And The Award Goes To...

(A quick note:  I've provided a word for today, however it may not work.  My fault, I forgot to give the words to Jake before he left for Nashville; my apologies to all.)

(Today's word will be in red and bold.)

Halloween is over, though in country music, artists, songwriters, producers and others in the industry are waiting to see if they'll garner even bigger treats.

Yes, it's that time of year again, time for the CMA Awards.  The 46th year of this program airs tonight on ABC.  Once again, Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley will host the show.  There will also be plenty of performances and presentations during the three hour event.

What culminates on this one day however has actually been going on all week.  Radio personalities from all four corners of the U.S. have descended on Nashville, to interview country artists and nominees.  KUPL's own Earthquake Jake, and Wrongway Danny Dwyer were sent to do this task for the station.  Their interviews with various artists have been running during the "Simon in the Morning" program yesterday and today.  The ones I've heard have been very entertaining and some downright funny.

Hopefully tonight's broadcast of the 46th Annual CMA Awards will be equally as enjoyable.

Austin Webb @ the Bing Lounge--10-12-12

It's likely that most people reading this post have never heard of Austin Webb.  If that's the case, you'll want to keep reading and learn more about this talented young man.

Originally from South Carolina, Webb began writing poetry at nine years old; and picked up the guitar when he was sixteen years old.

We've all heard stories of  the "over night success" that some have had; usually said tongue in cheek because of it's actual rarity.  In Webb's case
however, this is very close to the truth.  March of 2011, Webb won a music contest, quit his job the same day, and moved to Nashville.  Seven months ago, to help pay the bills, Webb started working at Starbucks; thanks to his guitar player, Jake Mitchell, who also worked there.

Four months ago, Webb got a call from Byron Gallimore, (known for working with country artists such as Sugarland, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Jo Dee Messina), wanting to sign Webb to a publishing deal.  A few days later, Gallimore offered Webb a recording deal as well; and Webb then quit his Starbucks job.  (As a side note, Mitchell quit his job two months ago, to play guitar with Webb.)

Since that time, Webb has literally been on a whirlwind of radio stops across the country.  Two months ago, this young man had never been on a plane.  By the time he got to the Bing Lounge in Portland, he figured he'd been on at least twenty flights in those past two months, with several more lined up.

So, after the flurry of activity over the last year and a half, you're probably wondering, is this guy worthy of all the attention?  In one word, yes.

While Webb may, or may not, be considered "traditional" country, his music is definitely worth being played on country radio.  His voice is unique enough, (tinged with just the right amount of emotion and soul), to stand out from the many cookie-cutter artists played nowadays.  Watching, and listening to him perform, you can see and hear the passion he has for his art.

Like others at the Bing Lounge, Webb played a handful of tunes he'd written; telling the stories behind each one.  One of those songs, "It's All Good", is scheduled as Webb's first single, due out to radio in December.

If you like this video, be sure to go to KUPL's YouTube page, (987kuplvideo), and watch the rest of Webb's performance in the Bing Lounge.

In a nutshell, Austin Webb is a country artist to be looking out for in the near future.

Kelleigh Bannen @ the Bing Lounge-7-12-12

Other than knowing the obvious, she's a country singer, (which is why KUPL was hosting the performance), I'd never heard of Kelleigh Bannen. In addition, I'd had a crazy week or so going on, and hadn't had time to do any research before Bannen performed in the Bing Lounge Thursday, July 12, 2012.  In reality, this worked to my advantage, because I went in to the concert with no preconceived ideas.

Unlike most country singer/songwriters, Kelleigh Bannen didn't have to move to Nashville to start her career; she's grown up there.  Because of this, she was able to stay close to family while following her dream of becoming a country star. 

The crowd in the Bing Lounge that evening was small; though, like any true artist, Bannen played as though the room was packed.  She told stories of growing up, the current radio tour she's on, and a lot about herself, in between songs; and of course told about the songs and how they came to be.

Brannen was excited to let everyone know that her single, "Sorry on the Rocks", will be hitting radio stations Monday, July 16, 2012.  Bannen also explained that, while singles are released to radio, what matters is if a station "commits" to playing the song.  In Bannen's case, KUPL is the first station in the entire United States to commit to playing "Sorry on the Rocks".

After her performance in the Bing Lounge, Kelleigh met with those in the audience, to sign autographs and have photos taken.

While most artists meet people, ask their name, how they liked the show, etc., Bannen took the experience one step further.  She took the time to ask people questions about things *she* wanted to know.  For instance, Kelleigh asked me what my current favorite songs on the radio were.  I told her that was funny, because I'd just posted a couple blog posts about my current top ten favorites. I told her some of them from that list, and let her know I'd be writing a post about her Bing Lounge show as well.  It was like talking to someone I'd known forever, rather than someone I knew nothing about before that evening.

I felt bad that not more people were there to hear this talented young woman; those who missed the concert may well have missed an opportunity to see a future country music star.

Hunter Hayes @ the Bing Lounge--5-2-12

Twenty-one year-old Hunter Hayes is the latest country artist to have graced the Bing Lounge stage, May 2, 2012.

Hayes, who was in town for a concert later that evening, did a short set and interview that day at noon to a packed house of fans.  Usually, the noon shows in the Bing Lounge have a  sparse audience;  due mainly to people having to work. The requests to see Hunter Hayes however were around 800.  Because of this, seating was to be first come, first serve, for the first 175 people.  Most started lining up about two hours before the set was to begin, with one fan actually getting to the Bing Lounge four hours in advance.

