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Trailer
Choir
August 13, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.
With their current hit “What Would You Say,” Trailer
Choir has hit the national country stage with high amounts of energy
and surprising speed over the last 18 months. Named About.com's Best
New Country Duo/Group, the group started when singers Butter and Big
Vinny met in Nashville and started performing together. The final member
of the Trailer Choir trio, Crystal, joined the group in a rather peculiar
way. An early fan of Butter and Big Vinny’s music, Crystal was
at one of their concerts when she decided they needed a female harmony.
She proceeded to jump on the stage and take over a microphone; thus,
earning herself a spot as the third singer of Trailer Choir.
The group is known for its songs about having a good time. “Off
the Hillbilly Hook,” “My Last Five Beers,” “Rollin’ Through
the Sunshine” and “Rockin’ the Beer Gut” are
among their fans’ favorites. Recently, the trio has allowed a
deeper side to come out in their music. “What Would You Say” is
a poignant song inspired by the tragic story of 12 miners who were
trapped in a mine in Sago, West Virginia. While in the collapsed mine,
some of these men were able to write letters to their families before
they died. The song serves as a reminder to live every moment to the
fullest and to make the most out of every chance you have to be with
the people you know and love. It shows a new, serious side of Trailer
Choir that’s all about real life and remembering what’s
important.
Jace
Everett
August 14, 8 p.m.
Jace Everett, known for his first hit single “That’s
the Kind of Love I’m In,” based his self-titled album off
his own life experiences. With six of the ten songs either written
or co-written by Everett, the album includes the biographical ballads “Half
Of My Mistakes,” “Nowhere in the Neighborhood” and “Between
A Father And A Son.” The popular “Bad Things” is
the theme song for HBO’s True Blood.
Everett was born in Ohio but moved to Texas at the age of six. Calling
himself a “born-again Texan,” he grew up singing in school
and church musicals and had country music incorporated into many aspects
of his life. He started to attend college in Nashville but ended up
quitting and working an assortment of odd jobs, including bartender,
photographer, waiter, and truck washer. After years of chasing his
music dream, Everett’s shows prove it’s all about being
real and making honest, fun country music.
Randy
Houser
August 15, 8 p.m.
Randy Houser’s irresistible passion, enthusiasm and conviction,
combined with his vocal and song-writing abilities, have turned this small-town
Mississippi singer into a rising star in the country music industry. With
hits like the rockin’ “Boots On” and the gripping breakthrough
single “Anything Goes,” his debut album includes a balance
of sad and joyful tunes.
Houser came to Nashville in early 2003 in hopes of making a living singing
like his professional musician father, Papa Houser and co-wrote the hit “Honky
Tonk Badonkadonk” with Jamey Johnson and Dallas Davidson. Since
then, his songs have been picked up by John Michael Montgomery (“If
You Ever Went Away”), Justin Moore (“Back That Thing Up”),
George Canyon (“Coming From You”) and other singers.
Heidi
Newfield
August 16, 8 p.m.
Heidi Newfield, best known as the original female member of the country
music group Trick Pony, launched her solo career with the hit single “Johnny
and June” and debut album “What Am I Waiting For.” Although
she doesn’t perform with her old bandmates anymore, her explosive
voice, rambunctious stage antics, and trademark unruly curls have carried
over into her solo career.
Growing up on a horse farm in Healdsburg, California, Newfield discovered
her passion for music at a young age. She recorded her first demo at
age 13 and never veered from her childhood dream of being a singer
someday. Although she entered the country music scene with hard-partying,
good-timing Trick Pony, Newfield is at a different stage in life now,
as seen by her new, diverse range of songs, including the bleak “Wreck
You,” the redneck anthem “Knocked Up” and the beautiful
and haunting “Love Her and Lose Me.”
Jason
Brown
August 17-19, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.
With pure vocals that wrap listeners in the emotion of each lyric,
Jason Brown’s youthful charm finds a home standing on a musical
front porch near the corner of 'Beer Run Boulevard' and 'Sunday Morning
Avenue'. Brown has shared the stage alongside many of country’s
leading and rising artists including: Gary Allan, Rascal Flatts, Blake
Shelton, Josh Turner, Sugarland, Emerson Drive, Taylor Swift, Chuck
Wicks, The Lost Trailers, and Montgomery Gentry, just to name a few.
"My grandmother taught me from an early age to appreciate the
piano and to support my vocals. Even at age four when I sang in the
church, I projected loud enough that they didn’t even have to
mic me,” laughs Jason. From grandma’s keys to stages
across the nation, his energetic show has left a lasting impression
among his fans, including one signing session that ran for seven hours.
