Briefs: Taylor Swift makes a surprise onstage appearance with Florida Georgia Line

• Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance on stage last night at the Nashville music industry gathering Country Radio Seminar, where she joined her record label-mates Florida Georgia Line in an energetic performance of the latter’s recent No. 1 hit, “Cruise.” The duo was finishing its four-song set during the seminar’s annual New Faces Show when Swift took the stage, to the delight of the crowd of about 2,000 people in the Nashville Convention Center.

Five performers are chosen by country radio personnel each year to perform at the prestigious New Faces Show. In addition to Florida Georgia Line, this year’s performers were Easton Corbin, Brantley Gilbert, Jana Kramer and Kip Moore.

FGL will be joining Swift on the bill in eight cities for her upcoming RED Tour.

Swift is pictured onstage with FGL’s Tyler Hubbard.

• In other news, Carrie Underwood will bring her Blown Away Tour to AXS TV for a live concert performance from Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif., on March 3. Underwood is currently on the second leg of the tour, which continues through May throughout the U.S., Canada, and overseas in the U.K. and Ireland.

“The Blown Away Tour Live 2013” special will not be Underwood’s first appearance on AXS TV.  She previously gave the network’s nightly live music news, trends and interview program, AXSLive, an exclusive backstage interview and live look into The Blown Away Tour when it stopped at Los Angeles’ Staples Center.

“I’ve had the opportunity to play in so many wonderful cities and venues on this tour and still have many more to go, but I am so excited that AXS TV has given us the opportunity to be able to share the concert experience live with fans at home,” says Underwood in a prepared statement. “It’s going to be a great night!”

• Trace Adkins has teamed up with Hard Rock International and the American Red Cross for a partnership to raise funds and awareness in support of American Red Cross Month this March. The Hard Rock has created a limited edition Red Cross pin, which was revealed by Red Cross spokesman Adkins Feb. 27 in Los Angeles.

The new pin features the Red Cross logo embedded in the Hard Rock’s signature guitar. It will be available at hardrock.com, as well as in U.S. Hard Rock cafe, hotel and casino locations, with 15% of the $12 retail price benefiting the Red Cross.

 

“I would like to thank Hard Rock for getting involved in creating a cool, and meaningful, accessory that will help raise funds for this esteemed organization,” said Adkins. “The pin serves as a reminder that the work of the American Red Cross is ongoing, far beyond emergency relief and disaster response."

 

The singer’s relationship with the charity began when a 2011 fire claimed his family’s Nashville area home while he was on tour. The American Red Cross volunteers were among the first on the scene. The organization responds to more than 70,000 disasters each year, including home fires.