Brooks & Dunn Tribute Shines With Sugarland
Did you watch ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn -- The Last Rodeo last night (May 23)? I hate that it was the so-called "Last Rodeo" because I hate to think of a world where Brooks & Dunn are not making music. But I do love love love that I got to watch 15 of my favorite country singers singing Brooks & Dunn songs. It was seriously all good, from top to bottom, but there were definitely a few stand-out moments.
If I had to pick the one song that I will likely watch over and over from the show, it has to be Sugarland's cover of "Red Dirt Road." They turned an up-tempo guitar-heavy country-rocker into a piano ballad, and it worked like a charm. With lines like "That summer I turned a corner in my soul" and "I learned the path to Heaven is full of sinners and believers," it comes off so gorgeous as a ballad. Especially when Kristian Bush found a way to play harmonica while he was playing guitar. They should definitely consider making that part of their own show.
Other highlights were seeing Keith Urban bow to the duo in an I'm-not-worthy gesture of respect. Then Miranda Lambert painted a picture of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn rocking out to Katy Perry. And when George Strait did "Boot Scootin' Boogie," Brooks played harmonica from his seat on the roadcase couch. (Not sure why Dunn was laughing through this one, but I'm sure he was laughing with Strait and not at him. I hope, anyway.) I also loved the very end of the show, when all the artists joined Brooks & Dunn onstage for what looked like a very spontaneous take on "Play Something Country." In fact, now that Brooks & Dunn are retiring, I think every touring country artist should add a Brooks & Dunn song to their set list.
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Tenn says:
I really don’t agree with you about Sugarland - I like my country to sound country , expecially a Brooks and Dunn song for their tribute special - if Sug wants to go be creative at their concerts that’s fine but if your paying tribute to the artists , sing it like they intended not what you think will be good. This is supposed to be about B&D - there were a few star egos too big for the stage last night but all in all I thought the song selections were pretty good - I would have liked to hear B&D sing Believe one last time though .They had to use autotune on some artists to bring them up to par but all in all a relaxing fun night except for the end- woah! for Taylor thrusting herself in front of Brad and Keith to be center stage playing her guitar- Egad girl!
countryiscool says:
GREAT show! Will miss B&D tho. In regards to Taylor, I’m sure most chalk it up to the exuberance of youth & little else. I LOVED Sugarland’s rendition of Red Dirt Rd and all the others.
rosyz says:
It was a great show indeed. I am not a fan of their music but a good tribute nevertheless.
scott says:
I loved Reba’s version of Indian Summer. I hope to see her version of Indian Summer on Itunes.
DustinG says:
Sugarland and Carrie’s vocals were amazing - I actually liked their versions better than the originals - and I LOVE the originals
Ty says:
Carrie Underwood was the highlight on the show. Her version of Neon Moom was amazing. Did not like Sugarland’s song at all. I believe since it was a tribute to B&D that the songs should not have been changed but performed as B&D sang them. That is the ultimate tribute that your songs are loved as is. Swift’s actions at the finale was bordering on disgusting. Brad and Keith are amazing guitarists and she shoved her way in front of them. She also got directly behind B&D so she could be on camera. I can’t pass her behavior off as her being young. She is 20 years old and should have shown respect for B&D as the other artists did. She is very annoying–and I can understand why people are fed up with her. I used to take up for her but now she is old enough to know better than do some of the things she does. It is NOT cute any more.
taylorwho says:
Her ego is bigger than ever. Does she honestly think this was a platform for HER to take center stage? She must, because she sure pushed her way to the front. I loved Keith knocking her out of his way. You rock Keith!!!!!!!!!!
Bill says:
Way to go Taylor Swift! Not only did you again prove you can not sing, but you made a total fool of yourself. You might want your PR firm to starts it begs of forgiveness.
Randy says:
Taylor was the highlight on the show. She was having fun and it was fun to watch.
kayko says:
It really was a great show last night, my husband and I thought everyone of the artists did a spendid job. By the way the only ones making fools of themselves are the posters using this show as an way to fuel their ridiculous fan wars.
Ann says:
I thought the show was well done with a few exceptions. I did not like Jennifer Hudson’s rendition of I Believe, the whole story line was lost. And Taylor Swift needs to mature a little bit. I did love Carrie and Faith and thought they did a great job. I do agree with some of the previous comments, though. I agree with Ty sing the songs as B & D would sing them.
Jeannie says:
Seriously? AFter Jennifer Hudson lost her mama and another relative to a slaying, lost the weight and then came out and sang BELIEVE? Both Kix and Ronnie were absolutely moved and told her so. Kix even said, “Have you heard you?”
Seriously, Sugarland vs. Hudson goes to Sugarland?
I think one has to be a serious Sugarland fan to go there and as I’m not, I’ll just say that Sugarland did better than they usually do and I have hopes that they will learn to be a little more humble and gracious in the future.
Taylor was having fun and Ronnie and Kix clearly enjoyed it so ‘nuf said. I loved her version and I think her voice is getting stronger, but she is not the first great singer to come through on something other than voice, think Madonna and Janis Joplin.
Carrie was just splendid.
Actually I DO think that the entire evening was magical. I had actually dreaded Sugarland going over the top as usual but they acted like they’d graduated from junior high finally and I was pleased. There is talent there but also ego and I have hopes that they will learn from some fabulous peers around them.
say what? says:
I thought Carrie was by far the standout. The worst was definitely Taylor Swift. The gap was just huge. And her behavior in the finale was inappropriate. Showboating to the extreme.
Jeannie says:
Does anybody here even know that at 10 years old Taylor did what nobody else had ever done? She made a CD of her music and walked up and down Music Row knocking on every door.
At 10.
They all turned her down.
She got a MySpace page. Started sharing her music. Had 1.8 MILLION fans when Scott signed her, saying she was the future. She also had been unfailing in responding to all her fans.
Reports are that she continues in the same vein. She loves her MySpace page and she responds to fans still.
Hardly what you would call the behavior of an egomaniac.
This was a kid who was not all that popular in highschool who had to change schools and who chose to write out her emotions.
