Carrie Underwood: "Play On" Era, Part III

[jeff]

Naco posted this over at carriefans. i've excerpted portions of the article.

blog.al.com/live/2010/03/carrie_underwoods_touring_oper.html

MOBILE, Ala. -- Carrie Underwood has left the building. But she did leave something behind: Quite a few paychecks.

The "American Idol" winner and country music superstar spent a few days in Mobile as part of a two-week effort in which a small army assembled the staging for her brand-new tour. A wagon train of about a dozen semi trucks left Mobile on Saturday evening, heading for the tour premiere Thursday in Reading, Pa.

The proceedings at the Civic Center weren't publicized. In fact, they were kept under tight wraps, and publicists for Underwood and Sony Music Nashville had no comment.

A reporter who visited the venue late last week wasn't allowed to observe the events occurring inside. All that could be heard in the Civic Center's office suite was the start-stop rumble of rehearsals behind tightly closed doors.

"It's been very hush-hush," said Mary Lee McCrory, marketing manager for the venue, adding that she had been deflecting inquiries as rumors gradually spread that a star might be in town.

...

Hagerman said that Underwood's road crew, consisting of about 40 people, arrived in Mobile on Feb. 21 and started moving gear into the Civic Center the next day.

They were assisted by about 80 professional riggers, stage hands and loaders hired from the Mobile, Pensacola and Biloxi areas, Hagerman said. That many people didn't work every day, he said, but the venue's catering staff provided three meals a day for an average of 50 or 60.

Underwood herself arrived last week on Wednesday afternoon.

Counting hotel rooms, local hires and the arena rental itself, Hagerman said he figured that the touring operation spent at least half a million dollars in Mobile. He even described that figure as a conservative estimate.

Hagerman managed large-scale tours himself in the '70s and early '80s, for musicians such as Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney and Wings, Bob Dylan and the Bee Gees. He said that aspects of Underwood's show topped them all.

"The technology is beyond anything I've ever seen," he said. "The clarity of the sound system is unbelievable."

[fischbone]

EEEK! I'm excited for this tour! Sounds like she is going all out for this one. I really wish I didn't have to wait til April to see it....

[Stephen]

This tour sounds EPIC. I have to wait until May 22 though. :'( I expect videos.

[jptexas]

"The clarity of the sound system is unbelievable". I hope they added more speakers. This gives them more sound at less volume. You gotta spend money to make money.

[TFMachado]

"The clarity of the sound system is unbelievable."

the fans are really in for the treat of their lives!! I really wish I was one of the lucky ppl!! :(

[hoosy]

I can't wait to see this concert!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[vinman]

I'm also squeeing at the leaks about this tour production. Glad I got tickets and I'm gonna see her at the Hollywood Bowl! Woo Hoo!

By the way, XM Highway 16 played UNDO IT this morning. Could be an indicatator it could be the next single.

[Deleted]

Mar 8, 2010 12:11:05 GMT -5 jptexas said:

"The clarity of the sound system is unbelievable". I hope they added more speakers. This gives them more sound at less volume. You gotta spend money to make money.

Hmmm. The acoustics at my arena suck so bad, and I wasn't sure I wanted to see Carrie again in the arena for that reason. (Her vocals are her strength, so sucky "wall of sound" acoustics don't cut it.) But this sounds promising. I'll be curious what people think.

It will all be a moot point though if Carrie doesn't add San Jose to the 2nd leg of her tour.

[Stephen]

Mar 8, 2010 13:37:30 GMT -5 @kungaloosh said:

Mar 8, 2010 12:11:05 GMT -5 jptexas said:

"The clarity of the sound system is unbelievable". I hope they added more speakers. This gives them more sound at less volume. You gotta spend money to make money.

Hmmm. The acoustics at my arena suck so bad, and I wasn't sure I wanted to see Carrie again in the arena for that reason. (Her vocals are her strength, so sucky "wall of sound" acoustics don't cut it.) But this sounds promising. I'll be curious what people think.

