Aldean's new vid, Taylors DVD's and CMA info

Here's a brand new Jason Aldean video for ya.  Tattoos On This Town:

Jason is also doing a tattoos on this town contest.  What you need to do is send a photo & story representing how you lay memories down in your hometown.  More info here:  http://www.jasonaldean.com/story/news/tattoos-on-this-town-contest

Taylor Swift has not one, but TWO DVD's coming out before the end of November.  The first, "Taylor Swift:  Journey to Fearless" comes out October 11th and it features two hours of music & behind the scenes footage.  Here's the official announcement from Taylor about her "Speak Now:  World Tour Live" CD/DVD combo pack:

The DVD will feature 17 songs plus backstage behind the scenes footage.  It'll be released November 21st.  More info at http://www.taylorswift.com/

The Country Music Association recently announced the first round of performers for this year's CMA Award show.  Look for Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift and Blake Shelton to take the stage the night of the show.  No doubt there will be many more announced in the next few weeks.  The CMA's will be November 9th on ABC hosted by Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood.  WXBM will host our annual CMA Award Show Party at Sam's Fun City. We'll have plenty of chances for you to call in and win your invitations in the next few weeks. 

***COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR***

October 1st
-Barktoberfest:  The Humane Society of Pensacola's annual event, is 10/1 from 9am till 4pm in Seville Square. Your family is welcome..including your four legged friends (on a leash or in a carrier!). There'll be refreshments, raffles, enterainment and contests...it really is a fun day...make plans to come and check it out!  More info:  850-432-4250 or https://barktoberfest.wordpress.com/

-Ferry Pass Volunteer Fire Department Open House:  Bring the kids out to Ferry Pass VFD to see old and new fire engines along with the "jaws of life", free food and a ton of fun!  The open house will be from 10a - 4pm and is sponsored by Bulter U-Pull-It.

-Covenant Hospice Blue Jeans & BBQ:  This event will feature children's activities, live entertainment, vendors, a special grand prize drawing, BBQ dinner for purchase, and a PBR Buckle Series rodeo.  Admission is just $10.  More info:  http://www.facebook.com/Covenant.Hospice#!/event.php?eid=265634726782707

-Ronald McDonald House Fire Truck Pull:  Teams of 20 will compete to see who can pull a REAL fire truck 50 feet the fastest!  All team members receive a free tshirt and lunch.  More info:  http://www.rmhc-nwfl.org/fundraising/firetruckpull.htm

-Jay Peanut Festival:  Spend a say in the country at the annual Jay Peanut Festival!  They'll have a pig chase for the kids, pet dress-up parade and costume contest and much more!  It will be 10/1-10/2 at Gabbert Farms:  3604 Pine Level Church Road in Jay.  More info:  www.thebeachestowoodlandstour.com/jay-peanut-festival.

October 7th

-Healthy Start Coalition:  The Escambia County Healthy Start Coalition will have a silent auction with coffee, desserts and entertainment from 8-10pm to raise money for beds for babies.  More info:  850-474-5333

October 8th

-Victory Junction Gang Camp Poker Run:  The 6th annual poker run will go on rain or shine on the 8th and will benefit Victory Junction Gang Camp for children with termanal and catastrophic illness.  More info:  850-572-0567 or 850-777-9226

-Run for Down Syndrome Awareness:  Registration begins at 9:30am at Harley Davidson of Pensacola and ends at Stokes Victory Polaris.  More info:  494-1224

October 22nd
-Bras Across the Bridge:  Bras Across the Bridge is a community fundraiser to raise awarness and fund annual mamograms for women who can't afford them in the Gulf Coast Area. All profits raised are donated to the Baptist Hospital Foundation for mamograms.  More info:  jlinn@pamal.com and on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bras-Across-the-Bridge/102779433164034?sk=wall#!/pages/Bras-Across-the-Bridge/102779433164034?sk=wall

-Boo at the Zoo:  Get the kids dressed up & ready for a great time at the Gulf Breeze Zoo!  There will be many different events and things go see & do at Boo at the Zoo which will be October 22nd and 23rd and again from October 28th-30th.  More info:  http://gulfbreezezoo.org/zooboo2011.html

November 11th
-Blue Angels Homecoming Airshow:  Celebrate 100 years of Naval aviation at NAS Pensacola with Fat Albert and the world famous US Navy Blue Angels!  In addition to the Blues, you'll enjoy the F-18 Super Hornet demo team, shockwave jet truck and much more!  More info:  http://www.naspairshow.com/

***VOLUNTEERS NEEDED***

-Northwest Florida Blood Services:  850-473-3853 or http://nfbcblood.org/

-Habitat for Humanity:  Rebecca Kidd - 850-434-5456

-Panhandle Equine Rescue:  850-587-2754

-Florida Guardian Ad Litem:  595-3732
Medical Reserve Corps:  850-983-5200 or http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/

