickets!

Garth Brooks has beaten his personal record for tickets sold in Atlanta. The record was previously set at the Omni, March 13th -17th, 1996, with 81,902 paid tickets. Garth has now surpassed that number and is still selling.

Two shows were put on sale this morning then two shows were added, making Garth the only artist to ever sell seven consecutive shows at the Philips Arena. The previous record was held by Elvis Presley, with four shows.

The dates are, September 19th 6:30 PM and 10:30 PM, September 20th 6:30 PM and 10:30 PM, September 21 7:30 PM, September 26 7:30 PM, September 27 7:30 PM.

Tickets will cost $56.94 plus $4.56 tax, a $4.00 facility fee and a $6.00 service charge, totaling $71.50. There is a six ticket limit. They can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000 or Ticketmaster Express 1-866-448-7849. Please note there will be no sales at the venue box office or Ticketmaster outlets.

There was a pirate ship, inflatable crafts, yachts, shrimp boats, skidoos and paddle boards when the No Shoes Nation took the beach behind the legendary Flora-Bama Lounge. At straight up 5pm, Kenny Chesney walked down the strut in orange cargos, a grey t-shirt and a ball cap, strummed a chord and sang, “Sittin’ here at the Flora-Bama/ Bout to open up a big ole can o’/ good times...”

The crowd of over 40,000 – coming from as far away as Oregon, Ohio, South Carolina, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Arizona – was primed, singing along to the song just released as an Instant Grat Track to celebrate the stadium show without a stadium. For Chesney, who took 2014 off the road to concentrate on making The Big Revival, hearing the crowd so loud moved him.

“Man, when those people kicked in and started singing ‘Flora-Bama’ back to me, that just hit me in the heart,” says the man The Los Angeles Times called "The People’s Superstar” of the crowd’s response. “A year without touring takes me away from that, and those fans... whether they know it or not... inspire me. So having spent the year writing and recording, that was like plugging into the source.”

Evidently--Chesney’s 32-song set lasted two and a half hours. Mixing old favorites “How Forever Feels” and “Don’t Happen Twice,” acoustic numbers “Old Blue Chair,” “You and Tequila” and the acoustic-turning-full-impact “When I See This Bar,” he also brought out frequent co-writer David Lee Murphy as a surprise, trading verses on Murphy’s hits “Dust On The Bottle” and “Party Crowd.”

“Since David Lee wrote ‘Flora-Bama’ with me, I know he knows about the heart and the soul of the people down here, how much they love music and love life,” Chesney says of the walk-on. “There’s a real vibe when people connected with the moment experience something that moves them... and David Lee had’em singing along his songs, too.”

For Chesney, his stadium stage sitting on the sand wasn’t even coloring outside the lines. Employing his sound system for those shows, as well as relay speakers around the 1/3 of a mile imprint – and also speakers pointed to sea for the boaters, it was a show beyond proportion. People started arriving yesterday, and were in line all night to get in.

“We had the No Shoes Navy, the No Shoes Nation, people who aren’t afraid to get out there and live and just experience the moment. The fact that we could announce this show two weeks ago, build it and have that kind of response to a crazy notion I had – one that started out with playing a little Keg show in the upstairs of the club and turned into a great big show on the beach? It says a lot about my team, the Flora-Bama’s John McInnis and Cameron Rice and especially the people who came from all over to be here with us.”

Filmed by Shaun Silva for a TV special this fall, Chesney and band took the tailgate vibe of his shows and distilled it. Bikinis, shorts, tank tops, sunburns and ball caps, the dress code was casual and the mood was great. As the 4-time CMA and 4-time ACM Entertainer of the Year said, “It was a party. It was a day at the beach. It was a good time. But mostly, it was the gathering of the No Shoes Nation for the music, and the fun, and just getting to see each other.”

Country Stars Stand Under Ice Buckets

Luke Bryan was challenged by his buddy and opening act Cole Swindell in the #icebucketchallenge to fight ALS. Dierks Bentley, who had already done the challenge, and Lee Brice were in attendance and added a little commentary to the event.