And if you looked every artist out there loves her. Nicole Kidman called her a “Honey Bun”.
Yes she was not your typical dead broke artist. No, she was a kid who shared rather courageously and has been stunned to see that she is normal. And loved.
And Carrie, Taylor, Kellie and Jennifer Hudson all apparently remain in contact.
I’d say that having US support a feud that THEY do not is downright outlandish. Not to mention silly.
Jeannie says:
Taylor is 20 years old and acts like a puppy still. the flip side would be for a Miley Cyrus…in which case y’all would say that she her behavior was inappropriate in the extreme.
Kix and Ronnie are the audience that counts, not us and they loved it.
As for jealousy: It was not attractive in grade school and it’s sure as shootin’ not attractive in people old enough to be Taylor’s peers..or her parents.
She gave $500,000 to the Nashville flood IMMEDIATLEY and people called her out for not giving more. Reba didn’t, Brad didn’t and Carrie didn’t, but none of them is being called out for being stingy (which they are not).
Green belongs on trees, grass and in Dr. Seuss books on breakfast..not on people.
Jeannie says:
My final say (before the rotten tomatoes nail me, grin) is that that show was about love from start to finish.
It was perfect.
say what? says:
It’s not a feud to say one performance was better than the other. Why does it have to be personal? It doesn’t mean one’s a better person than the other, though I thought Taylor’s ego was really spilling over in the finale. She bulldozed over Brad and Keith to put herself between Brooks and Dunn.
say what? says:
Katy Perry is mispelled in the tags.
Buddy Boy says:
Can we stop talking about Taylor? The show was about kix and Ronnie. Taylor gives country a bad name and needs to take a lesson from george strait, Hank Williams, Miranda lambert, Carrie underwood and Brooks & dunn before she can call herself country.
Tiffany says:
To Jeannie: obviously you don’t know what carrie has been doing at all. Carrie has also donated a lot of money and she even launched a flood relief fund. In addition to that-Carrie is donating 36 cents of every ticket sold to charity and she’s also donated 10,000 to help dogs find home.
About the tribute…Everyone was really awesome. Carrie Underwood, Jennifer, Reba, Miranda, and Lady Antebellum were in the spotlight.
hmm Didn’t appreciate taylor always promoting herself by pushing others to get to the center. Artists like carrie, and miranda and others paid their respects to Brooks and Dunn and others in a classy way.
nashviller says:
Jeannie, what you posted about Taylor is what you were told by her PR team. I know differently. She’s really a fraud.
David says:
I’m with Ann, Jennifer destroyed that song. The rest of the show went pretty well. Was surprised Alan Jackson wasn’t on the show.
Theresa says:
I thought the show was great except, I will say Taylor should have never put herself in the front& STOP shaking her hair around, that is very annoying & she is 20 yrs old, she has a lot of growing up to do. I mute the tv when she comes on, so I didn’t hear her sing.
To me it seemed Jennifer had the mic to close to her mouth, the words were not clear. Probably sounded much better there.
Other than that everyone else did a fantastic job. I loved the stories of their experience they told about Brooks & Dunn.
say what? says:
Taylor seems like she belongs on the Disney Channel. It’s not so much an insult as it is an observation of where her fanbase lies and who she panders to.
K says:
Why is everyone complaining about a tribute show? This was about the bigger picture- honoring the legacy of a legendary duo who had enormous influence over so many artists we enjoy today.
All the artists were able to showcase their own talents and put their own twist on the songs if they chose to do so. The changed performances were no surprise- look how Taylor changes up her songs with pop remixes, or putting an acoustic, singer-songwriter feeling on everything from a George Strait classic (”Run), and the national anthem, to inserting deeper pop influence into some of her own originals.
Sugarland also does the same thing. Jenifer is a great singer, but collectively her and Kristian write much of their own material, and enjoy changing up songs and arrangements, from the acoustic flavoring of “Irrelplaceable” to rolling through the audience in massive plastic exercise balls.
To me, the tribute was about putting aside egos and focusing on vocal performances (whether or not perfected by autotune), and shifting focus to the fact that each and every artist cared enough to put emotion, talent, originality and respect into each performance. This appeared to be accomplished, just by looking at the expressions of Kix and Ronnie it was obvious they were humbled and honored by the tribute, and genuinely enjoyed the peformances.
As for everyone discussing egos? Every artist has to have somewhat of an ego to even be successful in this business. These artists ALL showed enormous respect for Brooks and Dunn by performing their songs and paying their last respects. Doing covers of an artists songs is probably the highest compliment they can receive.
Tiffany says:
sure. everyone has egos and need confidence but who likes someone who overconfident and trying to outdo and be THE STAR when paying tribute TO the stars of the show-brooks and dunn. This isn’t about having “egos”-it’s about not overstepping your boundaries. Others were a lot humble.
Gloria125 says:
Taylor was great. Let’s face it she is a ratings magnet people lover her. I love that fact that she had a great time. The ACM’s awards didn’t involve her much in their show and they were the only awards show in a 12 month period that saw a decline in viewer ship. However, Taylor opens the Brooks and Dunn show, it was up against the series finale of lost and it still nearly matched the ACM awards viewer ship which had just over 1 million more viewers which was really bad since that was a live awards telecast. I think taylor will continue to be front and center at all the awards shows in the future simply because people like her. I can guarantee you had Taylor not been there this show would not have had the ratings it had, probably would have seen 7-8 million tops.
Ty says:
The ratings ere up because of the tribute to BROOKS AND DUNN—–NOT Swift. B&D are loved by a lot of people and we hate to see them break up. I did not tune in to see Swift. I was very annoyed at her behacior and think she needs to cool it–especially at a tribute to another artist. She needs to stop acting like the world is about her and start respecting her peers. That said—-BROOKS AND DUNN will be missed and we wish the best for them in their futures.
Brandon says:
I think the Lady Antebellum version of If you See him/if you see her was good, but I have to say it just didn’t have that edge to it… That was shown when Ronnie and Reba got up to sing it, just brings back memories of ‘98 for me.
