Robert Francis To Release Vanguard Debut May 22nd!
Robert Francis
To Release Vanguard Debut
Strangers in the First Place on May 22nd
On Tour with Mat Kearney
January 19 – February 25
South by Southwest Performances To Be Announced
"…Francis writes spare mediations that resonate with a worldly ache, milking every ounce of emotion out of strummed guitar, plucked banjo, pedal steel and tinkling piano."
– Los Angeles Times
January 23rd, 2012 - Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Robert Francis will be releasing his label debut Strangers in the First Place on May 22nd. The 12 tracks on Strangers in the First Place embrace the emotional richness of his gravel tinged baritone and depth in his songwriting, which critics and fans have long praised. Click here for a free download of “Some Things Never Change.”
Francis has just embarked on a cross-country tour supporting Mat Kearney, which will include stops in Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles (see tour dates below). Following this tour, he will perform multiple shows at this year’s South By Southwest festival in Austin. Exact dates/venues to be announced shortly.
Raised in Los Angeles, Francis’ musical prowess stems from his upbringing – His father a producer and pianist, his mother a singer, who would often perform Ranchera songs from her native Mexico with her two songstress sisters. At the young age of nine, the legendary Ry Cooder gifted Francis with his first guitar and years later, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ John Frusciante took him on as his only student.
Francis first gained national attention with his release One By One, which set him apart as one of the young artists to watch as a great American songwriter of his generation.
Tour Dates with Mat Kearney
January 19 Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
January 20 Charlotte, NC - Amos’ Southend
January 21 Greenville, SC - The Handlebar
January 23 Chattanooga, TN - Track 29
January 26 Tampa, FL - The Ritz Ybor
January 27 Orlando, FL - The Beacham Theatre
January 28 Atlanta, GA - Centerstage
January 30 Mobile, AL - Soul Kitchen
January 31 New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
February 1 Houston, TX - House of Blues
February 3 Dallas, TX - The Majestic
February 4 Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond
February 7 Kansas City, Mo - Beaumont Club
February 9 Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep
February 10 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
February 11 Aspen, CO - Belly Up
February 13 Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue
February 15 Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
February 16 Seattle, WA - Showbox Market
February 17 Portland, OR - Roseland
February 18 Eugene, OR - McDonald Theatre
February 20 Reno, NV - Knitting Factory
February 22 San Francisco, CA – Warfield
February 23 Los Angeles, CA - Music Box
February 24 Las Vegas, NV - Access Aliante
February 25 San Diego, CA - House of Blues
Matt Nathanson Performs on ABC’s The Bachelor Jan 16th!
MATT NATHANSON TO BE FEATURED IN UPCOMING EPISODE
OF ABC'S HIT ROMANCE REALITY SERIES
THE BACHELOR
North American Tour with Kelly Clarkson
Kicks off January 15th in Atlantic City
New Single "Run" Featuring Sugarland Out Now
Matt Nathanson will be accommodating a ONE ON ONE date on the 3rd episode of The Bachelor. The episode will feature an exclusive concert for suitor Lindzi Cox and the newest Bachelor Ben Flajnik. Fan-favorite Flajnik, the down-to-earth and romantic guy whose heartfelt proposal was rejected by Ashley Hebert on The Bachlorette, gets another shot at love. Skeptical at first, Ben, a 29-year-old successful winemaker from Sonoma, California now knows firsthand that love can happen - and he's hoping to find it as the Bachelor. Tune in to watch Flajnik on his search for true love on Monday, January 16, 2012 (8:00 - 10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
Nathanson’s performance on The Bachelor kicks off his 2012 headline tour dates alongside his upcoming North American tour with Kelly Clarkson. This run of shows gives fans that missed his sold-out “All Night Noise” tour another opportunity to see him live with performances in New York, Baltimore, Houston, Orlando, Austin and more.(Tour dates below).
Matt Nathanson’s latest album, Modern Love, out now on Vanguard Records, debuted at #17 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart and #1 on the iTunes Pop Album Chart. His numerous television appearances and radio performances helped propel the first single ‘Faster’ to Top 5 at Triple A, Top 10 at Hot AC and Top 30 at CHR/Pop Radio. His new single ‘Run’ – featuring Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush of Sugarland is already garnering early enthusiasm at radio.
The new season of The Bachelor, from Warner Horizon Television, airs 8/7 Central on ABC. For more information on The Bachelor visit http://abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelor.
