Tickets go on sale Nov. 13 for Brad Paisley and Miranda Lambert’s Oklahoma City show
Brad Paisley (Associated Press photo)
As you saw here on BAM’s Blog last month, country superstar Brad Paisley, along with Oklahoma star Miranda Lambert and emerging artist Justin Moore, will play Jan. 8 at Oklahoma City’s Ford Center.
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Nov. 13, the venue has announced. Friday, Tickets will be available at all area Ticketmaster outlets or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
For more information, go to www.okfordcenter.com.
The reigning Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music Male Vocalist of the Year, Paisley is continuing his highly successful “American Saturday Night” tour into 2010. Special guests for the 19 added dates, including the Oklahoma City show, will be Lambert and Moore.
Paisley is a consummate singer, songwriter, guitarist and entertainer, which has earned him three Grammys, 12 ACM Awards and 11 CMAwards and is currently the most nominated for the upcoming CMA Awards with seven nominations. He will also co-host the show with Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood for the second year on Wednesday.
Paisley has released eight critically acclaimed studio albums that have accumulated sales of more than 10 million units, including twice-platinum 2005 ACM and CMA Album of the Year, “Time Well Wasted.” His most recent album, “American Saturday Night,” released on June 30, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums sales chart. Paisley has 14 No. 1 singles – the last 10 consecutive – extending a streak already unmatched by any other country artist in the 19-year history of Nielsen BDS- monitored airplay. Paisley’s innovative and entertaining tours have consistently placed in the Top 5 in Pollstar for attendance.
Lambert recently started a “Revolution” with the No. 1 debut of her critically-acclaimed third album. “Revolution” joins her previous two releases that debuted at the top of Billboard’s Country Albums Chart, making her one of three artists in Soundscan history whose first three albums all landed the No. 1 spot out of the box (along with LeAnn Rimes and Gretchen Wilson). The two-time Grammy nominee and platinum-selling artist received rare perfect reviews from countless publications, including four stars from Rolling Stone and USA Today, an ‘A’ from Entertainment Weekly and exuberant praise from SPIN, NY Times, Washington Post and more. Many have claimed “Revolution” as the best album of the year in any genre. She is currently nominated as this year’s CMA Top Female Vocalist and has won ACM’s 2007 Best New Female Award and 2008 ACM Album of the Year.
Born and raised in Poyen, Ark. (population 272), Southern country stylist Moore embodies 
the soul and character of a kid from a small town with his tough-talking, straight-shooting brand of country. His single, “Small Town USA” recently topped both country charts, making Moore the only new artist to have a No. 1 hit in 2009, and the first solo artist to have a song from his/her debut album go No. 1 since Taylor Swift’s “Our Song” in December 2007. Moore has been profiled in The Washington Post, People Country, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Nashville Lifestyles, Chicago Daily Herald, Billboard, and Country Weekly. He’s been featured on NPR, WGN Midday News, Fox News Channel, AP, 2009 CMT Music Awards, Crook & Chase, GAC and Better Nashville. Moore has previously toured with Trace Adkins, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Hank Williams Jr.
-BAM
Brad Paisley wraps 2009 tour, coming to Oklahoma City in January
Brad Paisley’s “American Saturday Night” tour wrapped its first leg of dates over the weekend, playing to capacity crowds in New York City, Baltimore, State College and Uncasville.
Over the past year, the country star has played to more than 1.2 million fans in more than 75 markets, notching an impressive 51 sell-outs along the way. The lucky one millionth ticket holder was given a 2009 Chevy Silverado by Paisley in Jacksonville, Fla., a few of weeks ago.
Dierks Bentley and Jimmy Wayne have been special guests on the tour and help Paisley close out his set each night by joining him on stage for “Alcohol.”
The final leg of the “American Saturday Night” tour kicks off Jan. 7 in San Antonio with Oklahoma country star Miranda Lambert and Justin Moore as special guests.
