Saving Country Music 2013 CMT Awards LIVE Blog
So normally we wouldn’t grace such a lowly presentation like the CMT Awards with our valuable attention. But the chatter over the last few weeks about what is set to transpire on the show hints of historic genre bending and cross-format collaborations that surely will be ripe for perspective, criticism, and roasting. So just like we do for the more legitimate, but at times equally laughable CMA and ACM Awards, we are launching a LIVE blog.
Feel free to watch along, or if you can’t stand the awards, then turn on some real country music and follow the awards vicariously through us! This is an exercise for old souls to find solace in humor from the ridiculousness that is a country music awards show. Get those refresh fingers ready!
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9:36 – THANK YOU ALL for stopping by and participating folks, for commenting, posting links, or just simply lending your eyeballs to the effort! Now off to cleanse my palette with some Sturgill Simpson!
“You won’t hear my songs on the radio, see me on the CMA…”
9:31 – 2 1/2 and not one memorable performance. The CMT Awards neever to give the performers some room to breath and create a moment. Instead we got the cell app version of an award show. Watchers will walk away without any impression or memory. As bad as awards shows are, they must create moments, and the CMT Awards didn’t create even one. I’m so uninspired, I got nothing to even say about Nellie. It was all too predictable.
9:30 – Break dancers and graffiti artists tagging a fake wall. Nothing quippy. This just sucks.
9:26 – Yes, they just called “Cruise” the “Song of the Summer.” You’re watching quotation mark “country’s” new super mega franchise. https://savingcountrymusic.com/weve-got-a-bigger-problem-now-its-called-florida-georgia-line
9:24 – The CMT Award for Video of the Year goes to Carrie Underwood for “Blown Away.”
9:23 – The Mavericks — instilling class and country music in this damn thing.
9:20 – Wow, just saw a commercial for the “Last Ride, A Story of Hank Williams” movie.
9:19 – Please tell me they’re ending this thing at 9:30.
9:18 – You always get a solid vocal performance from Carrie. Not necessarily the moving moment I was hoping for, but solid.
9:16 – Carrie Underwood gave $1 Million dollars to tornado relief efforts. She is from Muskogee.
9:12 The CMT Male Video of the Year goes to Blake Shelton for “Sure Be Cool If You Did.”
9:10 – Something to nibble on as we approach the Nellie performance. He told the AP:
“Obviously our views today aren’t the same as our grandparents’, so when you look at the way the youth migrates and the way everything intertwines, the Internet has brought so many people together around the world in the same place at the same time. Music was only in line to be integrated like that. It’s a beautiful thing because you want your kids to be multifaceted. You want your kids to experience a lot more than you did as a child,” he said. “So I welcome it. My kids are Taylor Swift fans. They love Florida Georgia Line. But they also love Lil Wayne.”
9:07 – Two hours in, and not even one true, heartfelt moving performance. Even on the worst of these award shows featuring the worst artists, there’s usually something to walk away remembering. Maybe it will be Carrie Underwood’s Oklahoma tribute.
9:06 – Yes, Ashley Monroe! Some bona fide country music! …… for 30 seconds. But we’ll take it!
9:05 – Jeez, the facial expressions of Aldean’s drummer. He looks like he’s passing a sword.
9:03 – At least Jason Aldean is not singing “1994.” Little blessings people. Little blessings.
9:01 – The winner of the Group Video of the Year goes to Lady Antebellum for “Downtown.”
9:00 – No really, The Bacon Brothers actually are a country band. Don’t bother.
8:57 – And Nellie with Florida Georgia Line haven’t even performed yet.
8:53 – …and here’s some band playing some song before we cut to commercials for boner pills and Fruit Loops.
8:50 – And this song is called “The Chain.” “The Chain” people. NOT “Chain Reaction.” C’mon people.
8:49 – Blond, curly-haired chick in Little Big Town to stage crew. “Hey, is there any way I can get a wind machine on me? Yeah, just me.”