Darius Rucker braved the icy cold water and took the #icebucketchallenge and in turn challenged Lady Antebellum's Charles Kelley, who was also called out by Luke Bryan. Charles called out model/actress Kate Upton, who appears in the band's video for "Bartender."

The #icebucketchallenge has helped raise more than $2 million for the national ALS Association since July 29th.

In addition to Darius, Luke and Charles, folks like Dierks Bentley, Scotty McCreery, Lee Brice, Cole Swindell, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Justin Timberlake, Martha Stewart, NBC's Matt Lauer and Hoda Kotb and even the Kennedy family.

Alan Jackson Moves In (To The Country Music Hall Of Fame)

More info at (click).

Lady A Will Be Up Very Late On 12/31

Seven-time GRAMMY-winning country trio Lady Antebellum will headline the Jack Daniel’s New Year’s Eve Bash on Broadway, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC) announced today. Music City will once again offer one of the biggest New Year’s Eve celebrations in the country with a free concert and Nashville’s own midnight “Music Note Drop®.”

“In just six years, the event has rapidly grown to be one of the biggest New Year’s Eve productions in the country,” said Ken Levitan, chairman of the NCVC board of directors and president of Vector Management. “It’s a major draw for visitors and locals alike, generating a tremendous amount of revenue for Nashville. The event has grown every year and drawn international attention to Music City. Lady A assures that we continue that upward trajectory.”

“We’re so looking forward to celebrating New Year’s this year in our hometown,” said Lady A’s Hillary Scott. “It’s such a magical time of year, so getting to be home with our friends, family and all of Nashville downtown on Broadway will be such a fun way to ring in 2015!”

The Bash on Broadway has grown exponentially since its inception, with the 2013 event generating $13.6 million in direct visitor spending. City officials estimated a record 85,000 people lined the streets of Broadway to experience the live concert series, Music Note Drop® and fireworks display, up from 55,000 in 2012.

Jack Daniel’s Bash on Broadway is produced by the NCVC for the city of Nashville and presented by Jack Daniel’s. The celebration is sponsored by Advance Financial, Anderson Benson Insurance, Carl Black Chevrolet, McDonald’s, Durango Boot, Korbel, Miller Lite and Coors Light.

Announcement of additional artists will be forthcoming. For the latest details about talent and events, visit www.visitmusiccity.com/newyearseve.

Rascal Flatts Believes The Right Tour Openers Are Extremely Important

They are currently out on their Rewind Tour with special guests Sheryl Crow and Gloriana, and Joe Don Rooney says picking the right opening acts is a crucial part of any good tour. For one, the entire package has to be entertaining, but also he says, “I remember in the 80’s, when I was a kid, I went and saw this group Aerosmith. Pretty good band. And they had this young artist named Bryan Adams that was openin’ up for ‘em. It was like; wow, I got to see Bryan Adams for the first time and he went on to be a mega-star, but I went to a Aerosmith concert not knowing he was gonna be openin’ up, or who he was. So, I think the experience and the package is very important.”

Unfortunately Rascal Flatts had to cancel their shows this weekend because Gary LeVox is suffering from an unforeseen illness. It’s very rare for them to ever cancel a show, so to cancel three was definitely a difficult but necessary decision. Their latest song, “Payback,” is top 30 and climbing.

Taylor Swift Knows Now To Use Social To Create Buzz

And she's been doing it all week, hinting a new album may be here sooner than we thought (or, conversely, not soon enough).

Monday afternoon Swift uploaded a video to Instagram along with the message, "So, here's your first clue..." The video shows Swift pushing an elevator button reading '18' six times.  Then, there were more.  And, more.  And, more.