The tour will play Oklahoma City’s Ford Center on Jan. 8.
-BAM
First presenters announced for 43rd Annual CMA Awards
Julianne Hough
The first group of presenters has been announced for the 43rd Annual CMA Awards, which will hosted by Brad Paisley and Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood, and air live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 11 on ABC.
The first celebrities announced as presenters for the Country Music Association’s award show: NASCAR superstar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.; stars of ABC’s “The Middle” Neil Flynn and Patricia Heaton; Julianne Hough; nominee Randy Houser (for both New Artist and Music Video of the Year for “Boots On”); nominee Jake Owen (New Artist of the Year); Kellie Pickler; CMA Award winner LeAnn Rimes; and ABC News’s Robin Roberts, co-anchor of “Good Morning America” and host of the upcoming “Robin Roberts: Bright Lights. Big Stars. All Access Nashville” ABC television special (airing Nov. 10).
In addition, hot emerging trio Love And Theft will host the pre-telecast awards, which are given out during the half-hour before the televised event begins. Among the awards presented during this time are the CMA Broadcast Awards, which recognize the Broadcast Personality and Station of the Year in four categories (small, medium, large, and major market) as well as the National Broadcast Personality of the Year.
Performers already announced include Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney and Dave Mathews, Billy Currington, Vince Gill and Daughtry, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Zac Brown Band, with more to be named soon.
Tickets for the 2009 CMA Awards can be purchased by logging on to www.ticketmaster.com; calling (800) 745-3000; or in person at the Sommet Center box office, 501 Broadway (corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, in Nashville). Ticket prices begin at $110 for Upper Level. Lower Level seats are also available.
-BAM
Vince Gill-Daughtry and Kenny Chesney-Dave Matthews duets planned for CMA Awards
Vince Gill (Photo by Steve Gooch/The Oklahoman Archives)
Chris Daughtry of the band Daughtry (Associated Press photo)
Several additional performers have been announced in the past few days for next month’s 43rd Annual CMA Awards, including big cross-genre duets pairing Oklahoma native Vince Gill and rock band Daughtry and Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews.
In addition, Oklahoma resident Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, Billy Currington, Lady Antebellum and Zac Brown Band are recent additions to the Country Music Association’s awards show lineup.
The 43rd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Brad Paisley and Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood, airs live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on Nov. 11 on ABC.
In their debut CMA Awards performance, Grammy-nominated rock band Daughtry joins Country Music Hall of Fame member Gill for a duet of “Tennessee Line,” which the superstars recorded together for Daughtry’s new album, “Leave This Town.” That album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in July, becoming the group’s second consecutive album to top the charts. Daughtry’s self-titled first album, released in 2006, was the quickest-selling rock debut album in SoundScan history, selling more than five million copies worldwide.
Gill, who was born in Norman and raised in Oklahoma City, has won 18 CMA Awards, including Entertainer (1993, 1994), Male Vocalist (1991-1995), and Album of the Year (1993 for I Still Believe in You; 1994 for Common Thread: Songs of the Eagles). The singer-songwriter, who hosted the CMA Awards for 12 consecutive years (1992-2003), was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007.
Chesney and Matthews will perform “I’m Alive,” which they recorded together for Chesney’s “Lucky Old Sun” album. The song was originally recorded by Willie Nelson. The Matthews/Chesney duet is the current single from Chesney’s “Greatest Hits, Vol. 2.”
Chesney, the four-time and reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year (2004, 2006-08), is tied with Oklahoman Garth Brooks as the top winner in this category. He has received seven CMA Awards, including Album of the Year in 2004 for When the Sun Goes Down, which he co-produced with Buddy Cannon. This year, he has three nominations: Entertainer, Male Vocalist, and Musical Event with Mac McAnally for “Down the Road.” Chesney has sold more than 25 million albums, achieved 19 No. 1 hits, debuted five albums at No. 1 on the all genre Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, and for the last eight years has sold more than one million concert tickets annually, making him the biggest ticket seller in any genre in this century.