*****If your non-profit organization has an announcement that you'd like to get on WXBM, email complete info to:  communityannouncement@wxbm.com at least 3 weeks in advance.  Any questions, call us in the studio at 850-310-9102

New music news: Carrie Underwood, Montgomery Gentry & Toby

In a recent interview with Ryan Seacrest, Carrie Underwood confirmed that she is about half done with her new CD.  She said she's still in the "writing & recording" process and has no release date or other info available at this time.  I'll keep you posted.  In other Carrie news, she made McAfee's "Most Dangerous Names" list.  McAfee has security programs that protect your computer from virus' and malware and Carrie came in at #51 on their list of celebrity names to beware of.  For some reason, some people like to cause problems for other people.  In "cyberspace" these people will use celebrity names to try to lure you to their site and when you get there, they will download a virus or malware on your computer.  Why do people do that?  Some names in the top 10 were:  Cameron Diaz, Jessica Biel, Mila Kunis and Heidi Klum. 

Just a few weeks to go until the new Montgomery Gentry CD "Rebels on the Run" will be out.  Check out their new video for "Where I Come From":

Troy & Eddie will also be giving away a brand new chopper from Demented Cycles!  Look for the "Golden Ticket" inside their new CD when you buy it.  M/G will begin pre-order sales on September 26th at http://www.montgomerygentry.com/ 

Toby Keith fans will enjoy four bonus cuts on Toby's new project "Clancy's Tavern" IF you get the Deluxe Edition of that CD.  Here's your official track list:

1."Made in America"

2. "I Need to Hear a Country Song"

3. "Clancy's Tavern"

4. "Tryin' to Fall in Love"

5. "Just Another Sundown"

6. "Beers Ago"

7. "South of You"

8. "Club Zydeco Moon"

9. "I Won't Let You Down"

10. "Red Solo Cup"

11. "Chill-axin'"

Deluxe Edition only:

12. "High Time (You Quit Your Low Down Ways)"

13. "Truck Drivin' Man"

14. "Shambala"

15. "Memphis"

Anyone who has ever attempted to play a guitar knows that Brad Paisley's guitar skills are just sickening.  I say that with the utmost respect.  Brad's first book is coming out in a few weeks.  It's called "Diary of a Player" and it pays tribute to the guitarists who inspired him since he got his first six-string at age 8.  He says he has been influenced by many, many people in all genre's of music and wanted to recognize them with this book.  Brad's book will hit the shelves on November 1st.

10 years later

Sometimes I wonder what we worried about before September 11th, 2001.  Gas was $1.15 a gallon, my co-pay for a doctor visit was around $15, most Americans had never heard of Osama bin Laden or al qaeda and the only war my generation had seen only lasted a few weeks.  I'm sure we all had our own personal problems here & there, but if we only knew how the world would change in the ten years after 9/11/01.  If we only knew how good we had it.

I was on the 3 Mile Bridge heading to the beach that morning with the radio off.  It was about 7:50, and I knew Marty was about to give the forecast, so I turned the radio on and caught the very end of him saying something about a small plane hitting one of the Twin Towers in Manhattan.  Remember, the first plane had hit only a few minutes before that and there were conflicting reports as to how big it was.  So, I figured it was a little single engine prop plane and it bounced off and maybe killed or injured a few people on the ground.  It didn't sound like a huge deal.  So I heard the forecast and turned the radio off.  Got to the beach around 8:15, went for a swim and went for a walk.  By the time I got back to my chair and turned my portable radio on, it was around 9:00.  I turned the radio on and heard Marty say "if you're just tuning in, both of the Twin Towers have been hit by commercial aircraft and are on fire.  The Pentagon has apparently been struck by another airplane and there is another flight that appears to be hijacked and nobody knows where it is".  I packed up the few things I brought to the beach and went home immediately.  Before I got off the sand, the first tower collapsed.  I was stopped at the light on Cervantes by Jerry's Drive-In when the North Tower came down, and I cried the rest of the way home.  All I could think about was "those poor, innocent people".  At some point, it dawned on me that I was going to have to be on the air that day, and wondered to myself  "what am I supposed to say?".  That was the only day in 15 years of broadcasting that I was scared to go on the air because I had no idea what to do.  When I got to the radio station, I walked in on a discussion on whether we should simulcast one of the news networks, or keep playing songs and give updates on our own.  After some time, we decided to stay local because at that point, there wasn't really any new news coming from the situation and we had a lot of listeners calling in and asking questions about flights and airport info, where to donate blood, and just questions in general about what was going on.  So, as hard as it was, we still played some songs that day, but we were more of a news & info station.  I remember the phone calls.  Someone on the west side of town was apparently charging $7 a gallon for gas.  All flights were grounded, so a lot of people were stranded and wanted to know when the airports would open back up and they were asking what security would be like.  At that point, we had no answers.  The hardest part for me and a lot of people was the feeling of helplessness.  All any of us could really do was pray, and trust in God. 