8:47 – Miranda Lambert wins for Female Video of the Year.
8:45 – And now Lenny Kravitz is talking to us about the history of country music. Beam me up.
8:43 – That flask Jason Aldean just took a pull from is full of 2% milk.
8:37 – These poor bastards who get 30 seconds to play before the commercials start. Is this a good idea, or would it be better to add a few more full performances where you can get a fair taste of what the artist is throwing down. Appealing to the short attention span.
8:35 – As Mike2 just pointed out in the comments, that was not the first time a George Jones performance has been cut off. https://savingcountrymusic.com/down-with-the-cma-part-2-corruption-in-performances What a shame.
8:31 – Winner for Duo Video of the Year is Florida Georgia Line for “Cruise.”
8:29 – Funny (& sad) observation from Farce The Music on Twitter: “Well, George didn’t have a video out this year. I’m sure that’s it…”
8:28 – Thanks everyone for stopping by! Feel free to leave your own comments, observations, snark, etc. below in the comments section if you wish. We all have to get through this together!
8:27 – ….and of course they cut it off after 30 seconds to cut to commercial break. Not surprising, but completely unclassy nonetheless.
8:25 – Nice! The Mavericks playing “The Race Is On” in tribute to George Jones! The only folks in the house that have the proper skins on the wall to tribute The Possum.
8:24 – You know, I kind of like this song. I think Keith Urban has a little something.
Okay that’s bullshit. This sucks donkey nuts.
8:21 – Someone call Shooter Jennings and get him on finding out who’s screwing with the teleprompters tonight! (If you get that, give yourself 5 points.)
8:18 – Collaborative Video of the Year Award goes to Jason Aldean, with Luke Bryan and Eric Church for ” The Only Way I Know.”
8:16 – People still buy the Larry the Cable Guy bit? The dude uses a bidet.
8:15 – Jason Eady from Twitter: “New rule: If there is something coming through the PA and it isn’t being played by an instrument on stage you don’t get to call it country.”
8:12 – Max Martin, Shellback, and The Country Music Anti-Christ Scott Borchetta are just as responsible for that awful performance as Taylor Swift. The blood of her career is on their hands.
8:08 – Terrible Taylor! Quit trying to be some hot pop diva! Go back to being yourself: an awkward girl with mild talent, but one that can connect to people by singing heartfelt songs she wrote herself.
8:07 – Despite the allure of Taylor Swift’s exposed inner thigh, this is an AWFUL, PITCHY, glass-shattering performance. Wow!
8:05 – Luke Bryan reading the words to our National Anthem off of his hand.
8:03 – What a trouncing of the hallowed ground of lower Broadway going on right now in Nashville. Layla of The Bluegrass Inn and Robert of Western World should crash Luke Bryan’s party right now.
8:00 – I didn’t know Ellen Degeneres played country music.
7:56 – The idea of the “Wagon Wheel” singalong felt like it fell flat. Didn’t give the song any time to develop.
7:50 – Somewhere Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor are having a dramatic life crisis about their contributions to the Earth. Something like, “Good Lord, what have I done!”
7:48 – The shirt that Darius Rucker is wearing can be purchased in a bag in a 5-pack at Wal-Mart.
7:45 – Isn’t it appropriate that the arena opening that Darius Rucker emerged from as he sings “Wagon Wheel” is called a “Vomitorium.”
7:41 – Never thought you’d pray for a commercial break, until it becomes the sweet provider of relief from a 30-second Dustin Lynch performance.
7:40 – Miranda Lambert won something.
7:38 – Man, Dog Breath and Beth use more bleach than a Super 8 laundry room.
7:37 – Are we supposed to know who the hell this chick is hosting?
7:36 – They should have put Kacey on stage with a stool and acoustic guitar and let her slay these sheep with some real music.
7:35 – I still think Kacey Musgraves has something, despite being moderately disappointed in her latest album. She’s got some amazing songs. This one really isn’t one of them.
