2017 Americana Music Awards LIVE Blog
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Saving Country Music’s 2017 Americana Music Awards blog LIVE from The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. As the festivities stream live from the Ryman, (link below), we’ll tag along to leave observations, keep up with the winners, discuss the performances, and share what happened for those folks who missed it. You can’t be here, but hopefully this is the next best thing. So get your refresh fingers ready, and feel free to share your thoughts below in the comments section.
Watch the Live Stream of the Awards
To see the nominees and nominations, CLICK HERE.
Host: Jim Lauderdale
Band Leader: Larry Campbell (NOTE: Buddy Miller was supposed to lead, but is sick)
House Band: Robbie Crowell, Jim Hoke, Jerry Pentecost, Chris Wood and the McCrary Sisters.
PERFORMERS: • Billy Bragg • Brent Cobb • Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm • Rodney Crowell • Iris DeMent • Drive-By Truckers • Rhiannon Giddens • Joe Henry • Hurray for the Riff Raff • Jason Isbell • The Lumineers • Lori McKenna • Van Morrison • Graham Nash • Old Crow Medicine Show • Sam Outlaw • Margo Price • John Prine • Amanda Shires • Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives • Aaron Lee Tasjan
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
WINNERS:
- Artist of the Year: John Prine
- Album of the Year: Sturgill Simpson’s A Sailor’s Guide to Earth
- Emerging Artist of the Year: Amanda Shires
- Duo/Group of the Year: Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives
- Song of the Year: Rodney Crowell’s “It Ain’t Over Yet”
9:47 – Well, it was a very well-produced show. It maybe didn’t have the country music star power of last year when George Strait, Dwight Yoakam, and many more were in the house, but it was a good time and a deeper illustration of “Americana” was on display. Thanks to everyone for following along!
9:43 – Welp, that’s it folks! Thanks for following along. I’m going to recap the winners and get out of here.
9:41 – The Grand Finale:
9:39 – Singing “Tulsa Time” is Jim Lauderdale, Emmylou Harris, original songwriter Danny Flowers, and others.
9:37 – Well where it was an audible because they forgot to mention Don Williams in the tribute section, the show is ending with the singing of a Don Williams song.
9:34 – Van Morrison wastes no time accepting the award. He says thanks for center stage, and launches into his latest song.
9:30 – Emmylou Harris comes out to introduce Van Morrison for the Lifetime Achievement Award in songwriting.
9:29 – John Prine accepting his Artist of the Year award.
9:28 – John Prine, “Well I’ve been waiting for this award for a while.”
9:26 – Whoa! The 2017 AmericanaMusic Award’s Artist of the Year is John Prine!
9:25 – Mike Judge comes out to present 2017 Artist of the Year (and plug ‘Tales From The Bus’)
9:24 – Standing ovation for Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires
9:20 – Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires come out to perform “If We Were Vampires,” maybe the best song release all of 2017 so far.
9:17 – CORRECTION: Dave Cobb did not produce Sturgill Simpson’s “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth.” Sorry. Was trying to think of someone who could have accepted the award for Sturgill.
9:15 – Margo Price:
9:14 – Margo Price comes out to perform “Do Right By Me.” Her husband Jeremy Ivey is playing harmonica.
9:11 – Sturgill Simpson is not on hand to accept the award. He’s in New York.
9:10 – The 2017 Americana Music Award’s Album of the Year is Sturgill Simpson’s “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth” !
9:09 – Elizabeth Cook and Lukas Nelson come out to hand out the Album of the Year award.
9:07 – Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff
9:03 – Wearing a shirt that says, “Arrest Arpaio,” Hurray For the Riff Raff takes the Ryman stage to perform “Pa’lante.”
9:01 – The Mavericks’ Raul Malo—a native of Miami—says some words for the hurricane victims.
9:00 – Marty Stuart accepting the Duo/Group of the Year Award.
8:57 – “I would like to thank my momma and daddy for letting me come to Nashville when I was 13-years-old,” Marty said. “I said I don’t want to learn history, I want to make it.”
Marty recites a lot of the legendary moments of The Ryman. Probably the best speech for the night.
8:54 The 2017 Americana Music Award’s Duo/Group of the Year is Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives.
8:53 – The Mavericks come out to present the award for the Duo/Group of the Year.
8:51 – Hot damn! Robert Cray is tearing it up on guitar, proving why he deserves a lifetime achievement in performance. He gets a standing O.
8:49 – Robert Cray and the Hi Rhythm Section come out to perform, “You Must Believe in Yourself.”
8:47 – Very strange moment when it sounded like someone made a loud, yawning noise from the gallery and sort of interrupted Robert’s speech. He wrapped up shortly after. His speech wasn’t very long.
8:46 – Vince Gill giving away the Lifetime Achievement award to Robert Cray.
