Tony Lucca Announces ‘Whole World Watching’ Tour

April 29, 2013 by Brittany Frederick

Tony Lucca announced on Monday a slate of new tour dates that will have the talented singer-songwriter on the road from late July to mid-August.

Lucca, who was the finalist for Team Adam on season two of NBC’s The Voice, subsequently signed with coach Adam Levine’s 222 Records and is currently preparing his first post-show album.

It’s not the first big move for Lucca, who’s been working hard since his time on national TV ended. He previously embarked upon the nationwide “Chapter Two” tour last fall, released a new music video for his song “Like Love” in November, and returned to The Voice as a spectator in December.

Here’s the complete list of shows for Lucca’s new “Whole World Watching” tour:

7/29 – Spring Lake, MI @ Seven Steps Up
7/30 – Chicago, IL @ City Winery
7/31 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Rathskeller
8/1 – St. Louis, MO @ Old Rock House
8/2 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Blue Door
8/4 – Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues/Cambridge Room
8/6 – Nashville, TN @ 12th & Porter
8/8 – Birmingham, AL @ WorkPlay Theatre
8/9 – Decatur, GA @ Eddie’s Attic
8/10 – Tampa, FL @ Jaeb Theater
8/11 – Orlando, FL @ The Social
8/14 – Vienna, VA @ Jammin Java (early and late shows)
8/15 – New York, NY @ Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 (early and late shows)
8/16 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
8/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Tin Angel
8/18 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café (early and late shows)

Lucca will be joined by the band Honor by August for select dates. You can view the official video announcement with this article, and for more information, visit Lucca’s website at tonylucca.com.

For more on The Voice and its artists, you can visit BFTV’s dedicated The Voice blog, Big Red Chairs.

(c)2013 Brittany Frederick/Big Red Chairs. Excerpts appear at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @bigredchairs.

Blake Shelton & 6 Other ‘The Voice’ Artists With New Releases

March 26, 2013 by Brittany Frederick

Blake Shelton

The Voice coach Blake Shelton releases his new album Based on a True Story today (and if you haven’t ordered your copy yet, you can do so here), but he’s not the only one from the show who’s put new music out recently. Here are a half-dozen other artists you know from the show who have turned out fresh albums or EP’s in the last few months.

Tje Austin, Dreamin’ Big (get it HERE): A member of Team Cee Lo in Season 1, this soulful singer returns with a CD he’s been working on for some time, and that extra time and effort shows in a pleasant R&B collection that ranges from the heartbreakingly touching (earlier single “Right For You”) to the more uptempo (“Not A Thug”) and the slow jams (“Back 2 Me”). He’s not necessarily upending the genre, but he doesn’t need to; he’s got a voice that practically melts in your ears. For those of you who need something smooth to relax with, this is the album you want to add to your collection.

Tim Mahoney Band, Shine Through (get it HERE): Tim Mahoney was responsible for one of The Voice‘s first-ever memorable moments, when coach Adam Levine mistook him for a woman during his blind audition in Season 1. His unique voice didn’t get the appreciation it deserved on the show, but Tim has continued to deliver solid, enjoyable rock ever since, and this new album is more of the same. Whether it’s the earnest title track or the simple and painful “It’s Over,” his album is perfect for those who love a good singer-songwriter without a lot of fanfare. This album also includes his Voice-inspired single, “Hey Adam Levine.”

Nakia, Drown in the Crimson Tide (get it HERE): The semifinalist for Team Cee Lo during Season 1 (who competed with Tje Austin during the battle rounds), Nakia is more than doing his part to keep the blues genre in the public music consciousness. Whether it’s the uplifting “Dream Big” or something like “Pieces and Castles,” this six-song EP from the Texan has plenty of soul and a certain funky element to top it all off. This is music from an artist who’s secure in his sound, and while it may not be for everyone, those who want something different than the usual pop and rock will enjoy this one.

Pip, No Formalities (get it HERE): A fan favorite during Season 2, Pip has definitely found his groove with this six-song EP, which comes off confident and catchy. Danceable beats mix with memorable choruses and Pip’s refreshingly clear vocals to create songs that will roll around in your head for hours afterward. This is a wonderful debut release that’s purely good, clean fun, and establishes exactly what sound fans can expect from Pip in the future. It includes his first post-Voice single, “Who Cares.” If there’s any issue with No Formalities, it’s that it leaves you wanting more. Of all the recent releases from Voice artists, this is the strongest.

