MUSIC ROW MAGAZINE: Bobby Karl Works ‘MusicRow’s’ CRS Party

(Photo Credits: Bev Moser)

Bobby Karl • February 19, 2014 •

The Band Perry accepts the CountryBreakout Award for Group/Duo of the Year with MusicRow staff (L-R) Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson, Sr. News Editor Sarah Skates, and Chart Dir. Michael Smith. Photo by Bev Moser.

Chapter 447
That droning buzz you hear from downtown Nashville emanates from the constant schmoozing of the 2,400-plus attendees of this year’s Country Radio Seminar. These are radio people. They talk for a living. And they LOVE to talk. So go with the flow.
The unofficial kick-off of the convention is the MusicRow “Meet & Greet Country Breakout Awards” event. Tuesday afternoon (2/18) marked the 12th annual such gathering. A record-setting 666 people RSVP’d this year for the event at Margaritaville’s upstairs party spaces, so working the packed venue was pretty challenging.
The crowd was already at full schmoozola volume when MR’s Sherod Robertson took the stage to welcome one and all. “Looks like you’re having a fun time already,” he said to the thundering herd.

Natalie Stovall and The Drive performs. Photo by Bev Moser.

Steve Hodges accepts Capitol Nashville’s ninth consecutive award for Label of the Year.

Sherod introduced the convention’s first showcasing act, Natalie Stovall & The Drive. “This is our first-ever official CRS, so thank you guys so much,” said Natalie. This might be their first radio convention, but these folks play 200+ dates a year, and the experience shows.
The group’s zesty, driving country-rock sound was punched home via take-no-prisoners showmanship and personality. The Drive is a kick-ass band, and cascading-coiffed Natalie switched delightfully from guitar to mandolin to fiddle during its three-song set. The act concluded with its rollicking, barn-burning, radio-rising single “Baby Come On With It.”
Sherod told us that Natalie Stovall & The Drive has been named “Artist To Watch” by Country Weekly, Billboard and several other media outlets. It has been a “Highway Find” on Sirius/XM’s The Highway channel. “Baby Come On With It” was a top-five most-added single the week it was released. For my money, the group delivered one of the best MusicRow CRS showcase performances. Natalie Stovall & The Drive record for Skip Bishop’s new HitShop Records imprint.
The other showcasing artist at the event was the duo Native Run. The members are Virginia natives Rachel Beauregard and Bryan Dawley. Signed to Show Dog Universal, they’re being produced by Luke Laird and published as songwriters by Creative Nation and Combustion Music. They are also signed to Fusion Music. Paste magazine has hailed Native Run as “The Best of What’s Next.”
“This is our first CRS: We’re so happy to be here,” said Rachel. The duo unleashed a sound that is youthful, ebullient, earnest and sincere. The band was ultra tight, and the team’s vocal harmonies are spot-on. Rachel’s stage presence is undeniably vivacious, and Bryan can really play that guitar he wields. Also: The songs are extremely well written. If first impressions are lasting impressions, Native Run has it made.

Gary Overton accepts Female Artist of the Year on behalf of Miranda Lambert.

Native Run thrills attendees. Photo: Bev Moser

“This is my first CRS,” said Kelly Green of Huntingdon, TN. “If it looks like I’m as lost as a new goose on the farm, it’s because I am.” Kelly was announced as MusicRow’s radio-chart Reporter of the Year by Chart Director Michael Smith. His station is—get ready—WEIO The Farm. Kelly spoke for the entire MR reporting panel by saying, “We play the new music first. If you don’t believe me, just ask Florida Georgia Line.” This is, indeed, the value of MR’s secondary stations. They break new artists, and the major markets follow.

Independent Artist of the Year Tracy Lawrence.

“Happy CRS,” said Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry. “We appreciate all of you.” Her trio was MR’s Group/Duo of the Year. “You’ve supported the heck out of our Pioneer Tour.” The Band Perry next goes out on the road with Male Breakout winner Blake Shelton. His award was accepted by his producer, Scott Hendricks. The Female winner was Mrs. Blake, Miranda Lambert, accepted by Sony head honcho Gary Overton, sporting a sporty new buzz-cut.