I am not a Jennifer Hudson song version of Believe. She turned it into a gospel revival song almost, and she would do that same tone changing thing Mariah Carey started years ago. Believe is a folk song, a poem if you must, and it is the one song that shouldn’t have been changed.
I’m not entirely sure of the Taylor pitch, I figured to attract a younger crowd, but the audience didn’t get into it. I just didn’t like her attitude towards the end, you can say it’s all fun or Taylor being Taylor but regardless I was not impressed. She can’t sing and I’m just all in all not a fan.
The Sugarland version of Red Dirt Road is such an odd song for me. I feel like since I had heard Red Dirt Road so many times I am used to it being the way they sing it. So when Sugarland came out with their version I’m not buying into it.
I say overall I liked Jason Aldeans, “How Long Gone”, and the Tim McGraw song. I think Tim did the best, and was by far my favorite song.
Jeannie says:
Jennifer from Sugarland gave us a whole song and dance showing her Ronnie tattoo and then gave a flirtatious look at Kix and told him his was where she could not show it.
THAT was fine but Taylor, acting like a kid in a candy store surrounded by all her idols, was inappropriate? Some see her as being all about her then explain why she is GAINING more fans and every one of them expresses their satisfaction with how she treats them. Explain how she has NEVER dissed anyone, has always been seen clapping the LOUDEST when someone else wins and has all of her idols smiling at her as she thanks each and every one of them for giving her a break. Explain how it’s egomaniacal to be coming off a huge tour to take time to do a tribute show (Martina, Sara, so many others, love Brooks and Dunn, but they couldn’t make it with their schedules). Explain how it’s egomaniacal to STILL be available for interviews with both GAC and CMT, who are dying for interview. Explain how it’s all about her when she stays for HOURS signing autographs, just like Garth used to do.
I love all these other artists and think they deserve praise but if they are going to get praise for something Taylor deserves the same.
By this criticism, weren’t Keith and Brad being a bit showy by making all that fuss with their guitar ’show’ at the end? Sugarland was pretty loud at the end as well.
I happen to like how all of them just screamed jubilant unselfconsciousness and Taylor cannot do anything these days without someone condemning her. More power to her for staying so exuberant and pleasing those who count, her fans, among whom seem to be Kix and Ronnie and most of the artists on the show. They know that she singlehandedly raised country above the other languishing genres last year and they are grateful and she is grateful for their gratitude.
Jeannie says:
No, Nashviller, what I posted about Taylor is what “I” saw from just when she was starting.
I SAW her go from myspace to this growth. I SAW her with Brad Paisley and Kellie Pickler and Jewel. I SAW her on smaller talk shows and enchanting the hosts.
What YOU saw is what the anti-Taylor ranters see.I don’t care if geographically you live closer. Sometimes a person a step back has the clearer image.
And for the record, I’m old enough to be her mother but can relate to her very well. I think she is phenomenally talented and has not yet (and hopefully never will) gone the Miley route.
I expect she will make some mistakes, just as Leann Rimes did. You don’t send children into stratospheric orbit popularity and expect them to be able to navigate their way without pitfalls.
When Rosie O’Donnell gave 1,000,000 after the Tsunami several years again she made a public announcement and said that all of her peers HAD to give as she did or they should be ashamed of themselves (part of why Rosie has dipped). Taylor gave $500,000 and said she loved Nashville, knowing that millions of people, not just teenagers, would learn about Nashville and follow her lead.
Every star interviewed on Taylor has a genuine twinkle in their eye when they talk about her and you see all of them hugging her enthusiastically.
I’d say you might check in with your heart and figure out why you need to bring her down…like so many do in this world when someone gets ‘too much’ fame. Carrie, Kellie and Taylor all hang out. You cannot go around saying she’s a phony without saying that they are too. All evidence is to the contrary.
She probably has down moments and might get cross. Who wouldn’t? That little girl has had an adult size career since she was 14 and she’s been writing songs to deal with hurts in her life since she was 10?
What have you done lately? That is not a put down? If you haven’t done something you are proud of you might just drop dissing Taylor and work on the amazing things that you are supposed to achieve with YOUR gifts. You may not get several million fans but I guarantee that whatever you do with your heart lined up with your abilities will be super important to people who meet and need that from you particularly.
shari says:
Why does it seem that everyone always complains about how Taylor Swift acts? why does it really matter yes she is 20 and who cares get over ur selves this whole thing was to be about Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn everyone did great i will truly miss hearing Brooks and Dunn but again there is always hearing there albums
Karen J.Raufeisen says:
OK, MAYBE 3RD TIME IS CHARM!! THE LIVE BROOKS & DUNN SHOW WAS AWESOME! IT IS TOO BAD THE MAGIC OF THE NIGHT WAS LOST IN CBS’S EDITED TV VERSION. I attended the show live in Vegas and it is a night I will remember forever, it was that memorable!!A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY!
The sound was distorted on the TV version, plus the editing left a lot to be desired. What was the editing department of CBS thinking when they edited Kix’s speech? Kix’s speech was very moving, even Ronnie said there was not much he could add to Kix’s comments. But then that was edited out too. THIS SHOW SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHOWN LIVE JUST LIKE THE ACM AWARDS SHOW WAS, AND THEN THE MAGIC OF THE NIGHT WOULD HAVE BEEN SHARED WITH ALL OF THE B & D FANS THAT COULD NOT ATTEND IT IN VEGAS. Hillary Scott of Lady A was beautiful and that wasn’t captured on the edited version either. CBS should have been willing to commit to 3 hrs for this show. It would not have been any problem to get sponsors for the LIVE SHOWING OF THIS BROOKS & DUNN TRIBUTE. After all they are the most celebrated duo in country music!!Ronnie Dunn is without a doubt the best male vocalist in country music, but it was not the night for him to shine and he knew this, so he enjoyed the night as part of the greatest duo ever!!HOPE TO YOU SEE BOTH KIX AND RONNIE ON STAGE IN THE FUTURE WHATEVER THEY CHOOSE TO DO!! RONNIE PLEASE DON’T HIDE YOUR TALENT UNDER A BASKET!!
