Issuu

February 14, 2019, Issue 2

Bombs Away At New Lunch

Warner Music Nashville Chairman/CEO John Esposito welcomed CRS 2019 attendees to the inaugural Warner Music Nashville Luncheon Wednesday (2/13) with another first-ever event – zero f-bombs dropped during his speech. Instead, Esposito praised CRB Exec. Dir. Bill Mayne’s efforts in putting together the 50th anniversary of CRS and noted that, if gauging by the packed house, this would be the first of many Warner-sponsored CRS lunches. WMN SVP/ Radio & Streaming Promotion Kristen Williams then took the stage as emcee. First to the stage was Morgan Evans, who utilized his loop pedal in a performance of “Day Drunk” that Kristen Williams intermixed a medley of Wiz Khalifa’s “Young, Wild & Free” and Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It.” Next was Cole Swindell, who thanked Country radio for the early support that has led him to a string of No. 1 hits; he performed his current single, “Love You Too Late.” Devin Dawson sang his single, which is also the title track of his album, “Dark Horse,” after sharing with attendees the personal and autobiographical nature of the song. Also sharing new music was Chris Janson, who played kick drum, acoustic guitar and harmonMorgan Evans ica all at the same time during “Good

Top Dollar: Tom Rivers Humanitarian honoree WDXB/ Birmingham’s Dollar Bill Lawson (l) with 2019 Artist Humanitarian Warner Bros./WMN’s Blake Shelton at the CRS 2019 Opening Ceremonies (2/13).

Vibes.” A string of standing-ovation-earning performances followed from Cody Johnson, Ashley McBryde and Dan + Shay, who sang their singles, “On My Way to You,” “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” and “All to Myself,” respectively. Johnson made note of his decade on the road performing for

February 14, 2019

raucous crowds before asking attendees, “Can someone please make some noise?” McBryde also got big reactions leading with a joke about her height. “People tell me, ‘I thought you’d be taller!’ I thought I would, too; this is where it stopped.” She then told the emotional back-story of the title track of her album. Dan + Shay’s Dan Smyers praised the relationship between Country radio and the artists before making light of a viral moment resulting from the duo’s Grammys performance. “Shay [Mooney] just finished holding that note from Sunday ... and he also zipped his fly.” Townsquare SVP/Programming and CRB Board Pres. Kurt Johnson announced WMN’s Blake Shelton as the CRS 2019 Artist Humanitarian Award recipient. Last year’s honoree, Capitol’s Dierks Bentley passed the torch. A congratulations video from Blake Shelton Today’s Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford was played, after which Shelton exclaimed, “Is that all of them? Shit, I thought I had more celebrity friends than that!” Shelton also made mention of his appreciation for the recognition, stating he felt every country artist is a great humanitarian. “The cool thing about country artists is that I feel like we all step up any time we can,” said Shelton. He then wrapped the inaugural luncheon by performing two audience requests, “Austin” and “Ol’ Red.” –Monta Vaden

Garth At The Bat

“For anyone who is wondering if Spring Training is having any effect, I’m sore as hell tonight,” said Pearl’s Garth Brooks as he hosted a re-creation of his one-man show at Bridgestone Arena Wednesday night (2/13). Sore or not, Brooks turned the 20,000 seat venue into an intimate setting by bringing his stage right up to the railings of the lower bowl and sectioning off one area just for CRS attendees. He played some of the songs that most influenced him and his music including “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” “She Thinks I Still Care,” “Against The Wind,” “1982,” “Piano Man,” “Amarillo Garth Brooks By Morning” and a rendition of “To All The

Page 3

Nobody Puts Baby In A Warner: The Warner Music Nashville luncheon helps kick off CRS 2019. Pictured (front, l-r) are the label’s John Esposito, Chris Janson, Blake Shelton, Cole Swindell, Ashley McBryde and Scott Hendricks; (back, l-r) the label’s Kristen Williams, Devin Dawson, Cody Johnson, Morgan Evans and Tom Martens.

Girls I Loved Before” wherein he imitated both Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias. Brooks also rolled out his own hits, including “That Summer,” “Standing Outside The Fire,” “Friends In Low Places” and “The Dance.” Attendees were allowed to ask questions and make requests throughout the evening, and Brooks repeatedly shared personal stories behind his music and career while also thanking Country radio on multiple occasions. “Thank you for my life,” Brooks said at the close of the evening. Look for highlights from the event to appear in Brooks’ Inside Studio G on Facebook Live Monday (2/18).