Damon Moberly accepts Kacey Musgraves’ award for Breakout Artist.

Introduced this year was the Breakout Songwriter award. Rodney Clawson had seven No. 1 songs on the MR chart last year. Guess who won? “Thank you all from country radio for playing the songs,” he said, “and my publisher and all my BMI friends.”
“It’s great to be an independent artist,” said Tracy Lawrence. “We have a lot of freedom.” His spins on the MR chart earned him the Breakout Independent Artist award for the year.
This award is so remarkable and so deserved: Capitol Records Nashville was named the MR Label of the Year for the ninth consecutive, tenth overall, time. Superstar promoter Steve Hodges accepted, lauding Diane Richey for working the label’s singles for most of those years.
Kacey Musgraves won Breakout Artist. Mercury Records promo VP Damon Moberly accepted, saying, “Thank you for being brave enough to play a female, because we don’t have enough of them these days.” Expect this to be a recurring theme at this year’s CRS.
The crowded room was worked by Mandy Barnett, Kelly Lang, Stephanie Grace and dozens of other baby indie acts, plus veteran singer-songwriter Bernie Nelson. Kelly has a duet CD with hubby T.G. Sheppard on the way. Bernie is working on a long-overdue CD as an artist. Why? “I was getting splinters on my ass from sitting on my porch.” Love him.
Adding to the schmoozing din were David Wykoff, David Ross, Lee Smoot, Lee Richey, Becky Harris, Judy Harris, Mark Wright, Fletcher Foster, Steve O’Brien, Regina Stuve, Vanessa Parker, Pat Higdon, Cliff Doyall, Chuck Dauphin, Wes Vause, Dennis Banka, Bill Wence, Ed Salamon, Tom Baldrica, Preshias Harris, Susan Collier and Paula Szeigis.
The beehive is buzz, buzz, buzzing. Country Radio Seminar is underway.

Scott Hendricks accepts Blake Shelton’s award for Male Artist of the Year

Rodney Clawson receives inaugural Songwriter of the Year honors.

MusicRow CountryBreakout Reporter of the Year Kelly Green.

MUSIC ROW MAGAINZE: Writers Round at the Rectory

Writers Round at the Rectory hosted its inaugural event on Valentine’s Day Weekend at the Cathedral of the Incarnation Rectory. The Writers Round series is a fundraiser for the San Gennaro MusicFest, a two-day outdoor music fest which will take place in Nashville’s Midtown district Sept. 20-21.
Participating in the round were Bobby Tomberlin (cuts by Diamond Rio, Faith Hill, Rodney Atkins, Josh Turner, Thompson Square), Heather Morgan (cuts by Sara Evans, Keith Urban, Brett Eldredge, Lauren Alaina, Tim McGraw, Eli Young Band and the TV show Nashville) and O’Shea (2014 CMAA Best Vocal Group/Duo, and stars of the Australian TV show, O’Shea USA). The event was hosted by singer/songwriter and parishioner, Colm Kirwan, who tours with Don Williams. Brenda Lee was in attendance.

Pictured (L-R): Bobby Tomberlin, Jay O’Shea, Brenda Lee, Mark O’Shea, Heather Morgan and Colm Kirwan.  Photos: Bev Moser / Moments By Moser

