Saw him in Indy this spring and was amazed at the great crowd he drew.

Dirt Road Anthem is good song....I also like Why and The Truth....

This is a FANTASTIC song imo. The song Carolyn is also underrated imo.

I love Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink as well, but it's more well known I guess. I got the chance to see the Hag in 1999 and I was really disappointed. Didn't play long at all and was definitely not into the show. Must have caught him on an off night.

Daddy Frank, The Way I Am, and That's the Way Love Goes would round out my top few from the Hag.

I kind of liked Lucky Old Sun, listen to some of it when I want to mellow out myself. Way Down Here and Boats are good chill out, fall asleep kind of songs....

Here's a fantastic James Taylor song that the Possum covered, and JT does backup on....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTFXR...eature=related

I'm disappointed to hear that Pride and Possum aren't great live. I've never had the chance to see either. I did see Don Williams about 12 or 13 years ago, though, and that soothing baritone voice sounded as good as ever.

It Must Be Love http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cogw5...eature=related
Lay Down Beside Me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3G9A...eature=related
Heartbeat In the Darkness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADu6W7Ip9Bs
Stay Young http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjNrNqMeFOQ,
If I Needed You (with Emmylou Harris) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BRUC7d8JDA,
If Hollywood Don't Need You http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvT0p184ZLY

I must say, to pull back on my Chesney criticisms a bit, I really enjoy this "You and Tequila" single a lot.

Saw Keith Urban on Sunday, actually. Third time seeing him live, and he still isn't boring.

I'm loving "You and Tequila" as well. It's a bit of a change from his recent "beach music", but I never ever have a complaint about Kenny.

My favourite George song is probably Ocean Front Property or Amarillo by Morning, for what it's worth. I saw him last year at Craven, and it was one of the biggest, fullest shows I've ever been to. Outdoor stage, big mud pit pretty much, and after a Riders game. Drunk, rowdy guys in their 20's (like me) were just in awe of his performance.

I'm getting in the Prairie Oyster again recently. Solid, solid ensemble.

Also, you guys should check out Gord Bamford's "Hank Williams Lonesome". Decent singer from Alberta, but this is one of the more creative Hank Williams tributes I've ever heard. Could someone post that in this thread? I'm on my phone.

I'm confused.

Friday and Saturday in Regina with some clients both nights so it was more of a "hosting in a suite" type thing, and Sunday in Saskatoon with some friends just sitting in the stands and drinking.

Somebody mentioned Don Williams earlier.

This song reminds me of being a young, young boy and hearing my dad sitting at the kitchen table smoking a cig and singing this song. Good memories.

Ah. Pretty impressive to not get bored after three straight days of the same set. But I can buy it with Keith Urban; such a great live act.

I'm not sure if I've posted this in this thread or not yet, but I had a similar situation with a Taylor Swift show a couple years ago.

A friend and I saw her on Thursday night in Edmonton opening up for Kenny Chesney, then after the show we made the 8 hour drive to Craven (three day outdoor country music festival) to see her headline on the Friday night. On zero sleep, of course. So, we saw Taylor twice in a little over 24 hours and it was the greatest thing ever. We proceeded to get very, very little sleep over the next few days. I remember the recovery from that weekend being a damn mess.

Unfortunately, no. That is the "live version" of the song. That verse was never recorded in the studio. The same is true for the "kiss my ass" verse of Friends in Low Places. You will only hear those verses with crowd noise in the background.

For the record Garth Brooks is far and away my favorite artist.

It was funny that someone mentioned disliking his "In Pieces" album as that is my favorite. Specifically, I like Standing Outside the Fire and Callin Baton Rouge from that album.

Enjoyed reading the thread thus far and enjoyed hearing some new music.

Figured I'd bump this for the CMA awards (next Wednesday the 9th) and see if I could drum up any discussion on that.

Thoughts on each category...

