Jamey Johnson Goes on Epic Rant Against Local Pop Country DJs
WARNING: Language
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Whoa, Jamey Johnson, tell us how you really feel!
The traditional country stalwart was in Lincoln, Nebraska Friday night, August 12th, playing the “Lincoln on the Streets” event with Blackberry Smoke and Ella Langley. The city had blocked off a portion of ‘M’ street downtown for the event, near the city’s Centennial Mall.
After Blackberry Smoke had finished playing and before Jamey Johnson took the stage, personalities from the local pop country radio station, New Country KX 96.9, came out to fill time between the set change. The crowd of mostly traditional country fans was not too impressed with the results, and neither was Jamey Johnson. And as opposed to keeping his opinion to himself, Jamey Johnson went off.
“There was a radio station that came out on this stage uninvited to run a little pep rally before I came out. I feel like I oughta tell you, I don’t care what radio station you listen to in the morning, they’re all good,” Jamey Johnson said. “They’re all good, and they’re no better than any of the other ones. And the thing is, none of them play my music, so why should they be up on my stage playing to you?”
Then Jamey Johnson continued, “I thought we had a good deal worked out. Y’all don’t play my music, and I don’t play yours, so stay the fuck off my stage! ‘Kicks’ whatever the fuck your name is, who gives a shit?'”
The crowd roared in approval. See video of the incident from Steve Mossman and the Nebraska Red Dirt and Country Music page on Facebook below.
“I saw it coming (like a volcano),” says Saving Country Music reader Steve Mossman, who was in the crowd. “The [KX 96.9] DJ’s came up between Blackberry and Jamey and stuck out like a sore thumb so not a bit surprised Jamey let them have it … I believe they ‘misunderestimated’ the depths of Jamey’s loathing. Classic outlaw country moment (like Waylon walking off the set of Tom Snyder show) that I am proud to be a witness to.”
Jamey Johnson then dedicated his next song “Can’t Cash My Checks” to “‘Rowdy’ J Cope,” also known as Jason “Rowdy” Cope, who used to play with Jamey Johnson before forming the Southern rock band The Steel Woods and passed away in 2021.
Jamey Johnson has been known to take a stand every now and then, whether it’s standing up for the American Flag, or taking off his belt and whipping unruly concertgoers off the stage. This moment Friday night in Nebraska will definitely go down in the Jamey Johnson Hall of Fame as he spoke up for so many frustrated and angry country music fans whose interests are no longer served on mainstream country radio.
@KyleCoroneos. Apparently Jamey Johnson didn’t appreciate a Bro Country trio of DJ’s sharing his stage last night in Lincoln, Nebraska. There’s epic profanity 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/f2yNuc67ZQ
— Steve Mossman (@moe_sdm) August 13, 2022
August 13, 2022 @ 10:18 am
I usually don’t care for artist doing on stage rants unless they are talking about the song they wrote. I’d make an exception for this one though, short and to the point.
August 13, 2022 @ 10:27 am
What a clown. He must’ve forgot that you have to record music before it can be played on the radio.
August 13, 2022 @ 10:54 am
I’ve seen a few people making this point, and I’m not saying it’s totally unfair, and I have criticized Jamey over the years for his lack of new music.
But when I first saw the video, I took it when he says, “my music” as meaning traditional country music, actual country music, not necessarily his music specifically. And when he says, “your music,” he’s meaning pop mainstream radio country like the kind the local “New Country” radio station would play.
It’s not like Jamey Johnson was well supported on radio even when he was releasing new music. “In Color” was his biggest hit at #9. “High Cost of Living” only got to #35, and “Can’t Cash My Checks” never even charted.
August 13, 2022 @ 2:09 pm
I agree with you on most points, but there are a lot of gems out there that Jamey has done. They may not be convenient for people because they aren’t on an album or he has collaborated on them, but they are out there. Heaven forbid he covers a song or he contributes to a tribute. If people want music, it is there. It isn’t that challenging to find these days on the interwebs and people can stop whining.