Matthews will be making his debut appearance on the CMA Awards. The singer/songwriter/actor has sold more than 32 million albums as leader of the acclaimed Dave Matthews Band and won three Grammy Awards. Dave Matthews Band’s current album is the platinum-certified “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart in June. This accomplishment ties them with Metallica as the only bands in chart history to debut five consecutive studio albums at No.1. With more than 16 million tickets sold, Dave Matthews Band was named the top-drawing American band in the world by Billboard.
Miranda Lambert
Lambert, a Tishomingo resident, is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year. The fiery performer has a career total of seven CMA nominations. Her new album “Revolution” recently debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart. This accomplishment established Lambert as the third artist in the SoundScan era to have their first three albums debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart.
McGraw last performed on the CMA Awards stage in 2005, when he joined wife Faith Hill on “Like We Never Loved At All.” His last solo performance on the CMA Awards was in 2004, when he opened the show with “How Bad Do You Want It?” The superstar, who has sold more than 40 million albums and dominated the charts with 30 No. 1 singles, has won 11 CMA Awards, including Entertainer (2001); Male Vocalist (1999, 2000); and Album of the Year (1998 for Everywhere; 1999 for A Place in the Sun). McGraw last received a CMA Award in 2007 for Musical Event of the Year on “Find Out Who Your Friends Are” with Tracy Lawrence and Kenny Chesney. McGraw will release his new album, “Southern Voice,” on Tuesday.
Aldean, who has a career total of two CMA nominations, recently celebrated topping the Billboard Top Country Singles chart for four weeks with his hit “Big Green Tractor.” The song, which is from his album “Wide Open,” also topped the Billboard all-genre ringtone chart, a first for a country artist.
Currington earned two nominations this year, Single and Music Video of the Year, both for “People Are Crazy,” from his album “Little Bit of Everything.” He co-produced the single with Carson Chamberlain, while the video was directed by The Brads. Currington has a career total of three CMA nominations, as he was previously nominated in 2005 for Musical Event of the Year for his duet with Shania Twain on “Party for Two.” The writers of “People Are Crazy,” Bobby Braddock and Troy Jones, are currently nominated for Song of the Year.
Reigning New Artist of the Year Lady Antebellum received two nominations in 2009. The trio is up for Vocal Group and Single of the Year for “I Run to You,” produced by Victoria Shaw and Paul Worley, from their platinum-certified self-titled debut album. Lady Antebellum recently released “Need You Now,” the first single from their upcoming new album of the same name, in stores Jan. 2010.
Zac Brown Band received their debut three nominations in 2009 for New Artist, Vocal Group, and Single of the Year for “Chicken Fried,” from their platinum-certified album “The Foundation.” Lead singer Zac Brown also received a fourth nomination as co-writer of “Chicken Fried” (along with Wyatt Durrette) in the Song of the Year category.
Previously announced performers include Oklahomans Brooks & Dunn (which includes former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn, Chockie-raised Reba McEntire and Checotah native Carrie Underwood, along with Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban.
-BAM
Miranda Lambert talks her “Revolution,” plans 2010 Oklahoma City concert
A version of this story also appears in Monday’s Life section of The Oklahoman.
Miranda’s life spins, evolves
Singer has mellowed but still finds time for “Revolution”
Oklahoman Miranda Lambert has again set the country music world spinning with her new album, fittingly titled “Revolution.”
Not only did her third record debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart, “Revolution” has earned rave reviews from critics for rotating rabble-rousing revenge fantasies with tender love songs. For Lambert, 25, the album’s name represents her own evolution as a person as much as a rebellion against any musical establishment.
“The name kept coming up in conversations about the record and it just feels so exciting and so appropriate. I learned so much about myself making this record and I feel like listeners will really get to see all sides of me,” she said via e-mail between live shows and TV appearances.