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Nominees: Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban

I admit that I'm always a bit unclear on the criteria they judge this on. They bring in lots of factors, but I can't tell how heavily each factor is weighted. That makes it consistently hard to predict the winner. I was very happy to see Paisley finally break through and win last year after so many losing nominations in a row. This year, I think it's too early for Aldean to win it, but any of the other four can make a very reasonable case for the win. I'd be slightly surprised if Urban won, but I'm guessing Taylor Swift has the biggest concert tour this past year and Blake Shelton has the mainstream attention by being on the NBC show while also being big on radio.
Pick: Shelton

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Nominees: Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban

This is more on charts and album I think. They've all been big this year and this is somewhat of a toss-up where no result would surprise me. I definitely feel like Blake Shelton will grab at least one of the big two awards that he's up for.
Pick: Shelton

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Nominees: Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood

Much love to the older ladies (who are both still hot), but it's one of the three young blondes who will take this for sure. Taylor is the biggest star and I'll pick her, but Lambert or Underwood winning wouldn't surprise me in the least.
Pick: Swift

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Nominees: The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Thompson Square, Chris Young

This is stronger top-to-bottom than this category often is, but I definitely have to rate Bryan and Young as the favorites. Those are the two I expect to certainly see as legitimate contenders in the Male Vocalist category in the future. Luke is a bit more established at this point, so he's my pick.
Pick: Bryan

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Nominees: Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry, Little Big Town, Rascal Flatts, Zac Brown Band

Kind of amazing how quickly Rascal Flatts just became a category-filler for this category. I thought they were going to dominate it as long as Brooks and Dunn dominated the duo category, though I'm not much of a fan of the Flatts. Lady A is the clear favorite here, though ZBB pulling an upset is possible. Absolutely love both.
Pick: Lady A

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Nominees: The Civil Wars, Montgomery Gentry, Steel Magnolia, Sugarland, Thompson Square

No analysis needed; Sugarland wins and the rest clap politely. Anything else would be shocking.
Pick: Sugarland

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Nominees:
"A Little Bit Stronger," Sara Evans
"Colder Weather," Zac Brown Band
"Don't You Wanna Stay," Jason Aldean w/ Kelly Clarkson
"Honey Bee," Blake Shelton
"If I Die Young," The Band Perry

I sort of shrug at this song by The Band Perry that got so big. Never really liked it. Objectively I don't think it wins this category anyway. I think the favorite is "Colder Weather" followed by "Don't You Wanna Stay."
Pick: "Colder Weather"

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Nominees:
Blake Shelton, All About Tonight
Jason Aldean, My Kinda Party
Taylor Swift, Speak Now
Brad Paisley, This is Country Music
Zac Brown Band, You Get What You Give

I admit that Swift, Paisley and ZBB are the only of these three albums that I have and have heard in full. Among those, I'd tend to vote for Taylor Swift. But lacking full knowledge, my pick is even less credible than the rest.
Pick: Swift

SONG OF THE YEAR
Nominees:
"Colder Weather," Zac Brown Band
"Dirt Road Anthem," Jason Aldean
"If I Die Young" The Band Perry
"Mean," Taylor Swift
"You and Tequila," Kenny Chesney w/ Grace Potter

You never see the same song win both song of the year and single of the year, but like with Shelton earlier I'll cover my bases and just take "Colder Weather" twice and nab what feels like a very strong chance at getting at least one.
Pick: "Colder Weather"

Beyond the awards themselves, I always enjoy watching the event too. Usually pretty much all of the big acts perform and you see almost anyone you want to for at least one song. I can't seem to find who is scheduled to perform yet.

Oh, and Brad Paisley/Carrie Underwood are a very good hosting tandem. Glad they're back at it this year.

Carrie Underwood should win every award, host the show, be the model that walks people backstage, and move into my house.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPXfuRPRyRI

every time i hop in the car i gotta put this one on

She really is smoking. I went to the Opry last year on a show that she headlined, had something like 6th row seats, and she is maybe even hotter in person.

