Real Thoughts on CMA Night: Why Did Morgan Wallan Get Snubbed? :: Ep 83 Try That in a Small Town Podcast

The CMAs tried to be everything at once: a celebration of country’s roots, a launchpad for rising acts, and a glossy TV moment with crossover appeal. We sat down after watching every minute (twice) and cut through the noise with a blunt, song-first breakdown of what actually worked, what didn’t, and why the fans’ reality isn’t showing up on stage.

We start with Lainey Wilson’s capable hosting and a performance that sparked debate about image and song fit. Then we zero in on the music: Chris Stapleton’s band-first power, Zach Top’s classic-country momentum, Red Clay Strays’ raw charisma, and Stephen Wilson Jr.’s singular style. Kenny Chesney’s thoughtful tribute to Brett James reminded us what sincerity looks like on a big stage, while a disco-styled duet left us wondering how a concept can eclipse the song. We also grapple with the Vince Gill tribute choice—how to honor an icon with the right voices and the right feel.

The conversation keeps coming back to scale and stakes. If Entertainer of the Year is about ticket sales, streaming impact, and cultural reach, fans know who they’re crowning. We talk candidly about the Morgan Wallen-sized gap between stadium reality and awards-night narrative, why certain categories feel hollow, and how the business can champion bands and vocal groups without blurring what those categories mean. Along the way, we call out who likely played live, where production helped or hurt, and which artists have “a thing” that cuts through.

If you want a no-spin tour through the night’s highs, lows, and head-scratchers—plus a grounded take on where country music is actually headed—this episode is your companion piece to the broadcast. Hit play, then tell us what we got right, where we’re nuts, and who your real Entertainer of the Year is. If you’re into honest country talk, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more fans can find the show.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Cold Open: CMA Snark And Setup
• 2:09 Welcome Back And Host Banter
• 4:09 Plan For A Full CMA Recap
• 5:04 Lainey Wilson As Host: First Impressions
• 6:34 Opening Performances And Staged Sets
• 11:14 Single Of The Year: Ella & Riley
• 15:24 Production Tricks vs Playing Live
• 19:29 Duo Of The Year And The Duo Drought
• 24:29 Group Category Debate And Touring Reality
• 28:49 Megan Moroney Performance Reactions
• 32:49 Stapleton Delivers: Band Feel And Vocals
• 36:19 Kelsea Ballerini’s Set And Staging Gags
• 40:19 New Artist Win: Zach Top’s Moment
• 43:29 Red Clay Strays: Raw, Greasy, And Polarizing
• 49:09 Album, Song Debates And Category Confusion
• 53:39 Kenny Chesney Tribute And Brett James Shoutout
• 58:59 Old Dominion Medley And Band Void
• 1:03:59 Stephen Wilson Jr. And Left-Field Choices
• 1:08:49 Lainey’s Big Performance: Style vs Song
• 1:14:39 Miranda x Stapleton: Disco Set Miss
• 1:19:19 Riley Green: Brand, Biceps, And Guitar
• 1:22:59 Ella Langley’s Lane And Presence
• 1:26:09 Male Vocalist: Cody Johnson’s Win
• 1:28:59 Tucker Wetmore: Sounds Like Morgan?
• 1:32:29 Vince Gill Tribute: Choices And Missed Magic
• 1:37:49 Rap-Country Collab: Why And For Whom
• 1:42:19 The Morgan Wallen Question And Snubs
• 1:48:29 Entertainer Of The Year: Lainey vs Morgan
• 1:54:09 Two Realities: TV Narrative vs Ticket Sales

Transcript

SPEAKER_07: 0:29

It's the CMAs wanting to work their narrative. Yes. And if you don't fit in their narrative, you gotta watch Kelsey Ballerini swing. No one wants to see it. Nobody wants to see it. Meghan Moroni, she could have not played and no one would have said, Oh, I wish Meghan Moroni would have played. They might as well call it the NFL Awards.

SPEAKER_03: 0:49

Why? Why the NFL Awards?

SPEAKER_06: 0:51

Yeah, because they're freaking woke.

SPEAKER_03: 0:53

That was kind of a sad part.

SPEAKER_06: 0:55

Like she said in parks and sometimes it rains and she's I can think of it as like how many times are we gonna do this rain gag?

SPEAKER_04: 1:00

I know. I mean I've seen that a lot. If I would have done that song, I would have been dressed in a clown uniform. Sit in parks. I'm gonna give the well. I'd have had a clown outfit on. Dressed like it on a swing.

SPEAKER_07: 1:15

It's Morgan's award. And I just wish once someone would say, I forfeit this to Morgan Wallen.

SPEAKER_04: 1:23

That's what I said the last time.

SPEAKER_07: 1:25

Or at least it mentioned, yeah, you did. You said it the last time.

SPEAKER_04: 1:27

I was like, I don't know how anybody could stand up there.

SPEAKER_07: 1:29

I would take it and set it down and say, This is for Morgan Wallen. I'm gonna take it. Yes. You come get it with the wall.

SPEAKER_06: 1:34

And think of the good publicity that'd give you by saying it.

SPEAKER_01: 1:38

A try that in a small town podcast begins.

SPEAKER_06: 1:47

We're back. We are how is that for an exciting we're back? We're back. This is a try that in the small town podcast. We got Neil with almost a full beard. This is gonna be as long as I've ever liked it. That is a ash. That's the ash.

SPEAKER_07: 2:04

Yeah, it's really solid.

SPEAKER_03: 2:06

Thanks, guys. Kind of a beginner on the case.

SPEAKER_06: 2:11

For KL, that's kind of full.

SPEAKER_03: 2:12

Yeah. I like it, Caleb. How long is that?

SPEAKER_06: 2:15

How long? Is that today or is that a few days?

SPEAKER_03: 2:17

No, that would be since uh what is today? Thursday. So maybe like four days. Okay.

SPEAKER_06: 2:25

Looks really good, man. It does. It's very solid TK. It's got his usual uh scruff.

SPEAKER_04: 2:31

Scruff's good. No, it looks good.

SPEAKER_06: 2:33

Mine too, hook out. You guys always looking for a just for men sponsorship. Yeah. Get that. Why did it be just for men, Kurt? Well, that's a great question. That seems great.

SPEAKER_04: 2:44

I can't believe them and woke hadn't clearly for them. It'd be called just for.

SPEAKER_06: 2:49

Just for them. Just for they.

SPEAKER_07: 2:51

Just for them. I mean, seriously, we're we're we're getting close to it. Anyway. Yeah. So we are. We watched the CMA Awards last night? I did, I did, I did.

SPEAKER_06: 2:59

Raise your hands. Right here. So I didn't watch it last night, but I did catch up today. Um we gonna go into it? We're gonna get into it.

SPEAKER_04: 3:09

I think we should.

SPEAKER_06: 3:10

I mean I think it's what we do. It is what we do.

SPEAKER_07: 3:13

There's some good things that were great and some things that are whatever. Well, how do you start? That's exactly what I wrote down. You want to start us out of you.

SPEAKER_03: 3:22

It's easier for me unless it throws you guys off if we'd kind of start from the beginning and then, you know, uh because I watched it twice. I watched it. I watched it last night.

SPEAKER_05: 3:32

Glutton.

SPEAKER_03: 3:36

I watched it. And we we missed uh like the last two categories and we had to go to bed. But then today I watched the whole thing from the beginning, so I could take notes and you know, kind of look at it from uh from how we would look at it. So the first question I think I would be good to start with and then just get you guys take on um Laney Wilson, not a not a performance yet, but what do you think about her being as a host for the CMAs?

SPEAKER_06: 4:01

Uh I think Laney is likable. She's very likable. We personally know Laney. She is awesome, she's a an incredible person. I think she comes off that way on stage. She's likable. She's not the funniest, she's not the most uh wow you host, but she's likable. That's what my take is.

SPEAKER_03: 4:22

What do you think, Tells?

SPEAKER_07: 4:24

I have no issue. I love Laney. I have no issues with uh Laney hosting. I mean, it it I mean, it it's fine. My only issue with Laney is winning Entertainer of the Year. Well, we couldn't be able to do that. Yeah, we're starting to do that.

SPEAKER_02: 4:36

Yeah, we're we're we're jumping to the podcast. We hadn't even started.

SPEAKER_07: 4:41

I'm just saying, well, I mean, that's the only I mean and it's not on it's not on her.

SPEAKER_02: 4:44

Of course not.

SPEAKER_07: 4:45

It's definitely not uh Laney's amazing. Doesn't take anything away from her. So hosting um I mean what was your thought?

SPEAKER_03: 4:52

Uh I thought I thought she did great. I thought she looked great. Um I thought that it wasn't too uh too rehearsed, you know. I thought she represented country music well. I thought she did really good. That's a good way. Overall, I thought she did really good. I thought she was I thought she was solid. She was solid for the first time. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 5:10

Because I'm sure she was nervous as all get out. I mean, look at everything she had to do. She had to learn all those songs at the beginning.

SPEAKER_03: 5:15

Yeah. And make the rounds to the show. The mashup was a little long for me, but yeah, the only thing about the mashup, I I don't know if you guys thought it was it. I I caught it a little bit the first time, the second time. I wondered if on when she was singing uh You Look Like You Love Me, if she should have sang that with Riley Green instead of Ella. You know, it's just two girls singing it together. It's kind of interesting, but um I have an issue.

SPEAKER_07: 5:39

I have an issue with well, I've got it's not time for airing agreements, is it?

SPEAKER_03: 5:44

No, so we're now we've got plenty of time for for that. If you want to air something early, you can.

SPEAKER_07: 5:48

I don't have to air anything. I mean, it's you know me, Mr. Grumpy.

SPEAKER_03: 5:52

Well, go. If you're feeling something, I say you let root.

SPEAKER_07: 5:56

I like I like how you're running this podcast right now. You too. Let's start it. Let's start at the top.

SPEAKER_06: 6:01

But let's start at the very top. What do you think? Because the very top was Luke Combs.

SPEAKER_03: 6:05

First performance. Uh what'd y'all think there? And we can be quick, we don't have to do a whole lot. Yeah, we won't go into it.

SPEAKER_06: 6:11

What I was thinking was I think about it in our perspective. So he does the song, whatever it is, back in the saddle, and all I can think about is these brilliant producers and managers are like, oh, what can we do with the set? Oh my god, let's put the band in a stable. And all I can think of is when we played Night Train, how long do you think it took them to think of what they could do with our set? Oh, let's put the band in a caboose. Yeah, exactly. And here's what I It was ridiculous. They have us in a frickin caboose, Dave Grohl's there, and we're embarrassed beyond belief. It's just the truth. Boo fighters are there, we're playing in a caboose.

SPEAKER_07: 6:54

I remember telling, I remember telling Dave Grohl backstage, and of course I'm thinking to myself, of course. Usually we're just on stage with amps. Of course. Like Dave Grohl's here, and I remember telling him, dude, you're gonna see something. It's don't it's not how it is. Yeah, it really worked.

SPEAKER_06: 7:19

And we still tell bringing up the rear.

SPEAKER_07: 7:22

We still tell Al Dean, like, why did you let them do that, man?

SPEAKER_06: 7:25

Sometimes, I mean, sometimes plea, I mean, it's it's these producers at the awards. That's yeah. All I can think of was they stuck the poor band in the stable up here in the I was like, and that that's interesting.

SPEAKER_03: 7:38

I didn't see the very top of the show. Did they really do that? Yeah, as the very top. Now, I will say, and you guys definitely I 100% appreciate that perspective and wouldn't have got that because I'm not a player. I thought, you know, it aesthetically it looked really cool. I thought, well, that's a good looking set. You know, I didn't think about the individual players playing like that because they were probably weren't really there, so no, I did you I I I was trying to figure out the whole time what that was.

SPEAKER_04: 8:05

Like was he like the bull coming down the chute, and those were like auctions? It looked like he was being auctioned off. And those guys his band was was bidding on him. That's what it looked like to me. I didn't see that. I didn't see that. I didn't see that part.

SPEAKER_06: 8:27

I didn't see I missed the very popular show. That's all I can think about. Uh Luke was fine.

SPEAKER_03: 8:33

Yeah, and I thought I thought it was a solid performance. And uh he's pretty intense. He looked pretty angry at the end, but it was solid. He sang good, they played good. In that, do you think they played like because it you can't you I I couldn't tell. Like, are they playing to a track and playing along at the same time? Is that what the producers do, or do they play that live? I think they were not playing.

SPEAKER_06: 8:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 8:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_06: 8:53

They were probably playing the track. There were some bands that played last night. We know we we know the bands that play live. You know, we'll keep that conversation too because it's awesome to watch some of those guys try to. Oh.

SPEAKER_07: 9:04

Well, just know this. If you ever see, whenever you see a band and the they're all dressed up with like really fancy clothes and cool coats and stuff, they ain't playing. Ain't playing. Yeah. They ain't playing. Most of them don't play anyway. Most of them don't want to play. It's really not even the band. Most of the time, it's like you know, the management or to our organization's credit, like we we always say if if if there's been a couple occasions where we had no choice but to play to a live track that we recorded. Yeah. Usually it's because of uh some sort of set change. Like years and years. I mean, we did something with an orchestra, you know, so uh maybe twice in twenty something years.

SPEAKER_04: 9:43

I totally get it though. I get playing having it, it sounds sonically, it sounds better for the listener on TV. Which way it when you when you're playing with a track, when everybody's playing with a track. Well it's actually it's actually it sounds it's it's just a good mix for the for the TV.

SPEAKER_07: 9:58

It did sound good. Yeah. The problem is what we always uh thought about that was uh you know, you're playing live. If you're playing to a track, you're playing to generally they're playing to a a perfect track. A mastered version of the track. Yeah, a mastered version of the track. And you and you're really kind of setting your singer up to fail. Because live music you know, singing live, you're not it never should be per you're never gonna be perfectly in tune. So you're singing along with a per with everything perfect. So it accentuates the things that maybe you know, when you're singing aren't perfect.

SPEAKER_06: 10:30

You know, I was just thinking when you said that though, most of these singers are probably used to singing to tracks on stage. That's true. Which is a whole different conversation.

