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Tag: Chris Stapleton

  • The SteelDrivers kick off Pontiac’s Flagstar Strand Theatre fall season

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    Robert Rausch

    The SteelDrivers.

    Downtown Pontiac’s historic Flagstar Strand Theatre is kicking off its fall season with a performance by acclaimed Nashville bluegrass band the SteelDrivers.

    The concert is set for 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5, with tickets starting at $37.

    Founded in 2005, the band once counted the country singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton as its lead singer until he departed in 2010. The group earned a Grammy award for “Best Bluegrass Album” with 2015’s The Muscle Shoals Recordings, and earlier this year, the SteelDrivers signed with the iconic record label Sun Records.

    The band’s progressive sound has been described as “bluegrass soul.”

    “While there’s a strong traditional streak in the SteelDrivers’ sound, they bring a passion to their delivery that adds a distinctive flavor, and forceful grit adding undertones of blues, soul, and rock,” a press release states.

    The band is made up of Richard Bailey (banjo), Tammy Rogers (fiddle), Mike Fleming (bass), Brent Truitt (mandolin), and Matt Dame (lead vocals, guitar).

    More information is available at flagstarstrand.com.

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    Lee DeVito

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  • Music Review: On ‘Cowboys and Dreamers,’ George Strait’s traditional country is still a heart warmer

    Music Review: On ‘Cowboys and Dreamers,’ George Strait’s traditional country is still a heart warmer

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    George Strait’s 31st studio album, the feel-good “Cowboys and Dreamers,” marks five decades of record releases; a titanic career for a Texas troubadour whose greatest ambition seems to have always been the same: Make pretty, plain-spoken songs about life’s true pains and pleasures, and listeners will find their own resonance within them.

    Across 13 songs in 47 minutes — his first collection since 2019’s “Honky Tonk Time Machine” — Strait plays to his traditionalist country style without ever sounding derivative of his former records. That’s the beauty of his particular songwriting: The songs on “Cowboys and Dreamers” could exist at any point in time across his career, not in a lazy atavistic fashion, but utilizing nostalgia as an effective art medium.

    There are standouts for every mood across “Cowboys and Dreamers,” best heard through an old truck’s speakers while driving down an empty back road: The joyful single “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame,” featuring Chris Stapleton, a cover of Waylon Jennings’ “Waymore’s Blues,” and the Jimmy Buffet-informed vacation stomper, “MIA Down in MIA.”

    Privacy is required for the tear-jerking ballads with pedal steel that sounds like crying: Like on “The Little Things,” “People Get Hurt Sometimes,” “The Journey Of Your Life” or, most severely, “Rent,” written by Guy Clark and Keith Gattis, that begins with Strait offering a spoken-word tribute to the late Gattis.

    “The war took my brother/The good Lord took my mother/And the years, well, I don’t know where they all went,” he later sings in its striking chorus. “Until that roll is called up yonder/All I can do is wonder/If I even did enough to make a dent/But I made a few good friends/And I always paid my rent.”

    Over the last two years, Strait has been on tour with Stapleton and Little Big Town. He’s filled stadiums in states maybe not stereotypically associated with country music, but deep appreciators of the stuff, nonetheless. In June, at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium not far from New York City, Strait turned a space of tens of thousands across many demographics into something resembling the intimacy of those honky tonks he’s always singing about. Strait performed with a big band and a lot of heart, in a Western shirt and stiff, straight-starched jeans. (The closest a person can get to levitation is singing along to “Amarillo by Morning” in a stadium of tens of thousands, anyway.) There, as on “Cowboys and Dreamers,” Strait’s powers were in full force: Familiar sounds in a modern context. If you love Strait, you love him — and that makes it classic.

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    For more AP reviews of recent music releases, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/music-reviews

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  • The Rolling Stones set to play New Orleans Jazz Fest 2024, opening Thursday

    The Rolling Stones set to play New Orleans Jazz Fest 2024, opening Thursday

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    NEW ORLEANS – It looks like the third time is the charm as the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festival prepares, again, for The Rolling Stones to perform.

    The festival, which spans two weekends, is set to open Thursday with dozens of acts playing daily on 14 stages spread throughout the historic Fair Grounds race course. The Stones play next Thursday, May 2, tickets for which have long been sold out.

    In 2019, festival organizers thought they had landed the legendary rock band, but the appearance was canceled because lead singer Mick Jagger had heart surgery. They tried again in 2021, but a surge in COVID-19 cases ultimately forced the fest to cancel.

    Now, says festival producer Quint Davis, “It’s gonna be special.”

    This will be the first time the Stones play Jazz Fest.

    Opening day acts include rock bands Widespread Panic and The Beach Boys, reggae artist Stephen Marley and jazz vocalist John Boutte.

