Welcome to my blog page of y108.com! Here you'll find my thoughts on things I'm doing, places I'm going and music I'm listening to. Thanks for stopping by!
Here we go again. Our 15th year as Y108 helps kids and their families with cancer.
Thursday and Friday the 18th and 19th we will be dedicating our broadcast days to benefit St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital.
And no matter where you are in the world, thanks to the web, you can contribute at Y108.com.
The hospital is free to children and their families with cancer. Not many places like that anymore.
And don't forget our concert with Joe Nichols Friday night at Saddle Ridge in Station Square.
So please give us time in the next couple days and pick up the phone or click the mouse to help.
I'll see you on the radio.
Stoney
Evening Sports Dish
Nation, I know they say it ain’t over till it’s over but from my vantage point here high in the booth, the ushers are sweeping the aisles, the lights are slowly coming up and the parking lot has begun to empty out.
The Steelers are just one place in the standings above the lowly Cleveland Browns. Hines Ward has begun a bigger controversy than wondering whether the Steelers can win without Ben and in case you missed it, the Steelers have dropped three in a row for the first time under coach Mike Tomlin.
At this point an 8-8 season might be a welcome and merciful end to the Steelers 16 game post Super Bowl Championship schedule.
Okay, but on a happier notes the Penguins literally beat up the Rangers Saturday night and came away with an 8-3 win. The other shoe drops tonite with the puck as the Penguins and Rangers meet again in the Big Apple at the Garden.
The Pens will be without the services of Mark Eaton who has been suspended by the NHL for two games for a hit to the head on Ranger Artim Ansimov.
Speaking of hits to the head, I will come to the defense of Hines Ward, I think he was just saying that the team was 50-50 on whether Big Ben could play and that yes probably many of them have made bad decisions just to play the game. I don’t see where Hines had a motive to attack his teammate other than to try to explain that yes, many of the guys in the room may have thought that Big Ben on the bench was excessive but they, the Steelers certainly didn’t play like a team mad at their quarterback.
They played a rather good game I thought and Dennis Dixon did as best as he could do, under the very short circumstances. His biggest mistake was misreading a defense on the fateful interception he threw and the other was the Steeler D allowing a big runback on fourth down in the fourth quarter. If you think otherwise, well it’s all in your head and I just hope Big Ben is feeling better, not so much for the Steelers but for Big Ben because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Day 2 Alive at the CMAs
The days go long and the nights are longer but we just call it CMA Week!
It's a country music lovers dream. Artists everywhere. I don't know if it's more fun talkin' to the singers or the fans. And there are people in to see the CMAs from everywhere here this week. Guys in cowboy hats speaking German. Women in Indian Sari wraps heading to see Brad Paisley at 7 in the morning.
Last night we went out to the Rutledge, a live music club here to watch Jonathon Singleton play and sing songs he's written and sung.
JS @theGrove were joined onstage by Eric Church with a broken foot, David Nail and his top 5 song Red Light and Ash Bower.
Jonathon did his version of the Gary Allan hit, Watching Airplanes which is just one of the many number one songs Jon has written. Just fantastic.
But it was Monday night so a great dinner and Steelers football was on tap for a stunning game and a big victory. Denver just never really was a 6-0 team.
The Steelers on the other hand never give up. They do NOT beat themselves.
Big show today with Taylor Swift, Reba and Lady A among a ton of others.
Don't know how we'll get 'em al on the air. Then, Kellie Pickler across the street at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Oh, It's CMA Week...Once Again
(CMA Week Nasville TN.)
The busses are rolling in, the stages are being set and everybody seems to have a camera crew with them.
It's CMA week again and we've got a full list of things to get to you before Wednesdays show.
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood gave us a nice preview yesterday and later, we went out to a bar around the corner here at Broadway and Sixth called Legends and Kid Rock and Jamey Johnson were performing and hanging out well past midnight. They were working on a duet they'll do on the show starting at 8pm on ABC.
Today, I got some Brad Paisley for ya' with Carrie, of course, along with Rodney Atkins, Craig Morgan and Keith Urban.
Tonite I have Jonathon Singleton who wrote a song for my band, the Stoney River Boys along with Gary Allan and Billy Currington.
Yes, it could be true. A few months ago I asked who you would spend any amount of money for to see in concert. The answer came back loud and clear; Garth Brooks.