August 13, 2022 @ 2:23 pm
I have made this point too. In fact he co-wrote “Kicked Outta Country” with George Strait, which is about this very thing.
“I just got the news today
The record I sent ’em, they threw it away
It don’t fit the format, don’t make the list
They say I’m too old, won’t even be missed”
August 13, 2022 @ 3:54 pm
I wasn’t speaking specifically to you. Although, I did reply! I have that shirt of Jamey’s, funny enough. He has a ton of songs out there. It seems it is easier to complain that he hasn’t put out new music, when he has. You just have to seek it out. There’s a whole set he did with Shooter I never hear spoken about.
August 14, 2022 @ 2:11 pm
Jamey write the song himself, George Stait ain’t no songwriter, he just an overpriced cover singer.
August 13, 2022 @ 3:35 pm
Hmm, well, if I’m proven wrong, I’ll retract, but it sounds like you’re speculating.
August 13, 2022 @ 4:42 pm
Well, I am speculating, but I feel like that speculation comes from an informed perspective. There is a reason I quoted Steve Mossman in the article, who was in the crowd, and experienced the situation first hand. There’s also a reason I included the Twitter video, even though it was incomplete compared to the Facebook video. Jamey Johnson was reacting to the presentation of the three pop country DJs, not radio in general. As you can see from the reaction of the crowd, they thought the radio station being there was inappropriate. That is what Johnson was reacting to, not being pissed off that they don’t play his music specifically. Or at least, that’s how I read the situation.
August 13, 2022 @ 7:50 pm
Saying “my music” twice sounded to me like he was referring to his own music.
August 13, 2022 @ 9:59 pm
So when Jamey Johnson said, “You don’t play my music, and I don’t play yours,” was Johnson referring specifically to the music the DJs play as musicians, assuming they are musicians, which they may or may not be? Or is he referring to the music the radio station plays? Not trying to be patronizing, but I think it’s fair to think perhaps he was referring to the music the radio station plays, meaning “new country.”
Either way, as Di Harris said, should they not play Waylon Jennings because he hasn’t released music recently? No, we would love for our country radio stations to play country, including Gold cuts like they used to do in the 90s.
August 14, 2022 @ 6:17 am
Since they’re DJs at a radio station, “your music” meant the music they “play” as DJs. Seems obvious.
And since he is a musical artist, his music (most likely) referred to his music as an artist.
Thinking otherwise is not only speculation, but wishful thinking to fit a narrative. One I might agree with, but a narrative none the less.
As far as the Waylon argument, I agree, but that has nothing to do with my point. And people are just using that angle to express their disappointment that he hasn’t released much music lately,…not as a true logically argument.
Either way, even though I hate country radio and country radio DJs, and the gig was an embarrassing mismatch, he did kinda sink to their level by sounding so petulant and whiny.
August 15, 2022 @ 5:05 pm
The entire genre that was once country is gone now. From radio to song diversity to live performances. Its over.
I understand his anger although I dont agree with his onstage rants.
Its quite sad to witness the end of an entire era of style of music.
August 13, 2022 @ 3:55 pm
DON’T BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU !
August 17, 2022 @ 11:30 am
I was at the concert.
The stage was being switched out between Blackberry Smoke and Jameys Band.
4 people walked out on the stage.
Blah blah blah then the female said Fuck. Then blah blah and she said Holler and took a drink… Then a man on stage yelled Holler then Swaller…
I don’t think they had permission from Jamey to do any of it. Bet they didn’t ask to talk on his stage just felt entitled to since they push the buttons in lincoln.
Now they are butt hurt. Grow up.
August 18, 2022 @ 7:48 am
DJ’s and radio stations have never fed him. His FANS who buy his concert tickets feed him. We don’t have to listen to radio to find his music. This is not 1920.
