It has been a great day of country music at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, TN. We got to watch Michael Peterson perform at Hard Rock Cafe before heading over to LP Field for the evening concert.
Tonight we had a very special performance by Wynonna and then she was joined on stage by her Mom, Naomi. It was a real emotional reunion and there are pictures in the photo album.
You’ll also find photos from other performers tonight like Trace Adkins.
One of the great things about the CMA Music Festival is the opportunity to meet stars of the stage. Michael Peterson introduced me to Ricochet. They were in the kickoff parade and will be competing in the New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race on Sunday.
I spoke with Troy, Greg, Heath and Robert after the parade. They said riding in the parade, “beat hauling hay.” They’ve got a new album out called “Ricochet Reloaded.”
They’re looking forward to racing tractors on Sunday since at least one of them “is an old tractor jockey from way back.” They think country music fans would be good tractor race fans. It only makes sense.
You can find them online and download their new single. Here’s where you can purchase the new album.
2009 CMA Music Festival Photo Album
You can listen to my interview with the band here:
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Cindy got to see Michael Peterson perform on Friday night but I got to see Callaway perform on Saturday night. She did a benefit concert for support of Appaloosa Youth Association activities and was a big hit with the young audience.
She played a full set of songs with her band and showed why she’s an up and coming star.
The ring was opened up so that everyone could come down out of the stands and get up close and personal. It took a little coaxing but once Callaway got started most of the crowd moved on down.
You can watch Callaway perform one of her songs in this video:
The first band on the Chevy Music Stage this morning here at Fan Fair was Michael Peterson’s. He attracted a big crowd. The seats were filled and people gravitated there since you could hear the music up and down the street. Last year Michael performed on the Riverfront Stage.
I recorded a video clip of the band performing “Marriage is the Leading Cause of Divorce” which you can watch here:
You can also watch Michael talk about the song on his website.
2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album
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I’ve tag teamed with Laura McNamara, seen here busily agriblogging, at the CMA Music Fest where we’ve got some global warming going on. Thank goodness for air conditioning since it’s about 92 degrees out.
I think Laura’s done a great job this week here and you’ll be seeing her covering a number of other events during the coming months.
I spoke with Cindy a little while ago and I think she’s wrapping up her coverage of the World Pork Expo. We sure appreciate Novus International sponsoring her coverage.
2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album
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AgWired.com will be bringing you live coverage of the New Holland/Michael Peterson Celebrity Tractor Race. AgWired Live TV will be streaming the race on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Viewers can watch thirty celebrities compete to be the fastest tractor on the lot on a post here or on the AgWired Live TV Web page. Celebrity racers include Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Jimmie Van Zant, Rolling Ston’es Chuck Leavell and National Biodiesel Board CEO Joe Jobe. Of course, Michael Peterson will be hosting the event.
2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album
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Penny Elliot is a part of the reception staff at the Holiday Inn Select where the New Holland crew and I are staying during the 2008 CMA Music Festival. She let on to Gene Hemphill, the Industry Affairs Manager for New Holland, that she was a big fan of country music singer/songwriter Michael Peterson. So Gene made it his mission to make her day. Not only did Gene get Michael to autograph a copy of his ‘Grave to the Cradle’ album for Penny, Gene also set up an impromptu meet-n-greet of sorts. Michael stopped by the hotel and introduced himself to Penny just before running off to be a guest on this morning’s XM Dave Nemo Show.
2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album
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The line at singer/songwriter Michael Peterson’s CMA Music Festival exhibit remained long and steady. That’s because unlike most artists, Michael stayed around all day signing autographs, doling out hugs and smiling for pictures with fans. Michael says connecting with people is what events like these are all about and he looks forward to seeing familiar faces each year.
I grabbed some videos with Michael talking about fans and handing out autographs. You can watch the videos here:
2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album
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New Holland is sharing its booth at the CMA Country Music Festival this year. New Holland is a corporate sponsor of The National Wild Turkey Federation and visitors can find NWTF representatives, including Tom Turkey, at the Sports Zone. Brian Dowler is the public relations manager for NWTF and he says NWTF talks more than just Turkey. In fact, the international organization produces the Outdoor Channel, publishes the Women Outdoors magazine, manages volunteer based wildlife habitation projects and more.
I spoke with Brian and asked him about his organization. You can listen to my interview here:
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2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album
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Fans waved and hollered, calling out “Michael!” as the New Holland/Michael Peterson float rolled past during the 2008 CMA Country Music Festival Kick-Off Parade. Some fans even blew kisses to the country music singer/songwriter. Others boldly cried out their admiration for the inspirational speaker. Michael and local FFA students tossed t-shirts and waved back to an eager and excited crowd. At one point, Michael even took a phone call from a random construction worker’s phone. I believe it was Michael’s drummer on the line. I’ll have to double check that with Michael though…
I took a couple videos from float, offering a “float’s eye view” of the parade.
You can watch the videos here:
2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album
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…or festival rather. The New Holland crew joined Michael Peterson and members of the local FFA chapter in setting up for a week of excitement at the 2008 CMA Country Music Festival. Concerts, autograph sessions, exhibitions and of course the New Holland/Michael Peterson celebrity tractor race will all be a part of this weekend’s festivities.
