CMT Blog: Gary Allan

As far as star-studded country lineups go, this ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn - The Last Rodeo tribute concert in Las Vegas probably tops them all. It seems like every day they add a few more artists to up the ante even more. So naturally, I want to go. What country fan wouldn't? This tribute concert has just about everyone now: Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Taylor Swift, Sugarland, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban. And I wouldn't be surprised if folks like Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Zac Brown Band, Montgomery Gentry, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and/or Gary Allan decide to get in on the fun. The show's going to be filmed on April 19 (the day after the ACM Awards) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, then will be on CBS on May 23.

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This year's Country Radio Seminar is quite an event for music industry hot shots. But who cares about them? Now you can get into some of their swanky private parties, shows and events. Yes, there are some costs involved. Like you have to get yourself to Nashville for the events between Feb. 24-26 and then jockey for the dwindling supply of hotel rooms. And you have to be the highest bidder on this CMT Auction site. But listen to what you might get: Two passes to Lunchapalooza, a concert with a list of performers so long I'm sure it will go way past the lunch hour: Sugarland, Vince Gill, Billy Currington, Josh Turner, Jamey Johnson, Gary Allan, Julianne Hough, Lee Ann Womack, Laura Bell Bundy and other artists on the Universal Music Group roster. Two front row tickets to the private Taylor Swift & Friends Music City Jam Concert. Two tickets and meet-and-greet passes to any Reba McEntire show during 2010. Or even two VIP seats to see American Idol finalist Danny Gokey along with two passes to meet him. This is all in an effort to support the Country Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame, whose mission is to preserve the genre. There's only about one day left. And if you want to win you have to bid. So sign in and start refreshing your screen until your name comes up as the highest bidder.

Four new music videos took the CMT New Video Evaluation Team through the emotional gamut from A to B in the latest screening session. Gary Allan suffers, Collin Raye agonizes. Matt Kennon mans the telephone help line, but Colt Ford says the hell with it -- let's party!

Artist: Gary Allan
Video: "Today"
Director: Stephen Shepherd

Gary Allan brings another emotional song about a relationship gone very wrong, gone all wrong. And, as usual, he draws the listener in and makes you want to listen to him.

Panelists' comments: "I can see that one doing very well for him." "I love Gary, but I just don't know about this one." "Depends on if you're happy or sad going into it."

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As one of the most popular contemporary songwriters in Nashville, Odie Blackmon has earned a career that many starving artists would envy. He's managed to secure major cuts like George Strait's "She'll Leave You With a Smile" and Lee Ann Womack's "I May Hate Myself in the Morning," but rather than gloat on his success, he's sharing his secrets with aspiring songwriters on a new DVD, The Craft of Writing Hit Songs. Early on, Blackmon explains song structure and emphasizes that you don't have to be a strong singer or guitarist to write songs. He also uses several Gary Allan tunes he's co-written (such as "Tough All Over" and "Nothin' On but the Radio") to underscore tutorials on finding the groove and nailing the first line. Toward the end he gives insightful tips that I would have never considered -- trying to write melodies without instruments, for example. In his 14 years as a songwriter, he says the biggest rush comes when he realizes he's "on the scent" of a hit song. Gleaning tips from this DVD might help younger songwriters experience that thrill, too.

For the first time ever in my life, I cut down a fresh Christmas tree this weekend. Well, technically I didn't do the cutting. My husband did that. But I wandered up and down the rows of trees searching for the perfect tree. He was in charge of the saw, the bailing and the ropes to tie it to the top of the car. The kids were in charge of fighting over which tree was THE tree. And I was in charge of the music to get us there and back and in the mood for the holidays. So this is the list of music I put together. Some is old, some is new. Some is religious, some is not. But it's a nice well-rounded country list that I can't stop listening to even though our little road trip is over and the tree is all lit up and fully ornamented.

"Blame It On the Mistletoe," Toby Keith
"Please Come Home for Christmas," Keith Anderson
"All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan" Kenny Chesney
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When Gary Allan needed a video for "Today," he chose to use a live performance from his Get Off on the Pain tour. What's interesting is that it seems like Allan also opted to use the actual audio from the show and not just the video. Sometimes you will see a live video while hearing the studio produced version of the song, but Allan makes sure you get the true concert experience. In fact, in a recent interview backstage at the Ryman Auditorium, he told reporters, "I think that what I'm good at, is making sure it's honest. If it's dishonest, it's very transparent."

Today is All Souls' Day. So at the early Mass this morning, my priest asked us all to help the faithful departed get through the pearly gates by praying for them. And pray we did. But as I was thinking about all the people in my life who are now resting in peace, I couldn't help but think of all the songs that seem to celebrate the mournful moments as well as the celebratory moments. So many seem to capture tragic loss, and so many are good at extolling the virtues of eternal life. Feel free to add to the list.

"Go Rest High on That Mountain," Vince Gill
"Who You'd Be Today," Kenny Chesney
"When I Get Where I'm Going," Brad Paisley
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I met Chris Young last week and he couldn't have been sweeter. Until he started singing. Then his smoky, dirty, sexy, I-want-you-naked side came out when he sang "Gettin' You Home." It's the one about her black dress hitting the floor and loving him all night long. In a way, songs like this are aspirational more than they are relatable. I think I speak for a lot of married couples when I say that it's been a while since the lyrics of this song have rung true. So I put together a playlist of country songs to kind of bring the sexy back.

"Gettin' You Home," Chris Young
"Need You Now," Lady Antebellum
"What I'd Give," Sugarland
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"When you get a new guitar, it's like dancing with someone else's wife," Gary Allan said in the middle of his 90-minute show last night (Oct. 14) at Chicago's House of Blues. As he introduced his new guitar to the sold-out crowd of about 1,500 people, he went on to explain how he got it (drove two hours to meet some guy in a Shoney's parking lot) and why (his guitars were crushed when a tornado struck at a show in Canada this summer).

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When you've sold 10 million albums in a really, really short amount of time, you'd never dream of retiring. You'd play on. And on. And on. How perfect, then, that Carrie Underwood has named her third album Play On. It doesn't come out for another 64 days so I don't have an advance copy yet. But I did just see her in concert last night (Aug. 30) and she gave no indication of "new stuff." She played a long list of her hits and a couple of covers but not once did she ask the audience if it was OK to try out some of her new songs.

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