Accessibility to Country Artists - Part I

A major drawing power of Country Music is the fan-friendliness and accessibility of (most of) it's stars. Whether it's a major headliner like Rascal Flatts or a still wet-behind-the-ears fresh-out-of-the-local-bar-circuit newbie with a new recording deal, most fans have a chance to meet their favorite artists at some point. Unlike any other genre of music, country singers "get it." They realize the fans are what will make or break their career, and they are willing to go the extra mile to earn as many new fans as possible.

The recent emergence of social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter helps bring fans that much closer to the artists. MySpace got things started by giving fans a chance to explore new music and socialize with other fans of the same artists. Facebook then took over as the premier social networking site, where artist pages quickly popped up, giving fans yet another outlet to get the latest news. The emergence of twitter, however, has in some cases erased the line that kept fans just out of reach of the artist.

Several artists will actually interact with their fans personally on twitter. Whether it be smart-ass, R rated remarks from a star like Blake Shelton or all out conversations with new up-and-comers that you've never heard of (trust me), Twitter is a Country Music Fan's dreamland of interaction.

I will conclude this blog with first a list of Country Artists I've personally interacted with over the past year and a half on twitter, followed by a list of others that you can follow and possibly interact with. A majority of accounts are run by and used by the artists themselves (unlike their MySpace and Facebook pages, where Artist Management does most of the postings). I will note when an account is Management Run instead of it being the artist themselves. If you're unfamiliar with how to use twitter, it's easy and free...there are tutorials on the twitter site that will give you the basics (it will also explain why there's an @ symbol in front of the names below).

Artists I've personally interacted with on Twitter:

@AnthonySmithHQ (Anthony Smith - "If That Ain't Country")
@BigKennyTV (Big Kenny of Big & Rich)
@billycurrington
@blakeshelton
@bryankbuchanan (Bryan Keith Buchanan, local artist - funny dude, personal friend)
@ClayWalker
@jamesotto
@JMCOfficial (Jason Michael Carroll)
@TheJoshThompson
@joshgracin (he scolded me for making fun of his hair at '10 Rib Roundup, all on twitter while I sat there watching the next act)
@jodeemessina
@KevinFowler
@LauraBellBundy
@LuckyManEddie (Eddie Montgomery from Montgomery Gentry)
@Followtheblonde (Melissa Peterman from Reba, The Singing Bee)
@RyanWeberMusic
@TrailerChoir
@WhitneyDuncan

Also on twitter:
@JM2Squared (John Michael Montgomery)
@BuddyJewell (not always him tweeting though)
@jsandthegrove (Jonathan Singleton)
@RamblerGang (local Southern Rock band Rambler...personal friends)
@Crystal_Hoyt (Crystal from Trailer Choir)
@trentwillmon (may not be artist run often)
@T_RoyMG (Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry, rarely tweets)
@FollowShania (Management-Run account)
@blainelarsen
@bryan_white
@rickmonroe
@joeyandrory
@shedaisy
@TWmikeG (Mike from Gloriana)
@leebrice (Management-Run account)
@thebandperry
@jrodfromoz (Jerrod Niemann)
@catherinebritt
@RachReinert (Rachel from Gloriana)
@Clint_Black (he's just getting into it)
@Mark_WillsMusic
@eastoncorbin
@bradyseals (might be Management-Run, rarely tweets)
@MarkChesnutt
@JaronATLRTL (Jaron and the Long Road to Love)
@oakridgeboys
@malloryhope
@EliYoungBand
@thomasgossin (Tom from Gloriana)
@RodneyAtkins (mostly Management-Run, rarely tweets)
@taylorswift13 (yup, it's really her)
@johnrich
@glorianatheband
@BradPaisley (very entertaining and always Brad himself)
@RandyHouser (Management-Run mostly)
@juliannehough
@JoeNichols (Management-Run)
@cmorganmusic (Craig Morgan)
@reba (yup, it's really Reba McEntire tweeting)
@Miranda_Lambert
@jeweljk (Jewel, occasionally gives stuff away too...I won free concert tix from her)
@martinamcbride (frequent tweeter!)
@kelliepickler
@RhettAkins (seems to have given up on twitter)
@chuckwicksmusic
@gw27 (Gretchen Wilson, Management-Run, rarely tweets)
@ladyantebellum (usually Management-Run, but they occasionally jump on themselves)
@leeannwomack and @LAWSOCIALCLUB (both run by her and her sister)
@emilywestmusic
@TheTimMcGraw (Management-Run)
@jakeofficial (Jake Owen, frequent tweeter)
@zacbrownband (usually Management-Run)
@heidinewfield
@KAcom (Keith Anderson, usually Management-Run)
@JackIngram
@LukeBryanOnline (usually Management-Run...I think he'd be great if he did it himself)
@sarahbuxton
@JimmyWayne
@jesseleemusic
@JayDeMarcus (of Rascal Flatts)
@LNTweet (Love and Theft)
@DierksBentley (sometimes it's Management-Run)
@AshleyRayMusic
@darrylworley
@Jeff_Bates (usually Management-Run)
@dariusrucker (Management-Run)
@buckycovington (mostly Management-Run)
@AshtonShepherd (mostly Management-Run)
@JustinColeMoore
@joshturnermusic (Management-Run)
@LBTmusic (Little Big Town, tweets often)
@davidnail (personally find him annoying, but it's him...tweets a lot)
@bomshel
@ShannaCrooks
@TerriClarkMusic
@billyraycyrus
@steveazar
@saraevansmusic (sometimes Management-Run)
@ChrisYoungMusic
@julieroberts1
@Jason_Aldean
@ashleymonroe
@jessicaharp
@jamesharrisongs (fastryde)
@chadbrock
@amber_leigh (local star)