8:44 – It’s Vince Gill! He comes out to present the Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance to Robert Cray.
“A show of hands. How many of you were in ‘Animal House’?” Vince Gill asks. “Robert Cray was in ‘Animal House.'”
8:42 – The Hi Rhythm section recorded 26 gold and platinum records.
8:37 – Steve Jordan and Boo Mitchell telling the story of the Hi Rhythm Section.
8:35 – Boo Mitchell and Steve Jordan come out to present the Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist to the Hi Rhythm Section.
8:33 – The Lumineers performing, and Valerie June at the Americana podium.
8:30 – Valerie June introduces The Lumineers to perform “Cleopatra.”
8:28 – “I know there are a lot people here who let me sleep on their couches and their dogs beds,” Amanda Shires says. “There would be no other place for me.”
She also thanks “Mr. Shires.”
8:27 – The 2017 Americana Music Awards Emerging Artist of the Year is Amanda Shires!
8:25 – Valerie June and Brandy Clark come out to present the Emerging Artist of the Year award.
8:24 – I have been lukewarm on Aaron Lee Tasjan’s records, but man is he a great live performer.
8:20 – Larry Campbell then introduces Emerging Artist of the Year nominee Aaron Lee Tasjan, who comes out to perform “Ready To Die.”
8:18 – Larry Campbell is introducing the house band, Robbie Crowell, Jim Hoke, Jerry Pentecost, Chris Wood and the McCrary Sisters.
8:16 – Drive-By Truckers performing “What It Means”
8:10 – Graham Nash performing with the Milk Carton Kids.
8:08 – John Paul White comes out to introduce The Drive-By Truckers, speaking about the complicated nature of growing up in the South. “How many Alabamans does it take to change a light bulb?” White jokes, “Change?” is the punchline.
8:06 – Graham Nash accepting his Free Speech award.
8:05 – The Milk Carton Kids come out to perform with Graham Nash.
8:01 – Graham Nash gets a standing ovation as he comes out to accept his award. If you’re wondering why an Englishmen is receiving an Americana Awards, one of the first things that Nash says is, “When I first heard, I was wondering why an Englishman was getting an Americana Award.”
7:59 – Ken Paulson comes out to dole out the Spirit of Americana / Free Speech in Music award to Graham Nash. “This is an artist that we smoke dope to,” Paulson jokes.
7:55 – Joe Henry & Billy Bragg come out to tribute Glen Campbell by playing “Gentle On My Mind.”
7:52 – Amanda Shires:
7:49 – Shires is playing “Harmless.” She is an “Emerging Artist of the Year” nominee, which feels weird for someone who has been playing since she was 12, and has five solo records. But I get the spirit behind the nomination.
7:47 – Amanda Shires comes out in a red dress, playing a red electric guitar.
7:46 – Jim Lauderdale takes time to show respect to all the Americana artists who have passed away in the last year, including Jessi Zazu of Those Darlins, who just passed away today
7:45 – Rhiannon Giddens gets a standing ovation. The song was “Julie.”
7:44 – Rhiannon Giddens and the Milk Carton Kids
7:40 – Rhiannon Giddens comes out to perform, red accents in her hair and a fiddle accompaniment.
7:39 – Milk Carton Kids doing a bit where they’re taking up time for a commercial break. “What the fuck is going on man?” You’d have to be here.
7:37 – That was Molly Jenson performing with Sam Outlaw. Here come the Milk Carton Kids. Expect some shtick.
7:35 – Sam Outlaw:
7:34 – Sam Outlaw, introduced as carrying on the California country tradition, comes out to perform “Diamond Ring.” Great song.
7:32 – Rodney Crowell is not able to be here due to illness.
7:31 – The 2017 Americana Music Award’s Song of the Year is Rodney Crowell’s “It Ain’t Over Yet”
7:30 – Lee Ann Womack and John Oats come out to give out the Song of the Year award.
7:29 – There’s just nothing better than Marty Stuart.
7:28 – Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives performing “Time Don’t Wait.”
7:25 – So cool to see Chris Scruggs playing in the Fabulous Superlatives. That guy deserves more recognition.
7:24 – Jim Lauderdale introduces Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives to the stage for some well-needed energy. They start off with an a capella intro.
7:22 – Larry Sloven and Bruce Bromberg of Hi-Tone Records
7:18 – Joe Henry comes out to present theLifetime Achievement Award, Executive to Larry Sloven and Bruce Bromberg of Hi-Tone Records.
7:13 – John Prine and band:
7:09 – John Prine and Iris Dement get a standing ovation from The Ryman crowd. John’s now playing a solo song.
7:05 – Now John Prine and Iris Dement come out to perform together. “In Spite of Ourselves.”