    “The talent is great, the weather is projected to be good and people’s expectations are going to be met,” Davis said.

    Blue skies, sunshine and temperatures in the 80s were forecast for opening day Thursday. Similar weather was expected for the rest of the first weekend, which runs through Sunday and showcases performances by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jon Batiste, country megastar Chris Stapleton, R&B singer Fantasia, rock band Heart, Cajun fiddler Amanda Shaw and The Cute Guys, jazz pianist Patrice Rushen, and blues and folk artist Ruthie Foster.

    Anticipation for the Stones’ performance is palpable, Davis said.

    “All I’m hearing is ‘How can I get a ticket?’” he said of fans trying to see the marquee performance. “Unfortunately for some, that day sold out in like a day-and-a-half after tickets went on sale. I think people have just waited so long for this.”

    The Rolling Stones in October released “ Hackney Diamonds,” their first album of original material since 2005 and their first without drummer Charlie Watts, who died in 2021. Though he hasn’t seen a set list, Davis said fans can expect to hear a mix of greatest hits and new releases. No special guests are expected to perform with the Rolling Stones, but Davis said “never say never.”

    “Just expect euphoria,” he said laughing. “I think maybe we’re going to need some ambulances on site because people are going to spontaneously combust from the excitement. And, they’re playing in a daylight event. They’re gonna be able to make eye contact with the audience. That’s going to create a really special bond.”

    Acts on the festival’s 14 stages usually play simultaneously beginning when gates open at 11 a.m. and continuing until the music ends at 7 p.m. But the other stages will shut down next week when the Stones take the stage.

    “We didn’t want to have 13 empty stages and no people in front of them when the Stones start singing favorites like ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ and ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash,’” Davis said. “Everyone who bought a ticket for that day primarily bought one to see The Stones.”

    Davis said tickets for the festival’s other days remain available and can be purchased online through their website.

    Much of Jazz Fest celebrates the Indigenous music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana but the music encompasses nearly every style imaginable: blues, R&B, gospel, Cajun, Zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, folk, Latin, rock, rap, contemporary and traditional jazz, country, bluegrass and everything in between.

    Colombia’s rhythms, from music to dance and food, also will be highlighted this year as part of the festival’s cultural exchange. Close to 200 Colombian artists are scheduled to participate, including headliners Bomba Estéreo on Saturday, ChocQuibTown’s lead singer Goyo in a guest appearance with local band ÌFÉ on Sunday, and salsa legends Grupo Niche closing the celebration on May 5.

    And don’t forget the food. During the festival, food available on site includes crawfish bread, pecan catfish meuniere and catfish almondine, cochon de lait and turducken po-boys, boudin, crawfish étouffée, jambalaya, crawfish Monica and shrimp and grits.

    Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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    Chevel Johnson Rodrigue, Associated Press

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  • Willie Nelson to celebrate 90th birthday at all-star concert

    Willie Nelson to celebrate 90th birthday at all-star concert

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    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Texas troubadour Willie Nelson will celebrate his 90th birthday with his friends and family at an all-star two-day concert at the Hollywood Bowl this April.

    The Grammy-winning country icon’s milestone birthday party will take place on April 29-30 and feature Nelson and dozens of performers, including Neil Young, Chris Stapleton, Lyle Lovett, Miranda Lambert, Rosanne Cash, Snoop Dogg, The Chicks, Kacey Musgraves and many more.

    Six decades into his career, the singer-songwriter, author and activist is still going strong, with a new album — “I Don’t Know a Thing About Love” — coming in March and a five-part documentary premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. He’s also nominated for four Grammys this year. Some of his biggest hits include “On The Road Again,” “Crazy” and “Funny How Time Slips Away.”

    Additional performers include Norah Jones, Tom Jones, Tyler Childers, Warren Haynes, Ziggy Marley, Sturgill Simpson, Allison Russell, Beck, Billy Strings, Bobby Weir, Charley Crockett, Edie Brickell, Leon Bridges, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff, Orville Peck, Sheryl Crow, The Avett Brothers, The Lumineers, and Nelson’s sons, Lukas Nelson and Micah Nelson, the latter of whom performs as Particle Kid.

    Tickets for the concerts go on sale to the general public on Jan. 28, with a presale starting on Wednesday.

    __

    Online: WillieNelson90.com

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  • Today in History: November 10, U.S. Marines first organized

    Today in History: November 10, U.S. Marines first organized

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    Today in History

    Today is Thursday, Nov. 10, the 314th day of 2022. There are 51 days left in the year.

    Today’s Highlight in History:

    On Nov. 10, 1775, the U.S. Marines were organized under authority of the Continental Congress.

    On this date:

    In 1871, journalist-explorer Henry M. Stanley found Scottish missionary David Livingstone, who had not been heard from for years, near Lake Tanganyika in central Africa.

