Country Music Blog: 2007 July

We were playing at a huge two-day festival in Ireland called the Midlands Music Festival and we were being shuttled over to the site from the hotel. This guy had on a pair of those atrociously ugly shoes called Crocs (yes, I have a pair) so we started talking about how ugly they were but soooo comfortable at the same time. Turns out we both live in Austin, so we talked about missing Mexican food. I have no idea who he is, but he says he's a tour manager and says to the bus driver, "We're all here but we need to wait a minute for Richard." There are a lot of Richards in this world, so I think nothing of it. Anyway, a guy squeezed past me and gets on the bus. (Is this Richard?!?!) Then, I get in the bus and there are no seats. This nice man offers up his seat to me, and when I look, it's Richard Thompson! My band was about to DIE! We were all like, "Uh, that's Richard Thompson and he just offered up his seat for little ol' me." We got to talk to him about music and where we live and what kind of music we did, etc. We watched him play later in the day from backstage, and can I just say, he was so awesome.

There were so many unbelievable people on that same bill. I got a T-shirt just because my name was on the same shirt as all them, everyone from Steve Earle, Allison Moorer, Kris Kristofferson, Glen Campbell, the Be Good Tanyas, Blind Boys of Alabama, Gillian Welch (who is the sweetest thing ever!) and Ricky Skaggs. Jim Lauderdale was a hoot to hang out with. He surprised me and got up on stage during our set to sing the duet, "Lavender Blue," that he sang with me on my CD. We got the whole performance on video and there's a really funny part I can't wait to put up on my Myspace page! Stay tuned! I hope they invite us back another time because we had such a great time!

We have one more festival in Sweden before we head home on Saturday. I will be sleeping the whole way home on the airplane, because I am so tired I can't even see straight. But when we get home, I will have been playing music in five different countries for five weeks and nothing much can really compare to that!

My favorite medium for music is vinyl. It’s much warmer and more inviting than any other. Compared to CDs or MP3s, records sound fuller and not as compressed. With vinyl, you have to wipe the dust off, turn the record over, place the needle carefully on the edge and enjoy it. You don’t just listen to music. You experience it.

Recently, I received Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger in the mail from some guy in California and it’s the most intriguing record my player’s needle has ever spun. Listening to Willie sing about a preacher killing his wife and her lover with haunting poetic sentiment is so eerily captivating to me. It’s a shame I’m just now getting into it. The record’s warm sound of dust crackling only accentuates his engaging performance. Listening to it in the morning, it’s really a miracle I get to work on time. It’s like he’s camped out in my living room huddled around my fireplace singing every song as if they’re written specifically for me. When “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” comes on, I stop everything to sit and listen instead of brushing my teeth and heading out the door.

As I write, I’m starting to realize my favorite toy growing up was my Big Bird 45 record player. Maybe that’s why I’m so hooked on my records.

This was the biggest week of the Soul2Soul 2007 tour for me because I had my first main stage opening Friday night in Biloxi. I played three shows in one night. Before I opened on the main stage, I did the MyGiG Infotainment stage, plus Tim McGraw and Faith Hill invited me to play in their pre-show party.

I don't know how the main stage show could have gone any better. OK, there's one thing that's hilarious now that I think about it. This show was my first time to wear ear monitors and Heath, who runs the monitors said, "Do two more songs before 'The Beach,'" and I said “OK.” But it looked like I was saying it to the crowd. Then Heath said, "You don't have to answer me," and I said "All right." The people in the front row must've thought I was crazy, but I was havin' such a good time I didn't even care.

It was nice to get one under my belt in Faith's home state of Mississippi, and I'm sure looking forward to the remaining cities (Las Vegas, Fresno and San Jose) where I'll be working the main stage. Tim asked me when I came off stage if I liked that, and of course I said yes. He then replied, “Get used to it." Everything went better than I could've ever imagined. Thank God for Tim and Faith helpin' a country boy like me live my dreams.

