Let's start with the positive. I applaud Eric Church's musical risk taking in his new single 'The Outsiders'. The instrumentation is certainly off the beaten path. He has rap, southern rock, country, and metal all mixed into one bizarre salad of a song. There are surprising and exciting transitions that on first listen kept my attention for the entire 4:14, despite my almost immediate disappointment with the lyrics.
I'm so sick of songs about "who we are" that it's doubtful I'll ever embrace this one. He may be celebrating to his rough and rowdy fan base, but it isn't interesting. The review on Taste of Country says "This isn't the thinking man's song like the best from "Chief". 'The Outsiders' runs on adrenaline and testosterone." I wish Church had chosen to do it all, the adrenaline, the testosterone, and the thinking. He's capable of it.
My dislike of 'The Outsiders' aside, I think this single bodes well for his next album. In the context of popular country music, "Chief" is a work of art, but the more I listen to it, the more I hope that his next album will have more of an edge. Listening to "Caught in the Act", his live album, I get the Eric Church growl that's missing from "Chief". If releasing a harebrained song like like 'The Outsiders' is his way of telling us "Watch out! I'm doing some crazy shit!" then good luck Mr. Church. I hope you pull it off.
Click the link below to read Taste of Country's review. They also have a link to the song.
I've been listening to The Band Perry's "Better Dig Two" for a few months now. I can't think of a song that I've struggled with in this exact way. It's a beautiful and, for country radio, interesting song, but at the same time, it makes me uncomfortable.
Every time I hear the song I ask a question. Would anyone put this song on the radio if it was sung by a man? The implication in the lyrics is that if her husband leaves her, she would kill him and die herself, one way or another.
I had female coworker years ago who told us that when they first got married she took her husband's gun, held it up in front of him and told him that if he ever cheated on her she was going to shoot him. We all chuckled and told her she was nuts, assuming that she would never really do something so crazy. Would we have laughed at all if her husband had been the one holding the gun? No. We would have told her that we were very worried for her safety, that he sounds unhinged. The murder/suicide phenomenon when a husband or boyfriend is the shooter is too common to just dismiss.
There are many lovable men in this world, including my wonderful husband, but no lover or spouse is worth the sentiments in this song. "Better Dig Two" is written from the perspective of a woman who has a loose grasp on reality. I certainly hope that this song hasn't given young women misguided notions about romance and love.
I have taken up exercise. Yes, you heard right, this poster child for the sedentary suburban lifestyle has gotten off her couch and started to run down the street like there's something chasing her.
My dog looks confused. "What's up with the ugly shoes, Mama?"
At first I made a playlist of energetic, catchy songs to keep me going, but soon that playlist became repetitive and I lost interest. My new approach is something I highly recommend to anyone who loves music and has a big music collection. Load an album you haven't listened to in a while, or a new album, and listen to it front to back, old style. I've been doing this for a couple of weeks and not only has it kept me engaged during my work-outs, but I've rediscovered some wonderful songs that have languished, unsynced for sometimes years.
Today I'm not feeling great so I just took a leisurely hour-long walk and listened to Jamey Johnson's Guitar Song. Have you heard "Cover Your Eyes?"
Click on the link for a video. You can forward 44seconds through Jay Leno to the song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAp4nExCTFg
Johnson can make a happily married woman feel like she's in the middle of heartbreak.
Another album I enjoyed jogging to is Miranda Lambert's Revolution. The song that stuck in my mind after that run was "Airstream Song". Nothing like a song about escape and adventure to keep you moving when you're running around the burbs. I couldn't find a decent recording of her singing it live, so here's a fan-made video. Hope you can skip the ad. I could. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShgRbLYwreA
The best album I've ran to lately was Metallica's Black Album. If you haven't listened to that one front to back lately, it's a masterpiece. The worst album, and I forced myself to listen to the entire darn thing, is Jason Aldean's new Night Train. In general, I like Jason Aldean. Night Train is just outright boring, but I'll save that for another post.
Ah Luke Bryan, you make my patriotism go Boom Boom.
Why does Luke Byran need to apologize for this performance? With all of the butchering of the Star Spangled Banner at sports events, I applaud him for making a cheat sheet.
I've been following 94.7 QDR's Koo Koo for Kenny contest over the last few days. Fans proposed a crazy activity that would be in exchange for tickets to Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw's Brothers of the Sun Tour, probably the most sought after tickets of the summer. I'm assuming the radio station received many proposals and chose the ones they thought were the most entertaining.
As much as I would love tickets, especially front row seats, for The Brothers of the Sun Tour, I wouldn't get a tattoo in exchange for those tickets if the tickets included a nightcap with Tim and breakfast in bed with Kenny.
The tattoo artist should have hidden an image of a Darwin Award in his design. Enjoy the concert,
Sir. Hope that laser tattoo removal doesn't sting too much.
I am so glad that Carrie Underwood came out in support of gay marriage. You would think that Nashville makes everyone who isn't a conservative member of the Republican party wear a gag by the silence of more liberal country music stars. Brad Paisley has played at the White House, but recently, Willie Nelson has been the only one out there willing to open his mouth.
Underwood explained her support for gay marriage during an interview with the Independent in the UK. You'll have to slog through a good bit of British condescension (country fans are "wide assed bible thumpers") to find her comments.