I interviewed Michael about the legwork that’s goes into preparing for major events like Nashville’s country music celebration. You can listen to my interview with Michael here:
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I’ll have posts from today’s CMA Country Music Festival Kick-Off Parade online soon.
2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album
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Music, sports and all-around good fun are what draws about 200,000 people to Nashville each June. The 2008 CMA Country Music Festival is kicking off with its CMA Country Music Festival Kick-Off Parade and Block Party today. I arrived in Nashville last night and will begin providing coverage of the festival here on Agwired.com. Chuck will arrive Friday afternoon and take over posting online. I don’t think he wanted to miss the Michael Peterson Celebrity Tractor Race on Sunday. Michael will be challenging fellow recording artists, radio personalities and even a few Tennessee Titans in the New Holland sponsored charity event, beginning Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
But first, Michael will be appearing in the Kick-Off Parade this afternoon.
Most major activities for the CMA Music Festival begin later in the week, but the event’s fourth annual kick-off parade takes place Wednesday (June 4) at 2 p.m. in downtown Nashville. Immediately after the parade, the third annual CMA Music Festival Block Party will be staged at the Sommet Center. Among those participating in the parade are Deborah Allen, Katie Armiger, Erika Jo, Crystal Gayle, the Grascals, Jeff Griffith, Indian Rodeo, Lonestar, Jason Meadows, Mountain Heart, Michael Martin Murphey, One Flew South, the Roys, Keni Thomas, Trent Tomlinson, Rhonda Towns, Kyle Wyley, Chris Young and the cast of CMT’s Trick My Truck. The block party will feature performances by Keith Anderson, Zac Brown, Luke Bryan, Joe Nichols, James Otto, Rissi Palmer, Phil Stacey and Young. The events are sponsored by Chevorolet.
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I don’t know about you but I love being corn fed and I love Shannon Brown’s song. I got to meet her this afternoon here at the National Ethanol Conference and she and her band performed an awesome show. If you’re going to Commodity Classic you will not want to miss seeing her and the other stars who will be performing.
I asked her about the song and how it all came about and what she thinks of the ethanol business that she’s been involved in through her sponsorship by VeraSun Energy.
Shannon says the song reflects the fact that she’s a corn fed Iowa girl and the song signifies who she is and where she comes from. She says that working with VeraSun has been an eye opener and she’s fully behind the mission of the ethanol industry. She says consumers should definitely feel comfortable putting it in their car.
You can hear my interview with Shannon here:
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And if you’d like to hear how this song sounded on stage then you can also do so here:
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Why is it that Christmas hype always seems to come before Halloween hype? Well, I’m jumping on the bandwagon with this post about RFD-TV’s exciting news about which group will be putting viewers in the Christmas spirit throughout the network’s programming in November and December.
Mulberry Lane, the Midwest’s most popular sister group, will perform their 2007 Christmas show at RFD-TV The Theatre in Branson, Missouri with 20 performances scheduled during the months of November and December. The extended run will begin with three matinee performances at 3pm during Veteran’s Day weekend, November 9, 10, & 11, and then continue weekly with 7pm shows set on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings through December 5. In addition, a 3pm matinee show will be performed on Tuesdays.
Mulberry Lane, a sister act who grew up singing and playing music together, is a heartland favorite. The songbird sisters have sold over 550,000 albums, including the critical and fan favorite CD, “A Very Merry Mulberry Christmas.”
Mulberry Lane’s 2-hour Christmas show will anchor the extensive holiday lineup for the 2,000 soft-seat theatre opened by RFD-TV in March of this year. In addition, the theatre’s fall/Christmas bookings include individual appearances by Ronnie Milsap, Roy Clark, and Lorrie Morgan, along with the network’s Penny Gilley Show scheduled in the venue for the weekends.
From the looks of it the Farm Progress Show concert was a big success.
On stage were Tracy Lawrence and Tracy Byrd. I didn’t stay for the show. Too tired and I had a little ways to drive to get back “home.”
It’s been a few years since they did this at a show. Country music and agriculture always just seem to go together so I think it makes sense.
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I had not heard of Shannon Brown before tonight but with a song called “Corn Fed” and featuring a green combine and mentioning John Deere while I’m attending the John Deere product launch it had to be a post.
Shannon is an Iowa native and Nashville artist who performed last week at the opening of the VeraSun Charles City, IA ethanol plant.
You can watch the video of the title track to her album here. It’s a good country rocking tune and I’m just betting we’ll be hearing it played at a lot of ag events in the future.
As her bio says, “Corn Fed is truly Brown’s musical autobiography, a sonic sketch of the sojourn she has experienced as her dream has taken her from a small town in Iowa to Music City USA.”
It's time to thank our farmers and ranchers for all their hard work to feed us.
In this week's program I interview Linda Tank, CHS, Inc., who is Chair of the Agriculture Council of America, the group coordinating National Ag Day. Learn more about their activities, especially this week in Washington, DC.