Colder Weather is A++ but Remind Me not being nominated for Single or Song is pretty tilting. Such an A+++ song.

Agreed on Remind Me. Paisley and Underwood did a duet on a previous album of his that was very meh and disappointing, so I was really happy they did another one and just absolutely nailed it.

QFT


my picks for who i would vote for followed by who i think will win:

Entertainer: Aldean, Shelton

Male: Aldean, Shelton

Female: Lambert, Underwood

New: Bryan, Bryan

Group: Lady A, Lady A

Duo: Sugarland, Sugarland

Single: A Little Big Stronger, Don't You Wanna Stay

Album: Speak Now, Speak Now

Song: Dirt Road Anthem, Dirt Road Anthem

IMO Chris Young should win New Artist of the year. Colder Weather and You Get What You Give should win too. IMO YGWYG is one of the best country albums the past couple of years. Could listen to it over and over.

Song of the year is interesting, but I think If I Die Young will win. It's a good song, but IMO it's the worst of the bunch. That song has taken over though, but I think Colder Weather should win.

Colder Weather is absolutely the best song of the group, but I think was released too early in the year. Nonetheless, Taylor Swift better win, as she's a Goddess.

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEARNominees: Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban

I think Jason has had too good of a year. Every single he released was massive, and the bitches love him. He's got this locked down, imo because he has way too big of a jump in followers over a 1 year span.

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEARNominees: Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban

All of Blake's songs have been kick ass, and he has had a bit of a resurgence from the last couple of sub-par (for Shelton) years. This one and EotY could swap easily, but Aldean and Shelton are each taking one of these down.

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Nominees: Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood

Again, Lambert has just done way too much this year. Collaborations, singles, you name it. I don't think it was released this year, but "The House That Built Me" is one of my favourite songs in recent memory, and she's also hot. She has too much momentum to lose, imo.

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Nominees: The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Thompson Square, Chris Young

Luke Bryan has been around for awhile, as has Eric Church. I saw Church opening for Dierks Bentley and Doc Walker about 4 years ago, and I know Bryan has had music on Canadian radio for at least 3 years. Still, Bryan is too strong at this point. A string of hits, and again, the bitches love him.

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Nominees: Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry, Little Big Town, Rascal Flatts, Zac Brown Band

Anyone but Lady A winning this is crazy. They might be the most mainstream country artist (aside from T-Swift) in the last few years. Everyone loves them. Everyone.

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Nominees: The Civil Wars, Montgomery Gentry, Steel Magnolia, Sugarland, Thompson Square

Montgomery Gentry is played out, Thompson Square is slightly annoying, and who the **** are the other two? Sugarland destroys this category if for no other reason than Nettles has one of the best voices in the business.

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Nominees:
"A Little Bit Stronger," Sara Evans
"Colder Weather," Zac Brown Band
"Don't You Wanna Stay," Jason Aldean w/ Kelly Clarkson
"Honey Bee," Blake Shelton
"If I Die Young," The Band Perry

Everyone is always raving about how awesome Colder Weather is, and everyone is right. It got non-stop airplay here and never got old. It's an emotional, touching song, and it will win one of the two singles awards. ZBB is one to something with their mix of music for sure.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Nominees:
Blake Shelton, All About Tonight
Jason Aldean, My Kinda Party
Taylor Swift, Speak Now
Brad Paisley, This is Country Music
Zac Brown Band, You Get What You Give

Taylor Swift wins because she's mother****ing Taylor Swift. She's the best, and Speak Now is probably her second best album. Zac Brown is probably the only one who can compete here. I couldn't get through all of Aldean's CD as I found it too repetitive, I haven't heard all of Shelton's yet, although what I did hear was great. Paisley's CD is great, too. Not as good as Mud on the Tires, but definitely better than American Saturday Night. Having said that, none of these compare to Speak Now.