The crowd that day was made up primarily of young women, wanting to get a closer look at the blond haired, blue eyed Hayes.  It's obvious Hunter is one of the latest country heartthrobs to come out of Nashville.

There's more to Hayes than just his looks however.  The young man is extremely talented, having started performing at the tender age of two, when his grandma gave him a toy accordion as a gift. He told this during the interview segment, and said that from then on, he got a different instrument for every holiday.  He's learned to play thirty so far; though he'll admit, the fiddle is one instrument he's never mastered.

He's performed with some of the biggest names in the music business throughout the years, and is very knowledgeable about his craft.  It also comes through in his showmanship.  No matter the size of the stage, or crowd, Hayes easily captures, and keeps the audience's attention.  This was obvious during the Bing Lounge performance; even though it's a small stage in an intimate venue, Hayes and his band rocked full tilt on every tune they did.

Of course, it wouldn't be a proper performance if Hayes hadn't done his first single, "Storm Warning".  What was interesting, and nice to find out, was, Hayes sounded just as good live as the recording of the song.  That's often not the case with some artists.

Hayes also did his latest single, "Wanted", telling the story behind the song first.  He said he'd written the song for a girlfriend that he didn't want to lose.  He went on to say that obviously the song didn't do what it was supposed to; but it was okay, he has a hit out of the song now.

KUPL's afternoon DJ, TicTak, put out a challenge to Hayes and his band to perform a song by another artist.  Hayes chose Ronnie Milsap's "No Getting Over You", and nailed the song perfectly.

Throughout the event one could tell Hayes has learned over the years to be himself.  His youthful exuberance shines through genuinely, and equally with his professionalism.  Though things were a bit rushed, because of a time crunch, Hayes still took the time to shake each attendee's hand, ask their name, sign an autograph and pose for a photo.

If every performance Hunter Hayes gives is like the one at the Bing Lounge, I'm willing to bet this is a young man who will be around the music business for a long, long time.

Due West @ the Bing Lounge--4-24-12

Due West-(l-r):  Brad Hull, Tim Gates, Matt Lopez

I usually miss the noontime shows at the Bing Lounge, as I'm working at that time.  Once in awhile though, if there's someone I *really* want to see, I can usually get away long enough to catch the show.  That was the case with Due West.

I've loved this trio since I first heard their songs "Between the Bible and the Belt", and "When the Smoke Clears", on the radio.  I saw them perform live awhile ago at the Ponderosa Lounge as well; so when I heard they were coming to the Bing Lounge I knew I HAD to be there!

 From the moment the three, (Brad Hull, Tim Gates, and Matt Lopez), hit the stage, they kept the audience mesmerized with their beautiful harmony.  I think Earthquake Jake put it best when he told them that of all the acts that have performed on the Bing Lounge stage, Due West are best at what they do.  Anyone who knows Jake, knows he doesn't say anything he doesn't mean; the man cannot, and will not tell a lie.

During the interview segment, the guys said that their biggest influence are bands like Alabama, Diamond Rio, Restless Heart, and other similar groups.  When asked how they got together, they told how they'd met at a party where people were taking turns singing various songs.  By the end of the evening, everyone else had stopped to listen to the three of them singing together.  The guys said people at the party told them how tight their harmonies were and asked how long they'd been performing together, to which they responded, "about three hours now".  From then on, they began working together as a group.

The members of Due West write some of their own music, and also look to others for songs.  They said they don't usually do cover versions of songs, however, they had one that they had been doing for awhile.  Since Lionel Richie has just released his album of duets with country artists,  Due West did their version of "Stuck On You" for the Bing Lounge audience.  In one word:  AMAZING!!!

Another cool song the band performed was their latest single, "Things You Can't Do In A Car".

All too soon the show was over; however the guys did stay to meet members of the audience, sign autographs and have their picture taken with everyone.  Though I'd seen them perform before, I'd never met the band.  Let me just say, Brad, Tim and Matt are three of the nicest people you'll ever meet!

It happened to be an audience member's birthday that day, and when she told the guys that during the meet and greet, they did an impromptu version of "Happy Birthday" for her.  Wish I'd gotten that on video!  I get the feeling these three could sing a phone book in perfect harmony!

Though they haven't made it as big as some artists out of Nashville, keep an eye and ear out for Due West.  I predict big things are going to happen for them!

Review--"Guitarslinger"--Vince Gill

It's been five years since Vince Gill has released a CD; though you'd never know it listening to his latest offering, "Guitarslinger".

From the opening title track through the rest of the twelve songs, this CD flows as smoothly as Gill's voice, while still having wide variety in both music and subject matter.

The title track is an upbeat, almost rockish tune, that weaves a story of the floods in Nashville last year, Vince meeting Amy Grant, and other things that have happened in his life.

"When the Lady Sings the Blues" mixes country with a heavy dose of, you guessed it, the blues. Amongst the other CD song selections, this tune is right at home.

The current single, "Threaten Me with Heaven", is truly pure Vince Gill at his best. It's the type of song listeners expect from Gill, and he definitely doesn't disappoint anyone with his delivery.

It would probably be easier to list songs that fall a bit short of the rest of the music on "Guitarslinger", for instance, "If I Die". Though it fits well with the other songs, it doesn't seem to make the same impact as the others do. Yet, at the same time, "If I Die" really is a good song. That's how good "Guitarslinger" is, even the more lackluster songs are still great.

Though it's been five years, Vince Gill's latest CD is worth the wait and sure to be a classic. I'd rate it one of the best CD's of 2011.