So are you on twitter? Who have you had interactions with? Tell us about your experiences with Country Stars on Social Networks!

(Contest Closed) Tom Jackson Prize Giveaway

Today we're going to help kick-start this blog by giving away a Tom Jackson themed prize-pack. Read through this post to find out how you can win.

Tom is one of the brightest local stars that South Florida has in the Country Music world with a hit CD Southern Thang, a long-list of stars that he's shared the stage with, TV show appearances w/ the Red Arrow hunting shows, radio air-play on multiple country stations with songs from the Southern Thang album, a new album in the works with more big hits on the way, and most recently, last night his song "Southern Thang" was featured on the hit Fox TV show "Human Target."

When you go to concerts with a local opening act, more times than not you drown them out and don't pay attention because they're not that great. I discovered Tom in 2006 when he was opening up for Brian McComas at what used to be Mr. G's in West Palm Beach. I was trying to watch a Miami Dolphins pre-season game, but his music caught my ear to the point that I stopped watching the game and had to go introduce myself and tell him that he's got a future in this business. He definitely hasn't disappointed me since.

If you're not familiar with Tom Jackson or his music, there are multiple ways to jump on the bandwagon. For starters, you can go to his website, which is tomjacksonsband.com. As most musicians do these days, he also has pages on multiple social networking sites that you can check out and even interact with him on. His band's facebook page can be seen by clicking here. His myspace page is myspace.com/tomjacksonband. His Reverb Nation page is reverbnation.com/tomjackson. And best of all, you can catch him as part of the big 2011 Rib Roundup lineup at the Cruzan Amphitheater on February 12 in West Palm Beach.

The winner of the prize pack will get a Tom Jackson T-Shirt (size M, L, or XL), a Tom Jackson guitar pick, and a couple of other little things I'll throw in. In order to win this prize pack, you have to do the following things, which will take very little of your time. First, go to his facebook page by clicking where it says "click here" above. Click on the "Like" button of his page if you haven't already. Click "Suggest to Friends" under his profile picture and suggest him to as many of your friends as you can. Then, come back to this blog and leave a comment as to why you want to win this prize pack along with how many friends you've suggested his page to.

The winner will be selected from a pool of eligible entries. The contest closes at midnight Wednesday night (January 19, 2011). The winner will be chosen by using random.org to generate a random # that will coincide with one of the eligible entries, in the order that they appear in the comments section below.

Good luck, and spread the word about this contest!

2011 Concert Season

2011 is shaping up to be one of the best years ever for Country concerts coming to South Florida.

It kicks off with the South Florida Fair in West Palm Beach, where on 3 separate nights, you can see The Band Perry, Jerrod Niemann, and Travis Tritt. The fair starts tomorrow night and runs for 2 weeks.

