I've seen several shows at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. When I saw Kid Rock perform, I thought I had probably seen the rowdiest crowd to have ever hit that prestigious venue. After all, he was chanting "deeeeeevil" while performing "Devil Without a Cause" and, at his request, had the fans sticking out their middle fingers in support. But then again, this was before Thursday night (May 29).
Go ahead and take all the still photos of him you want. But Kenny Chesney's people are trying to spread the word that there will be no video recording allowed at his concerts. So leave the video camera at home. And if you think you'll be tempted to break the rules, leave your cell phone and regular digital camera at home, too, if they have video capabilities. I know a "friend" who tried to film a teeny tiny bit of a Toby Keith show once, and they took "her" camera away and kicked "her" out. So not only did "she" not have footage, "she" had no memory of it either. I guess video recording got to be a huge problem at Chesney shows. At first, it sounded like his people were thinking about prohibiting ALL kinds of cameras. That's a policy that has already been initiated by a number of non-country acts. A post on Chesney's fan club message board said the "no video" rule is because his people were having trouble honoring contractual obligations with their corporate partners and record label. It sounds like they mean business.
It doesn't happen immediately after your wedding day. But somewhere down the road, after you've said "I do," the big question hanging in the air transposes those words. And then, all of the sudden, it's "Do I?"
That's the irony of Luke Bryan's new song about a relationship that could very well be running out of love. He wonders, aloud, do I turn you on at all? Do I have your love? Tell me don't I, or do I? Do I just need to get up and get on with my life?
In the last few months, many magazines have closed up shop for good, but thankfully Paste magazine found a way to keep their presses humming -- and it's a great deal for music fans. They've set up a donation page on their Web site where you can give any amount you wish and, in return, get access to the Paste Station Download Vault. The Vault is full of rare or exclusive songs donated by artists that also want to save the music and entertainment mag, and some of my favorite Americana and folk-rock acts are in there. Here's a short list: the Avett Brothers, Marc Broussard, Brandi Carlile, Neko Case, Deer Tick, Emmylou Harris, the Jayhawks, Shawn Mullins, the String Cheese Incident, Todd Snider and the Watson Twins. As of now there are about a hundred other tracks in there ready to be yours -- and more being added all the time. It's got to be one of the cheapest ways to get your hands on this much newer and hard-to-find music. And in doing so, you can help save an awesome music publication.
Warning: Do not attempt this at home. This is just for fun, to show you how seriously some people take Brad Paisley's words. Someone once heard Paisley say that a Telecaster guitar was really nothing more than a cutting board, a baseball bat and strings. So this custom guitar builder tried to fashion one out of those same elements, using a $25 cutting board from IKEA. The real thing is around $2,675. But what this guitar maker forgot to include was all those paisleys he'd have to adhere to the front of the cutting board body. That's the way Crook Custom Guitars makes them for Brad, anyway.
It's hard to say what sounds better: two tickets to a country concert or a $50 gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse. I mean, I'd love the chance to see Sugarland, Jamey Johnson, Lee Ann Womack or Billy Currington for free. But I'd also really love some good food. If you're lucky, and you win the grandest grand prize, please report back here and tell us who you saw and what you ate. Even if you don't win or don't want to take the 30 seconds required to enter, you can still get $2 off the latest albums from UMG artists. Maybe with the money you save, you can take yourself to dinner.
You know you have something of fiddle fetish when you are glued to a TV show that is honoring one of country music's greatest legends, and you cannot see past the fiddler.
That's how I felt Wednesday night (May 27) watching the ACM Artist of the Decade special all about George Strait. I get what Toby Keith, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Jack Ingram and Garth Brooks all said about how they felt when they heard a Strait song on the radio. I felt that way, too. His voice is a powerful instrument, and he's got a golden ear when it comes to picking great songs to cut.
The early bird gets the worm and -- at least Friday morning (May 29) on Fox & Friends -- Rodney Atkins, too. And even better, a live performance of Atkins' brand new single, "15 Minutes." The one where he admits that he gave up smokin', women and drinkin', and it was the worst 15 minutes of his life. It is a solid country summertime hit if I've ever heard one. One where he sounds a little bit like Dierks Bentley (when he laughs) and a little bit like Tim McGraw (when he drawls). Not a bad combination at all. So I'm looking forward to hearing Atkins do it live in the New York studio. He'll be on Fox sometime between 6 and 9 a.m. ET, right when I'm getting my kids off to school (which is pretty much the worst 15 minutes of my life), so I will have to DVR this one to make sure I don't miss it.
Reba McEntire knows how to make a music video -- and how to act. She's become a musical master at her rather mini-movies. I think it's her intensity in "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia," her sincerity in "Fancy," or maybe it's her anticipation in "Is There Life Out There?" She's believable in "Because of You," compelling in "Cowgirls Don't Cry" and quite convicting in her most recent and feisty video, "Strange." Though she's singing of a relationship gone sour, instead of pining over her lost love, she's feeling invigorated -- even deciding whether or not to spend her next paycheck on a black strapless dress. While this video is less dramatic than some in the past, it fits the song quite nicely. She looks magnificent, brings her steady and fiery passion and delivers yet another video victory.
And keep in mind as you watch: Reba has been making videos since 1984, but this is the first time she's ever played with her band in a music video .... Strange, I know.
Ukulele may not have much to do with country music -- but maybe it should. I would dare to say there are some very real similarities between the old-time music of Hawaii and that of the mainland. When I saw Jake Shimabukuro, ukulele master and Internet sensation (check out his arrangement of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"), perform Wednesday night (May 27) in Nashville, he showed off one of those similarities above all the rest. It was a welcome change of pace and a stirring performance that the Belcourt Theatre audience rewarded with two standing ovations.
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