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November 19, 2010 » Put You On A Train: Morning commuters in New York City and Philadelphia saw another side of Keith Urban during their travels Tuesday (11/16). Leaving the major tour equipment at home, Urban busked (it's a thing, really) in Manhattan's Penn Station and Philadelphia's 30th Street Station to promote Get Closer's album launch. "To heck with Madison Square Garden, we're going to play here," Urban said during his four-song set at the NYC stop before hopping a train to Philadelphia. "You don't need to throw money. That's the good part of this street musician today." On the way to the City of Brotherly Love, Urban revealed the logistics behind the celebration. "We couldn't announce anything because of all the security concerns that they always have at Penn Station ... so, whoever was there was catching a train somewhere or missing a train, as the case may be." At the Philly stop, Urban included Elton John's "Philadelphia Freedom" in his set. "It was either that or I do a Philly cheesesteak theme song," Urban said, according to the Washington Post. See video footage here. » Play Something Cowboy: Kix Brooks is putting those college drama classes (seriously, he was once a theater major) to good use in Phoenix this week, as he's been cast in the independent film Thriftstore Cowboy. During an online chat Monday (11/15), Brooks revealed he's been cast in a dark role in the flick. Brooks said, "I'm kind of a bad guy ... He's not all bad in the end, but he's hooked up with some really bad guys, and he's trying to hang with them." Watch the live chat here. » Something Like List: On behalf of JCPenney, Rascal Flatts presented an oversized check for $100,000 to the Salvation Army during Wednesday's JCPenney Online Angel Giving Tree Program launch (11/17). The donation will go to fund gifts for 1,000 children during the holiday season, and $1 from each sale of Nothing Like This at JCPenney through March 15 will benefit the charity. The group also adopted their own online angels in the spirit of the drive, which provides clothing and wish-list items to children and seniors nationwide. Learn more and make a donation here. » Til The Last Shot's Aired: Trace Adkins will be pulling double-duty as host and performer during the inaugural American Country Awards. Easton Corbin, Steel Magnolia and Uncle Kracker will also play during the two-hour telecast, which is already star-packed with performers Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Blake Shelton and Josh Turner, as well as presenters Laura Bell Bundy, Jewel, Lady Antebellum, Rock Of Love's Bret Michaels, PBR's Ty Murray, comedians Rodney Carrington and Jeff Dunham, and NASCAR's Michael Waltrip and Elliott Sadler. The ACAs air live Dec. 6 from Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena at 8pm ET on FOX-TV. Voting for Artist of the Year continues through Dec. 4 here. » It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Country: Leading up to Nov. 29's CMA Country Christmas, a different artist each day will be dishing about their favorite holiday traditions on CMA's Facebook page. The first segment features Miranda Lambert talking about her favorite Christmas album. "I listen to the Mariah Carey Christmas album [every year]," Lambert says. "I just think it's a great record. Blake [Shelton] loves Christmas music, so it's always playing in our house. Sometimes he plays it all year 'round, [which is] kind of weird." Watch here. The Jennifer Nettles-hosted holiday special premieres at 9:30pm ET on ABC-TV. » Front Of December: Get the scoop on Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood's beauty must-haves in the December issues of Allure and InStyle, respectively. Swift's Allure hits newsstands Nov. 23 and Underwood's InStyle streets Friday (11/19). "My No. 1 beauty product that I don't leave the house without is probably a hair tie," Swift tells Allure in the behind-the-scenes footage of Swift's cover shoot. "[I usually have one] around my wrist because I'm always putting my hair up." Underwood tells InStyle, "I love things that make me feel comfortable but aren't too tight or showing too much cleavage. That might be some people, but that's definitely not me." As the magazine's Style Star Of The Year, Swift also graces the cover of the Dec./Jan. issue of Seventeen, which is available now. » Lady Amphitheater: Augusta, GA had Lady Antebellum fever this week as the group staged two shows during Monday's (11/15) homecoming for Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley. The trio performed an afternoon acoustic benefit concert, which raised $15,000 for the MCGHealth Children's Medical Center, and they surprised three teachers from Kelley and Haywood's high school with $1,000 each in OfficeMax school supplies. City officials also presented the group the keys to the city, named a street "Lady Antebellum Way" for the day and presented plans for an amphitheater to be named in the band's honor. Lady A capped the day by performing a sold-out show at the James Brown Arena. » The Do Your Homework Tour: Jason Aldean will headline the 2011 My Kinda Party Tour beginning Jan. 21 in Little Rock. Eric Church and the JaneDear Girls will support on the 32-date run. "This one is for my mom, who used to drive me to clubs when I wasn't even 16 yet, wait on me to play the same Alabama, John Anderson and George Strait covers every night, then drive me home and make me do my homework before bed," Aldean says. "We've come a long way!" » Free Fall: Kenny Chesney is donating free copies of his football documentary Boys Of Fall to the first 10,000 high schools that submit a request on school letterhead by Dec. 31. Letters must be sent to Kenny Chesney, P.O. Box 121895, 2006 Acklen Ave., Nashville, TN 37212. "Kenny played high school football, and he feels the lessons learned on the field like hard work, humility and trust, are carried over into everyday life," Chesney's manager Clint Higham says. "He wants to help inspire future generations with the same passion he feels." » In Case You Missed It: In observance of Jimmy Kimmel's "National UnFriend Day Eve" (NUDE), Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker performed "To All The Friends I've Un'ed Before" during Tuesday's (11/16) JKL broadcast. "To all the friends I've un'ed before; Who sent me quizzes about Jersey Shore; You made my life a hell; With your stupid LOL; To all the friends I've un'ed before," Paisley crooned in celebration of Wednesday's (11/17) pseudo-holiday, which encouraged Facebook users to delete needless friends.   Rascal Flatts spent the morning of Nothing Like This' street date performing "Fast Cars And Freedom" and "Why Wait" on NBC-TV's Today (11/16). The band also performed a 45-minute set during the Live On Letterman webcast. Jason Aldean played "My Kinda Party" during Mondays (11/15) JKL. Keith Urban performed "Put You In A Song," "Sweet Thing" and discussed Get Closer during Wednesday's Today show (11/17). Craig Morgan was featured in a CBS News segment on extreme aerial bowfishing. We're not making this up. Follow the links for the footage. »Hit List Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles introduces the band's glam squad, the "Glambassadors," and discusses why she cut off her hair here. Lady Antebellum give a behind-the-scenes look at their CMA Awards week here. Jack Ingram performs "Riding High, Eating Good, Staying Out Of Jail" in this week's Acoustic Motel series. Watch here. Birthdays Billy Currington (11/19) Dierks Bentley (11/20) Josh Turner (11/20) On TV Friday (11/19): Sugarland, Nate Berkus Show (syndicated); Garth Brooks, Tonight Show With Jay Leno (NBC); the Secret Sisters, Late Show With David Letterman (CBS). Saturday (11/20): Sugarland, CNN Heroes; Martina McBride and Train, CMT Crossroads. Sunday (11/21): The Band Perry, Taylor Swift, Kid Rock, American Music Awards (ABC). Monday (11/22): Taylor Swift, Tonight Show With Jay Leno (NBC). Upcoming Albums Alan Jackson 34 Number Ones (11/23) © 2010 LH Publications, LLC