It will all be a moot point though if Carrie doesn't add San Jose to the 2nd leg of her tour.

I'm starting to think Carrie is saving the larger markets (NYC, San Diego, etc.) for the second-leg when her tour production and the entertainment value is more well-known. I'm sure the extravagance of the tour will make the rounds in the media, so it'll work out well. Good word of mouth, better ticket sales at bigger, more accessible, markets.

[Typo]

More info about Carrie's donation to the Checotah Animal Shelter:

Operating out of a dilapidated building, Kate Paris and the Checotah Animal Shelter attracted the attention of Carrie Underwood, who is building them a new facility.

Kate Paris of the Checotah Animal Shelter has confirmed that country music superstar Carrie Underwood has committed to build a shelter and donate it to the city. Contrary to earlier reports, there’s no set dollar amount; she has just committed to build a shelter and donate it to the city.

“Her mother saw one of our donation jars and came down to check us out,” Paris said. “She started helping me walk the dogs, feed the dogs and clean up after them. Then Carrie came down and wanted to build a better place. She’s been working on it since last April, and we just finally got a contract signed with the city.”

The Underwood family has been an immense support and help, Paris said, without which she isn’t sure she would have been able to accomplish as much as she has already.

“We’ve worked really hard and gotten around 600 dogs homes,” she said. “Carrie’s parents are awesome, awesome, hard-working people, which is why she is too. There’s no way we could have done any of this if they hadn’t helped.”

The shelter is no-kill, and it works to try to help get pets spayed and neutered to cut down on the overpopulation problem.

“Doing this job is a mental strain,” Paris said. “It’s so hard to find everyone homes.”

Thanks to Carrie, her dream of being able to give the dogs better lives while they’re in her care is about to come true.

muskogeenow.com/?p=1209

[tsharky]

^ That makes sense Stephen. LA is scheduled for the Fall at the Hollywood Bowl. But she hasn't added NYC, Dallas, Toronto, Cleveland, Buffalo, Atlanta, Detroit, Boston, Miami or any big cities in Southern Florida, Tulsa or Oklahoma City, Nashville, Charlotte, etc. It seems that they did mostly smaller cities the first leg, with the exception of Vegas. So hopefully, the bigger cities will be in the Fall.

[jeff]

Thanks to Davilas for the find

www.theboot.com/2010/03/08/craig-morgan-interview/

We know you were somewhat campaigning to be on the Brooks & Dunn Last Rodeo farewell tour. But instead you are getting ready to hit the road with Carrie. Is that kind of a "when one door closes, another one opens" thing for you?

Oh, absolutely. I've always felt that way. I love Ronnie (Dunn) and Kix (Brooks), and Kix is a bit of a friend, adviser and mentor at times. I'm not sure I want to take all of his advice [laughs], but he's not near as pretty to look at on tour as Carrie is! This is just perfect. It's a great mix, and I'm excited about this tour. I have understood that she and I are going to be doing a duet every other night or so at the end of the show. She'll bring me back out, which is very cool, and I just love her for that. So we'll get to prepare for that, and practice those things. So missing out on the Brooks and Dunn Last Rodeo tour was a blessing!

interesting that Craig said they may duet every other night. maybe alternating with SOS and craig on the duet. I remember Ashley sweating buckets trying to keep with Carrie during her special; maybe he won't survive if he sang with her every night.

[countrygirl918]

With the leaks about the great production of this tour, it wouldn't surprise me at all if she headlines Madison Square Garden in the fall. Like Stephen said, the extravagance of it all will make the media rounds, and will be great publicity for the tour. This tour sounds like it's going to be epic.

[tsharky]

^ definitely think Carrie could headline MSG. But I think it would be halfhouse or 3/4 house or something like that maybe? She could easily sell 10-12k at MSG. Keith Urban sold 14k at MSG I think...so that is not out of Carrie's reach in such a big city as NY.

[leilamaurizia]

Play On has been certified platinum in Canada.

CRIA (Canadian Recording Industry Association)

(thanks to Cary for the find!)

