Jason Michael Carroll, Justin Moore, Natalie Grant headline 2010 Festival of the Bells
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
Country music hitmakers Jason Michael Carroll and Justin Moore, and
Contemporary Christian performer Natalie Grant will headline the 2010
Festival of the Bells celebration July 1-3.
“Justin Moore will perform Friday night,” said entertainment committee
chairman Rick Williams. “Jason Michael Carroll is on Saturday night, and we
have some other local singers that will be featured on Friday night. Each
year the Colony Theater hosts a talent contest. Last year – and we’ll
probably do the same this year – we had the winners open up for the Friday
night concert.”
Mandy Fritz, the 2009 winner of the Colgate Country Showdown, will also
perform Saturday during the festival.
“If you close your eyes when she sings (it’s like you hear) Kellie
Pickler or Carrie Underwood. She’s that good,” Williams said. The music
group J4, which has some local ties, will also perform during the festival.
“We’re still working on a few other possibilities,” Williams said.
Williams said he is pleased with the talent that will be taking the stage
during the 2010 festival.
“Justin Moore has (the song) ‘Backwoods,’ it’s a really hot song right
now that is presently in the top five,” Williams said. “My prediction is it
will be number one pretty quick. His song ‘Small Town U.S.A.,’ I think plays
in the Hillsboro area quite well.”
According to www.CMT.com, it was announced March 22 that festival
alumnus Brad Paisley “will launch his H20 World Tour on May 21 in Virginia
Beach, Va., with guests Darius Rucker and Justin Moore.”
Carroll has had several songs in the top five,” Williams said. “We are
just really happy with both of them. Thursday night, we are going to see
probably one of the most talented Christian artists, and one of the best
known that we have had to this date.”
According to his Web site www.jasonmichaelcarroll.com, his debut album
Waitin’ in the Country is nearing a half-million in sales. In addition to
the feature hit “Where I’m From,” the album features three singles Carroll
wrote, “Alyssa Lies,” “Our Love Song‚” and “I Can Sleep When I’m Dead.”
His new album, Growing Up Is Getting Old, features the title track, and
the hit “Hurry Home.” Williams said that with the Natalie Grant concert,
this will be the fifth year the Hillsboro Ministerial Association has
sponsored a Thursday evening Christian concert during the festival.
“I think it has been a great addition to the festival,” Williams said.
“We’re really happy with who we’ve got for entertainment, and this year
isn’t over. I’m already watching CMT and GAC trying to get some scoop for
2011.”
Outside the main stages, the 2010 festival may feature some local faces,
along with some additional new features.”We’re investigating doing a couple
of new things,” said festival committee president Michael Bradford.
“We’re looking into the possibility of adding a second stage to feature
local talent, local musicians and entertainers to highlight the talent we
have here in the community. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to do that,
depending on the spacing and the availability of the entertainment.”
Bradford said the removal of the firefighter housing unit on Gov.
Trimble Place could open up some new space in the vicinity of the old
firehouse for additional booths and vendors.
“Hopefully, we will be able to expand into that area, and block off
traffic just before Beech Street, which would help ease some traffic
congestion in town,” Bradford said.
Last year’s crowds were diminished due to weather issues, Williams said.
“During Lady Antebellum there were 9,000 to 10,000,” Williams said. “The
rain really hurt us. There were probably 6,000 (concertgoers) Thursday and
and probably 7,000 with Julianne Hough. Because of the rain we were down a
little bit. But I don’t think we’ll ever come close to the night of Emerson
Drive and Taylor Swift, when we had an estimated 20,000.”
With the festival dates not falling on July 4, Bradford said “we may be
able to increase our numbers, with the fourth being on a Sunday. That keeps
the actual federal holiday out of the way.”
Committee member Scott Miller is organizing the parade, which will be
Thursday, July 1 at 6:30 p.m., and will follow the normal parade route.
"It is my understanding he has got some retired firefighters and
retirees who are going to be co-grand marshals, along with Chuck Collier.
He’s a New Vienna man who has been in radio work. He started in radio when
he was 16 at WSRW, and has worked in New York, and presently works in
Cleveland. He went into the (Country Music) Disc Jockey Hall of Fame last
year in Nashville. In addition to being a co-grand marshal he will be given
an award Saturday night, prior to the main concert, by Clear Channel and
105.5.
"(People interested in) booths and vendors need to contact
representatives of the committees,” Bradford said. “We already have a
waiting list in some of our areas. The committee is working hard, and it is
pretty much a year-round business anymore. As soon as we finish this year we
start the next one."
For more information on the parade, booths or vendors, visit
www.festivalofthebells.com.”I think it says a lot about the community,”
Bradford said, of the fact that the festival continues to grow each year.
"We couldn’t do it without the community, and the support of all our
corporate sponsors,” Williams said. “We couldn’t do it without them.
"I think the Festival of the Bells in Hillsboro - with the kind of
people we’ve had, entertainers - there are people in Nashville who have
heard of the Festival of the Bells,” Williams said. "Some of these bigger
names have made comments, like the festival is a little bit of a good luck
charm. The bottom line is, it promotes Hillsboro and Highland County. The
word is out. We’ve had people come from as far away as Texas for the
entertainment, and many other states.”[[In-content Ad]]
Contemporary Christian performer Natalie Grant will headline the 2010
Festival of the Bells celebration July 1-3.