When my computer goes down, I can still turn in a fairly full day of work; but take away my Whitburn and I might as well be dozing on the beach. After all, who knows when I’ll need to find out the title of Eddy Arnold’s first No. 1 (“What Is Life Without Love,” 1947) or Buck Owens’ last one (“Streets Of Bakersfield,” 1988)? By Whitburn, I refer to that indispensable volume of record research, the latest incarnation of which is called Joel Whitburn’s Top Country Songs: 1944-2005.

I must stress that I have absolutely no personal stake in this product. I have never met Mr. Whitburn, have no financial interest in his company and have never received nor requested a free or discounted copy of his books. Even so, he thrills me with his Olympian sweep of our music. To begin with, he provides for each artist a thumbnail bio that includes the full name, date and place of birth (and, where applicable, death) and a list of CMA Awards and Grammys. There are also pictures of the top 200 artists. Then for each song, he cites the date it first charted, its peak position and the number of weeks it stayed there, the overall number of weeks on the chart, the record label and record number, the songwriter(s) and, in more recent entries, the title of the album the song came from.

The songs are further indexed by title, and there is a final section of lists for such career achievements as most chart hits, most No. 1 hits and most consecutive No. 1 hits. It is an astounding store of useful information and deliciously trivial snack facts. As one might expect in such a monumental undertaking, there are occasional errors. For example, in Brooks & Dunn’s entry, Whitburn cites Ronnie Dunn as a co-writer of “It’s Getting Better All the Time,” when it should be Ronnie Bowman. But that is a mere flyspeck on the Taj Mahal.

When I come across a song in Whitburn that interests me but whose words and melody I don’t know, I listen to a sample on Amazon.com or Tower.com. From that sample, I type the key phrases in a Google search for the complete lyrics. By such devices, one can sound awfully smart awfully fast. Isn’t that what American education is all about?

Music has that strange ability to transport a person back in time, to a certain moment you haven’t revisited since you left. All of a sudden, you’re reliving the feelings all over. The scenario is replayed in your mind as though it’s a movie you’ve already seen. Ah, yes. You’re in high school, on a date, sitting on the front porch on a summer’s afternoon, chatting with an old friend, remembering an old love.

When I was a teenager I used to listen to Alison Krauss’ “When You Say Nothing at All” on repeat. I guess it made me feel better. Perhaps it made me feel worse and I was a glutton for pain. Either way, I continued to listen. He broke my heart more times than I can name but each time I heard Alison’s soothing voice, it made me think of our better times and of him.

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes saying you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best, when you say nothing at all

This song reflects a turning point in my life. I was between a young girl and a woman. Miserably heartbroken, it made me realize that it wasn’t the end of the world, just of a relationship, just of a sad time. This moment was simply a stepping stone that I can now look back upon and appreciate. You could say it would be included on the soundtrack of my life. What would be on yours?

Over the years I have fallen hard for bluegrass music. I’ve written quite a few stories about the artists, and inevitably wound up on a lot of mailing lists. Within the last few weeks I’ve been inundated with new bluegrass CDs and I’m gradually working my way through them – and happy to do it! Not all of these are commercially available yet, but here are the ones that have perked up my ears so far:

Bobby Osborne & the Rocky Top X-press, Bluegrass Melodies (Rounder)
Excellent picking, as always. I really like the arrangement of “Music Makin’ Man,” which is sure to put a bounce in your step. Rhonda Vincent takes a verse of “Go Rest High on That Mountain.”

Grasstowne, The Road Headin’ Home (Pinecastle)
Steve Gulley’s vocals knock me out and I enjoyed Dobro player Phil Leadbetter’s last album, so this is right up my alley. I like “Here Comes That Feeling Again” – or anything written by Craig Market, really.

The Charlie Sizemore Band, Good News (Rounder)
This lawyer also balances a cool bluegrass career. His version of “Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart” is terrific, and so are the clever songs dedicated to Alison Krauss and Vern Gosdin.