It's easy to get caught up in the fantasy of, "if we only knew how good we had it", but the truth is, we never know, do we?  We never know how easy or good life is until change is forced upon us. Whether it's a national tragedy or the loss of a loved one, we can never fully appreciate what we have until it's too late.  In all of this, I have learned to put my trust in God, and try to enjoy each day, because I have no clue what tomorrow, or even the next phone call will bring.  Maybe we "have it good" right now and don't even know it.

CMA Nominees & more

I know I'm a day late with the blog, but I have some good excuses.  You pick the best one: 

A.  I was on vacation

B.  Monday was holiday

C.  I forgot yesterday was Monday

D. All of the above

The 2011 CMA nominees were announced this morning and there were a few surprises, but for the most part the list looks pretty much like I thought it would.  I was surprised when I didn't see George Strait's name in the Male Vocalist of the Year category and equally surprised to not see Kenny Chesney up for Entertainer of the Year.  Oh yeah, and seeing Eric Church up for New Artist.  Even though Eric is one of my favorite artists, he's hardly a new artist.  We've been over this already:  http://wxbmnewsandnoteswithryanandrew.blogspot.com/2011/02/and-winner-is.html 

Here are your nominees with my pick in bold print:

Entertainer of the Year

Jason Aldean

Brad Paisley

Blake Shelton

Taylor Swift

Keith Urban

Female Vocalist of the Year

Sara Evans

Miranda Lambert

Martina McBride

Taylor Swift

Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist of the Year

Jason Aldean

Kenny Chesney

Brad Paisley

Blake Shelton

Keith Urban

New Artist

Eric Chruch

The Band Perry

Luke Bryan

Thompson Square

Chris Young

Vocal Group

Lady Antebellum

Little Big Town

Rascal Flatts

The Band Perry

Zac Brown Band

Vocal Duo

The Civil Wars

Montgomery Gentry

Steel Magnolia

Sugarland

Thompson Square

Album of the Year

It's All About Tonight - Blake Shelton

My Kinda Party - Jason Aldean

Speak Now - Taylor Swift

This Is Country Music - Brad Paisley

You Get What You Give - Zac Brown Band

Single of the Year

A Little Bit Stronger - Sara Evans

Colder Weather - ZBB

Don't You Wanna Stay - Jason Aldean/Kelly Clarkson

Honey Bee - Blake Shelton

If I Die Young

Song of they Year

Colder Weather - ZBB

Dirt Road Anthem - Jason Aldean

If I Die Young - The Band Perry

Mean - Taylor Swift

You & Tequila - Kenny Chesney/Grace Potter

Musical Event of the Year

As She's Walking Away - ZBB w/Alan Jackson

Coal Miner's Daughter - Loretta Lynn w/Sheryl Crow & Miranda Lambert

Don't You Wanna Stay - Jason Aldean w/Kelly Clarkson

Old Alabama - Brad Paisley w/Alabama

You & Tequila - Kenny Chesney w/Grace Potter

Music Video of the Year

Honey Bee - Blake Shelton

If I Die Young - The Band Perry

Mean - Taylor Swift

Old Alabama - Brad Paisley

You & Tequila - Kenny Chesney w/Grace Potter

The 2011 CMA award show will be hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, November 9th on ABC.  WXBM will be hosting the annual CMA Award Show Party at Sam's Fun City that night.  We'll have more info on how to get tickets to the party in the next couple weeks on Your Country 102.7 WXBM.

A couple other things in the news this week:  George Strait's new CD "Here For A Good Time" is out today (9/6) and he has another Greatest Hits package called "Icons" that will come out on September 13th. 

Icons tracklist: 

1. Amarillo By Morning

2.  Oceanfront Property

3.  All My Ex's Live In Texas

4.  Love Without End Amen

5.  I Cross My Heart

6.  Check Yes or No

7.  I Just Wanna Dance With You

8.  Living and Living Well

9.  Give It Away

10.  River of Love

Also, George announced he will be taking Martina McBride on tour with him next year.  Dates & cities should be coming soon, and as usual, George will start his 2012 tour in late January.

Blake Shelton has recorded the title song to the remake of "Footloose".  Check it out at The Boot:  http://www.theboot.com/2011/09/06/blake-shelton-footloose/  Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Zac Brown Band, Hunter Hayes & other country artist are also featured on the soundtrack.  The movie will be in theaters October 14th. 

Vince Gill will get together with Sting for the newest instalment of CMT's "Crossroads".  Expect that to air some time in November.  When I hear the exact air date, I'll let you know. 

Have a great week and thanks for over 10,500 News & Notes views!!  I really appreciate you taking time to read the blog and thanks for listening to Your Country 102.7 WXBM!