Katie Quick Be the Change

Local artist Katie Quick to release debut album, Be the Change

The road to Nashville notoriety is often long and difficult but local country music singer and songwriter Katie Quick is in it for the long haul. An Evergreen Park native, Quick has quit her job as a school teacher to concentrate on pursuing a full-time career in country music and on May 1, she will release her debut Nashville recorded album Be the Change.

Quick’s hardwork and devotion to the craft is beautifully arranged in her 13 track album that covers all typical topics of love, loneliness and just plain fun. Among her songs like “Something About the Rain”, “Your Song” and “If Only I Could” show Quick’s natural ability to tell a story through music. Something we feel will prove her well on the road ahead.

You can pick up a copy of Quick’s album at her exclusive album release party on May 1 at Gilhooley’s Grande Saloon, 3901 W. 103rd St, Chicago. Quick and her band will perform starting 9 p.m.

Can’t wait till May 1, check out KatieQuick.com

CMC

Taylor Swift concert update

Country music’s teen sensation Taylor Swift is bringing her much anticipated Fearless Tour to the annual Country Thunder Music Festival, Twin Lakes, WI. Flocks Illinois and Wisconsin residents annually descend upon the amphitheatre style festival, located on a farm in rural Wisconsin, because of its country music star-power and mid-summer fun.

In a recent statement, festival organizers announced the release of 5,000 one-day tickets for the Thursday, July 16th Taylor Swift show. The exclusive tickets will go on-sale to the general public for $65 starting Wednesday, April 29 at 9 a.m. CST through CountryThunder.com.

Joining Swift Thursday night includes Kellie Pickler, Jack Ingram, Mark Chesnutt and The Bellamy Brothers. Country Thunder runs from July 15 – 19, 2009, and Tim McGraw (7/18), Alan Jackson (7/17) and Tracy Lawrence (7/15) will join Swift as this year’s headliners.

Once single-day tickets are sold-out, fans will have access to purchase VIP, Reserved, or four-day festival tickets.

Country Thunder is approximately 60 miles Northwest from Chicago.

 According to Swift’s web site, she is schedule to appear in Chicago on October 9 but location information has not yet been released. 

For more info visit: www.countrythunder.com or www.taylorswift.com

Eric Church is Lollapaloozin’

Country music artist Eric Church will perform during the annual Lollapaloza Music Festival in Grant Park. According to the festival’s web site, “Eric Church may seem like the proverbial square peg squeezed into this year’s Lollapalooza lineup.” Considering other acts include Depeche Mode, Tool, The Killers, Jane’s Addiction and the Beastie Boys. We’re happy to have Church represent country music at this year’s festival as Dierks Bentley did in 2008. The festival is August 7 – 9.

For ticket and additional lineup information, visit: Lollapalooza.com

Paisley Baby

Congratulations to country music star Brad Paisley and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who announced Friday the birth of their second child, Jasper Warren Paisley. The proud father-to-be had everyone on alert since the Academy of Country Music Awards show where it was noted during the awards show that he was home with his wife in the event she were to go into labor.

Tucker Talk

In an exclusive interview with Billboard Magazine, Tanya Tucker debuts a new single, “Love’s Gonna Live Here” and announces a new album where she salutes some of country music greatest artists and lends advice to today’s teen country music stars. Visit Billboard.com to listen to her new single and to read the full story.

Miranda Lambert – Dead Flowers

We’ve been patiently waiting for new music from our favorite female star, Miranda Lambert, and she pleasantly excited us when she performed a new song at the ACM Awards, April 5. We’re happy to announce, that Lambert will release “Dead Flowers” as a digital single on May 12. Still can’t wait, you can preview the song on iLike. Check it out here: Miranda Lambert iLike Profile

Till next time, that’s the word on the street.

Chicago’s Lucky Town!

Concert Alert:

When it comes to country music in Chicago, the six member band, Lucky Town, has the Windy City covered. The West Suburban based country band, is the combined talent of six Illinois artists, Andrew Jess, Amy Carlson and Mike Aquino on lead vocals and Matt Marvic on the drums, Chris Halla on the keyboard and Jason Trtan on the bass guitar. Many of the band’s members call Chicago suburbs like Downers Grove, Aurora and Wheaton home but their musical harmonies bring it home to Nashville.