SPEAKER_07: 10:39

I don't know. This could be the longest podcast we've ever had. No, so moving on.

SPEAKER_03: 10:44

Moving on. So we had the first uh presenters, you had Billy Ray Cyrus and Elizabeth Hurley.

SPEAKER_06: 10:50

Well, she looks great.

SPEAKER_03: 10:51

She looked great, yeah. And how old is Elizabeth Hurley? I I don't know, but I I I looked in that as a as a couple and oh they're a couple. I think they're a couple, yeah. And and I thought I thought interesting and because you just wouldn't you wouldn't put those two together naturally, you know, I wouldn't think. But anyway, that was my observation there. And they were uh they were they were presenting they were presenting uh the single of the year, right? Yeah. So 60. I didn't know. Okay.

SPEAKER_04: 11:20

I didn't make any notes on the presenters.

SPEAKER_03: 11:22

But they did they did great. He gave a great shout out to Johnny Cash and stuff, and she was lovely. And and uh they had Single of the Year. So do y'all remember who who won that one? Single of the Year?

SPEAKER_06: 11:34

Oh, I do because I have something about this. Which which one was it? Was it the uh things?

SPEAKER_03: 11:39

So you had four by four by you, you had Laney Wilson at Ain't No Love in Oklahoma, Luke Combs, Am I Okay, Megan Moroni, I never lie, Zach Top, you look like you love me, L. Langley and Riley Riley Green.

SPEAKER_04: 11:49

So you like took detailed notes from Sally again. I guess so.

SPEAKER_03: 11:51

Just so you watched her twice, no, because they would be reminded of well, you know. Okay. So uh I mean I don't really have a job, so so this uh but anyway, so yeah, they uh so Ella uh they won that with you know you look like you love me, and it's a it was it was great. She got up and what'd y'all think about that? Was that a good did y'all have another song that should have you thought would have won, or is that an okay one?

SPEAKER_06: 12:15

No, I didn't I know I know. My thing was, and Tully's probably the same way, I didn't actually care about who won or who didn't win. Will Bundy's Will Bundy, a friend of ours, produced it. So we were that that's cool for Will. And then Jim Cooley, did you see Jim on stage? No. Jim got on stage too, and he would look like he was just couldn't believe he was on stage. He was so happy. Jim mixed our demos for years, like like Patrick mixing, you know, yeah, is it like he mixed ours for years before he was doing anything, and also like record anything we produced, he was a mixed engineer recording it and now he's like a big time mixed guy, and it was cool to see him. So it was Will Bundy and Jim. I thought it was cool to see those guys.

SPEAKER_03: 12:59

But as far as who won, I didn't know and and that that award goes to it's not it is a different from Song of the Year for some, you know, for some of the listeners that don't know. It is it is supposed to be like radio, airplay, the most far-reaching single, right? That's what it's supposed to be voted on.

SPEAKER_06: 13:16

Um are Ella and Riley, are they a thing? I don't I don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 13:19

I was gonna ask you, I figured you guys I figured you guys would know that.

SPEAKER_06: 13:22

I think I think it looked a little awkward.

SPEAKER_07: 13:25

It did look a little awkward.

SPEAKER_03: 13:26

I think he turned her down. Really? Yeah. Maybe that's why maybe that's why we're gonna be.

SPEAKER_06: 13:33

I think that's what happened. I think she wanted it to be a thing, but I think he did they hook up and then it just didn't become a I don't know. I don't I don't know if that happened. Neil, do you know?

SPEAKER_04: 13:43

You know, no, I don't know the particulars. I feel I feel like I don't I know that Riley Green could have any woman on the planet that's probably I do know that. That's kind of obvious. Yeah. When the dude's a stud. He is, he is. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 13:56

Yeah. He's not bad looking. No, I mean, and maybe that's why then I mean and I didn't that's a different podcast. Or if we the end, if we have time to do that. We should have a podcast if I was a gay man. Okay, that's a that is a whole different one. Uh we're gonna stick with the uh the CMA awards. Uh impression it's what they are. No, but maybe that's why I was because you always think about the the the acceptance speeches and everything, and I know you're you're limited on time and everything, and you're thinking about oh, what I'm gonna say, who do I who do I think? And I was wondering about their relationship too, and because and Riley was very much a gentleman, he was you know letting her take the take the wheel and everything, and and and she she thanked Riley for singing on that second verse, you know, which I thought was kind of interesting because he you know co-ridge. It looked awkward. It did a little bit.

SPEAKER_04: 14:40

She handed the trophy, and it was kind of like it was kind of like it was real display.

SPEAKER_07: 14:44

They may have hooked up. And I think I think he kind of shot her down, which you know, I like Riley. We don't know. Riley's a good dude. Riley is a is a really good dude. And we'll talk more about Riley as your list continues. Yes, yes. Yes, so that's so that was a good one.

SPEAKER_03: 15:01

That was a good win for Ella Langley and Riley Green. Congrats to them. And so you had uh Leanne Morgan, the comedian, came out with Laney Wilson. I thought she was pretty funny. Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 15:09

She was funny, but yeah, you'd never seen her before? Uh-uh. Yeah, she's pretty funny. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 15:13

Yeah, I thought that was a good moment. You know, she came out, you know, dressed like Laney and everything, but she really, really post-menopausal comedian.

SPEAKER_04: 15:20

That's that's basically what she's known for.

SPEAKER_03: 15:22

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The one part where she said something about, yeah, that uh even the back of my knees are sweating. I was thinking, okay, all right, we don't need to know. We don't need to know. What do you have next? Uh so you had uh first performers or second performer actually, so you had Zach Topp uh did a song called Guitar, which I was interested. I hadn't badass. I haven't seen that, you know, or heard that song, and so I was very interested. Uh and I thought that was great. Neil, let's start with you. What'd you think about that performance and song and everything?

SPEAKER_07: 15:50

He's just all the way across.

SPEAKER_04: 15:52

He's a badass.

SPEAKER_07: 15:53

All the way, every category. I like the performance. He's great. I don't like the song, but I like he's a great good player. Like I don't like the song, but I like the performance. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_03: 16:06

Do you not like the song because like commercially, like most of the world is not a guitar player, so that I just it reminded me of like a different version of The Fireman by George Strait.

SPEAKER_06: 16:15

Oh, it was, it was right in that same banner.

SPEAKER_07: 16:18

And I thought it was uh here's what I like about I loved his first single. Um this song, I mean, he had an opportunity to me.

SPEAKER_03: 16:26

I don't know if this is even his I don't know, maybe this is just that he they didn't want him to do the ballad because there's too many ballads and they wanted him to play a tempo. I don't know.

SPEAKER_07: 16:36

I mean, I I I didn't mind the song, actually. Yeah, no, I mean and that's uh that's fair. Like I didn't personally it's not my kind of thing, but I liked the performance of it. I thought he sounded great, played great. He's a pro.

SPEAKER_04: 16:47

He's a pro.

SPEAKER_06: 16:47

Yeah, you know it's my first time actually seeing him do a whole song. He's really cool. I thought it was really cool.

SPEAKER_04: 16:52

When he came on and that girl started singing with him, yeah. I'm like, okay, that ain't their first time to sing together. No. He's really so good. It was so tight and so good, and so there's they're just pros, man. I mean, yeah, I wasn't a fan of the song. They're sort of like that's okay. I mean, I wasn't, and we we're allowed to do it. But I do like first songwriters. I think he I think he was great.

SPEAKER_07: 17:14

And I and I do so good. I do like that first song you put out. And so good. I just think I I hope that's not a second single because or the next single because he's got a real opportunity to me to like the song's not strong enough for me personally. And it's it's it's kind of a stick to me. It was a little stick. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_03: 17:34

No, I I mean I just I felt like when I was watching it, because I was a huge Clint Black fan, so you're always watching these new artists come up, and in a way, it it it say that was his single or or not, because I remember uh one of my favorite songs of Clinton Black's. I'm not even sure if it was a single, but it's called One More Payment Until It's Mine. And his Up Tempo, you know, guitar-driven song like that, and and and he had the back killin' time, which was ballad, that was his biggest thing. So I never lie, ballad, then going to an up-tempo. He kind of reminded me of what Clint Black did kind of coming up. So I thought he'd just showing diversity in his guitar playing. I wouldn't say when you can wear out an acoustic guitar on a solo, uh I always appreciate that.

SPEAKER_07: 18:12

And he was great, and it's it's it's really, really good. But I wouldn't even classify the first song as a ballad, like it's just a country song that was cool to me. And that's why I'm saying he had an opportunity. Again, he may become something else.

SPEAKER_04: 18:23

I don't and that's just my it drives me crazy though when when when everybody's thinking that way. Well, it was a ballad. Well, it's an up tempo, maybe we should do a ballad. When they start thinking that way, that's like way overthinking. Just put out the best. You know, putting out that kind of stuff. Miami, Miami, and you know, all of all of that stuff. He could he he is such a good singer and such a good player that he can do some really good quality music and really good quality songs, and just even go to the next level. He's got he's got he's climbing, man, and he's the the world's his, it's right there for the taking.

SPEAKER_07: 19:05

He sounds like to me, sometimes he's like, there's some Tracy Lawrence, there's some John Anderson, there's some this, there's some Clinton Black, there's it's all rolled into one, and it's like I hope that everybody realizes that that it's it's it's uh it's not a fad, it's not a stick. This is what country was. That's what it sounded like. And that's what he is, that's what he is. Like this is it's not really like a nothing manufactured about that kid. So it's really cool. So I'm I really think he's top of the game, and that's why I think top of the game. There you go. Like that. But um I think the songs could be there too, and I think if he does that, man, he's gonna he's gonna carry that that country flag. So anyway, yeah, he is doing great. That's really cool. Hello. Moving on.

SPEAKER_03: 19:49

So then so the next you had the presenters and you had Gretchen Wilson and and uh Neo, uh three-time Grammy winner. Uh I the first time I'd heard of him, but um All right, on to the next subject. But he well, no, no, no, right. No, well, I really like I actually like that guy because uh I believe it or not, I went back and watched the red carpet interviews, uh-huh, which I'm glad I did because I'll talk about that a little bit more later. But I really liked that guy personally. He was very thankful to be there. Oh, cool and uh and really loved country music and everything. And uh anyway, so I I thought that was kind of a cool thing. You see, you're gonna be able to do it.

SPEAKER_07: 20:21

By the way, you're slaying this episode, Caleb. He was king. Oh, so good.

SPEAKER_03: 20:24

Well, this is uh this is a great topic. I'm very excited about it. I know he got he got here a little early.

SPEAKER_04: 20:30

I don't know if it was early, but I mean we're late, man. It wasn't like right on the buzzard. He was here plenty of time to get ready.

SPEAKER_03: 20:38

No, I think it was at six, or maybe clicking over six and one. But anyway, so they read uh so they they were announcing vocal duo of the year, of which we had uh Brooks and Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Dan and Shea, Maddie and Tay. Oh my god. The War and Treaty. And the Warren Brothers and so we know who we know who won. Thrasher Schever, Thrasher Shiber didn't the Wellington. The Bellamy Brothers. The Bellamy Brothers have finally got kicked off of the duo.

SPEAKER_07: 21:07

I just want to go on record, and Kurt and Aldean are so sick of me saying this.

SPEAKER_04: 21:10

Here we go.

SPEAKER_07: 21:11

I love it. Bring it, son. I have been begging, pleading. I want a duo so bad to produce and write for a really quality duo that Brooks and Dunn quality songs. You know, it problem is you can't get these guys. No one wants to be in a duo. They all want to be the stars. Brooks and Dunn didn't want to be in a duo. And now they're back winning awards. I know. And and I'm glad they won. I mean 16 years. I mean, they killed it.

SPEAKER_04: 21:40

They rocked it this past year much more than the other guys in the category. They were they've all kind of settled down. I mean, Brooks and Dunn was like working their tails off last year.

SPEAKER_07: 21:48

Well, this this is a ridiculous category, I mean, right now. It is it's a ridiculous category. Warren Treaty can't go out and sell a thousand seats. No. I mean, Brothers Osborne, they're they're playing festivals and fairs. I I like those guys, it's all good. But the category's weak. And this is a category has been and this is a category that really it's there for the taking. If if and I and I've tried to put duos together, I've tried my hardest, and everybody's like, nah, I just don't want to do it. Well, well, man, that's good. But you know, it's there for the taking. It is and and I'm gonna go on the on air and saying when everybody gets ready for this, I mean I'm we're rare. I'm looking. Looking we are looking.

SPEAKER_04: 22:33

There's another category that's that's wide open for the taken too.

SPEAKER_06: 22:36

What's that?

SPEAKER_04: 22:37

Vocal group.

SPEAKER_06: 22:38

Yeah. Oh, we'll get to that.

SPEAKER_04: 22:40

I know we're gonna get to it, but uh while you were saying yeah, you know, it's wide open category. I think I think that one, in my opinion, is more wide open than any of them.

SPEAKER_06: 22:49

Well, it's just there are no vocal groups anymore.

SPEAKER_07: 22:51

Here's the thing. Well, but but you do have the old dominions and you have that them in there. Love them.

SPEAKER_04: 22:56

But is it a vocal group?

SPEAKER_07: 22:58

I don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 22:59

It's really not. Well, that's the one that's that's what they're doing. That's the category. Old Dominion? Yeah. Yes, I I think their songs are. I think there should be two.

SPEAKER_04: 23:08

I think I think there should be two categories then. I think there should be a band category and a vocal group category. Because they're that's two totally different things. It really is. I mean, yeah, Sawyer Brown wasn't known as a vocal group. They were that was you know, Mark Miller. He's the lead guy. I mean, Rascal Flats is a vocal group. Yeah, Diamond Reel was a vocal group, Alabama was a vocal group. That's a good point, though. Should be group of the year. Just say just group of the year.

SPEAKER_06: 23:37

Yeah. Great category. It is, yeah. Yeah. Go on.