Carrie Underwood is going to do just fine without the support of a few people who decide which singer they are going to listen to according to politics and religion. Music either speaks to a listener or it doesn't and unless a singer says or does something outrageous, fans don't abandon them. I don't agree with all of Trace Adkins political views, but like his music and will buy it regardless of what he says on Fox News.
I think celebrities get in trouble with fans when they say something that is obviously disrespectful, be it disrespectful of their fans, a racial group, a religion, the president, or the nation. Although I'm sure many of her fans disagree with her on the subject of gay marriage, Underwood didn't attack them or their churches. She only talked about herself, her church, and her opinion. This is no Dixie Chicks incident.
After landing in Costa Rica and driving for three hours on windy, steep roads full of truck traffic and bridges only one car wide, I was near tears by the time we checked into our hotel, Leaves and Lizards, in the Costa Rican rain forest. The multitude of bugs that checked into our hotel room with us because we left a door open for too long pushed me completely over the edge.
When we sat down for dinner, alone in a large open-air dining room surrounded by the black of night, the sounds of country music were like a sign from God that things were going to start looking up and I was going to survive this family vacation.
So what were they playing at Leaves and Lizards, you ask? They had two albums on shuffle. Sugarland's Incredible Machine, and Brian McComas' 2003 self titled CD.
I had never heard Brian McComas. Now that I have, I'm 99.9% sure that his song "99.9% Sure (I've never been here before)" was the best possible song for the moment.
It ended up being a great trip, but apart from pictures and memories, the only souvenir I have is Brian McComas' almost ten year old album downloaded from itunes.
A couple days later in the dining room. All smiles.
I love writing about concerts. One of the most challenging things I've found in maintaining a blog is finding enough friends to join me at concerts. I have become self-conscious that I invite the same people over and over again. When I heard that Dierks Bentley was playing in Greensboro, NC, half an hour from Mom's house, I tried something new and asked if she'd like to accompany me.
"That sounds very interesting." my intellectual, classical music loving Mom said. "Sure! It will be an experience." Mom had no idea who Dierks Bentley is and doesn't listen to country music, but just like in 1983 when she agreed to chaperon my friends and I to The Police concert, Mom proved that she will go along with anything to be a part of her childrens' lives. At The Police concert she held her hands over her ears for the entire show, and at the end turned to us and said "That was fun!" "But Mom, you covered your ears the entire time!" "That's OK. I could still hear."
At the time, I didn't understand how Cadillac Black's hard Southern rock sound fit into the Dierks Bentley's show. Later that evening Bentley brought Jaren Johnston, the lead singer of TCB, on stage to join him in "The Woods", a song they co-wrote. Kudos to Johnston. "The Woods" is a song that is both fresh and easy to embrace, at least for those of us who spend a lot of time in the woods.
The Cadillac Black's "Whiskey Soaked Redemption"
Mom was happier with the Eli Young band. They closed their set with "Crazy Girl", the crowd belting out the chorus.
Eli Young Band's "Crazy Girl"
Dierks Bentley was relaxed, fun-loving and mischievous to a degree that I haven't seen in many other performers. He held fans' hands, took a sip from someone's flask, bantered, flirted, serenaded and made everyone there, including Mom, feel as loved as he himself must certainly feel. Mom's comment was "He is polished and comfortable in his own skin." Thankfully, his sound was fantastic so Mom could understand the wonderful lyrics and connect to his songs.
He opened with "Cold Cans" (and Country cliche. Oy!) and then moved through his hits and fan favorites. Before playing "Up on the Ridge" from his Bluegrass inspired album, he acknowledged North Carolina's influential role in the Bluegrass genre. He skipped the ritual of an encore and closed the set with "Home", "Tip it on Back" and everyone's favorite "What Was I Thinking?"
Mom teared up when he sang "Home". In 1956, at thirteen, she moved to the U.S. from Egypt. Egypt had expelled its Jewish residents allowing them to take a only a small amount of money and what they could carry. The verse "Brave/ Gotta call it brave to chase that dream across the sea." makes me think of her as well as my grandparents and great-grandparents who escaped the oppressive countries they were born in to create a better life for us in America.
Dierks Bentley's "Home"
When the show was over Mom said "That was fun! I'll go to another concert with you!" Perhaps I shouldn't consider my difficulty in finding concert companions a hindrance, rather a challenge to connect more willing friends and loved-ones to country music.
In this blog I struggle to balance information about a song, album, or event, and my personal story. At times I try to approach writing more like a journalist, but stories like this, about my personal connection to country music, are the reason I write.
I saw the Zac Brown Band on Friday night at Walnut Creek Pavillion in Raleigh with two friends. The Zac Brown Band is building a beautiful collection of hits that sound as good live as on the radio. It's a serious show. There are no sexy women on the big screen or wacky hijinks. It's just good music.
What stood out for me at this show was the covers. Usually when a band or singer does a cover it is just that, the band or singer playing another artist's song, either a popular song to get the crowd going (or groaning) or a song meaningful to the performer that is often lost on the audience. When Zac Brown Band does a cover, they make it their own. I was skeptical when they launched into Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" but in the middle of the song the focus turned to the fiddles, and I thought "Wow! This is interesting."
Then rife with the potential for cliche, they did Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" and I kid you not, the devil was present in their interpretation. The song was faster and harder than Daniels' original. A red strobe lights blinking. It was hellishly exciting. The crowd woke up like a wind up toy and went a little crazy, dancing like souls possessed. It was wild, just for a moment.