Now, as has been rumored for this past summer Garth supposedly will announce that he is going to play the Wynn Resort/Casino for 16 weeks in Las Vegas. He is supposed to make the announcement this Thursday on his website at garthbrooks.com http://garthbrooks.com/
It was reported in todays issue of Musiccity.com that Garth will play the Encore theatre that is now an open venue due to the passing of Vegas entertainer, Danny Gans, at the Wynn Resort/Casino on the Strip.
The Las-Vegas Journal speculated that this could happen along with celebrity blogger Robin Leach.
In any event I'll keep you up to date on the shows that Garth plans for sixteen weeks and ticket availability.
More to come...
Life Changers
Our lives changed three times this past summer, or at least mine did.
The first was back on June 6 when Kenny Chesney, did it again at Heinz. The show was a vibe that I carried through the summer. Few shows have captured the fun and carefree feelings that summer is supposed to be about like Kennys show. I can't tell you the number of times I listened to We Went Out Last Night, in my car, in the rain!
The next was that darling Taylor Swift show. Moms and daughters, parents and fans all singing in unison with our 19 year old blond cheerleader. The poise and talent and fun she displays is something that makes you feel, well, fearless.
Finally, last night, Jamie showed why he's the odds on favorite to win his share of hardware at this Novembers CMA show. This is a show like no other and the only problem was only 500 of us got to see him at Mr. Smalls in Millvale. But what a great show. You know the line "make 'em feel what you feel inside?" For Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift and Jamie Johnson to exist side by side in a format called country is why, as we say, "our kinda' music" is so strong today.
Tim McGraw
If you were among the one thousand people in the audience at the Pepsi Road House this past Wednesday night you got to see Tim McGraw the way few get a chence to see him. Up close and in fine form. He was raising a nice chunk of change for his and Faiths charity, Neighbors helping Neighbors and he could have charged three times the ticket price for this performance.Singing all and I mean all of his hits, taking requests from King of the Road to Tiny Dancer, Tim was in great voice, fine form and put on a terrific show. Thos of who love country love to see this kind of show. I know, the stadium shows are terrific but there's nothing better than a guy like McGraw backed up by the great Dancehall Doctors and nothing but six rows seperating you from the stage.
Thanks Tim.
First and Ten
The 'Burgh never looked better and we got things off to a fine start at the Point with some 60,000 fans ready for some football.
My co-host from Channel 11, Julie Bologna was a dream to work with and we had a ball with all you nuts out there.
The Steelers did the rest with a nice OT win over the Terrible Towel Tantrum Titans and this W is in the record books.
Here we go Steelers.....
The Best First?
There really is no way to rate the past weeks activities as best or better, so I may as well go from the most recent.
TOBY KEITH knows how to put on a show. You wouldn't know it talking to him which I did on his beautiful new bust that he told me he doesn't use all that much since he mostly flies to many of his sold-out concerts.
The great thing about Toby Keith is that he successful on many fronts, in music, publishing, movies, horses and ranching but he seldom talks about it. He doesn't care if you know he's rich, successful or even getting by. That's what I've always like about Toby.
And since the audience was still streaming in even as Toby was getting on stage and after a terrific low-key but always delivers performer in Trace Adkins, this ws the perfect show to close the country schedule at the Post Gazette Pavilion in Burgettstown.
Toby sells out pretty regularly here and Friday, as I stood backstage, taking in an audience that stretched end to end and pouring over thre crest of the lawn hillside, I thought this might be Tobys best show..ever.
Next year we'll all get to celebrate post show at his I Love This Bar slated to open in the Southside in 2010.
Now That's a Hug!
Taylor Swift became a huge Superstar before my eyes and 18,000 folks at Madison Square Garden last week.
Yes, I'll say it...the show was "Garthian" in it's proportions and enetertainment value.
We will see a show like no other here in Pittsburgh in October...and she's a great hugger!
Thank you Taylor.
Taylor Swift in New York and Coming to the Burgh
Taylor Swift is coming to Pittsburgh in October and we are going to see one of the great shows of all time.
I know because I just saw her in New York at Madison Square Garden.
From the moment country musics most successful star walks on stage the audience is with her, screaming(loudly)singing(every lyric)and enjoying every single moment of the two hour show.
There is drama, good acting, fantastic dancing and great country music that continues to sell like no other artist out there. This girl is magic.