Nancy says:
Reba did a fantastic job with Indian Summer
hope I can purchase it in the future, I am a 75 yr old
have been to Brooks and Dunn concerts in Florida, still have the first key chain on my purse. In fact won free tickets years ago
frank says:
nashviller so you know her family?? i will bet you 10000$$$ i can prove you wrong? put up or shut up!!!!!!!!!!!
Julie4726 says:
I thought Sugarland and Jennifer Hudson were awesome. Jennifer Nettles is amazing! I really liked Tim on the show. The crowd did too. He is so good looking!
J.J. says:
Generally, I loved the show. ALL the artists that performed seemed to have their game on…even Ms. Swifty (although having “her” game on was still sub-par). George just melted my bones. No wonder he’s still a force in country music. I thought Sugarland’s rendition of “Red Dirt Road” was excellent but you can’t go wrong when someone who really knows how to sing…sings! If you’re a purest and every song has to sound like the original, then you wouldn’t feel that way. Keith was great. He’s so consistently good and in his usual fashion, did “Brand New Man” justice. I missed Rascall Flatts so can’t comment on them. Timmy was just fine. Carrie was wonderful (like Jennifer Nettles, no surprise there). I loved Reba and Ronnie stepping in and singing. I was hoping they would. Loved Kix sitting back there lending his harmonica every once in a while. Jason Aldean did a fine job of it. Oh and Lady A…I truly enjoy their sound. I’m sure I left someone out.
Let me make a comment to Jeannie. Get off your soapbox darlin’. Your defense of Taylor would be admirable except for the fact you tear others down to do it. Not so cool. When you display the same attitude as the people you complain about, it’s hard to take you seriously. Everyone’s opinions regarding Taylor during the finale are interesting. Personally, I wasn’t nearly annoyed as some. I think that’s because I’ve come to expect a certain kind of thing from Taylor, therefore, when I see it, I’m not surprised and don’t get as riled. If ya’ll thought she was shoving people out of the way and trying to grab all the attention…lmao. Get real…like she could! She was just being herself and I doubt sincerely anyone performing in the finale gave a second thought to whether they were getting upstaged by her. So let it rest.
So all in all, a very enjoyable concert to watch and I hope some of the performances will make their way to YT.
timcun says:
Personally I didn’t care for Sugarland’s version of Red Dirt Road. I can take Jennifer’s voice on some songs but this wasn’t one of them.
S says:
Gloria125 said the ACM awards didn’t involve Taylor much in their show and they were the only awards show in a 12 month period that saw a decline in viewership.
In the last year or two a lot of the award shows have become “The Taylor Swift Show.” Maybe a lot of people didn’t watch the ACM’s because they figured it was just going to be another Taylor Swift show and they couldn’t stomach it.
Kate says:
Just some observations:
I’m always amazed by how little some people expect from others and how quick they are to rationalize the behaviour (often inappropriate)…by blaming it on age…and what ever else they can conjure up…
Fact of the matter is that Some people are ‘egocentric’ and the world revolves around them…add to that parents/peers/life situations that feed into that personality and you’re left with a grown up who’s behaviour is not very attractive..
Since I’m a firm believer in interrelationships being a two-way street I often wonder why TS was picked on by her peers at school.
Interesting to note that an entire family is led by the desires of a child of ten? Hmmmm
Has TS finished her education? Does she have an under graduate degree? I’m just curious.
Mike says:
I really loved Faith, big fan of her, I liked her story & her singing. I don’t think anyone stole the show, I think they all did great (except Taylor). Its kinda hard for me to pick an actual favorite. They all sang it there way and B&D enjoyed it. IMO, Taylor didn’t belong there, there are so many other artists that grew up in B&D time, they should have picked someone from there.
I wish they would have had it the actual live show. You can tell there was alot of editing by just going back & watching it. There is no way that Tim was watching his wife Faith sing and right after the commercial he sang. She sang earlier & he sang later.
say what? says:
I see a lot of hate for Tim and Faith(not on this topic). I just find that strange. Anyone have the 411. They can sing and they seem really charitable yet there’s this sense that people think they’re divas.
Tenn says:
I agree Mike - I noticed when Reba said “I must be the oldest one here who remembers Kix and Ronnie” and after watching the show - I said Yeah , Darius Rucker? why him? He just joined country music Taylro Swift, why her? she was just born when they started Jennifer Hudson why her? She’s not even a country singer. There should be more thought into who B&D’s country music friends are - I’m glad Tim and Faith were there and Reba - and I think the whole show was edited out of sequence order but that’s not unusual - they always do that
Tenn says:
OH and I think most of the nearly 11 million viewers were probably Brooks and Dunn fans, they have an enormous following and are going to be hugely missed as a duo
Robin says:
Kate - Taylor finished HS by home schooling. She doesn’t need to go to college to be successful or to be a good role model. If she did that would be awesome, but it’s not for everyone.
Sara says:
Sugarland was terrible!!!! I would much rather listen to the original. George, Kenny, Miranda, Carrie, and Tim were awesome!! Really gonna miss Brooks and Dunn. I’ve been a fan of theirs from the start.
Gary says:
I don’t really think of myself as a “Country” music guy but I watched the show. IT WAS GREAT. I added a few more artists to my list of favorites on Pandora Radio: Reba, Sugarland, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts
Country music is so much more diverse than when I first heard it in the 60’s (well 50’s if you count hearing Patsy Cline when I was a teeny baby. She will always be one of my favorites). I like the diversity; some of the artists were obviously a little “rock”, some “soul” and some even a little “jazz”. I think that’s what will make Country continue to grow and attract more listeners.
NJ says:
Jennifer Hudson was terrible!!! I like her, but she missed the boat on this song. At times you could not understand the words because she was screaming.
timcun says:
I agree with you NJ. I wasn’t impressed with Jennifer Hudson’s version of I Believe.
D Trotter says:
What a show! The performances on this show were amazing, not just for their consistent quality but in their DIVERSITY as well, and that’s fitting for a tribute show.