7:33 – Wow, The Avett Brothers introducing Kacey Musgraves! This ain’t all bad!
7:29 – The house band for tonight is The Mavericks! Notice in the review of their excellent last album “In Time” SCM Posted on Sunday we called them “old-school all-things-to-all-people house band for America,” unbeknownst they would actually be the house band for tonight. https://savingcountrymusic.com/the-mavericks-in-time-one-of-the-best-of-2013
7:26 – Whoa, “Ring of Fire” playing us out to commercials! Probably the only real country we’ll hear all night. Let’s savor it!
7:24 – Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart” was co-written by the up-and-coming Kacey Musgraves, scheduled to perform later.
7:21 – Thoughts and prayers go out to Hunter Hays. Apparently he was injured backstage when his retainer got stuck in Jason Aldean’s mess of wallet chains. Paramedics had to employ bolt cutters to unlock the two country stars.
7:17 – Florida Georgia Line wins “Breakthrough Video of the Year” apparently. It was the one these came from:
7:14 – Florida Georgia Line just won something. Not sure what it is, I was distracted by Kellie Pickler cleavage. They will celebrate by trolling Nashville high school hangouts tonight.
7:12 – Nice. This fruitcake female host doesn’t even know how to say “Darius.” That’s okay, Darius couldn’t accurately enunciate Ketch Secor to save his life.
7:10 – I retract part of my comment at 7:00. Canada is way more country than anything that will transpire tonight. Where’s Corb and Lindi?
7:07 – The CMT Awards are hoping to avoid the controversy of last year when Luke Bryan was disqualified from his “Male Video” Award when it was found he had a vagina. https://savingcountrymusic.com/luke-bryan-loses-male-video-award-for-having-a-vagina
7:04 – Lenny Kravitz better watch out. I heard that that weird tall dude from Big & Rich is planning to steal his his shirt and take it to one of those “We Buy Gold” places.
7:00 – What’s more appropriate for a country music awards show then to start of with than a rock star performing a rock song written by Canadians!
6:55 – Some things we can expect:
–Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan and with )of all people) Dr. Drew Pinsky, Kelsey Grammer, Lorraine Bracco and Vince Vaughn.
–Rapper “Nelly” is performing “Cruise” with Florida Georgia Line
–Carrie Underwood will be doing a tribute to the Oklahoma tornado victims
—Jason Aldean is the host (if you can believe that), and will be performing a song with Lenny Kravitz. Now if that ain’t country….
— Taylor Swift, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban and Hunter Hayes and Lady Antebellum with Darius Rucker are all set to perform.
6:50 – So even more so than all the other country award shows, the CMT Awards are almost solely about the presentations. Awards are only given out for videos, and they tend to feel like an afterthought.
June 5, 2013 @ 5:35 pm
I fucking love Musgraves.
June 5, 2013 @ 5:36 pm
I knew I wrote this song for a reason: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UehXW9UKVi4
June 5, 2013 @ 5:38 pm
join the club bro.
June 5, 2013 @ 5:43 pm
going to flip shit if Aldean or Bryan do a Jones tribute, I can just see it now.
June 5, 2013 @ 5:44 pm
Yes, that would be terrible, but dammit, they better do something for the Possum!
June 5, 2013 @ 5:43 pm
LOL .. all because your updates I turned it on .. but pretty sure this will leave me with a sour tatse in my Mouth
June 5, 2013 @ 5:49 pm
Hearing Jason Aldean talk about keeping something country is hilarious. Or hearing Rucker scream “play some country music”, this is a damn joke
June 5, 2013 @ 5:53 pm
All those years Hootie was hanging out with the blowfish, I never realized he was so short.
June 5, 2013 @ 6:30 pm
That so called tribute to George was a disgrace. CMT needs to be called out for this
June 5, 2013 @ 6:30 pm
8:27 Well that isn’t the first time that’s been done that to a George Jones song…
June 5, 2013 @ 6:42 pm
Great point!