Now, I have to be honest. I've been to tons of concerts. I figured this would be pretty good but I never expected this. This is a concert of Garthian and Beatle proportions. I'm not kidding or exagerating.
There are monster drums, walls of water, mini-movies, classical music pieces, 18th century dancers, an appearance from Tim McGraw and stories about boys who have broken Miss Taylors heart. Oh, and there's heart shaped confetti and bead bracelets too.
She is the best selling, most popular artist in country music today and deserves to be so.
With Gloriana opening the show in fine and cool style, Kellie Pickler blows the doors wide open with a great set and then, in walks Taylor Swift.
Pittsburgh, we're in for a great show. See ya' there.
Follow me Wherever...
We're off to so many places but stay in touch through this page and Twitter...it's fun...here's the address;
twitter.com/stoneyrichards
I look forward to seeing you.
Keep up with The Stoney River Boys
and some real cool visits with your Nashville favorites.
Geez, this reads like a freakin' commercial!!. I'm ashamed.
Atlanta Airport Gate B-15 12:16pm
It is the afternoon of the day of the CMT awards. My work in Nashville is finished. The "work" was five non-stop hours of interviews with over 40 of Nashvilles finest music makers. Kristian Bush of Sugarland, Kellie Pickler, Eric Church, Justin Moore and my friends, Lady Antebellum and Dierks Bentley.
But my first interview was the highlight that lasted through the early hours of the night. Jack Ingram and I must've lived a previous life as brothers or band members or perhaps we were part of a traveling Rennaissance troupe of actors.
When Jack sits down and we start talking, we pick up an ongoing converstaion we began about four years ago.
Jack, already had a great fan base in his home "country" of Texas but was out to take on the other 49 states with a new hit song at the time called Love You.
I liked this guy right away and we've stayed in touch through the years mainly because Jack is a great communicator. Whenever he's in my neck of the Northeast woods, I'll get a voicemail, note or an e-mail from the guy.
My biggest regret is that I don't get to see his live show as much as I'd like to. He's got shows. I've got shows. We do our interview sessions at the ACMs and CMAs twice a year and just yesterday with CMT. So, during our chat, Jack invited me to a club he was playing up on 4th street.
I love seeing acts like Jack in small 200-300 person sh%*t holes, as Jack calls them. Ingram rocked the house as the headliner behind Caitlin and Will,Gloriana and Luke Bryan got things rolling.
With Blake Shelton and fellow Texan Miranda Lambert in the audience along with record label honcho Scott Borchetta, Jack ran through a familiar set of radio hits, Wherever You Are, A Measure of a Man, Love You of course, and the new Barefoot and Crazy, filled in with early songs from his Texas only shows and a touching closer of Good Night Moon.
But the music is only part of Jack Ingrams magic.
I said earlier that Jack is a good communicator and that is what makes his stage shows so special.
You see, Jack Ingram is part singer, git-tar player, showman and preacher. He talks to the audience as much as he sings. It's not so much a concert as a one man show.
He beckons the audience closer to the stage. Scolds fans lingering too long at the bar and does a kind of a half mosh pit dive or maybe more of a layback onto the first three rows of the faithful.
If you put your palm up to high five the I-man he's gonna' punch your paw. It's kind of Jack saying, "Yeah hi but you're in my light. Get outta' here."
It is something few performers, regardless of hits on country radio are able to pull off today without the whole show looking like a gimmick. It's what people really pay to see. It's hot inside. The band is tight and loud but not earpiercing. You're standing for the whole show, drinking lukewarm beer from a plastic cup and at the end of the hour you've been entertained, joked to, maybe roughed up a little and you've had a ball. It's country damn music.
Going to a Jack Ingram show is like going out with your buddies, having a bunch of beers, getting home late and asked what you did last night and you reply,
"Um, nothin' much."
I mean how do you explain that?
So here's my advice.
Buy all the Jack Ingram music you can find and watch his concert dates. If he's close to you one night, pull on your jeans, t-shirt and a ball cap. That's guys and girls and go out and see this guy.
As he told me after the show, "Stoney I'm an actor. That's my act."
#
written somewhere in a plane over Kentucky headed to Pittsburgh PA the home of the stanley cup champion penguins
WE are the Champions!!!
