Sunday, September 09, 2007

Sunday news: "release day eve", Sacramento today, WGAR mini-recap and more (updated)

There are some truly beautiful shots from Bucky's WGAR show in Cleveland on the way soon, courtesy of a very talented friend; in the meantime, you'll have to bear with my usual fuzzy snaps. (Sorry!) Bucky Covington sings on stage (top) and makes his way through the crowd (below) during the WGAR Jam in Cleveland yesterday. Bucky Covington's debut CD is in stores now, and his music video is available for online viewing at CMT.com and Yahoo Music. You can buy Bucky's album at Amazon, Best Buy, iTunes , WalMart Music and Target, hear the full version of his single "A Different World" at CMT and GAC, or enjoy samples of songs from the CD at Bucky's official MySpace. An autographed copy of Bucky Covington can be ordered while supplies last at his official site or via his official fan club.

Tomorrow's the day! "It's Good to Be Us", Bucky Covington's new single, is officially released to radio September 10th, although the chances are quite good that your favorite country station has it right now. And in an interesting twist, it looks like it'll occupy roughly the same spot on tomorrow's Mediabase charts that Bucky's first hit, "A Different World" held upon its release. The first single from Bucky Covington was the Hot Shot Debut at #57 back in January; "It's Good to Be Us" is currently holding the #57 spot on the Sunday a.m. weighted chart, and it's #56 on the Top 500. Off to a healthy start! If you haven't done so already, stop in at BuckyCovingtonFans MySpace blog to see which stations are already playing Bucky's next hit...hope yours is listed!

Bucky and company took the red-eye from Cleveland all the way to the West Coast to play today's Country in the Park concert for KNCI in Sacramento. Here are the details if you're planning to go. (A great lineup on a beautiful day in California--what could be better?)



Sunday, 09/09/2007
Country in the Park
Gibson Ranch Park
8556 Gibson Ranch Road (off Elverta Road)
Elverta CA

Website: http://kncifm.com
Ticket info: $23 general admission show; available at locations listed on event page and at Ticketmaster.com. "Use the 'CITP' coupon code and save $3, one discount per ticket purchased, good for up to 6 tickets. "
Directions: Available at event site



And of course, our September Concert Roundup post is full of of links and information about this month's shows. For Bucky's full fall-winter concert schedule and meet and greet details, bookmark the tour page on Bucky's official site.

Finally--yep, I went to yesterday's WGAR Country Jam in Cleveland, and it was a hoot! Bucky, Rocky, Don, Shaun and Hans really impressed the local crowd, opening the show with a spirited "Empty Handed", and winning them over bigtime with sing-alongs "Suspicious Minds" and (naturally) "A Different World". The band was as tight and well-honed as advertised--Shaun Bayles is a stylish dervish on guitar, Don Medlock plays a very mean bass (and provided some
brilliant vocals, too), Hans Nelson's keyboard finesse was in full flower (especially on the aforementioned "A Different World") and of course, Rocky Covington was a killer drummer and a huge crowd pleaser. The amount of screams when he stepped up to duet with Bucky on the first part of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" leads me to believe that both Covington brothers have a pretty big fan contingent in Ohio. These guys have been logging some major time together on the road this year and the proof is in the playing, y'all. They are awesome.

As for Bucky--he was adored by the Cleveland crowd, and don't let anyone tell you different. The last time I'd had a chance to hear him sing live was at the Grand Ole Opry in March, with the Opry house band. On the huge WGAR stage, with his own band behind him and a crowd of screaming concertgoers singing along to his Top 5 hit in front of him, he was a radiant tour-de-force. He's become exactly what you and I always knew he was going to be--a comfortable, professional, seasoned stage performer who looks as though he's been up there doing this all his life.

And even though that sweet "newbie" vibe has long passed into history, the feeling that's taken its place--the sense of a singer who truly loves what he's doing, and loves the fact that you're loving it, too--is constant. That utterly endearing eagerness to please, combined with that amazing voice, was what caught my attention from the start. Add months of road experience, a solid debut hit, a critically-acclaimed #1 album, and lots of positive affirmation from happy screaming crowds and you've got a winning combination--and the fact that he's still visibly appreciative, still joyful, still up there working as hard as he can to make sure you're having a good time too, as if it's his first day on the job, is an indication that he's gonna be doing this a long time to come. Lucky us!

It was also my first time seeing those new hip-shakin' dance moves everyone's been buzzing about all summer--gotta give Bucky a big thumbs-up on those, for sure. Wow. And I wasn't alone; the crowd seemed to really appreciate the way he worked all sides of the stage. At one point he hopped into a blocked off area that cut through the center of the audience, singing and high-fiving people as he strolled--wild cheers and pandemonium for that. (Some of the hometown folks should have heeded the words to "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" though...and if the Georgia Satellites have a long-lost b-side called "Keep Your Shirt Tucked In", I'd like to dedicate it to the woman in the bright tank top who managed to combine a lesson in both biology and the effects of gravity in two quick but unfortunate seconds.)