June 5, 2013 @ 6:32 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krZmHCQ3l9o
The beginning of the downfall of Nashville
June 7, 2013 @ 8:38 am
I have been looking for this footage for years. Thanks for sharing.
June 5, 2013 @ 6:37 pm
My question is who in that whole arena would be worthy of doing a Jones tribute? Hell none of the folks that joined in on I Dont Need Your Rocking Chair are probably allowed in there. Wheres Travis Tritt, Clint Black, and the likes? The best they could have done would have been to show a long montage of his stuff.
June 5, 2013 @ 6:37 pm
Yeah, we have less than 25 seconds for the greatest country music singer who ever lived… but we have more than enough time for Lenny Kravitz and Nelly, what a joke. The CMA’s cut George short when he was alive, and unsurprisingly CMT cut him short after his death. Its a shame.
June 5, 2013 @ 6:54 pm
Im not sure if watching this is worse, or cutting ones self is.
June 5, 2013 @ 6:55 pm
It ain’t on ’till 8:00 in AZ. I will fast forward 90% of it anyway. Enjoying the thorough trashing of it all.
June 5, 2013 @ 7:08 pm
Yeah, watching the drummer was worse than watching Aldean.
June 5, 2013 @ 7:13 pm
I think Miranda said those guys were in the tradition of Jones and Cash. I dunno how these people can believe that shit.
June 5, 2013 @ 7:22 pm
Eric Church’s Creepin’ was the rare rock song done by a mainstream country artist that I thought rocked with authority. I liked the video, too. Suppose it would have been awkward for Miranda to present him with the award. Oh, and that Blake song sucks.
June 5, 2013 @ 7:24 pm
Did Kenny Rogers get another new face? Im sure CMT is pissed that he sung.
June 5, 2013 @ 7:28 pm
http://www.menwholooklikekennyrogers.com/
June 5, 2013 @ 7:30 pm
Where is any left over traditional artist tonight giving a disappointed face over this FGL horse shit. I wanna see That on camera
June 5, 2013 @ 7:34 pm
Dilemma. What should I use to purge my ears? Dale Watson, Eric Strickland & The B Sides, Jason Boland, Whitey Morgan, ….
June 5, 2013 @ 8:53 pm
I’m using Sturgill Simpson, but all good choices.
June 5, 2013 @ 7:40 pm
One has to wonder, if you’re in so much pain, why you bother watching this stuff? Even if the music was 100% heartfelt and Possum-approved country music, awards shows are still a load of crap. The only ones I can even remotely stomach are the Oscars and the 2013 ceremony more or less killed that for me as well.
On another note, the “weird tall dude from Big & Rich” is named Kenny Alphin, otherwise known colloquially as Big Kenny. I was hoping B&R would win for duo of the year, but no one had any doubts about Florida Georgia Line taking home the gold (or whatever the “award” is made out of). I know better than to watch this mess so I decided to just read your blog to get the result of the one category I was mildly interested in.
June 5, 2013 @ 7:53 pm
“One has to wonder, if you”™re in so much pain, why you bother watching this stuff?”
https://savingcountrymusic.com/why-criticize-bad-music
June 5, 2013 @ 8:22 pm
Trigger, I disagree with the following statement of yours:
“Max Martin, Shellback, and The Country Music Anti-Christ Scott Borchetta are just as responsible for that awful performance as Taylor Swift. The blood of her career is on their hands.”
At the end of the day she is responsible for her own career. They are able to get her to act like a pop diva because that is what she wants, because deep down she is not country.
June 5, 2013 @ 8:45 pm
You’re probably right Adrian.This is a live blog and I shoot hard and fast and ask questions later. In the moment I was just really angry in that moment at what has happened to Taylor Swift. Of course she’s not country, but that doesn’t mean she still can’t be good. I don’t like to see any young girl get wrapped up in the machine and lose her sense of self. Ultimately it is her life and she’s the last one to answer to, but she’s also relying on people to give her good counsel, and right now that is not happening. It bothers me more than it should.