IN THE NEWS: Esteemed Photographer Bev Moser Wraps Up a Memorable 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: PLA Media Phone: (615) 327-0100             Esteemed Photographer Bev Moser Wraps Up a Memorable 2013  -  Moments By Moser captures successful moments   - Moments By Moser has captured invaluable moments for over a decade. Respected photographer, Bev Moser, has earned herself the reputation for being one of the busiest women in the photography industry and this year proves that and much more. Her hectic schedule and nonstop bookings in 2013 included her being a part of numerous country music related events as well as private functions such as, but not limited to CMA Music Festival, City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game,  CMT Awards, NSAI HOF Awards, NSAI #1 Awards, SESAC, Tin Pan South, CMHOF Inductees, Music City Center Grand Opening, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Country Radio Seminar, String Fever with Vince Gill, St. Jude, CHS Home Health Care, Hilliard & Lyons, Toast to TN Wine Festival, American Diabetes Association, Gaylord Opryland Convention Center, Humana, SAC Mad Hatter, Wilson County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Mt. Juliet Chamber of Commerce, as well as a diverse clientele roster for private and corporate functions such as business conferences and events, artist publicity photos, weddings, and children/family portraits, etc. Her work has been profiled in numerous publications including Nashville Arts, Nashville Lifestyles, Country Weekly, CMA Close Up, Music Row, The Tennessean, CMT News, Examiner.com, BMI, Tennessee State Museum, Main Streets of Mt. Juliet, etc. Bev Moser, owner of Moments By Moser, proves she has the experience and professional know-how to capture every memory so you can focus on that special moment: “I have hired Bev to shoot numerous corporate events with large groups of clients and executives. She has done an outstanding job in capturing the décor, food and moments throughout the evening… Another thing I love about her is that she is fast in giving you the images from the event. Almost always I have the link in my inbox a few hours following the event. She is always prompt and on time!” – Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center ********************  “You are a dream to work with!” – NSAI ********************  “Highly recommend! Bev took amazing shots and captured the energy of our event! Can’t wait to have an excuse to hire her again.” – Trish Monaghan, Artist Management ********************  “We recommend Bev to our production clients! Everyone has always loved their shoots and time with Bev. She makes them very comfortable and the pics reflect that…she should always be your first call. She is for us!” – Kim Copeland Productions ******************** “I never like pictures of myself and I did not think I would ever say this, but there are several I really like and I am having a hard time deciding which one to use. It’s such a pleasure working with you…!" – Wilson County Convention & Visitors Bureau As a mother of four children (three grown, one still at home), Bev Moser was born and bred in a small town in northwest Iowa and became fascinated with photography at an early age. “I love capturing that moment – the one that shows the twinkle in someone’s eye, that playful smile or that wistful look,” smiles Bev. “When a client calls me personally or sends me a note expressing their happiness with my work – that has to be one of the most rewarding aspects of what I do.” Moments By Moser is available for all types of personal photography portraits and events including: Private Gatherings, Parties, Graduation, Quinceanera, Charity Fundraiser, Prom, Fashion Show, Private Parties, Corporate Events, Red Carpet, Award Ceremonies, Movie Premiere, Wedding, Reception, Sweet 16, Anniversary, Reunion, Bar Mitzvah, Religious Ceremony, Concert & Showcase, Baby Shower, Bridal Shower, Banquet, Conference, Trade Show, Engagement, Sr. Portrait, Family Photography, Holiday Cards, Baby Photo, Pet and all general photography including single photos of contract signing or record deals, portfolio headshot and website photos. For more information, visit www.MomentsByMoser.zenfolio.com and www.facebook.com/MomentsByMoser. # # # For additional inquiries, contact PLA Media at 615-327-0100. Special discount offered if you use the PLA MEDIA code through the rest of the year.

The Bluebird Cafe

Photos of chairs by Moments By Moser Photography!