Casey Weston, Find the Moon (get it HERE): Team Adam’s Season 1 semifinalist has put out her first new material since appearing on the show, and while you’d probably still call her a country artist, there’s a surprising amount of range on this new CD. This is the Casey Weston album we’ve all been waiting for. The distinct twang to Casey’s voice is put to good use across the board, but it’s the songs that change, with tracks like “Into Your Heart” having more of a pop-rock edge while others such as “Like You” stay closer to country. What’s most remarkable about Find the Moon is that you can hear the added maturity, both in Casey’s voice and in her lyrics, compared to her self-titled release from two years ago. You can also read the BFTV interview with Casey Weston here.

Kim Yarbrough, Brand New Day (get it HERE): The Team Adam singer with the powerful voice from Season 2 has mostly been busy on stage and screen (did you see her on TNT’s Southland earlier this month?), but has just released her new CD-single. If you didn’t figure it out from her performances on the show, Kim can blow the doors off with the strength of her voice, and “Brand New Day” is an anthem reminiscent of power-pop singers like Kristine W. The original version runs a bit long, and it’s a little bummer that the album is comprised of remixes of one tune, but that one tune proves that a full album from Kim will definitely be intriguing.

The Voice continues tonight at 8 PM ET/PT on NBC.

For more on The Voice and its artists, you can visit BFTV’s dedicated The Voice blog, Big Red Chairs.

‘The Voice’ Season 4 Premiere Red Carpet Photos

March 20, 2013 by Brittany Frederick

NBC hosted a premiere for The Voice Season 4 in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, and pretty much everyone from the past three seasons joined the coaches on the red carpet. Scroll down to see pictures of familiar faces, from coaches Blake Shelton and Usher to Dia Frampton, Terry McDermott and Pip, just to name a few!

Chris Mann Reveals PBS Special Airdates, Headlining Tour

February 25, 2013 by Brittany Frederick

CR: Jeffry Fasano

The Chris Mann Experience keeps on rolling. Today, the Team Christina finalist from Season 2 not only announced specific airdates for his Chris Mann In Concert PBS special – but a headlining tour!

Chris Mann In Concert, which was taped last fall in Detroit and has already aired there, will now air nationwide beginning as early as March 2. The special – featuring Martina McBride and Mindi Abair – will then reair throughout the month. Air dates and times depend on your local PBS station, and Chris has helpfully provided a list of all the participating channels and scheduled broadcasts at his website.

He also broke the news that he’ll be heading out on his first headlining tour this spring. Many new tour dates are now posted on Chris’s tour page, and they take him all over the country for…well, pretty much the rest of this year. Ticket info isn’t available for most of the dates yet, so be sure to keep your eye on the page for more updates. Don’t miss your chance to see Chris perform live!

Countdown to ‘The Voice’ Season 4: What Have You Missed?

February 25, 2013 by Brittany Frederick

We’re just shy of a month from a brand-new season of NBC’s The Voice, and only about two months removed from America crowning Team Blake’s Cassadee Pope the winner of the show’s third cycle. What’s been happening with the show and its artists since Cassadee won the title?

As has been heavily publicized, Season 4 will be the first with new coaches Shakira and Usher, who were introduced in the fall. You can read some of their early thoughts on joining The Voice here. This may also be the only season for the new arrivals, as previous coaches Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green – who are on a break this time around – have expressed interest in returning for Season 5 this fall. However, it’s worth noting that nothing has been finalized yet beyond Season 4.

The guest mentors this year will be Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum (Team Adam), Sheryl Crow (Team Blake), Joel Madden (Team Shakira) and Pharrell Williams (Team Usher).

Season 3 winner Cassadee Pope officially signed her recording deal with Universal and has been hard at work writing and recording ever since, according to her Facebook. Universal released a CD version of her Voice performances here. Cassadee posted a video update on her progress here.

Runner-up Terry McDermott hasn’t slowed down since leaving the show, either. In fact, he recently released a new single “Pictures” via SoundCloud, which he co-wrote with Dave Burman. His performance of “Baby, I Love Your Way” with Peter Frampton from the Voice finale was retroactively released on iTunes here.

Here’s a short list of major developments with other Voice artists, past and present.

Team Adam: Season 3′s Amanda Brown appears on the soundtrack to the recent Universal release Identity Thief, starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy. Her teammate Bryan Keith brought some new music to his live show at the Gramercy Theater; you can watch the video here. Season 2′s Pip released his EP No Formalities; you can get it here. Tony Lucca is hard at work on his new album, and performing some new originals on the road, like “Reckless Love.” Kim Yarbrough is preparing for the release of her single “Brand New Day” (here’s a teaser video), guested on CBS’s Vegas, appears in the March 6 episode of TNT’s Southland, and her Nickelodeon project has been ordered to series. Katrina Parker is working on new music of her own after the successful funding of her Kickstarter project. Season 1′s Tim Mahoney released his next CD, Shine Through, which includes his Voice-related tune “Hey Adam Levine.” Casey Weston has a new album on the way; you can pre-order it here and stay tuned for an upcoming interview.