June 6, 2013 @ 6:42 pm
Interesting comment. I don’t think Taylor Swift is a different person than before. I think she presented an image of herself before that was so appealing to many people that they don’t want to give it up. They wanted to believe that there is still someone like that in the popular culture. They want to believe that she is a good girl who wants to be a good role model and who is completely authentic. That is part of what made her marketing so effective – she portrayed the identity of the prototypical American girl that much of the public wanted to see. I think you still like Taylor.
June 5, 2013 @ 8:39 pm
Yes, I read that article earlier today. Maybe I should have made my question clearer: why do you watch these awards ceremonies? As in the CEREMONIES, not the music, artists, producers, channel, etc. involved. I guess it could be considered a part of the “why review bad music” argument, but I consider the question to be more technical than that.
Also, that Sunday Valley song is FANTASTIC. Is there an album with that song on it?
June 5, 2013 @ 8:52 pm
I guess it is like how a good narcotics officer has to know more about drugs and their effects than the drug users and traffickers do. I really try to understand this stuff from mainstream country music fan’s perspectives. I’m not going to be entertained by any of it. But I ask myself why they are entertained by it. That way hopefully I can understand better, what the appeal of this music is. To defeat your enemy, you have to know your enemy, study them, and ultimately, respect them. Not that I am trying to “defeat” mainstream country music fans, but hopefully you get my point. It’s like a football offense studying next week’s opponent’s defense on tape.
Yes, that is on Sturgill Simpson’s “High Top Mountain” that is officially out next Tuesday. Album of the Year candidate in my book.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/sturgill-simpson-to-release-high-top-mountain-june-11th
June 6, 2013 @ 12:57 pm
Well, at least no one can say that you aren’t devoted to the cause 🙂
And out of all of the artists I’ve heard about on SCM, I’m contemplating purchasing Sturgill Simpson’s album the most. As I’ve said, I’m also interested in Hank III, but his music sounds too vulgar for my tastes. Simpson, on the other hand, suits me right down to the ground.
June 5, 2013 @ 9:02 pm
I heard him on Mojo’s XM show earlier today.
June 5, 2013 @ 9:47 pm
WTF was that “look” that Taylor Swift gave the audience at the end of her song? Tryin’ to be sexy or something?
June 6, 2013 @ 12:17 am
Too much talk and dumb jokes, too much pop and rock, not enough country. What else is new?
Here’s a video of Kellie Pickler performing her new single at the Opry, aka the missing best CMT awards performance. Obviously this would have been the best song and performance to beat, similar to when Eric Church sang with Valerie June at the ACMs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yGqY60_DRI
Walt Wilkins ”@waltwilkins
Ms Kelly Pickler just sang all hell out of “someone somewhere tonight” on The Opry. Wow!!
http://twitter.com/waltwilkins/status/342119882357346306
It’s a disgrace to country music that she didn’t get to perform this on the CMT awards. Kellie also would’ve made a much better host than the actress. A country artist performing and hosting on a country awards show? Gee what a concept.
June 6, 2013 @ 6:36 am
The antidote for all that BS was across Broadway at the Ryman Auditorium where Marty Stuart held his 12th Late Night Jam. Each year Marty hosts the show and turns over 100% of the proceeds to Music Cares, a charity for ailing music biz folk (from tour bus drivers to musical legends fallen upon hard times). Marty always features new artists who follow the traditional country path, as well as faded legends (Don Maddox performed for the first time in decades, Bobby Bare appeared) and a few currently hot artists.
There was an actual tribute to George Jones that wasn’t cut off, featuring the Oak Ridge Boys performing the gospel song they played at George’s funeral. Followed by a surprise appearance by Jamie Johnson doing Amazing Grace. Marty and band were “superlative,” as always. High points included a family of teen and pre-teen bluegrass players (from New Jersey!) called Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, who ripped up the stage. And the night was capped off by the Mavericks, who scraped the shit off their shoes from the cow field across the street and shook the rafters.