7:04 – Iris Dement:
7:00 – Wow! The acoustics of the Ryman are amazing enough, and so is Iris Dement’s voice. But you combine them, and they’re angelic. Soaring.
6:59 – Iris Dement and John Prine. Iris, still teary, now gets behind the piano to sing Morning Glory.”
6:58 – John Prine cannonizing Iris Dement
6:56 – Iris Dement is sincerely emotional as she receives the Lifetime Achevement award from John Prine. Very emotional in here.
6:55 – John Prine bestows the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trailblazer to Iris Dement.
6:54 – As Jack Young pointed out in the comments, that is Jerry Pentacost on drums, who has played with JP Harris, Amanda Shires, Caitlin Rose, Jonny Corndawg, and many others.
6:53 – Awesome moment as John Prine comes out to present something, and the crowd raises to their feet, not letting him talk. “I was going to come out and tell you who is was…” Prine says.
6:52 – Lori McKenna:
6:49 – Jim Lauderdale introducing Lorrie McKenna to the stage, “She has raised five kids while making ten extraordinary albums.”
6:47 – The 2017 Americana Music Awards Instrumentalist of the Year is Charlie Sexton !
6:46 – Allison Moorer and Shelby Lynne come out to present Instrumentalist of the Year.
6:45 – Brent Cobb, with Larry Campbell behind him.
6:44 – Brent Cobb sounds even better with the amazing McCrary Sisters singing behind him. Then again, that goes for just about any artist.
6:43 – Looks like there might bee a good amount of latency between live and the live feed, so you may be seeing stuff here before it happens!
6:42 – Emerging Artist nominee Brent Cobb comes out to perform his new song “Ain’t A Road Too Long.”
6:37 – Host Jim Lauderdale comes out to welcome everyone to the show and to perform a song.
6:32 – Old Crow Medicine Show comes out busking style from behind the crowd to open up the festivities with a bang, singing Bob Dylan.
6:25 – The big news of the night so far is that bandleader Buddy Miller is apparently very sick and had to pass off duties last minute to Larry Campbell. Understand the house band is expected to play probably two dozen songs from many different artists, from various genres and influences. It’s a huge task under normal circumstances, and Larry is having to do it on the fly.
6:15: Some pictures from the red carpet, moved inside after remnants of Irma made for a watery Nashville.
6:11 – Jason Isbell during sound check.
6:05 – Outside of the Ryman is an old tour bus painted up to promote the new Mike Judge-produced animated series Tales From The Tour Bus.
6:00 – For the first time in a very long time, you can behold the front of the Ryman Auditorium in all of its full glory after a large building on the adjacent corner was removed. Unfortunately that view won’t last long with a new building going up, but it’s nice to see while you can.
September 13, 2017 @ 4:35 pm
Thanks for covering Trig. I think this awards show is bound to explode in popularity in the coming years given the current state of things in Americana/Alt-country.
September 13, 2017 @ 4:44 pm
I see that Amanda Shires’ drummer Jerry Pentecost is part of the house band.
September 13, 2017 @ 5:18 pm
I love John Prine, but that song has been going on forever!
September 13, 2017 @ 5:22 pm
Yes, a seven-minute song is a strange pick for an awards show. They basically gave the stage over to Prine and Dement for 20 minutes. You don’t see that on the CMA Awards.
September 13, 2017 @ 5:20 pm
I never get tired of hearing John Prine, watching him perform is a bonus
September 13, 2017 @ 5:34 pm
This might be a dumb question but why isn’t Sturgill there?
September 13, 2017 @ 6:56 pm
Sturgill is not here.
September 15, 2017 @ 11:10 am
Because he was playing a sold out Radio City Music Hall.
September 13, 2017 @ 5:37 pm
Feed keeps crashing my computer. Guess I need a better machine next year. Q
Was a long shot, but I was hoping Ryan Adams would have taken song of the year. But Wreck You lost, I’m sad. That’s a great song.
September 13, 2017 @ 7:53 pm
I don’t think it’s your machine – happened to me unfortunately last year and this year again. The feed kept on crashing (buffering) – sometimes offering me just a bit of applause of the live feed – and then dying again.
I switched to Netflix and other streamers to see if it’s part of my connection or my computer and no it was not. So I’m a bit down about that. I actually had forgotten about last year’s feed being interrupted on and on – till it happened again. Maybe the servers NPR is providing can’t hold up to the traffic, which in all its misery may be a glory light on the horizon, people actually trying to tune in.
But what I saw was great. Love Vince’s speech about musician not favoring walls. Marty telling his story how he arrived in Nashville, etc…
I hope next year we’ll get a better stream.
September 13, 2017 @ 8:18 pm
I watched the whole thing on my computer without any problems at all — no lag, rebuf, drop in quality, etc. I have a six year old laptop (i3 processor; 4GB RAM), so I’m not blazing fast — but I do have decently high bandwidth (consistently 12+ mbps) with my internet provider.