Team Blake: Season 3′s Suzanna Choffel released her new single “Guardians.” Season 2′s winner, Jermaine Paul, postponed the release of his post-show album Finally until sometime later this year; you can pre-order it at Amazon, although there’s no specific street date listed there. Season 2 alum Jordis Unga is in the home stretch of putting together her new album, and also won a Grammy this year for her work on Jimmy Cliff’s Rebirth, which took the trophy for Best Reggae Album. Erin Willett has recently posted a new cover.

Team Cee Lo: Season 3′s MacKenzie Bourg has dropped his debut single. Season 1′s Nakia is releasing his next EP, Drown In The Crimson Tide, and is playing a few tour dates in his home state of Texas. His battle round partner Tje Austin put out his new CD, Dreamin’ Big. Also, Paste Magazine wants to help you make your own Cee Lo Green.

Team Christina: Season 3′s Devyn DeLoera released a music video with Ready Revolution that you can find here, along with several covers on her Facebook page. She has new music coming your way on March 4. The busiest Voice alum by far is Season 2′s Chris Mann, who recently taped Chris Mann in Concert for PBS to be aired in March. Also next month, Chris will be announcing tour dates, one of which is New York’s Highline Ballroom. Lindsey Pavao put out her new single “No Revelation.” Moses Stone released new music; you can find “Beautiful Nightmare” here.

Season 4 of The Voice begins March 25. For the latest on all things related to NBC’s hit singing competition, you can visit Big Red Chairs.

January News Roundup

January 27, 2013 by Brittany Frederick

Howdy, The Voice fans! You might have noticed things got a little quiet around here in January, and for that I apologize. As some of you know, I work as a full-time TV reporter, which means I had to go off and cover all the new shows coming out this month. On top of that, I got sick. So, I’ve condensed all the news from January into this one handy post.

Here’s some of the important stuff that happened this month:

We learned who some of the mentors are for Season 4 of The Voice. Team Blake has Sheryl Crow (good choice, but will she be as funny as Michael Buble?!). Team Shakira has Good Charlotte’s Joel Madden (who is also a coach on The Voice Australia). Team Usher has Pharrell Williams. Team Adam, we’re looking in your direction…
Season 3 winner Cassadee Pope officially signed her record deal with Universal, and gave us a video update on what she’s been doing – find that here.
Blake Shelton put out a new single, “Sure Be Cool If You Did,” and announced spring tour dates. Go here for all your Blake info.
Pip‘s EP No Formalities is now available on iTunes, and Tje Austin has released his new album, Dreamin’ Big. Still to come is Tim Mahoney‘s new album, Shine Through. Stay tuned for reviews of all three coming this weekend!
Mathai is working on her new EP, tentatively set to release in February. Stay tuned…
Terry McDermott posted a cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine” and some of his original music on SoundCloud.
Adam Levine hosted Saturday Night Live. You can find links to almost all the sketches Adam was in, over here.
Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera took home some People’s Choice Awards.
Katrina Parker launched a Kickstarter effort to fund her next release – go here for that.
Kim Yarbrough is busy acting: she’s got a guest spot on the upcoming season of TNT’s Southland and her Nickelodeon pilot was just picked up to series! Congrats, Kim!
Lots and lots of tour dates. Be sure to check out the tour calendar to see if your favorite artist is back on the road in January or February.
And congratulations to new coach Shakira on the birth of her son Milan!

Is there anything that I missed over the last month? Shoot me a comment and I’ll get it added to the site!

Backstage Blog: December 18, 2012 – Chapter Three

December 18, 2012 by Brittany Frederick

Backstage Blog: Firstly, I want to wish a happy and safe holiday season to all The Voice fans everywhere.

We’ve reached the end of Season 3 – the season we weren’t even expecting to happen right now until NBC announced it a few months ago – and as always, I’m full of mixed emotions. I’m excited to see who you’ve voted as the winner, but I’m also sad because that means another chapter in the Voice saga, and in my life by extension, is coming to an end.

As we all wait to hear Carson Daly announce the final results, I think it’s worth reminding ourselves that we’re discussing more than just a TV show. Yes, it is a TV show, and there will be a winner, because there has to be. Yet when you’re sitting at home it’s easy to forget that it’s not about who wins or who loses. The show is merely the public venue to launch (or even relaunch) the hopes and dreams of these hardworking, talented artists. We’re not just talking about our entertainment, but their passion and their livelihood.