Hello one and all! Thanks for opening your e-mail box to us!  Here's a little about what's happening here at The Bluebird this week and beyond: we just kicked off a special auction for Last Minute Toy Store via ebay.com (info below), info about the New Year's Eve shows, a holiday merchandise reminder, Nashville updates, info on Bluebird On The Mountain 2014, links to the Nov calendar (Dec to post soon), our partnership with the RIAA, info about adopting your own seat here at The Bluebird, advertising with us and having your private event at The Bluebird. THE BLUEBIRD CAFE MEMORABILIA AUCTION - PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT THE LAST MINUTE TOY STORE: Yesterday, November 11, 2013 The Bluebird Café will began auctioning off an assortment of Bluebird Café memorabilia. The online auction – hosted by www.ebay.com – consists of a variety of signed original Bluebird Café chairs and signed Hatch Show Prints. One to two items per week, for five weeks, will be available for online auction. The majority of the auction proceeds will benefit The Last Minute Toy Store in Nashville, TN. The chairs available for auction are the original Bluebird Café chairs. The chairs sat in the café – and in the round - since the late 1980’s. They have been signed by several notable songwriters and artists including: original Bluebird Café in-the-rounders Thom Schuyler, Fred Knobloch Tony Arata and Jelly Roll Johnson (a chair with all four songwriters signatures will be one of the first items up for auction – 11/11-11/17), #1 hit songwriters/artists – and father and son – Rhett Akins and Thomas Rhett (a chair with Akins’ and Rhett’s signatures will be the second item up for auction 11/18-11/24), legendary songwriter Schlitz (a chair with Schlitz’s signature will be the 3rd item up for auction – 11/25-12/1),  Nashville cast members (a chair with several Nashville cast members signatures will be the 4th item up for auction 12/2-12/8), the auction will then conclude with country superstar Martina McBride (a chair with McBride’s signature will be up for auction 12/9-12/15).  Each chair comes with a mounted plaque and certificate of authenticity from The Bluebird Cafe. Kicking off the auction, along with the Schuyler, Knobloch, Arata, Johnson chair, is a Bluebird Café Hatch Show Print/poster pack. This “pack” includes prints and posters signed by country music stars Toby Keith, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban (the poster pack will be up for auction 11/11-11/17). The Bluebird Café will donate the majority of the auction proceeds to its longtime partner The Last Minute Toy Store in Nashville, TN – allowing the Last Minute Toy store time to do some not-so-last minute shopping. More about The Last Minute Toy Store: www.lastminutetoystore.com. HOLIDAY MERCHANDISE REMINDER:  In order to guarantee Christmas delivery, all Bluebird Cafe online merch orders must be received by December 16th, 2013. NASHVILLE NEWS: There's an all new Nashville tomorrow at 9pm CST : Maddie feels lost as Teddy and Peggy's wedding day approaches; Juliette angers a lecherous but influential DJ; Deacon discovers an unexpected ally as he tries to find his way back to music. For all things Nashville, please visit: http://abc.go.com/schedule  NEW YEAR'S EVE @ THE BLUEBIRD CAFE: Get ready to ring in the New Year Bluebird Café style! This year’s New Year's Eve Show(s) will feature recent Nashville Songwriters’ Hall Of Fame inductees Thom Schuyler and Tony Arata, hit writer Fred Knobloch and award winning instrumentalist Jelly Roll Johnson.  The New Year is the chance for fresh starts and new beginnings and we thought it was only appropriate to celebrate with some of the gents that started the “in the round” (or “ITR” for folks in the know) way back at the beginning of The 'Bird's long and esteemed history. That's right! Thom Schuyler (16th Avenue, Long Line Of Love), Fred Knobloch (If My Heart Had Wings, Feels Like Mississippi), Tony Arata (The Dance, Here I Am) and Jelly Roll Johnson (award-winning harmonica extraordinaire) will be our New Year's Eve entertainment. And we know that just one show won't be enough, so they're gonna go ahead and play twice! The first show is from 7:00pm-9:00pm (hey, it's midnight somewhere) and the second is from 10:00pm-the New Year. The original ITR-ers will provide the music. The 'Bird will provide the hats, party favors, champagne toast and all other important New Year's regalia. You just need to show up and enjoy the show (and the shenanigans). ***Reservations are available now via www.bluebirdcafe.com.   