September 13, 2017 @ 5:41 pm
is this on TV?
September 13, 2017 @ 6:56 pm
No, but it will be rebroadcast at some point in summation on PBS. Check local listings.
September 13, 2017 @ 5:42 pm
It seems rather dark in there. You can barely see the audience, and even the stage is fairly dark, compared to what we’re used to seeing at an awards show. Anyway, I’m enjoying the show.
September 13, 2017 @ 5:47 pm
Did he forget Don Williams?
September 13, 2017 @ 5:58 pm
I don’t know. I don’t remember hearing it, but I’m a little busy and may have missed it.
September 13, 2017 @ 6:02 pm
Yeah, I was listening fairly close and didn’t hear Don Williams.
September 13, 2017 @ 6:26 pm
he forgot ….I wondered the same
September 13, 2017 @ 5:58 pm
Amanda Shires was pitchy but beautiful.
Too bad everyone’s decided to perform ballads tonight.
September 13, 2017 @ 6:02 pm
I was wondering the same thing.
September 13, 2017 @ 6:12 pm
The Truckers. My Boys. They deserve this year’s AOTY. What It Means. Yes. Yes. Preach guys.
September 13, 2017 @ 9:58 pm
“What It Means” should’ve been nominated for Song of the Year.
September 13, 2017 @ 6:29 pm
a nice change of pace for an awards show ….if a bit sleepy for me .
loved Graham and the Milk Carton kids ….i’m still waiting to be blown away by ….something ? most of the songs, to my ear , are kinda forgettable…at least what I’ve heard . not trying to ruffle feathers …not looking for a fight …just my opinion …….one opinion .
September 13, 2017 @ 10:48 pm
Very sleepy.
September 13, 2017 @ 6:30 pm
Wow awesome for Amanda Shires
September 13, 2017 @ 6:56 pm
MARTY4THE WINN!!!!!!!
September 13, 2017 @ 7:05 pm
How is Marty Stuart not in the Country Music Hall of Fame??
September 13, 2017 @ 7:07 pm
This performance is weird
September 13, 2017 @ 7:12 pm
that’s twice sturgill’s “missed” the show.
not good.
September 14, 2017 @ 6:46 am
Sturgill and DJ Tiesto were at the Apple Store picking out new instruments.
September 14, 2017 @ 12:45 pm
Makes zero sense, but cool story!
September 14, 2017 @ 12:47 pm
I hope you enjoyed it.
September 14, 2017 @ 1:27 pm
He’s playing a show.
Same with last year.
Fans > Awards Shows
September 14, 2017 @ 1:38 pm
It’s not that hard to schedule around the week. NYC is great and all but everyone knows that Nashville is the place to be during AmericanaFest week.
September 13, 2017 @ 7:16 pm
9:10 – Dave Cobb was not the producer on that album.
September 13, 2017 @ 7:29 pm
O wow my prediction came true. Isbell and Sturgill split the young gun vote. Margo and Lori split the chick vote allowing John Prine to swoop in for the win. Well played. Congrats to him.
September 13, 2017 @ 7:40 pm
I didn’t hear a single mention of Bill La Bounty. That’s the second year in a row.
September 13, 2017 @ 7:40 pm
There’s the Don Williams tribute.
September 13, 2017 @ 7:52 pm
all in all, a satisfying show. could’ve used more energy but i respect their refusal to streamline the festivities rushing artists off the stage to fit a time schedule. guess that explains why there’s no proper television broadcast. still kind of glad i didn’t go. idk if i could have had much fun knowing that there was so much suffering going on a little further south.
September 13, 2017 @ 8:12 pm
I’ll start believing the Americana Association’s ability to recognize true artists as soon as craftsmen that have paid their dues like, Jack Grelle and Robert Ellis get the same respect that is handed to people like Jason Boland. How about asking Wayne the Train or the Devil Makes 3 to perform? Like to see some real talent get to showcase true skills of the genre. The whole industry is just a house of cards. Just my two cents, for what it’s worth.
September 13, 2017 @ 8:40 pm
Robert Ellis is a joke
September 13, 2017 @ 9:11 pm
Just because he’s had some bad publicity doesn’t mean the man can’t sing. He needs new representation.
September 14, 2017 @ 7:03 am
Maybe he is alone, but if they got together they could be Titans of the Americana Music Industry!!
September 14, 2017 @ 8:40 am
representation? ha
he needs some talent.
September 13, 2017 @ 9:37 pm
Why do you think that? He’s a great guitarist and singer who makes good music. He’s a hell of a lot better than a lot of folks who get touted as cool.
September 13, 2017 @ 9:57 pm
Do you mean Jason Isbell because Jason Boland hasn’t been nominated? Robert Ellis has been in the past and has also performed on the show before. It’s actually these awards that introduced me to him.