August 13, 2022 @ 8:14 pm
Weird to me he’s bitching about this in Nebraska then – whenever I’m passing through west Nebraska 107.3 out of North Platte is solidly rich classic country, predominantly 80s but they’ll throw a few 70s and early 90s I’m too. It’s such a breath of fresh air that I don’t find in alot of western states.
August 16, 2022 @ 11:32 pm
He just wrote 21 Guns. Did you hear it?
August 17, 2022 @ 7:13 am
Yes, I saw Jamey Johnson perform at Under The Big Sky Festival a few weeks ago, and wrote an article about the song.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/jamey-johnson-debuts-new-song-at-under-the-big-sky-fest/
August 13, 2022 @ 11:50 am
I think you have more than two brain cells to rub together you can figure out what he meant
August 13, 2022 @ 4:15 pm
He’s been recording music a LOT longer than YOU!!!!!
August 13, 2022 @ 6:07 pm
I mean, you got me, dawg, dead to rights. The math is in your favor. Your brilliance is humbling, if not utterly demoralizing.
August 13, 2022 @ 5:39 pm
Yeah, & no one should play any Waylon, because he hasn’t put out “any new music” in years.
Idiot.
August 13, 2022 @ 6:20 pm
That stings, Di. I thought we were amigos.
August 13, 2022 @ 6:38 pm
: D We totally are.
Was hoping i was reading you wrong.
Tell me i was reading you wrong
August 14, 2022 @ 6:31 pm
Clown??? ???????????????? He’s got plenty, he’s not a brown noser, and he got to the top because of his music, and with a name like King Honky….. God bless you.
August 18, 2022 @ 7:44 am
does it hurt being stupid?? He has recorded a ton of songs, wow. Get your head out of the sand.
August 13, 2022 @ 10:40 am
Sounds like sour grapes to me. They’ve got a job to do just like him. Save me the “uninvited” nonsense.
August 13, 2022 @ 10:49 am
Bro County fan gets feelings hurt????????
August 13, 2022 @ 10:57 am
I’m not a bro country fan at all nor are my feelings hurt. I can enjoy his music and still point out he comes off as an asshole to the radio station sponsoring the event.
August 13, 2022 @ 11:02 am
The fault here was trying to smash together a Blackberry Smoke/Jamey Johnson concert with promotion by the local pop country station. That goes together like peanut butter and BBQ sauce. Whether it was the local promoters or the radio station itself, someone should have put the kibosh on that before the DJs ever took the stage.
I witness this all the time at festivals, and sometimes venues. The sound guys see that it’s a country act playing, and put on a pop country Spotify playlist as the bumper music or to test the speakers. Jamey Johnson fans would rather hear heavy metal before pop country. You have to understand that the cultural divide runs right down the middle of country music, and you have to know which side is which. Pop country fans wouldn’t want to hear Jamey Johnson either. That’s grandpa’s music.
Like Jamey Johnson said, “I thought we had a good deal worked out.” You stay on your side of the fence, I’ll stay on mine. They came on his side of the fence, and he barked.
Jamey Johnson is a man of few words on stage. But when he speaks, he chooses his words well, and there’s great wisdom behind them.
August 13, 2022 @ 3:58 pm
…”Pop country fans wouldn’t want to hear Jamey Johnson either. That’s grandpa’s music.”….
That’s a stretch. Have you ever been to one of Jamey’s concerts? His band does a lot of extended jam sessions, where they rock out at the end of the songs. My granddad, who would be 102 if he were alive, would have no choice, but to have a very substantial bowel movement, if he were exposed to Jamey’s music. Aside from the very countriest of Jamey’s music, which includes several classic covers, Dawdaw would’ve considered it a rock band. He also would’ve called Jamey a queer for having long hair.
All I’m saying is, this might be somebody’s grandpa’s music, but it sure as heck isn’t my grandpa.