Three blonds kibitzing while waiting for the concert to start. Country Kibitzer in the middle.
So if you have a chance this summer, go see the Zac Brown Band. It's worth it. It's all about the music for these guys so you don't need a front row seat. If you like Zac Brown Band, as long as you can hear the music and see the screens from your seat you'll enjoy the show.
When Blake Shelton hit the jackpot with "Who are You When I'm Not Looking" and it sounded so similar to the one Joe Nichols recorded years ago, I was mildly annoyed. If you follow this blog you know I have a bit of an obsession with Joe Nichols' voice.
I am not as frustrated with Craig Morgan's version of "This Ole Boy" making it to radio while Nichols' version languishes in album only status. Morgan's version exudes the bubblegum happiness makes a song like that thrive on the radio. I prefer Nichol's deep, sleepy, more traditional take on it over Morgan's pop enthusiasm, but I'm probably in the minority in this case. Compare for yourself and let me know what you think.
You may need to close your eyes while playing the Craig Morgan video. Angie Harmon's effervescent performance is rather distracting.
Why on earth is anyone surprised by Eric Church's Rollingstone interview?
So he said some swear words, he insulted the elderly and he said something that some of us already think about "The Voice" and Blake Shelton. Apparently Church is indeed the angry redneck that he presents himself as and he's also a bit eccentric. That's why his music feels authentic. That's why we (dis)like him. And yes, that's why he makes some of us a little uncomfortable.
Was it good thinking for Eric Church to shoot his mouth off in a Rollingstone interview and hurt the feelings of some of his fellow country music stars? No, but if he finds himself in too deep he'll just jack up his truck a little higher and slog out of the muck as best he can with a mess of fans pushing from behind.
The line in the article that I found the most amusing was contributed by Arthur Buenahora, a Nashville macher (influencial executive)instrumental in getting Church on his way.
"He's probably the most misunderstood guys in our format because he's really the kind of guy you'd want to be buddies with" says Buenahora. "You'd want your sister to marry a guy like that."
Well, my sister is currently single, but I would really rather not have Eric Church and his dirty mouth at my Shabbat dinner table so I'm not going to encourage this relationship. I will continue to listen to him while chopping onions and basting the chicken.
If you haven't actually read it, find the Rollingstone article and do so. It's good reading! The article isn't available online to non-subscribers. Unless you're willing to pay their small fee you'll have to do it the old fashioned way, go to a magazine stand, look for the Rollingstone with Obama on the cover (Wow, Church must hate that.) and stand there for eight minutes and read the article.
Saturday January 21st, Crown Center, Fayetteville, NC
On Saturday night my husband and I drove an hour and a half through the rain to see Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan in Fayetteville. I realize this sounds a bit crazy since we get so many concerts in Raleigh, but I think it's worth driving to Fayetteville and we're going to do so more often. The Crown Center is a smaller indoor coliseum. One can see the performer without having to rely on video screens from any seat 100 level level of bleachers. Everything is also cheaper there than in Raleigh. Parking is free, a 24 oz beer is $8, a draft beer is only $6, and most of the food is under $5. Tickets for better seats also tend to be less expensive than in Raleigh. The fact that it required us to pay an additional $20 for a babysitter's time is rather besides the point. I'd rather help out a college student than spend the same money on parking, overpriced domestic light beer, and nachos.
Waiting for Aldean to come on stage from the back of Crown Coliseum.
This was taken with an iphone. Objects are closer than they appear.
We arrived in time to hear Lauren Alaina's very short but energetic set. Even though it's a cheesy song, I teared up a bit during "Like My Mother Does". The woman in front of me was bawling and my tear ducts involuntarily leaked sympathetically. Alaina did a cover of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" that she mashed-up to one of her songs but it wasn't memorable enough for me to even remember what song she sang. Her notable contribution to the tour is that she joins Aldean on stage and sings Kelly Clarkson's part in "Don't You Wanna Stay". After having seen a handful of concerts where the headliner sings with a projection of some sort, this is a welcome duet solution. Alaina has a strong enough voice to stand in Clarkson's shoes for a live performance of the duet. I doubt anyone in the audience was disappointed that Clarkson's digital image was left on the truck.
Luke Bryan opened with what my husband thinks is the stupidest song in country music, "Rain is a Good Thing". I'll argue that "Country Girl Shake it for Me" makes "Rain is a Good Thing" sound like an excerpt from Talmud. Luke Bryan really does have some idiotic lyrics. "Sittin' here, waitin' on a deer, drinkin' beer, and wasting bullets." "Girl, you make my Speakers go Boom Boom". I happen to like "Do I", "All My Friends Say" and his new song "I Don't Want the Night to End", not that any of the lyrics to these songs are any better. There is a grand canyon between what I think of Luke Byran's music, and my appreciation of him as a performer. The three times I've seen him live, he's been thoroughly entertaining. He's sexy. He wiggles his hips around, and all the ladies holler and giggle. He runs and skips all over the stage but also banters at the audience of 10,000 like it's an amusing intimate conversation. He's the perfect contrast to Aldean. Jason Aldean is a serious guy. He's in the business of country rock, and he delivers his services with little fanfare. Aldean rarely talks and he never dances. The fact that they're such good friends and enjoy touring together benefits both of them.
