Little Big Town gives unknown acts a shot
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Hopeful country musicians across the nation are competing to snag a spot on Little Big Town 's "A Place to Land Tour," which rolls out tomorrow (1/24).
Fans will vote on acts registered for the contest using Eventful's Demand service, and the top four contenders will open for Little Big Town at various stops in March, according to a press release. The competition, which launched earlier this week, will continue through Feb. 27, when the winning acts will be announced. Fans and musicians should log onto Eventful's website to participate.
Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild said the Grammy-nominated country quartet has had amazing opportunities as an opening act, and now it's time to give back.
"We've had the honor of opening for John Mellencamp, George Strait, Martina McBride, Sugarland, Keith Urban and more," she explained in a statement. "Because of our experiences, we wanted to find a way to give back to some bands that are just getting started in their careers. It's even more special because the fans get to choose. I can't wait to see who the fans select."
The contest winners will join up-and-coming country acts including Zac Brown Band, Ashton Shepherd, Jonathan Singleton & the Grove, and Kate & Kacey in handling opening duties on various dates.
Little Big Town's massive 2009 outing marks its first as a nationwide headliner. The inaugural "A Place to Land Tour" is scheduled to kick off tomorrow (1/24) in Jacksonville, FL, and visit clubs, theaters, casinos, fairs and festivals all over the US into October. Since last check, there's been a few tweaks to the schedule, including dates added in Pembroke Pines, FL, and Wisconsin Dells, WI. An updated itinerary is included below.
LBT is supporting its third album, "A Place to Land," which surfaced in 2007 on the Equity Music Group indie label and was rereleased last October on Capitol Nashville. The new version features four additional cuts, including "Life In A Northern Town," a collaboration with Sugarland and Jake Owen that is up for a Grammy Award.
"A Place to Land" has spawned the Top 40 country hits "Fine Line" and "I'm With the Band," as well as the album's latest single, "Good Lord Willing," all of which are streaming at Little Big Town's MySpace page.
January 2009
24 - Jacksonville, FL - Freebird Live
25 - Pembroke Pines, FL - C.B. Smith Park
29 - Montgomery, AL - Montgomery PAC
30 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
31 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
February 2009
4 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
5 - Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theatre
6 - Biloxi, MS - Hard Rock Live
7 - Vinton, LA - Delta Downs Casino
13 - Denver, CO - Grizzly Rose
14 - Cheyenne, WY - Outlaw Saloon
17 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
18 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
19 - Snoqualmie, WA - Snoqualmie Casino
21 - Oroville, CA - Gold Country Casino
22 - Valley Center, CA -Harrah's Rincon Open Sky Theater
24 - Friant, CA - Table Mountain Casino
26 - Santa Ynez, CA - Chumash Casino
28 - Las Vegas, NV - Sam's Town
March 2009
7 - Chicago, IL - Joe's on Weed Street
8 - Green Bay, WI - Meyer Theater
12 - St. Charles, MO - Ameristar Casino
13 - Wisconsin Dells, WI - Crystal Grand Music Theatre
14 - Davenport, IA - River Center
15 - Merrillville, IN - Star Plaza Theater
18 - Adrian, MI - Adrian College
19 - Milwaukee, WI - Northern Lights Theatre
20 - Wausau, WI - Grand Theatre
21 - Prior Lake, MN - Mystic Lake Casino
27 - Norman, OK - Riverwind Casino
28 - Durant, OK - Events Center
29 - Tulsa, OK - Johnston Theatre at Mabee Center
April 2009
2 - Florence, AZ - Country Thunder USA
3 - Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia
25 - Indio, CA - Indio Field/Stagecoach Festival
May 2009
2 - Midland, TX - Horseshoe Arena
16 - Atlanta, GA - Lakewood Amphitheatre
17 - Chesapeake, VA - Chesapeake City Park
18 - Lancaster, PA - American Music Theatre
June 2009
6 - Hot Springs, AR - Timberwood Amphitheater at Magic Springs Theme Park
13 - Gadsden, AL - Riverfest Festival
18 - Walker, MN - Moondance's Jammin Country Fest
19 - Somerset, WI - Floatrite Amphitheatre
July 2009
9 - Ft. Loramie, OH - Hickory Hills
11 - Beaufort, SC - Beaufort Waterfront Park
17 - Atchison, KS - Amelia Earhart Fest
18 - Gypsum, CO - Gypsum Amphitheatre
22 - Helena, MT - Last Change Stampede
25 - Evanston, WY - Uinta County Fair
31 - Philadelphia, MS - Nesoba County Fair
August 2009
2 - Columbus, OH - Ohio State Fair
8 - Bowling Green, OH - Wood County Fairgrounds
September 2009
25 - Ocean City, MD - Inlet Beach
26 - W. Springfield, MA - Eastern States Expo
October 2009
3 - Yuma, AZ - Yuma County Fairgrounds
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