I know some people who (amusingly) consider themselves “Real Country purists” get offended if everyone doesn’t slavishly adhere to the original versions of B&D’s original songs; but when you pay tribute to someone, you show how their influence can be felt in the work of many DIFFERENT artists … not just copycats.
All of the artists on that stage were unique individual performers — perhaps deserving of their own tributes someday — and they had come to pay respects for the impact Kix and Ronnie had on Country Music.
Some of the best tribute shows ever were the ones for Bob Dylan and for The Band’s “Last Waltz”. The breadth and width of the musical artists for THOSE shows was truly staggering. THIS show rated up there — it ranked with the best country specials ever.
In its own way, “The Last Rodeo”, combining Country with Pop Artists,and Trad County with Modern County, was a brilliant showcase — not only for B&D’s great career, but also for why these shows are now attracting so many new fans.
The Last Rodeo had everything:
Living legends like George and Reba;
Vocalists supreme like Carrie and Jennifer;
And, in artists like Taylor and Keith, some of the most electrifying and charismatic performers in show business.
Country keeps getting cooler. Just be careful hate doesn’t destroy it.
Camilla says:
Loved the show and all the performances. I have my favorites of course … but this was an evening of pure pleasure. B&D will surely be missed . . . and I loved watching all of their peers singing their hearts out throughout the evening. Great job!!!!
thank you CBS for an enjoyable evening . . .
cooncat says:
Great show, and I went through a paper towel drying my face off after certain songs that have always hit me in a soft spot (”If you see him/her”, “Red Dirt Road”, “Its getting better all the Time”, etc). Still hard for me to wrap my mind around a world without one of the best country duos of all time. Really liked it when Reba and Ronny joined in on “If you see him/her” … Really gonna miss those guys!
hey - HEY! says:
“You have no idea how important that moment was for me
because in 20 years that was the only time I saw him mess his hair up.”
Ronnie Dunn after Taylor Swift played the video of Kix Brooks
doing his Taylor Swift impression.
to the haters that think that Taylor was show boating again:
“Did you ever wonder why the camera was on her so much?”
Or “Why so much time was edited to showing her? off”
just saying….
rosyz says:
I dont think they were trying to capture Taylor`s every move; she went from one spot to another where the camera was focused on. You could not edit B&D singing together in the finale and the camera had to focus on them; Taylor was trying to get in between. The camera also trying to show Brad and Keith playing guitar; they did not want to edit that and Taylor was there as well. They were also trying to focus the whole stage with all the performers singing and it cant be helped that Taylor was running all over the place. No matter what she will be on the camera.
Taylor is young; the youngest of the group. The show was great.
Gloria125- The rating at the beginning was only 8.5 mil and it went up to 11 million at almost the end. I think lots of B&D fans just wanted to watch the show; some wanted to watch their fav artist performed. The rating was not affected by Taylor`s presence alone. She did have some fans watching but so were the rest of other artists. Mostly, it`s because of B&D last tribute and their fans watching.
The ACM show was totally different. There were lots of people who did not watch thinking that it would be a repeat of CMA. I for one was one of them and lots of others.
Tenn says:
Well, I know alot of people are sad that they are breaking up but I’m looking forward to seeing what they are going to do next . They are both very talented and I’m sure we’ll see and hear alot more from them ! We still have their music in all the great albums they put out!
merlotzme says:
I can’t say I’m sorry to see them leave. Let the new generation take over. They “do” country better than ever before.
today says:
Does anyone get the feeling sometimes like Taylor Swift is the Sanjaya of country music? People think she is cute and sweet, but the singing is not great and it’s all about the hair. No? Just me? ;)
JJ in Okla says:
I love Brooks and Dunn and will miss them horribly. The concert was great for the most part. I am diappointed that Jennifer Hudson did “Believe”. She destoyed that song. and she can sing, but she can’t sing this kind of music so I think she should fire her manager. This song was not her’s. She destroyed the song and possibly her career. And Taylor Swift, everyone knows she can’t sing, and then she bounces around the stage to make sure she is in front of the camera all the time, and when you go the stills of the concert, guess what you see, Taylor among the best. Everyone over the age of 18 knows she has no talent, why does she get in these concerts?
jillt says:
I thought the concert was a great tribute, although I do agree that certain artists antics were a little over the top. I loved George Strait’s Boot Scootin Boogie, it really sounded like the original version. Neon Moon by Carrie Underwood was extremely well done! I wish someone had done Cowgirls Don’t Cry or My Maria. i love those songs
D Trotter says:
JJ from Ok, please don’t presume that your own personal opinions and tastes represent the feelings of everybody.
Wild exaggerations and generalizations, like “everyone knows she can’t sing” and “everyone over the age of 18 knows she has no talent” ignore the opinions of Taylor’s enormous legion of fans, including MANY adults.
As much as you disliked Jennifer’s rendition of “Believe’, there are fans on the internet who felt it was the highlight of the evening. And if you Google the YouTube videos of Taylor’s performance, you’ll find like literally hundreds of overwhelmingly positive comments — people who were just enthralled by her performance, calling it spectacular, mesmerizing, the most exciting of the night, and saying they couldn’t stop watching it over and over again.
Maybe you meant “everyone” from your house? But not Oklahoma. Swift sells out her shows everywhere.
ALJID says:
To say that Swift’s performance was spectacular is exaggeration as well. Don’t you think? If it was indeed, then us critics will be shut our mouths up. It wasn’t as dreadful as Grammys but when you compare her to the other performers that night, it’s pretty easy to say she wasn’t as great. Still, I think Swift didn’t butcher the song. But that’s only my opinion. Or it wasn’t as horrible as what she did at the Grammys and that’s saying a lot.
ALJID says:
Darn…My third line was in excess of the word “be”.