Jason Aldean played radio hit after radio hit and the audience was on their feet, bouncing around, waving their hands in the air, and singing for the entire performance. He opened with "Johnny Cash" and closed with "Dirt Road Anthem" and "Hicktown". The one song that many in the audience didn't yet know is "Fly Over States", the last single he'll release from the My Kinda Party album. I am so glad that he's chosen to release "Fly Over States" as it's one of my two favorite songs from the album. Sadly, the song I think is the most interesting on My Kinda Party, "Church Pew or Bar Stool" will probably slip into obscurity.
About halfway through Aldean's set, Bryan reappeared and the two of them did three or four acoustic songs on a platform in the back of the auditorium. It's not unusual for an artist to move onto a platform in the center of a performance space for a quiet breather. Both Brad Paisley and Tailor Swift do this at every concert. What I thought was special, if I dare use that word to describe part of a big commercial concert, was the combination of Aldean and Bryan, doing something very different than what we're used to seeing them do, an informal acoustic set. I'm sure it was mostly scripted, but the two musicians obviously trust one another enough to allow for moments of improvisation and their friendship is palpable.
Another bad iphone photo, this one of Bryan and Aldean during their acoustic set.
They were perhaps 40 feet in front of us.
There was a big contrast between this Aldean/Bryan concert and the one I saw two years ago at the same venue. Two years ago the audience sat through most of the songs, waiting for the few familiar hits. The family sitting next to me had clearly attended the show just to hear "Big Green Tractor", as did my then six year old daughter. Both musicians have enjoyed a huge amount of success in the last two years. They've gone from being relatively new stars to enormous established stars. I'll be interested to see if they continue to tour together every few years, or if they will decide they need to separate their tours to keep audience interest. My opinion is if they both continue to record well received new music, and they both significantly change up their setlists and shtick from year to year, they could continue to reap the benefits of their terrific chemistry indefinately.
Hubby wore a smile and a plaid shirt as per my request. There was a whole lot of plaid at this concert.
The blog has been terribly neglected during the last few months. My first resolution for the 2012 is to write more. At the very least, I will post a review of every concert I attend in 2012.
I also will not leave the house without at least some make-up on, and ponytails will be restricted to the gym and hiking trail.
But enough about resolutions.
This year I saw a ton of live shows. The best show by far was Taylor Swift's. The best country show I saw was the Country Showdown with Willie Nelson, Jamey Johnson, and Randy Houser. The concert that was the most fun, was Kenny Chesney's. The one I wish I hadn't missed is Toby Keith with Eric Church.
I started out the year distrusting Eric Church and ended up loving him. I went from thinking that he is just too aggressive and rough to thinking he's rather sexy and brilliant (on top of being aggressive and rough). As a side note, the combination of attraction and revulsion to men of the sort Church represents has been plaguing me since Junior High.
I discovered that David Nail really doesn't enunciate when he sings. The first time I saw him was when he opened for Lady Antebellum and I was sitting way in back. I figured that I couldn't understand him because of a sound issue. I saw him again in a smaller venue with good seats. I still couldn't understand him. Note to David Nail for the New Year. If there is ONE THING a country singer needs to do, it's to enunciate.
This year I want to see Dierks Bentley, Zac Brown Band, and Little Big Town. I've made a resolution that I'll see their shows if they come to town even if I have to go alone.
The first two shows of the year will be Jason Aldean with Luke Bryan and Lauren Alaina, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Let's kibitz later! A happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year to all.
My friend and loyal reader, Rachel, reminded me that it's been a while since we've kibitzed country music, so here we go...
The last concert I attended was in September, Brad Paisleys' H2O2 tour with Blake Shelton and Jerrod Niemann at The Time Warner Pavilion at Walnut Creek, Raleigh. To much time has passed since the concert so I'll skip the play by play and just give brief impressions.
Jerrod Niemann apparently has a goofy side. His band dressed as superheros. He got people on their feet, making arm letters and singing along to "For Everclear". I'm looking forward to seeing him perform again in November, at the Durham Performing Arts Center in the Country for Kids concert supporting UNC Childrens Hospital.
Blake Shelton sweats like a drunk...pig isn't accurate...I don't know. He sweats like a drunk country music star. At any minute you wonder if he's going to do or say something outrageous. But apart from the slight gross factor (Lord knows how he scored Miranda), my friends and I really enjoyed his show. I love Ol' Red, Austin, and Hillbilly Bone.
Brad Paisley is Brad Paisley. Everything about him and his performance is polished.
So what am I going to kibitz about? I'm going to kvetch about my pet peeves; sitting next to empty seats and people leaving concerts early in order to beat the traffic.
We had cheap lawn seats and were upgraded to real seats inside the pavilion. I'm assuming that they had security walking around the lawn handing out tickets for these seats because the area around the end of the catwalk, between the blue areas of sections 6 and 7 in the diagram below, was not full. It would have been embarrassing for Brad Paisley to sit on the end of the catwalk (on a toilet that night, due to a prank by Sunny Sweeny's band) singing a love song surrounded by (pink flamingos and) empty seats.
We were sitting in the back-middle of section 8.
Many seats in front of us and all of the seats to our left were empty.
This map is not to scale. The lawn is deeper than the pavilion itself and appeared to be very full.
