The 2015 Ameripolitan Awards LIVE Blog
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the 2nd Annual Saving Country Music Ameripolitan Awards LIVE blog. The festivities being held at Austin’s historic Paramount Theatre will NOT be televised, streamed, broadcast, or otherwise disseminated, so it will be the effort of Saving Country Music to offer you the most complete window into the experience as possible.
If you want a glimpse of what you can expect, you can check out last year’s live blog. Please feel free to follow along and keep your refresh button handy. I’ll be flying by the seat of my pants, so be patient if updates take some time to populate, and feel free to pipe up below in the comments section with your own thoughts or observances.
Along with Dale Watson, appearances are scheduled by Billy Joe Shaver, Ray Benson, Elizabeth Cook, birthday boy Johnny Bush, and many more. To see the complete list of nominees, CLICK HERE.
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WINNERS:
- Honky Tonk Female – Amber Digby
- Honky Tonk Male – James Hand
- Honky Tonk Group – The Derailers
- Outlaw Female – Sarah Gayle Meech
- Outlaw Male – Jesse Dayton
- Outlaw Group – The Freightshakers
- Ralph Mooney Award – Kenny Sears
- Venue Award – The Continental Club
- Festival Award – Legends of Western Swing in Wichita Falls, TX.
- Best DJ – Mojo Nixon
- Western Swing Female – Elana James
- Western Swing Male – Bobby Flores
- Western Swing Group – Hot Club of Cowtown
- Rockabilly Female – Kim Lenz
- Rockabilly Male – James Intveld
- Rockabilly Group – Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys
1:50 AM – I apologize, I’m just getting back from the after party at The Continenal Club and noticing the entire rockabilly portion of the live blog disappeared. Not exactly sure how. The winners were:
Rockabilly Female: Kim Lenz
Rockabilly Male: James Intveld
Rockabilly Group: Big Sandy and his Fly Rite Boys
12:05 -Okay folks, they’re kicking us out so I’ll make this quick and maybe finish up at the casa: Once again an excellent presentation by Dale Watson and the whole Ameripolitan crew. Excellent performances, and great multimedia presentations. A good time was had by all. Ah, a page is telling I must go, more later, thanks for following! …
12:04 – Thanks so much to everyone who followed along! I really appreciate it. I am going to compose some final thoughts and then we’ll be out of here!
12:02 – James Burton with Dale Watson singing. Sorry folks for the angles of the pictures. They gave us very little options as far as angles. Was lucky to get any.
12:00 Ray Benson!
11:59 – Hot Club of Cowtown playing and accepting their award.
11:57 – More photos coming…
11:55 – Legends of Western Swing gets the Ameripolitan Festival. Still trying to run down the owner’s name. She was so sweet.
11:54 The Continental Club wins for Best Ameripolitan venue.
11:52 – High Noon honored as the “Keeper of the Key”
11:49 Big ‘G’ of the Texas Roadshow and Rosie Flores in the lobby during the intermission. Also saw Adam Lee who was a nominee tonight. The Cactus Blossoms take the stage after the intermission.
11:47 Final performance has begun.
11:46 And now they’re playing “Working Man Blues.” This is great.
11:43 Nice! James is playing Merle Haggard’s “The Fugitive” with Dale Ways on singing. Burton played on the original track.
11:41 Very cool! A video presentation of Brian Seltzer plays congratulating James Burton. Them James takes the stage to play. If you don’t know who James Burton is folks, look him up.
11:40 More pictures coming up soon!
11:39 James Burton takes the stage to a standing ovation!
11:29 And the final award of the night, the Founder of the Sound award for James Burton starts with a presentation on the screen.
11:27 Ha! Big Sandy calls his band on the phone during his acceptance speech and puts his phone on the mic.
11:25 The Ameripolitan Award for Western Swing Group goes to Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys!
11:21 The Ameripolitan Award for Western Swing Male goes to James Invelt, who is non tour playing bass for The Mavericks!
11:18 Kim Lenz sings the praises of all the great rockabilly females, and says “fuck” seven times in her speech.
11:15 The Ameripolitan Award for Western Swing Female goes to Kim Lenz!