BLUEBIRD ON THE MOUNTAIN 2013 AND 2014! Thank you all for making the Bluebird on the Mountain 2013 season absolutely wonderful! Thank you, too, to our always wonderful Bluebird on the Mountain sponsors: Nissan, Jack Daniels and Red Wing Shoes. Special thanks to Vanderbilt Heart.   Regarding next year: Bluebird on the Mountain 2014 season passes went quickly! There will be a limited number of single show passes available closer to the actual show dates. More info to come! ADOPT A SEAT AT THE BLUEBIRD CAFE! In 2010 The Bluebird Cafe launched its "Adopt-A-Seat" campaign which allowed supporters of The Bluebird Cafe to adopt and name a chair in the club. Some of the earliest adopters were: ASCAP, Avenue Bank, BMI, The First Amendment Center, Wendell Moore (in memory of Isaac Hayes), the Nashville CVB, Regions Bank, Terry & Wanda Seay, SESAC and SunTrust.   The campaign continues to this day. You, too, can adopt your very own Bluebird Cafe seat! How do you do that, you ask? It's easy! Simply follow this link. By adopting a seat, not only will you have your very own chair at The Bluebird, but you will also help provide a solid foundation for the future of The Bluebird Café. A little more about the adoption process: The "Adopt-A-Seat" campaign allows supporters to adopt and name a chair in the club.  Each chair and barstool at the club will feature an etched plaque on the back of the seat.  An individual can have their name placed on a seat, a corporation can present their company's name, or a donor may choose to honor someone by naming a seat for them at The Bluebird Café.  The cost for each seat is $1200 for a three year term. The benefactor will then receive their adopted seat, with name plate, at the end of the term.   Additionally, The Bluebird will also be offering their original chairs for sale, with a limited number of them signed by some of the songwriters who have gotten their start at The Bluebird Café.  All chairs will be marked Bluebird originals and have a certificate of authenticity. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS THE RIAA! Monday, June 20th, at a press conference held at The Bluebird Café, The Bluebird announced its new partnership with the RIAA and the Nashville member labels. Both the RIAA and the Nashville labels have come on board to, as RIAA CEO Mitch Bainwol described it, support “the Bluebird Café’s incubator” of rising and developing talent; including The Bluebird Café’s Open Mic Nights, Sunday Writers’ Nights and the Early Rounds throughout the week. Bluebird COO Erika Wollam Nichols stated, “The Bluebird Café is a place where new talent is discovered nightly. We are thrilled that the RIAA and Nashville labels recognize this and that this recognition has led to this exciting new partnership.” THE BLUEBIRD CAFÉ STORE: You can visit The Bluebird Cafe Store here. Stay tuned for new merch designs! ADVERTISEMENTS/OFFERS/EVENTS: BOOK: THE ADULT GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA Our founder Amy's father Shelly Kurland  wrote a very funny little book which would make a great stocking stuffer for any musician in your life. The Adult Guide To The Orchestra is now available at our favorite local bookstore- Parnassus Books in Green Hills or through this website: http://darkhorsebooksonline.com  CD'S FROM STARS OF THE BLUEBIRD Their own CDs, from some of your favorite Bluebird artists! www.AmericanOriginalsCDs.com  PITCH PERFECT RECORDING Full-band demos with musicianship included -- real drums, guitars, bass, keyboards, real piano, pedal steel, dobro, mandolin, banjo, and even accordion are yours at NO EXTRA CHARGE. That means that at $75/hour most full-band demos cost less than $300, as opposed to Nashville's usual $1,000. Hear some samples by visiting the website... and come make your next recordings at Pitch-Perfect Recording! 615-834-4426 or http://www.pitchperfectrecording.com MORE INFO: PRIVATE EVENTS: Now is the perfect time to start thinking about planning your Fan Club party (CMA Music Fest is fast approaching!) or another special event at The Bluebird Cafe! The Bluebird Cafe offers a variety of event special event opportunities. For more information email: events@bluebirdcafe.com.  RESERVATIONS: We take reservations online at our website www.bluebirdcafe.com. Reservations are available at 8:00am CST online. SOCIAL STATUS: The Bluebird Cafe on Twitter and Facebook.