Tenn says:
This was a pretaped show and it was obvious some of the vocals were fixed so all the vocals were at least passing for a tribute show, it’s normal and done all the time - but for the artists that had their vocals fixed - it’s a fantasy world today anyway - you don’t have to be honest anymore - just make a video of how you want to be and people will think that’s the way you are - I mean some of the comments you read on youtube of an obviously made up skit and they ask “did this really happen?” we are taking reality away from our children and serving them fake cherry pie which is what they will think they have to serve up to succeed in life
Tenn says:
To JJ in Oklahoma - there is a rehearsal for any show where they go through the camera positions and where they are going to shoot from - to plot out camera angles - and it looks like Taylor memorized it and ran around and even pushed others out of the way so she was always in the camera eye - this is exactly why she has gotten to where she is today, it’s her best talent, promoting herself and her ego - her fans think as stated above here - they put her in the footage because they love Taylor - when the fact is there was hardly any footage she wasn’t in because she made sure of that - who’s tribute was this anyway? and it sure ain’t cute
kayko says:
Tenn, you have quite the imagination don’t you, Do you honestly think that anyone with a brain cell is going to take your post seriously? If nothing else I don’t believe I have laughed as hard over a post in a long time, not because its funny but because it is so ridiculous.
Tenn says:
yeah, kayko watch the finale video Taylor is funny and ridiculous running around - I laughed my head off too
kayko says:
Well good Tenn I’m glad she entertained you. Yeah I watched the same show and I can tell how much some of you people have exagerated what happened on the finale. Just a normal day on the internet, thank God for the REAL world.
J.J. says:
I’ve been thinking about Taylor’s mugging for the cameras and the way she managed to be in almost every portion of the finale. I’ve read many, many opinions about it on this blog and throughout the internet. This did not go unnoticed by many. Still, Taylor is young, vivacious and normally through her shows jumps around with plenty of energy to spare and the song being sung was meant to have lots of energy and fun. However, after thinking about it and taking some comments that make sense into account, I believe that Taylor hasn’t matured enough to humble herself out of the spotlight to make room for others. She simply cannot do it. I also don’t believe that she set out to be in every camera shot. It was probably subconscious…as natural as breathing to her. I will admit, however that I got annoyed when she jumped in between Brad and Keith with her guitar in hand as if she could possibly come close to the legendary guitar skills of those seasoned performers. And yes, she tried to stick real close to B&D but try to reach back in your minds to high school. You wanted to stand next the the popular kids in class pictures (at least I probably did). So maybe Taylor just wanted to appear as if she was “in with the in crowd”. I watched the performance over several times and the artists for the most part stayed where they were supposed to. Taylor, in her eager and youthful exuberance, has a certain arrogance to her personality that I’m sure will fade as she ages. How could she help but think that everything is all about her after the past two years. The world is telling her she’s the best and can do no wrong; she believes it and acts accordingly. As much as I’m not a fan, I can’t fault her for that. As I said in my previous comment, I wasn’t annoyed nearly as much as I’ve been in the past by Taylor because I’ve come to expect certain things and have put them into perspective. Ya’ll have to admit she did a good job with the song she sang. While she didn’t blow anyone away (only a few performances could claim that) she did a fine job and I enjoyed the hair flipping story about Ronnie. I’m glad they both seem to have a sense of humor about their respective hair.
So Tenn - while your theory about rehearsal and plotting out camera angles and that Taylor memorized everything and made sure she was visible from every possible angle? I think you’re giving her way too much credit. She simply wanted to make sure she was next to every artist, kind of like the proverbial bouncing ball. She was spinning on her axis while everyone else stayed stationary.
Kate says:
today
That’s a pretty good analogy and I have to say that to an extent (because I think Sanjaya could actually sing better than TS) I totally agree with you…having said that look how long he got to stay in the contest. It helps explain the attraction to TS..her target group doesn’t really care about whether or not she can: sing..on key..with some range..on a variety of themes…NOT ALL but many of her fans’ taste in musical abilities isn’t mature enough to appreciate ‘quality singing’…look at the latest younster Justin Bieber…but I’m sure they’re laughing all the way to the bank…
O/T Interesting the ratings went up after TS had performed..
Tenn says:
I can expect someone acting that way at 14 or 16 but 20?? No. Sorry. I know she has her fans but for me she’s a cartoon. I don’t really mind it except it was B&D’s tribute and the focus should be on them not some bouncing girl in the background trying to get into the shot- it did make me laugh during the finale it reminded me of a skit they might do on Saturday Night Live - now there are two funny events her Grammy performance and this finale scene , I bet there’s more - they could put out a CD of them, I’m sure it would sell great
S says:
~
I’ve said all along that Taylor is all about popularity and not talent. A good example would be Kate on Dancing With The Stars. Look how long she was kept on the show by fan votes even though she couldn’t dance to save her soul and just walked stiffly around the floor.
D Trotter says:
Tenn, “spectacular” was the word in the YouTube heading, and the VAST majority of the comments agreed with it (and then some). Just as Taylor’s “rap duet” with T-Pain became one of the hottest videos on the internet, this performance had her fans wanting to see it again and again.
Was Swift the strongest singer that night? Hardly. Not with Sugarland and Hudson and Carrie on the bill.
Was she the most dynamic STAGE PERFORMER? By a Country mile! Bring in any number of unbiased professional concert reviewers to compare the energy and electricity of Taylor’s performance with any of the others, Taylor’s going to win the vote in a landslide. That’s why her concerts sell out the largest stadiums and are major events wherever she goes.
As for the free-for-all at the end, I can’t believe the amount of psychobabble and subjective interpretations people are putting on this thing — people really must be so desperate to find something/anything to complain about!
It was a group sing-a-long! It was supposed to be LOOSE and spontaneous and FUN! Kinda like Taylor always is! Enough of the presumptuous comments pretending to read her “subconscious” mind. For all ANYONE knows, one of the show’s producers could have said “PSST! Taylor! Go down to the middle of the line!”
But even if she did it totally on her own, good for her! Who wanted to see a line dance? She squeezed in with Reba (NEVER went out in front of B&D), then she went to the back, even turned away from the camera to jam with someone else, then Keith and Brad started moving around and jamming together, and before you know it the whole thing became what it was SUPPOSED to be — a CELEBRATION!
Not a wake.
EJD says:
I LOVE BROOKS AND DUNN! Congrats on 20 years, I wish we could have had 20 more with such fantastic singers! I enjoyed the show, but I felt the need to post………..