I think about Season 1 champ Javier Colon, who told me the night he won that if it weren’t for The Voice, he would be doing something other than music. I think about Erin Willett dealing with the loss of her father and still going on to be a semifinalist in Season 2. I think about Tony Lucca getting national recognition for how hard he works every day. I think about Jamar Rogers having one more platform to help other people. I’ve heard so many stories about how The Voice has made someone’s quality of life better.

And if I may, I’d like to share with you one of my stories.

As frequent readers might know, eleven years ago I buried my childhood best friend. His name was John Machado and he was fifteen years old. He was also the sweetest person that you could have ever hoped to meet. John never had a negative word to say about anyone and he never let anything get him down. Most importantly, he was always in my corner. John was my biggest cheerleader. He was the first person to believe in me and he always wanted to be a part of everything I was doing. When I was around him, his energy was contagious. He was always so happy just to be alive, until he was killed by a reckless driver.

I loved him like a brother but I never quite noticed what I had until he was gone. His death left a void in my heart that I never thought would be filled. Then I came to work on The Voice last year, and then I met Adam Levine.

Adam reminds me of John in so many ways – the most significant being that he brought that positive energy back into my life. When I’m around him, I can’t help but smile. I have someone standing there who believes in me no matter what. Someone who thinks I’m amazing. Someone who makes me feel excited about life. I’m always going to care about John, but Adam filled that hole in my heart, and made me able to let go of my grief after all these years. If I’m constantly hoping to cross paths with him, it’s because each moment we share is like having my old friend beside me again.

I know that if John could see me now, he’d be proud of me, and excited for everything I’ve accomplished. I also know that he would be glad that I’ve been able to make peace with his death and move forward. That’s something I had tried to do for a decade and never figured out until The Voice.

So as we name a winner tonight, I’d ask you not to think about whether it’s the ‘right’ person or waste too much time complaining about your favorite being eliminated however long ago. Let’s think about all these folks, and how far they’ve come since we met them in blind auditions, and all the moments we’ve gotten to share with them along the way. That’s what really makes this show important. That’s what makes us a Voice family. And it’s going to last much longer than tonight.

Until next time, never be afraid to find your voice,
Brittany

Juliet Simms, Chris Mann and Raelynn Are Coming Back to ‘The Voice’

November 29, 2012 by Brittany Frederick

Three artists from Season 2 of The Voice – runner-up Juliet Simms, fourth-place finisher Chris Mann, and Team Blake’s Raelynn – will return to the show to perform their new music on December 11, the network announced via press release on Thursday. The trio are just some of the musical guests that will appear on The Voice as it nears its December 18 season finale.

Simms will perform her new single which was revealed November 20 via SoundCloud, “Wild Child,” while Mann will sing the title track from his recently released album Roads, and Raelynn will perform her new song “Boyfriend.”

The move is somewhat similar to one the network made in Season 2, when all four Season 1 finalists were invited back as guest performers.

Season 2 champion Jermaine Paul previously returned to The Voice earlier this season with his single “I Believe In This Life.” He has since announced via Facebook that the release of his next album has been pushed from December 18 to sometime in 2013.

The other Season 2 finalist, Team Adam’s Tony Lucca, has not been formally announced for a guest appearance. However, he told Big Red Chairs in October that he might return: “I think I’ll be coming out to LA for the finals of Season 3. They’ve got us slated for that,” he said. The press release noted that more guests will be confirmed as the season continues.

The other announced guests are Ne-Yo and Matchbox Twenty (on December 4) and this season’s Team Blake advisor Michael Buble (on December 10). All will be joined by as yet unspecified artists from Season 3 of The Voice for their performances.

Previous musical guests this season have included 50 Cent, Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts and the Muppets.

The Voice continues Monday at 8 PM ET/PT on NBC.

For more from Brittany Frederick on The Voice, visit Big Red Chairs and follow me on Twitter (@bigredchairs).

Backstage Blog: November 22, 2012 – Dear Agony

November 22, 2012 by Brittany Frederick

Backstage Blog: Firstly, a happy and safe Thanksgiving to The Voice family, fans and your loved ones worldwide.

I get a lot of tweets, comments and emails from folks who say they’re jealous of the access I have and talk about how they’d love to do my job. It sure seems like fun when I’m posting red carpet photos and tweeting about who I just talked to. But to be honest, my job is not always fun. It’s a lot of hard work, and there are times when it can be really, very difficult to get through.