ABOUT THE BACHELOR
In the hit primetime reality series The Bachelor, one lucky man is offered the chance to find true love. A single and eligible Bachelor embarks on a romantic journey, getting to know a bevy of beautiful bachelorettes, gradually narrowing the field to the one woman to whom he may propose marriage in the dramatic season finale. Hosted by Chris Harrison, The Bachelor is produced by Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television.
ABOUT MATT NATHANSON
Matt Nathanson is one of the most dynamic performers and premier songwriters on the music scene today. In 2007, his release Some Mad Hope produced the smash hit single ‘Come On Get Higher’ which has sold over 2 million copies to date and subsequent hit singles ‘Car Crash,’ ‘Falling Apart,’ and ‘All We Are.’ The success of Some Mad Hope earned Nathanson the coveted spot as a VH1 ‘You Oughta Know’ artist and he has graced the stages of such national television shows as David Letterman, Ellen, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson and the CMA Awards. His songs have been featured in numerous film and television programs including Good Morning America, NCIS, Private Practice, American Idol, X Factor, Vampire Diaries, American Pie and 90210. His legendary live shows have resulted in sold out tours across the U.S., Canada and Australia. Nathanson’s eighth studio recording, Modern Love, includes the hit single ‘Faster’ and the new single ‘Run’ – featuring Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush of Sugarland.
Matt Nathanson On Tour
**Headline Shows
Jan 20, 2012 Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Wolf Den**
Jan 22, 2012 Burlington, VT – Higher Ground**
Jan 25, 2012 Portland, ME – State Theatre**
Jan 27, 2012 Allentown, PA – Crocodile Rock Cafe**
Jan 29, 2012 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live**
Feb 1, 2012 Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre**
Feb 7, 2012 Houston, TX – House of Blues**
Feb 11, 2012 Little Rock, AR – Juanita’s**
Feb 12, 2012 Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom**
Feb 13, 2012 Baton Rouge, LA – The Varsity Theatre**
Feb 17, 2012 Orlando, FL – The Beacham**
Feb 24, 2012 Louisville, KY – Headliner’s Music Hall**
Feb 26, 2012 Bloomington, IN – Bluebird Nightclub**
Feb 29, 2012 Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theater**
Mar 1, 2012 Huntington, NY – Paramount Theatre**
Mar 2, 2012 Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theatre**
Mar 3, 2012 Northampton, MA – Calvin Theatre & PAC**
Mar 9, 2012 Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection**
Mar 15, 2012 Columbia, MO - The Blue Note**
Mar 23, 2012 Spokane, WA - The Knitting Factory**
Mar 25, 2012 Aspen, CO - Wheeler Opera House**
*Supporting Kelly Clarkson
Jan 15, 2012 Atlantic City, NJ – Taj Mahal – Mark G. Etess Arena*
Jan 17, 2012 Albany, NY – Times Union Center*
Jan 19, 2012 Verona, NY – Turning Stone Resort Casino*
Jan 21, 2012 New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall*
Jan 24, 2012 Manchester, NH – Verizon Wireless Arena*
Jan 26, 2012 Boston, MA – Wang Center*
Jan 28, 2012 Johnstown, PA – Cambria County War Memorial*
Jan 31, 2012 Durham, NC - Durham Performing Arts Center*
Feb 2, 2012 Jacksonville, FL – Times Union Center Performing Arts – Moran Theater*
Feb 4, 2012 Shreveport, LA – Horseshoe Bossier City – Riverdome*
Feb 6, 2012 San Antonio, TX - Majestic Theatre*
Feb 8, 2012 Austin, TX - The Long Center for Performing the Arts*
Feb 10, 2012 Dallas, TX - Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie*
Feb 14, 2012 Biloxi, MS – Hard Rock Live*
Feb 16, 2012 Miami, FL – Seminole Hard Rock*
Feb 21, 2012 Tampa, FL – Ruth Eckerd Hall*
Feb 23, 2012 Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre*
Feb 25, 2012 Champaign, IL - Assembly Hall - University of Illinois*
Feb 28, 2012 Greenville, SC - Timmons Arena at Furman University*
Mar 6, 2012 London, ON Canada – John Labatt Centre*
Mar 8, 2012 Windsor, ON Canada – The Colosseum at Caesars*
Mar 10, 2012 Hammond, IN – The Venue at Horseshoe Casino*
Mar 12, 2012 Sioux Falls, SD - Sioux Falls Arena*
Mar 14, 2012 Springfield, MO – O’Reilly Events Center*
Mar 16, 2012 St. Louis, MO – Fox Theater*
Mar 18, 2012 Denver, CO – 1ST BANK Center*
Mar 20, 2012 Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center*
Mar 22, 2012 Seattle, WA – ShoWare Center*
Mar 24, 2012 Boise, ID - Taco Bell Arena*
Mar 27, 2012 San Jose, CA – Event Center at San Jose*
Mar 29, 2012 Bakersfield, CA – Rabobank Pavilion*
Mar 31, 2012 Reno, NV – Reno Event Center*
Apr 3, 2012 Los Angeles, CA – Nokia Theatre*
Apr 5, 2012 Las Vegas, NV – The Pearl Concert Theater*
Apr 7, 2012 Indio, CA – Fantasy Springs Resort Center*
Apr 10, 2012 San Diego, CA – Valley View Casino Center*
JetBlue Presents Chris Isaak Live From T5
JetBlue Presents
Chris Isaak Live From T5
-- The award-winning artist to perform hits from his new album Beyond The Sun --
JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU), New York’s Hometown Airline™, today proudly announces an exclusive live performance by Chris Isaak on Thursday, December 15 at 12:30 p.m. ET. The latest Live from T5 installment will be held post-security at Terminal 5 (T5) at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York and will be available to ticketed customers as part of the airline’s entertainment-happy customer experience.