They did it. They won the Stanley Cup. Never has a city won the Super Bowl and then the Stanley Cup in the same year. Truly Pittsburgh is the city of Champions.
This Stanley Cup was taken in the same way as last year. On the opposing teams home ice. How sweet. How sweet indeed.
These Penguins beat one of the great teams in hockey and now become one of the great teams in hockey themselves.
A season that was on the ropes, a coach that came from the minors. Nobody gave them any respect.
But it doesn't matter. The Cup is in Pittsburgh untill someone takes it away from us. Sideny Crosby was injured. Marc Andre Fleury was brilliant and Max Talbot was the surprise of Game 7.
Camp starts in September. Go get your skates sharpened. Eh.
What Champions are Made of and Why Media Sucks
The Penguins won game 6 and Marc Andre Fleury should be worshipped as a god. Burn incense in front of a six by four foot opening. I would say sacrifice small animals but lets be fair, the Flower simply wouldn't allow it.
Burn a puck in the charcoal grill.
To hear John Fedko and Alby Oxenreiter wonder how "he couls could avenge his terrible loss on Saturday, meltdown is what they called it, is ridiculous. These two bozos made fools of themselves in front of an adoring Pittsburgh fan base.
Even Brooks Orpik in a post game interview said the "D" let Fleury down on four shorthanded goals.
The save Fleury made on Cleary with a minute to go was the save of the game, perhaps of the series.
Cut the cheap "yellow journalism" drama boys
Our Penguins are on the verge of the Stanley Cup championship on away ice no less. Ya' wanna ' sell newspapers go work for a dying medium. Otherwise, get with the program, cut the drama and report the story.
I play goalie at my advanced age. I know how hard the position is. I'm not a homer for goalies. I know the position with all its pitfalls. When Marc Andre is 29 he will command this league and all will worship at his half inch ground skate blades. But for now, he is 22? and on the verge of winning his first Stanley Cup. Sister Ri said it best in Motown of all places, my hometown by the way, R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me....
Y108 - HD - Pittsburgh's
Best Country Variety is one of the Pittsburgh's favorite radio stations available everywhere
and streaming online for free. Y108 is Pittsburgh's heritage country radio
station, celebrating 33 years of great country music featuring the best in
new country from Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney,
Rascal Flatts, Big & Rich, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Clint Black,
Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Clay Walker, Montgomery
Gentry, Dierks Bentley, Sara Evans, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Faith
Hill, Brad Paisley, Reba McIntire and many more!
Yes, it could be true. A few months ago I asked who you would spend any amount of money for to see in concert. The answer came back loud and clear; Garth Brooks.
The first was back on June 6 when Kenny Chesney, did it again at Heinz. The show was a vibe that I carried through the summer. Few shows have captured the fun and carefree feelings that summer is supposed to be about like Kennys show. I can't tell you the number of times I listened to We Went Out Last Night, in my car, in the rain!
Finally, last night, Jamie showed why he's the odds on favorite to win his share of hardware at this Novembers CMA show. This is a show like no other and the only problem was only 500 of us got to see him at Mr. Smalls in Millvale. But what a great show. You know the line "make 'em feel what you feel inside?" For Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift and Jamie Johnson to exist side by side in a format called country is why, as we say, "our kinda' music" is so strong today.
He was raising a nice chunk of change for his and Faiths charity, Neighbors helping Neighbors and he could have charged three times the ticket price for this performance.Singing all and I mean all of his hits, taking requests from King of the Road to Tiny Dancer, Tim was in great voice, fine form and put on a terrific show. Thos of who love country love to see this kind of show. I know, the stadium shows are terrific but there's nothing better than a guy like McGraw backed up by the great Dancehall Doctors and nothing but six rows seperating you from the stage.
The 'Burgh never looked better and we got things off to a fine start at the Point with some 60,000 fans ready for some football..jpg)
There really is no way to rate the past weeks activities as best or better, so I may as well go from the most recent.
Taylor Swift became a huge Superstar before my eyes and 18,000 folks at Madison Square Garden last week.
Now, I have to be honest. I've been to tons of concerts. I figured this would be pretty good but I never expected this. This is a concert of Garthian and Beatle proportions. I'm not kidding or exagerating.
Jack Ingram and I must've lived a previous life as brothers or band members or perhaps we were part of a traveling Rennaissance troupe of actors.