Your Time Has Gum

Seeking to help overworked industry professionals at every level find a better work-life balance, Big Loud Records Pres. Clay Hunnicutt kicked off CRS 2019 with a presentation of his personal time management system. Hunnicutt shared his philosophy for juggling responsibilities while working first in radio, then in

February 14, 2019

Page 5

records, while also maintaining a family life. “The time we have to do all these things is always the same,” says Hunnicutt. “The only thing that improves constantly is our ability to manage it.” He presented his “13 Commandments of Time Management,” which have long been implemented by Big Loud VP/Promotion Stacy Waugh and WWKA/Orlando PD Steve Stewart. Tips include sharing your vision for a project with your team in advance to help avoid miscommunication or delays in action; implementing a written to-do list; prioritizing your “must do” versus “nice to do” commitments; remembering that it is okay to say “no;” and working to be “white at night,” meaning clearing your email inbox completely by the end of each day. “It’s sensory overload,” says Hunnicutt of being attached to your phone and other electronic devices both day and night. “You can be highly successful and very engaged but still have some normalcy.” Waugh and Stewart agreed, citing personal examples of ensuring professional and personal lives do not bleed into one another. “Many people in this audience – and even some on this panel – have received ‘pee-mail’ from me,” says Stewart, who often utilizes his personal bathroom time to return emails instead of taking away time from his family. Waugh went a little more mainstream with her tips, including carrying a written to-do list in a personal planner and creating multiple organizational filing systems for her emails. “I don’t go completely ‘white at night,’” says Waugh, who instead makes certain she leaves no email unread and writes follow-up instructions for the next day on her to-do list. Attendees left with immediate actionable tips for “working harder, not smarter,” according to Hunnicutt’s philosophy. –Monta Vaden

The Heat Of The Moment

Amazon Music hosted its second annual Amazon Music Presents: Country Heat at CRS (2/13) with performances from King Calaway, Tenille Townes, Hardy, Adam Hambrick and Zac Brown Band. Each of the first four acts have been named Amazon Ones To Watch for 2019 and performed a four-song set, including their debut radio singles. Between each performance, Amazon aired clips from their “First & Last” interview series, which includes stories and anecdotes from Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Dustin Lynch, Jordan Davis, Lady Antebellum and many others. Headliner ZBB closed the night with a set that included hits”Homegrown” and “Colder Weather” as well as new music from their forthcoming studio album.

I’m Not Crying. You’re Crying.

Dayton Duncan, writer and co-producer of the upcoming Ken Burns PBS documentary Country Music, shared stories behind the film’s production with clips that left attendees visibly moved. Burns delivered a message to introduce seven segments from the film, which follows the evolution of country music. And when the lights came up, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. “We tell the story of what we consider a deeply American art form; what came to be known as country music, acknowledging its incredible diverse roots”, says Duncan, “and we follow that through the 20th century when it first began being recorded and, more importantly, when it first began to be broadcast on the brand new medium of radio.” Duncan said it was challenging to get the story from hundreds of hours down to the 16-hour, eight-part series, which features 101 interviews, 3,500 photos, film clips, and stories behind 570 songs. “It is the power of the songs that distinguishes this music.” Moderator Kurt Johnson said that in the weeks leading up to the September 15 PBS premiere, there are many opportunities for radio to embrace and promote the event. Provided assets will ©2019 Countr y Aircheck™ — All r ights reser ved. Sign up free at w w w.countr yaircheck .com. S end news to news@countr yaircheck .com

February 14, 2019

include opportunities to interview some of the artists featured, promos, social media content and suggestions for promotions to get listeners excited. –Sue Wilson

Pre-dom’s Finally Mine

Albright & O’Malley & Brenner’s 25th Annual Pre-CRS Seminar opened with a look at Roadmap 2019 research presented by Becky Brenner and Mike O’Malley. The pair shared findings from 10,221 respondents in the 25-54 demo, of which 82% are female and 18% are male. Overall satisfaction with Country radio hit a sixyear average of 73%, which has remained consistent. Factors that contribute to the satisfaction of listeners include their local Country station Big Kenny and Mike O’Malley playing “the best music,” making them “feel good” when they listen and having talent that “feel like friends.” The study also highlighted social media use among respondents, who still cite Facebook as their preferred social platform with 73% using the medium regularly. Instagram comes in second with 32%. Pure play and owned music have become the two largest switching destinations for Country radio P1s, now sur-

Page 7

passing AM/FM Country radio and other formats. “Podcasts, while growing slightly in listenership, aren’t showing up as a switching destination,” shares O’Malley. “They are more of an alternate choice.” However, weekly TSL for Country stations on mobile devices has increased by approximately 25%. Radio also remains the leading source of music discovery, with listeners citing River House/Columbia’s Luke Combs and RCA’s Kane Brown among their most discovered artists of 2018. Those interested in seeing the full presentation of Roadmap 2019 can contact A&O&B’s Becky Brenner or Mike O’Malley here or here, respectively. After a performance by BMLG Records’ Riley Green, Ethos3 CEO Scott Schwertly spoke on “The Presentation Revolution: How to Build, Design, and Deliver Compelling Presentations.” Schwertly shared his top three tips for adding value including – naturally – only having three points per presentation. That does not, however, mean limiting your slide deck. Instead, Schwertly recommends an expanded deck that takes advantage of more photography and typography. “Slide count has nothing to do with the Riley Green length of your presentation,” says Schwertly, who shared over 100 slides – mostly visual in nature – during his 30-minute presentation. “You will see 42% better information retention with images,” says Schwertly.” Your brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text.” He can be reached here. To round out the morning, Big Kenny Alphin shared his perspective on “Building a Larger Than Life Brand.” Kenny discussed