SPEAKER_03: 23:41

Well, on the uh on the the Brooks and Dunn winning, I thought uh one thing that was cool that Ronnie Dunn said, and kind of uh it reminded me of something we said about Alan Jackson a few episodes back about they're going out and touring and their numbers are growing because their type of music is just it's it's coming back. And Ronnie Dunn said, and I think it was his way of saying, Hey, we've been in this a while. He said, he said, I I just want to let you guys know that we ask people all the time, our fans, you know, how many of you guys have been to Brooks Nunn concert before? And he said that 80% of the fans that are at their shows are new. 80% is what he said.

SPEAKER_06: 24:17

Hey, we do the Aldean says the same thing every night, which is who's the first time coming, and I am surprised every night how many first times there are.

SPEAKER_03: 24:28

Yeah, yeah. So I thought that was really, really cool. And uh so he just said it said, Hey, we're out there working, you know. So I just thought I thought that was a cool statement, you know. And we love those guys. Yeah, and uh oh, and just of note, and this is mainly for Tully, I had to I had to write it down. Uh uh Laney got several texts during the evening, and one of them was was from uh one of the best uh quarterbacks in NFL history, Peyton Manning.

SPEAKER_07: 24:52

He is he is one of the best, yes, yes, and so one of the top ten best.

SPEAKER_03: 24:56

Um then we're done. So then so then all right, so the next performer we had you had uh Megan Moroney. Uh I hadn't heard that song before. Um, so let's talk about that performance real quick. And we started with you last time. We'll start with Kurt this time. Oh man. I went to get a beer. Oh, you did? Okay.

SPEAKER_06: 25:15

So Kurt You exited when she started or before she started?

SPEAKER_04: 25:19

No, it started, and I was like, I don't know, whatever. It's Taylor Swift 2.0. I mean it's like it's you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_06: 25:28

I'm I'm like Yeah, I I don't have any real it it didn't do anything.

SPEAKER_04: 25:32

Megan Moroni's gonna be she's she's gonna use country music as a stepping stone and go pop.

SPEAKER_06: 25:39

I don't know if she can go pop.

SPEAKER_04: 25:40

I don't know.

SPEAKER_07: 25:40

I was very excited, I was very excited about it. Maybe it's going okay.

SPEAKER_03: 25:44

Was that before when the when the because you saw her in the bathrobe and you knew at some point that bathrobe was coming off?

SPEAKER_07: 25:50

I was very excited about it because it made me realize that Mary Cutter is gonna be huge. And I texted Mary Cutter's managers and I said, This is gonna be a better timing. Megan's fine, and everybody's just trying to have a career, and I get it. Terrible song. The whole blonde singer girl that we're trying like, look, it's just not good. And that's okay. It doesn't have to be. I don't like it. It's there's a million people who love Megan Moroni. It's fine. It's just plastic.

SPEAKER_06: 26:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07: 26:22

And it's fine. There's nothing there. She's a pretty girl, it's all good. She doesn't have to be whatever, that's her thing. The girl, that pretty girl, pretty blonde girl.

SPEAKER_06: 26:32

It's just if you wonder why. I don't even remember what song she sang. To the point of late.

SPEAKER_03: 26:40

It's not like she's got her she's got her called Six Months Later. Okay. And it's like, what doesn't kill you? We'll call you Six Months Later. Actually, actually, a single word made it in my brain.

SPEAKER_04: 26:51

You hear a lot of songs like that one, for instance, and I I always turn over the land and I go, What's the burn factor on that one? How long's that gonna last? There's a lot of that going on right now.

SPEAKER_03: 27:04

Yeah, and I but I I thought too, like the second time I watched it, and then I'm and I'm really looking at the lyric and everything. And so I think like that's kind of her lane. So it was kind of a strong woman thing. Uh, you know, for her, I think the performance was solid and I thought the st I thought the song was solid based on the stuff that she does. Um so I didn't dislike it.

SPEAKER_06: 27:25

Somebody told me um that you know, she didn't sing like incredibly well, uh, and that they had see it wasn't on the CMA replay or that we're gonna be.

SPEAKER_07: 27:40

She didn't sing great, but if for me it doesn't even bother me.

SPEAKER_06: 27:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07: 27:43

Because it's never uh a singing contest like it.

SPEAKER_06: 27:47

Like it's not if you're yeah, it's not a singing contest. But if you don't really have anything like Ella Langley didn't actually sing great. We could go there very unique. Crazy right now. Yeah, I mean like I I Whereas Megan is like, I agree. It's like okay, okay, it's good, it's fine.

SPEAKER_04: 28:08

It's just it's so funny to hear people say that. It's like it's like we're in the we're in the music business, and that's like they're artists, they're singers, yeah, but it's not a singing contest. But really and truly it is.

SPEAKER_07: 28:19

No, I don't I don't disagree with that. I think it used to be kind of it used to be more of a singing contest. But some of my favorite artists ever aren't necessarily maybe what we would all consider. Now we have some great singers. And I think I think it's amazing when when like we'll get to Stableton. Like, I love Stapleton. Right. Amazing singer, has a thing, amazing singer, generational talent. Like, we'll get to Stableton. Love him. Some of my favorite artists necessarily great. I mean, I don't think would everyone say Tom Petty was a great singer. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_04: 28:50

I'm not when I when I say sing great singers, I'm talking about stylists too. That there's yes, I now I agree. See, Megan, to me, and my problem I'm not talking about technically good, I'm talking about style, stylism.

SPEAKER_07: 29:01

And that's what she doesn't have to me. Yeah. Is like a thing. If her if her thing's just sitting there looking pretty, uh that's what it I guess that's what it is, but uh there's got then it's better be an amazing song. Yeah, something better be going on. I'm I'm happy she's having success. I mean, I I I don't imagine anyone rushing out to buy a Megan Moroni ticket. I'm gonna be wrong.

SPEAKER_03: 29:22

No, but she's pretty much she's pretty visible though. Like she's good she's doing oh, she's doing well if she continues to do probably that. I think she does have Elaine, and she seems to be doing pretty good currently. Yeah, I mean no, she started off great.

SPEAKER_04: 29:34

Oh, she's got her thing. I didn't know she was from Alabama.

SPEAKER_03: 29:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 29:37

Anyway, yeah, that was a new thing with her Tennessee orange or whatever.

SPEAKER_04: 29:41

Are you talking about are we talking about Ella Langley? No, I was talking about. Oh no, I didn't know. I just got a text from Zach, I just got a text from Zach Topp's manager. Really? Yeah. Because I congratulated him last night. And he just now texted me. It's wild that he just now texted me back while we're doing this. That's why he texts you back, period. Really? Seriously. Yeah. Because I used to write for them.

SPEAKER_03: 30:06

Oh, you're not gonna I thought you were gonna read it aloud.

SPEAKER_04: 30:08

Well, it's not it's I can't read that.

SPEAKER_03: 30:10

Okay. All right. Well, ironically, uh Tully already touched on it, Chris Stapleton. That's the next thing we're gonna talk about because he was the next performance uh and as bad as I used to be. What do you guys think about that? Starting with Neil, bad as I used to be, Chris Stapleton. What'd you think? I'm all in with Stapleton.

SPEAKER_04: 30:26

He can sing whatever in the hell he's all in to sing.

SPEAKER_07: 30:28

All in. All in. I love it. I love his band. Bass player's a friend of mine. He's a talented guy. I like obvious. I like how they I like how they go about everything. You know, I think it's a cool band sound. Yep. Which I love. And they play it live. They play live, which and Chris obviously played. Yeah, and I just if you don't like Stapleton, I mean, again, do I love every song?

unknown: 30:49

No.

SPEAKER_07: 30:50

Actually, that wasn't my favorite. That's not my favorite song.

SPEAKER_04: 30:52

I've got a lot to talk about on the next Stapleton performance.

SPEAKER_07: 30:55

Okay, I can't wait. Yeah, we've got anyway, always top-notch. To me, at least like the band feel of it.

SPEAKER_04: 31:02

It's just like, but you know what? You can tell the people that are up there that were born to do that. And that dude was created to do what he's doing. He was born to do what he's doing. There were some people out there that you go. Manufactured manufactured. Manufactured. Yeah. Yeah. You know, they're pretty, pretty, manufactured. That dude, he was, he could go, he could be up there and have cheese grits in his beard and it wouldn't matter. Somebody hopefully. He's gonna sell it. Smothered, covered, and whatever.

SPEAKER_03: 31:35

Actually, I actually thought that, I mean, I I thought that was for me as far as performance goes, and it was early in the night, but I thought that was a that was a a solid standout performance. I thought that's really good. I like the song. I thought that was solid. And and Morgan, uh, his his wife looked amazing. I mean, she really looked amazing. I don't know if y'all know her or anything, but she's uh yeah, so she she looked great, sounded great. She's an amazing singer, also. So I was anyways happy, happy for them. Yep. Um so you had uh so up next uh you did have performer uh Kelsey Ballerini. Okay, so that's a very different those two completely different performances and songs. Uh the song is called I Set in Parks. Did you listen to it? First time I'd ever uh first time I'd ever seen it.

SPEAKER_04: 32:15

What was it about? Because I never did I never knew what it was about.

SPEAKER_03: 32:18

So the gist of it was actually a very deep, you know. So and I don't know if that is her single. I assume it is. Um I would assume because I hadn't I haven't seen the the charts in a minute. Um but it's it it seemed like it was about um making a a choice for a woman for career or having a family and babies and stuff. Wasn't it song? I sit in parks. I sit in the parks and she observes other other other friends, you know, that and they're due and they're they're having babies and they're tie hernial. I wait in parks.

SPEAKER_06: 32:47

Oh god. I sit in parks at gas stations. No, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_07: 32:51

Tie hernits too close to home. I sit in parks. I walk in parks, I wait in parks. So what was rain gags? It was ideal.

SPEAKER_03: 32:58

I think just because uh it was that was kind of a sad part.

SPEAKER_06: 33:01

Like she said in parks and sometimes it rains and she's thinking of it as like how many times are we gonna do this rain gag?

SPEAKER_03: 33:07

I know.

SPEAKER_06: 33:08

I've seen that a lot.

SPEAKER_04: 33:09

If I would have done that song, I would have been dressed in a clown uniform. Sit in parks. I'm gonna give the wheel that's a bit more than a clown outfit on. Dressed like it on a swing. I give the whole thing.

SPEAKER_07: 33:25

Really? You didn't like to I can't even get past uh sitting on a swing. Yeah, well, for a park. It made sense. It's kind of like the cabooch. Okay. It's the same thing. Like like Kelsey's like I have a whole general thought on the female genre in country music, and we'll get to that after. But you're doing a hell of a job on this scroll, so I don't want to be a good one.

SPEAKER_03: 33:54

Anyway, I I've never had any songs even close to getting cut by Kelsey, but I did I did think that was a really cool song and has great melody and everything. I never knew what it was about. But I thought it was deep. You can't do it. I thought it was a deep subject matter. Yeah, the rain ag through me. I think a lot of people are gonna like that song. You know? It's raining your but uh parks. All right, so you so you had best new artists next next to shit and parks.

SPEAKER_07: 34:18

Yeah, well, uh I like this role, by the way.

SPEAKER_03: 34:23

So best new artist. Uh we had uh Ella Langley, Shabuzi, Zach Topp, Tucker Wetmore, and Steven Wilson Jr. I forget who won.

SPEAKER_06: 34:34

It was um Zach, right?

SPEAKER_03: 34:36

So winner was Zach. Yeah, with rightly so. Yep.

SPEAKER_06: 34:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 34:39

And uh I thought it was kind of cool. He brought his cooers beer up there, you know, branding.

SPEAKER_07: 34:44

He's just good for country music. Yeah, he really's just good for country music, and that's that's where we need to come back to that world and and more of that to get out of the parks.

SPEAKER_04: 34:56

I was so happy he won. It's just launching pad, man. But he's but the great thing. I thought he was good for him. I was happy for him.

SPEAKER_07: 35:02

He is, he's great. He's great. So good, he's such a pro. And he's got a thing, and that and that's what I look for. Like he's got a thing. Stapled's got a thing. You know, it's like Al Dean's got his thing, Luke Bryan's got a thing, Kenny's got his thing. We'll talk about Kenny. That's right. They all have their thing, and Zach has that thing that he's does great. I love that. I love it.

SPEAKER_04: 35:23

It's effortless for him to he's another one that was born to do what he's doing. Anyway, great, great. We all agree on that.

SPEAKER_03: 35:29

They gave a good shout out to Carson Chamberlain, you know. And uh so it was really cool. And then uh, but yeah, he was really good. That that was, I will say, that was a that was a fairly, I thought a fairly good category in the sense that there could be two or three people that could have won that, nobody had been really surprised, you know, or or super ticked off, you know. So um, so I thought that was kind of cool. Uh did okay, so the Billy Bob Thornton thing, he came out uh to talk. Did anybody notice anything that was that caught your eye on Billy Bob at all? It's just that he was wearing it looked like a scarf, like a gray bandage underneath. That's what he does. Does he always do that?

SPEAKER_06: 36:07

Well, he does it a lot.

SPEAKER_03: 36:08

Okay, it looked like he had just came from the hospital. Um Wow. Don't upset Billy Bob. We don't upset. I love you, Billy Bob. But yeah, edit edit that out, Jim. Edit that out. Edit that out. Uh uh Tully told me to. Uh you know. Uh so we had uh performers next. Oh, uh Red Clay Strays. Okay. Oh my gosh. So um I won't give my I won't give my thoughts yet.

SPEAKER_05: 36:32

I love that shit.

SPEAKER_03: 36:33

Let's start with uh let's start with Neil. What did you think about the song and the performance and them in general as an act?

SPEAKER_04: 36:40

About half the show. Because I'm you know, I'm a song guy, so I'm trying to understand what they're saying, and I can't understand what they're saying. I had a hard time. I can't. I mean determined. It sounded cool. It sounded really cool. I'm uh I love the arrangement and all that stuff. And my wife, Lana, she loves the red clay strays. I'm a huge fan, yeah. Huge fan. And I'm just now jumping on board, but I'm like, okay, so this is my big introduction to Red Clay Strays, and I can't understand what they're saying, so I don't know what the song you could, because that song is something they wrote after Charlie Kirk's death.