11:13 The plan was to end at 11 PM, and it feels like we still have a lot to go.
11:10 Big Sandy from California takes the stage! And yes, looks like it’s going to be a late night ladies and gentlemen.
11:09 Dale Watson come snout to do one of his signature Lone Star commercials.
11:04 From Vancouver, Paul Pigat to start off the Rockabilly portion of the presentation.
11:00 Ray Benson takes the stage to sing “Miles and Miles of Texas.”
10:55 The Ameripolitan Award for Western Swing Group is Hot Club of Cowtown!
10:54 Ray Price’s widow comes out to help present the next award with Ray Benson.
10:50 The Ameripolitan Award for Western Swing Male is Bobby Flores!
10:46 The Ameripolitan Award for Western Swing Female goes to Elana James!
10:45 If I may editorialize, everyone in the DJ category deserved the award more than Mojo Nixon. And I’m no prude, but his over cussing was old half way through last year’s awards.
10:43 The Western Swing Authority from Ontario takes the stage.
10:40 Mojo Nixon takes his Ameripolitan award, puts it between his legs like a penis, and prances around the stage. He also says he loves bullshit, “and bullshitnis good!”
10:37 The Ameripolitan Award for Best DJ goes to Mojo Nixon!
10:34 Hot Club of Cost own takes the stage!
10:33 Mojo Nixon for no reason, “I’m hotter than two foxes fucking in a forest fire!” He’s been hard cussing for no reason all night.
10:31 An 80-something year old woman (sorry no name was given) comes out to accept the award. “It’s great to get an award for something I love doing.”
10:27 The winner for the Ameripolitan festival Award goes to Legends of Western Swing in Wichita Falls, TX!
10:25 The winner of the Ameripolitan Venue Award goes to The Continental Club in Austin, TX!
10:21 If you don’t think you know Jason Roberts, you,be seen him as the fiddler uh n Asleep at the Wheel, and he plays with Dale Watson often. He’s also in tonight’s house band.
10:19 And we move into the Western Swing awards, and Jason Roberts takes the stage.
10:16 And the winner of the Ralph Mooney Award goes to Kenny Sears! He’s stuck in the ice in Nashville and could not be , but a video of him accepting it plays. Kenny is the wife of Dawn , who was the first ever recipient of the Ameripolitan award.
10:15 Cindy Cashdollar comes out to present the Ralph Mooney Award.
10:09 High Noon takes the stage to perform a medley of their hits.
10:07 And Night Noon comes out to receive their Keeper of the Key award.
10:03 Its a very long auditory presentation…. And now a video presentation begins on the screen.
10:00 The Keeper of the Key award is being presented to High Noon.
9:54 The Cactus Blossoms take the stage!
9:48 -They’re flashing the lights in the foyer. Show’s about to start up again soon.
9:47 – Joe Ely accepting Billy Joe Shaver’s “Founder of the Sound” award on Billy’s behalf.
9:45 – Sarah Gayle Meech performing and accepting her Ameripolitan award.
9:42 – Amber Digby and The Derailers accept their Ameripolitan Awards. Sorry for the fuzzy faces. My perch is far, and no flashes allowed.
9:40 – Rosie Flores and James Hand performing:
9:32 – Intermission! Pictures coming…
9:26 Huge applause for Joe Ely. We’re coming up on an intermission when we can catch up with some photos.
9:22 Joe Ely takes the stage and plays “I’m Gonna Live Forever.”
9:21 Billy Joe Shaver is sick with the flu, so Joe Ely comes out to accept the award for him. Then the lawyer that defended Billy Joe in his shooting trial comes out too.
9:17 Footage from Billy Joe Shaver’s career plays, including Waylon, and then Dale Watson comes out to present the award. Watson says Billy Joe Shaver loves to text in all caps like she’s yelling.
9:13 Now the stage dims, and a presentation for Billy Joe Shaver’s Founder of the Sound award begins to play on the screen.
9:11 Will get some photos up as soon as I can. This thing is even more packed than last year.
9:10 The Ameripolitan Award for the Best Outlaw Group goes to The Freightshakers!