August 13, 2022 @ 4:44 pm
If you’re a fan of Sam Hunt or Dan + Shay, Jamey Johnson sounds like grandpa’s music. Is it technically correct? No. Is it the prevailing stereotype? Yes. That’s why Blake Shelton said, “Nobody wants to listen to grandpa’s music, old fart.”
August 13, 2022 @ 5:59 pm
BBQ sauce and peanut butter are f*cking delicious together. I’m not sure I can trust your opinions any more Kyle.
August 13, 2022 @ 7:02 pm
“like peanut butter and BBQ sauce”
https://twitter.com/Phil_Lewis_/status/1556710584510455808?s=20&t=35Hwh6XD3N4azt609YU-wg
August 13, 2022 @ 10:40 am
Never agreed more. This has always bothered me. You don’t play their music yet your station will do a money grab and act like it for two weeks maybe playing the artist a time or two and then back to the stack of broken dreams when they are gone. Trigger this was our conversation last weekend. I understand it’s business but, Jamey is right.
August 13, 2022 @ 10:46 am
I love it!
Jamey Johnson is not part of the Farm Aid lineup this year for the first time in 14 years. I wonder if he’s pissed Margo Price was named as a board member last year over him? I know they wanted to name a woman to the board, but I can name 100 better women than Margo Price. I always assumed Jamey was next in line. Farm Aid board members are now Margo Price, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, and Willie Nelson.
August 13, 2022 @ 11:34 am
Plus Margo Price looks like Squidward.
August 15, 2022 @ 7:20 am
never thought i’d see the day on savingcountrymusic.com where we’d have an unprovoked attack on a woman’s looks. oh wait!
jeff, let’s see your gal so we can just judge her on her looks too.
August 18, 2022 @ 9:24 am
It wasn’t necessarily an attack. He might think Squidward is sexy.
August 13, 2022 @ 12:14 pm
Neil Young ? what the heck for? goes to show… “board (bored) members” says it all.
August 13, 2022 @ 4:53 pm
Neil Young co-founded Farm Aid, genius.
August 14, 2022 @ 10:56 am
Farm Aid, or no Farm Aid, Neil Young is still a self-righteous prick.
America doesn’t need him around, anyhow.
And nothing says Farm Aid is totally in the sewer, like adding Margo Price to the board.
But Hey, – Farm Aid (fake Woodstock) be totally woke now.
Bless Their Hearts
August 13, 2022 @ 1:32 pm
Margo Price actually fits FarmAid because she grew up on a Midwestern farm that was foreclosed on (which is what farmaid is trying to stop)
August 13, 2022 @ 6:09 pm
But now she’s filled with hate. Hates rural White people. Hates patriotic people. Hates conservative people. She’s a real piece of work.
August 13, 2022 @ 8:35 pm
Margo Price rants on social media yet when she opened for Tyler at Red Rocks, she said nada. Sounds like a keyboard warrior.
August 14, 2022 @ 7:16 am
LOL, when you read, “… hates rural White people…” with the “white” part capitalized, you can be sure there’s going to be something next about how nobody can be”patriotic” but them, and they’re going to bawl about some imagined persecution of conservatives.
And you very quickly understand that they aren’t really patriotic, or conservative,
or perceptive enough to understand that they’re being scammed.
I liked them better when folks just called them dumbasses. Stand for the flag and kneel for the cross QUIETLY, please. ‘Murica is getting pretty sick of it, learn the difference between persecution and responsibility for one’s words and actions.
August 14, 2022 @ 7:30 am
“Patriots” as in 1/6 terrorists is likely what he means.
August 14, 2022 @ 7:36 am
Why do communists and pederasts type “LOL” to express frustration and anger?
It means “Laughing out loud”. Out loud laughter just seems like an odd reaction to being frustrated and angry about someone else’s worldview.
August 14, 2022 @ 7:57 am
Folks, this is veering way off the subject. Please stay on topic. No more comments on this thread.
August 13, 2022 @ 10:55 am
I would care more if Jamey was releasing new music to be ignored.
