Backstage Buzz - Night 1

One of my jobs as Executive Producer of XM's country operations is to gather artist audio. So if one of our air talent isn't doing a one-on-one interview (like for Highway 16 ShortCuts or Driver's Ed) then I'm usually on location with a microphone and recorder trying catch someone famous saying something brilliant. And then I turn those into the "In Car Audio" segments you hear on Highway 16, or use the soundbites in other specialty programming.

All of that means that I'm assigned the nightly Press Conferences at the stadium shows during CMA Music Festival. Which I have to say, is the easiest way to get up close and personal with the biggest stars in country music.

So here's how my night goes:
6:15 - Leave the XM studios at the Hall of Fame and walk across the Shelby Street bridge to LP Field.

6:30 - Check in at the media entrance, set up my gear in the air conditioned room, somewhere deep underground.

6:40 - Indulge in ice cold soda and the best cookies to be found anywhere in Nashville. Seriously, the media room cookies are a highlight.

7-9:30 - A parade of superstars comes through to spend anywhere from 5-15 minutes talking to a room of assembled media about their fans, the big show, their latest music, upcoming videos, summer tour, and answering other wild questions that get thrown at them.

10:00 - a quick stop at the concession stand for dinner and then grabbing an empty seat somewhere to catch the last couple of acts on the show.

Last night, the first night of the stadium shows, we talked to Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, The Wreckers, Jason Michael Carroll, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, and Reba McEntire. Not a bad night's work.

Some of the things I learned last night:
- Jessica Harp's (The Wreckers) first concert was a Reba show. The girls were planning to stalk her last night.
- Their next project will be more in line with the sound of "My Oh My" and "Tennessee." More country.
- They had no intentions of "Leave the Pieces" crossing (back) over to the pop world, and told the label they wouldn't do interviews to work the song to pop radio.
- Trace Adkins is very modest about his position in country music, noting that he had a long way to go to get his career where he wanted it to be. He made mention of not being in the awards show categories. Yet.
- Trace said a lot of other things that aren't printable. He has a wicked sense of humor, but it's not necessarily in line with Amy Paige's family friendly blogging, if you know what I mean!
- Dierks Bentley took a few weeks off recently to lay around the house and be lazy. By the way, both Jake and George were at "Daddy's" fan club party.
- Dierks and George Jones shot a segment for the ABC special down at the Hall of Fame. He also played for tips down on Broadway. He told me he made $8 in about 45 seconds.
- Jason Michael Carroll doesn't use any sort of product in his hair. He's been wearing a cowboy hat lately. He and his fiancee Wendy have a 19 month old baby that goes on the road with him. No wedding date yet, but when it happens it's going to be a spur of the moment quiet thing.
- The breaking news of the night (there's usually one big "announcement" each night) was that JMC would be opening the Brooks & Dunn / Alan Jackson tour. All three acts record for Arista Nashville. Apparently it's a boys only show, so they couldn't let label mate Carrie Underwood come along?
- Brooks & Dunn played a small club the other night. It was supposed to be a one song, three takes, only for television thing. But they got up there and decided to play and stayed for an hour and a half. They talked about how much they liked it, but when asked if they'd do a "Keg in the Closet" type of tour, Ronnie he didn't like it THAT much.
- Ronnie said he'd told Reba that she needed to loose the sequined dresses and go back to wearing jeans and t-shirts and boots & a belt buckle.
- The surprise of the night was that Alan Jackson came back to talk to the media. They told us we could have 5 minutes with him, but they yanked him at 4 1/2. Still, it was 4 1/2 minutes we weren't expecting to get. He talked a lot about his wife's book, coming out this summer.
- Reba apparently took Ronnie's fashion advice - she showed up in jeans and a t-shirt. "Everything but the belt buckle" she told us. She talked a lot about her upcoming duet album, due in September.

I got to see Alan and Reba's full sets. The crowd was really into Alan, singing along with every song. And then Reba knocked everyone's socks off to close the show - she's SUCH an entertainer! Kelly Clarkson joined her onstage for "Does He Love You" and then stayed to perform their current single "Because of You."

Tonight we're expecting to talk to Montgomery Gentry, Bucky Covington, Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood. I'll bring you all the backstage buzz tomorrow!