The Megaticket will give you four Saturday night country concerts for one package price. The current lineup includes Sugarland on Saturday, June 23, Rascal Flatts with Little Big Town, Edens Edge and a to-be-announced special guest on Saturday, July 28.

Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan with a TBA special guest on Saturday, August 18, and Toby Keith with Brantley Gilbert and a TBA special guest on Saturday, September 2.

They’re currently offering three different seating and pricing tiers of tickets: Platinum, Silver and Lawn. Please see Live Nation’s site for more information.

http://promo.livenation.com/megaticket/first-midwest-bank/

In the House- This week at the Ryman, one of country’s hottest stars will share the stage with one of Nashville’s brightest rising stars. Dierks Bentley will bring his newest album “Home” to life at this special release show on Thursday, February 2. Nashville native and favorite Will Hoge will open the show before hitting the road for his own tour throughout the Southeast.

Writers from the Row- This week in Nashville, you can catch some of Nashville’s busiest songwriters at the Bluebird Cafe, the spot famous for giving many of today’s biggest songwriters their start in Nashville. On Tuesday the 31st, catch Bob DiPiero, Victoria Shaw, Gary Burr, and Jim Photoglo in a special benefit show for the Alive Hospice Program. These 4 writers have written countless hits between them for artists as diverse as Martina McBride, John Michael Montgomery, Garth Brooks, Lynrd Skynrd, and the Everly Brothers, and are sure to put on a special show in this intimate setting.

Good to Give- This year, the Bellevue YMCA in West Nashville has called upon Keith Anderson to help kick off their annual YMCA Giving Campaign. On Monday the 31st, Anderson will be joined by Lee Roy Parnell and other surprise guests to help get the giving campaign off to a great start at Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theater, home of Nashville’s first professional theater.

Back to our Roots- In its newest live radio program, WSM, the station that brought the Grand Ole Opry to life, pays tribute to the roots of country music by showcasing artists who give new life to the most traditional forms of country music. This week, Music City Roots features alternative country star Darrell Scott,bluegrass artists The Lonesome River Band, Chris Jones and the Night drivers, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, and Bluegrass super group The Special Consensus. This group was founded by Greg Cahill in Chicago in 1975, and has been kept alive with an ever-changing roster of bluegrass superstars for the last 37 years!

Google Street View 435 N. Clark St, Chicago

Chicago restaurant power brokers RJ and Jerrod Melman have partnered up with Joe’s Bar founders, Ed Warm and Tom DiSanto, to form a new country and western bar in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. The new venue, planned to open this summer, will occupy the former Frankie Z’s location at 435 N. Clark Street. A concept that could be considered a rather stark contradiction to the existing Hubbard St. entertainment district, which is located just north of the Chicago River and behind the Merchandise Mart.

“We’ve enjoyed getting to know RJ and Jerrod over the past several years and really look forward to this new venture together,” said Warm. “They are definitely making their mark on Chicago’s dining scene and we’re all pretty excited to bring a totally new country western experience to River North.”

According to the restaurant corporation’s website, it’s yet unclear whether or not country acts will perform live at the new yet-unnamed bar but, according to the news release, there will be “southern-inspired dishes and authentic barbeque.”

The unnamed bar is set to open within three blocks from Live Nation’s House of Blues, a downtown concert venue located within the Marina City towers at State and Kinzie.

We’ll be keeping an eye on this, be sure to check back.

NBC 5: Melman Brothers Go a Little Bit Country

After dodging a bunch scrutiny by the surrounding neighborhood and special approval from Chicago’s City Hall, country music power trio Rascal Flatts made history as the first country artists to play Chicago’s very own Wrigley Field. A concert that went on to sell-out with a mere 37,000 fans that cool July evening in 2009.

Three years later, it looks like country music is being called back to the ballpark as the CMA Entertainer of the Year, Brad Paisley, is headed to the north side confines on Saturday, June 9, 2012, with a home-run of a lineup.

Miranda Lambert, Chris Young, The Band Perry and Jerrod Nieman will joining Mr. Paisley on the Chicago-stop of his 2012 Virtual Reality World Tour.