The Tishomingo resident will bring her new songs and past hits to Oklahoma City’s Ford Center in January, when she joins superstar Brad Paisley on his extended “American Saturday Night” tour.
“The biggest thrill is always when I perform and the fans are singing along with the lyrics,” she said. “I can’t wait to take this music on the road. And it’s always an added bonus when the critics and my peers like it as well.”
With her previous two albums — 2005’s “Kerosene” and 2007’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” — the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter turned heads with fiery payback anthems like “Gunpowder & Lead.” But all her records have mixed touching love songs in with the more flammable material. She released the emotional ode “More Like Her” as the last single from her second album, which won the Academy of Country Music’s 2008 album of the year award.
She followed up with another heartbroken ballad, “Dead Flowers,” as the lead-off track for “Revolution.” The album’s second single, “White Liar,” again has her getting back at a cheating lover, though in a less overtly violent manner.
“On this record I pushed myself musically and lyrically and I am very happy with the result. My idol Merle Haggard and also Waylon (Jennings) have always had amazing cheating/drinking songs, but both of them write the best love songs as well,” she said. “This album covers the whole range and gives me the ability to showcase various influences and directions.”
Lambert wrote or co-wrote 12 of the 15 tracks on “Revolution,” and the covers include rowdy renditions of Julie Miller’s “Somewhere Trouble Don’t Go” and John Prine’s “That’s the Way That the World Goes ’Round.”
While some fans have complained about the new album’s softer tone, the Texas native points out that her life has changed significantly since her “Kerosene” days. Not only is she older, she has a committed romance with fellow country star and Oklahoma native Blake Shelton. She also has a “sanctuary” in her Tishomingo farm, where she did most of the writing for “Revolution.”
“I haven’t completely mellowed out, but I’m just in a happy place in my life. I’ve got a great career and truly love what I do, I have a great relationship, a farm with lots of animals that I love … and overall life is just good. I had to really dig deep and go to a sad place for songs like ‘Dead Flowers’ and I’m always up for a good revenge song like ‘Sin for a Sin’ no matter how happy I am! I like to say it’s preventative writing,” she said.
Lambert and Shelton, who lives on a neighboring spread, co-wrote three songs for her “Revolution”: the raging “Sin for a Sin,” the deceptively catchy “Me and Your Cigarettes” and the grown-up ballad “Love Song.” He also contributes some background howling on the country-rocker “Maintain the Pain.”
“If we ever set aside time to write together it just doesn’t seem to work. These songs came about in a very organic fashion — we just sit around the campfire and sing and play guitar. Blake is an amazing musician and together we have fun making music. We do have different styles of music, and we definitely have very different tastes in other people’s music, however we both love ‘old school,’” she said.
The couple got help on “Love Song” from Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley of country band Lady Antebellum, with whom she bonded while she and the group toured with Kenny Chesney. She invited them to her farm for a writing session.
“It’s funny that I of all people have a song called ‘Love Song’ on my record,” she said. “I just thought it was a very relevant song. Love isn’t always a fairy tale every single day. Real love is being there for each other no matter what.”
After promoting the “Revolution” virtually nonstop, including playing the full album in a big show at Nashville’s storied Ryman Auditorium, Lambert plans to take a couple weeks off this month before hitting the road again. Last week on Twitter she wrote that she was back in Oklahoma and “headed to the woods with my bow and my Beau.” It is deer-hunting season, after all.
Whatever makes your world go ’round.
In concert
Brad Paisley with special guests Miranda Lambert and Justin Moore
When: Jan. 8.
Where: Ford Center, 100 W Reno.
Information: www.bradpaisley.com.
-BAM
Brad Paisley, Oklahoma stars featured on People Country, Country Weekly covers
Brad Paisley (Associated Press photo)
Brad Paisley is being pictured on two magazine covers in two weeks.