SONG OF THE YEAR
Nominees:
"Colder Weather," Zac Brown Band
"Dirt Road Anthem," Jason Aldean
"If I Die Young" The Band Perry
"Mean," Taylor Swift
"You and Tequila," Kenny Chesney w/ Grace Potter

I wanted to give this to Dirt Road Anthem (even though I'm not a huge fan of that song or Aldean), but You and Tequila was too big, and too good. Kenny gets too much respect to get snubbed, I think. This song was a bit of a step out for him, and him and Potter nailed it.

Also, Jason Aldean is the Nickelback of Country Music.

I haven't been listening to country radio much these days, so I had to do some quick youtube catch up. I was hoping I'd like what Blake Shelton is putting out since I like his voice and put Ol' Red up there as one of my favorite pop country songs, but Honey Bee sucks. Too typical. I like Jason Aldean's voice a LOT, and Dirt Road Anthem and the song he does with Kelly Clarkson. Other than that, though, his songs are, again too typically, unimaginative pop country for me.

Remind Me is a great song, but I was disappointed in Brad with This is County Music. That's just playing to the lowest common denominator, IMO.

Should be Swift. Side note, just heard that Hell on Heels song by Lambert's "supergroup," and I'm fairly certain that it has or will replace Gunpowder and Lead as the go-to karaoke song for single, most likely unattractive, women with attitude in ****ty bars.

Didn't recognize these names, but recognized most of the songs after re-listening. I actually liked most of what I heard. Luke Bryan's stuff is catchy in a classic pop country way. "Are you gonna kiss me or not" is catchy, but the other Thompson Square stuff I listened to was throwaway. If I Die Young is ok. I like Chris Young; he reminds me of Mark Chesnutt, kind of with his voice but definitely in the yearning ballads he seems fond of ("Thank God for Believers" is one of my favorite country songs). I like Eric Church a lot; Drink a Little Drink is a great song.

Agree, Luke Bryan should win.

Just saw that David Lee Murphy wrote "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not." Love David Lee Murphy, especially Dust on the Bottle.

Lady A will win, but my pick would be ZBB. I like them approximately 100x better than the other nominees.


Hope that Colder Weather wins, but my money would be on If I Die Young.



Does Colder Weather have a chance? That would be nice, as it's my favorite. I actually like all of these songs, ranked:
1) Colder Weather
2) Dirt Road Anthem
3) You and Tequila
4) Mean
5) If I Die Young

I still have to think that Aldean has the lowest-grossing tour of anyone on this list. Maybe he grosses more than Shelton during the past year because of Shelton's TV gig, but that TV gig is the type of thing that helps win Entertainer. I'm really going to be legit shocked if Aldean wins this.

Umm, the bolded isn't exactly a point of difference from her competitors. She may well win though. "The House that Built Me" is ****ing great, though I don't think it's in this year's resume.

Yeah, these categories are often filled with guys who aren't that new but just haven't quite taken the next step yet. I find Eric Church to be pretty annoying for the most part, personally. Lots of really cliched music, and doesn't strike me as any kind of special talent.

Sheesh, that last sentence seems a bit much. I'm not huge on Aldean but I do think he picks good songs and I generally like his stuff.

Kenny didn't win any awards on last year's show, and is lacking for nominations this year, so a snub here wouldn't be surprising at all. Not even sure it would be a "snub" given the strength of the opposition. Love that song though.

I agree re: the title track of Paisley's latest album. He does misfire once in a while. I'm still a really big fan of his in general.

Scale of hotness for Female Category Nominees:

Swift
Underwood
Lambert
Evans/McBride

I think most people would put Swift below Underwood, but she gives my hoo-hoo-dilly a constant tingle.

That's a very, very good looking list.

FWIW, I neglected to take in to account what the tours would have been like for EotY, and you do make a really good point on that. It's probably going to get me to sway my opinion on that one.

As far as Kenny being snubbed goes, I really don't think they're going to do it two years in a row. Like I said, I think respect factors in a little more than we think, so I can see him winning that category for sure. I mean, I won't be surprised if I'm wrong, but if he does win it's going to be for my reasoning.