Okay everyone, THANK YOU DVR! I just went back and watched the scene AGAIN, twice of the last song. Taylor Swift was walking around stage HAVING FUN singing and playing her guitar with all of the other musicians up there having a blast. She looked like she was thrilled to be up there with all of her idols. Also, the scene with her and Kieth at the end, I rewinded it several times and they were having fun with one another. It looked like they were playing and he playfully knocked shoulders with her. I feel that in no way was she trying to take over the stage. If she had, she probably would have ran up to them an hugged on them, she didnt she stood in the back when it was over. Also, someone was downing Jennifer Knettles from singing loudly at the end, Did you hear Reba thoughout it? She was heard very clearly throughout that performance.
With that being said, I LOVE REBA, SUGARLAND, CARRIE, KEITH, TIM, and everyone else I simply cannot choose a favorite. It seems to me that people are blasting people that just simply do not like. Because if you werent than you would have noted how loud Reba was and not just comment on Sugarland.
EVERYONE WAS HAVING A BLAST THAT NIGHT in honor of Brooks and Dunn. They were enjoying thereselves being there and it showed. I do not think in anyway that one star was trying to out do the other. I believe that they were trying there hardest to honor Brooks and Dunn and to do a great job in singing their hits. It’s not easy trying to please everyone and sing your heart out and wait to be judged by people……..Just saying!
Kate says:
Trotter
Don’t forget to include yourself amongst those who offer ‘psychobabble and subjective interpretation’, I have a sneeking suspicion that you think your comments are based on ‘facts’ because you often provide numbers..the way I see it the numbers (which I assume are correct)are facts the spin is subjective..and as any Statistician will tell you, you can make the numbers say anything you want.
Tenn says:
Well D Trotter- Spectacular to you maybe and the person that put the vid on youtube- but I have a higher goal set for the singers I like to hear - like those that have vocals that don’t need fixing all the time and can actually carry a tune not like some on the tribute show that were obviously fixed. As for Taylors entertaining that’s also an opinion and great that you like her but I just don’t see what all the fuss is about, I really don’t. If what she did at the final is supposed to be great entertainment then it’s good one of us liked it,it’s just not for me. Taylor sells out arenas to POP fans and good for her - she should be in POP, it suits her better, fixed vocals and dancing around, that’s what they do - she’s a perfect fit - she hasn’t been doing well on country radio anyway , her last two singles barely made the Top 10- she does much better on POP radio -
D Trotter says:
Tenn, fair enough — you have your opinion and I have mine.
Keep deluding yourself with the significance of Taylor’s last 2 singles “only” barely making it into the top 10 on the Country charts, as it that fact somehow signals the death knell for her career.
Those last couple of singles, “Fearless” and “15″ — 2 superbly written songs that I predict are going to be played long after some of the current #1’s are completely forgotten — are from the FEARLESS album, released neasrly 2 years ago and purchased by over 6 million people. Who didn’t own the singles already? You could also add digital downloads (Swift is the MOST downloaded artist IN HISTORY) to those figures.
As far as your deciding that genre Swift belongs in Pop, that thunderous applause at the Ryman didn’t prove it. Taylor could out together a DVD of “Drive”, “Run”, “Ain’t Nothing Bout You” and “Crazier” which would be a wonderful Country video.
S says:
~
D Trotter, you said that Taylor is the most downloaded artist in history. May I remind you that downloading songs hasn’t been around THAT long. And a lot if not most of the people downloading songs are the young pop crowd.
timcun says:
I thought it was funny when hey – HEY! said in 20 years this was the only time they saw Ronnie Dunn mess up his hair. Do you mean to tell me that his hair has been combed all these years?
kayko says:
**
I disagree with that S. Five years ago I taught my grandkids and daughter how to download music, everyone I know of ALL ages have an ipod. Downloading music is definitly not for just the young pop crowd
S says:
That’s your opinion and that’s fine. But I’ll bet that most of the people downloading Taylor’s songs listen to top 40/pop radio and not country radio.
D Trotter says:
Kate,
Sorry, I usually steer clear of subjective interpretations. I don’t know what goes on in Taylor’s head, neither do you. And if I do try to counter the always-cynical views of the bashers, it’s by giving a simple alternative like, “maybe she was trying to have fun!” rather than trying to over-analyze her subconscious motives, like J.J. did above.
As for numbers, yes people spin data all kinds of ways, but real numbers are also hard facts, and most of the time I just let them speak for themselves. Try these numbers:
Taylor Swift, currently #1 on the Hot tours chart for the FIRST half of May according to Billboard, just sold out back-to-back dates at the 19,000+ capacity Toyota Center in Houston on May 25-26. See those are facts.
Now I can enhance those facts by adding the headlines from the flat-out rave columns from professional concert reviewers:
“Taylor Swift, Neo-Feminist Keyhole to the Future” …Brandon Hernsberger, HoustonPress.com
“Get used to this girl: Taylor Swift shows signs of near Springsteen-level staying power” …Michael Clark, CultureMap.com
Anyone can google the reviews themselves, I give the SOURCES
“S” and “TENN” might enjoy the OTHER review in Houstonpress.com by Craig Hlavaty, who says of Taylor:
“She’s Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette and Reba McEntire rolled into one for a new generation of females.
Also of interest on that blog is a comment by guitar teacher Robert Ellis:
“I have 6 yr. old students who want to learn to play and sing and write “COUNTRY” music thanks to her. That rules!”
S says:
~~
It may be Craig Hlavaty’s opinion that Taylor is Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, and Reba McEntire rolled into one for a new generation of females, but I disagree. And just because he works at the Houston Press doesn’t make his opinion the gospel truth.