Having opened for such acts at Chris Cagle, Bucky Covington and Hartland they’re quickly making waves as one of Chicago’s premier country bands. Their dossier of songs typically includes personalized versions of from some of today’s hottest country artists like Sugarland, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean as-well-as some of yesterday’s favorites.

You can catch Lucky Town on April 24 at Joe’s Bar as well as a host of other events around Chicaogland this summer. For more dates or to hear some of their music, visit their MySpace page.

DETAILS:

Lucky Town
myspace.com/luckytownmusic

WHEN: Friday, April 24, 2009 | 10PM  

WHERE: Joe’s Bar, 940 W. Weed Street, Chicago | MAP

TICKETS: $5 at the door.

Word on the Street – April 16

Oprah Roundup!

The much anticipated “Stars of Country Music” Oprah Show aired Tuesday. Mega stars, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker and Sugarland all took the couch along side the queen of daytime TV Oprah Winfrey during the pre-recorded show from her Chicago studio. After performing his new single, “Down the Road”, Chesney answered questions about his life as a mega entertainer. He explained how he loved being on the road but it sometimes can be hectic. When asked by Winfrey, “Is there room for a woman in your life?” Chesney remarks, “Sure!”

Underwood shared her day-in-the-life with Oprah and how she keeps her super-star body and how she tries to carry on with normal life activities like grocery shopping and dating. Following Underwood was former Hootie and the Blowfish front-man, Darius Rucker who is making waves in country music with two chart topping hits form the album, Learn to Live. Rucker and Winfrey discussed his transition from Hootie to Country and how he wrote is current single, “It Won’t Be Like This For Long.” Winfrey asked, “Don’t you think country music is the real soul music?” “Country music is the real soul music, it’s the only place where you find the singer songwriter today,” said Rucker. “It’s soul.”

Closing the show was country music power duo Sugarland (Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush). When asked by Oprah, when did you feel like you made it, Nettles responded with excitement, ”Right now feels like a good moment!” The duo then finished with their hit, “All I Want to Do.”

Thank you Oprah!

For more on the show, visit the show’s web site:  Oprah.com

New Sugarland Website

Speaking of Sugarland, the duo had launched a re-designed web site,
sugarlandmusic.com Check it out!

In Concert News:

Ravinia summer season tickets are now on sale to the general pubic through Ravinia.org. Due to popular demand, Carrie Underwood has announced a second night at the North Suburban venue. Check out ravinia.org for more.

Mark your Calendars:

As part of the Eight Shows at Joe’s promotion from US99, Martina McBride will play the North Side bar on May 6th. Tickets are only available through US99.

Josh Gracin, Darryl Worley and Cross Country Junction have teamed up with the Chicago Zoological Society to play a free show with paid admission at Brookfield Zoo on August 23 for Zoo Tunes.

Voting begins for 2009 CMT Awards

Country Music Television has announced the beginning of the first round of fan voting for the 2009 CMT Awards to be held in June. The leaders of this year’s music awards are Sugarland, who leads the nominations with six and Taylor Swift and Brad Paisley who each earned four.

The coveted Video of The Year finalists include Trace Adkins’ “You’re Gonna Miss This,” Kenny Chesney’s “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven,” Toby Keith’s “God Love Her,” Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long,” Lady Antebellum’s “Lookin’ For A Good Time,” Paisley’s “Waitin’ On A Woman,” Sugarland’s “All I Want To Do,” Swift’s “Love Story” and Carrie Underwood’s “Just A Dream.”

Other voting categories include, Male Video of the Year, Female Video of the Year, Group Video of the Year, Duo of the Year, Collaborative Video of the Year, USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year, Wide Open Country Video of the Year, CMT Performance of the Year and Director of the Year.

Fans have till May 11 to visit CMT.com, register and vote. Winners will be announced during a live, televised broadcast from Nashville on the CMT, June 17.

 

CMC

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