August 13, 2022 @ 10:57 am
Where’s the video credit for Nebraska Country and Red Dirt Music page for catching this?
August 13, 2022 @ 11:13 am
The embedded video includes the proper attribution as well as a link to the original Facebook page. That’s why the video was embedded from Facebook as opposed to downloaded and passed off as original. However, a note about the origination of the video has been added to the article as well.
August 13, 2022 @ 11:03 am
The DJ should have apologized and played the classic country song Honky Tonk Badonkadonk…..
August 13, 2022 @ 5:25 pm
That’s actually clever ass hell. I can’t believe he co-wrote that song.
August 13, 2022 @ 6:08 pm
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’d rather hear Honky Tonk Badonkadonk than Walker Hayes.
August 13, 2022 @ 6:18 pm
Exactly, Marc. I own all of Jamey’s albums, including his hot new release from 2010, but he just comes off as a pissy, hypocritical clown in this video.
And my opinion on Jamey’s behavior is in no way an endorsement of the douchetastic goofballs that DJ on modern Country radio stations, or the music they play.
August 13, 2022 @ 8:09 pm
2010 lol….I very rarely listen to country radio because they don’t play what I listen to. I own some of his music as well Honky and this was a busch league move. This was low hanging fruit for Jamey and definitely not a classic country outlaw moment. It was a classic jock bullying the nerd moment.
Speaking of country music, it’s Kevin Denney night on my end.
August 13, 2022 @ 9:11 pm
Man oh man…Kevin Denney. Sometimes I still wonder what might’ve been. If you’re just an ol country boy, nobody wants you. You’re too country for Country, yet too authentic for Indie.
Speaking of Kevin, you ever heard this one? I don’t know that he ever did a proper studio cut of it, which is a crying shame.
https://youtu.be/Qk0cZutHbmY
August 13, 2022 @ 10:28 pm
I’ve heard it before, it’s a great song and like you said, what might have been. Been listening to Tom Buller quite a bit as well. Now we’re relegated to youtube for country music and that’s a shame.
August 13, 2022 @ 10:51 pm
Regarding your comment about being too country for country and indie music, I will admit sometimes I feel that way on this site.
August 14, 2022 @ 4:42 am
You can’t hold that abomination against Jamey. It was written before he was a recording artist and the guy was trying to make a living.
August 14, 2022 @ 8:34 am
I will give Jamey that but it only makes him a bigger douche because that’s probably what the DJ’s were doing…..just trying to earn a living.
August 13, 2022 @ 11:17 am
Pop country really sucks!!!!
August 14, 2022 @ 6:15 am
Hat tip for the Kevin Denney & Tom Buller mentions. I vaguely remember the ‘That’s Just Jesse’ song. Great county sounding voices on these two!
August 14, 2022 @ 6:29 am
Sorry… I posted my reply in the wrong place. It was meant for King Honky Of Crackershire & Marc. Thanks y’all!
August 13, 2022 @ 11:19 am
I’m sure the DJ’s are terrible, but they don’t program music and they don’t schedule their appearances. This was definitely the promoters/sponsors fault and it makes him look like an asshole not some righteous warrior of truth. He doesn’t owe anyone anything but he’s not that great either. I do like that he plays a lot of old covers but his original songs I have heard don’t stick out.
August 13, 2022 @ 12:23 pm
Isn’t going after the lowly DJs for simply doing the jobs they were hired to do like going to McDonald’s and berating the cashier because corporate took the McRib off the menu?
August 13, 2022 @ 1:08 pm
The better analogy might be going to McDonald’s and ordering a McRib, and then getting a California roll. I agree the DJs were not put in good position, but when you blast Sam Hunt before a Jamey Johnson set and the crowd is booing, you’re forcing Jamey Johnson to respond. He can’t have that decision hanging around his neck like he signed off on it. He has to distance from it. He could have been nicer about it, but he’s Jamey Johnson.
