Br5-49 Is Emissary On Wheels With Hall Of Fame Deal

NASHVILLE-Country neo-traditionalist act BR5-49 has teamed up with Jack Daniel's and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for a unique promotional arrangement tied in with the band's touring efforts.
The deal connects BR5-49's desire to help promote the Hall of Fame with the band's need for tour sponsorship. "The concept was to find a tour sponsor to help market the band with tour support and promotion," says Mike Pontes, manager of BR5-49. "At the same time BR wanted to do something for the Hall of Fame to support it, but we couldn't just pull out the checkbook and write a big fat check. So we put together this deal with Jack Daniel's to help us on tour and help promote the Hall of Fame."
The new Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is set to open in spring 2001 in Nashville as a $37 million showplace for the genre. Financing comes from a capital fund-raising campaign, a bond issue, Country Music Foundation reserves, and a line of credit from Bank of America.
"One of the reasons Jack Daniel's wanted to do this was our relationship with the Hall of Fame," notes Pontes. "They have strong ties to Tennessee, and they like to promote that."
Jack Daniel's, a Lynchburg, Tenn.-based distillery, supplies the hard-touring BR5-49 with a bus for the next two years. The 45-foot black Prevost features the Jack Daniel's trademark logo and name, along with a reference to the Hall of Fame.
For its part, BR5-49, long a media darling, will give the Hall a plug in all its press. The future could hold more high-profile events whereby the band could promote the Hall with live performances.
The bus itself will greatly help BR5-49's touring bottom line. "That's two years that we don't have to pay for a bus," says Pontes. "We're un-recouped with Arista, so the only money we make is touring revenue. When you can knock off $8,000-$9,000 a week for a bus, that's a substantial chunk of money."
The distillery also provides the band with tour support, as well as media support.
"Some people say when you get a sponsor, you're selling out," says Pontes. "But this is Jack Daniel's. They are a whiskey company, and for people who don't partake, they're still a whiskey company, but they have as good a reputation as you can find."
Meade takes a similar view. "I love Jack Daniel's," he says. "As far as corporate sponsors go, they're down-home people."
Meade also likes the Hall of Fame connection. "It's great to be ambassadors for country music-we've always felt like we were anyway," he says. "We tell people, "If you've ever been to the Country Music Hall of Fame, it's time to come again in spring of 2001.' We can't wait for the new place to open."
Kyle Young, executive director of the Country Music Foundation, says BR5-49's involvement is another example of the support the museum project has seen from the Nashville music community. "Artist support for this project has been very, very good," Young says. "Personally, I'm a real fan of BR5-49, from their early days of playing at Robert's Western World" on lower Broadway in Nashville.
Young agrees that BR5-49 is a good fit with the Hall of Fame. "This place is about taking care of this part of our culture, and one thing we do is connect the present with the past," says Young. "BR5-49 is a good example of that. We really appreciate their help."
BR5-49's latest release is "Coast To Coast," a live set from last year's tour with the Brian Setzer Orchestra. It headlines through the spring and will open for Dwight Yoakam this summer, followed by dates at fairs and festivals.