CMA Fest Canceled For 2020, Set To Resume In 2021

It has just been announced that CMA Fest has been canceled for 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. This was no doubt an extremely difficult decision for the Country Music Association to make, however, in this time of uncertainty, it serves as the best decision for everyone involved.

The following is an official statement from the Country Music Association:

After careful deliberation, and in following the latest guidance from national, state and local authorities, we are sad to announce that CMA Fest will not take place in 2020.

Whether you planned to attend CMA Fest for the first time, or you have attended many times throughout the last 48 years, we know how special this festival is for Country Music fans around the globe and that many will be disappointed by this decision. As the world is still greatly affected by the spread of COVID-19, we cannot in good conscience risk the health and wellbeing of our fans, artists, staff and Country Music community. 

We will honor four-day passes purchased for this year’s event for CMA Fest 2021. However, if you prefer a full refund, we will provide one upon request if your passes were purchased through Ticketmaster or the CMA Fest Box Office. Those who purchased passes through non-official channels should contact the seller directly. Within the next 24-48 hours, all four-day pass purchasers will receive an email with further instructions.

We greatly appreciate your understanding and patience, as our actions are always in the best interest of our Country Music community. In the coming weeks and months, we will continue to bring Country fans and artists together to celebrate the unique spirit and sense of unity that is at the heart of what CMA Fest stands for. We will also share information about future CMA events and ways to support those within our community affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please keep yourself and your loved ones healthy and safe, and we hope you will join us for CMA Fest next year, June 10-13, 2021.

Kip Moore To Release Fourth Studio Album WILD WORLD May 29

Multi-PLATINUM singer/songwriter Kip Moore announced today that his highly-anticipated fourth studio album WILD WORLD will be available May 29 and is available for physical pre-order now. Sharing the news exclusively with Billboard, Moore also gave his notably fierce fan following a taste of what to expect, releasing the upcoming collection’s title track that “anchors the album” today, available to listen here.

Co-writing all but one of WILD WORLD’S insightful tracks, Moore navigates the search to find a place and purpose. Throughout the 13-song collection that search is revealed in deeply personal terms, with Moore even self-producing the set, with help from David Garcia, Luke Dick and Blair Daly on respective tracks.

The weathered heartland-rock sound Moore has embraced on previous efforts gets its emotional volume pumped up, recorded live with a full band, as substance trumped style and the timeless prevailed over the trendy. Moore admits the result includes a few quirks – but that just gives WILD WORLD the character he values so much. “We wanted it to be more in-your-face,” he says. “More earthy, more analog.”

That straightforward honesty arrives early on the record, starting with the very first song, “Janie Blu,” about a girl who’s always been special, but often stood in her own way – a compassionate, force-of-nature plea to get your head right, before it’s too late. Likewise, the sturdy “Southpaw” stands as a grunge-rocking manifesto for the proudly out of touch, rejecting the notion of “going with the flow” and showcasing just how Moore stands apart in today’s Wild World. Meanwhile, the calming “More Than Enough” presents a better option, blowtorch anthems like the “Fire And Flame” pour gasoline on the quest for greater meaning and “Red White Blue Jean American Dream” flies down an empty highway of optimism.

“I know it’s an unsettling time for a lot of people right now, and so my hope is that this music can bring even just one person some peace,” shared Moore. “I try to make music that reaches people in a pure sense – something that’s light and easy to carry with you, but 1000 pounds of weight at the same time, and I think Wild World is just a depiction of what I see. Life is one crazy, wild ride. But it can be so simple if we look for the right things, and I think that is more important than ever right now.”

WILD WORLD Official Track List:
1.          “Janie Blu”            
(Dan Couch, Kip Moore) 
2.          “Southpaw”       
(Westin Davis, Kip Moore) 
3.          “Fire And Flame”     
(Cary Barlowe, Brett James, Kip Moore, Will Weatherly) 
4.          “Wild World” 
(Josh Miller, Kip Moore) 
5.          “Red White Blue Jean American Dream”    
(Jimi Bell, Barton Davies, Luke Dick, Philip Lammonds) 
6.          “She’s Mine”        
(Dan Couch, Kip Moore, Scott Stepakoff) 
7.          “Hey Old Lover”    
(Dan Couch, Kip Moore) 
8.          “Grow On You”     
(Blair Daly, Westin Davis, Kip Moore) 
9.          “More Than Enough”    
(David Garcia, Josh Miller, Kip Moore) 
10.        “Sweet Virginia”   
(Kip Moore, Manny Medina, Erich Wigdahl) 
11.        “South”        
(Adam Browder, Dan Couch, Manny Medina, Kip Moore, Dave Nassie, Erich Wigdahl) 
12.        “Crazy For You Tonight”    
(Blair Daly, Westin Davis, Kip Moore) 
13.        “Payin’ Hard”  
(Blair Daly, Westin Davis, Kip Moore) 

Brett Kissel Shares Details About Music, Touring & More

Artist on the Rise Brett Kissel has already taken the country music scene by storm in Canada, and he is set to make just as strong of an impact here in the states. While the singer/songwriter hails from Alberta Canada, Kissel currently resides in Nashville and is set to make a solid introduction throughout 2020 traveling from coast to coast showcasing his music.

While in Nashville for the 51st annual Country Radio Seminar, we sat down with Brett Kissel and chatted about his new music, family, touring and so much more! Kissel is a breath of fresh air to the genre, and we are looking forward to seeing his growth continue throughout the year.