It's unlikely that I will take those free upgraded tickets again. It's a buzzkill to sit in the back, on the edge of a puddle of bodies around the end of the catwalk, with a sea of empty seats stretching into the distance. The venue should try and fill the entire pavilion if they're already giving free upgrades. Why leave 500 or more empty seats? There were probably 8000 people on the lawn. Unless folks have learned their lesson and know that staying on the lawn is just more fun, they could have found takers for those tickets among people sitting very far back. A big part of a being at a concert is a sharing energy with other attendees. The only energy to be felt where we were sitting was from a group of shrieking sorority sisters sitting behind us. Being surrounded by empty seats sucks the life out of me.
Then, to make it worse, about halfway through Brad Paisley's set, people started to drift out. Why did these people come at all? Some of them payed over $100 a ticket. The people sitting next to us left 45 minutes before he was done in order to avoid traffic.
I think it is rude for an entire party to walk out of a concert in the middle of an artist's set. It's rude to the performer (even if they're used to it and no longer give it much thought) and it's rude to the audience. Perhaps the fact that I grew up attending classical music performances influences my opinion here. I can't imagine a quarter of the audience getting up and walking out of Meymandi Concert Hall in downtown Raleigh in the middle of a performance by Yo-Yo Ma in order to avoid getting caught in a bit of traffic.
In the video Nichols creates a magical "Take It Off" frame out of newspaper. When a woman, walking down the street minding her own business, crosses into the frame, she suddenly finds herself in a bikini holding a beach bag. Of course she's thrilled and proceeds to the party happening at the large above ground pool in the middle of an intersection.
Apart from the fact that this song had much greater video potential than just another girls in bikinis party video, I'm wondering if Joe Nichols doesn't realize that his greatest fan base is female. We're not interested in watching another bunch of skinny girls in bikinis frolicking in a pool. At the very least, Mr. Nichols, take your own shirt off! Why is it that everyone else in the video is half dressed when viewed through the "Take it Off" frame, but you, Sir, change into a drab grey T-shirt? If you can dish it, you can take it...off!
Anytime you tell anyone who has been to a Kenny Chesney concert that you're going to a Kenny Chesney concert, they say "You'll have fun. Kenny Chesney puts on the best show", or "Kenny Chesney concerts are a blast." Kenny Chesney has been channelling Jimmy Buffet, so my assumption before the concert was that it is going to be one big party.
The scene is set when we park our car and out of the SUV next to us tumbles, like clowns out of a phonebooth, a seemingly endless stream of barely legals with open containers and attitudes. One young lady rushes across to the edge of the woods and squats in plain view of the parking lot and the handful of men also doing their business along that strip of woods. Welcome to a Kenny Chesney concert.
Happily waiting for the show to begin.
Our car is parked almost mile away, so for 16 minutes we march with our lawnchairs past tailgaters swilling beer, with their tents and cornhole. We know we are close when we arrive at the RV parties, complete with bigscreen TVs and Karaoke machines. There is always tailgating at Walnut Creek, there is just more of it than usual. We are a little surprised when we were able to score a spot on the lawn about a quarter of the way back, right in the center. The gates have been open for half an hour but everyone is still outside partying, and has been for almost two hours. As we're sitting there observing the abundance of cute girls in their daisy dukes, boots, and braids we notice a young woman weaving back and forth as she approaches the group sitting in front of us. "Where do I know you from?" she slurs. There are smiles and hugs and then she stumbles back to her seat. The concert hasn't even started yet and she's already smashed.
I thought these young women looked great in their get-ups.
Uncle Kracker was the first to open. My friend Kristie jokes, "Well of course he's opening. Isn't it his job to follow Kenny Chesney around?" It's easy to poke fun at Uncle Kracker but I like his song "Good to be Me". In general, his set is underwhelming. He closes with his buddy Kid Rock's "All Summer Long", and by then most of the partiers have drifted in, filling in the spaces. An unconscious vomit streaked 20 something is spotted being carried out on a lawnchair by an army of security. The concert has barely begun. That's not fun.
Billy Currington gets the crowd on their feet. I love the sense of humor in his songs. Because we are sitting so far back at the concert I don't have much to say about Currington's set apart from that it's fun to sing along with him. He has just enough hits to make him the perfect opening act. He can fill his short set with songs we all know.
I head to the restrooms right after he leaves the stage, and, after being stuck in a crushing bottleneck that forces me to tread across the former contents of someone's stomach, I find myself in a line to the ladies room that was, I kid you not, at least 1000 women long. The bathroom mission is aborted and replaced by a beer run. I did manage to make it back to the restroom in the middle of Chesney's set. There was no line and just one sick girl standing over a garbage can with her very patient friend, missing the concert. That's not fun.
The lawn was packed at Walnut Creek
Enter Kenny Chesney! "I love you Kenny! I love you!" Shrieks the drunk blond behind me, right into my ear. We are so far back that when I extend my arm and hold up my thumb, Kenny Chesney is the height of my thumbnail. Although with better visibility comes a better experience, being at a concert where the audience knows every single word of every single song is a whole lot of fun, regardless of where you're sitting. The crowd is singing along, and when he quiets for even a second, the space is filled with a roar. Everybody is dancing, from the 6 year old in a gingham dress on her father's shoulders to the shirtless beer-bellied 65 year old with the handlebar mustache. All the couples are hugging and quite a few making out, including the lesbian couple nearby. There was so much love and happiness in the amphitheater it's clear; when people say that a Kenny Chesney concert is a blast, that's what they're talking about. Photos of Kenny Chesney in concert from www.newsobserver.com
The concert ended. While waiting for my friends to get through the restroom line, I shared a picnic table with a family. Their 20 year old son appears to be a mean drunk, strutting around, flexing his bare pectorals and looking for a fight. I said to his older sister, "Maybe he just needs a hug." She snorts. He suddenly sits down. "Mama, I'm so thirsty. I'm just so thirsty." Mama rolls her eyes. I toss him my water bottle. He drinks it down, shuts up and puts his head in his hands. He has stopped having fun.
