Thursday, May 24, 2012

Jerrod Niemann, 'Shinin' On Me' Video


Jeremy Cowart
"And who knows what tomorrow is gonna bring / But today, the sun, shinin' on me"

Jerrod Niemann's infectious new single, "Shinin' On Me," is about living in the moment and concentrating on the positive, no matter how many negatives come your way. The song's video, making its world premiere right here on The Boot, brings to life the upbeat lyrics. Filmed at Family Wash, a restaurant and music venue in East Nashville, the clip shows two very different scenes but just a few feet apart: one stressed-out businessman sitting alone outside the restaurant, while Jerrod, his band and buddies are inside having a great time. When the rain starts to pour, will their two worlds collide? Watch below to find out.

"The video for 'Shinin' On Me' is meant to show you that you don't have to let the storms of life ruin your day," the country star tells The Boot.

Toby Keith Golf Classic to Include OK Kids Korral Groundbreaking


Getty Images for ACM
Toby Keith's annual Golf Classic in Oklahoma on May 18 and 19 promises to be one of the most memorable in the nine-year history of the event as the "Beers Ago" singer will also be breaking ground on his long-awaited OK Kids Korral in Oklahoma City as part of the two-day festivities.

"It's gonna be something that Oklahoma City can be really proud of when we're done with it," Toby says of the center, which will provide a home environment for pediatric cancer patients and their families while treatment takes place at Children's Hospital at OU Medical Center.

"Over the past few years, all these state-of-the-art cancer facilities have been coming to Oklahoma City," explains Juliet Nees-Bright, director of the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority. "More kids are coming for treatment than ever before. We realized we needed to create a place, one that specializes in helping kids. They have special needs -- they have immune systems that are very weak."

Zac Brown Band, 'No Hurry' Video


Mark Humphrey, AP
Artist: Zac Brown Band

Video: "No Hurry"
(Watch below)

Why We Dig It: Caution: if you're watching this video at work, you might get a little green with envy. The ZBB guys combine three things we love in their brand-new video: music, vacation and family-bonding time. It's the perfect song to start to your summer!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Zac Brown Band, 'Uncaged' Release Date Revealed


Getty Images for ACM
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Describing the new Zac Brown Band album is anything but simple.

"It's your basic country-Southern rock-bluegrass-reggae-jam record," Brown joked.

"Uncaged" is out July 10 and Brown says its 11 tracks further push the boundaries of what fans can expect from the Atlanta-based band.

Brown wanted to keep most of the surprises on the band's follow-up to 2010's "You Get What You Give" under wraps in a Tuesday afternoon phone interview.

Zac Brown's Camp Southern Ground Meets Kids' Special Needs


Getty Images
Zac Brown may be best known for his musical contributions, but he could add entrepreneur to his title. "There are 12 companies that I run, with a lot of help of other people," Zac tells The Boot.

Of the dozen different entities, the one foremost in Zac's mind is Camp Southern Ground, a non-profit camp south of Atlanta for, as Zac describes it, kids who are "mainstream, underprivileged and with developmental disorders."

"We'll have an organic farm there, straight farm-to-table," says the singer and band leader, who is also an accomplished chef. "The kids will be able to eat what they pull up from out the ground that day. It's a big project, a big undertaking."

Thomas Rhett Tour Schedule Goes Into 'Overdrive'


Big Machine
Thomas Rhett has been putting in his time on the road opening for acts including Blake Shelton,Pat Green and Brantley Gilbert. This summer, he'll open for Toby Keith on the Live in Overdrive tour.

The 22-year old, whose first single, "Something to Do With My Hands" is climbing the charts, has already learned the three things never to leave home without: "Clean underwear, clean socks and Twizzlers," Thomas tells The Boot.

He also learned the hard way that he should always travel with something warm. "We were playing in Illinois one night and we had to stop at a gas station," he says. "All I had was a T-shirt, so I bought this disgusting hoodie and that saved me for like four days from freezing!"

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

The Band Perry, Kimberly Williams-Paisley Help Kick Off Walmart Anti-Hunger Campaign

J. Michael Krouskop
The Band Perry and Kimberly Williams-Paisley visited a Nashville Walmart this week to announce their participation in a huge new initiative to help fight hunger in America. The sibling singers and actress are partnering with Walmart and four of the nation's largest food companies -- General Mills, ConAgra, Kraft, and Kellogg -- to launch the "Fighting Hunger Together" program, which encourages the purchase of products to help generate more than 42 million meals for the Feeding America and Action for Healthy Kids programs.

Millions of Americans can help support this worthy cause either by buying participating products or visiting Walmart's Facebook page through April 30. Fans can vote on the Facebook page for one of 200 American communities that has been hardest hit by unemployment, and the winning town will receive $1 million to help combat hunger in that area. The next 20 communities will each receive $50,000 to help aid hunger relief in their areas, as well, through the Facebook initiative. The campaign also provides information on how users can donate or join local efforts to fight hunger in their own communities.