Nitty Gritty From Music City

» So Much Cooler Online:

"Out with a bang." That's what Brad Paisley tweeted after closing his American Saturday Night tour Saturday (3/6) in Charleston, SC with a serious final-song tumble. "Man, am I sore today," he said the day after a hospital visit that revealed no broken bones. "You guys should see the bruise." Watch the "Alcohol" crash here. At Friday's (3/5) Knoxville show, Paisley told the crowd, "It is so great to be in the land of football and Kenny Chesney. I'm not from Tennessee, but I got here as fast as I could." Paisley tailored his performance to the audience (not that he needed to), as the packed Thompson-Boling Arena was fully energized by the hit-laden show.

Stopping "I'm Still A Guy" in mid-song, Paisley told the audience he was about to play the "sissy verse ... or as I like to call it, the Kiffin verse." His reference to cut-and-run former University of Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin drew a roar rivaling a game-winning touchdown. Later, armed only with an acoustic guitar and a stool, Paisley said, "Sorry, but I have to" before playing a verse and chorus of "Rocky Top."

Miranda Lambert received a strong reaction to her new single "The House That Built Me," and later admitted being conflicted in her recent No. 1 battle with "one of my best friends." She then brought out "The Truth" co-writer Ashley Monroe, a Knoxville native, to play the Jason Aldean smash. Opener Justin Moore got the Kiffin-bashing started, dedicating his "I Can Kick Your Ass" to the current USC coach. Paisley will launch his H2O tour later this year.

» Roots Are Showing:

Out this summer, Dierks Bentley's Up On The Ridge bluegrass and roots album will feature guests including the Del McCoury Band, Alison Krauss and Miranda Lambert. "This album won't come as a surprise to my hard-core fans," Bentley says. "They've asked me, 'When are you going to make a bluegrass record?' And I was just waiting for the right time. It's my version of bluegrass music. It's not just banjos cranked up to 11."

» Sunshine State Of Mind:

Picking up where she left off in October, Taylor Swift opened her Fearless 2010 tour with three sold-out Florida concerts in Tampa, Orlando and Sunrise. "If Swift was a big star last year," Tampa's St. Petersburg Times writes, "she's stratospheric now." Read other rave reviews in the Orlando Sentinel and the Miami Herald. Swift continues the tour Wednesday (3/10) in Austin with openers Gloriana and Kellie Pickler. Details here. In other news, get Swift's new, free iPhone app here.

» The Road: Giving loneliness a new meaning, Jimmy Wayne braved two days in the woods without a cell phone last week on his 1,600-mile Meet Me Halfway walk to Phoenix. "These deserted back roads go for miles and there's no one," Wayne told us in our weekly update Friday (3/5). "When my phone went out, there was really no one. I thought I was alone when I left Nashville with that backpack, but I wasn't until my phone went out. The world got bigger all of a sudden." Armed with a repaired cell and approaching Oklahoma City, Wayne has been getting support back home in Nashville, as a group of women have raised nearly $1,000 in money and goods for his effort. Details on how to contribute here.

» Cooking Country:

The encore cookbook to Trisha Yearwood's Georgia Cooking In An Oklahoma Kitchen will be released April 6. Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood: Stories And Recipes To Share With Family And Friends includes recipes for Garth's Breakfast Bowl, Tennessee Jambalaya and Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake, with a forward by husband Garth Brooks. Pre-order here. Yearwood's 14-date book tour begins April 7 in Princeton, NJ. Details here.

» Bad To The Bone:

The country drama Crazy Heart, about a struggling legend's return to the spotlight, took home two Oscars at Sunday's (3/7) 82nd Annual Academy Awards. "The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)" co-writers Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett won Best Music (Original Song), and actor Jeff Bridges earned Best Actor In A Leading Role for his "Bad Blake" character. Watch the winning moments here and here.

» Crib Note:

Congrats to Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook on the birth of their first child Elijah Dylan Westbrook Friday (3/5). The Little Big Dude was born in Nashville and weighed 7 lbs., 14 oz.

» In Case You Missed It:

Thursday's (3/4) CSI had Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus mysteriously injured in a stage accident. Watch the full episode here. And Sunday's (3/7) Jimmy Kimmel Live hosted Keith Urban, who performed "Til Summer Comes Around" and acted in the "Handsome Men's Club" skit with Sting, Matthew McConaughey, Rob Lowe, Josh Hartnett and others.

»Hit List

The Country Throwdown Tour 2010 featuring Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town, Jack Ingram, Eric Church, Eli Young Band, the Lost Trailers, Heidi Newfield, Ryan Bingham, Jonathan Singleton & The Grove and Emily West opens May 14 in Tampa. A Bluebird CafÃ© tent will feature emerging singer-songwriters. More than 20 dates are scheduled through June 20. Details here; download the iPhone app here.
Pre-order Zac Brown Band's DVD/Double CD set Pass The Jar - Zac Brown Band And Friends Live From The Fabulous Fox Theatre In Atlanta (out May 4) and receive a unique code for pre-sale access to ZBB's May 8 Atlanta show. Details here.
Gretchen Wilson, Stoney LaRue, Robert Earl Keen, Rio Grande, the Grascals and others have joined the Verizon Wireless BamaJam Music & Artist Festival June 3-5. They join previously announced headliners Hank Williams, Jr., Kenny Chesney and others for the Enterprise, AL event. Tickets and full lineup here.

Birthdays

Carrie Underwood (3/10)
Kristian Bush (Sugarland) (3/14)
Jerry Jeff Walker (3/16)

On TV

Tuesday Wednesday (3/10): Sugarland, Soundstage (re-air) (GAC).

Thursday (3/11): Gary Allan, Live From The House Of Blues (re-air) (GAC).

Friday (3/12): Blake Shelton, Top 20 Country Countdown (GAC).

In Stores Now

Gary Allan Get Off On The Pain
Mark Wright, Greg Droman and Allan co-produced his eighth album, which features the title track lead single. Allan co-wrote five of 10 songs. Ringtone downloads are free with a CD purchase. The Deluxe Edition includes "Long Summer Days" and live tracks "Right Where I Need To Be," "Best I Ever Had" and "Watching Airplanes." Purchase here .

Christian Kane Christian Kane EP
TNT's Leverage actor Kane previews his upcoming label debut with this five-song digital release. Kane co-wrote three of the tracks with artists including Whitney Duncan and Jonathan Singleton. The project is available at all online outlets.

Upcoming Album Releases

Brantley Gilbert Halfway To Heaven (3/16)
Travis Rush Feel (3/16)
Various Artists Sunday In The Country (3/16)
Alan Jackson Freight Train (3/30)
Gretchen Wilson I Got Your Country Right Here (3/30)

» Country Crossroads: Vince Gill (l) and Eric Clapton (r) trade guitar licks during Clapton's Nashville concert last week. Derek & The Dominos' "Nobody Knows When You're Down And Out," "Layla," Clapton's "Running On Faith," "I've Got A Rock And Roll Heart" and Cream's "Crossroads" rounded out the five-song Gill and Clapton jam. The two will reunite June 26 for Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago. Details and tickets here.

» Postcards And Souvenirs: Jack Ingram takes in the scenery in front of the Sydney Opera House on his Australian tour. Ingram will pick up his stateside Acoustic Motel tour March 23 in Atlanta. Complete schedule here.

» You Can Go Home Again: Danny Gokey performs during his return to American Idol Thursday (3/4). He sang his new single "My Best Days Are Ahead Of Me."