February 14, 2019

Page 8

his pre-music days, including a stint in construction, where one co-worker commented that, since Kenny sounded good singing along to the radio, he should go to Nashville to make money at it. Kenny replied, “People do that?” Kenny also shared some of his early struggles, painting himself as a “late bloomer.” He also emphasized his personal philosophy of never giving up and always “putting one foot in front of another,” stating that was his motto through the tough times, into his Music Mafia days and later success as part of Big & Rich. He ended with a positive message of faith and maintaining a belief in oneself. –Monta Vaden, Joe Wills

Huff; RCS/GSelector: Drew Bennett, Nate Mumford, Bryan “B-Dub” Washington Omni, Level 3, Cumberland 1-2

The Day Ahead

9am Voice + Talent Coaching Workshop featuring Marice Tobias, “The Voice Whisperer” Marice Tobias Omni, Level 3, Cumberland 5-6

8am Digital Partnership Breakfast John Marks, Paul Logan, Laura Ohls, Mary Catherine Kinney, Jay Liepis, Sally Seitz, Madison Hanten, Margaret Hart, Rachel Whitney, Kelly Rich, Beville Dunkerley, Allison Laughter Omni, Level 3, Cumberland 3-4 8am Programming Mentoring Breakfast Sponsored by SoCast Digital Travis Daily, John Foxx, Nikki Thomas, Tim Roberts, Tim Richards, Kevin Callahan, Grover Collins, Ginny Brophey, Cindy Spicer, Kyle Due, Jay Cruze, Mark Anderson, Justin Cole, Mike Preston, JD Greene, Tom Hanrahan, Michael Levine, Joel Raab, Phil Hunt, David Corey, Drew Bland Omni, Level 3, Cumberland 5-6 8am Sales Mentoring Breakfast Sarah Fraizer, Allison Warren, Dan Endom, Jeff James, Judy Lakin Omni, Level 3, Cumberland 1-2 9am Music Scheduling Workshops Presented by MusicMaster Scheduling and RCS MusicMaster: Brook Stephens, Joe Knapp, Jerry Butler, Chris

9am Production Workshop Kelly Doherty, Ron Tarrant, Steve Taylor Omni, Level 3, Cumberland 3-4

9am Back to the Future: Turning the Remotes of Yesterday Into the Remotes of Today Moderator: Tom Baldrica; Panelists: Joey Tack, Page Nienaber, Mason Meyer Omni, Level 2, Legends A-C 9am The Metrics That Matter to Predict Radio Hits Moderator: Bob Richards; Panelists: Jeff Green, Victoria Nugent, Nancy Wilson Omni, Level 2, Legends D-G

10am A Town Hall Conversation with Garth Brooks & Amazon Music’s Steve Boom Moderator: Melinda Newman; Speakers: Garth Brooks, Steve Boom Omni, Level 2, Legends Ballroom, D-G

February 14, 2019

10am-6pm Jamie O’Neal’s Breakout Room Omni, Level 2, Music Row 3 11:30am Team UMG at the Ryman Kassi Ashton, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Jordan Davis, Travis Denning, Vince Gill, Adam Hambrick, Caylee Hammack, Brandon Lay, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban Ryman Auditorium 2:30pm Crack the Code to Digital Revenue: Real Ideas to Drive Digital Dollars Moderator: Erica Farber; Panelists: Kevin Epps, Jacki Petersson, Bryan Byers, Eric Eisen, Stephen St. Pierre Omni, Level 3, Legends Ballroom A-C 2:30pm Running for Success: How to Maximize Grassroots Marketing Strategies Moderator: Becky Brenner; Panelists: Johnny Chiang, John Esposito, Jeff James, Carolyn Gilbert Omni, Level 2, Legends Ballroom D-G 2:30pm Small Market Boot Camps: One Room, Three Mini Sessions Moderator: Tom Baldrica; Panelists: Ashley Main & Dale Desmond, Scott Musgrave & Pepper Davis, Brooke Taylor & Carsen Omni, Level 3, Cumberland 3-4 3:30pm CRS Research Presentation: Understanding Parents, Teens and Country Music Presented by Edison Research Larry Rosin, Megan Lazovick Omni, Level 2, Legends Ballroom D-G

Page 9

4:30pm Beer-Thirty: Town Hall Thursday Haley Jones, Karina Farias Omni, Level 2, Legends Ballroom D-G 4:30pm SSM Nashville Happy Hour Omni, Level 2, Music Row 1 5pm “90s Country” Night at CRS Sponsored by the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum Walker Hayes, Brandon Ratcliff Hall of Fame Event Hall 7pm Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley Sponsored by Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40 and First Tennessee Bank First drink sponsored by ASCAP Rhett Akins, Chris DeStefano, Chase McGill, Laura Veltz, JT Harding, Luke Laird, Lori McKenna, Brett James, Lee Thomas Miller, Heather Morgan Omni, Level 2, Legends Ballroom A-C 8pm Big & Rich Blowout Party Redneck Riviera, 208 Broadway

Lon Helton, lon@countryaircheck.com Chuck Aly, chuck@countryaircheck.com Caitlin DeForest, caitlin@countryaircheck.com Monta Vaden, monta@countryaircheck.com (615) 320-1450