McGraw leads off Soundstage series

Thursday, December 3, 2009 – Soundstage, the television music series, will kick-off its eighth season on Jan. 21 with a concert by Tim McGraw. Airing nationally on PBS, the new season will also include performances from Willie Nelson, Faith Hill, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Fray and Three Girls and Their Buddy: Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin and Buddy Miller.

Joe Thomas, producer/director, Soundstage says, Soundstage has always been so privileged to present the best and the brightest that the music industry has to offer, and the upcoming season is no exception. All of the artists that we'll be presenting took full advantage of the Soundstage setting, production and the opportunity to just concentrate on doing what they do best.

Artists and dates are:

Tim McGraw: Jan. 21: McGraw performed songs from the new CD, If I Died Today and I'm Only Jesus, as well as other hit songs Live Like You Were Dying, Good Girls and Still.

The Fray: Jan. 28: Performing songs from their debut as well as their eponymous 2009 CD, The Fray their Soundstage performance features such songs as Never Say Never, How To Save A Life, Cable Car, and You Found Me.

Three Girls and Their Buddy: Feb. 4: This Soundstage performance featuring Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin and Buddy Miller. Songs from this powerhouse quartet's set include Trouble, Gasoline and Matches, Strong Hand (for June) and Mary.

Lynyrd Skynyrd: Feb. 11: On their Soundstage episode, Southern rockers, Lynyrd Skynyrd deliver renditions of their iconic classics Sweet Home Alabama, Gimme Three Steps, That Smell, and Simple Man, as well as songs from their new album, God & Guns. Capping off this episode, the band performs Freedbird.

Faith Hill Greatest Hits: Feb. 18: Backed by a full orchestra, Hill presents selections from her album Faith Hill: The Hits. Filmed at the Sears Centre Arena in Chicago, Hill's performance includes The Kiss, The Way You Love Me, and Grammy Award winning songs Breathe and Cry.

Willie Nelson: Feb. 25: Nelson and his eight-piece band (featuring a banjo, mandolin, fiddle, steel guitar and more) gather round the stage to highlight songs from his first-ever bluegrass album, produced in collaboration with T-Bone Burnett. Tipping his hat to the genre, Nelson plays Bob Wills' Trouble In Mind, Al Dexter's Pistol Packin' Mamma and the Joe "Red" Hayes and Jack Rhodes classic Satisfied Mind. Other selections include Whiskey River, Drinking Champagne and Dark As A Dungeon.