ABOUT LAST NIGHT
Well, it's all over so I can talk a little about what we did last night in our writers round opening for KELLI PICKLER. I couldn't talk a lot about it as it was going through a lot of planning stages, but now I can let you know about it.
Last night, four great writer/artists were able to put on a really great round in front of about 1000 top representatives and investment people from RAYMOND JAMES. (The great commercials about the men with IMPOSSIBLY TALL HATS") It was held at OPRYLAND HOTEL (the biggest and most confusing hotel in the world), and was one of the textbook great shows that all worked the way it was planned.
It was an amazing set,l HUGE BALLROOM, HUGE STAGE, enormous lights, cameras, smoke, giant screens beside the stage, just like you see on television. I was the emcee and one of the few times in my career where I didn't do anything musically. I was Jeff Foxworthy and had to go back to my stand up comedy days to open ths show. My job was to narrate, and keep things moving along. I had to set up the town, the ups, downs, what songwriters and artists went to. Told my Garth Brooks and taylor Swift stories, my Shelby Lynne GRB story, all the high lights. LOL! After my five minutes, I brought out the players. out. CHASE WARREN, a new "spiky haired Rascal Flatts sounding singer in town, (what is it about these guys with the spiky hair, they all sound alike! LOL!) the amazing BONNIE LEE PANDA, another new comer Zac Brown bearded "ADAM CUNNINGHAM, and the unbelivable DANI JAMERSON!
They each did two songs in two rounds and each one stronger than the last. Everyone was on their A game and it is really cool to hear giant "ooohs, ahhs, laughs, screams, hooting and hollering" from a very engaged, non music business crowd. As I sat back and watched the girls nail the songs we had written together it was like your children hitting the top of the charts.
There was a "contest" of sorts, with the audience texting their favorite performance. I did set it up as if they were record label executives and would want to sign all of them. But there would have to be a beginning artist. Adam did win and tore it up. I was a bit biased and found out that Dani missed by two votes taking it. But it really wasn't about that. All of them were mobbed afterword, pictures going all over the place, their information and web sites are flooded today with fan requests and they will probably be getting a bunch of new activity. A couple of people approached us about doing the same show in other areas. You never know.
The president and CEO of the company loved my James Earl Jones impression of "RAYMOND JAMES, you just feel wealthier SAYING IT!" Which was my kind of thing for the conference. They want to use it in a new commercial. That would be funny as hell!
All in all, it was one of those nights you love to be a part of. My biggest thanks to LARRY AND BECKETT SINGLETON, two people who have become some of our best friends in town. Larry put it all together with the players and got me included as emcee. Was strange for him to ask me to perform without music, but I think it worked very well. Having three of the eight songs performed being some of yours, was a pretty cool deal. One of Larry;s cowriters, Leah, has a sister, who was the production manager for the whole thing.That is how it all came together. So talk about RELATIONSHIPS. That is what we are always talking about here.
They video taped the entire show so when we get that I will post it here and on my web site. A very fun night, great show, great food, great people, and great money. Can't ask for more than that.
Gotta go.
MAB