August 13, 2022 @ 1:26 pm
If they played Sam Hunt and Maren Morris back to back, they deserve everything they got:)
August 13, 2022 @ 9:38 pm
Who is Maren Morris? I’ve never heard of him.
August 13, 2022 @ 11:35 am
I just would love to hear from the DJ’s & radio station in reaction!
August 13, 2022 @ 2:12 pm
Well the one I have known for a long time posted this on Facebook: “Jamey Johnson lied on stage saying we don’t play his music which is sad to see. I respected him but also shouldn’t be surprised.”
August 13, 2022 @ 2:24 pm
Which DJ is it?
August 13, 2022 @ 4:01 pm
I’d rather not identify them by name lest they face unnecessary harassment online. You and your readers haven’t exactly built a reputation for being fair to anyone in the radio business.
August 13, 2022 @ 4:29 pm
They haven’t earned the right to fairness.
August 13, 2022 @ 4:45 pm
I’m not trying to doxx them, I just wanted to reach out for comment. Nevermind, I found them.
August 13, 2022 @ 6:28 pm
I might have made a couple of comments on the station Twitter feed that might have triggered them…
August 13, 2022 @ 12:06 pm
I go to a lot of Red Dirt / Texas Country shows in the DFW market and occasionally one of the DJ’s from the Wolf or the other pop country station will introduce the artist. I always find it odd and bit annoying that they try and pump up the crowd for bands / artists that they never play on their station. I get these DJ’s probably have no ability to play the artist that they actually like or want to hear (or maybe they really do love Dan & Shay). They just have to play the list that corporate provides.
August 13, 2022 @ 4:18 pm
I go to a lot of Red Dirt / Texas Country shows in the DFW market and occasionally one of the DJ’s from the Wolf or the other pop country station will introduce the artist.
Sad thing is, up until about 2008, 99.5 the Wolf was actually playing those artists pretty frequently, and then they got turned into a clone of pretty much every other major-market country station in the country. They played a pretty big part in the explosion of Texas Music 2.0 in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
August 13, 2022 @ 12:47 pm
Love it! You go Jamey!
August 13, 2022 @ 2:02 pm
I happen to personally know one of those DJs and they absolutely do play Jamey Johnson’s music. It’s not their fault he hasn’t released anything new for them to play in a decade. Jamey’s the one who comes off as a massive prick in this incident.
August 13, 2022 @ 3:54 pm
To Trigs point earlier, I don’t think Johnson particularly meant his own music per se. I don’t listen to FM country radio because it is full of crap I can’t stand. I suspect he was referring to artists like Jinks, Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Morgan Wade, Turnpike, Sunny Sweeney…..the list goes on forever that probably don’t get any airplay on bro-country radio. Those DJ’s were set up to fail in this situation. Sam Hunt? Really?
August 13, 2022 @ 6:39 pm
Here’s a link to everything that station had played today. They might play one classic artist an hour, and maybe one artist on the vein of Mike and the Moonpies an hour… and then the rest is littered with Tenpenny, Hunt, FGL, Wallen, Aldean, Bryan etc al. Zero JJ played today.
Zero sympathy for the attention this station is getting.
https://www.kzkx.com/recently-played/
August 14, 2022 @ 9:52 am
Faulting a station for playing the stuff that’s currently having the most commercial success is absurd. I also happen to see American Aquarium, Zach Bryan and Randall King on their playlist just this morning. It doesn’t have to be an either/or thing. And if JJ wants his stuff played more maybe he should have actually released a single to radio in the past decade.
August 13, 2022 @ 2:18 pm
I was there and Jamey couldn’t have said it better it’s sad when you have to listen to a college radio station to hear Johnny Cash long live Jamey Johnson he is the real deal .
August 13, 2022 @ 2:27 pm
It’s the spirit of the thing. Jamey doesn’t like what commercial “country” radio has done to country music: it turned its back on it in favor of the suburbs and cities. He can rant all he wants. And out here in the cornfields, we can can sing every word to “In Color.”