Two bluegrass bands with loyal fans -- the Seldom Scene and the Steep Canyon Rangers -- also have noteworthy new CDs coming next month. In addition to these, I’m taking along new bluegrass releases from Jim Lauderdale and Merle Haggard on a road trip this weekend for a first listen. Lauderdale’s last few albums were outstanding and I find it remarkable that Haggard is giving a new spin to many of his classics, with a few new tunes to boot. Also keep an eye out for a kids’ bluegrass album from the McCoury family and an Elvis Presley bluegrass tribute from Shawn Camp and Billy Burnette. Time Life is also offering the three-disc Classic Bluegrass Collection with all the big names. I’m saving that for the road trip after this one.

By the way, if you can’t get enough bluegrass, make sure you bookmark one of my favorite Web destinations, The Bluegrass Blog.

We just got back from playing the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in upstate New York, where thousands of people gather with their tents for days and nights of fun. It’s delightful to see young families introducing their children to this environment, alongside older families who use the festival as a family reunion. There’s a sense of freedom in the air that is infectious and, if you’re not careful, can develop into total and absolute happiness! The campgrounds turn into little communities that cook their own food and sing together when the sun goes down. Wandering around at midnight with the stars lighting your way among the tents is a fantastic time!

Some of the bands may be off your radar but the quality is always high. Folks like Claire Lynch, Jim Lauderdale and The Duhks are simply waiting to become your favorite artists of the year -- you just don’t know it yet! This year was my first time to see Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives. Marty had some great country hits in the 90s and led the Glitterbilly movement with his rhinestone suits. At Grey Fox, he was simply exceptional -- great singing, amazing mandolin playing and a silky smooth band behind him. Their version of “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin' Anymore” had the whole audience singing along underneath a glorious full moon. It really felt like a rare treat.

You can easily blow your salary on a trip abroad, but those on a tighter budget should consider staying in the States and planning your vacation trips around the incredible music festivals here. The CMA Music Festival is still popular in Nashville, but to explore new musical experiences, look up Telluride, Rockygrass and MerleFest to begin with. You might just end up with the best holiday you’ve ever had!

Now I know what heroin addicts feel like. When you want something so so bad but just cannot get your hands on enough to satiate you. I turned on my TV yesterday and CMT was gone. Vanished without a trace. So I turned on another TV. Gone. Where was my beloved channel 70? In an apathetic tone, as though I was concerned about something heinous like soft rock, my Chicagoland Comcast rep told me CMT is no longer part of basic cable. What the … ? That’s like taking away ABC. Can they do this? Is it even legal? Apparently, yes and yes.

The regular CMT has now been upgraded to a digital channel. I can get it in my family room where I have a cable box. But my other four TVs? No such luck. To get it, I’ll have to pay $6 a month for each TV. I’ve run the numbers and that’s almost $300 a year. The official folks at Comcast told me that “the shift of CMT to Comcast Digital Cable is part of our effort to make Comcast offerings more consistent throughout the region.” Whatever. I’m not saying it’s not worth every penny, it’s just that it seems like a dirty trick.

Sadly, this is the future of cable. Comcast is going all digital. Taking away my country videos is their way of telling me that analog CMT is so 2007. I’m all for progress but I guess a little warning would’ve been nice. Not just for me personally but for Chicago’s country fans. I will undoubtedly find the incremental money somewhere. And I’ll get past this. In the meantime though, I have no idea what to watch. When I was making breakfast for the kids (OK, Pop-Tarts), I loved waking up with old stuff like Keith Anderson’s “Pickin’ Wildflowers” or Dierks Bentley’s new “Free and Easy Down the Road I Go.” Or seeing Lance Smith count down the videos while I folded laundry. Or catching on all the CMT Insider news as I talked on the phone. I guess all this means in the short term is that I‘ll be a more attentive cook / laundress / friend. But when I get my CMT back, I’ll be a more attentive country fan. Who knows? Maybe once it doesn’t come free, I’ll appreciate the channel that much more.

