Month: March 2022

Categories
Country Daypop

Miranda Lambert announces ‘Velvet Rodeo’ Las Vegas residency

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Miranda Lambert is returning to Las Vegas to headline her own residency—Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo The Las Vegas Residency. Launching this fall, the residency will take place at Zappos Theater inside Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.  Lambert took to social media on Wednesday, March 30, to reveal the news: ‘I’m heading to Vegas y’all! My new residency ✨ Velvet Rodeo ✨begins this fall! Presale begins April 1. Join RanFans at mirandalambert.com to get presale tickets.’  

Lambert added in a statement: “When you’ve been touring as long as I have, there’s something really creative about imagining a residency in a city like Las Vegas. I’ve had a lot of fun designing our sets, merchandise and clothing and boot lines – and even my place on Broadway in Nashville, Casa Rosa – so, this opportunity allows me to lean in a bit more into that side of myself and think about how to really bring country music to life in this room. I think everyone will like what we’ve dreamed up. I’m really excited about this!”

Lambert will kick off the residency on Sept. 23, 2022 for a run of 24 shows. The shows will include songs off of her seven No. 1 albums as well as her forthcoming project, Palomino, set for release on April 29.

Tickets go on sale to the public starting Thursday, April 7 at 10 a.m. PT. Fan club members will have access to a presale starting Friday, April 1 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets may be purchased online at ticketmaster.com/mirandavegas.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Taylor Swift to address graduates, receive honorary doctorate from New York University

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Taylor Swift will receive an honorary degree from New York University – her first — and will address graduates during a commencement ceremony in May. The upcoming NYU commencement will honor the classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022 following the pandemic, to be held on May 18 at Yankee Stadium.

Swift will receive a Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa, and speak at NYU’s morning commencement event. Disability rights advocate Judith Heumann will also receive an honorary degree and address graduates.

NYU president Andrew Hamilton in a press release:  “I cannot overstate how thrilled I am to be coming together in person with graduates, parents, faculty, and honorees for NYU’s Commencement. Since 2019, we have been deprived of Commencement’s festive, communal joy, and its absence has been keenly felt. Few groups of graduates are more deserving of a celebration than these classes: their pursuit of their studies disrupted, isolated by a daunting pandemic, these classes — 2022, 2021, and 2020 — have distinguished themselves with their grit, grace, and forbearance. We reconvene at Yankee Stadium with a renewed sense of appreciation for the act of celebrating together in person, a recognition of our graduates’ enormous achievements, and a respect for their character and perseverance.”

Editorial credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Elton John announces last North American dates on his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour”

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Elton John has announced the final dates of his North American Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour, added to his previously announced stadium dates.   John posted on Instagram: “I am loving every minute of these shows and I can’t wait to see you on the last dates of my Farewell Yellow Brick Road The Final Tour  🏟  Tickets go on sale on April 6. Join the Rocket Club for an exclusive presale from April 1.  Full info at EltonJohn.com #eltonfarewelltour

Elton will launch the upcoming leg at North American stadiums this summer.  The newly announced shows will include concerts in East Rutherford, NJ, Foxborough, MA, Toronto, ON, Vancouver, BC, and Phoenix, AZ, along with a third show added at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. and stops in Santa Clara, CA, San Diego, CA, and Tacoma, WA.  Elton shared: “This year will see my grand finale in North America, playing stadiums all around the country, with the most spectacular production I’ve ever had. Thank you for sharing this journey with me. I cherish these memories we’re making together. It has been nothing short of incredible and I look forward to seeing you very soon one last time, on my Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.”

General tickets go on sale on April 6; join the ‘Rocket Club’ for an exclusive presale from April 1.  For more details and information, head to EltonJohn.com.

Elton John Adds More Dates to his “Farewell” Tour

Editorial credit: Tony Norkus / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Go Country 105

Nashville notes

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Brothers Osborne just shared the studio video for their new song, “Headstone.” The track comes off the recently-released deluxe edition of their Skeletons album.