We march back to the car, past the recharged RV parties, over the creek and through the woods (literally) with a lively bunch of folks, to find the youngsters from the car parked next to us locked out of their car, with the battery dead. Two of them are curled up on a blanket exhausted or nearly passed out. Nobody has a AAA account except one of the girls on the blanket, and she'd have to call her Mom for the number. She wasn't rushing to call Mom. After attempting to help them problem solve for a few minutes we threw in the towel and said "Good luck." Security would eventually help them or the seemingly sober driver would break down and call his parents. They would be OK, but that's not fun.
Now you may ask, why is so much of this article about drunks? Because apart from the music, there is a whole lot of drinking at a Kenny Chesney concert. I've been to around twenty concerts and shows in the last two years and haven't seen so much drunkenness. Even I, for the first time in my 25 years of driving, decided to leave my car where I parked it that afternoon, in a friend's driveway, and pick it up the next morning. If stopped by the police, I surely would have failed a breathalyzer test. I was not the designated driver so it's neither here nor there that I drank a couple beers into tipsy, but it is no wonder that so many of the twenty somethings ended up as complete messes.
So is there a moral to the story? Of course, but it's obvious. I had fun. The majority of attendees had fun. The only people who didn't have fun are the ones who drank themselves into oblivion or had to take care of a sick friend. Don't be one of those people. Kenny Chesney concerts are a blast.
Did you know that Cracker Barrel actually has its own record label? The other day I had to google "Cracker Barrel locations" in order to purchase Jason Michael Carroll's new album, Numbers. I met my friend Rachel and her sweet little girl for lunch and as we walked in I shook my head and said to Rachel "the things I'll do for country music...." After partaking of a biscuit, chicken & dumplin's, green beans, fried okra, sweet tea (all adding up to over 1300 calories, oh no!) and good conversation, I bought the CD, loaded it into the player in the trunk of my car and headed home, speakers blasting.
Country Kibitzer wondering why she's eating at Cracker Barrel when she's on a diet.
This was just the beginning.
Jason Michael Carrol lives in the Raleigh area, so I've seen him perform three times in the last nine months and have heard at least half of the songs on the album during those performances. I expected to like this album. What was unexpected was my becoming so completely immersed in the album that I missed two separate exits onto highways that could take me home. If you happened to see a chubby but cute blond mama in an old Mercury, singing and dancing in her seat while circling the RDU Airport on August 2nd, after lunch, that was me.
The album opens with a "This is for the Lonely", an uptempo song, with terrific lyrics, that showcases Carroll's beautiful voice. When Carroll hits those low notes, it goes straight to my toes. Of all the songs on the album, they definitely chose the right one to start with. I'd like to hear "This is for the Lonely" on the radio.
JMC performing "This is for the Lonely" at UNC-Pembroke.
As videos recorded from the audience go, this one has decent sound.
Numbers, the first single off the album, has grown on me over the last few months. QDR, our local country station, has played it with such frequency that my original wall of resistance crumbled. That was the song I was belting at the top of my lungs as I missed the exits to the highway. Still, the subject matter is perplexing, but who cares? It's a pretty song.
A fan made video for "Numbers" with photos of JMC in concert.
"Numbers" is followed by a spiritual but sad "Ray of Hope", a song about loneliness and prayer. It is a quiet and lovely song that many people will be able to relate to.
"Meet Me in the Barn" is the party song on the album and I'm thrilled to finally have a recorded version to dance around the kitchen to. I've heard him perform "Meet Me in the Barn" three times with his band, so was taken by surprise when toward the end of the song a female voice enters the mix. The addition of the female voice is great but it's unclear who the woman singing is. Does anyone know? This song was supposed to be the first single from the album, but due to another song about a barn being released by Trace Atkins at the same time, they decided to release the song "Numbers". I do hope "Meet Me in the Barn" makes it to radio because it makes me smile.
Another good recording from the UNC-Pembroke show by the same fan.
"Meet Me in the Barn" performed without the female vocalist mentioned above.
Another entertaining song is the quirky "Can I Get an Amen", an odd and unexpected political song. It sports lines like "I believe in equal pay, if the job's the same why pay somebody less. It don't make sense. And I believe in women's rights, but I ain't gonna lie, I do like a short, tight dress." and "I believe in loud guitars, smoky bars and muscle cars, pick-up trucks and gun control, as long as they leave mine alone." The originality of having a gospel choir accompany him on this type of song is disarming and caused me giggle until I teared up with happiness. Finally, a song about being a moderate redneck. Beautiful!
The remaining six songs are all about relationships. They range in quality from OK to good. He performed "Let Me" and "Last Words" at Rapids Jam and I enjoyed them live. The weakest one is "My Favorite" which is just too schmaltzy. "Stray" is interesting but it's about knowing that your partner is destined to cheat. Oy. What a bummer of a topic. According to the dates on YouTube videos, "Stray" (click for info) is a song Carroll has been performing for some time. Apparently he wanted to put it on his first album but the record label refused. If he's been performing "Stray" for this long it was probably a great decision to finally record it.