September 14, 2017 @ 3:19 am
I will take Jason Boland over Jason Isbell any day.
September 14, 2017 @ 5:56 am
Yep, me, too.
September 14, 2017 @ 6:42 am
Hot take alert!!
September 14, 2017 @ 6:50 am
Jason Boland makes Jason Isbell look like Dan Fogelberg. I will never understand why Boland isn’t one of the top country stars of the last two decades.
September 14, 2017 @ 12:46 pm
And twice on sunday! Just saw Boland live again a few weeks ago. Amazing.
September 15, 2017 @ 12:17 am
Why can’t you like Jason Isbell, AND Jason Boland? I know I do.
September 15, 2017 @ 4:44 am
I like both for sure, but I connect more with Boland’s music. He’s got an “everyman” presence about him. And he’s country. ????
September 13, 2017 @ 8:40 pm
Hate to rain on a good thing, but that rendition of Tulsa Time was unbearable. Of all the songs they could have done, why go with the most worn-out one? And it was wayyyy too slow. I couldn’t listen. How did they forget to mention DW earlier?
September 13, 2017 @ 9:55 pm
It wasn’t the best performance, mainly because Emmylou Harris didn’t know the words. Who doesn’t know the words to “Tulsa Time”? But, I completely disagree it’s worn out and it makes the most sense for a sing-along of any of Williams’ songs. Plus, they had songwriter Danny Flowers there to join in.
September 14, 2017 @ 6:31 am
Maybe she forgot some of the words, or maybe she thought Danny Flowers was supposed to come in sooner. Maybe I’m a homer giving her the benefit of the doubt, though. Anyway, sometimes artists even forget the words to their OWN songs on stage.
September 14, 2017 @ 6:53 am
A bit glass half empty, I’d say. Don Williams died five days before the show and they worked in a performance of one of his songs to close the show. I’d call that significantly honoring him. A little ragged, maybe, but unbearable?
I’m guessing not naming him in the list of the departed was an editorial goof.
September 13, 2017 @ 8:53 pm
My legs are sore from all the standing ovations.
September 13, 2017 @ 9:34 pm
Dang feed online was awful. Watched ten seconds, it’d freeze, buffer issues, reboot and hear that Spire ad about “comin’ on over to me” 15 times before I gave up. They need a new streaming vendor.
Glad Marty won, liked Margo’s new song, agree Shires isn’t an emerging artist, so while I like her, I did find the nom odd.
September 13, 2017 @ 9:56 pm
Probably just your set up, honestly. It didn’t free or buffer the entire 3-plus hours for me.
September 13, 2017 @ 9:53 pm
I’ve been watching the Americana Awards for five years now and have still yet to see a bad performance and they must have 20 performances a year. That’s saying something.
September 13, 2017 @ 10:46 pm
Yeah for Sturgill, John Prine, and Charlie Sexton. This was the first year I became a member and got to vote so exciting for to see some of my picks win. Marty Stuart and John Prine were great, but Hurray for the Riff Raff were pretty frigging awful. Maybe they sounded better live? We had the same buffering problem at our watch party.
September 14, 2017 @ 3:28 am
Very odd grouping of folks. Graham Nash and Van Morrison for Americana? One blues guy namely Robert Cray. They ignore 98% of country music but include Marty Stuart. Not trying to say the names there aren’t great, they are, but it’s so seemingly random. Again, what is Americana? I don’t think the Americana folks know. Theoretically, they can just pick any random artists from bluegrass, folk, blues, rock, country and declare them Americana. After y
September 14, 2017 @ 3:39 am
Sorry, phone got jumpy. Most of you probably disagree but after years of listening, I truly don’t get the point of Americanas vision. It’s apparently all genres now. And that makes it meaningless in my book. Might as well include Metal, Hip Hop,Funk while your at it.I did read that recent article on the attack of Americana for lack of diversity and inclusion. Perhaps this is a response to that? I’m truly wondering.
September 14, 2017 @ 4:08 am
https://www.google.com/amp/www.nydailynews.com/amp/newswires/entertainment/john-prine-takes-home-artist-year-americana-awards-article-1.3494463
Holy Shlaw-Moly Roly Poly!!!
“I know there are several people here who let me sleep on their couches and dog beds,” Shires said in her acceptance speech.
And she thanked her husband, “who you might know as Mr. Shires,” because “he’s the one that reminds me that I am good at music.” The two later performed together on the song “If We Were Vampires” from Isbell’s latest record.
Sounds like a made for tv miniseries extravaganza from the 80’s exposing husbands exchanging their wives for sex to advance their careers. Then they are exposed in stage. Reality shows are where it’s at in 2017. Love and marriage in the roaring 2020’s coming to a stage near you. The audience was filled with industry people. Who was on the front row? Holy rolling sewer folks back into the gutter.
