CMT Blog: Shows

Nightline now has a segment called Nightline Playlist and they let the person they're interviewing do all the talking. In this story with Martina McBride, she raves about the music she loves for a good five minutes. She spends the first minute talking about what a career song "Independence Day" was for her and how important it was for her to not record fluffy girl songs or novelty songs. But then she goes on to list what's at the very top of her playlist from other artists. And they are: "Crazy" by Patsy Cline, "Mad Love" by Linda Ronstadt, "Respect" by Aretha Franklin, "Friends in Low Place" by Garth Brooks and "Somewhere Over the Raindow," the Eva Cassidy version. "I never get tired of it," McBride says of the song she sings so well in concert.

Kanye West wants a fur coat. Kanye West orders bellinis too early. Kanye West drinks New York City tap water. Kanye West likes his new collaboration with Beyoncé. And Kanye West is thrilled he has more than 600,000 followers on Twitter. And that's all well and good, for Kanye West. But have those 600,000 people forgotten what West did? Do they not remember that just about a year ago, he yanked the microphone out of Taylor Swift's hands during her MTV VMA acceptance speech for "Love Story" "You Belong With Me" and told her and the millions watching that, essentially, Beyoncé had the better video? I am not quite over that. So I don't know that I'd want to follow him. Plus, nothing says "It's All About Me" quite like a man with around 610,000 followers and 0 people on his following list.

Photo credit: Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Jennette McCurdy has not let the narcissistic character she plays on iCarly bring her down in real life. Thank God. That's just her being Sam. But I much prefer the real McCurdy who you can get a glimpse of in this making-of video for her debut country video, "Not That Far Away." It's been a year and a half since I first wrote about the young star launching a country career after all those episodes of iCarly on Nickelodeon. And it's been 10 years since McCurdy got her first taste of Nashville's charms when she played Faith Hill's daughter in the video for "The Way You Love Me." McCurdy's video debuts on Saturday (Aug. 14) and was directed by Roman White, the man behind "Fifteen," "You Belong With Me," "Before He Cheats," "Last Name," "Just a Dream," "So Small," "Hillbilly Bone" and many more. So I think it's safe to say, this video will be huge.

Even though cameras roll during an Invitation Only concert, the small audience always gives a candid feeling to the show. I'll be looking forward to seeing Miranda Lambert's turn in the intimate setting on Aug. 23 at 9 p.m. ET since she'll get a chance to tone down her usual rowdy performance. Highlights are said to include acoustic versions of "Air Stream Song" and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," and she'll also play "The House That Built Me" and "White Liar." But the unique part of the show is the Q & A session with the audience. Having seen a few of these, the stars tend to open up a little more than usual for some reason. In the meantime, take a moment and enter to win some cool prizes through the CMT Invitation Only: Miranda Lambert Sweepstakes. The top winner gets a Sony HDTV, a Taylor guitar signed by Lambert and a copy of her latest album, Revolution.

Photo credit: Rick Diamond/Wire Image

I know, I know. You're probably thinking what I was thinking. The world needs another country music awards show like we need another song about cane poles and fishin' holes. But if you really think about it, how much can it hurt? It's not like a fourth awards show will diminish the first three. Those already have their niches. (CMAs = good times in Nashville, ACMs = good times in Las Vegas, and CMT Music Awards = good times celebrating the videos and not just the music.) So this rookie show, the fan-voted American Country Awards, will be in Las Vegas and will air live on FOX on Dec. 6. The producer behind it is the same one who does the Teen Choice Awards, so he was probably thinking he'd like to put some of that success on his slice of the country pie. And I'm thinking the more classy country shows we have on television, the better.

Photo credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

This is the ultimate test of a singer's talent. When you strip away the bright lights, big stages and arenas full of fans, can he still blow you away with just his voice? After watching Trace Adkins do this Unplugged concert, I'd give that a big ol' yes. He sings a song that put him on the map 13 years ago, "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing," plus a few new ones, and then his latest hit "This Ain't No Love Song." But his very best, and most moving performance, is one that he says is a little out of his comfort zone. It's Larry Graham's "One in a Million," and it's so, so good. All this from a man who admits he was scared to sing in public after playing the cat in a third-grade play.

"Dim the lights ... I've voted myself off American Idol." That's what her Tweet said last week. And I think what she meant was: "Idol is going to suck now." She wouldn't say that because she's too nice. And being too nice is, in fact, the reason she's leaving the show. On her website, she says, "I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings." So nice + funny = perfect judge. But if it's not right for her, it's not right. Now the American Idol producers will have some very big shows to fill. There have been rumors, of course. Some claimed Aerosmith's Steven Tyler was considering the job -- to which Kelly Clarkson tweeted, "Just heard Steven Tyler might be a new judge on Idol this year. ... I'm thinking of auditioning again just so I can see him every week :)" But I don't want Idol to suffer. So I have a list going of other people in the industry who would fit in well at the judges' table if Tyler doesn't want the job. Feel free to add your own recommendations.

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She was there to sing. OK, sing and maybe show off her brand new wedding ring (a diamond band by Jonathon Arndt). But when I saw Carrie Underwood on the Today show on Friday (July 30), doing "Cowboy Casanova," then "Undo It," I was looking past the ring to the rest of the get-up. Thigh-high stockings (or were they boots?) Blouse, necktie and mini sport coat? And hair extensions? I guess becoming Mrs. Mike Fisher hasn't turned Underwood into a housewife just yet. Between songs, she told host Matt Lauer what married life is like so far. "It's a lot like dating life. It's good. We're both very busy people and understand each other's life," she said. "So we're OK with it." Fisher wasn't there because he's up in Canada teaching kids at a hockey school. And she even took a second to comment on the buzz about what will happen at the judge's table on American Idol. Everybody asks me, 'You know anything?' I know what you know. I have nothing!" she admitted.

When Clay Walker was singing on Lopez Tonight a couple of weeks ago, I was thinking that I could almost make a living out of loving him. I have felt that way since 1994, when I bought his If I Could Make a Living album. For 16 years I've been crazy about his voice. On Lopez, he did "She Won't Be Lonely Long," which is a great tune made even better with his subtle Texas twang. But what has me even more wound up is his new one, "Where Do I Go From You?" It's so him. With mandolin and steel behind him, he seems to have one-upped himself musically and vocally. He sounds like a cross between Rascal Flatts' Gary LeVox and George Strait on this one. I know that may not sound like a straight-up combination, but I swear it works.

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If you think you know Michael Sarver (he finished 10th on season nine of American Idol) just as an oil rig worker, you may not know the whole story. He told USA Today that while many assumed he'd go country, he also has gospel and soul in his roots and that's kind of where his debut album ended up. In fact, one song comes right out and says his dreams stretch far beyond the country line. But as you sift through the track-by-track review from the paper, it still sounds like there are a lot of country influences going on. The ones that sound like the best bets to me are "Safe," a waltz about how he will always be your home, and "Ferris Wheel," about the weightlessness you feel when you are falling in love. Then there's "Always Surviving," which I know I will love no matter what it's about, because it was written by two of Nashville's most gifted tunesmiths, Rachel Thibodeau and Rivers Rutherford.