The country star is featured in the “Country Stars & Their Families” issue of People Country, on newsstands today through Nov. 9. The feature is titled “What My Father Taught Me” and lists several things that Brad has learned from his father, Doug: Be dedicated, drive them anywhere (and don’t charge for gas!), do your best … and then do better, be of service and it comes back to family.
Along with five pages of text and exclusive photos of Brad, Doug and Huck, Brad’s 2-year-old son, the issue of People Country also will feature Oklahoma stars such as Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney.
The next issue of Country Weekly, on stands Monday, focuses on country artists “Getting Through Tough Times.” In it, Paisley remembers how he handled the death of his Aunt Rita in 2004 and how he came to record “When I Get Where I’m Going” from that experience.
Also featured on the cover, and presumably in the cover story, are Oklahoma stars Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton and Toby Keith.
-BAM
Miranda Lambert’s “Revolution” tops country charts
Oklahoma singer-songwriter Miranda Lambert started a “Revolution” with the No. 1 debut of her critically acclaimed third album.
“Revolution,” with first week sales of 65,875, joins her previous two releases, which also debuted at the top of Billboard’s Country Albums Chart, making her one of three country artists in SoundScan history whose first three albums all landed the No. 1 spot out of the box. (The other two are LeAnn Rimes and Gretchen Wilson.)
“Revolution” also stands as the No. 1 digital debut by a female country artist in 2009 (and the sixth top digital country album debut overall in 2009, according to a news release.
With an increase in first-week sales of more than 20 percent between each album, the Tishomingo resident has solidified her position as a mainstay in country music. Her 2005 debut album, “Kerosene,” sold 39, 739 debut week; her 2007 follow-up “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” sold 52,993, for a 25 percent increase.
With 68, 875 first week, Revolution showed a 23 percent increase from “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and 42 percent increase from “Kerosene,” according to the release.
The two-time Grammynominee and platinum-selling artist received rare perfect reviews from several publications, including four stars from Rolling Stone and USA Today, an A from Entertainment Weekly and exuberant praise from SPIN, New York Times, Washington Post and more. I also gave it a rave review.
“I’m so excited the fans are loving this record as much as I do!” says Lambert in the release. “I know everyone says they are proud of the album they make but I feel this one is so special I can hand it to my idols, hold my head up and say ‘Here, this is all of me. I hope you like it.’”
On a recent industry red carpet, Lambert did just that to one of her idols – the legendary Patty Loveless. “I figure if it passes that benchmark then everyone else is sure to love it too!”
When asked recently if she reads her album reviews, Lambert excitedly says, “Oh yes! I read the good ones!”
Last week, while in New York to perform on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Good Morning America” and “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,” Lambert completed a frenzy of media interviews. Along the way, the 25-year old Texas native churned out a multitude of wisecracks and Twitter-worthy remarks.
When she and her band were asked to ride the mechanical Bull at Johnny Utah’s for a video moment for www.abcnews.com (which airs Friday), she said, ”Nobody’s gettin’ on that thing. We ain’t drunk and we ain’t 12. Well, we might be drunk but we definitely ain’t 12!” When asked what her fantasy tour would be, she said without hesitation, “Me, Merle and Beyonce” and when asked who she missed the most while traveling, she immediately replied, “My dogs!”
This week, Lambert appeared on the West Coast taping performances on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that aired Tuesday and “The Bonnie Hunt Show” that aired today. Lambert’s mom, Bev Lambert, actually introduced her daughter and band live on the show, but not to miss out on the action, Lambert’s dogs Delta and Delilah hung out with actress Kristin Bell backstage.
Actor Thomas Jayne of HBO’s “Hung” met Lambert while at the TV Guide Channel and told her he and his wife Patricia Arquette are fans. E! News caught up with Lambert when she threw her band and crew dinner at Saddle Ranch, the closest thing to Texas they could find, and Great American Country’s Storme Warren flew to L.A. specifically to catch her when he missed the performance at Nashville’s storied Ryman Theater (that segment airsbeginning Oct.22).