The show was a bit of a preview of the upcoming Raisin' the Bar tour--both Cole Deggs and the Lonesome and Jason Michael Carroll were on the bill, too, and I can say without hesitation that you'll want to get to as many of those shows as you possibly can. Cole Deggs and the Lonesome have an authentic, rough roadhouse Southern Rock flavor with an undercurrent of tenderness in all the right places. Cole is a very engaging, attractive frontman (with great hair), and that band-of-brothers tightness makes for an incredible sound. And Jason Michael Carroll packs an amazing amount of on-stage charisma along with that deep, soulful baritone voice--he had the crowd mesmerized from the first song. Here's that tour press release with the dates and cities--if Bucky, Jason and Cole are coming to your town, go! (And whoever came up with the idea to put these three acts together deserves a big ol' raise--seriously.)

Updated to add a link to the WGAR Country Jam 2007 photo gallery at the station's website--there's a beautiful portrait of Rocky Covington at #30, and Bucky's performance photos start a few shots after that. (Thanks, Laurianne!)

More later--enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:28 PM

    FANTASTIC recap Winnie!! (And I won't even mention how many times I checked in here eagerly waiting to read your reaction lol!) I love the way you managed to put in words so many of the exact same things I was feeling at the show yesterday...There was just something so special about watching the hometown crowd, realizing that many are already fans, and the rest are quickly becoming fans as he totally won them over.

    I'm so glad we got the chance to meet! You're every bit as genuine and nice as I knew you'd be :)

    btw, WGAR has pictures from the Jam up on their website now, lots of great shots of Bucky and a really good photo of Rocky too.

    Laurianne

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  2. Laurianne, you are very kind--thanks, and it was such a pleasure to meet you and your family last evening! What a great show Bucky did for us, and how wonderful it was to hear everyone singing along to "A Different World"--talk about a thrill. You're right--Bucky is probably much more popular up here than he gets credit for. (Hope WGAR paid attention to that huge response he got yesterday!)

    And thanks for the tip about WGAR's gallery! I am going to add your that to the post, but again, I wanted to say how great it was to get to meet you yesterday. Hope we'll run into each other again at another Bucky Covington gig!

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  3. Anonymous1:57 PM

    ya know what Winnie, you nailed it with your recap! Those guys are having the time of their life out on the road, especially the "cky" trio of Bucky, Rocky and Ducky. Having known them for the past eight years they really are the embodiment of "Me, Jim and Dan" from the song Back when we were Gods. Now, if I can ever figure out how to copy a DVD to my computer I have a real treat to send to you....an acoustic performance by the now defunct Skracht Apple that we did for UNC-Pembroke in early 2005.

    I'm not anonymous, I'm unknown!

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  4. Anonymous2:54 PM

    WOOHOO!!!! IG2BU #52 on BOTH mediabase charts

    ~m~

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  5. Hey there, Unknown! I need to thank you--you were so very right about how much of a treat hearing and seeing the full band was going to be. There's a certain intangible vibe about bands when the members have really bonded, musically and personally--it's hard to put it into words, but you can hear it in the sound and sense it on the stage, and these guys really have it. That "time of their life" that they're enjoying radiates outward to the crowd--it was an awesome performance, and I am going to have to find a way to make it out to more shows this year.

    And you know how much I'd love to hear that Skracht Apple acoustic set! Got my fingers crossed that you'll be able to translate that somehow, because I am dying of curiosity here...

    I really hope you and I will wind up at the same show someday. I'll have to stick a 13th Floor Elevators CD in my bag, just in case there's a need for future cover material... :)

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  6. Marzy, wow and thanks! #52? Looks like he's set to break into the Top 50 in the first week of official release--fingers crossed!

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  7. Great recap Winnie! Biolgy and gravity lmao

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  8. Aww--thanks, Kathy! :) (Clevelanders and beer--it's a combination that sometimes brings out some...er, misguided expressions of appreciation, if ya know what I mean...)

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  9. Anonymous9:40 PM

    So glad that your first real Bucky and band concert was everything you hoped it would be an more (well aside from the groping and flashing.)

    I do have a word of warning: BUCKY CONCERTS ARE HIGHLY ADDICTIVE AND HABIT FORMING. Like the old Lays Potato chip slogan, "Bet you can't eat just one", I am betting that the WGAR Country Jam is the first of many Bucky concerts for our dear Winnie.

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  10. Beesims, your kind warning is sweet but too late--I had way too much fun yesterday. Yep, you're right...gonna have to pump up the ol' concert fund this fall... :)

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  11. Anonymous1:02 AM

    hey Winnie, when I was on my way to see them in Anderson, SC something happened that foretold good fortune for that night....the radio station I was listening to played "width of a circle" off of David Bowie's album "The man who sold the world". whoa....one of my all time faves and a very overlooked Bowie disc in my opinion. RAWK!

    i'm not anonymous, i'm unknown!

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  12. Anonymous2:42 AM

    http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/11894149254850.xml&coll=2

    Hope you can correct this if it is wrong about the WGAR event..claims Bucky did 14 songs and only 2 were originals, all others covers.

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  13. Thanks, Anon--and oh yeah, the reviewer got that wrong--unless "all but four of the songs on his CD" equals "a couple". :) No worries!

    (I am working on the morning post and really don't want to reward reviewers who don't do their homework with links--but since I was there I'll happily refute that one out front...)

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  14. Unknown, that is an interesting musical omen--wow, I honestly can't remember the last time I heard "Width of a Circle" on the plain old FM radio. (You must be blessed with some excellent stations down there...)

    The Man Who Sold the World is definitely one of those inexplicably all-but-forgotten Bowie albums--not sure why. But kudos to your DJ.

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