9:09: Roger Alan Wade and Johnny Knoxville comes out to present the next award.
9:04 The Ameripolitan Award for Outlaw Country Male goes to Jesse Dayton!
9:02 Sarah Gayle Meech gives some love to Nashville, says there’s still some artists out there doing it the right way.
9:00 The Ameripolitan Award for Outlaw Female goes to Sarah Gayle Meech!
8:57 The pride of Nashville’s Lower Broadway Sarah Gayle Meech takes the stage in a white dress, white boots, and white hair.
8:55 Here comes the Outlaw categories…
8:50 And The Derailers take the stage!
8:49 The Honky Tonk Ameripolitan Group Award goes to The Derailers!
8:49 Dale Watson comes out and joins the band to applause.
8:45 “Thanks so much. It’s just me and three chords.” Says James Hand.
8:43 And the Honky Tonk Male Ameripolitan Award goes to James Hand!
8:41 And the Female Honky Tonk Ameripolitan Award goes to Amber Digby!
8:37 James Hand gets a huge hand after playing “Just A Heart.” Then Amber Digby takes the stage in a sparkly short dress.
8:33 Other portion of the house band is comprised of Dale Watson’s band. And now James Hand takes the stage in a white Stetson and dark grey suit.
8:30 The gorgeous Rosie Flores is wearing a long black dress and playing a baby blue guitar.
8:28 Rosie Flores takes the stage, introduced as the “Queen of Ameripolian Music.”
8:28 Mojo Nixon is cussing up a storm. This caused controversy last year. “They told me not to say shit, fuck, motherfucker, all of those!”
8:24 Johnny Bush: “The mainstream has given up on us, but we haven’t given up on us.”
8:21 Johnny Bush simply says, “I’m 80 years old today” and the crowd goes crazy. They present him with a cake, and then sing him Happy Birthday.
8:19 The house band includes Earle Poole Ball and Redd Volkaert. Will be uploading pictures as soon as there is a chance.
8:17 Birthday boy Johnny Bush takes the stage to a huge roar.
8:15 Once again the presentation is very slick. Hosts Elizabeth Cook and Mojo Nixon take the stage.
8:13 The video presentation continues explaining the roots of the music, and how the mainstream got away from them. Big roars call out from the gallery when Waylon, Cash, and Dale Watson show up on the screen.
8:09 And here we go! The presentation starts out with a video presentation and Jerry Lee Lewis being asked about what he thinks about modern music and saying, “Bullshit!”
8:06 Looks like we are starting fashionably late. The theatre is mostly full, but the event did not sell out. Still time to make it down I guess.
8:00 Getting ready to start!
7:52: Tonight’s program. Sorry, I know it’s small, but I thought some may appreciate it.
7:50 – PS: There will be high quality photos from the event. Charlie from almostoutofgas.com is taking pictures that will be posted eventually.
7:45 Dale Watson and Johnny Knoxville signing guitars to be raffled, and a picture in the foyer. Play pick out the cool country guy, there’s plenty of them there.
7:35 People are filing in like crazy. Saw birthday boy Johnny Bush, Wayne “The Train” Hancock, James hand shaking the hand of Ags Connolly who made the trip all the way from England for the event. Bob Wayne, Eric Strickland, Dallas Moore, and many more!
7:33 Mojo Nixon is back as MC, and once again is not wearing any pants (and coat to match).
7:32 Because the theatre is so old, they basically gave no space for press. So I’m going to be running back and forth. There will only be limited windows where I will be able to upload photos, but will be keeping you up to date with text minute by minute.
7:30 So to give you a sense of where the awards are being held, The Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas is mere blocks from the State Capitol. It was built in 1915, and has been used as a movie and stage house. Houdini once performed here, and there’s still a hole in the plaster where one of his tricks got out of hand. Very ornate, and very different circumstances from the inaugural Ameripolitan Awards held in a new hotel ballroom.
February 17, 2015 @ 7:22 pm
well deserved to my other favorite JB
February 17, 2015 @ 7:38 pm
Glad to be here. Is this being streamed on the innerdnets, Trigg?
February 17, 2015 @ 7:39 pm
If so, where, I just spent the last half hour searching and came up double oughts!
