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June 2nd, 2006 - Myrtle
Beach South Carolina
Montgomery Gentry
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With Trent Tomlinson Opening |
Held at Coastal Federal
Field
Produced by the Myrtle
Beach Pelicans
 Managed by American Entertainment
Our job was to acquire the talent and
produce the show for our client. We oversaw security, catering, band rider
needs, equipment, stage, sound, lighting and most elements of the concert.
The challenge was to build the entire infrastructure of the stage, sound
and lighting on one of the top Minor League ball fields in the country
and, during the baseball season. Most importantly, we had to leave as
small as a footprint as possible on the field.
The concert started on time at 7:30 PM June 2, and ended around 10PM. Just
as soon as the concert ended the load out and de-construction process
started. The bands were out within 2 hours. There was a big storm
approaching though. The crew hustled to get all of the electronic
infrastructure loaded before the storm hit. The crew then continued to
work throughout a very rainy night to complete the entire process by 6AM.
The band and crew from Montgomery Gentry and Trent Tomlinson were a
pleasure to work with. They gave a great show which the audience will
never forget. And, last but not least, a big shout goes out to Neil
Fortier of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Baseball Club for his complete
commitment to the infrastructure of the concert.
Full Bios for Montgomery
Gentry and Trent Tomlinson Below
Construction started bright and early on June 1st, a day before the
concert.
Book Montgomery Gentry
or Trent Tomlinson Here
Images from Day 1 -
Construction
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Neil and Lenny
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Neil, Dinger & CJ
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Images
from Day 2 - Band Load In and Concert
Book Montgomery Gentry
or Trent Tomlinson Here
Montgomery Gentry Bio
Since their debut in 1999, Eddie
Montgomery and Troy Gentry have been a cornerstone of the most important
movement in country music since the Outlaws. Just as Waylon, Willie and
the rest kicked open the genre's doors in the 1970s, Montgomery Gentry has
helped kick-start 21st century country.
The elements consist of straightforward lyrics reflecting the realities of
modern life, a tour and stage show that are completely inclusive of their
audience, and a gritty rock edge that has captured the imaginations of
untold millions. Along with like-minded artists like Gretchen Wilson, Hank
Jr. and Big & Rich, they have joined forces with rockers like Lynyrd
Skynyrd and Kid Rock to help rewrite the modern musical landscape.
Theirs is a world of blue-collar anthems, tales of life, work, love, loss
and patriotism balanced by the hard-partying spirit that takes the edge
off --"the good, the bad, the ugly, and the party on the weekends," as
Montgomery has long capsulated it.
"People recognize the realism in our music," says Gentry. "We're not
trying to candy coat anything. Who we are is who we are. It's all about
being real, being yourself, and playing real music to the people."
For Montgomery Gentry, the upshot of that connection with their
audience--their "friends," as Montgomery invariably calls them--has been
milestone after milestone in an enviable career trajectory. "Some People
Change," the leadoff single & title track from their stellar new
collection, became the fastest-rising in their already impressive catalog.
It followed "She Don't Tell Me To," the single from 2005's greatest hits
collection, Something To Be Proud Of: The Best of 1999-2005, a song that
hit the Top 5 on the country charts, while the albums' title track reached
#1 on both the Billboard and R&R singles charts. In addition, the pair was
CMT's Most Played Duo of 2005.
Now, with Some People Change, Montgomery Gentry takes yet another
important step forward. Some People Change is an incredibly rich
collection that reflects the continued maturing of Montgomery Gentry on a
number of levels. There is, first of all, a deeper exploration of the
issues they have always deemed important.
"If you look at the direction Montgomery Gentry has gone," says Gentry,
"we started out with the hard-driving, in-your-face, honky-tonk,
hell-raising style of Tattoos & Scars and Carrying On, and carried that
over into more of a working man's album on My Town. We spoke a lot about
our military, the places we grew up, the good and bad, songs Americans
could listen to and identify with. This album goes even farther and brings
it back to family and religious beliefs, and keeps those ties to the
military. We talk about our life growing up, about maturing, and
reflecting on where we've come from."