SPEAKER_06: 37:15

And it was in response to that. It was basically they couldn't believe the reaction that was coming from his death and the people that were somewhat celebrating and then people fighting and hating. Now I wish I could have understood what they were saying. Yeah, it's and I had heard of them before, but the song I knew was like this 50s sounding thing. But the guy is a really cool ass singer. Yeah. Uh my only question was I don't know. Are they country? I don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 37:45

I I don't know, I don't know, and I really don't care because like you said, like even before I saw him last night, which last night was a little, you know, it it was different than the other stuff that I'd heard, and I was a huge fan, and when they came on, I told my wife, I said, Oh, you gotta you gotta listen to them. I love these guys, right? And I couldn't tell you the names of their songs yet, but I really, really love them. And and and uh is it it's uh Brandon Coleman, right? That's like it's that's the lead singer. Anyway, he's got kind of an Elvis thing to him a little bit, you know, and he's very, very cool. But then when they played that song, and I couldn't hear the words either, and then I was like, Oh, that's totally not like what I it isn't what they do.

SPEAKER_06: 38:22

Yeah, it isn't what they do, but I I loved it, but and I'll say this dude.

SPEAKER_07: 38:27

I I love any that front man is dripping with charisma. Like that's a good thing. You get a front man like that, and I I love that. I th and I like the song. I like it, it's aggressive and cool. I you know, it's it the arrangement's a little heady. It is, you know, which I the music like it's a very, very band feel they have going, which I really like. Same thing I'll say, like it's will it connect uh you know, on a huge level? It can. Because we got a singer like that. It's yeah, the world's your oyster.

SPEAKER_06: 38:57

Like I started doing that today as I was going through all my stuff while I was waiting. I started going through some of their stuff. It's really cool.

SPEAKER_03: 39:05

It's really cool.

SPEAKER_06: 39:06

It's really they've got a great opportunity. Will it be mainstream? I don't know about that.

SPEAKER_07: 39:10

But you know, I feel like they it it But that guy is good. Yeah, he is I I just love seeing bands having their moment. Like I just I think that's awesome.

SPEAKER_05: 39:22

I love it. You could tell they were playing, dude. The tempo was all over the place. Yeah, the tuning was on dust back. Which I love. I did too.

SPEAKER_07: 39:31

That's how it's supposed to be. It's supposed to be uh like raw and greasy, and it's a band feel, and and you know, to be honest with you, when you got a front man like that, like I'm not really blown away by anyone in the band. Yeah. Oh no. They're they're very it's the singer. It's the singer, and and that's magic to me. Like you know, it's aggressive. Like I with you, like I you know, it was it was aggressive, but man, he sold it, and it's like, is it country? I was I was asking the same thing, like, man, I really like I really like that. I don't know if it's country country chart or that I don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 40:05

Because that that was the first time I'd heard it, but that didn't mean anything.

SPEAKER_07: 40:07

I think I looked at the chart and I think I was curious about it, and it wasn't. Yeah, but um, and and and that begs it like another question, okay. Like, you know, what what is it? And maybe that's cool. Yeah, maybe that's cool. I don't know, but I certainly didn't not like it. I and I look that front man to me is oh I loved it. Yeah, he is he's he's selling it. Yeah, he's what you want to do. He's great.

SPEAKER_03: 40:26

And I and I couldn't the the so the second time when I was listed, I was like, all right, I gotta figure out what this song says. And I could tell it was a political song, but I really couldn't tell, you know, uh what it was about. The gist of it was is love those, love those that you hate, you know, so it's kind of a you know, be more of a lover, not a hater type thing, you know. It was very it was very general, um, but but I it was interesting. But I uh so and I again I don't know if that's a radio single, we'll see how that does, but I thought they were a solid performance. I do like those guys, and I look forward to hearing more from them for sure. Um so you got Song of the Year next. Okay. All right, so you had uh just as a reminder, four by four by you. Um I don't know any of these shots. Yeah, uh Lane Laney Wilson and that's uh Am I Okay, Megan Moroney, I Never Lie, Zach Top, uh Texas, uh Blake Shelton. I actually hadn't heard that that song. Uh it's the only one I hadn't heard. Uh and then You Look Like You Love Me. And the winner of that is uh You Look Like You Love Me. So it's the theme of an of of the night. So we'll start with Kurt this time. What did you think about that win? Did you think anything was overshadowed?

SPEAKER_06: 41:34

I probably listen to country radio less than anybody here, so I don't know a lot of those songs. I actually didn't even know I hadn't heard that full song.

SPEAKER_03: 41:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 41:44

Seems like it's a good regular country song, which I like. Uh I do like him and I like her, so I'm fine with it. I'm fine with it.

SPEAKER_03: 41:56

How about you know any? I'm indifferent to it. Did you any other any songs that you feel like out of out of those, like like ooh, it could have been this one?

SPEAKER_04: 42:03

I wasn't I wasn't familiar. I'm like I'm like Kurt. I hardly ever listen to country radio.

SPEAKER_03: 42:08

Yeah, I think two or three could have won that one.

SPEAKER_04: 42:11

Yeah, I spend all my time listening to our podcast. Right. And that's great. That's that that's great. That's right. Which everyone should do. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 42:19

Well, even Ella said uh uh she got up there and she said, Well, dang Zach, thought thought you had this in the bag. I'm a little surprised to get up here. So she was giving him a little shout out. I had to I had to rewind that because at first I thought she was busting on him. I thought, uh that but she wasn't. I think she was just giving him a little, you know, like, hey, I thought your song was gonna win because I love it. So I thought it was a big thing.

SPEAKER_07: 42:38

Well, she's just being insecure because Riley turned her down.

SPEAKER_03: 42:41

Well, and that and there too, you know.

SPEAKER_07: 42:42

I don't even know if that's even true, but I feel like it is now. I I I I saw I feel like I I feel like I saw like a clip of her on stage and someone yelling at her like, Riley should have held on to you, and she like made this like weird like, oh, he should have. Oh, so that's real Intel then. So you've got some real Yeah, he's got deep. I haven't got a deep dive. No, no, not so much. No, we'll see. Yeah. Riley come over and pull my head off my shoulders though. And the guy's very strong.

SPEAKER_04: 43:11

Till he watches General Hospital.

SPEAKER_03: 43:13

I used to do that when I was too much. I will say too, uh, for on Riley. I thought he was in both of those uh wins, he was very gracious. I mean, I thought he was a a true uh gentleman and kind of let her, you know, have much you know the mic. I thought I thought he was I thought he was very cool too.

SPEAKER_07: 43:32

Anybody with biceps that big?

unknown: 43:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_03: 43:34

Oh, yeah, he could crush all of us. But that was that was a good win for them. Uh so so the uh next you had okay, so this is a this was a uh uh next performance was Stephen Wilson Jr., of which I hadn't heard him before. I've seen I've seen his name. Are you serious? Never never heard him. And so let's start with Neil. What did you think about that first performance? I've always been a fan of his okay.

SPEAKER_06: 43:56

Uh why did you do it stand by me? That was my only question.

SPEAKER_04: 44:01

I watched the He's got so many good songs he's written. I was wondering too.

SPEAKER_03: 44:05

I think it's tied into because I watched in the red carpet thing, it's tied into a movie, I think. That's kind of a Stephen King uh makes sense movie. I think I think that, and I think the other one later, which we'll talk about, I think that one too is for is for a movie.

SPEAKER_04: 44:18

But um, out of all the artists that I've seen come along in a while, he's like one of the most unique, one of the most stylistic guys I've ever seen. And some of his songs just blow me away, man. Yeah. The way he writes, the way he phrases things. Yeah. I just think he's cool as crap. I really do. I'm a huge fan of his.

SPEAKER_03: 44:43

What you got? What you got through?

SPEAKER_07: 44:46

That's that's saying something.

SPEAKER_04: 44:49

No, I think I think he's I think he's like totally legit in the in the original category for sure. I'm a huge fan of the thing.

SPEAKER_07: 44:58

I like him. I mean, I I I was like, oh, this is he's really good. I mean, I don't know much about him to be fair.

SPEAKER_06: 45:03

But I but I I mean it was good. Super unique, super cool. I kind of had the same thought as the Red Clay Strays. It's like, this is really different. Is it country? Is it on country radio? Is he on country radio? I don't know. I don't think I don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 45:19

I'm gonna I'm gonna research it, but I'm not sure about that. Uh I I wouldn't imagine that particular song would be because I think that was just a moment. Uh of which I thought it was a but but finish your thoughts on him. That's it. I like it. I I thought for for a moment, you know, and like like for him, being definitely a newer guy, um, I mean, to come out there whether just a beat-up badass guitar and be out there by yourself and sing that, he seemed so comfortable. Like as soon as he started playing the guitar, I told Rachel, I said, I already like this guy.

SPEAKER_07: 45:50

I like I like the way he played it.

SPEAKER_03: 45:51

I like it because when he was playing that little you could tell you too. All right, he's he's got a lot of talent. And he stood up there and he he welled on that thing. And it was interesting because as a as a like Neil, Neil being a singer and just watching him, he he didn't open his mouth much. That's quite like real. I wonder if you have to sing real hard to get that out.

SPEAKER_02: 46:12

That's a more man. He didn't move his mouth. It was it it was interesting.

SPEAKER_06: 46:17

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SPEAKER_06: 48:20

TK was just asking if we're back, and we are back. And I was about to ask Kalo a question off air, but I'm gonna ask it on air. Ooh. Pressure. Yeah. Live action. Because everybody loves Kalo and Kalo loves everybody. Kalo's. Is there somebody that you would go on record as, like, say a performance last night that you'd be like, I just don't, I don't like that. I didn't care for it.

SPEAKER_03: 48:43

Yes. Really? And it's coming later in the podcast.

SPEAKER_06: 48:47

Okay. Tease. Is it really? I know what it is. I know what it is, too. It might be the same one. It might be the same one. It's gotta be. It's probably all of our.

SPEAKER_04: 48:55

Does it have to do with polyester? Uh possibly.

SPEAKER_03: 48:58

That's what they call a tease. Yes. Yes. We'll talk about that. I but but yeah, that's a good question. I do try to find the you know the good in things, you know, but sometimes, you know, even I are like, not sure if that needed to be there. But uh anyway. All right, what you got for it? I was thinking of that this one of the one of the commercials that made me think of Thrash, you know. December 12th, ABC is coming out with a docuseries behind the scenes, Taylor Swift, The End of a Era. The End of an Era? Yes, I think it was like six episodes. We'd be so lucky. Um I was wondering if you were gonna if you were gonna tune into that and watch that. DVR.

SPEAKER_04: 49:39

I moved on from that. That's all right, whatever.

SPEAKER_03: 49:41

I thought I I I looked at that, and of course, Rachel's a huge fan. Yeah, or I thought, you know, I'm I'm gonna probably watch that just because she's such a machine. I'm kind of interested, you know, to see if you get any, you know, behind the scenes type stuff of how she thinks and business-wise.

SPEAKER_02: 49:57

All right.

SPEAKER_03: 49:57

Interesting. But uh anyway, so we got uh so they they introduced the uh because we're talking about this off air with Chesney and everything, the newest uh country music hall of fame uh members. You had June Carter Cash, which is awesome. You had Tony Brown, which is awesome, you know, musician, producer, and everything, been around forever and has done so many records. And then they had Chet Chesney, who has a new book uh that's the number one best time seller right now called called Heart Like Music. Uh you're welcome, Kenny, for this huge plug.

SPEAKER_06: 50:28

Um we just sold you three books. We just sold you three books. Yeah, right, right. That's exactly right.

SPEAKER_03: 50:33

Uh and he did a cut he did a couple songs. Um uh American Kids uh was was one, and then uh what anyway, what'd y'all think about uh Cheszi's?

SPEAKER_06: 50:42

Kenny, first of all, we love Kenny. Kenny is not a great singer, that's not a secret. He I don't think he would claim to be. But you notice when he did his thing, and we'll talk about the second song coming up, but the first one I'm not gonna say I'm a I'm a fan of that song, but everybody in the place was having a good time. Yeah, and that's Kenny Chesney. That's right. Yeah, uh it doesn't have to be a singing contest. Kenny never made it a singing contest because he knows that's not what he his thing is.

SPEAKER_04: 51:10

He's not auditioning anymore.

SPEAKER_06: 51:12

No, yeah. Uh so I didn't think he sang particularly well. I don't think it mattered.

SPEAKER_04: 51:18

No. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07: 51:19

And he gave a great shout out to to Brett.

SPEAKER_04: 51:22

I was so happy that he was a tribute to him.

SPEAKER_07: 51:26

Yeah. That's why that's how Kenny is. I know it. Ken Kenny is very thoughtful. He thinks about everything like that. And it's you know, but Kurt, like I never really loved the American Kids song. Like I uh Luke Laird wrote that.

SPEAKER_03: 51:38

I actually do love that's one of my favorite.

SPEAKER_07: 51:40

Again, it's like it's it's just not my kind of thing. It's it's very cute and light, right? And I for whatever that doesn't speak to me of that stuff, but it's great. Yeah, it's a great song.

SPEAKER_06: 51:50

And it's great for his audience.

SPEAKER_07: 51:52

Yes, and it's it's very well written.

SPEAKER_04: 51:53

There's a lot of songs that we we may not like, but they're good songs. Exactly. For sure.

SPEAKER_07: 51:58

Not everybody likes the same type of music. Um but the tribute to tourette was so classy. And what I love about Kenny was it's the first time of the whole night where I felt like there's a superstar. That's what I mean. We have a superstar back now from from what remains of Nashville and the way it was done. It's like there is a superstar, it feels like it, it's Kenny Chesney. Everybody's like, there's Kenny. And I and that I'm not saying that we don't have those coming up. We we do have some superstars on the rise, obviously. But it's different.

SPEAKER_04: 52:39

How was Kenny not in the entertainer of the year category? Well, we're gonna have to wait to get there. We'll get there because I'm just teeing it up, guys. I know.