Journalists work daily with words and I’ve always suspected that makes most of my fellow writers more interested in lyrics than the actual musical elements, particularly melodies. Oddly enough, you can be trained to do a better job of writing words but it’s close to impossible to teach somebody to create good melodies. It’s a gift and it ought to be celebrated rather than treated as a secondary part of a song.

That thought is spurred by two events: One happened last week when a fellow journalist told me that he is attracted first to the lyrics of a song. That’s particularly amusing to me because there are songs I’ve loved for decades that I’m only now beginning to understand, mostly because I paid no attention to the words. The other event is the simple recognition of a 20th anniversary. On July 25, 1987, Steve Wariner went to No. 1 with “The Weekend.” It remains one of my favorite country songs because it’s the perfect blend of words and melody.

If you haven’t heard it, you should find it. Beckie Foster and Bill LaBounty wrote it about a little escapist romance. Steve delivers it with the fragility of someone who unintentionally fell in love -- perhaps with the woman he spent time with, perhaps with the idea of what she represented -- and is unable to shake the memory. It’s a touching song that inevitably reminds me about a similar, blip-on-the-screen relationship that created a wave of magic for about a week, then a wave of sadness that lasted for months.

At any rate, the beauty of “The Weekend” is that it so easily illustrates the importance of melody. Sure, the words pinpoint the details but the haunting sonic progression and Steve’s ability to capture its subtle pain make the song work. It’s that emotional stirring created by a certain pattern of notes that, I think, makes for the best music. If the words mean something too, that’s all the better. But I’m much more interested in songs that get sung in the shower than songs that get studied in English classes.

So, here we are on Toby Keith's Big Dog Daddy Tour. Let me tell ya, what a great show. We open the show with a 20-minute set. Next on is Miranda Lambert, and boy does she kick some ass. We've made friends with her and the band. Not only are they world-class musicians but world-class people. That's the greatest part about being out here for us. We are surrounded by world class musicians. What an inspiration that is. She does a powerhouse show of about 45 minutes and then comes the Big Dog himself. His is more than just a show, it's an event. The lights, the crash bang boom, the big-screen video. Not to mention his Easy Money Band, the greatest band in country music! Not only are these guys excellent musicians but they play so well together as a band. We can honestly say that every night we get inspiration from them.

The tour started in Birmingham, Ala. Then we went to Charlotte, N.C., and then Raleigh, N.C. We met a lot of great people in the South. The crowds are good and rowdy down there and that suits us just fine. After those shows we went to Nashville to film the video to our new single, “Nowhere Than Somewhere,” and from there we traveled west to St. Louis and Kansas City. In Kansas City we played an after-show party at Dave and Buster’s. That was a blast. Some of our fans saw us do our “unplugged” show. From there we headed to Dallas. That was great because a lot of Toby's band members and crew have family from that area. We got to meet some of them. The crew and band members are some of the coolest people in the world. They have really made us feel at home out here and that means a lot to us, especially being new to all of this. After Dallas we went to Detroit. Some rowdy folks up there. From Detroit we went to Ohio and then to Milwaukee for Summerfest. Those were great festivals, huge crowds, lots of crazy country music lovers. Next was Virginia Beach, then Bristow, Va, Holmdel, N.J., St. Clairsville, Ohio, and Philadelphia. Last night we played the Delaware State Fair. The fans out East sure do know how to throw the tailgate parties. (They start pretty early too.) That brings us to today....

Today we travel. We are on our way to Seattle. That's about a 3000-mile trip. We rode all night and stopped somewhere here in Illinois. We are at a truck stop hanging out while our driver gets some sleep. The highlight of our day today was getting some laundry done. (I know... crazy life of musicians!) LOL. We are looking forward to Seattle this Friday night. Hope to see you out there. We'll check back in with you every week to let you know how things are going. Be sure to post any questions you might have for us. -- Tommy Bales