September 14, 2017 @ 5:52 am
Well, all right.
September 14, 2017 @ 4:53 am
John Moreland anyone?!? How was he not a part of this?
September 14, 2017 @ 5:39 am
Big Bad Luv came out on 5/5, about five weeks after the cut off date. I have a feeling it will be in the mix next year. At least I hope so.
September 14, 2017 @ 9:22 am
That makes sense I guess. Seems he should have at least performed tho.
September 14, 2017 @ 6:10 am
I’ve been a Robert Cray fan for over thirty years. Good to see him get honored and he certainly did cook on stage. I think his latest album is the best he’s done in at least a decade. He has consistently put out albums with quality songs about every two years since the early ’80s. He’s definitely not just another blues guitarslinger going through the clichéd blues motions.
September 14, 2017 @ 7:02 am
If rudely intended, I would have sought out that “yawner” in the crowd and punched him in the throat!
September 14, 2017 @ 7:28 am
I guess I missed that yawn real time. I think I figured that Robert, who has always seemed to me to be a bit on the shy side, just decided to stop.
September 14, 2017 @ 9:11 am
John Prine’s award for Americana Arist of the year was well deserved. His lyrics have been distracting and relieving for many generations, helping them get through difficult or painful times in their lives. But Robert Cray I was the lead of the show! His playing actually wakes them up.
September 14, 2017 @ 7:19 am
Trig, Check out the group the Steelwoods! I would love a review!
September 15, 2017 @ 12:20 am
Yes, they’re on my radar. Saw them perform at The Basement.
September 14, 2017 @ 7:45 am
Robert Cray is amazing and wow, Rhiannon Giddons too. I’m buying her cd today.
September 14, 2017 @ 7:50 am
I’m a Sturgill fan. I pre-ordered High Top Mountain. I’m seeing him tomorrow night for the sixth time. I was not rooting for ASGTE to win the Album of the Year award. One, I think that album has been honored enough. Two, and on a more personal note, I have all four albums that were nominated and I’d rank ASGTE at #3 behind American Band and Freedom’s Highway. And then, not only was he not there, but no one picked up the award for him. Buzzkill. I think it’s the most important award of the bunch and having no one there to acknowledge it was a bit of a bummer.
I would have liked to have seen either DBT or Rhiannon up on stage receiving the award. Would have been a nice moment.
September 14, 2017 @ 9:32 am
He is on tour. And it’s a masterpiece. He deserved it.
September 14, 2017 @ 9:37 am
He is on tour. And it’s a masterpiece. He deserved it.
September 14, 2017 @ 9:58 am
Yes, I know he’s on tour. As I wrote above, I’m seeing him tomorrow night.
I think ASGTE is an album that is greater than the sum of his parts, but I don’t think it’s a masterpiece. It IS an ambitious work. I think MMSICM was a masterpiece. Just my opinion.
September 14, 2017 @ 1:02 pm
Agreed. I also think people need to take into account the way the album was produced / recorded as well…..that is, it was basically completed in less than a week with Sturgill at the helm as producer. The band showed up to the studio having never heard the songs (Sturgill told everyone, including the label, that he was just going into the studio to record some demos). To me, that is pretty nuts, and there aren’t many (if any) people out there who could pull that off without an album being run of the mill from a song structure and arrangement standpoint. And ASGTE was anything but.
September 14, 2017 @ 9:53 am
My thing is that it’s a year and a half old. I love it, but it seems like they’re honoring cold product. :O
September 14, 2017 @ 10:00 am
Those are the dates they go by though for voting. He just won the Grammy this year too
September 15, 2017 @ 11:21 am
to each his own.
To me it is a masterpiece.
Can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve listened to that album end to end.
But it is all personal opinion.
Seeing Sturgill tomorrow for my 6 time as well. Weird.
I’m scared.
Not sure what I think of the new line up and jam band thing he is doing now.
I’ve grown apart from 15 min guitar solos as time has moved on.
But will see.
Word is he is throwing in some acoustic numbers now.
September 15, 2017 @ 12:02 pm
Oh, for sure, to each his own. And hey, I think it’s a very good album. It’s just that I loved just about everything on MMSICM and I’m enthustiastic about 3 or 4 songs on ASGTE while merely liking the rest. The album flows really well, though. And seeing him play it straight through the last time was really good.
Yeah, I’ve seen him every time he’s headlined in the DC area exception for one solo acoustic show in Jan 2014, which I didn’t find out about in time. The first time was a no cover show in the basement room at Hill Country BBQ. Tonight is at Merriweather Post Pavilion, which is a pretty big amphitheater. Capacity is 19,000, with I guess about 10,000 seated and the rest on the lawn. Will be interesting to see how big the crowd is. Saw Isbell there a couple months ago and there were definitely some empty seats on the sides, but the center seemed pretty full.