    In 1919, the American Legion opened its first national convention in Minneapolis.

    In 1928, Hirohito (hee-roh-hee-toh) was enthroned as Emperor of Japan.

    In 1944, during World War II, the ammunition ship USS Mount Hood (AE-11) exploded while moored at the Manus Naval Base in the Admiralty Islands in the South Pacific, leaving 45 confirmed dead and 327 missing and presumed dead.

    In 1951, customer-dialed long-distance telephone service began as Mayor M. Leslie Denning of Englewood, New Jersey, called Alameda, California, Mayor Frank Osborne without operator assistance.

    In 1954, the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, depicting the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima in 1945, was dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Arlington, Virginia.

    In 1969, the children’s educational program “Sesame Street” made its debut on National Educational Television (later PBS).

    In 1975, the U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution equating Zionism with racism (the world body repealed the resolution in Dec. 1991).

    In 1982, the newly finished Vietnam Veterans Memorial was opened to its first visitors in Washington, D.C., three days before its dedication. Soviet leader Leonid I. Brezhnev died at age 75.

    In 2005, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a former finance minister of Liberia, claimed victory in the country’s presidential election.

    In 2009, John Allen Muhammad, mastermind of the 2002 sniper attacks that killed 10 in the Washington, D.C. region, was executed. President Barack Obama visited Fort Hood, Texas, where he somberly saluted the 13 Americans killed in a shooting rampage, and pledged that the killer would be “met with justice — in this world, and the next.”

    In 2018, President Donald Trump, in France to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, canceled a visit to a cemetery east of Paris where Americans killed in that war are buried; rainy weather had grounded the presidential helicopter. Authorities in Northern California said 14 additional bodies had been found in the ruins from a fire that virtually destroyed the town of Paradise.

    Ten years ago: Two people were killed when a powerful gas explosion rocked an Indianapolis neighborhood, damaging or destroying more than 80 homes. (Five people were later convicted of charges in connection with the blast, which prosecutors said stemmed from a plot to collect insurance money.)

    Five years ago: Facing allegations of sexual misconduct, comedian Louis C.K. said the harassment claims by five women that were detailed in a New York Times report were true, and he expressed remorse for using his influence “irresponsibly.” The National Republican Senatorial committee ended its fundraising agreement with Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore in light of allegations of sexual contact with a teenager decades earlier. President Donald Trump arrived in Vietnam to attend an international economic summit, telling CEOs on the sidelines of the summit, “We are not going to let the United States be taken advantage of anymore.”

    One year ago: Kyle Rittenhouse took the stand in his murder trial, testifying that he was under attack and acting in self-defense when he shot and killed two men and wounded a third during a turbulent night of street protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Rittenhouse would be acquitted of all charges.) A judge in Michigan approved a $626 million settlement for Flint residents and others who were exposed to lead-contaminated water; most of the money would come from the state. A New Jersey gym owner, Scott Fairlamb, who punched a police officer during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, was sentenced to more than three years in prison. The government said prices for U.S. consumers jumped 6.2% in October compared with a year earlier, leaving families facing their highest inflation rate since 1990. Chris Stapleton was the big winner with six trophies including song and album of the year and Luke Combs claimed the biggest prize with entertainer of the year at the Country Music Association Awards.

    Today’s Birthdays: Blues singer Bobby Rush is 88. Actor Albert Hall is 85. Country singer Donna Fargo is 81. Former Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., is 79. Lyricist Tim Rice is 78. Actor Jack Scalia is 72. Movie director Roland Emmerich is 67. Actor Matt Craven is 66. Actor-comedian Sinbad is 66. Actor Mackenzie Phillips is 63. Author Neil Gaiman (GAY’-mihn) is 62. Actor Vanessa Angel is 59. Actor Hugh Bonneville is 59. Actor-comedian Tommy Davidson is 59. Actor Michael Jai (jy) White is 58. Country singer Chris Cagle is 54. Actor-comedian Tracy Morgan is 54. Actor Ellen Pompeo (pahm-PAY’-oh) is 53. Actor-comedian Orny Adams is 52. Rapper U-God is 52. Rapper-producer Warren G is 52. Actor Walton Goggins is 51. Comedian-actor Chris Lilley is 48. Contemporary Christian singer Matt Maher is 48. Rock singer-musician Jim Adkins (Jimmy Eat World) is 47. Rapper Eve is 44. Rock musician Chris Joannou (joh-AN’-yoo) (Silverchair) is 43. Actor Heather Matarazzo is 40. Country singer Miranda Lambert is 39. Actor Josh Peck is 36. Pop singer Vinz Dery (Nico & Vinz) is 32. Actor Genevieve Buechner is 31. Actor Zoey Deutch (DOYCH) is 28. Actor Kiernan Shipka is 23. Actor Mackenzie Foy is 22.