After completing her last interview of media mania and totaling 27 days from home, Lambert caught a red-eye and headed for much needed R&R at her Tishomingo farm.
Then, it’s back on the road for Lambert, who will headline her own shows and perform on Brad Paisley’s highly successful “American Saturday Night” tour, which will come Jan. 8 to Oklahoma City. Lambert will appear on the following 19 added dates:
January 7 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center
January 8 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center
January 9 Wichita, KS InTrust Bank Center
January 14 Sioux City, IA Tyson Center
January 15 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena
January 16 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
January 21 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena
January 22 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena
January 23 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
February 4 Tupelo, MS Bancorp South Arena
February 5 Birmingham, AL BJCC Arena
February 6 Biloxi, MS Mississippi Coast Coliseum
February 18 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center
February 19 Fresno, CA SaveMart Center
February 20 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay
February 21 Reno, NV Reno Events Center
March 4 Greenville, SC BiLo Center
March 5 Knoxville, TN Thompson-Boling Arena
March 6 Charleston, SC Charleston Coliseum
Lambert is nominated as this year’s Country Music Association Top Female Vocalist and won the Academy of Country Music’s 2007 Best New Female Award and 2008 ACM Album of the Year.
Read my feature on Lambert here at the blog on Monday.
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: New videos from Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert
Oklahoma country stars Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert all debuted their new music videos on CMT and CMT.com during the cable network’s big weekend of premieres.
These powerhouse women will face off again at the 43rd Annual Country Music Association Awards Nov. 11 on ABC: All three are nominated for the female vocalist of the year award.
McEntire, who was raised in Chockie, designs a fabulous gown and helps a couple through their problems in the video to “Consider Me Gone,” the second single from her album “Keep on Loving You.”
Checotah native Underwood shows off some sizzling fashions and a few sharp dance moves in her video for “Cowboy Casanova.” The rollicking lead-off single to her upcoming third album “Play On,” “Cowboy Casanova” already is a big hit for the Oklahoma native.
Underwood talked to CMT.com about filming the sexy video against the backdrop of New Orleans:
“Usually we cram everything into one day because, goodness knows, what else I have to do – I’m off flying somewhere else doing something crazy,” she told CMT.com. “But it wasn’t all about me this time. We had dancers. We had a lot of people going on. It was just a lot of fun. You know, changing into one fabulous outfit after another and just going out and having a lot of fun with it. The energy was really good, and it made the day fly by.”
“Play On” is due out Nov. 3.
Tishomingo resident Lambert reveals her fiance’s cheating at their wedding and then drops a bombshell of her own in the video for “White Liar.” The song is the second single off her new album “Revolution,” which has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart, according to a news release.
The video features fellow country star Jamey Johnson as the preacher at the dramatic wedding.
It was announced today that Lambert will join Brad Paisley’s extended “American Saturday Night” tour next year. The tour will come to Oklahoma City’s Ford Center Jan. 8.
For more Miranda news, check out my feature on the singer-songwriter Monday here on the blog.
-BAM
Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert and Justin Moore coming in January to OKC’s Ford Center
Brad Paisley (Associated Press photo)
Country music star Brad Paisley will bring his extended “American Saturday Night” tour to Oklahoma City on a 2010 Friday night.
The reigning Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music male vocalist of the year will perform Jan. 8 at the Ford Center, Paisley’s publicist announced Wednesday.
Oklahoma country star Miranda Lambert and up-and-comer Justin Moore will be special guests on the 19 added 2010 dates on Paisley’s tour.
Renowned for his energetic live shows, Paisley has won three Grammys, 12 ACM Awards and 11 CMA Awards. He has sold more than 10 million albums, and his most recent record, “American Saturday Night,” topped Billboard’s country albums chart when it debuted June 30. The West Virginia native has notched 14 No. 1 singles, including 10 consecutive chart-toppers, and he consistently ranks in Pollstar’s top five for tour attendance.