-------

From the animal shelter article:

Then Carrie came down and wanted to build a better place. She’s been working on it since last April, and we just finally got a contract signed with the city.

I would definitely attend Carrie's seminar on time management. She's an Energizer bunny!

[phoenixwillrise]

Has there been anymore news on Carrie taking this tour overseas (Europe/UK)
I would really LOVE to see her, but cant afford a trip to the US this year...

[vinman]

NFL Full Contact, a show about the behind the scenes look at the production of this past year's Superbowl showed Carrie in some brief scenes. If you missed it, you can download her parts from my site.

Alt link,

c_underwood_nfl_full_contact_30810_vinman.divx - 32.33MB




ETA:

Carrie Underwood kicks off 'Play On' tour Thursday

Carrie Underwood's Play On Tour kicks off Thursday in Reading, Penn., with top-name people like This Is It production designer Michael Cotten and Emmy Award-winning costume designer Soyon An contributing to the show.

According to a press release from Carrie's publicist, "The tour also plans to bring Underwood closer to fans with an unexpected surprise, guaranteeing that even the audience at the back of the house will sometimes have a front row seat at the concert."

[Typo]

You can now vote for what genre you want the cover song to be at the FC. The genre itself will be different depending on the votes, not sure if it's the same 4 songs.

Choices: Rock, 90's Country, 80's, and Classic Country.

[Typo]

I cannot wait :o

One of country music’s most anticipated tours of 2010, the Carrie Underwood “Play On Tour,” will kick off this Thursday, March 11 in Reading, PA at the Sovereign Center, with special guests Craig Morgan and Sons of Sylvia. The “Play On Tour,” hydrated by vitaminwater® and sponsored by PEDIGREE® Brand, is currently slated to run through June 20 in Saskatoon, SK at the Credit Union Centre.

Tour Director, Raj Kapoor has put together one of the year's biggest country music tours by bringing in top name collaborators including Michael Jackson's "This Is It" Production Designer, Michael Cotten, and Emmy Award Winning Costume Designer, Soyon An. The “Play On Tour” will bring to life Underwood’s hits with new and personal expressions of the songs. The tour also plans to bring Underwood closer to her fans with an unexpected surprise, guaranteeing that even the audience at the back of the house will sometimes have a front row seat at the concert. World-class production and one-of-a-kind special effects make sure that Underwood's “Play On Tour” will be a night her fans soon won't forget.

Underwood’s previous tour, 2008’s highly successful “Carnival Ride Tour,” wrapped after 137 shows with over 1.2 million fans in attendance.

Underwood is a six-time 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM) nominee and the reigning 2009 ACM Entertainer of the Year. She is also a five-time Grammy Award winner, a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and a three-time CMA and ACM Female Vocalist winner. Underwood has amassed more than 11 million in U.S. album sales since her debut CD in 2005, more than any other American Idol winner. Along the way, she has consistently broken new ground and became the first country artist in history to achieve eleven consecutive #1 singles.

Craig Morgan is new on the charts with his latest single, “This Ain’t Nothin’,” from his BNA Records album, That’s Why, which also features his recent hits, “Bonfire” and “Love Remembers.” In 2008, Morgan received one of country music’s highest honors – he was inducted into the membership of the Grand Ole Opry. Morgan has made more than 150 appearances on the Grand Ole Opry, and plays over 200 sold-out concerts a year. He spent ten years on active duty in the U.S. Army before launching his music career, and makes a point to perform as often as possible at U.S. military installations both in the U.S. and abroad.

Sons of Sylvia are currently finishing up their debut album release on 19 Recordings/Interscope Records due this spring. Ashley, Austin, and Adam Clark (formerly known as The Clark Brothers who won FOX’s Next Great American Band) are longtime friends of Underwood, and the band is currently featured on her new album in a powerful collaboration called “What Can I Say.”

www.carrieunderwoodofficial.com/us/news/%E2%80%9Cplay-tour%E2%80%9D-kicks-thursday

[tsharky]

I voted for ROCK for Albany NY! :) Hope others in my city pick rock too! :)

^ Oh my God I had no idea that Carrie was using the "This Is It" production designer! Wow!