SPEAKER_03: 52:47

I'm just teeing it up. I was just, you know, I didn't notice that that he had, and I haven't seen him this way before. Maybe he does, but he had tennis on. He had tennis shoes on, yeah. Yeah. Which I thought was interesting. I mean, it looked good. Look good. But it's like Cowboy had in tennis shoes, and he's just comfortable as all get out, you know. So I thought that was.

SPEAKER_04: 53:02

Maybe dealing with gout.

SPEAKER_03: 53:04

Or planter facet. Yes. We don't know. Yeah, we don't know these things.

SPEAKER_06: 53:08

And he's no spring chicken.

SPEAKER_03: 53:09

You know. Um good shape, you know, but might be a little bit more. Well, what about the vocal? Did you pull something?

SPEAKER_06: 53:14

Does the vocal bother you guys?

SPEAKER_03: 53:16

It it didn't it didn't bother me. I don't like like you said, I don't really assess that that much. Uh, because I I I like the song, and I was I was mainly thinking during his performance, what is he gonna do? Is he gonna say thing anything about Brett? Yeah, you know, and then when he played When Sun Goes Down, you know, I thought I did think it was cool that they had you know Brett's picture up there and said I said Brett James, you know, we miss you, we love you, and had four different you know pictures of of him up there, which I thought was cool. I was kind of hoping, you know, uh I wish somebody would have said something actually, you know, like hey, we lost, you know. Yes. Um, but then I then I started thinking, one, it's it is a TV show. There is and and ten seconds is a lot, you know. So so I was thinking maybe, you know, as far as the world goes, a lot of people don't know writers' names. So so that's why they gave him that. I could say that they gave him the shout-out for all of us.

SPEAKER_07: 54:10

You know that was Kenny's idea. That's right. It definitely wasn't the producer's idea. That was Kenny Chesney's idea. That's why that happened. Kenny did it.

SPEAKER_03: 54:19

Exactly.

SPEAKER_07: 54:19

Don't let anyone take I get I will trust me, the producers did not. They don't even think about the music. Producers they just see. They see content. That's their word. But Kenny did that for Brett, and I th well I think that was a classiest move. Not surprising because Kenny's like that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 54:42

Yeah, that yeah, definitely cool to be a good thing.

SPEAKER_07: 54:43

That's why Chesney is successful.

SPEAKER_03: 54:46

Yeah, and he didn't use his that time to to promote his you know current single or something like that. He did that for Brett, which I thought was really cool. Um, and then uh discovered as uh Bailey Zimmerman came out uh to to do an announcement that he has a DHD. I didn't know that. He can go away whenever he's ready. I will say he's very he was very likable and energetic.

SPEAKER_06: 55:06

I will say we're very white.

SPEAKER_03: 55:08

I will say that. Did you notice that? No, I didn't notice that.

SPEAKER_06: 55:10

So it was like Ross from Friends. So annoying. Interesting. Remember that episode where Ross had just teeth load in the dark.

SPEAKER_03: 55:17

Yeah, I do remember the episode.

SPEAKER_06: 55:19

That's the only thing I thought about when Bailey came. Now that vocal would bother me.

unknown: 55:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 55:22

Yeah. So um anyway.

SPEAKER_07: 55:24

Anyway, so we had uh I'll let you get Neil's take on the on that. That vocal had let loose.

SPEAKER_03: 55:30

All right, so we've already kind of touched on this. They brought in the performers with uh Old Dominion, they did a did a you know mashup of like uh four or five hits.

SPEAKER_06: 55:38

Yeah, why why did they get like this uh all that time for like I guess the Billy Joel catalog or something?

SPEAKER_07: 55:46

So I guess they knew they're gonna be going to end with Snat back.

SPEAKER_03: 55:48

I mean, well you fit you figured that they were gonna win when they're getting that many pieces that that amount of time, you thought, okay, they're they're winning.

SPEAKER_06: 55:54

I was just curious why they sure they they were there to do that. I was very confused.

SPEAKER_07: 56:01

Yeah. Because it's not like this catalog of I mean, I'll get maybe maybe it's me.

SPEAKER_06: 56:06

Well, it is you, and it is me, but there are because a lot of people love Old Dominion and those kinds of songs. It's not my thing.

SPEAKER_07: 56:15

But you're not going to see Old Dominion headlining at the Horizon Center. No. So you have a and they've talked about they've had, I mean, talk about Kenny. Back to Kenny. He has put those guys on anything Kenny does, Old Dominion's there. And I I like those guys for one. They're good guys. This comes back again to the style of music, and that what they do, I think they they are good at it. And the front man, I like that front man. Yeah. I it's not my kind of music. So maybe it's a me thing.

SPEAKER_03: 56:52

I like it because the because the phrasing is silent cool.

SPEAKER_06: 56:56

No, I said it is a you thing.

SPEAKER_03: 56:57

But I said it's the same for Kurt. He's that's not a good thing. But it is a me thing as well. Okay. And I I really like them. I think I think they're I think they're they're great. I like I love one man band. Love that song. No, I will say I think that's a good one. Love Hotel Key.

SPEAKER_07: 57:09

My favorite one man band, I think, is my favorite one they had.

SPEAKER_03: 57:13

Yeah, it's really, really solid.

SPEAKER_07: 57:14

They're good at what they do. It's that very light, light, lovey. It's very sweet. Yeah, it's uh if you can get it's Keith Urban Light, which it's harder to get lighter than that. But but I will say, as a band, I like seeing bands have success at any level, and they're and they're I would curl, like I don't know if I would have done the five or six song medally, but they're good at what they do. They're good at what they do. Yeah, yeah. Firm but fair.

SPEAKER_03: 57:46

Yeah. Anything there on that? Press on.

SPEAKER_04: 57:50

I have nothing. So we had that's I mean, I'm just like, I mean, they're good. I love the singer's voice. I'm with y'all on that, but I'm like, I think you're coming back to what I was saying earlier. I'm like we have a huge void in the band category. The vocal group slash band category. There's a huge void right now to be filled by somebody that kicks ass. Yeah. We need somebody and move the needle. If you had a band the needle is like right here just going waiting on somebody.

SPEAKER_07: 58:23

You know what's funny? You say this, you're right. There's a talent Okay, we talk about Red Clay Straight, super talented. Um Dominion talented. It's like if there's a band who out there that had all that component of great front man, great talented, great singers, who did great songs. It is wide open. It it's it's for I I like catchy commercial songs that are great. That's what I like. I mean I I I love the indie sounding stuff too. Like the Red Clay Strays remind me of a really like they sound indie to me right now. It is kind of so and maybe that's what it's gonna be and and people will grab onto it.

SPEAKER_04: 59:07

I want our listeners to know that we're not dissing the artist because it's not on them. They're just chasing a dream, they're doing what they want to do. 100%.

SPEAKER_07: 59:15

Well, yeah, at least the Red Clay Strays are doing what they want to do.

SPEAKER_04: 59:17

You know, it's the business that it's it's their job to put the best, the cream of the crop, into the into the hunt. And we don't we're not dissing on the artist at all. They're doing what they love, and that's awesome. We all are doing that.

SPEAKER_06: 59:32

And it's the beauty of music, it's subjective. It's like some people love it, some people don't.

SPEAKER_03: 59:36

That's that's well, yeah, and music is awesome. Yeah, and the fact I mean the fact is we're talking about, you know, the people that made it to the CMA stage. You know, so they're doing pretty good. That's what people. Um so then you had uh oh sorry, were you gonna say something? You had uh Steve Martin, Allison Brown come out, um and Steve still plays that banjo, which is really cool. Uh but they're the album album of the year is what they were presenting. So you had Am I Okay? And Megan Moroney, Cold Beer and Country Music, Zach Top, F1 Trillion, um I'm the uh I'm the Problem and Whirlwind, right?

SPEAKER_07: 1:00:17

Laney win that Laney won that.

SPEAKER_03: 1:00:19

So so yeah, so so Laney won Jay Joyce is the uh producer there. So what'd y'all think about that category?

SPEAKER_02: 1:00:26

Which one?

SPEAKER_03: 1:00:27

Which one on the uh just album of the year with uh Laney One, but you didn't know. I wasn't compared to Post and Wall and I actually forgot Morgan was in that conversation.

SPEAKER_04: 1:00:37

I haven't dissected albums.

SPEAKER_06: 1:00:40

It seems ludicrous to me that you know boy that I don't want to start talking, you're right. I don't even want to get on that subject because it's albums are not albums anymore. No, they're not. So he's like what is an album? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 1:00:52

But if you're gonna if you're gonna give it to somebody, you give it to Morgan Wallen. You give everything he's nominated for to Morgan Wallen right freaking now. I agree with you Neil what are you doing insane?

SPEAKER_07: 1:01:04

That's what people that's why they don't take these shows seriously. That's exactly right. They have uh they have ruined Morgan has been keeping the lights on in this genre for a few years. And I'm talking like you're doing multiple nights in stadiums worldwide. Give me a break. You're selling every song he puts out is huge in one way or another.

SPEAKER_06: 1:01:27

It's it's absurd and I guess we're just diving into it and let's touch on it or everybody talk about it. It's ridiculous. It's preposterous it's embarrassing.

SPEAKER_07: 1:01:38

It really is.

SPEAKER_06: 1:01:39

That do you know that Morgan did not win a single award at any award show this year. Or Grammys, ACM Grammys ACM CMA.

SPEAKER_04: 1:01:46

Nothing. Which shows you that none of it for those of you out there that think it's fan voted and the fans have anything to do with this that ought to tell you everything. There's your answer right there. Well the CMA this definitely isn't fan C Mm it's so political just like everything else in our world it is our I voted for Morgan.

SPEAKER_03: 1:02:05

Yeah the C I mean's definitely not you guys vote? We get our votes are not are not fan voted for sure is for the listeners out there. Who'd you vote for? Morgan. Yeah yeah yeah we all did yeah because it's not against anybody else it's just like he's he's the biggest right now you know he just is he's the biggest but then and that's why to to not give him this stuff it's like it's like guys if you want people to take this seriously and and not look like you're you know the Chamazers not a single award this year.

SPEAKER_06: 1:02:35

Not not one it's embarrassing.

SPEAKER_04: 1:02:39

And and you know the artists that are up there holding the trophy they know it too.

SPEAKER_06: 1:02:42

Yeah you can almost kind of feel it you can almost kind of see it in their face like I saw Ernest he came out with a quote today that said he voted for Laney because he says Morgan doesn't give an F about these awards which there's a reason he doesn't give an F about them. Right? Well he's he's printing money.

SPEAKER_04: 1:02:59

Yeah, when you work your tail off and you've you own the industry right now and you own the world with your music right now and they're snubbing you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:03:06

Why would you like exactly yeah why would you want to come and show up yeah my my life my wife is like uh says he doesn't I bet he doesn't care and maybe he doesn't but maybe he does you know he doesn't care now because he's been forced not to care. Yeah yeah I mean to me if I were him it would it would bug me.

SPEAKER_04: 1:03:25

I'd be like all right what have I you know what have I got to do it's kind of like Al Dean w uh we've definitely seen our share of snubbing and well after try that in a small town we Oh that's what I would we were trying to we're not getting nominated we've got a pretty big song out right now and we we're not playing no and it's it's it's but going back to try that in a small town it's like one of twenty five songs in country music history that have topped out on all charts.

SPEAKER_03: 1:03:54

Yeah yeah like it didn't like 1950 like 22 songs.

SPEAKER_04: 1:03:58

And they did everything they could to our song and to make it disappear we don't want to hear that we don't want to hear from that again and it's but it's a perfect example it's not about the numbers anymore.

SPEAKER_07: 1:04:08

Morgan and Aldean and other people we're not fitting into the narrative that they're creating. And you can see it you can see the narrative you can you know you can look at it and you've been in this business a long time. It's not about the music and about what songs best or what are it's their narrative. It's like that's why they got you know Kelsey in a swing and Meghany dressed up in pink and you you got some indie kind of stuff. You know as much as I like Steven Wilson and all these guys red clay strays as much as I like it there's other I I don't want to say that they everybody's great. Red Clay Strays are really really great. But man but you're right how do you not have an Al Dean on there a Luke Bryan or a for the for the for the crowd for the listening watching audience in country music world give them give them the stars you know why? Because they come out they come out every tour and give it back to us and CMA needs to appreciate the fan base more and they refuse to it's like Morgan Wallen deserves to win the fans are going to his shows in droves there's your entertainer of the year done next done don't even have the there's a lot of stuff on social media now about about the snub the Morgan Wallin snub well it's every it's every year it's just getting ridiculous.

SPEAKER_06: 1:05:28

It is it's it is you know but you know all right that was a that was a little bit of a there's one spy I'm waiting to get all right anyway so hey do do y'all know that that that Bert is it Crisher or Chrischer I guess he's a he's a comedian.

SPEAKER_03: 1:05:44

So I hadn't seen him before so he came out and he showed his stomach it reminded me of like Bobby Pence and you know at a red light you know to a bunch of college cheerleaders he's he'll always he'll always do that. It's just so funny. But one thing he said you know and it didn't get a ton of a ton of laughs. You could tell they wanted to laugh but he's talking about his wife him and his wife being in Nashville and they did all the stuff and Broadway went to eat hot chicken and everything like that and he said he said hey just just you know pro tip that says when you get back to the hotel room and you've eaten hot chicken uh make sure you wash your hands thoroughly um because my wife was not happy and I'm like whoa okay which kind of like kind of like okay but you could tell like the people there like oh should we laugh at that you know should should we so it was pretty it was pretty funny that was definitely a moment in there but um but anyway I thought he was kind of funny uh you got performers all right so you had uh shaboozy and Steven Wilson Jr. Okay so I was wondering what that was going to be like you know because and I hadn't heard this song either um but I think the title is Stay Out Here for a while I guess I guess that's what it is uh not sure but did y'all listen to that like dislike performance I'm not a big shabozy fan so I probably turned away yeah because you didn't so you didn't really listen did you listen I think I didn't listen I didn't really listen either okay um I thought that I remember looking at the set then turning away it's like walking down through some sort of field or something yeah yeah yeah is it's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_07: 1:07:07

Yeah it's fine I I don't like you know I can I can't either I I can't do it I mean tip C a bar song I can't do it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:07:14

When Merle Haggard is your best is my you know your your favorite country singer of all time me Merle's my favorite of all time I'm I'm going to pop it's just a booz he comes on preference I can't I mean I just I don't know what that is I really don't yeah I don't know I mean just artist wise you mean yeah I don't know where he where that fits in yeah I I I really don't I thought you know and like we've talked about before it there's a lot of it's gonna be hard hard on him because he has such a massive you know hit like how how do you follow that and this was such a uh a different lane front from that but I did think it was really cool and I I looked at the lyric I can't speak any on anything because I don't it's so far removed from what I feel the same way about him as I did when Walker Hayes had that huge Applebee's song that took that took me a second.