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  • CMA Awards 2022: See the full list of winners | CNN

    CMA Awards 2022: See the full list of winners | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Country music threw a party on Wednesday night as the CMA Awards were presented.

    First-time nominee Lainey Wilson topped the list of nominees going into the show and ended the night with major wins, including new artist of the year and female vocalist of the year.

    The emotional Wilson declared in one acceptance speech: “I know I’m new to a lot of folks, but I won’t let y’all all down. I promise you.”

    Luke Combs also had a big night, taking the stage both as a performer and winner. Combs won the coveted entertainer of the year award and album of the year.

    The night kicked off with a moving tribute to the late Loretta Lynn, with Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood taking the stage together. Jerry Lee Lewis, who died last month at age 87, was also honored in a performance by Elle King and The Black Keys.

    Other performers included Kelly Clarkson, who performed with Kelsea Ballerini and Carly Pearce, and Luke Bryan, who pulled double duty as host alongside Peyton Manning.

    Dierks Bentley and Wilson were also among a gaggle of artists who took the stage to honor Alan Jackson, the recipient of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.

    Below is a list of winners:

    Luke Combs *WINNER

    Miranda Lambert

    Chris Stapleton

    Carrie Underwood

    Morgan Wallen

    “Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan

    “half of my hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini featuring Kenny Chesney

    “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde

    “‘Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson *WINNER

    “You Should Probably Leave” – Chris Stapleton

    “Growin’ Up” – Luke Combs *WINNER

    “Humble Quest” – Maren Morris

    “Palomino” – Miranda Lambert

    “Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’” – Lainey Wilson

    “Time, Tequila & Therapy” – Old Dominion

    “Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan *WINNER

    “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde

    “Sand In My Boots” – Morgan Wallen

    “Things A Man Oughta Know” – Lainey Wilson

    “You Should Probably Leave” – Chris Stapleton

    Miranda Lambert

    Ashley McBryde

    Carly Pearce

    Carrie Underwood

    Lainey Wilson *WINNER

    Eric Church

    Luke Combs

    Cody Johnson

    Chris Stapleton *WINNER

    Morgan Wallen

    Lady A

    Little Big Town

    Midland

    Old Dominion *WINNER

    Zac Brown Band

    Brooks & Dunn

    Brothers Osborne *WINNER

    Dan + Shay

    LOCASH

    Maddie & Tae

    “Beers On Me” – Dierks Bentley with BRELAND & HARDY

    “If I Didn’t Love You” – Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood

    “Longneck Way To Go” – Midland featuring Jon Pardi

    “Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell with Lainey Wilson

    “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde *WINNER

    Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle *WINNER

    Paul Franklin, Steel guitar

    Brent Mason, Guitar

    Ilya Toshinskiy, Banjo

    Derek Wells, Guitar

    “I Bet You Think About Me” (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) – Taylor Swift featuring Chris Stapleton

    “Longneck Way To Go” – Midland featuring Jon Pardi

    “Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell with Lainey Wilson

    “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde

    “‘Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson *WINNER

    HARDY

    Walker Hayes

    Cody Johnson

    Parker McCollum

    Lainey Wilson *WINNER

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  • Top 20 Global Concert Tours from Pollstar

    Top 20 Global Concert Tours from Pollstar

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    The Top 20 Global Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows Worldwide. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers. Week of 10/10/2022 :

    TOP 20 GLOBAL CONCERT TOURS

    1. Bad Bunny; $9,850,282; $238.29.

    2. The Rolling Stones; $7,934,012; $167.24.

    3. The Weeknd; $7,605,255; $158.57.

    4. Red Hot Chili Peppers; $6,672,536; $135.79.

    5. Elton John; $6,398,684; $159.22.

    6. Coldplay; $6,088,060; $89.40.

    7. Lady Gaga; $5,719,355; $135.31.

    8. Mötley Crüe / Def Leppard; $5,163,037; $132.51.

    9. Ed Sheeran; $4,509,030; $75.77.

    10. Kenny Chesney; $3,399,082; $105.65.

    11. Iron Maiden; $2,044,208; $74.44.

    12. Morgan Wallen; $1,870,870; $103.98.

    13. Daddy Yankee; $1,797,513; $160.30.

    14. Kendrick Lamar; $1,771,207; $142.76.

    15. Post Malone; $1,760,474; $138.30.

    16. My Chemical Romance; $1,726,727; $152.63.

    17. Roger Waters; $1,534,684; $120.31.

    18. Harry Styles; $1,356,684; $93.52.

    19. Rosalía; $1,349,237; $133.42.

    20. Chris Stapleton; $1,320,186; $91.24.

    For free upcoming tour information, go to www.pollstar.com

    ———

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