Additionally, Brett shared details about the lifestyle brand that he and his wife Cecilia have started and the exciting Keeping It Kissel is a platform that delivers a message of inspiration and positivity.

Check out our exclusive interview with Brett Kissel. Kissel’s energy during the interview is a solid preview of what he delivers on stage and you will not want to miss one of his shows! Check out our interview by clicking here, or watch below.

Brett Kissel’s latest album, NOW OR NEVER, is available now and includes hit single “Drink About Me” and latest release “She Drives Me Crazy.” Pick up your copy here.

Keep up with Brett Kissel by visiting his Official Website, and following him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Blake Shelton Postpones Final Five Tour Dates On His Friends And Heroes 2020 Tour

Keeping everyone’s best interests and health in mind, Blake Shelton joins the continuous growing list of artists that have cancelled/postponed tour dates due to the coronavirus pandemic that is wreaking havoc across the nation and beyond. Starting tonight and continuing on through the final two weekends of the Friends and Heroes 2020 Tour, the final five shows have been postponed and anticipated to be rescheduled during the spring of 2021.

“Omaha, I’m here in your city with my friends and heroes and am ready to play a show for you, but for all the right reasons – chiefly everyone’s safety and well-being – we have to reschedule tonight and the rest of the tour” Blake Shelton posted on his social media platforms. “Please take care of yourself and your loved ones. You can bet we’ll see you back here soon!”

Tickets that have been purchased for the final five shows will be honored for the new dates in 2021 when they are announced. Refunds are available at the point of purchase.

Postponed Dates Include:
3/12 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
3/14 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
3/19 – Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena
3/20 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
3/21 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Kenny Chesney Postpones Several Spring Dates of His 2020 Chillaxification Tour

These are uncertain times, and Kenny Chesney feels the unrest. With his band and crews deep in rehearsals for the 2020 Chillaxification Tour, he found himself looking at people who’ve been part of his road family for decades – and he knew he had to do something. It wasn’t an easy decision, but when you’re invested in the musicians, the techs, the drivers and especially the fans, it comes down to one thing.
 
“You can’t take risks without really understanding the consequences,” explains the man hailed as “The King of the Road” by the Wall Street Journal. “In times of uncertainty, I won’t take chances with those I love. I can’t imagine, as much as we love being out there playing for the fans, being able to do that through the worry our nation is experiencing.
 
“So, while we wait to see how this terrible virus is going to impact our country, I think it’s only fair to move these first several dates now. We are figuring some of this out as we go, but I know people buy airline tickets, book hotel rooms – and I wanted to try to give everyone as much time to sort that out as possible.”
 
Currently, seven stadiums and four amphitheater shows have been postponed. Starting with the Blue Chair Bay Rum Presents Kenny Chesney’s 2020 Chillaxification Tour Fueled by Marathon kick off Saturday, April 18 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the postponements run through May 28 at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Representatives for Messina Touring are working in the hopes of finding alternate dates later in the touring season. Hopefully within six weeks, all the moving pieces will be resolved; new dates should be in place. Those unable to attend will be refunded.
 
“This is all uncharted,” acknowledges Chesney. “I’m like everyone else: watching the news, wondering when we may know something concrete, not sure how this gets transmitted, worried someone I know will catch it. I want to believe this will all be okay in the end; but right now, I don’t feel like this risk to No Shoes Nation is worth it.
 
“Nobody wants to get out there for these shows more than I do. We’ve started rehearsals; everything is loaded in – and the band sounds great. Music is medicine when your soul or your heart need healing, but I don’t want my music to put anyone at risk. So, I promise: we are going to work as quickly as we can to sort out what we can and can’t do in terms of these dates. We’re going to cross our fingers this pandemic will resolve as some of the experts have suggested, and we hope to kick off the tour May 30th at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, a venue we’ve played since 2005. But mostly, I hope this virus is contained, and the suffering and deaths are kept to the fewest possible people.”
 
The 2020 Chillaxification Tour continues the enduring rite of summer Chesney’s stadium shows have become. With “Here & Now” capturing the reality of living in the now, celebrating the moment and the notion don’t postpone your life, Chesney realizes how precious every experience is. No one is more committed to making memories, capturing life in song and celebrating the awesomeness of being right where you are more than the 8-time ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year.
 
Blue Chair Bay Rum Presents Kenny Chesney’s 2020 Chillaxification Tour Fueled by Marathon
with Florida Georgia Line, Old Dominion and Michael Franti & Spearhead

POSTPONED DATES
April 18           AT&T Stadium                                   Arlington, Texas
April 25           Miller Park                                          Milwaukee, Wis.
May 2              U.S. Bank Stadium                             Minneapolis, Minn.                
May 7*            iThink Financial Amphitheatre          West Palm Beach, Fla.
May 9              Raymond James Stadium                   Tampa, Fla.
May 13*          BankPlus Amphitheater                      Southaven, Miss.
May 14*          Brandon Amphitheater                       Brandon, Miss.
May 16            Mercedes-Benz Stadium                    Atlanta, Ga.
May 22            Minute Maid Park                               Houston, Texas
May 23            Alamodome                                        San Antonio, Texas
May 28*          Blossom Music Center                       Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
More Information as it Develops
* Michael Franti & Spearhead ONLY