Festival Atmosphere: The ACM kicked off "The Week Vegas Goes Country" last night (4/3) with its ACM Week Kickoff Party, a free public concert presented by Clear Channel's KWNR (95.5 The Bull)/Las Vegas headlined by Atlantic/WMN's Hunter Hayes. David Nail, Cole Swindell and Sasha McVeigh also performed. The concert at Caesar Entertainment's The Linq was a precursor to the two-day 2nd Annual ACM Party For A Cause Festival, headlined by Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban today and tomorrow (4/4-5), respectively.

WestwoodOne's Backstage At The ACM Awards Radio Row remotes got underway today, too. Artists took time to speak to radio from 12pm-4pm PST, and more will return tomorrow from 10am-4pm. More than 30 radio stations and syndicated shows are participating. WW1 will cap its coverage with a two-hour red carpet special and one-hour nomination special beginning at 5pm ET Sunday hosted by Kickin It With Kix's Kix Brooks and Suzanne Alexander. Tyler Farr, Kellie Pickler, Kacey Musgraves, Austin Webb, Lady Antebellum, Florida Georgia Line, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, The Band Perry, Rascal Flatts and Big & Rich are among those making appearances. Details here.

Other events include tomorrow's ACM Radio Awards reception. Medium Market Personality honorees Andy & Alison of WIVK/Knoxville are among this year's winners, and luckily the honor hasn't gone to their heads. See what life's been like around "the office" here.

• Blake Shelton "threw a boozy Texas love fest." –Culturemap Houston
• David Nail battles through depression and more to find "confidence and positivity." –The Tennessean
• Easton Corbin is "totally comfortable in his role as traditional country's heir apparent." –Houston Press
• The Band Perry were "a youthful blast of country-pop energy." –Houston Chronicle

Hall Marks: Keith Urban's fifth annual We're All 4 The Hall benefit concert will be held May 6 at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. He'll be joined by Vince Gill, Brantley Gilbert, Brett Eldredge, Carrie Underwood, David Nail, Deana Carter, Kacey Musgraves, Kip Moore, Lee Ann Womack, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Reba and Ronnie Milsap in "Songtellers (A Large Intimate Evening)." Each artist will perform a song they've written or a classic and tell a story about it. "This is going to be an extremely unique and revealing night for everyone," Urban says. "Not only are we going to see extraordinary 'one of a kind' performances, but we're going to hear some stories that just may have us hearing these well-known songs in a whole new way." Funds benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum; tickets go on sale April 4. More here.

Party Hunter: Atlantic/WMN's Hunter Hayes will headline the ACM Week Kick Off Party With 95.5 The Bull (KWNR/Las Vegas) April 3 at The Linq in Las Vegas to officially launch festivities leading to the 49th Annual ACM Awards. Other performers include Cole Swindell and David Nail. The show is free; more here.

• "I could have walked a little softer," Bobby Bones says of his move to Country. –Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Sync Weekly
• UMG honcho Lucian Grainge works to "merge talent and technology." –Los Angeles Times
• Darius Rucker, David Nail and Eli Young Band "put on an excellent show." –Enid News & Eagle
• The Band Perry's show was "spot on." –Savannah Morning News

Lunchtime: UMG/Nashville artists Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Easton Corbin, Billy Currington, Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Scotty McCreery, Kip Moore, Kacey Musgraves, David Nail, Jon Pardi, Eric Paslay, Darius Rucker and Josh Turner will perform at the Team UMG At The Ryman luncheon Feb. 19 during CRS 2014. It's the event's fifth year at the Ryman. More here.

Lady's Plan: Capitol's Lady Antebellum are extending their Take Me Downtown Tour from 60 dates to 80, with a summer leg getting underway in Phoenix March 22 at Ak-Chin Pavilion. Special guests Kip Moore and Kacey Musgraves are currently opening and will continue to do so on to the first newly announced summer shows. Lady A will also welcome a combination of Billy Currington, David Nail and Joe Nichols for the remaining dates. More here.

Making Believers: Capitol's Darius Rucker opens the 2014 True Believers Tour Jan. 29 in Champaign, IL. At least 15 shows are planned through March. Eli Young Band and David Nail are also on the bill. More here.

New Clear Fusion: Industry vets Daniel Miller and Regina Stuve have launched artist management and development company Fusion Music, with Miller as CEO/Managing Partner and Stuve as EVP/Publicity & Marketing. "We have put together a dedicated team of specialists from the fields of publicity, marketing, digital/social media, live performance and artist development," Miller says. "Our team will bring their unique experiences and expertise into a collective effort and we will be able to tailor a specific long-term plan for each act to reach their individual goals. We are not reinventing the wheel, we're just realigning the spokes." Brian Wolf (VP/Touring & Live Entertainment), Zach Sutton (Dir./Artist Development) and Emma Poliseno (Dir./Digital & Social Media) round out the staff. First to FM's roster are David Nail, Native Run and The Voice finalist Amber Carrington. More here.
 

Nail Guns: MCA's David Nail has his fall tour schedule lined up beginning in Davie, FL Sept. 12. Thirty dates run through Nov. 22. More here.

Bound By Honors: Performers for the 7th Annual ACM Honors will include host Dierks Bentley, musical director Frank Liddell, presenters Deana Carter, David Nail, Darius Rucker and Steve Wariner along with musical tributes by Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill and Paul Franklin, Kree Harrison, Robert Earl Keen, Lorrie Morgan, Jesse Keith Whitley, Chris Young and Thompson Square. More are expected to be announced leading up to the event at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium Sept. 10.

Country Cares: KMLE/Phoenix's and KAFF/Flagstaff's Country Cares Concert headlined by Phoenix native Dierks Bentley in Prescott Valley, AZ raised $476,000 last night (7/22). Proceeds go to the families of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters who died battling the recent Arizona wildfires. "We were overwhelmed at the outpouring of support by the country community and Arizona last night," says KMLE PD Tim Richards. "We can't say thanks enough to Dierks, The Band Perry, Randy Houser and David Nail for pouring their hearts out onstage. It truly feels good to do good." Highlights included the live debut of Bentley's "Here On Earth" and a special version of "Home" featuring a bagpipe intro by the Rural Metro Pipe And Drum Corp. The money will be distributed by United Phoenix Firefighters Charities. More here.

Taking Care: The Country Cares Concert headlined by Phoenix native Dierks Bentley has added The Band Perry, Randy Houser and David Nail to the bill. The benefit for The Granite Mountain Hot Shots, organized by KMLE/Phoenix and KAFF/Flagstaff, takes place at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, AZ July 22. Proceeds will help raise money for the families of the 19 firefighters who lost their lives fighting the wildfires. 

Summer On The Barbie: UMG/Nashville is offering the two-hour Backyard Barbecue Fourth Of July Radio Special hosted by David Nail. The show features patriotic, summer-themed music with appearances by Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban, Eric Church, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley and Billy Currington, among others. The clearance window is June 29-July 5; contact Donna Hughes for info here.

Raising A Rucker: Capitol's Darius Rucker is set to host his 4th Annual Darius & Friends concert to benefit St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. This year's lineup includes Luke Bryan, Sam Bush, John Cowan, Radney Foster, Randy Houser, Dustin Lynch and Justin Moore at Nashville's Wildhorse Saloon June 3. Additionally, a charity auction and celebrity golf tournament will take place June 4 with the involvement of Lynch, Moore, Nashville Predator J.P. Dumont, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts, Colt Ford, JT Hodges, Charles Kelley, David Nail, NASCAR's Darrell Waltrip and more. Details here.