SPEAKER_07: 1:08:09

That was a huge song it was a huge song it was a massive song yeah feel the same way I mean I didn't Applebee's I can't I feel the same way I feel the same way like I'm not gonna knock any of them I'm not knocking I mean I mean they they did well I'm huge somebody loved these has like 15 kills a lot of people he needs somebody loved yeah you know I mean I don't like it's not my thing.

SPEAKER_04: 1:08:30

We can give our opinions it's fantastic man I I would have done it if I was shabozy I would have done a duet with Zach Top Shaboozak that's what I would have done.

SPEAKER_03: 1:08:41

All right I like it all right anyway anyway I th I did think that was a if you I'd I'd encourage you to listen to the song I thought it was I thought it was really good and I do think that was one of the one of the moments I thought that was a good moment in the in the show as far as the performance I just can't I can't get the picture of of those his shaboose hair underneath the cowboy hat I just can't get that out of my head it just seems so sacrilegious to me.

SPEAKER_04: 1:09:08

Sacrilegious somebody's hair is not sacrilegious no no no just like that coming out from underneath the cowboy hat is what I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_03: 1:09:16

Well all those I don't know those dreads or whatever that is I don't know what what it is well it's just I mean it's a different it's a different look but I mean that's that's that's him that's what he I just don't like the music but with a hat on I'm like but I think you would like it if you okay we'll go read I'm gonna I'm gonna list to it again but from what I heard I think it was I think it was cool and kind of gets you to do a song like that.

SPEAKER_07: 1:09:38

I just again it's a beautiful thing about music that's what that's great about it like I just you know he had Tipsy which is a huge huge song tipsy a bar song I'm like I mean there you go.

SPEAKER_04: 1:09:55

You know what I appreciate I appreciate his love for country music. I really do yeah I I appreciate that I don't have anything against the guy I just not my thing I I don't either I appreciate I'm I'm so I I can appreciate him I might like it a little better than Meghan Moroney.

SPEAKER_03: 1:10:11

I don't know Caleb when we get to your person you don't like yeah it's coming so we got so uh next we had uh vocal group of the year Lady A Little Big Town Old Dominion Rascal Flats Red Clay Strays the winner was Red Clay Strays well yeah but out of there's no one else to give it to that's even so yeah so you got but the one thing nobody has anything currently out right I don't think I mean it's it's really sad times do away with the category do away with it they won.

SPEAKER_04: 1:10:45

I'm glad they won just because I am a new fan of theirs so I thought I wasn't too much you know what you know what I thought I was I thought actually thought since Brooks and Dunn won duo of the year I thought that the flats would would get it I thought there was a possibility I thought there was a huge a big possibility dairy wasn't there but because because you know I mean they had a they toured last year that sold out in two hours you know and I'm like maybe they'll get it because it was the same thing that Brooks and Dunn did right you know and they did one tour and it was huge and but you know shot I think it would have been nice I I I was I voted for them because I was like but they didn't have any music out right no they well they've got a single out neither Brooks and Dunn they didn't they didn't have any music out they just toured okay it's been a on a tour and I I thought I thought that the flats had a chance to win that too and then uh my wife and so said hey Gary Gary Lavox is not not there tonight.

SPEAKER_03: 1:11:40

I thought oh okay then they're not they're not winning and the red clay strays played and also well so did old Dominion though yeah but the only real quickly because I don't even want to spend any time on that but like the I think the red clay strays are awesome.

SPEAKER_06: 1:11:53

That's not a vocal group to what you were saying before it's a one guy it's a two group group guy with the band you know which gives you one and he's awesome.

SPEAKER_03: 1:12:02

He's a badass so one thing that was funny when he got up there I know what he means but he said we'd like to thank our wives and our girlfriends and I thought that's kind of funny. I know what he mean like some up Mark Mary but it's like wives and girlfriends check all the boxes. Kind of funny so um and then he had another comment of one of the poor guys lost his brother to uh um to suicide which that was that was really Baby gave him a shout out and said God bless to his brother who should be on the stage with him and so I thought that was nice he got a chance to say that um all right so you got Cody Johnson introing uh Laney Wilson okay for her performance and he and he says okay I just want this is a good topic here but he introduced her and I'm sure it's on the monitor and he had to read it but it said and she's a lady who knows how to give the finger and then he says not that finger and talking about her song ring finger which is her that's the hook of her song.

SPEAKER_06: 1:12:57

Yeah yeah so uh so anyway so what'd y'all think about um what'd y'all think about that song that performance who started thrash well no I I think I was packing oh you so you really did so you didn't really go go to Kyle because I no seriously I didn't I didn't yeah go go I wasn't in the room I wasn't in the room so I can't comment it's okay so like we're oh my gosh here's what I thought I can't wait well no because we've said this I love Laney we love Lainey she's fantastic I support all of what she is I I wasn't crazy about it I thought okay she's out here with her pop dancers there's a rap track trying to sound like kid rock cowboy just do your thing that was just do your thing you're a great country artist do that when did the dancers start so I was a little it wasn't my thing uh and I love Laney it just wasn't my thing she's so good I've been saying it until I'm blue in the face they're letting a golden opportunity yeah for and Laney's probably gonna be huge for a long time she's so good man so much she's gonna be female right now yeah I know it's so good I'm gonna freaking dancers it's just a weird it's a distraction it's not it's a she's got she's got a chance to be and she probably will be a Reba esque kind of kind of correct that's exactly what she was that I thought that's what she was trying doing a Reba type I I I I'm not gonna lie and and I I think Laney's a a generational talent but she's not doing generational songs.

SPEAKER_07: 1:14:49

And and and and you mix the song for me with that kind of image and that performance and Laney's Laney there's a lot going on. She doesn't need all that she's an incredible singer right it's a lot going on there's a especially that song there's a lot of a lot of production she's it's a lot and it's like man it's like when I when they on her tour um on her first headlining tour you know how to she spent half the show singing in a truck in a truck you know you know Laney is so good just let her do her thing. I I don't love I don't I I I I love Laney I I haven't really loved the last few songs.

SPEAKER_03: 1:15:37

I didn't think four by four by you was like man somewhere over Laredo's I dug I dug that that that one like like in I love her first song uh the uh truck one yeah yeah and I I mean to me I don't think she's I don't think she's missed like as far as her her lane and what she's doing until and until uh la last night. Like I didn't uh you know and I definitely don't want to bash her because like we said all the love for her and she's you know she's it right now in the female is this the one that you didn't like is this it no this is not okay no it's it it's it's one it's it's would be second in my dislike list um just because you know what just like he uh like I would that wasn't a Laney Wilson song to me like I was I was yeah but yeah and just uh the production and they had you know had the I don't know what whatever that the sound was on the mic which is what was a little bit cool when it first started and I was a fresh listen so I hadn't heard the song so I was interested in listening to it seemed like I was trying too hard but then even in the lyric you know we said something about um you know being on a a Jerry Springer show you know like like because it it was a total breakup thing you know he bites the ring and all that stuff and and she got the ring he got the finger and all that so which I don't know and my first thought was I think Jerry Springer that show's not even on didn't he die? Didn't Jerry Springer die? Is he done? So to me as if I were in that writer room one if I was in the writer room I'd be glad to be on that song and I'd be telling everybody how great it is yeah but that'd be a point that you might piss because we're not all you might you might bring that up but like yeah I just didn't love that for her and I'd like to know who does like that song. My favorite part was that at the very end like like when it like stop stop that is you rarely get that kind of thing out again no this is so rare Kayla. But it'll probably do do well and I and I I wish her well it'll probably be a big smash number one. You know because she is doing so good and maybe it might grow on you it just didn't seem like it was uh her type of song but maybe it is yeah I don't know okay but I think it is but it doesn't matter. But anyway uh so pressing on congratulations Landia um all right so you love you had uh Ella Langley gave a great shout out to the service members which was awesome fantastic at the Fort Campbell soldiers there 101st airborne which was great and uh they gave a guy uh Nick uh colt culture I guess that Chevy gave him a uh wheelchair accessible traverse truck which was amazing you know so I thought that was really really cool Chevy to do. Then you had uh Miranda Lambert and Chris Stableton as the next uh performance and so uh which end do you want to start let's start with you start with me we haven't started with you either oh oh wow I wasn't quite ready for that I'll say um and and I I love I love Miranda and I love Stableton I love how we had to set it up we look but just I know and there's there's a button but super talented but I first off the set kind of caught me a little bit it was kind of kind of look like uh remember like the they kind of look at an old disco in a country version of Soul Train.

SPEAKER_06: 1:18:45

It was well that's what they were going for. That's what they were going for.

SPEAKER_03: 1:18:48

Yeah and I don't I don't know and I don't even know if that's a is that a song that they're putting out I don't I don't know um but I put that particular performance in the category of unnecessary performance let me tell you something this was the one that you didn't like yeah the most I just didn't like it I just didn't and it didn't look like Miranda was super comfortable with it and and it looked like also maybe while while they were playing it in the middle of it they thought to themselves we might not have should have done this yeah that's just kind of what it felt like to me Stapleton had that all written all over his face.

SPEAKER_04: 1:19:24

That's what it seemed like he's like what in the hell did I put this polyester suit on for he did I mean you guys killed the box in a little bit I have yeah that that's tied for the top with the the the two worst ones that's that's tied at the top because I was like what in the hell are they doing? Who approved this yeah and I know Stableton was like I cannot believe I agreed to this it was it was horrible. I thought it was horrible.

SPEAKER_06: 1:19:50

Yeah just not my flavor for sure I thought he was great in it but I'm with you as far as the overall thing I think it's so hard to sing with him because he's so good like we're all huge fans of Miranda but I wouldn't want to sing a duet with Stapleton.

SPEAKER_04: 1:20:08

It was but it was just not good it was they're both fantastic but it was a terrible idea.

SPEAKER_03: 1:20:13

Well and their their vocals were fine it was that's not the that's not the thing they you know I um it was just everything else I didn't like the song very weak song I didn't and I was stunned Stableton I was too who who convinced Stapleton and Stapleton said yes.

SPEAKER_07: 1:20:30

Because he just does his thing I was really surprised to see him in all the in all that production yeah it's like dude you're so good you should have just left after your song because you killed it. He don't want to go back and watch that not a good I just didn't even from ground up I didn't think that was a good overall bad wasted time all right okay so uh next performer Riley Green I didn't know he was a guitar player but I thought he did I I I thought that was uh well we'll start Kurt You like that it was uh I want you in the worst way song um I it's funny because most of these songs that I heard through the night it was the first time I'd heard them yeah me too because I just don't listen but uh I thought it was good it was good yeah I love Riley Break me in half with one arm I definitely don't want to hear him do a guitar solo intro like Stevie Ravon he's not a guitar player so don't do stuff that you're not great at in that room it's like when Stableton plays guitar he's got a legit he's got a thing. No he's legit I like Riley Riley he kind of broke the mold and kind of blew me and me and Kurt's theory out of the water which was you remember we've always said like you know in country music you know you don't necessarily need to be like too good looking you know what I mean like especially if you're a guy you don't want to be too good looking well he's he's he's a good looking dude um I don't think Riley thinks of himself as the best singer which is Riley's a cool freaking guy. Yeah um I don't want to hear the guitar I don't want to hear him play guitar but the song to me which been my complaint with this song from the whole time Riley I couldn't believe it. Riley Riley's looks in that video propelled that song the song to me is it just does nothing for me. It's not like a great song. It's him that sells the song yeah it's him which is that's his again I appreciate okay that's his brand I I don't hate it I don't I just don't like the song I know why he's doing it very I mean I want you in the worst way.

SPEAKER_04: 1:22:52

Yep that's it I want you in the worst yep yeah and for all you listeners out there or anybody else in the country music world that want to diss our songs get a podcast.

SPEAKER_07: 1:23:02

No they they do that all the time but oh yeah I think I think the opposite I I think that I think that'll be a big song for Riley it's already been a big song you know it's a good yeah see yeah it's a big song no it's not no it's I mean that's my that's why I'm saying it's like Riley's smart like what I do like about Riley is he's a good looking guy but he's still like got this rugged thing going. Yeah you know what I mean it's not like that's the difference to Riley like he's he looks cool as shit like it's yeah you know I mean my arms were very jealous of those biceps but well yeah he he he's a he's got his thing I I don't love that song but I but the but that video was a big deal and it came out like he you know it was a huge deal so women love him apparently I mean the song's huge so I mean I think he wrote it by himself.

SPEAKER_03: 1:23:51

He's just I don't know I think he did I think he wrote by himself but definitely that's that's uh I don't want to hear him do the cold open and if you are gonna do it at least someone get the tone right I didn't as a non-player I didn't recognize that was being bad I just I listened to it it sounded in tune to me and I thought oh I didn't know he played that's that was my only thought on the well I mean I think he I think he feels like someone told him oh you're a great guitar player you should play but he's not he's he's cool but I don't know if I'd go out there and open with with that you know it's like and I've seen him do it on like I've seen videos on Instagram of him doing that one.

SPEAKER_07: 1:24:35

Oh really? Yeah so I knew it was coming. Oh so it's like that's he's turned that into his thing but whoever his tech is do him a solid and do something. Put a little more little drive on it or a little more air around it. It's just like guitar center tone.

SPEAKER_03: 1:24:50

So what you're saying is if I'm hearing you right you didn't care for it.