For example, this week’s elimination show. No matter how many of these I go to, no matter how much I try to steel myself for the results, there’s never a time when it doesn’t hurt. It strikes an unpleasant chord in me to see someone’s hopes come to an end, and more often than not, it hurts me personally because that someone is an artist with whom I’ve become friendly, either through social media or in person, and am therefore emotionally invested in. It’s then my job, like it or not, to ask them questions just minutes later so that I can write these interviews you read. It’s uncomfortable, and it’s depressing. I was fighting back tears on Tuesday night, because Sylvia Yacoub has always been such a pleasure to talk to, and because I’d just gotten to meet Bryan Keith for the first time only the day before and really got along well with him, and now I don’t know when I might get to see them again. Sure, we’ll be in touch over Facebook and Twitter, but that’s not the same thing as going to the studio knowing I’m going to see somebody and share part of their journey with them.

But it’s difficult because it means something. It’s difficult because I’ve had the chance to care. And that also reminded me of what I’m thankful for this year, and have been since I started with The Voice a year and a half ago. I am deeply thankful for all the people that I have met as a part of this show, from the artists to their family members, the coaches and the crew – everyone. I have made some of my best friends and created some of my best memories with those friends on The Voice stage, the red carpet, or some concert venue somewhere. For every artist who’s been on the show, I have a memory. For every big moment you read about, there are a half-dozen little things that I still recall.

I’m thankful for – in no particular order because it’s impossible to choose – things like Rebecca Loebe taking time before her Hotel Cafe show to have coffee with me. For bonding with Katrina Parker, Kim Yarbrough, and Nathan Parrett over lunch after a press junket. For Jamar Rogers always encouraging me every time we talked. For Tony Lucca spotting me all the way across the Universal CityWalk plaza and saying hello. For Beverly McClellan and her awesome managers Beth and Miki treating me like one of the team when I came to see her perform. For Chris Mann taking the time to stop and say hello to me even as NBC was pulling him off the red carpet for another PR commitment. For Dia Frampton doing the same when we ran into each other at the mall. For Pip and Eileen and Bridget being the little extended family I never had. For Dez Duron being the president of my fan club if there was one. For Juliet Simms telling me that she was going to miss me at the end of Season 2. For Justin Hopkins making me laugh every single time. For Blake Shelton sending me a Team Blake T-shirt just because and yes, for all those Adam Levine hugs. For all those things and so much more, I’m grateful every day. No matter what else happens in my life, I’ve been blessed.

And I’m thankful for you, The Voice fans. You have been one of the most supportive fan bases that I have worked with – not just with the artists, but with me personally. You don’t just read my articles, but you’ve taken me into your social circles and treated me as a friend. When I couldn’t find a particular magazine to read the Adam Levine cover story, one of you sent me a copy all the way from Texas. When I showed up at a concert flying solo, two of you let me spend the evening in your company, just so I wouldn’t have to be alone. You are wonderful, and it’s been my pleasure to write for you, and to hopefully connect you a little more with this show and these people we all love so much.

Happy Thanksgiving, folks.

Until next time, never be afraid to find your voice,
Brittany

Team Cee Lo’s Juliet Simms Releases New Single

November 21, 2012 by Brittany Frederick

Juliet Simms, the runner-up from Season 2 of NBC’s The Voice, released her first post-show single on Tuesday. Entitled “Wild Child,” it can be heard via SoundCloud.

The SoundCloud page itself also possibly provides more information to Voice fans looking for hints on Juliet’s post-show plans. It indicates the single is “released by Universal Republic” with a given date of December 11, 2012, suggesting that may be the date it will be available for download via services such as iTunes and Amazon MP3.

Furthermore, the use of the Universal Republic name would seem to confirm earlier speculation that Juliet struck a record deal with the label affiliated with The Voice. If this is true, it would make her the third finalist and fourth artist from Season 2 to be picked up by Universal, following winner Jermaine Paul, fourth-place finisher Chris Mann, and Team Blake’s Raelynn.

An email to Universal Republic seeking confirmation was not immediately returned.

Previously, Juliet’s Voice coach, Cee Lo Green, told reporters that he had inked her to a management contract. Her website currently displays the logo of Primary Wave Talent Management, which also lists Cee Lo on their roster.

The fourth finalist from Season 2, Team Adam’s Tony Lucca, previously signed with coach Adam Levine’s 222 Records.

To compare, Universal Republic signed three finalists and one semifinalist from Season 1 of the singing competition – winner Javier Colon, runner-up Dia Frampton, finalist Vicci Martinez, and Team Blake’s Xenia.

While Frampton and Martinez are still with Universal, Colon has since departed the label, and Xenia appears to have been dropped from their roster, as her most recent single “Hiding Places” came out last month without any mention of a label attached to it.