Paisley will co-host the 43rd Annual CMA Awards with Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood Nov. 11 on ABC. He is nominated for a leading seven awards at the show.
Miranda Lambert (AP photo)
A Tishomingo resident, Lambert released her third album, “Revolution,” last week. The critically acclaimed record debuted at the top of Billboard’s country albums chart, making her one of just three country artists in Soundscan history to premiere her first three albums in the top spot. Her “Revolution” has received rare perfect reviews from many publications, including four stars from Rolling Stone and USA Today, an A from Entertainment Weekly and exuberant praise from SPIN, NY Times, Washington Post and myself. Many publications, including the Houston Chronicle and NPR’s “All Things Considered,” have declared “Revolution” the best album of the year in any genre.
The two-time Grammy nominee is vying for this year’s CMA top female vocalist title. She won the ACM’s 2007 best new female artist award and the 2008 ACM album of the year prize with her 2007 record “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” The fiery Texas native packs a pretty hard punch with her live shows, as I can attest from experience.
Justin Moore
Born and raised in Poyen, Ark., Moore recently took his single “Small Town USA” to No. 1 on both country charts, making him the only new country artist to have a No. 1 hit this year. He also is the first solo country artist to have a song from his debut album top the charts since Taylor Swift’s “Our Song” in December 2007. Moore has previously toured with Trace Adkins, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Hank Williams Jr.
For more information on the tour, go to www.bradpaisley.com. I’ll post the sale date and ticket prices when they become available.
Also, check out BAM’s Blog on Monday, when I will be running my feature story on Lambert.
-BAM
CD review: Miranda Lambert, “Revolution”
A version of this review appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Country
Miranda Lambert “Revolution” (Sony)
Oklahoma firebrand Miranda Lambert continues to rebel against the cookie-cutter anthems and syrupy ballads all too often featured on country radio with her third album, “Revolution.”
“Revolution” successfully orbits around the complexities of the Tishomingo resident’s persona: She’s an avid huntress and passionate animal welfare advocate, a declared Christian and acknowledged rabble-rouser, a Southern belle best known for her tuneful revenge fantasies “Gunpowder & Lead” and “Kerosene.”
Lambert wrote or co-wrote 12 of the 15 tracks on “Revolution,” and her songwriting reveals a new level of maturity and an improved knack for crafting material for her voice.
The Texas-bred singer-songwriter conveys a range of genuine emotion, from vulnerability and bitter sadness on the brokenhearted ballad “Dead Flowers” to wistful longing on the old-fashioned country tune “Airstream Song.” She exudes calm loathing on her current single, “White Liar,” in which she buttonholes a deceitful lover and then reveals he isn’t the only dishonest one.
Instead of throwing punches and starting a barfight, she engages in a little peacekeeping and gets in a verbal jab in the funny “Only Prettier,” one of my favorites on the record.
Fans of Lambert’s previous albums — her 2005 debut “Kerosene” and 2007’s acclaimed “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” — shouldn’t worry: She still does angry exceedingly well. She seethes with woman-scorned rage on “Sin for Sin,” which she penned with her boyfriend and neighbor, fellow country star Blake Shelton. And when Lambert howls about shooting her radio on “Maintain the Pain,” that’s Shelton shouting against the driving ‘80s rock-inspired guitars.
The couple worked with Ashley Monroe on “Me and Your Cigarettes,” a deceptively catchy song about an unhealthily addictive affair. They also collaborate with Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood on “Love Song,” a substantive, mature ballad about real love rather than fairytale romance.
“Revolution” only wobbles with Lambert’s cover of Fred Eaglesmith’s fretful “Time to Get a Gun,” which seems inauthentic considering her gun-toting reputation.
— BAM