June 6, 2013 @ 7:16 am
As someone who grew up in New York State but only a couple of miles from the NJ border, it warms my heart to hear of a family bluegrass band from New Jersey ripping up the stage. I checked out their website and it looks like their last name is Mizzone, which sure sounds Italian. Even cooler. Then again, David Grisman is a nice Jewish boy from Hackensack.
Marty and the band are coming my way (DC area) in August. I am there.
June 6, 2013 @ 8:26 am
Thanks for the recap. There’s another one here that I have linked in the news feed:
http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2013/06/05/marty-stuarts-late-night-jam-celebrates-the-spirit-and-soul-of-country-music/
Marty Stuart flew the 90-year-old Don Maddox out from Oregon for his Late Night Jam this year. Marty Stuart is saving country music.
June 6, 2013 @ 8:45 am
Jack, that kid playing banjo was phenomenal. The whole band was great–tight, fast, and great chops. One of the reason I love Marty Stuart so much is that he finds acts like these and puts them on the most hallowed stage in country music. Hell, any music!
Trigger, thanks for compliment and the link.
June 6, 2013 @ 7:50 am
Thank heavens for the Ryman! So glad Raul Malo and The Mavericks could cap off the evening by showing their real talent to people who appreciate real music.
June 6, 2013 @ 8:11 am
I didn’t watch these, but I have to say I am very pleased “Blown Away” got the top honors. Say what you will about the arrangement (it isn’t country in the least, but I do like the arrangement as a pop/rock one), but the song itself has lyrical substance. The video itself is pretty good.
June 6, 2013 @ 9:51 am
I was actually at a concert last night (They Might Be Giants in Omaha), so I missed the CMT VMAs altogether — I would’ve liked to tune in to see the Mavericks, but otherwise it’s good to know I didn’t really miss much. :p
Thanks for the write-up (and the laughs), Trig! 😀
June 6, 2013 @ 9:52 am
I didn’t watch, I can’t bring myself to do it, but I saw someone on Facebook today blabbering about Little Big Town’s performance and how great it was. Let me guess, did they do Fat Bottom Girls?
June 6, 2013 @ 10:05 am
Thank God, once again I didn’t watch ! Thanks Trig for suffering on our behalf.
June 6, 2013 @ 10:44 am
Not sure if this is kosher to post here, but this is a vid of the Mavericks at Marty Stuart’s Jam, last night after their stint in purgatory at the CMT awards. It may help cleanse the palate of anyone (such as Trigger) who suffered through the awards show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZs7IM6ml74
June 6, 2013 @ 11:10 pm
Kosher! Post away! These comments sections are for sharing.
June 6, 2013 @ 10:44 am
I, too, missed it but for a good reason…went to see The Trishas put on an awesome show. Loved your write-up and it was way better than having to sit through the show, which sounds like it was just as bad as I thought it would be.
June 6, 2013 @ 10:48 am
Holy crap Sturgill Simpson is amazing. I am about to commit a sin in writing. I think his voice is better than Waylon! If i have learned one thing from this website it would be this, the great sounds of Real country music is not dead, it is being silenced.
June 6, 2013 @ 11:54 am
” Holy crap Sturgill Simpson is amazing. ”
I agree
really glad I got introduced to him here.
the radio playlist is good as well.
thanks a lot, I would not have heard of these people otherwise.
June 7, 2013 @ 5:41 am
Miranda Lambert, bless her heart, is a wonderful songwriter and a good recording artist, but her live performances have always been underwhelming for me.
November 4, 2013 @ 10:39 am
Does anyone really shed the stigma of being an American Idol winner? Why is it always in the back of my mind?
“Once you get rid of integrity, the rest is a piece of cake.”
November 6, 2013 @ 11:52 am
Really good stuff but you gotta check out the new sound out of California from
Thin Black Line
“All the Crazy People” featuring The Moonshine Bandits.
From thin Black Line’s self-titled hit debut country album.
http://youtu.be/5K3evzhhOHA