Country Music Awards

I watched the Academy of Country Music Awards last night.  For some reason my expectations for the show were fairly high -- perhaps it was because I knew they were giving George Strait a role.  It has been awhile since he has been on there.  Reba continues to be a mainstay, though.  Maybe she's better at the political landscape in Nashville these days than most of the older artists.

I was again disappointed.  There were some bright spots with a couple of acoustic performances -- the best of those was Chris Stapleton with him and his wife singing, him playing guitar, there was an upright bass and very light drum accompaniment.  I had a hard time hearing and understanding some of the words -- it was almost as if he was mumbling -- it makes me wonder if the alcohol and drug culture of by-gone days has made its return.  What I liked about his performance was the simplicity of it.  It was about the music, not the glitz and glamour, or the razzle-dazzle of performances such as that by Carrie Underwood and her pool party entrance to a not-country song.

It seems to me that music awards should be about the music.  I'm not too sure that's the case any more.  It seems it's more about the performance.  If that is how it is, maybe they should be receiving Academy Awards for their ability to act rather than music awards for their ability to play and sing music.

Although it was good to see him on the show, I must admit I was even a bit disappointed with "King George."  It was as though his song choices were designed to draw the greatest contrast possible between his style of music and that of the current mainstream country performers.  I have to say that I prefer his earlier work over that which I heard last night.  The instrumentation was as expected, but the delivery just seemed a bit flat.  Maybe it's just that he is aging.

There seems to be a clash of cultures going on in the country music world.  There are many performers charging ahead with the new "pop" style that still receives the country label while there seems to be some pushback among a handful of musicians that recognizes there are a large number of listeners who want something closer to an older era of country music.

The fractures within the industry have happened before.  The Outlaw movement of Waylon and a few others was an example.  I think Blake Shelton may be one of the few who is recognizing the desire of fans for more country and less pop in the music of the industry.  Maybe his work on The Voice is helping him to see beyond the tunnel that has focused the Nashville crowd into heading down the road they are on.  If so, good for him.

Sigh.  I guess I'll stick with the older stuff for the most part.