They have deepened their relationship with some of Nashville's best
songwriters, particularly with Rivers Rutherford and Jeffrey Steele, who
co-wrote seven of the album's songs and shared production duties on most
of the project with veteran producer, Mark Wright.
Among others, Steele contributed the hook-heavy "Hey Country" and the
karma-laden rocker "Tears Are Comin'," while Rutherford's efforts include
the nostalgic "Redder Than That," and "Free Ride In The Fast Lane," which
Montgomery Gentry declare as particularly true-to-life. Rutherford and
Steele both collaborated, with Gary Nicholson, on the father-son epic
"Twenty Years Ago."
"Their track record speaks for itself," says Montgomery of the dynamic
songwriting duo. "They were the number one songwriters of the year, but
from our perspective, what's most important is that they get us. They're a
lot like us."
Perhaps most importantly, Some People Change showcases more than ever
before the writing talents of both Gentry and Montgomery, with the former
contributing the family-of-man anthem "Takes All Kinds" as well as "If You
Wanna Keep An Angel," an ode to earning the love of a good woman, while
the latter offers "A Man's Job," about come-uppance for a wayward spouse,
and "Clouds," which Montgomery co-wrote with Steele and Tony Mullins and
which turns the loss of his father and his son into one of the most
achingly heartfelt tributes ever committed to song.
If the continued rise in quality is evident throughout the CD, it is
certainly not coincidental.
"We're always trying to better ourselves both in the studio and on stage,"
says Gentry. "We keep honing our skills from doing it so often, but
really, we're a work in progress."
It is a journey that began in northern Kentucky. Montgomery grew up in his
family's band, where he and his brother John Michael spent their formative
years in honky-tonks, falling in love with the music of Hank Jr., Charlie
Daniels, Willie, Waylon, Haggard, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Influenced by his
mothers' love of music, Gentry favored George Jones, Haggard, Randy Travis
and Hank Jr. and by high school, was in his first talent contest.
The Montgomery brothers and Gentry joined forces in a band called Young
Country until John Michael landed a record deal. His brother joined his
band and Gentry went solo, winning the national Jim Beam Talent Contest in
1994. When Eddie returned to Kentucky, he and Gentry found themselves on
stage together at various charity concerts and they decided to get back
together.
"It just seemed like the more we were playing together around town, the
bigger our following got," says Gentry. Nashville heard the buzz, and
Columbia Records signed them. A string of hits soon followed, including
"Hillbilly Shoes," "Lonely And Gone," "Daddy Won't Sell The Farm," "She
Couldn't Change Me," "My Town," "Speed," and "Hell Yeah," "Gone" and "If
You Ever Stop Loving Me."
They have performed for well over a million fans & prior to headlining
tours, they were on Kenny Chesney's "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems"
tours in 2002 and 2003, and the Brooks & Dunn Neon Circus & Wild West Show
in 2001. They were named the CMA's Duo of the Year in 2000, and received
that year's American Music Award for Favorite New Artist--Country, the
Academy of Country Music Award for Top New Vocal Group or Duo," and the
2000 and 2001 Radio & Records Readers' Poll award for Top Country Duo.
As impressive as their past has been, their future looks even brighter.
"It's just amazing how the crowds keep getting bigger," says Gentry. "They
know all the hits. They're singing along with us. It's just incredible.
"There's no rush like it," adds Montgomery, "no drug, no alcohol, that can
give you that kind of rush when you see 65,000 people just screaming back
a song at you. It's like, 'Is this real? If I'm dreaming, don't wake me
up'."
If they share with their audience a love of good music, they also share an
appreciation for the nation's veterans and active duty personnel. For
Montgomery Gentry, that is something that dates back to the release of
their first record. They have done many shows for military personnel
through the years, but in 2006 for the first time they were able to travel
to visit troops in Kuwait, Iraq and Germany as part of a USO tour. It was
a journey that affected both deeply.
"It was an eye-opening experience for me," says Gentry, "seeing what our
soldiers are doing to battle terrorism and help the Iraqis and Afghanis
gain a better way of life."
"I don't ever want to hear anybody say, 'I don't know if this generation
has got what it takes,'" says Eddie. "We've got the baddest men and women
in the world & knowing that they've got our backs reminds me every day why
America is the greatest country in the world and will always be the
greatest."
