Thursday, November 7, 2013

At a Glance: The Highs and Lows of the 2013 CMAs


It was truly an incredible night for all of country music and incase you missed it here are the highlights. You are definitely going to want to YouTube these babies because they’re gems and really shouldn’t be missed!

·      Duck Dynasty’s twist on “Blurred Lines”
o   This needs no explanation; it is just as hilarious and bizarre as it sounds.

Willie Robertson "twerking" on Carrie Underwood
Photo courtesy of ABC 7

·      Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert’s “We Were Us” performance
o   These two were born to duet. Their voices meld together perfectly and sound even better live than they do on the radio.
·      Little Big Town’s “Sober” performance
o   Their music is so raw and beautiful that they don’t need any special effects. Their harmonies never cease to give me chills.
·      Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood’s hilarious hosting
o   See overview in my blog post below. Bottom-line: They’re awesome!
·      Alan Jackson and George Strait honoring the late George Jones
o   Amazing to see two country music greats paying homage to one of country music’s most legendary artists.
·      Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts and Jennifer Nettles honoring Kenny Rogers
o   Rucker nailed “The Gambler”, and Nettles makes a great stand in for Dolly Parton while singing “Islands in the Stream” with Rogers. It was a nice way to honor the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award Winner.

Photo courtesy of Taste of Country

·      Both of Luke Bryan’s performances
o   Bryan set the tone for the rest of the rockin’ evening in his opening number with Florida Georgia Line. Later on in the show, Bryan got much more serious, singing “Drink A Beer” in tribute to his late brother and sister . Better have the tissues on hand before you watch this one! 
·      Eric Church’s performance of “The Outsiders”
o   Church did was he does best: kicking ass, taking names and melting faces with his outstanding performance of his latest song.
·      Zac Brown Band and Dave Grohl perform “Day for the Dead”
o   It’s always cool when musicians from different genres come together. Zac Brown Band puts on an amazing performance as it is but when Grohl’s incredible drum solos are added it becomes magic!

No awards show is without their blunders, however, and the CMAs were no exception. Here are the less than awesome parts of the night:
·      Carrie Underwood’s wardrobe
o   Underwood is a seriously gorgeous girl, I mean did you see those legs?! But a few of her outfits left me gaping at the screen thinking “Why Carrie? Why?” The worst was definitely her first outfit, which had awkward fabric side burns (for lack of a better description) at the bottom and bronze chainmail accents that made the incredibly fit artist look heavier in certain areas.

Photo courtesy of Hollywood Life

·      Jason Mraz forgetting the lyrics
o   Singing while moving through the crowd and performing to a camera can be tough work, and while Hunter Hayes managed just fine, Jason Mraz did not. There was an incredibly awkward moment when Mraz came out of his dressing room to meet up with Hayes and either forgot the lyrics entirely or had no idea where they were in the song. Hayes helped his buddy out and the two were able to recover, but Mraz’s blunder was far from inconspicuous.
·      Darius Rucker assigned to feud with Julianne Hough
o   As a part of Paisley and Underwood’s opening act they assigned stars in the audience someone to “feud” with. It was all good and fun until Darius Rucker was assigned Julianne Hough. This particular match-up was uncomfortable due to recent controversy over Hough’s choice of Halloween costume. Rucker was confused but played it off well, high fiving and laughing with those around him.


The Winners! 
- Entertainer of the Year: George Strait
- Male Vocalist of the Year: Blake Shelton
- Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert
- Vocal Group of the Year: Little Big Town
- Album of the Year: Based on a True Story, Blake Shelton, Scott Hendricks (producer)
- New Artist of the Year: Kacey Musgraves
- Vocal Duo of the Year: Florida Georgia Line
- Song of the Year: "I Drive Your Truck," Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington and Jimmy
Yeary
- Single of the Year: "Cruise," Florida Georgia Line, Joey Moi (producer)
- Musical Event: "Highway Don't Care," Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban
- Music Video: "Highway Don't Care," McGraw, Swift, Urban and Shane Drake (director)
Musician: Mac McAnally


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