Saturday news: CRS excitement, tube time, a Gainseville gallery, Opry tonight , farewell to 12-Pack and more...

Up close and personal at the CRS New Faces show! Many thanks to our talented friend Janie for sharing this great shot from Bucky Covington's performance in Nashville last night--we'll keep an eye out for recaps from CRS and New Faces all weekend long.

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Last night in Nashville, Bucky Covington's 20-minute set at this year's prestigious New Faces showcase at CRS39 was attended by top country radio professionals--and luckily for us, by some very kind friends, as well. Janie graciously sent along this incredible performance shot and a note--she said that Bucky took the stage on his motorcycle (!) and sang "It's Good to Be Us", "A Different World", "Bible and the Belt" and "I'll Walk" for the assembled industry crowd. We'll have lots more on CRS and the New Faces showcase as it hits the wires, but for now, a huge congratulations to Bucky on what sounds like a very exciting night--and a hearty thanks to all who were there to cheer him on!

Here's a very quick look at the rest of today's happenings:

Chart news: "It's Good to Be Us" remains at #16 on both the Mediabase weighted and Top 500 charts, as of 4:11 a.m. PST, but we've got a pair of quite invisible bullets there, too. This weekend's syndicated countdowns will give Bucky a little lift, our requests will give him a big lift--and between the two, it's very likely that we'll see those bright red bullets back fast for the new week. (But you've heard more than enough of my cheerleading, y'all. What do you think about today's charts? Come on in to comments and let's talk...)

Rocky Covington and Bucky Covington share a mic --well, sort of share it!-- at a concert in Milwaukee a few months back; photo by the very kind Midask9. Click the image to see more. Thanks again, Midask9!

Upcoming shows: We're still looking for more word on Bucky's hot summer schedule--but in the meantime, the Throttle Wide Open tour with Dierks Bentley, Bucky Covington and Luke Bryan will resume on Thursday, 3/13 at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach. Get your general admission tickets at Ticketmaster now! Tickets for most of Dierks Bentley's Throttle Wide Open dates are available now at Ticketmaster--check Dierks' official website for details on non-Ticketmaster events. Seats for the Jackson, TN Dierks Bentley concert on April 3rd are available at the City of Jackson site.

Bucky and his fantastic band will headline at the Buffalo Bar in St. Joseph, MO on Friday, March 21; tickets are on sale at Biggins Sports Bar & Grill (816 232-4450) or Buffalo Bar at (816) 390-8444. This should be a hot one--be there if you can!

On the tube and around the net: Jolene Downs of About.com was at the Throttle Wide Open show in Gainseville a little while back--her review of Luke, Bucky and Dierks' peformances and her gorgeous photo gallery are not to be missed. You'll feel like you were right there for the fun...

Here's a very positive, video-linked retrospective of Bucky's career posted by a talented blogger/country music browser who was apparently delighted to find out what he's been up to since Idol. Enjoy!

I missed yesterday's update at Midask9's It's Good to Be Us blog (sorry about that!), but I definitely share her joy at Bucky's CMT Music Awards nomination--the celebration's in full swing. (A radio request would be the perfect way to express our bliss, yes?)

And as far as the tube goes, you've got lots of options today! The RFD Channel's Crook & Chase show, feaurtung Bucky, Miranda Lambert and Randy Owen, repeats tonight on at 7:00 p.m. ET. And at 8:00 p.m. ET, enjoy Bucky's 1/12 Opry performance on GAC's Grand Ole Opry Live. (Click that link for repeat dates and times.)

Vote for Bucky: The ballots giveth, and the ballots taketh away--it looks as though "It's Good to Be Us" has bid a graceful farewell to CMT's Pure Country Pure 12-Pack. However,we've still got the option of showing Bucky some love at GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown and at CMT's Top 20 Countdown.

And of course, the 2008 CMT Music Awards are top priority. If you're snowed in today (sigh) it's a good time to let everyone in your email address/Yahoo group/MySpace friends roster/neighborhood know what's happening. That belt buckle trophy sure would look perfect in Bucky's hands--and it depends entirely on us! Register at CMT and vote now--then pass along those links to everyone you know.

More soon--have a great Saturday!