February 17, 2015 @ 8:15 pm
No stream anywhere.
February 17, 2015 @ 7:42 pm
not being streamed
February 17, 2015 @ 7:43 pm
Thanks, Janice. Will hang tight here, then. How far gone is it thus far?
February 17, 2015 @ 7:46 pm
I’m home in Pa. Yea Amber
February 17, 2015 @ 8:07 pm
Thanks for doing this , Trig! Hope your having fun. Would be nice if they put this out on DVD or something.
February 17, 2015 @ 8:12 pm
SO thrilled that Jesse won! He’s pretty much my favorite current singer.
February 17, 2015 @ 8:29 pm
Thanks a million for doing this!
February 17, 2015 @ 8:31 pm
anxus to hear what folks think about the Western Swing Authorty
February 17, 2015 @ 9:28 pm
wtg Steve Wertheimer
February 17, 2015 @ 9:35 pm
sorry I don’t know those show sponcers
February 17, 2015 @ 9:45 pm
swing hot Sweet Harriet
February 17, 2015 @ 9:50 pm
will concur on Mojo. Guess a lot of voters don’t know Caroyn M.
February 17, 2015 @ 9:57 pm
in consideration of Cornell Hurd, Overall Bobby Flores is more Western Swing.
February 17, 2015 @ 9:59 pm
I am totally disgusted with this foul mouth cussing at an award show. I went to the awards last year and it really annoyed me last year. No need for this at an award show. All of the other Disc Jockeys try really hard all year and act very professionally…and then they see this kind of behavior win. Makes you wonder about the voting process. Just my opinion.
February 18, 2015 @ 1:13 am
Cussing doesn’t generally bother me but Mojo is just awful. He seems like he wants to be Wolfman Jack but only knows 5 words…and ‘fuck’ is 4 of them.
February 18, 2015 @ 11:10 am
I agree re: Mojo. His level of immaturity totally disgusted me. He has no class whatsoever.
February 17, 2015 @ 10:05 pm
“Hot Club of Cowtown” Austin based and 15 years off and on
“Western Swing Authority” 4 years together and mostly Canadian dates
“Jason Roberts Band ” 1 year and lots of Texas buzz.
February 17, 2015 @ 10:42 pm
Eddie Stubbs has been called a “Walking Encyclopedia” why? Because he knows more then anyone on the history of country music. He can name session players & dates on recordings off the top of his head. He is a musician & a singer too! He IS the ultimate DJ!!
February 17, 2015 @ 11:25 pm
Who won Best Rockabilly Male this year?
February 18, 2015 @ 12:47 am
For some reason, the whole rockabilly portion of the LIVE blog disappeared, and I’m not sure why. Winners were
Male – James Intveld
Female – Kim Lenz
Group – Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys
February 18, 2015 @ 4:02 pm
Oh yay! 🙂 I checked out Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys after hearing Nick Lowe’s cover of “You Don’t Know Me At All” a few years ago, and I thought they had a fun sound; congrats to them. 🙂
February 17, 2015 @ 11:30 pm
Thanks so much for doing this!! Sounds like it was a great night! Wish I could have been there, but grateful that you made it possible to experience 🙂
February 18, 2015 @ 12:47 am
Thanks for following along Teea, sorry you couldn’t make it out.
February 18, 2015 @ 12:05 am
Thanks for live blogging the show, Trig! So much music I have to listen to since I don’t know many of these names.
February 18, 2015 @ 12:10 am
Thanks for covering this… Love me some Dale Watson & Ameripolitan music!
February 18, 2015 @ 12:55 am
I really appreciate how they conveniently award the artists lined up to perform. No set up here folks! Whatta crock…
February 18, 2015 @ 1:11 am
Well done on the live blog! It was a helluva fun show. And maybe it’s just me, but Mojo Nixon is about as entertaining as a gunshot wound. We were over him within ten minutes.
February 18, 2015 @ 1:24 am
Thanks for this! The only awards that seem to make any sense to my mind! Really wanna get there for next year’s awards!
February 18, 2015 @ 3:39 am
The producer of the Legends of Western Swing Festival is Gloria Miers….and your right she’s a sweetheart.