Redmaz says:
This whole show consisted of POP ACTS. Challenge me. I dare you
D Trotter says:
But did you like any of them, Red?
jerry says:
“She’s Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette and Reba McEntire rolled into one for a new generation of females” Are you insane?????? The girl CANNOT sing. Please do not EVER mention her in the same breath as Reba, Tammy or Loretta. Its Blasphemy. She writes catchy little pop songs, If it was not for pitch correctors and studio tricks NO ONE would be buying her albums. Every performance I have seen on television has been a disaster. Remember the duet with Stevie Nicks and countless other severely out of tune vocals??? Let’s get this straight right now. She writes catch little songs that relate to teenage girls, nothing deep, nothing very emotional, with her voice you cant say you hear heart or honesty. It’s ok to like Taylor for what she is, but DO NOT EVER, EVER mention her in the same vein as these great artists
S says:
Redmaz keeps bring up the Pop Music argument. You may say that the music being played on Country radio is Pop but a lot if not most of it wouldn’t be played on Pop/Top 40 radio. And when I say Pop/Top 40 I mean music from people like Lady GaGa, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Usher, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, The Black Eyed Peas, Michael Buble, Adam Lambert, etc.
allison says:
D Trotter: it doesn’t matter if taylor sells out 100 million albums-it’s the quality that matters. there’s been so much hype with taylor and publicity when the Kanye incident happened. Not saying she’s not talented but she’s definitely not in Reba, Shania, Dolly, and carrie’s league. She can sell out but it doesn’t matter and/or pertain to her talents as a SINGER artist. Just like britney spears-she has sold a lot but she sucks live and maybe it’s just me but as a professional singer-I would AT LEAST expect them to sing in tune. Taylor relies far too much on auto tune.
D Trotter says:
Hey, Don’t yell at me, guys! Those comparisons and statements came from three regular Concert Review Columnists in Houston reviewers after her pair of sold-out shows this week (which apparently were more like celebrations of being a young woman than mere concerts).
There were a ton of other glowing statements I didn’t bother printing. Guess there’s a couple of people who don’t think she’s so bad, hey?
D Trotter says:
Allison, I don’t think she likes to use auto tune at all — a note here on there on record maybe, like almost everyone. You really shouldn’t make assertions like that unless you can prove it.
Tenn says:
But did the reviewer at the Houston Press know that they fixed Taylor vocals before you heard them in the concert? I don’t think Tammy, Reba and Loretta ever did that and I think it’s a travesty that POP fake music(Britney Spears) has made it’s way to country. Her audiences are POP so they don’t care one way or the other. I say good for her if she can get away with it and it doesn’t bother her conscience like it would a true artist. The girl can’t carry a tune - it’s something that you really can’t learn - her vocals on the Brooks and Dunn concert were fixed you can hear it. But on the other hand Taylor sure knows how to bounce around a stage, flip her hair and relate to her fans, they love her, they don’t care if she can’t sing, they’re just happy to be there. No talent needed.
D Trotter says:
Tenn,
No, the Houston reviewers don’t know a thing about the show being auto tuned … and neither do you. Because it probably wasn’t!
You don’t have a single shred of evidence that Taylor uses auto tune in concert. Not one fact.
Moreover, you apparently know little about auto tune. It doesn’t transform bad voices into good voices. And it would be quite noticeable during her softer,solo acoustic numbers, when her voice is always so warm, expressive and emotional.
As for your examples, it might surprise to know: Reba has been a proponent of auto tune for concerts; and Britney doesn’t even belong in the same sentence as Swift, except maybe as an example of Taylor’s polar opposite.
Tenn says:
I have never mentioned the word autotune did I? But since you did - Autotune tunes the voice - makes it in tune instead of out of tune - which is Taylor’s problem - she sings out of tune - autotune corrects that in what is heard. I can tell when a performance has been autotuned, I can hear it. Taylor can’t carry a tune which is the first thing you have to be able to do to sing. If you can’t carry a tune it’s almost impossible to learn to be in tune if you can’t hear that you’re out of tune.
J.J. says:
Tenn - If her audience enjoys the “talent” she has to offer, why should her conscience bother her? She’s yuckin’ it up all the way to the bank. What’s she going to say? “Oh, wait a minute gang…sorry but I just can’t let you continue to worship me under false pretenses. I feel so guilty, I’m going to give you all your money back.” LMAOOOOOOOOOOO!
D Trotter says:
Tenn, of course you mentioned it. Your very first line claimed “they fixed Taylor’s vocals”. Why would you claim you didn’t bring it up?
Of course Taylor can carry a tune . She was fine at B&D and that wasn’t auto tuned. Neither are her concerts.
Tenn says:
Yes, JJ that may have been Taylor’s or her label’s intent all along to laugh all the way to the bank using country music to launch her POP career-I think you hit the nail on the head You get what you pay for-and as I said before I don’t think Taylor’s fans care if she can sing or not - she could stand on stage and chew tobaccy and they would still think she was the best thing since sliced bread after all she is pretty cute and her fans sure do love her
Dream on there Trotter - I’m just a purist when it comes to hearing my music - I love the real sound of an artist - I want to hear the real voice not some electronic calibration comin at me, the whole world is getting coated in plastic and oil- it’s just me, don’t worry about it - you just go on and enjoy your favs
D Trotter says:
Tenn
From your comments, I’m not sure you understand enough about pro tools to know whether you are actually hearing the “real” SOUND of an artist or not.
Instead of pretending you “can tell auto tune when you hear it”, how about a little experiment to demonstrate your knowledge?
1.Tell us a couple of your favorite artists who, in your opinion, “never use pro tools”.
2.Give us a few instances of the exact song and note/word where you believe Taylor is auto tuned on her recordings.
1View says:
I Loved… the Whole show!!
I have watched it Many times!!!!
I think that B&D…were Very Pleased!!!
I hope S L includes “Red Dirt Road” in their Shows!!!! They did an Awesome Job!!!! Carrie and Rascal Flatts Rocked also!!!! Hell, the whole show rocked!!!!
I Wish that I was there!!!! What a show!!!!
sg270105 says:
Saw their concert this past weekend. Have to say..I think that Ronnie Dunn is not going to be able to keep pace with this tour. He looked plum worn out…and he had to keep taking breaks.
Anyone else notice that he was looking poorly?
Bonnie Nero says:
Jennifer Hudson by far was the best performance on this tribute night.
The rest of the opinions are obviously lacking taste and hearing.