Tickets go on sale to the general public starting tomorrow (Jan. 27) at 10 a.m. through Live Nation and Tickets.com.

Brad Paisley’s  ”American Saturday Night”:

Glen Campbell

Music has this unique ability to bring together people in a series of unforgettable moments throughout one’s life. One of those moments came at last year’s 45th Annual CMA Awards, when country hit makers Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and Vince Gill took to the stage to perform some of Glen Campbell’s unforgettable hits. In the audience sat the humbled and legendary Glen Campbell….singing each and every word.

Oh…the cruelty of Alzheimer’s disease.

Just this past June, Glen and his wife Kimberley announced to the world that, after dealing with short term memory loss for a number of years, he had been officially diagnosed with the devastating disease. Yet, rather than crawling into the darkness, Campbell has focused on remaining one of country music’s most legendary figures.

Named both CMA Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year in 1968 and inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005, Campbell’s recent album release Ghost On the Canvas has received widespread and much deserved acclaim from the entire music industry. Not only does the album feature an unforgettable line up of songs and lyrics, it also includes Campbell’s recognizable guitar licks with some of music’s finest, including Billy Corgan, Brian Setzer, Rick Nielsen, Jason Falkner, Marty Rifkin, Steve Hunter, Tim Pierce and Keith Urban.

The eight-time GRAMMY® winner also finds himself in the midst of a final slate of live performances dubbed “The Glen Campbell Goodbye Tour, including this week’s appearances at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet. And if that wasn’t enough, it was recently announced that Campbell will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at next month’s 54th Annual GRAMMY awards.

Indeed, Campbell’s 75 years of history…from his modest upbringing in Arkansas to his unsurpassed stardom in music, television and movies….is worthy of an unforgettable sendoff. Yet, for some reason, no one seems ready to say goodbye quite yet.

GLEN CAMPBELL

7:30 p.m., January 26 and January 27

Rialto Square Theatre, 15 E. Van Buren Street, Joliet

Tickets, $26 – $75 - 815-726-7171 - rialtosquare.com

Little Big Town

Little Big Town is one of those distinctive country bands that have the unique ability of being able to rile up the crowd with hand clapping hits such as Little White Church and Boondocks just as easily as they can tear their heart out in ballads like Kiss Goodbye and Shut Up Train. It just might be this God-given talent that makes them the ultimate band to play the rowdy, yet intimate Joe’s Bar in Chicago.

“Playing a smaller venue gives us the chance to play a full set of songs and go deeper into the albums, showcasing what Little Big Town is all about,” explains Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet in an exclusive interview with CountryMusicChicago.com. “While we love to play the arenas, the fans can seem so far away. I love how the smaller venues allow the fans to really get close to the music and musicians. It just feels good.”

Armed with miraculous four part harmonies and a unified love for music in general, Little Big Town says they are ready to take Joe’s Bar by storm. Sweet says Friday night’s set will include all of the favorites, including a selection of covers from the band’s wildly popular Scattered, Smothered and Covered web series of videos.

“(Scattered, Smothered and Covered) has really become a great avenue to be creative and go a little crazy,” says Sweet of the online series of videos that have featured the band performing everything from Lady Gaga’s Born this Way to Adele’s Rolling in the Deep. “The songs feel really fresh and chances are some people might have never heard a certain song that way.”

Still riding high on the success of their 2010 chart topping album The Reason Why and last year’s popular arena tour with Sugarland, Sweet says 2012 will feature new music and a brand new summer tour for Little Big Town.

“We are doing the bulk of the recording for the new album in February,” explains Sweet. “We are super excited about the new music and being able to work with producer Jay Joyce. Who knows…we may break out some new music Friday night.”

Tickets for Saturday night’s show are currently sold out.  

Little Big Town’s “Shut Up Train” music video:

Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah perform in a scene from "Joyful Noise"

The combination of Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton in this musical about a small town church choir trying to win a competition is pure magic. First of all the music in this movie is incredible and to be honest I am not a gospel music fan but you don’t have to be a fan of gospel music to want to clap your hands, dance and grin from ear to ear. I think this movie works on so many other levels besides the incredible music because it is about so much more than music. It is about love, tearing apart, forgiveness, the power of redemption, starting over but most of all its’ about love. These topics are the quintessential topics of country music as well.