Yes, it should be interesting to see how it goes. I’m not much for the endless jam anymore myself. I realized that about 10 years ago after seeing the Allman Brothers go for at least 20 minutes on the instrumental Les Brers in A Minor from Eat A Peach. First, I was thrilled to hear them playing it, as I loved the studio version and it was such a surprise that they would play it. But after a while…
September 16, 2017 @ 8:39 am
No worries. It was a great show. I don’t think it was any more jammy than before and it was fun to watch Sturgill tear it up on lead guitar. And toward the end, he did a decidedly country five song solo acoustic set. I’m excited for the future.
September 18, 2017 @ 11:07 am
I saw Sturgill sat.
He was as good as I’ve seen him before with the new line up. Obviously, very different.
However in terms of the show, it was not as good a show as last time around with the horns and Laurs.
He played a short set. Maybe 90 mins. For the money, a few more songs would’ve been nice.
Sound was good, but the volume wasn’t great for the size of the place.
I know this was kinda a tour thrown together, etc.
But if you are moving up in venue size, your show has to accommodate.
Did love the acoustic set.
September 14, 2017 @ 8:12 am
Still confused about what makes these musicians cohere as a group. Is it just politics? Because they’re all roots musicians, i.e. musical conservatives.
September 14, 2017 @ 11:40 am
See my comment above. Can anyone really explain all of these random folks being called Americana? Or even the criteria used to determine who should be included and why others are excluded? Years ago my impression was that people who were too country for country had a home here, but that isn’t the case. There used to be this thing called Alt Country, i think that term died. Does the Americana umbrella cover that entirely? Also, they are recognizing Isbell and Simpson but not Stapleton? And they seem to like a few gospel acts like Blind boys of Alabama and Mavis Staples but don’t recognize other gospel acts. Occasionally they champion a random blues artist like this year with Robert Cray but then completely ignore most other blues artists. And also, the curious habit of selecting a formerly big country star like Marty Stuart and proclaiming him Americana but no interest in other country legends of his era. What gives? I’d love to hear someone attempt to explain all this.Tell me if I’m wrong, but tell me why.
September 14, 2017 @ 1:39 pm
“Can anyone really explain all of these random folks being called Americana? Or even the criteria used to determine who should be included and why others are excluded?”
if your tour includes north Chicagoland suburban Ravinia in the summer, so that rich people can drink champagne on its lawn for $40 a pop, then you can be called Americana. not that that is necessarily negative.
September 14, 2017 @ 3:01 pm
Bands like Sligo Creek Stompers get passed over year and year by these award shows. They’ve fallen into the Roots category., because the Americana Association insists you play their game. The “Americana” game of doing whatever it takes to be #1. It’s whatever’s on the menu for the industry big wigs.
September 15, 2017 @ 7:25 am
I would say that Americana is better described as a radio format than a music genre and that it’s shorthand for American root music. I personally never say “I like Americana music” or “I’m an Americana fan,” but I would say such things about rock, blues, country, bluegrass, soul, traditional Irish, etc.
I don’t think that just because an artist doesn’t get an AMA nomination or award means that they are “excluded” from Americana. The AMA is a trade organization whose charter is to promote roots music and the artists that get these nominations tend to be higher profile, at least for roots music. You say that Robert Cray is a random blues selection. Taj Mahal got that award in 2014. The only other living blues artists that I can think of with as high or higher profile than Robert Cray are Buddy Guy and Keb’ Mo’. I like Keb’ Mo’, but no way does he have the skins on the wall than Young Bob has. I love Buddy Guy and would have been fine seeing him get the award, and would have loved to see him take his polka dot Fender Strat out into the Ryman audience. But in some ways, Cray is a little more Americana friendly, in that he’s more about the song than Buddy is and has continued to put out quality albums of original music every two years or so, with about half the songs written by him (typically, the better ones).
I think a better indication of the breadth of artists under the big Americana umbrella might be the list of AmericanaFest artists or the albums on the AMA radio playlist.
September 15, 2017 @ 1:32 pm
Thanks for the good feedback. I admit I don’t totally understand this thing called Americana even though I’ve been listening to roots music my whole life. I remember well the Alt Country scene and the early years of No Depression Magazine. Then, the term went out of fashion and we’ve been seeing Americana kind of be the buzzword. You have some plausible thoughts on it. I don’t think blues music needs Americana to survive, it has its own organization which is thriving. Of course I have plenty of names in that genre that I feel are worthy. Same about real country music. Your point about their playlists is telling. Maybe the question is really who decides what’s hot on the Americana charts and why the seeming randomness of it all. I know I’m not the only one who questions it from time to time. I don’t object to Americana, in fact I enjoy quite a bit of it but the logical side of me asks these questions to try to understand the thought process behind it all.
