Entertainment Forced Break Yields Fresh New Tunes from Lady Antebellum L
ast summer Lady Antebellum was forced into taking a break from the road for the most welcome of reasons— the impending birth of a daughter to singer Hillary Scott. For a group that loves nothing more than making music, the other two band members—Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood—did what came naturally. They took the opportunity to hit the studio. The summer break came only a couple of months after the release of the group’s fourth album, “Golden.” Initially, Lady Antebellum planned to return to touring in support of the album last fall. But when the summer break produced a batch of new songs, it created a dilemma. “We’re such studio rats—we love being in the studio,” Haywood said in a recent phone interview. “And we went in there and really felt like, man, this feels like a whole fresh kind of sound of Lady Antebellum.” The trio, though, wasn’t ready to leave behind “Golden” and move on to a new album. The time off, though, had put a pause on any momentum behind the original “Golden” album, which had produced a No. 1 country single, “Downtown,” but had seen the followup single, “Goodbye Town,” stall out at No. 11 on Billboard magazine’s Hot Country Songs chart. The solution was to postpone the fall tour, add three newly recorded songs to “Golden” and re-launch the album as a deluxe edition. One of the new songs, “Compass,” went to radio ahead of the November release of the deluxe edition of “Golden.” That song reached No. 6 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Now Lady Antebellum is on the tour that was to begin in the fall, giving “Golden” a new promotional push.
::by Alan Sculley
The jaunt comes to the AVA Amphitheater at Casino del Sol at 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 17. And the new songs, Haywood said, actually enhanced an album the band already felt was a strong effort. “From our personal standpoint, we felt it (‘Golden’) was our best work,” Haywood said. “We thought, how can we add to this thing? What is that other big fun live song that we want to have for the (live) show to kind of Lady Antebellum—Dave Haywood, Hillary complete the record? So yeah, Scott, Charles Kelley—performs on Tuesday, June 17, at Casino del Sol. I think there was maybe one The third album, “Own The Night,” or two of those moments missing in the followed in fall 2011, and with the end for the album as a whole, so that’s the excitement and reason we wanted album producing two more number one country singles, “Just a Kiss” and to add a couple of more songs to it.” The new tracks add to an album the title song, Lady Antebellum was that already was breezier and more ready to step up to being an arena uptempo than earlier Lady Antebellum headlining act. The experience of its first arena albums but also hewed closely to the pop country sound that has been the headlining tour in 2011 and 2012 has paid off, Haywood said, in making group’s signature all along. Of course, Lady Antebellum’s earlier for a more seamless, energetic and work should provide many other high professional show for the current tour. “It was really apparent during our points in the live show as well. The three earlier albums each produced a rehearsals,” he said. “I feel like we’ve really learned the pacing of a show good number of hits. The group’s 2008 self-titled debut and the journey you want to take fans album sold more than a million copies, through. “(Rehearsing) was a much smoother topped the country album chart and gave the group its first No. 1 country process,” Haywood said. “I mean, we were all laughing about it. We were single, “I Run to You.” The title song from the second like, ‘Man, it doesn’t feel like it did that album, “Need You Now”—a song that first tour when we were all stressed the group didn’t initially envision as a and nervous and going crazy trying single—took Lady Antebellum’s career to make sure these moments were to a whole new level. A huge crossover right.’” Lady Antebellum performs at 8 p.m. hit, it topped both the country and adult contemporary charts and hit Tuesday, June 17, at AVA Amphitheater No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard Hot at Casino del Sol, 5655 W. Valencia 100 chart and then went on to win the Rd. Tickets are $50 to $125. For more 2011 Grammy for Song of the Year and information, call (855) 765-7829 or visit www.casinodelsolresort.com. Record of the Year.
page 16 : : Lovin’ Life After 50 : : June 2014
Fun & Games Around Tucson June 2014 An Evening with Stephen Stills WHEN: Tues., June 3, at 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St. COST: $36 to $102 INFO: 547-3040 or www.foxtucsontheatre.org Legendary singer-songwriter and guitarist Stephen Stills is the only artist ever to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two times in one night. The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Show WHEN: Fri., June 6, at 8 p.m. WHERE: AVA Amphitheater at Casino del Sol, 5655 W. Valencia Rd. COST: $29 to $49 INFO: (855) 765-7829 or www.casinodelsolresort.com In tribute to an icon of pop music, The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Show, will present and celebrate a catalog of Houston’s most loved songs from her 29-year career. One of These Nights: The Eagles Tribute WHEN: Sat., June 7, at 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St. COST: $17 INFO: 547-3040 or www.foxtucsontheatre.org The show is a journey through all the Eagles’ signature sounds from their harmony-driven country rock and soulful ballads to the driving hard rock tunes that highlight the band. Gavin DeGraw and Matt Nathanson WHEN: Fri., June 13, at 7:30 p.m. WHERE: AVA Amphitheater at Casino del Sol, 5655 W. Valencia Rd. COST: $25 to $65 INFO: (855) 765-7829 or www.casinodelsolresort.com Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated artist Gavin DeGraw and acclaimed singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson will bring their tour to the amphitheater. Christian Burghardt will open the show. Ronnie Milsap WHEN: Fri., June 13, at 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St. COST: $26 to $69 INFO: 547-3040 or www.foxtucsontheatre.org Ronnie Milsap’s voice is well capable of singing blues, R&B, pop and rock sounds, and his 40 chart-topping hits prove this.
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