"Stray"
He closes the album with his hit from a few years ago, "Alyssa Lies". I have seen grown men cry during this song at his show. It's a good one.
If you like Jason Michael Carroll's voice I suggest going to Cracker Barrel and buying the CD, but learn from my mistakes. Don't overeat! Tonight I had carrots, celery, and pickels for dinner.
I wasn't planning on attending the Tim McGraw concert but we have a 21 year old Israeli camp counselor staying with us for a few weeks. I asked her if she had any interest in going for the cultural experience, assuming she had no idea who Tim McGraw is. "Tim McGraw? He's married to Faith, yes? I watch E. Can I wear a cowboy hat?" It's a small world, y'all.
The Band Perry opened. They did a very short set and sang 2-3 songs in addition to the three songs we know from the radio. Luke Bryan got a bigger reaction from the crowd of mostly women. As one would expect from Luke Bryan, he put on an energetic and sexy show. Bryan radiates mischief, which is why it was easy to believe Tim McGraw when he blamed his broken foot on Bryan.
The following is public service message to all country music stars. If you have a broken foot and it hurts, sit down. You do not need to move around the stage with a broken foot. We do not care if you chose to do your whole performance from a hospital bed in traction, as long as you want to perform.
Tim McGraw announced that this performance was being broadcast live on Sirius XM radio. He then proceeded to overdo it and walked right off the stage after 15 minute 30-45 minutes (thank you anonymous commenter for correcting me), leaving his band to awkwardly finish the song. After a momentary pause his keyboard player of 18 years, Jeff McMahon came on and explained that Tim needed to catch his breath. McMahon sang two of his own songs for us. Even though one of my friends called this keyboard player "the sacrificial lamb" he held his own and the crowd gave him plenty of love. I really enjoyed his song Angela's Wings, which I found on YouTube for you (click) . McMahon said that this was a first for him (performing solo on the fly for 15,000 people who were there to see McGraw) so if anything good comes of McGraw's broken foot, I hope it comes to McMahon. His performance was, as they would say on Seinfeld, a feat of strength.
The Band Perry then joined McMahon on the stage and performed two more songs including a medley of American favorites like "American Pie" and "Jack and Diane". They are just cute as three little buttons, but by now we were ready for McGraw to come back on and people were starting to wonder if he was done for the night. McGraw did reappear after a 20-30 minute break. He reopened with "I Miss Back When" and was joined by Luke Byran, who dressed up the line "back when a screw was a screw" with some very naughty hip thrusts. For the most part, McGraw refused to sit on the stool they had put on the stage for him. He sounded fine as he limped around, waving his cane in the air and letting the first row sign his blue cast as he passed. I do think the entire crowd would have breathed a sigh of relief if he has just sat his tush down.
He closed with "Live Like You Were Dying", "Indian Outlaw" and "I Like It, I Love It". For all of McGraw's difficulties in the end it was a great show. Once he came back on, McGraw put his all into giving the audience what they came for. I suppose that's the stuff that makes him a country superstar.
I wonder if Sirius XM broadcast the entire thing. Does anybody know?
On Saturday, day three of Rapids Jam, Tracy and I arrived at the concert late to shorten our exposure to the heat. First we went out to lunch in Roanoke Rapids at Logans Roadhouse (I don't recommend it for salads. My salad was wet.) and then asked in the Starbucks where to walk around and do some shopping. After expressing their frustrations on the scarcity of attractions in Roanoke Rapids, the baristas sent us to the Riverside Mill shops in Weldon. It was air conditioned and had a nice combination of QVC closeouts (I bought a sweater of all things), good quality pottery and crafts, antiques, and used books. If you want to do a little shopping next year in the Rapids Jam area, I suggest Riverside Mill.
One hot Southern mess! That is the word to describe Saturday at Rapids Jam. It was around 100 degrees and even after the sun went down, it never cooled to a comfortable temperature. The only people busier than the water vendors were the EMS. We sat under the shade tent for the hottest part of the day and watched a stream of people being transported on ATVs back to the first aid tent. At one point it was so hot that I considered taking up smoking again so I could go into one of the tobacco promotions tents which appeared to be air conditioned. We decided that it was too hot to stay in our sunny seats for any act that wasn't really good, so I'm only going to review the good performances we watched from beginning to end.
Jason Michael Carroll
Until Scotty McCreery came along, Jason Michael Carroll was our country music hometown hero in the Raleigh area. Since I'm not a teenager, in my book he still is. JMC has an album coming out (to be available at Cracker Barrel) that appears to be chock full of terrific songs, including his current single, Numbers. Numbers has grown on me quite a bit since I last wrote about it. He focused his show at Rapids Jam on songs from his new album, including Let Me (Beautiful), and Meet Me in the Barn (Sexy), and Last Word (OK). This is the third time I've seen JMC live and he's always good. He moves that wonderful bass voice of his all over the stage. At Rapids Jam he tripped on a piece of equipment while running backwards and fell flat on his back but he kept right on singing. At Rapids Jam it was too hot to jump up and down with at the appropriate place during "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead", but of course I wept during Alyssa Lies. That song breaks my heart, and with the memory of an act the day before telling the audience to "beat their children" I'm sure glad he played it.