Just as the fair is wrapping up, the 2011 99.9 WKIS (Miami) Kiss Country Chili Cookoff will take place at CB Smith Park in Pembroke Pines on Sunday, January 30th. This year's lineup offers you The Band Perry, Justin Moore, Little Big Town, Trace Adkins, and Martina McBride. While it's not as big of a lineup as some years past, it's strong enough to continue the beloved tradition that's lasted over 25 years. Fore more details, go to wkis.com.

Less than 2 weeks later, 107.9 WIRK (West Palm Beach) swings back with their 2nd annual Rib Roundup (Saturday, February 12th). This year's lineup features local star Tom Jackson and acts such as rising up-and-comers Thompson Square, LoCash Cowboys, Frankie Ballard, and Blaine Larsen. The show will culminate with sets by Joe Nichols, Craig Morgan, and Rodney Atkins. They've hinted at more acts being added to the lineup (last year had 9), so stay tuned to wirk.com for additional info as the date approaches.

A little up the road in Melbourne, we get the Runaway Country Music Festival on April 15-16th. This two day show features artists such as Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Jake Owen, Steel Magnolia, Eric Church, Justin Moore, Josh Kelley, LoCash Cowboys, and more.

This week, the 2011 Tire Kingdom Country Mega Ticket was announced. This concert series takes place at the Cruzan Amphitheater in West Palm Beach. This year's lineup is one of the best yet, especially when you factor in some of the opening acts. This year's lineup includes: Kenny Chesney w/ Billy Currington & Uncle Kracker, Tim McGraw w/ The Band Perry & Luke Bryan, Justin Moore w/ Chris Young, Brad Paisley w/ Blake Shelton & Jerrod Niemann, Rascal Flatts w/ Easton Corbin, and Toby Keith w/ Eric Church. Tickets for the Mega Ticket package go on sale tomorrow morning. Go to megaticket.com for details.

If you're up for a road trip, there are other great music festival throughout the state:

This weekend in Orlando features the Acoustic Live show at the Hard Rock Live. The lineup includes Craig Morgan, Lee Brice, LoCash Cowboys, Luke Bryan, Chuck Wicks, Thompson Square, and Kix Brooks.

February 11th in Tampa is the Corn Dogs & Country show, featuring Craig Morgan, Joe Nichols, Jake Owen, Sunny Sweeney, & Brett Eldredge.

In April, you can drive up to Live Oak in Northern Florida for the Suwanee River Jam. The lineup hasn't been announced yet, though today Lee Brice and Jerrod Niemann announced they'd be there.

As always, as more shows are added, we will update the "Upcoming Concerts" list under the discussions tab of our Facebook page.

If you're a local artist or venue and would like to have your shows added to the list, please email your schedule to sflcountrymusic@aol.com.

So what show are you most looking forward to going to?

Welcome to the South Florida Country Music Blog

Welcome to the South Florida Country Music blog.  We've had a presence on the web since February 2005 where we got our start as a Group page on MySpace.  We then set up a profile on MySpace, then later migrated over to Facebook, where we have now based our operations.  We also have a Twitter page and a YouTube page, so be sure to like us, follow us, favorite us, or add us as a friend.

Just a little background on how we stream the news to you.  The Facebook page (facebook.com/southfloridacountrymusic) is where we post everything from news, concert updates, daily "Things To Do In Florida" posts, pictures, Event Invites, Local Artists, etc.

Our Facebook page is automatically linked to our Twitter page (@sflcountrymusic), so anything posted to Facebook also appears on Twitter.

Our Twitter page is linked to our MySpace page (myspace.com/sflcountrymusic), so anything posted on Twitter goes to MySpace.  

We rarely log into our MySpace page anymore, but when we do, our posts there automatically go to Twitter.  

Everything is connected one way or another, so you can choose which way you want to keep tabs with us.

We will be using this blog as a place to go into more detail about news stories, reviews, artist features, and the biggest draw...prize giveaways.  We can no longer give them away on Facebook, as you have to pay a business use fee to be allowed to do that, so we encourage you to bookmark this page now.  We will also utilize our Twitter account to give prizes away as well.  

We hope you visit this page often, and look forward to expanding our presence in the South Florida Country Music scene.  Please let us know what you'd like to see here by leaving us a comment below.