When I went to the Coldplay concert this summer, they surprised the audience by popping up in various places to play a few songs among the nosebleed people. It was amazing! I had crummy seats but I got to see him 5 rows from me when he used the smaller piano. It really made for an amazing show!

If Carrie does something like that, alot of people will be really happy, especially the nosebleed seats. So cool!

[Typo]

I'm thinking their might be a holographic Carrie. At least that's what I got out of it.

[fischbone]

Mar 9, 2010 17:34:35 GMT -5 Typo said:

I'm thinking their might be a holographic Carrie. At least that's what I got out of it.

Well it does say one of a kind special effects so it could be! lol That would be quite interesting...

[jeff]

will fans be put on the watch list if they start trying to grab the holographic Carrie? lol

[leilamaurizia]

I'm thinking we may really get a concert DVD of this tour. Yay!

[Typo]

Carrie blogged. Chatter about her birthday and being excited for the tour.

[vinman]

I'd like to vote Swedish yodeling if possible!

Wedding tidbits trickle out in Underwood interview

Ottawa Senators star Mike Fisher has impeccable taste in purses, fiancée Carrie Underwood tells People magazine in a recent interview. But will a mere handbag be enough to wow his Southern belle, who turns 27 today?

Fisher has a lot to live up to after dazzling Underwood with a massive, yellow-diamond engagement ring in December, custom made for her by her friend and jeweler Johnathon Arndt.

Their love may be priceless, but estimates have pegged the ring at being worth anywhere from $150,000 to $1 million.

As a token of their love, it needed to be big -- Underwood told People she has no intention of abandoning country-superstardom to keep house while Fisher toils on ice.

"We'll be little nomads for a while, until one of us retires," she said.

Should the ring's power ebb, their "spiritual bond" will keep them together, Underwood said.

"Mike has improved my walk with God," she told the magazine. "It's important to me, because down the road, I want someone who will help shape our kids into people who make the world a better place."

Though a baby bump has yet to alter Underwood's trim figure, she's already pegged Fisher as the better parent ("he's so going to be") because he grew up surrounded by siblings.

Details dribbled out about Fisher's proposal, though Underwood vowed to keep the specifics secret.

People reports Fisher winkled Underwood's cellphone to find her father's number and ask his blessing.

"I could tell something was up because my mom was acting funny," Underwood said.

Fisher's Peterborough proposal met her single criterion.

"The only thing I wanted was effort: 'This is how much I love you, this is all the trouble I went through'," she said. "I got that."

But it's the little things -- cooking and cleaning for each other, grocery shopping and, yes, purse buying ("he's always spot-on") that make the romance work, Underwood told the magazine.

A Dionysian wedding is planned: boozy and food-filled, Underwood said. People raised the possibility of an outdoor wedding in Underwood's hometown of Checotah, Oklahoma.

Arndt wouldn't tip People off about the rings, saying only that they will be "beautiful and traditional."

But we know the ring bearer -- none other than Underwood's rat terrier, Ace, who will wear a tuxedo for the occasion.

[leilamaurizia]

Happy birthday, Carrie!

Tour starts tomorrow! Woohoo!

And congrats on yet another top 5.

Billboard Chart Highlights:

Country Songs
*** No. 1 *** "That's How Country Boys Roll" Billy Currington
Greatest Gainer No. 5 "Temporary Home" Carrie Underwood
Hot Shot Debut No. 48 "Little White Church" Little Big Town
Debut No. 54 "Jenny" The Harters
Debut No. 57 "Way Out Here" Josh Thompson

[Stephen]

Happy birthday Carrie!

[StarSprinkles]

I hope we get a tour DVD this time around. I still say Carrie's concert was one of the best I've ever seen.

[elementd5]

Ace is a rat terrior? I thought he was a min pin?