We got your back, Jamey, even though you don’t need it.
August 13, 2022 @ 3:53 pm
I’m going to see them later this week. With Jamie not putting out new music since forever, I wish he was opening instead of BBS. Either way, still excited to see them.
August 13, 2022 @ 5:01 pm
I don’t agree with his statement that all radio stations play the same music. Most do but there are some that do play older music. Now far as the newer guys that are playing the classic sound maybe not. But I do understand his sentiment.
August 13, 2022 @ 5:06 pm
With social media and cell phones we see everything every performer says, and when they blow up on someone, we take their words too literally. Maybe he had a bad day and those guys were in the line of fire. Who knows. Everybody has those days on occasion. I’m pretty easy going, but last weekend I squared off with some jackass at the gas pumps. That’s not my nature, but it was one of those days that I’d had enough of dealing with assholes. My point is that I think we often over analyze things. His anger might have really been about running out of weed, high gas prices, or maybe too many people had just pissed him off that day. It’s good for everyone to get an ass chewing on occasion; it keeps us humble. Those pop country DJ’s should thank him for making them better people.
August 14, 2022 @ 2:58 am
I 100% agree with Jamey Johnson he’s just saying what all us country singers like him have been saying for years make country music radio play hard working country singers like us who are working hard and making music everyday.
https://amberlynnbrowningband.com/
August 14, 2022 @ 6:13 am
You won ‘t hear Wheeler Walker on the radio either but his music is real country music compared to what they play now days .
August 14, 2022 @ 6:37 am
A goody, another successful but ungrateful country singer going off on radio for not playing his music.
Except he owes them an apology since I hear JJ on a LOT of country radio stations.
Sorry they may not be playing the songs you want them to, Jay-me, but radio’s job isn’t to play every song by every artist.
August 14, 2022 @ 6:47 am
Totally agree with Jamey here. I have never commented on Saving Country Music but check in daily to read all the great articles. This resonated with me though because I was at the Windy City Smokeout here in Chicago last week and was lucky enough to see Zach Bryan before Turnpike Troubadours and finally Willie Nelson close the show on Thursday night (one of the best 3-punch lineup I’ve ever witnessed). The only issue I had with the show was in between each set the local “country” DJs from US99.5 came out to pander to the crowd. They tried to get the crowd behind them by announcing the next performer while begging them to post any pictures to the country stations social media account. It made me sick since I haven’t heard them play Willie in decades, let alone Turnpike Troubadours. I just wanted them to get off stage with their flip flops as quickly as possible. Way to go Jamey!
August 14, 2022 @ 7:13 am
Thanks for reading Geo.
This happens all the time at festivals, and it’s a big pet peeve of mine. Know who your audience is. They spent a lot of money to be there.
August 14, 2022 @ 8:10 am
Who is he?
August 14, 2022 @ 11:16 am
The times haven’t changed much in the last 35 – 45 years – radio still sucks!
Let’s look at Austin – when was the last time KVET featured an artist that played the Broken Spoke? Maybe when the late Sammy Allred was still a DJ and played as part of the Geezinslaws at the then still free-standing venue in South Austin as self-promotion. During the “height” of one of the most creative eras in Austin, in the late ’80s, early ’90 – with the Wagoneers, Derailers, Dale Watson, Don Walser, Junior Brown, Wayne The Train Hancock, and others calling Austin home, they were mostly ignored by radio.
(KOKE has by now actually a quite decent playlist – but still mostly ignores local talent or basically features them at night and not in regular rotation.)
But if there was some event where one of these acts would play and the local radio station was part of sponsoring the event, they tried to siphon off the fanbase these acts built by themselves and declare how local and caring they (radio) are. Many of the acts mentioned above were only played on Public Radio in special programs.