Back on U.S. soil, they continue to take their music and their
appreciation for American life to fans in city after city, where
differences blur in the face of overwhelming similarities.
"It doesn't matter what kind of accent they've got," says Montgomery,
"when the music hits and the lights come on, they're all the same--rednecking
and ready to have a good time."
If there is a secret to it all, it is an open one. These are two men
living by the creeds that infuse their music. "Stay true to yourself and
hold your ground," Gentry says simply. "And dare to be different. Through
it all, if you can lay your head on your pillow at night and be
comfortable with what you're doing, you're doing alright."
Book Montgomery Gentry
or Trent Tomlinson Here
Trent Tomlinson Bio
Singer/songwriter Trent Tomlinson is one
of those rare performers whose music is as straight-ahead and
unpretentious as he is. "My songs," he says simply, "are real-life
situations with kick-ass guitar." "It's 'open a beer, sit in a lawn chair,
let's have a party' country," he says of his music. "At the same time, the
songs are saying, 'I have the ability to love you, to understand,' and at
the end of the day all that matters is Mama and Daddy and going to heaven.
That pretty much sums everything up."Trent honed his music to perfection
in countless demo studios over the years. "I've had five publishing
deals," he says. "I've practically lived in the studio, creating and
honing a sound of my own. And it turns out that five of the songs on the
album record are actually my demos -- Lyric Street loved them so much as
is that we just went in and re-sang and tweaked a little, instead of
re-recording."
In fact, Trent was involved in every aspect of song selection and
production on his album which is unusual for a new artist. That level of
involvement is testament to his ability to turn the long hard road to
stardom to his advantage. Although, he had written songs for Emerson Drive
and Blue County, among others, Trent's career had amounted to a
frustrating series of publishing deals until he had a breakthrough about
two years ago. He was writing at Cal IV Entertainment, a Music City
publishing company, when, "I kind of found myself," Trent says. "I
basically admitted the truth about who I am and what I am, my demons and
insecurities -- the ones that I run from on a day-to-day basis -- and
began putting them into my songs."
He immediately noticed the change in his songwriting. "It was like, 'all
right," says Trent, "now I believe this guy." As he was honing his craft,
his singing also continued to get better. "It was at this point that my
whole world changed -- as a songwriter, as an artist, as everything. The
truth will set you free."
The music began connecting for the reason great music always does--people
identified with it. "Songs," Trent says, "are one of those places where
you can hear someone talking about their problems and you say, 'I'm not
alone.'"
Once he concentrated on writing songs that reflected his psyche, and dealt
with topics like drinking, camaraderie, broken dreams and relationships,
Trent found his fortunes reversing rapidly. He demoed and pitched "Hey
Batter Batter," a clever take on barroom rancor, and quickly found Lyric
Street Record's Senior Vice President of A&R, Doug Howard and President,
Randy Goodman wanting to hear more. Trent showcased the new material for
them in October 2004 and two months later he had a record deal.
Country Is My Rock brings Trent's emotional honesty and eye for detail to
vignettes detailing both the good and bad of life and love. "She Might
Just Have Her Radio On" and "I Was Gonna Leave Tomorrow Anyway" deal with
the aftermath of relationships while "The Bottle" looks at the dark side
of life and "Drunker Than Me," is an offbeat and hilarious look at being
forced to be the responsible one on a night out. The CD's combination of
truth, pathos and humor give it both accessibility and real depth, and its
hard-charging musical approach makes it all compelling.
Trent began his musical journey in Kennett, Missouri, which is also the
home town of Sheryl Crow. His 6'8" father is a former basketball star who
set scoring records at the University of Missouri and was drafted by the
Cleveland Cavaliers before knee surgery knocked him out. He was also the
basketball coach and biology teacher at Trent's high school, and a tough
taskmaster.
"I learned about the meaning of hard work," says Trent, "and what can
happen in life when you work as hard as you can." His father groomed him
for basketball stardom, and Trent was a starter in his freshman year in
high school. "The trouble was," he says, "I could score 32 points and on
the way home he'd be on me about why I didn't take the charging foul in
the fourth quarter."