Kris Kristofferson has a tiny part in this movie in the beginning. Later as Dolly is reminiscing about her life with him ( he was her characters’ husband), he comes back as a memory and dances with Dolly. It is rare to see a dance like that. On the surface it is two people slow dancing but there is so much love in their eyes, this scene is a little different than you would expect. The chemistry between Dolly’s grandson Randy and Queen Latifah’s daughter is so strong, you forget you are watching a movie. That’s another factor that makes this movie so wonderful, it feels like real life, you don’t feel like you are watching actors and that is what makes the difference. These actors put their heart and soul into the singing and into that competition, so much so that you not only KNOW they are going to win but you are cheering and clapping when they do.

A movie that makes you smile throughout, clap, cheer, dance, say awwww and cry (happy crying) all the while smiling is a rare movie indeed and movies like this are not made that often. When they are, they are precious treasures to keep.

Catch Joyful Noise in theaters now.

The Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN

Eye on the Opry

The Grand Ole Opry is back at perhaps its most historic location, the Ryman Auditorium, again this week. These shows are always full of amazing country talent, but seeing the show from the pews in the “Mother Church of Country Music” takes it to a completely different level! On Friday the 27th, catch Josh Turner, the Del McCoury Band, and Casey James, along with other opry members- you never know who might make an appearance!

In the House

When it’s not hosting the Opry, the Ryman Auditorium, the house that built country music, lends its historic stage to other concerts and events.This Thursday, catch LeAnn Rimes as she hosts the Texaco Country Showdown. This event is free, and a really unique opportunity to catch artists that may be the next big country star! Past winners include Rimes, John Michael Montgomery, Chris Young, and Miranda Lambert.

And your bird can sing

On Friday the 27th, you can catch 4 Superstar writers and artists at the famed Bluebird cafe, early home to some of Nashville’s biggest writers. Matraca Berg (“Strawberry Wine” by Deanna Carter), Kim Carnes (singer of “Bette Davis Eyes” and writer of “The Heart Won’t Lie” by Reba and Vince Gill), Lori McKenna (“Fireflies” for Faith Hill), and Barry Dean (“God’s Will” for Martina McBride) will be playing a benefit show for Alive Hospice. This is a great opportunity to hear some of our favorite songs in a whole different light.

Writers from the Row

Nashville writer Sarah Buxton, who gained fame with both her own releases such as “Outside my Window” and “That Kind of Day,” and cuts by Keith Urban (“Stupid Boy” and “Put You in a Song”) is hosting a new kind of show- the UNCUT series. Check her out at 3rd and Lindsley as she plays her best unknown songs, that are just waiting to be cut, and could be the next big radio hit!

Out of the Studio and into the Station

Catch some of Nashville’s best studio players every Monday at the Station Inn. The session-player supergroup The TIme Jumpers plays Western Swing and Traditional Country at this unique music venue that truly takes you back in time to the Golden Era of Country music in Nashville!

If you have been wondering where the reviews are, well, the country music industry slows down a bit after the major holiday shopping season. We just haven’t had a ton of new material to review!

Now, looking forward, the music release calendar is still pretty scarce but a few rather heavy hitters are set to release in Q1.

Now kicking off 2012 ,Tim McGraw will hit with his newest CD – Emotional Traffic – which is due out Jan. 24. On the same day, Kellie Pickler will release her sophomore album, “100 Proof”.

On February 7, country hitmaker Dierks Bentley will release his much anticipated “Home” along with a special Sweet HOME Chicago one-night stand at Joe’s Bar on February 9th.

I look forward to reviewing these albums and excited to begin 2012 with some new music.

Are you looking forward to these up coming releases? Let us know by leaving a comment.

Well, as part of what looks like a studio move, the new US99.5 studios has a new caller contest line.  So here it is, write it down, take a little note.. Program it into your phone.

(312) 946-4995

…And good luck trying to win those concert tickets.