And, the news sites began echoing everything they could find:

• Trending Today: Taylor Swift Keeps Dropping Hints

• Who's that girl? Taylor Swift is barely recognisable

• See Taylor Swift With a Mouth Full of Braces

• Taylor Swift Wants To Be A Guest With Jimmy Fallon

• Watch Taylor Swift Tease 'Tonight Show' Appearance

• Watch Taylor Swift School Jeff Bridges in 'The Giver'

• Charges dropped in Taylor Swift home disturbance

• Taylor Swift drops more cryptic hints about new music

Luke Bryan Does GMA

The superstar was in the Big Apple this morning for a performance on ABC’s Good Morning America’s “Summer Concert Series” from Central Park.  Luke performed many of his No. 1 hits, as well as new single “Roller Coaster,” which sits at No. 15 on the charts in just a few short weeks since its release.

At the close of Luke’s concert, he taped a scene with Connie Britton and Amy Robach on the GMA stage for ABC’s Nashville.  Tune in Oct. 1st to see the appearance.

After the Good MorningAmerica performance, Luke will take his “That’s My Kind of Night Tour” to Boston’s Gillette Stadium on Sunday (August 10th) for the second of four stadium shows set for this summer. Luke’s June concert in Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field made history by setting an all-time country record for sold tickets with more than 50,000 fans in attendance. 

For additional information on Luke and his “That’s My Kind of Night Tour,” visit www.LukeBryan.com.

It's "Country's Night To Rock" Again

“CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” is the front-row seat to the hottest concert performances of the summer. Hosted for the second time by reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town, the three-hour special airs Tuesday, August 5 (7:00-10:00 PM/CT) on the ABC Television Network.

Filmed during the sold-out CMA Music Festival in June, the special spotlights America’s music in the epicenter of the format – Nashville – and features full-scale stadium performances by Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church (with special guest Lzzy Hale), Florida Georgia Line, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert (including special guest Carrie Underwood), Tim McGraw with special guest Faith Hill, Justin Moore with Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx of Motley Crüe, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton (with special guest Gwen Sebastian), Cole Swindell, The Band Perry, Keith Urban, and Zac Brown Band with special guest Richie Sambora.

You can help support tune in by sharing the promotional materials hosted at CMAfest.com/promo. You can also join the conversation with fans, artists, and partners by following #CMAfest on social networks.

"Having A Better Sophomore Album Is Inevitable"

Florida Georgia Line’s sophomore album, featuring their latest single, “Dirt,” will be released this fall, and Tyler Hubbard believes it’s inevitable that the next album will be better than their first, simply because everyone involved with it has learned and grown since they recorded their first album.

“Anything you do repeatedly, you’re gonna get better at,” says Tyler. “Practice makes perfect. If anything, we’ve practiced a lot the last two years. Whether it’s performing or writing or recording or anything, we’ve learned a ton in the process. So, I think with this album it’s gonna be better than the first album, naturally.”

Not only does he believe they’ve found better songs, but he Tyler says, “I think (our producer) Joey Moi’s gotten better; we’ve gotten better. Everybody gets better as you progress and continue to be hungry for knowledge and hungry for betterin’ yourself, and I think that’s where our whole team is at.”

They haven’t announced a specific release date for the album, but it looks like it will be out around October.

George Strait Is Excited The ACM's Come To Dallas

Next year, to mark their 50th anniversary, the Academy of Country Music Awards will leave their longtime Las Vegas home and relocate to Dallas, where the televised award ceremony and performances will be held at AT&T Stadium.

And you’ll be hard-pressed to find a bigger supporter of the idea – beyond Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, perhaps – than the one-and-only George, who wrapped his Cowboy Rides Away Tour at the massive venue on June 7th.

“I don’t think they’re going to have a problem there,” the always under-stated Strait says. “If you haven’t been there, you’ve got to go. It’s amazing.” The King is excited to see what happens next spring, too – “I’m looking forward to being there. Hopefully I can be a part of it.”

Jerrod Niemann Broadens His Base

Niemann is out on the road with Keith Urban, and Jerrod is looking forward to gelling with Keith’s fans.