February 18, 2015 @ 8:58 am
Thanks!
February 18, 2015 @ 6:58 am
The ridiculous name “Ameripolitan”, makes it very difficult to get into, or behind this, but at least the intentions are good.
And not that I want him to be Trigger, but why wasn’t your boy Simpson up for an award?
February 18, 2015 @ 12:08 pm
Good question. If they want to take Ameripolitan to the next level, they really need to make an effort to expend their perspective and really try to find who the rising stars of our time are. Sure, some may not like Sturgill, but with all of his success, he should have at least been nominated.
February 19, 2015 @ 11:42 am
I believe the reason that Stugill wasn’t mentioned is probably because his songs and name recognition were just getting popular on the tail end of the nomination process for this year’s Ameripolitians, but I’m sure he will be included next time around. I know he wasn’t on my radar until this past Fall, and the nominations stopped some time in October.
February 18, 2015 @ 7:07 am
Dale wants everyone to dress up for these awards show to show class. Then I get cussed at by mojo. I don’t get that. Gives it a trashy feel. I can cuss with the best of them but keep it out of the awards show. Just my opinion.
February 18, 2015 @ 7:38 am
Man, I love James Burton.
“Pick it for me, James!”
February 18, 2015 @ 9:03 am
First heard of James Burton cause his name kept popping up on my favorite country records. Whiskey Bent, Elite Hotel, and Grievous Angel off the top of my head. Glad he’s getting some recognition.
February 18, 2015 @ 9:33 am
WOW! Miss Leslie, Amber Digby… This roster is mind-blowingly country. No wonder it wasn’t televised nobody in mainstream America could handle this. The comments would be a sea of, “Who the hell is…”.
AND it gave me some new names to check out. Right on!
February 18, 2015 @ 9:45 am
Who won the Ameripolitain Musician award?
February 18, 2015 @ 9:51 am
They also call that the Ralph Mooney award. Sorry, I should have been more clear on that, and it went to Kenny Sears of the Time Jumpers.
February 18, 2015 @ 10:04 am
“Sorry, I know it”™s small, but I thought some may appreciate it.”
That’s not what she said!
Love me some Derailers! Tony Villanueva or not!!
February 18, 2015 @ 10:34 am
I am thinking they need to break the DJ award into two categories. One for Satellite and one for the others. If these other DJS used the vulgarity and profanity that the winner does they would be thrown off the air by the FCC. There is no excuse for that kind of behavior on an awards show. If the awards show wants hard profanity as part of their show may I suggest we hold it in a bar room next year. One man’s opinion.
February 18, 2015 @ 11:33 am
I think without Mojo’s extreme personality I would of never got interested in Outlaw Country Station or other radio personalities. I think from his psycho billy days in the 80s he establish himself as that type of personality and wouldnt want to see it any other way. Its like telling Howard Stern not to talk about sex. His vulgarity is an acceptable exception.
February 18, 2015 @ 12:44 pm
I have not been to this awards show and have no desire to. Granted, there were several in attendance that I would love to see, but not at the expense of listening to cussing, cursing and carrying on. Totally uncalled for. I have one reason and one reason only for even having an interest in these awards and that is because of my good friend Woody Adkins who was nominated for the DJ award. If he talked like that on his show, I guarantee he would lose a lot of faithful listeners. It’s a disgrace to Woody and the other professional DJ’s to even be put in the same category as that Mojo knucklehead.
February 18, 2015 @ 4:37 pm
thanks. I was not familiar with any of these artists”¦so I checked all of them out (at least one tune per). The detailers, Jason D. Williams, Paul Pigat all appeal to me. Thanks for the continuing education.
February 19, 2015 @ 11:36 am
Thanks Dale and all who helped get this night together! Not mentioned were The Daliens, but heard they had a big part in its success, too! Sorry I wasn’t there this time around, but plan to be there in 2016.
February 19, 2015 @ 10:21 pm
isn’t this type of thing already done (and extremely well!!) by the Americana Music Association award ceremony in Nashville? Nonetheless, congrats to all the winners! Some very fine performers in there.