As to the radio station at the JJ concert – obviously, the radio guys didn’t do their homework. A quick search on Spotify would have helped these idiots to find a mix that would cater to the JJ and Blackberry Smoke fans and therefore to the grandpas (me). And it wouldn’t even have to have been Haggard or Jones, but Lainey Wilson, Jon Pardi, Midland, and some other more traditional kids would have worked as well if they would have left off the mainstream whippersnappers.
August 14, 2022 @ 11:27 am
I just wish a similar situation would present itself with Bobby Bones……(lol)
August 14, 2022 @ 5:07 pm
Yeah, when I first saw the title to this post, I thought for sure it must have been directed at Bobby Bones!
Verily, broadcast radio is horrible these days. It’s not just that so-called “country” stations are playing music that is most definitely NOT country music, but even “classic rock” stations all just seem to play the same 100 songs over and over. Geez, are they missing out on a lot of good music they could be playing. It is also tiresome with all of the “talk” radio stations, whether they be political or sports oriented. Can’t somebody come up with a format that nobody else is doing?
I also remember during the Ken Burns documentary about country music where some country performer (I don’t remember who) was being interviewed on a radio station, and they were talking about how Loretta Lynn had been honored with some award. So the guest said to the DJ that the station should play one of Loretta’s tunes, but the DJ replied that he couldn’t play her music, as she was not on that station’s playlist! Are you kidding me!? Any station that purports to be a “country” station and won’t play Loretta Lynn is NOT a country station! Maybe there should be a new song made about stations like that; entitle the song “You’re NOT listening to country!” (to paraphrase a Loretta Lynn song title)
August 14, 2022 @ 2:05 pm
Typical artist ego getting in the way of why the artist is there in the first place. I liken this to an Oscar winner ranting about some political crap in an acceptance speech. I don’t give a crap what they think about politics and I don’t give a crap what Jamey Johnson thinks about the local radio station. Get up there and sing, don’t demonstrate your sour grapes pissy attitude by ranting like a nursing home resident. That’s why I rarely go to live concerts anymore. Too much talking. If they can’t stick to just delivering 90 minutes (or more) of the music that made me like them in the first place, with only the necessary introductions, then they should find another line of work. And for the haters out there, give me an example of when Strait, Reba, Alan, Vince, Kenny, Milsap, Oaks, Statlers, Alabama, Dolly, etc ever did anything like this. All I’ve ever heard from them is gratitude.
August 15, 2022 @ 6:02 am
Never forget, kids, that radio exists to sell ads.Your music is just to fill the time between ads.
August 15, 2022 @ 7:29 am
First time commenting not sure if my previous comment got lost as it hasn’t shown up but.
Can someone explain what the fuck has happened to country music? I stopped listening to the radio in 08 and now that I am looking back into it I see so much crap and new terms/bands that are not country being labeled country.
Maybe trigger can make an article about it?
August 18, 2022 @ 8:20 am
Didn’t know there were many “pop Country” DJs,but maybe Jamey believes he and other more traditional artists are losing airplay to more “crossover” type acts.
August 18, 2022 @ 2:09 pm
Regarding country and pop…
I recently watched, and highly recommend, the Hank Cochran documentary on YouTube (Johnson, of course, recorded a whole album of his songs). The documentary really hits home how a lot of great country songs are also very influenced by pop.
But…pop in this sense means Sinatra, Nat King Cole and especially the great pop songwriters who wrote the songs they sang.
Trigger wrote a tribute to Olivia Newton John that mentioned the similarities between her and Charlie Rich in terms of being pop. With all due respect to both Trigger and Olivia, those two artists are both pop in the same way that Jamey Johnson and Luke Bryan are both country.
To borrow from Scalia, I can’t name the difference but I know it when I see/hear it.
There’s a woman in the documentary who points out how Hank Cochran would expertly craft his songs both musically and lyrically and now (with most mainstream country) it’s more just hooks, riffs and buzz words.
It’s like the difference between hand crafted and mass produced.
October 7, 2022 @ 7:46 pm
Jayme looks like that guy from SLAYER ♥️????