Shy Carter is set to make his Grand Ole Opry debut on April 6. You can grab tickets to the show now.

In case you missed it, Chris Janson stopped by The Kelly Clarkson Show this afternoon to perform his heartfelt current single, “Bye Mom.” It's the lead single from his next album, All In, which will be out April 29.

CMT is bringing back the Storytellers franchise that originally aired on VH1 between 1996-2015, Billboard reports. The first installment of CMT Storytellers will feature Brooks & Dunn, and will air April 13 at 7 p.m. CT.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Introducing “The McCollums”: Parker McCollum marries Hallie Ray Light

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Parker McCollum is officially a married man. The singer and his fiancée, Hallie Ray Light, tied the knot this week after an eight-month-long engagement.

People confirms that the wedding took place in the Tomball, Texas venue of Boxwood Manor. On Instagram, Parker shared a photo of himself and his newly-minted bride holding hands at the altar, writing “Took me 3 years, but she is officially Hallie Ray Light McCollum!”

The singer also quoted Randy Travis' classic love song, “Forever and Ever, Amen,” with the line, “As long as old men sit and talk about the weather.”

For her part, Hallie also posted memories of the special day, including a slideshow of wedding pics that she simply captioned “3.28.22,” and a shot of the couple sharing a kiss in the aisle.

Parker and Hallie got engaged last July. She's often been a source of musical inspiration to the singer: His 2020 Gold Chain Cowboy EP features a song called “Hallie Ray Light.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Carrie Underwood joins the lineup of 2022 Grammy performers

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Carrie Underwood is among the next batch of performers to be announced for the 2022 Grammy Awards. She joins an all-genre cast of artists taking the stage: Other newly-announced acts include John Legend, Silk Sonic and J Balvin with Maria Becerra.

Carrie's not the only country act taking the stage during the big night. Chris Stapleton was previously announced as a performer, along with Americana stalwart Brandi Carlile.

This year, the Grammys will also feature a series of special segments spotlighting Las Vegas, the city that's hosting the awards show for the very first time, as well as genres that don't typically get a showcase during the show. Bluegrass upstart Billy Strings is among those performers.

Carrie is a nominee at this year's show. She's up for best roots gospel album, courtesy of her project My Savior, and her duet with Jason Aldean, “If I Didn't Love You,” is nominated for best country duo/group performance.

The 2022 Grammy Awards are set for April 3 on CBS.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Eric Church cancels San Antonio show to attend a “sports enthusiast's dream” basketball game

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Eric Church is currently on the road for his Gather Again Tour, but he and his San Antonio fan base will have to “gather again” another time. This week, he canceled his headlining Saturday night show so that he and his family can watch the NCAA Men's Final Four basketball game.

In a message to concertgoers via Ticketmaster, Eric acknowledges fans' disappointment at having to give up their chance to see the show.

“This is the most selfish thing I've asked the Choir to do: Give up your Saturday night plans with us so that I can have this moment with my family and sports community,” the singer explained.

Of course, this isn't just any basketball game. It's the first time in history that Eric's beloved hometown team, the North Carolina Tar Heels, have met their rivals, the Duke Blue Devils, in the Final Four.

“As a lifelong Carolina basketball fan, I've watched Carolina and Duke battle over the years, but to have them match up in the Final Four for the first time in the history of the NCAA Tournament is any sports enthusiast's dream,” Eric continues.

Ticket holders were automatically issued refunds via the point of purchase.

Eric’s Gather Again Tour will resume on April 9 in New Orleans.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

“I'm heading to Vegas y'all!”: Miranda Lambert unfurls plans for her Velvet Rodeo Las Vegas residency

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Miranda Lambert is the newest country star signing on for a residency in Las Vegas.

The singer announced her Velvet Rodeo residency on Wednesday. The 24-date string of shows kicks off September 23, and will take place at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood.