SPEAKER_07: 1:24:56

I'm gonna say this I completely get what he's doing. I just I I don't musically I don't care for it but I like Riley's thing.

SPEAKER_03: 1:25:05

He's got a thing though yeah like Riley's thing yeah and uh he could kill all of us Riley we love you at the same time yeah so uh okay next next performance uh had Ella Langley she had a uh new song that I I hadn't heard maybe it's maybe it's an older song but it's I think it's a new song choose that's her current single I guess it's good uh pretty solid everybody think yeah it's uh it's another one of those things that you like just because it's country yeah again do we have to have the two steppers in the front of the stage why what is that why do we have to have it such a distraction man whoever's producing these shows you don't need the two steppers it's distracting just she's a pretty girl yeah what manager approves that you know that's the producers it's the producers and the man talking to the managers and the manager is convincing I've seen it and the manager is convincing the artist this will be cool this will look good.

SPEAKER_07: 1:26:02

She's she's so good. I know you don't you know what she is to me what's she doing she mean she's like our country version Stevie Nicks. Yeah that's what when she walks out on stage Ella Langley is the closest thing we've got and will have to Stevie Nix. She's got a presence about her and she's pretty yes but like there's an edge to her too that's cool. Yeah it's cooler that makes the Megan Moroneys and the Kelsey ballerinis look plastic. Yes and that's what I love.

SPEAKER_06: 1:26:33

Which is why Ella's already getting to be bigger than them already.

SPEAKER_03: 1:26:38

And Ella I have a great hook for you by the way a great hook?

SPEAKER_06: 1:26:41

Yes.

SPEAKER_03: 1:26:42

Yeah she's doing she's blowing up me she's doing like national commercials and stuff too she's doing great what I like about her though I hope I hope she um continues just with a simplicity of what she's doing.

SPEAKER_07: 1:26:55

I love Laney but I've whoever's dressing her can we dial it back? Just dial it back dial it back. I don't think that's Laney's thing to dial it back I saw her on on one I know but I don't know how much of it's her dude now Ella right Ella's great I'm I I like her style you know Ella goes out there she's looks cool to me Laney like I saw a photo shoot like she's dressed in like a Navajo like sack with like these things it's like it's a lot and then like she came out it's a lot it's like Laney's like great but Ella's cool yeah yeah two totally different uh things Laney is cool but it's for some reason it's getting it's getting like a lot to me.

SPEAKER_03: 1:27:44

I'm glad she changed the the the hat that Laney used to wear just the shape of it it it always bugged me and I was wanting one of her good friends to suggest like the hats that she's wearing now which look really great on her um but Laney was on tour with us when she first got and she is I I I can't even explain to you how awesome she is she's like she's like a little sister for that she is and and to her credit like Laney she was in Al Dean's ear like every night like getting advice. And you had uh presenting next you had uh Brandon Lake and somebody there so for Male Bookalist of the year that is so male bookalist of the year Luke Combs Cody Johnson Chris Stapleton Zach Topp Morgan Wallen the winner is Cody right Cody Johnson uh thoughts it's okay it's a great category okay it is that's a that's a tough one it was full of legit you know deserving guys that's a tough one yeah okay I know there so yeah congrats Cody I don't know Cody but I love his voice and he also gave a nice shout out to Stapleton which I thought was very cool. Then you had uh Tucker Wetmore perform and I hadn't seen him perform before I hadn't had hadn't heard him I see him on strip out because I look at the charts and stuff to butt in but uh on the performance there um I think the song uh wind up missing you and let's start with TK uh song and performance what do you think Tucker Wetmore take it away can we start with artist sure I like it as this show is going on Tully's getting more and more uh does anyone not realize that he's begging and wanting to be and sounds like Morgan Wallen well and it's yeah we've had this conversation that's a given and it's I I but I tell you this about Tucker Wetmore.

SPEAKER_07: 1:29:27

He did one smart thing last night I can't wait. He didn't play his current single because that is a terrible song it's called 321 and it's one of the worst songs out there take it off the air no kidding it's terrible actually it's terrible the song he did last night was his first hit which it sounds good I like that no actually didn't hate this song no but he sounds look it looks like Morgan Wallen sounds like Morgan Wallen wants to Morgan he came out last night in a but a totally cowboy outfit yeah he has hat on and stuff because that's not what he wears but maybe he's trying to differentiate himself from Wallen maybe well I don't I don't know but he's already differentiated he's on the awards I'm glad he didn't play his his uh current single which is just awful really yeah and heard it I haven't heard it now we'll probably hear that next year it's out it's

SPEAKER_03: 1:30:30

No, I mean on the CMAs. Probably next year we'll probably hear it. Or maybe not. I don't think you will. Okay. Well that makes me want to go hear it because I have not heard it. That's all I said. No Tucker Whitmark cuts for me. This is just a personal one. You had CMA broadcast award winners, which had Mo and Stickman, US 101, Chattanooga. What, what? So congrats to those guys. They win all the time. They're awesome. You've been to that radio station with me a couple times. And then we have the uh Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. It went to Vince Gill. So who wants to start?

SPEAKER_07: 1:31:06

You take it first. I have a lot to say on this. You take it first. The performance.

SPEAKER_04: 1:31:09

It's real brief. The performance uh it's very brief.

SPEAKER_03: 1:31:13

Nobody answers when I call your name, right? So one of my favorites.

SPEAKER_04: 1:31:16

Brandy Carlisle? No. No. I think it's probably the worst choice. Bingo.

SPEAKER_07: 1:31:22

What that guy said. What he said. Of performers. What that guy said. My choice of performers. Horrible. That guy said. Horrible. Absolutely horrible. Horrid. Yeah. It was embarrassing.

SPEAKER_04: 1:31:32

It was, it was, it was embarrassing.

SPEAKER_07: 1:31:34

And you could see it in Vince's face. Why have you done this to me? Yep. Because that's an amazing song. Shout out to Danny Rader and all our buddies up there. Did a great job. Paul Franklin on steel guitar.

SPEAKER_04: 1:31:45

It took the cake for uh, you know, and I have another sad moment. The worst performance. It was it was not not necessarily the worst performance. It was the worst choice of performers to to celebrate Vince Gill that I could ever imagine in my life.

SPEAKER_07: 1:32:01

But then it's something worse happened. They made poor Patty Loveless, who I love. Patty Loveless. Yes. Made Patty Loveless sing with her.

SPEAKER_03: 1:32:12

I know it. Which did help it, I thought. It helps. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07: 1:32:15

But then you could see, you know, I felt bad for the genre in the sense that you could see everybody, most people in there, like, who's that?

SPEAKER_06: 1:32:21

You mean with Brandy?

SPEAKER_07: 1:32:22

No, when Patty walked out.

SPEAKER_06: 1:32:25

So I actually I didn't get to watch this last night, so I was trying to get through today. I actually fast forward when I saw Brandy Carlisle start singing. I fast forwarded it.

SPEAKER_07: 1:32:34

So I didn't know what happened. I thought that was an absolutely that told me everything I need to know about where we're at in the CMAs. Terrible. There's a million people who could have done that tribute.

SPEAKER_02: 1:32:45

Oh.

SPEAKER_07: 1:32:46

Not a million, but like some people that would have really done it right.

SPEAKER_03: 1:32:49

Nailed the vocal because Vince is such an amazing vocalist. Get one of the female artists that can actually sing with amazing vocals. There's people in the room.

SPEAKER_07: 1:32:57

You could have had Stableton do it. You could have had you could have had a lot of different people last night do a rendition of that song. It would have been so special, and they took Vince's moment and they just and they trashed it.

SPEAKER_04: 1:33:11

There's only one reason they chose her. And I'm not going to go there. Say it. Go there. No, I'm not going to go there. Everybody knows why. Everybody knows why. Terrible. Everybody knows why. Terrible.

SPEAKER_07: 1:33:21

Everybody knows why. Just let Vince had. But Patty Lovis is so and when and you could see Vince tearing up when Patty came out, which I thought was like because Vince is so amazing. Vince is amazing. He's just he's one of those great writer, great singer, killer. Yeah. Amazing guitar player.

SPEAKER_03: 1:33:42

Exactly what the George Strait said when he came out. And it was so cool. I actually would have loved it. It would have been way cooler to me.

SPEAKER_07: 1:33:50

You know what would have been cool? And I don't know if this is an option. They they George Strait should have introduced him. Vince should have played it. Patty should have came out. Patty could have came out same with Vince. Would have been an amazing thing. It'd been cool to have Vince saying. But if you're gonna honor him, honor him correctly. Please. Because that was that was heartbreaking because that song is one of my favorite songs. That oh my lord, what a great song. I mean, now I gotta that's a last I mean it's a that's a tough thing to watch.

SPEAKER_03: 1:34:24

When when Vince came up, you know, he he said, well, he goes, I will say it's not lost on me that you had to get a couple girls to sing sing that song because there's no guys in here that can hit that note, you know, hit those notes. So but I th I thought George Strait was really cool to get him off off the farm to come to that, I thought was that was really cool. Yep, really cool. And that's what he said about he said amazing uh every time.

SPEAKER_07: 1:34:46

Talk about a style, George Strait. Would you say George Strait's one of the best singers? I I wouldn't, but but dang. I remember being on tour with that dude, and we'd watch him every night like and what a what a what a vibe. Yeah, yeah. He's a force. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:35:03

Vince had said uh he thinks he's the only one that won that that uh award that that doesn't smoke weed, which I thought was kind of funny because you go back and look at all those. But all right, so next uh next we had uh Big X the plug. Um he's recorded a country album performance with him and Luke Combs. I couldn't understand a lot of the rap part, but what'd y'all think about that?

SPEAKER_06: 1:35:28

I'll just say this who whoever introduced Big X to plug? Was it Laney?

SPEAKER_03: 1:35:33

I'm not sure who introduced it.

SPEAKER_06: 1:35:34

I think it was, but she was like, Oh, you know, he's been re- he wanted to do a country album. And I'm thinking he comes and does a song, it's a rap with Luke singing the chorus. So what I don't understand what's country about it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:35:46

Yeah, I can't. I don't know, and I haven't definitely hadn't heard the record. What what do you what would you like to do?

SPEAKER_06: 1:35:50

I think Tully's right. We can spend as little time on this as possible.

SPEAKER_07: 1:35:54

Again, I I think ex experiment all you want, do cool uh, but it should be good, and that just wasn't good. Terrible.

SPEAKER_06: 1:36:00

Well, it's just not country.

SPEAKER_07: 1:36:01

I mean, don't say don't say it's country. You know, I but here's the thing like when we did Dirt Road Anthem, people were saying it wasn't country.

SPEAKER_06: 1:36:08

But no, this that's not even that's apples and oranges.

SPEAKER_07: 1:36:11

Right, but but I'm just but this but it's but it but you know I'm saying like it was it was different, it's cool. This was just bad. It's like, dude, this is not good. It's like I know what you're going for. I wish it was good. I wish something was good, or the song was good.

SPEAKER_06: 1:36:28

I mean, he didn't do anything different from what he always does. He just does his rap. The only thing different was Luke saying the chorus.

SPEAKER_03: 1:36:34

Yeah, and which the the chorus, actually, to me, the chorus sounded kind of like a hit chorus, melodically and lyrically and everything, but the the rapping part I couldn't go. I couldn't. We all agree. We could go on.

SPEAKER_04: 1:36:45

We can but um but yeah, so that was I bet you Morgan Wallen is the only country artist that rap rappers call to come sing on their records and come to their award shows. Yeah. The only one. We're always like begging pop singer, pop stars and rap stars to come to our award shows to make us look cool because we don't think we're gonna come make us look cool. Why do they do that? It's so pathetic. It's such a pathetic look. It really is. You're right. We begging it. Because what because they're insecure.

SPEAKER_06: 1:37:16

And what country what the demographic that watches those shows, are we all are we excited, big ex the plugs on the no kidding, right? I don't know who big extra plug is. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 1:37:27

I didn't I didn't know until I watched. So I don't know.

SPEAKER_04: 1:37:29

That's how insecure they are. They feel like they have to call some rap artist to come be on our award show. And that's the CMAs for you. It's just a lot of people. We want to be as big as the American Music Awards, and and I'm like, so we're gonna have to call rap artists to come do you know these songs and these duets with Luke Combs. And I'm like, what is going on? And what were they censoring in the lyric? Uh I I was right.

SPEAKER_05: 1:37:53

As soon as he started first verse. What was that?

SPEAKER_03: 1:37:57

It was mainly just uh it was just like uh shit and things like that, you know, because we can move on, yes. Yeah, so what I do this podcast attention. If there's if there's if there's a positive about that, I guess the fact that the rappers actually would want to come and do something like that and collaborate, you know, with with country music. And and the other thing is listeners this day and time, they are just different than when we were coming up. They are very eclectic and they like a little bit of everything. So I don't know that it's that I'd say this.

SPEAKER_07: 1:38:29

I don't know, I don't think, and I love this is a good question. Question I wish they call in or could leave a message for us. Like, who really wanted to see that? Who would have or who is glad they did see it? I I would who wouldn't want to see us play or Luke play Eric Church play something. That's a good point. It's just it's a CMAs wanting to work their narrative. Yes. And if you don't fit in their narrative, you gotta watch Kelsey Ballerini swing. No one wants to see it. Nobody wants to see it. Megan Moroni, she could have not played, and no one would have said, Oh, I wish Meghan Moroney would have played. They might as well call it the NFL Awards.

SPEAKER_03: 1:39:09

Why the NFL Awards?

SPEAKER_04: 1:39:11

Because they're freaking woke as shit. Oh yeah. Choose Love Neil.

SPEAKER_03: 1:39:17

Uh Neil. Right. Choose love. Choose love, Neil. All right, so now we're up for uh uh female vocalists of the year. So we got only got two categories left for all you listeners out there that are wondering why this takes so long. It's because we're passionate about it. That's why we're having fun. Uh as the female vocals of the year, you had Kelsey Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Laney Wilson, and as we know, winner, Laney Wilson. Yeah. So uh he's an incredible singer, yeah. You know, she's great.

SPEAKER_07: 1:39:49

Good with Laney. Oh, yeah. Yeah, she's a great singer.

