Premium Preferred Seating Announced

ENTERPRISE, AL – The lineup of stars slated for the 3rd annual Verizon Wireless BamaJam Music & Arts Festival shines brighter and brighter. Organizers have announced the addition of superstars Dierks Bentley, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, along with country newcomers Matt Kennon and Houston County to the festival, which is scheduled for Thursday, June 3 through Saturday, June 5, 2010 in Enterprise, Alabama.

Verizon and  Ronnie Gilley Entertainment previously announced that multi-award winning entertainer Kenny Chesney will headline the 3rd annual event, offering a rare opportunity to catch Chesney in one of just 10 appearances he’ll make in 2010. Also announced earlier are appearances by Miranda Lambert, LoCash Cowboys, Jake Owen, Colt Ford and Blackberry Smoke. The one and only Hank Williams, Jr. will also appear at BamaJam in what will be his only Alabama appearance in 2010.

More than 40 entertainers are set to appear on BamaJam’s 4 stages, with more announcements to come. The festival presents dozens of Grammy award-winning, platinum selling artists in Country, Bluegrass and Alternative music, all at one jam-packed 3-day festival.

Three-day, Premium Preferred seating is being offered for the first time. “We wanted to offer fans an opportunity to purchase a guaranteed seating location,” says festival executive producer Tony Conway. The Premium Preferred purchase will include a logo chair which fans may take home after the event, and a great up close view of the stage. Drink vendors and special parking are also part of the package. The special limited Premium Preferred seating area will be called THE PEANUT GALLERY, as the festival site sits on a former peanut field. These Premium Preferred seats go on sale today at 9 a.m. Central Time. Call 877-422-6252 or go to http://www.bamajamfestival.com/

The premier music venue in Ann Arbor has been around an amazing 45 years.  Every year for 33 years running they have held their fundraiser “Folk Festival” at the Hill Auditorium.  (OK, for two years it was held at The Michigan Theater during remodeling of Hill.)  Despite dire economic times here in Michigan, both Friday and Saturday nights were complete sell outs.  It’s a testimony to the character of Ann Arbor, a talent laden performer lineup, and loads of hard work by everyone associated with The Ark.

Remember when Bob Dylan electrified the Newport Folk Festival and caused a near riot and serious wig wagging by purists horrified at Dylan’s defamation and prostitution of “Folk” with “Rock and Roll”?  If those same purists were at Hill this weekend, they would have soiled themselves as everything is electrified, even the bagpipe!

Add to this all the digitizing, computer controls, looping, etc., and you have “21st Century Folk”.  I can assure you the performers and end product were “deluxe” and the sounds are still pure folk, just mixed with some current technologies.

Friday nights performers were:  Nervous But Excited (Ann Arbor), Jer Coons (Vermont), Po Girl (Canada), Band of Heathens (Austin), Hoots & Hellmouth (Philly), Jay Farrar (Sun Volt) and Benjamin Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie), and Iron and Wine (Samuel Beam).

All the performances were first rate but the two standouts for me were Band of Heathens and Hoots & Hellmouth.  They displayed ample musical dexterity and ability mixed with tremendous infectious energy.  Headliners Farrar & Gibbard and Iron & Wine gave fine performances but seemed like they came to rest on a lower energy plateau than those first two I mentioned.

Santa Rosa, Calif. –Think Tank Photo announces the release of two water-resistant, seam-sealed rain covers for 70-200 and smaller lenses: the Hydrophobia® 70-200 and the Hydrophobia® Flash 70-200 with built-in flash protector.  Featuring side arm holes for focusing and accessing switches, they allow DSLRs to be turned vertically.  And now, without exposing their expensive bodies and lenses to the elements, photographers can change memory cards and batteries without taking off the rain covers.

A key feature is that the camera can be carried two ways.  It can be carried by the strap attached to the camera as it does not have to be removed.  And, there is a camera strap attached to the Hydrophobia 70-200 that, combined with a strap that buckles under the lens, allows the camera to be carried by the rain cover.

“The problem with other covers is that holes have to be cut into the top of the cover, and then using a special camera strap, the user has to unclip the camera strap from the camera, feeding it through the top of the cover,” said Doug Murdoch, Think Tank Photo’s CEO and lead designer. “With the Hydrophobia 70-200, we eliminated this problem by creating a system that automatically transfers the weight to the rain cover itself, while still keeping it water resistant.”

The fabric used on the Hydrophobia is ten times as water resistant as normal fabric.  Instead of a “spray” coating, a “film” is applied to the underside of the fabric, as well as a tricot mesh to protect it, making it a far more impenetrable three-layer fabric. In addition a waterproof tape is applied to all seams, providing an even more water resistant barrier.

The rain covers have the following key features:

•           A clear window for viewing LCD and controls

•           A fabric cover for the end of the lens.

•           An  eyepiece storage pocket (eyepieces sold separately)

•           A breathable mesh bag for transportation and storage

In conjunction with Detroit's Country 99.5 WYCD and event producers, DetroitCountryMusic.com has opened performer submissions for the 2010 WYCD Downtown Hoedown.

The Detroit Downtown Hoedown is the largest outdoor free country concert in the world.  Hosted by 99.5 WYCD the 28th annual event is scheduled for May 14-16, 2010.

DetroitCountryMusic.com through it's founder  Larry Garcia, has been asked to once again spearhead the search for local and unsigned country bands and individuals to perform at the event.

Submissions can be made through electronic media or in hard copy. All submissions should contain a complete history of the performer, music or links to music, photos and any additional information that can assist in the selection process. As a family oriented COUNTRY MUSIC event, all bands should be submitting appropriate material.  Initial contact should be through email to   This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Final date to deliver materials is March 1, 2010. No Materieals will be accepted after that date. Stipend payment is granted to performers who are selected and bands are given a whirlwind of press and media coverage both through the radio station ( 99.5 WYCD ) and other local media outlets including DetroitCountryMusic.com

DetroitCountryMusic.com is a local organization founded to assist country performers in gaining exposure, and creating an environment of shared information in the Metro Detroit area. The group celebrated it's 10 year anniversary in 2009.

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Additional information can be obtained by contacting DetroitCountryMusic.com, Larry Garcia at 248-997-1055