“Justin Moore will perform Friday night,” said entertainment committee
chairman Rick Williams. “Jason Michael Carroll is on Saturday night, and we
have some other local singers that will be featured on Friday night. Each
year the Colony Theater hosts a talent contest. Last year – and we’ll
probably do the same this year – we had the winners open up for the Friday
night concert.”
Mandy Fritz, the 2009 winner of the Colgate Country Showdown, will also
perform Saturday during the festival.
“If you close your eyes when she sings (it’s like you hear) Kellie
Pickler or Carrie Underwood. She’s that good,” Williams said. The music
group J4, which has some local ties, will also perform during the festival.
“We’re still working on a few other possibilities,” Williams said.
Williams said he is pleased with the talent that will be taking the stage
during the 2010 festival.
“Justin Moore has (the song) ‘Backwoods,’ it’s a really hot song right
now that is presently in the top five,” Williams said. “My prediction is it
will be number one pretty quick. His song ‘Small Town U.S.A.,’ I think plays
in the Hillsboro area quite well.”
According to www.CMT.com, it was announced March 22 that festival
alumnus Brad Paisley “will launch his H20 World Tour on May 21 in Virginia
Beach, Va., with guests Darius Rucker and Justin Moore.”
Carroll has had several songs in the top five,” Williams said. “We are
just really happy with both of them. Thursday night, we are going to see
probably one of the most talented Christian artists, and one of the best
known that we have had to this date.”
According to his Web site www.jasonmichaelcarroll.com, his debut album
Waitin’ in the Country is nearing a half-million in sales. In addition to
the feature hit “Where I’m From,” the album features three singles Carroll
wrote, “Alyssa Lies,” “Our Love Song‚” and “I Can Sleep When I’m Dead.”
His new album, Growing Up Is Getting Old, features the title track, and
the hit “Hurry Home.” Williams said that with the Natalie Grant concert,
this will be the fifth year the Hillsboro Ministerial Association has
sponsored a Thursday evening Christian concert during the festival.
“I think it has been a great addition to the festival,” Williams said.
“We’re really happy with who we’ve got for entertainment, and this year
isn’t over. I’m already watching CMT and GAC trying to get some scoop for
2011.”
Outside the main stages, the 2010 festival may feature some local faces,
along with some additional new features.”We’re investigating doing a couple
of new things,” said festival committee president Michael Bradford.
“We’re looking into the possibility of adding a second stage to feature
local talent, local musicians and entertainers to highlight the talent we
have here in the community. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to do that,
depending on the spacing and the availability of the entertainment.”
Bradford said the removal of the firefighter housing unit on Gov.
Trimble Place could open up some new space in the vicinity of the old
firehouse for additional booths and vendors.
“Hopefully, we will be able to expand into that area, and block off
traffic just before Beech Street, which would help ease some traffic
congestion in town,” Bradford said.
Last year’s crowds were diminished due to weather issues, Williams said.
“During Lady Antebellum there were 9,000 to 10,000,” Williams said. “The
rain really hurt us. There were probably 6,000 (concertgoers) Thursday and
and probably 7,000 with Julianne Hough. Because of the rain we were down a
little bit. But I don’t think we’ll ever come close to the night of Emerson
Drive and Taylor Swift, when we had an estimated 20,000.”
With the festival dates not falling on July 4, Bradford said “we may be
able to increase our numbers, with the fourth being on a Sunday. That keeps
the actual federal holiday out of the way.”
Committee member Scott Miller is organizing the parade, which will be
Thursday, July 1 at 6:30 p.m., and will follow the normal parade route.
"It is my understanding he has got some retired firefighters and
retirees who are going to be co-grand marshals, along with Chuck Collier.
He’s a New Vienna man who has been in radio work. He started in radio when
he was 16 at WSRW, and has worked in New York, and presently works in
Cleveland. He went into the (Country Music) Disc Jockey Hall of Fame last
year in Nashville. In addition to being a co-grand marshal he will be given
an award Saturday night, prior to the main concert, by Clear Channel and
105.5.
"(People interested in) booths and vendors need to contact
representatives of the committees,” Bradford said. “We already have a
waiting list in some of our areas. The committee is working hard, and it is
pretty much a year-round business anymore. As soon as we finish this year we
start the next one."
For more information on the parade, booths or vendors, visit
www.festivalofthebells.com.”I think it says a lot about the community,”
Bradford said, of the fact that the festival continues to grow each year.
"We couldn’t do it without the community, and the support of all our
corporate sponsors,” Williams said. “We couldn’t do it without them.
"I think the Festival of the Bells in Hillsboro - with the kind of
people we’ve had, entertainers - there are people in Nashville who have
heard of the Festival of the Bells,” Williams said. "Some of these bigger
names have made comments, like the festival is a little bit of a good luck
charm. The bottom line is, it promotes Hillsboro and Highland County. The
word is out. We’ve had people come from as far away as Texas for the
entertainment, and many other states.”[[In-content Ad]]