The singer-songwriter, musician, actor and talk show host is a perfect fit for JetBlue with long-running hits in his repertoire including “Wicked Game,” “Forever Blue,” “Baby did a Bad, Bad Thing,” “Somebody’s Crying.” His music was also featured in the films “Blue Velvet” and “Eyes Wide Shut.” Isaak himself has appeared in several films including “Little Buddha” “That Thing You Do,” “Silence of the Lambs” among others. Isaak’s newest album, Beyond the Sun, is a self-described labor of love paying tribute to the influential sound of Sun Records and the artists who helped shape Rock n’ Roll.
“Chris Isaak’s music epitomizes American culture, and providing a platform for the iconic artist to perform in our terminal this season is a perfect way to channel the holiday spirit with our customers,” JetBlue’s Coordinator National Sponsorships Rick Pineda said. “We’re pleased to introduce yet another great talent into our lineup as part of our Live from T5 Concert Series.”
The rock-loving airline is also running a local contest for 20 people and a guest to enjoy the intimate performance as well as a chance to meet Isaak.
Since the release of Beyond The Sun, Chris Isaak has appeared on numerous television shows including, The Today Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live, VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live, Tavis Smiley, Rachael Ray, Entertainment Tonight, Extra, Fox News and CNN. He was a recent guest on WNYC’s ‘Soundcheck’ program, KLOS’ Mark and Brian Morning Show, Sirius XM’s various channels and influential stations WFUV in New York and KCSN in Los Angeles. The Live from T5 Concert comes in the midst of Isaak’s current tour in support of Beyond the Sun (see additional tour dates below).
Chris Isaak on Tour
12/06/2011 Ashland, KY - Paramount Arts Center
12/08/2011 Flint, MI - Flint Cultural Center
12/09/2011 Carmel, IN - The Palladium
12/10/2011 Skokie, IL -North Shore Performing Arts Center
12/11/2011 Louisville, KY - Palace Theatre
12/14/2011 Allentown, PA – Allentown Symphony Hall
12/15/2011 New York, NY – Jet Blue “Live From T5” @ JFK International Airport
12/15/2011 Tarrytown, NY – Tarrytown Music Hall
12/16/2011 Collingswood, NJ – Scottish Rite Auditorium
12/19/2011 Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere
About Chris Isaak
Chris Isaak is a Grammy nominated singer-songwriter, musician, actor and talk show host with a career spanning over twenty five years. His iconic vocal style has garnered enormous acclaim and his songs have been featured in numerous films and television shows. Isaak has more than a dozen acting credits including such films as “The Informers,” and “A Dirty Shame.” He has also starred in Showtime’s The Chris Isaak Show and the Biography Channel in The Chris Isaak Hour. Beyond the Sun, Chris Isaak’s Vanguard Records debut, is the record he has always wanted to make. Since he fell in love with his parents’ 45s as a child, this passionate writer/artist has been obsessed with the glory days of Memphis’ Sun Studio and the visionary artists who got their starts there—including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis—all of them discovered and nurtured by great Sun Records producer Sam Phillips. With Beyond the Sun, Isaak recaptures the brilliance of Sun Studio, while also getting down to the heart and soul of his own deeply rooted musical identity. www.chrisisaak.com www.vanguardrecords.com/publicity
About Live from T5
JetBlue's Live from T5 concert series debuted in 2009 and was developed in partnership with Superfly Marketing Group. It has since grown into a concert series that transforms the travel experience by producing live entertainment for customers traveling through JetBlue's state-of-the-art Terminal 5 at JFK. Live from T5 features artists from around the world. Over the past three years the series has hosted performances by Robyn, James Blunt, Taylor Swift, Raphael Saadiq, Sarah McLachlan and rock band Daughtry, among others. All Live from T5 concerts take place post-security in the terminal marketplace.
About JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline(TM) with other focus cities in Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, and Orlando. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline as well as super-spacious Even More Space seats. JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 68 cities with 650 daily flights with service to St. Thomas and St. Croix starting later this month. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JET-BLUE (1-800-538-2583), TTY/TDD 1-800-336-5530, or visit www.jetblue.com.
About Vanguard Records
Vanguard Records, part of the Welk Music Group, is owned by the Welk Family and one of the world’s leading independent record labels. Its selected roster of quality artists includes Matt Nathanson, Merle Haggard, Chris Isaak, Greg Laswell, Trevor Hall, Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers, The Gourds and the legendary Levon Helm. Further expanding the roster are distributed artists like The Indigo Girls, Chely Wright, Robert Cray Band, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and the great George Jones. www.vanguardrecords.com
About Superfly Marketing Group
Based in New York City, Superfly Marketing Group (SMG) is the marketing division of Superfly Presents, a multi-dimensional entertainment agency and co-creator of the iconic Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, as well as other groundbreaking experiential events. Building upon Superfly's success as a touchstone for the millennial audience and leveraging the company's expertise with best in class production, SMG launched in 2009 as a strategic partner to brand marketers also attempting to reach this desirable target and drive lifestyle trends. Through its unique market insights, organic consumer approach, and robust industry relationships, SMG has been successful in developing creative programming and strategic marketing programs for a who's who of corporate titans both at Superfly-produced festivals and as standalone marketing programs.www.superflymarketinggroup.com.
Wellk Music Group Receives Three Grammy Nominations!
WELK MUSIC GROUP
RECEIVES THREE GRAMMY NOMINATIONS
The Welk Music Group’s premier independent labels, Vanguard Records and Sugar Hill Records, have garnered three Grammy nominations in this year’s 54th Grammy Awards. The announcements were made last night by The Recording Academy.
Best Americana Album:
Ramble at the Ryman, Levon Helm (Dirt Farmer Music/Vanguard Records)
American music icon Levon Helm received his third Grammy nomination for Ramble at the Ryman. Recorded on September 17, 2008, Helm took his beloved Midnight Ramble on the road to one of America’s treasured venues, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium. Accompanied by such luminaries as Buddy Miller, John Hiatt, Sheryl Crow, George Receli, Sam Bush and Billy Bob Thornton, the Levon Helm Band created an unforgettable night of stage magic. Ramble at the Ryman captures the essence, reverence and joy of Helm’s live shows.
This is the second nomination in this category for Helm and his third overall. Electric Dirt won the category’s inaugural award in 2010 preceded by Dirt Farmer which won the 2008 Grammy for ‘Best Traditional Folk Album.’
Best Bluegrass Album:
Reason and Rhyme: Bluegrass songs by Robert Hunter and Jim Lauderdale (Sugar Hill Records)
Reason and Rhyme makes a compelling case for the continued vitality of the Lauderdale-Hunter partnership – and for Lauderdale’s unique and deeply satisfying approach to bluegrass.
Although he is best known as an Americana icon and a roots music Renaissance man, Lauderdale has never strayed from bluegrass for very long. He is a two time Grammy winner in this category with Lost in the Lonesome Pines with Ralph Stanley (2003) and The Bluegrass Diaries (2008).
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical:
Follow Me Down, Sarah Jarosz (Sugar Hill Records)
Brandon Bell & Gary Paczosa
Engineer/producer Gary Paczosa has received his 8th Grammy nomination in this category having won 8 Grammy Awards overall. With a career spanning 26 years, Paczosa has received accolades for his work with artists such as Alison Krauss, The Dixie Chicks, Dolly Parton, Nickel Creek, John Prine and many others. Paczosa turned his understanding and love for roots music into his current role as VP of A&R at Nashville based Sugar Hill Records.
Follow Me Down is Sarah Jarosz’ stellar follow-up to her label debut, Song up in Her Head which includes the Grammy-nominated song ‘Mansinneedof.” Follow Me Down was produced by Sarah Jarosz and Gary Paczosa.
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will take place live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 8:00pm ET/PT on CBS.
www.vanguardrecords.com www.sugarhillrecords.com