SPEAKER_03: 1:39:51

Yeah, yeah. So uh thought that was a good good win. And uh she's great. And you had Keith Urban come out, and of course we all, you know, Baby Girl!

SPEAKER_05: 1:40:00

He did that. Where's my baby girl?

SPEAKER_07: 1:40:02

She's gone, bro.

SPEAKER_05: 1:40:04

Baby girl, gone.

SPEAKER_07: 1:40:06

She's got Keith. Can I who's dressed together? Who's who's dressing Keith right now, by the way?

SPEAKER_03: 1:40:13

Well, the first when he came out first and sang earlier, he had this cool uh painted like t-shirt on. I thought looked really cool. I don't remember what he had on the second time.

SPEAKER_07: 1:40:22

The see-through shirt, I don't even care about that. Honestly, I like Keith. Keith is uh Keith's one of our favorites. Keith's one of our favorites. He's a true Keith can do whatever he wants. He's a badass, he's a turn the right guy wants. Especially years ago. Like he was the closest thing I I thought we had in the stronger to a true rock star. Years ago. And I and I still really respect Keith for the most part. He's done a couple of things lately that are upset me. But um musically or personally? Uh one again, Keith there's some songs he put out a while ago, years ago, that are like like songs like Stupid Boy and stuff like that. I thought were so good. He went top some of the so good. Yeah. And I think it it got a little I think Keith chases what he thinks people might want to hear. When he's when he does what he's his thing. I know the Dan Huff Just a knee bank years were the that was the good stuff. There was a lot of good stuff. I mean, uh anyway, love Keith. Uh I'll yeah, I mean, Keith's great. He's just good for he's good for the genre. He's you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:41:34

And I think it it wasn't a see-through. I I know what you're talking about now. It wasn't a see-through shirt, it was just uh one of the silk shirts that's buttoned down about halfway, and you have to do that if you're him because you wouldn't be able to see the tattoos. He's got a really cool uh tattoo.

SPEAKER_07: 1:41:49

Very designer-y tattoos. Though those tattoos are like paintings, yeah. Like paintings, you know.

SPEAKER_03: 1:41:56

Like Keith.

SPEAKER_05: 1:41:58

Love Keith. He's good. All right, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:42:00

So we got uh so we got one more. This is the big one. Okay, yeah, entertainer of the year. Um so we've got why read them? You don't want to read them?

SPEAKER_04: 1:42:09

What's the point?

SPEAKER_03: 1:42:10

Well, just so so the listeners would would know. So and also, I mean, surely they'll they'll know this is a week, not a week after, but it's a few days after, but it's the first time we got together to uh to talk about it. So Entertainer of the Year, you had Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen, and Laney Wilson. Winner, as we know, Laney Wilson.

SPEAKER_06: 1:42:29

Really sad. We we've had this discussion already. Yeah. Laney, uh it's obviously should be Morgan. We've had this discussion. End of discussion. End of discussion.

SPEAKER_07: 1:42:39

Here's can I say one thing? Yeah. Yeah. Well, actually, you know, I I maybe I shouldn't because I feel like I've taken up a lot of our time in the last two segments. No, you're on fire. Good. You are the genre, I know what they're doing. I know what CMA's are doing. They're lifting up the female artist. And this genre is never lacked for female artists. Reba. Faith Hills never lacked for Martina McBride ever. We've had amazing Shania Twain ruled the world. Yes. But this genre has never not wanted to listen to female artists. The problem with our female artists most of them is they're not good songs. They're not they're not arena type songs, they're not stadium type songs. Miranda was was a great headline. Miranda was killing it for years. She was headlining. People like Miranda. She had some edge to her songs. They're lifting up I know what they're doing. Laney's gonna win entertainer by lifting up the female artist. You know, that's why they're lifting up Megan, lifting up Kelsey. That's what they're doing. Ella's great. You know? It's Morgan's award. And I just wish once someone would say, I forfeit this to Morgan Wallen.

SPEAKER_04: 1:44:08

That's what I said the last time.

SPEAKER_07: 1:44:09

Or at least it mentioned, yeah, you did. I said it the last time.

SPEAKER_04: 1:44:12

I was like, I don't know how anybody could stand up there.

SPEAKER_07: 1:44:14

I would take it and set it down and say, This is for Morgan Wallen. I'm gonna take it. Yes, you can get it when I'm gonna do it.

SPEAKER_06: 1:44:19

I'm thinking the good publicity that'd give you by saying it. Exactly.

SPEAKER_07: 1:44:22

If Laney would have done that last now, I'm not saying you gotta remember Laney, can you imagine Laney's manager who we know? They would their heads would explode. But uh can you imagine what a gesture because it's really Morgan's award.

SPEAKER_06: 1:44:37

Everybody knows it.

SPEAKER_07: 1:44:38

Even everybody knows it. Everybody know everybody knows it's it's uh it it's Morgan's award.

SPEAKER_04: 1:44:46

Well, they're the CMAs is only hurting, they're only hurting themselves when they do stuff like that. When they know when they when I don't know if they know, but everybody in the world knows that that's a Morgan Wallen award.

SPEAKER_07: 1:45:00

Why wouldn't you welcome Morgan with open arms? I don't know. Can you it's such a a leftist thing to do?

SPEAKER_02: 1:45:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07: 1:45:08

Well it truly is. It truly is. I'll show me. I'll shut Morgan out. That's what that's the way they roll. I'm sorry. And next year when we get not, we're not gonna be nominated for anything. No. We're we're taking care of that right now. But um it's a very leftist liberal thing to do. It's like, well, we're we're never gonna invite Morgan, they're never gonna let Jason be nominated for anything again. I don't understand it. Morgan is so good for the genre. Welcome him back, embrace it.

SPEAKER_04: 1:45:38

There's uh we we were I was talking to Kurt about this when we were on break. There's it seems like there's two different genres of country music now. One you saw Wednesday night and the ones that didn't get what they deserved.

SPEAKER_07: 1:46:01

There's two different realities, too. One reality being what you saw last night, and the other reality when you go on the road when you go to shows. When you see, you know, the reality of to me it's like who who's our headliners? And those headliners should always be in the conversation. If you've got someone selling twenty thousand a night amphitheaters or like Morgan's doing eighty thousand a night, whatever, and you got someone selling two thousand a night.

SPEAKER_04: 1:46:33

I think we should have the CCMAs. The conservative country music awards.

SPEAKER_07: 1:46:39

It's not just it's not even the CU coverage over. It's just I I don't understand why it's gotta be that way. Like like you can't.

SPEAKER_04: 1:46:46

What do you think the ratings would be? If you had liberal country music awards and the conservative country music awards or someone just did the uh or if the or if the ACMs if the ACMs actually That's what it's turning into.

SPEAKER_03: 1:46:58

If the ACMs actually did it right, you know, I mean Well it all another thing, it could be like you guys were talking about the vocal group. Um because it's apples and oranges, it would be nice, entertainer of the year if you have male and female. Because it's just why two completely different things, you know. Because no, because because if it's male and female, then obviously Laney is gonna win the female, then Morgan would win the male.

SPEAKER_07: 1:47:27

But it shouldn't be that way. It should be entertained of the year, it's just like a girl.

SPEAKER_03: 1:47:30

But if you're gonna be if you're going going to be more woke by nature, you're just gonna you're gonna vote for the female. You know what I mean? So it's a kind of an unfair, it'd be very difficult for if you got if you got a girl in there, it's gonna be very difficult for Morgan to win. That's silly.

SPEAKER_07: 1:47:46

It's a stupid conversation. It's like entertaining of the year.

SPEAKER_03: 1:47:49

Wait a minute, did you just say that you not you because that would be the second time on record? Okay.

SPEAKER_07: 1:47:55

You know what I meant. You're very strong, by the way.

SPEAKER_03: 1:47:57

Oh, thank you. I've been working on that.

SPEAKER_07: 1:47:58

Entertainer of the year. If if if Laney's crushing it and beating Morgan, then Laney wins. Yeah. No one's beating Morgan.

SPEAKER_03: 1:48:04

Because it should be on numbers and ticket sales and all the things. Well, I mean, I'm not saying you gotta count up every ticket. No, but every single note.

SPEAKER_07: 1:48:11

Look, guys, look you can't argue with it. It's silly. It's it doesn't make any sense. Morgan's doing multiple nights in stadiums. He's setting records with streams and sales and number ones and they're flying. He's got three, four songs at a time on the chart.

SPEAKER_06: 1:48:25

Like, yeah, it's like it when Taylor was crushing it, when she was doing country music, you couldn't argue with that either. She's right crushing numbers.

SPEAKER_07: 1:48:34

Yeah, it's just it doesn't look good. It's not a good look. And the people I don't know why the the disconnect remains between the the country music fan and the country music industry. We're out there and we've been out there forever. Like look, if the if the fans are are are flocking to Morgan shows, that's your that's your fan base. Appreciate don't make them feel stupid. Don't make your don't make the fans feel like they're not going to see someone who's not gonna like it doesn't make any sense to me. Like it's it's it's it's uh an embarrassment, and it's making the fans like you don't give a shit. They're spending their money to go see Morgan and setting all kinds of attendance records. Come on. It's it's obvious. Appreciate the fans. It is obvious. It's obvious. And I think that's what's in that that's what raises the antenna. The CMA had their way.

SPEAKER_04: 1:49:26

In ten years, we'd have trans vocalist of the year award.

SPEAKER_07: 1:49:30

It's a very niche group.

SPEAKER_04: 1:49:32

No, it's coming. They have their way. It's coming. Oh, oh, oh, oh, really? So you're gonna they're gonna be a little woke. Transduo all the way. Yeah. We're just gonna be a little woke. The transduo, the opposite of what transductions. Trans vocalist of the year. It's coming. It's coming. Unless we do something now, it's coming. It's coming.

SPEAKER_03: 1:49:56

Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04: 1:49:57

Female, male? What? No. Well, you're right about that. That's too well, that's too conservative. We can't just we can have female. There's some there's how many how many genders are there in their world? There's a bunch.

SPEAKER_03: 1:50:08

Thanks everybody for listening.

SPEAKER_04: 1:50:10

This has been that's a whole nother episode. Yeah, yeah. I will say it's it's I've seen some I've seen some some artists on social media that will blow your mind. Y'all check them out. We'll talk about it one day. I want to be dying to talk about some of these some of these freaking clowns that have that have come out. I can't wait. We'll talk about them later. All right.

SPEAKER_03: 1:50:34

Well, so we do want to congratulate all the winners and nominees for the 59th CMA Award show. It actually was, I I thought, as an overall collective show, I was I was pleased because I've seen worse. I thought it was really good. I thought it was really good and I liked it. And if you're just a true fan, not in the business, you probably would have loved it.

SPEAKER_06: 1:50:54

I did like that there was some there was some a lot of country music.

SPEAKER_03: 1:50:58

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 1:51:00

More than what I'm used to seeing.

SPEAKER_03: 1:51:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 1:51:03

I just I want country music to be country music again.

SPEAKER_04: 1:51:06

Yeah. Well it was. Sometimes it is. I felt like I'm just gonna step in the right direction.

SPEAKER_07: 1:51:10

Yeah, I thought it's back top, you keep rocking too much. I thought there was some great moments. I really do. Even for the for the song, even like the old dominions. For the uh do I love the songs? No, but I appreciate them. They've been doing it a long time. You know, and that's just because I don't like the type of music doesn't mean they're not really good. That singer's really good to me. He's a great guy. That guy always sounds good. No, he's really good. I've never heard that guy not sound good. No, he sounds good. Looks good, got a cool look. You know, some some crap we can do without. I mean, you know.

SPEAKER_06: 1:51:42

This is this has actually been a really fun episode. I hope people made it to the end. Hopefully so.

SPEAKER_07: 1:51:47

It's almost as long as the award show. No, I know.

SPEAKER_06: 1:51:51

But what we need to do is like if you're watching or if you're listening, you need to leave us a comment on this because we need your opinion. We we went out there, we gave you our opinion. Let us know what you loved, let us know what you didn't like, let us know what you thought was crazy. This is a good episode to leave comments. It is. Uh so make sure you do that.

SPEAKER_07: 1:52:11

Actually, I want to know a thought. We'll talk about it. Me too. Uh it's invaluable. It's invaluable to us as performers and songwriters. I think we do.

SPEAKER_03: 1:52:22

Yeah, even if you think we're idiots, just we are idiots. Yeah, that's a good idea.

SPEAKER_07: 1:52:26

But they may think it was the best show ever. They may not be bothered by anything. Um, they may like the diversity.

SPEAKER_04: 1:52:32

Yeah. No, I'll be called racist because I didn't like the shabboozy video.

SPEAKER_07: 1:52:36

Oh, for sure. Well, Caleb's the racist.

SPEAKER_04: 1:52:37

Caleb's always been the racist. That's I know that's coming. For sure. You can't say anything bad about a black country singer without being called a racist.

SPEAKER_03: 1:52:46

And this has been the Try That the Small Town podcast.

SPEAKER_04: 1:52:49

It's coming.

SPEAKER_06: 1:52:50

Um, make sure you download the episode.

SPEAKER_04: 1:52:53

No, it definitely's coming for you. It's definitely coming.

SPEAKER_06: 1:52:57

Uh also again, we need to make sure we thank Original Glory Beer. We need to make sure we're thinking eSpaces. They let us in here, man. It's awesome. There's nobody in this building but us. It's awesome. It's excellent. I mean, it's after hours. What are they thinking? Yeah. Yeah. What are they thinking? They gave us the keys to the place. Yeah. Patriot Mobile, always awesome.

SPEAKER_03: 1:53:15

And those commercials while you're there, the Brittany and Jason, the new commercials with Patriot Mobile is going to reach a lot of people, and people are going to finally understand what a great service that is.

SPEAKER_06: 1:53:25

Yes, 100%. Leave us comments. Yeah, leave us comments. I mean, we need to break a record for comments. Four. Um, it's been a long night. Thank you guys for listening. You got thrash, you got K Lo, you got TK. I'm Kurt. This has been the Try That in a Small Town Podcast.