Along the way, he realized basketball was not going to be the way he would
spend his life. "Realistically," he says, "I'm 6'2". No matter how good my
jump shot is, Kobe Bryant's going to slap it out of the gym."
He turned early to music, recalling the days when his parents would sing
to him as a child. His mother wanted him to take piano lessons, but the
classics weren't for Trent. "I wanted to play like Jerry Lee Lewis," he
says, "so I quit the lessons and taught myself. Then I realized I couldn't
carry a piano around to parties and gigs, so I bought a guitar and started
playing that."
He found himself drawn to the other musicians in school -- "people I
wouldn't have hung out with otherwise" -- and it wasn't long before he was
sneaking out to work in the bars in his home town, playing rock before
settling into country. Then, in his junior year in high school, he
auditioned locally for TNN's talent show "You Can Be A Star," and week
after week he won and moved up in the competition, eventually reaching
Nashville and the finals.
"I was first runner-up by two-tenths of a point," he says with a rueful
laugh. "The girl who won took home fifty thousand dollars, and I got a
denim jacket with the TNN logo on the back." It was a hardcore lesson in
the winner-take-all world of high-stakes music, but it was also an
affirmation that he had real talent, although his father was slow to get
on board.
"It let me know I had something going on," he says, "but my dad was going
to need more convincing, especially since I had to miss some ball games.
It would have been easier if I'd come back home with the fifty thousand."
He tried college, but says, "I didn't want to wake up eventually kicking
myself in the rear end for not knowing what would have happened if I'd
tried music." He left for Nashville after six months.
Trent took a job with Stanley Steemer and began hanging out at a club
called Barbara's in Nashville's renowned Printer's Alley, making money
there and at other clubs by winning talent contests. He landed a cut on a
Johnny Rodriguez record and began looking for more opportunities.
"I remember one time when I literally had a dollar to my name," he says.
"I bought a soda for 50 cents and used a quarter to call Frank Masick, a
tape copy guy at Kimber Kay Music, who had given me his card. He told me
to bring some stuff over. I had two demos I had given up the publishing on
because I couldn't afford the studio time, and I went over with Kevin
Durham, a buddy and co-writer of mine. We were waiting in the lobby and
the President of the company was there and he invited us back into his
office. I played him the two demos, which were ballads, and he said, "I
love them. Have you got anything up-tempo?" I said, "Yeah, but not on
tape." He pointed to the guitar in the corner and told me to sing a couple
of them, so we did. When we got done, he gave us publishing and production
deals and handed us a check."
The short-lived duo of Trent and Dean lasted until the publishing company
went bankrupt, immediately after a successful Polydor Records showcase. "I
lost a publishing deal and a record deal in three days," he says.
Trent went back to Missouri to clear his head, and while he was there he
got word that publishing legend Buddy Killen had bought his catalog out of
bankruptcy court. Trent met with Killen, who offered him another
publishing deal. After a year-and-a-half, he got a deal with MCA
Publishing for the best salary he seen since moving to Nashville but
before long a corporate takeover left his backers on the street. After
scoring several publishing deals, Trent was parking cars at the airport.
Then came the deal at Cal IV Entertainment which Trent calls "the turning
point." He began writing "more progressive country," and landed three cuts
on the first Emerson Drive record. He also cut some sides for Lyric Street
Records, but A&R chief Doug Howard "knew that I was getting close but that
I wasn't quite there. It was a blessing in disguise that nothing happened
at the time." His epiphany came at that point, and everything he had
learned and been through came together musically in a way that Lyric
Street bought into whole-heartedly.
"Luckily," he says, "my vision was their vision." Even his father is among
the converts. "At one time," he laughs, "he thought it was all a pipe
dream. Now he's calling with song ideas."
Trent is, after all this time, in the enviable position of having life and
music come together successfully. He has written a song for the new Sara
Evans album, and his debut album, Country Is My Rock, is ratifying the
path he's taken.
"For me, the hardest part was letting it all out," he says, "but that's
become my way for dealing with my darker side. Writing songs and singing
help me to understand it and move on. Hopefully, the reception Country Is
My Rock is getting means that other people are getting something out of it
too.
Book Montgomery Gentry
or Trent Tomlinson Here
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