Clay Walker
Clay Walker was also good but he had some problems with feedback and at one point seemed a little aggravated with a stage hand. I also think the heat may have been getting to him but it's obvious while watching Clay Walker perform that he's a guy with a great sense of humour. He opened with "I'm in the Mood for You." He sang one of my favorites, "Before She Was Mama", which always makes me laugh. "She Won't Be Lonely Long" in my opinion is one of the sexiest songs out there so that was excellent to hear. "Jesse James" was a little awkward (it always is) but I like the lyrics to that one. He played one song that sounded like a Mexican vacation party song (not sure if it's an old or new one) while he shot confetti out above the audience. Of all the acts at the festival, his felt like a fun summer concert. If it just hadn't been so darn hot.
Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum closed the festival. I saw them last summer but had terrible seats. Even though it was still baking hot at 10pm this concert was more enjoyable than the more temperate one last summer from bad seats. They played all of their hits and some of the songs they've penned or co-written for other artists, including Sara Evan's "Little Bit Stronger" (co-written by Hillary Scott). They closed with "Just a Kiss" and "Need You Now", in that order. Hearing those two songs in that order is like the story of a first date turning into a booty call a few hours later and I was amused. Of the three headliners, Willie Nelson, Sugarland, and Lady A, I definitely enjoyed Lady A's concert the most. Country music snobs can me shallow and accuse me of having terrible taste in music but Lady Antebellum deserve their popularity. They have a wonderful country/pop sound and have generated a lot of excellent songs in a very short period of time.
Fried Chicken, Green Beans, Fried Cornbread, and Chicken with Pastry at the Broadnax Diner
After Tracy and I indulged in a terrific fried chicken lunch at the Broadnax Diner in Seaboard, NC (worth the half an hour drive), Friday at Rapids Jam started out strong. It opened with a wonderful North Carolina singer and songwriter (now living in Nashville, according to her biography), Karla Davis. She is charming, funny, has a sweet voice, writes excellent songs, and is just plain ol' lovable. Her performance was mellow but the audience was not. Even though the place was still almost empty when she was onstage, the people who were there hooted and cheered her on as she stayed on stage past her allotted time. She was admittedly a newbie on the big festival stage and enjoying every moment of it. The most memorable song she sang was "Whiskey's got a job to do" but I enjoyed her entire performance and happily bought a CD. Hopefully we'll hear more from her as she continues on her journey.
Karla Davis
The opening act I was excited about was James Wesley, who sings "Real". He had that one hit this year without having an album out. He's recently released "Didn't I" which sounds like a sequel to Luke Bryan's "Do I". The two of them should do a mashup duet. We were not disappointed by the performance. He is a fine looking man with a smile right out of a Crest Whitestrips ad and, more to the point, he has a beautiful voice. Unfortunately I have lost my notes on his performance, but it was good. Everyone sitting around us talked about putting his album on their to-buy list when it comes out later in the summer. There was a long line for his meet-n-greet. I usually don't stand in meet-n-greet lines because I find those exchanges to be awkward. Luckily my friend Jenn (aka Lovin' Lyrics Promotions) was on the scene and since she knew both of us, I felt more comfortable and was able to say something nice without stuttering and sounding like an idiot.
Tracy, James Wesley, and Country Kibitzer
Apart from "This Ain't Nothin'" I've had a neutral reaction to Craig Morgan. For the most part I just haven't been able to relate to many of his songs. It surprised me how much I enjoyed his show. Of the acts at Rapids Jam, the only one I changed my opinion on was Craig Morgan. I've even stopped changing the station when "What I love about Sundays" comes on. That is what I love about hearing someone live. A good performance will increase my appreciation of an artist because it gives a good idea of what they're really about. Craig Morgan seems like a real mensch, and a mensch gets extra points in my book.
Craig Morgan
At some point during the day we saw a young, Carolina raised band called McKenzies Mill (go to their website to hear music). I liked them a lot, but Tracy did not. They were too loud for her. They are loud. I hate trying to define a band's style since I'm no expert, but I think they have a sound that combines southern rock, metal, and country. I loved that they sang a cover of The Band's song "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down". I probably haven't heard that song since college. I enjoyed everything they played except the one song they said they're pitching in Nashville. As is usually the case, it wasn't nearly as interesting as anything else in their performance. Their mother was their merchandise lady. I thought that was complete given how naughty these boys seemed, so I bought an album.
Darius Rucker has grown on me over the last year. I didn't love his self-named album and remember not being excited about seeing him open for Brad Paisley last summer. I ended up enjoying that concert more than expected, possibly because he played quite a few covers and Hootie songs. When the songs from Charleston, SC 1966 started being released, especially "This" I became a fan. I think "This" is one of the best songs recently released to radio by anyone. His show at Rapids Jam was a whole lot of fun. He played more of his newer music than covers or Hootie songs and the audience loved him. He was energetic and full of joy. Darius Rucker radiates positive energy.
Darius Rucker
Tracy with Darius Rucker's bodyguard. We felt very safe, too.
Sugarland was Sugarland. They give are very creative and give a terrific show. I'm not the biggest Sugarland fan but am glad I got a chance to see their concert from such good seats. As far as I'm concerned, they are the most creative act in country music.
Sugarland in front of their giant circular HD screen. Cool stuff.