By the time the residency begins, Miranda will have added another album to her collection of hits. Palomino, featuring her current single “If I Was a Cowboy,” is due out at the end of April. The singer also has a large variety of past songs to choose from: Her catalog ranges from rough and rowdy classics like “White Liar” and “Gunpowder & Lead” to her more recent, introspective acoustic project, The Marfa Tapes.

There's also some rock n' roll in the mix, as Miranda joined forces with Elle King last year for the hit song “Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home).”

Miranda's Vegas shows start with dates on September 23, 24, 28 and 30. She'll return October 1, 5, 7, 8, followed by a set of dates on November 26, 27 and 30 and December 3, 4, 8, 10 and 11.

Tickets go on sale April 7, but members of the singer's RanFans fan club can access a special pre-sale starting April 1.

Other country acts setting up camp in Vegas this year include Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
News Daypop

Second round of COVID-19 booster shots are approved for ages 50 and older

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On Tuesday, public health officials approved a second round of COVID-19 booster shots for those over the age of 50, with shots to likely be available in pharmacies this week. Those 12 and older are currently eligible for a booster shot five months after their initial vaccine series if they received an mRNA vaccine like Pfizer or Moderna, or two months after getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

For those over 50, officials at the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have decided the data on waning immunity justifies making another shot available four months after the first boost.  CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said it was especially important for those 65 and older and those 50 and older with underlying medical conditions. Walensky said on Tuesday: “This is especially important for those 65 and older and those 50 and older with underlying medical conditions that increase their risk for severe disease from COVID-19 as they are the most likely to benefit from receiving an additional booster dose at this time.” 

Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said to reporters:  “If it were my relatives, I would be sending them out to do this again. Because after all, COVID-19 has had a really disproportional adverse effect on people 65 years of age and older and those with comorbidities. By choosing age 50 and up … we felt like we would capture the population that might most benefit from this fourth booster dose. Just to reiterate, the good news is that for most people who have been vaccinated and had one booster, their original booster shot is continuing to provide you with good protection from being hospitalized or dying.”

While Tuesday’s announcement only applies to older Americans, the FDA will convene a panel of vaccine experts on April 6 to discuss the plan for other age groups. They will talk about the efficacy of booster shots and the potential need for a variant-specific booster instead of continual booster shots designed for the initial strain of COVID-19.  A decision would likely be made later this summer or fall.

Editorial credit: davide bonaldo / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol identifies almost 8-hour gap in phone records

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The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol has identified an almost 8-hour gap in official White House records of then-President Donald Trump’s phone calls as his supporters stormed the building. The time-gap extends from a little after 11 a.m. to about 7 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, and involves White House phone calls.  The committee is investigating the gap in the official White House log, which includes the switchboard and a daily record of the president’s activities.

The House panel has made broad requests for separate cell phone records and has talked to more than 800 witnesses, including many of the aides who spent the day with Trump. The committee also has thousands of texts from the cell phone of Mark Meadows, who was then Trump’s chief of staff.

The committee is focusing on what the president was doing in the White House as hundreds of his supporters beat police, broke into the Capitol and interrupted the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory. The missing records raise questions of whether Trump purposefully circumvented official channels to avoid records.

The committee also is continuing to receive records from the National Archives and other sources, which could produce additional information and help produce a full picture of the president’s communications. During the roughly eight hours in question on Jan. 6, Trump addressed a huge crowd of supporters at the nearby Ellipse and told them to walk to the Capitol, make their voices heard and “fight like hell.” He then returned to the White House and watched as the mob broke into the Capitol.  Several of Trump’s calls that day are already publicly known. He spoke to Vice President Mike Pence between 11 a.m. and 11:30, lobbying Pence publicly and privately to object while presiding over the certification. He also spoke with several GOP members of the House and Senate as his allies in Congress were preparing to challenge the official vote count.

Editorial credit: bgrocker / Shutterstock.com