September 16, 2017 @ 9:14 am
My pleasure.
After perusing the list of Blues Hall Of Fame inductees, I would say that John Hammond would have been a good choice, too. He’s a personal favorite of mine, especially live. Having him up there by himself doing Drop Down Mama or maybe No One Can Forgive Me But My Baby (a song Tom Waits wrote especially for him) would have been something.
Another Blues HOF inductee, Joe Louis Walker, got a shout out from the Hi-Tone dude during his speech. I haven’t kept up with his last several releases, but I’ve got a bunch before that are excellent. He’s great live, too.
The blues artist that I really miss is Alvin Youngblood Hart. We haven’t gotten one from him in over a decade and I think it’s because he got disillusioned/fed up with the music industry. I think he was one who was really bringing the blues forward while still paying deep respect to tradition.
September 14, 2017 @ 1:36 pm
The Grammy’s were on the 43rd day of the year and the album was 8 months old. We’re almost 3/4 of the way through the next year. Just seems like old news.
I’m traveling across the country to see him, so this isn’t haterade, the timing just seems funky.
We were streaming the ceremonies two years ago and I thought it was a complete snooze fest. Probably because most of our favorite artists are about the art and not patting themselves on the back, even if deserved. Just not their wheelhouse, which I’m ok with.
September 14, 2017 @ 9:01 am
Even with Rodney unable to attend (may he get well soon), sounds like it was a helluva show. Congrats to the winners! 🙂
September 14, 2017 @ 9:16 am
Get well soon wishes for Rodney Crowell and Buddy Miller.
September 14, 2017 @ 11:11 am
Aww, I must have missed that about Buddy — I hope he gets well soon too. 🙁
September 14, 2017 @ 11:49 am
Larry Campbell tore it up last night though. Love hat guy.
September 14, 2017 @ 12:15 pm
“…I don’t want to learn history, I want to make it.” -Marty Stuart. Damn that’s a hell of a mindset! Definitely gonna apply that to my own career.
September 14, 2017 @ 12:30 pm
Awesome. Couldn’t agree more with the Prine, Sturgill and Marty Stuart picks!
September 14, 2017 @ 12:39 pm
“There’s just nothing better than Marty Stuart.” We will remember that Trigg, when your album of the year announcement is made! (no, not even Isbell). : )
September 14, 2017 @ 3:19 pm
Merle thought the world of Marty, and he was right. That’s enough for me.
September 14, 2017 @ 6:42 pm
Any word on what’s going on with Rodney ?
September 15, 2017 @ 7:59 am
Speaking of people left off the list, I was hoping that the Hi-Tone guy would say “Dale Watson” when he was rattling off artists that had released albums under his label. Oh, well.
September 15, 2017 @ 10:00 am
Do they think of Dale’s “Ameripolitan” thing some sort of rival?
September 15, 2017 @ 10:20 am
I don’t know. I would hope not. I know Dale has opined that some roots genres are underserved by the Nashville Americana world and I don’t think he’s wrong. But hey, we’re all roots music lovers, right? (And by we, I mean we roots music lovers.)
September 15, 2017 @ 10:31 am
I love that goofy pic of Aaron Lee Tasjan and Elizabeth Cook! Obviously those two are living in their own delusional wannabe rock star movie. They’re so cool.
September 15, 2017 @ 11:15 am
Meow
September 15, 2017 @ 8:16 pm
Corncater would think this is hot
September 15, 2017 @ 8:17 pm
Corncaster thinks everything is hot
September 15, 2017 @ 6:02 pm
She looks like she’s been hanging out with Todd Snider again. Can’t you hear me knocking?
September 15, 2017 @ 7:51 pm
Birds of a feather are “flocking” together not flicking together…
September 15, 2017 @ 7:49 pm
Birds of a feather are flicking together… So cute! Making rocking the hills folk music together…and other things. Looking good!!
September 16, 2017 @ 3:53 am
Does anyone know if an audio stream of the awards show is available anywhere on the web? (In years past, the stream used to be available on Folk Alley for a couple of weeks after the live show but not this year.). Thanks.
September 16, 2017 @ 6:50 am
I think you can only find bits and pieces on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=2017+americana+awards+ryman2017
I’d be surprised if you get a straight answer from anyone else in th. I don’t think they are looking for that kind of music ???? sorry about that
September 16, 2017 @ 6:53 am
…Straight answer from anyone else on this site ????
September 17, 2017 @ 1:26 pm
For those who havent read it, here’s a intresting and at times fun interview with Amanda Shires.
http://www.nashvillescene.com/music/cover-story/article/20974633/emerging-artist-of-the-year-nominee-amanda-shires-on-finding-her-voice