When he’s not stomping out the groovin’ new-country tunes
or enjoying downtime with his family, the Pella, Iowa native likes
to spend his hours among the wildlife hunting whatever game is currently
in season, and of course fishing.
Jerrod
Niemann
August 19, Noon & 2 p.m.
Jerrod Niemann, one of country music’s most anticipated new
artists, has co-written numerous hits like Garth Brooks’ “Good
Ride Cowboy.” Having established himself as a songwriter, Niemann
has now turned his focus to performing with his traveling band. Ultimately,
whether he’s writing the next big hit or performing in front
of audiences throughout the United States, Niemann’s goal is
to keep the country tradition alive and vital in modern times.
Niemann grew up in a small town in Kansas where his parents owned
and operated a roller skating rink, which exposed him to music every
day. After high school he enrolled in a commercial music program with
an emphasis on country music at a college in Texas. He learned the
fundamentals of songwriting and eventually made his way to Nashville
and landed a songwriting contract. Niemann’s big break came when
country legend Garth Brooks listened to several songs that Niemann
and his friend Richie Brown had recorded. Brooks, who described their
music as “magical,” asked the two to help him write songs
for his album “Scarecrow.” Their combined work resulted
in Brook’s hit singles “That Girl Is A Cowboy” and “Good
Ride Cowboy.”
Country
Gold
August 20, 6 & 8:30 p.m.
Legendary country artists LeRoy VanDyke, Steve and Rudy Gatlin, Helen
Cornelius, and David Frizzell share the stage for a star-studded performance.
Click here for full
bios of the artists.
LoCash
Cowboys
August 21, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.
Singing a hybrid of country, rock and hip-hop music, the LoCash Cowboys
have captured audiences across the country with the duo’s tight
two-part harmonies. Their top hits include “My Life in Tuckerville”—the
theme song to Tonya Tucker’s CMT show “Tuckerville”—and “Parade,” which
they sang in New York City’s Times Square during a New Year’s
Eve performance. In 2008 the LoCash Cowboys graced the Country Music
Association’s Top 10 Ballot for Duo of the Year for the second
time in three years.
The duo is comprised of Chris Lucas, a high school football luminary
from Maryland, and Preston Brust, the son of a preacher man from Indiana.
The two met in Nashville in 2002 and formed LoCash Cowboys two weeks
later. Since then, the duo’s popularity has soared and they have
shared shows with big performers, including Keith Urban, Toby Keith,
Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich, and Tom Petty. With high-energy dance
moves, wide-ranging vocal capabilities, and a ruthless, raw, and robust
sound, the LoCash Cowboys’ concerts are known to be upbeat and
electrifying.
Lost
Trailers
August 22, 8 p.m.
It’s not easy capturing the energy and excitement of live shows
and putting it in a record, but that was exactly what the Lost Trailers
were aiming for. With their latest album, “Holler Back,” they
clearly succeeded. It debuted at number five on the Billboard Country
Albums Chart and made them the “Most Played New Country Group
of 2008.” The title song “Holler Back” and their
follow-up single “How ‘Bout You Don’t” show
just how successful the band has become as they both made it inside
the Top 20 on country radio charts.
The group, comprised of Ryder Lee, Jeff Potter, Manny Medina and
brothers Stokes and Andrew Nielson caught an early break after Willie
Nelson heard their demo and invited them to perform at his annual Fourth
of July picnic. They received such a great response from their audience
that Nelson asked them to open other concerts for him. The group has
also shared the stage with Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley
and Kenny Chesney.
Julianne
Hough
August 23, 7 p.m.
With her hit single “That Song in my Head,” Julianne
Hough’s warm, textured voice and fun and quirky personality have
captured the attention of millions. In addition to being named CMA’s
Top New Female Vocalist, she also received the association’s
fan-based Top New Artist Award.
While the two-time “Dancing with the Stars” champion
is a triple threat as a dancer, actress and singer, the 20-year-old
has recently turned her focus to singing. One of Hough’s first
songs, “Will You Dance With Me,” which was recorded for
an American Red Cross fund raising project that benefited Kansas tornado
victims, peaked at number eight on the country music charts despite
never being released to radio. Her May 2008 debut album, featuring
the hit “That Song in my Head,” became the highest country
debut since 2006. Hough’s fresh-faced contributions include a
mixture of up-beat tempos and contemplative ballads that have placed
her at the forefront of the country music scene. |