2016 Americana Music Awards LIVE Blog
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Saving Country Music’s 2016 Americana Music Awards LIVE blog! As the festivities stream live from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville (link below), we’ll tag along to leave our 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 Awards on SCM Live
To see the nominees and nominations, CLICK HERE. To see photos from rehearsals, CLICK HERE.
Host: Jim Lauderdale
Band Leader: Buddy Miller
House Band: Dave Cobb, Stuart Duncan, Fred Eltringham, Steve Fishell, Matt Rollings, Chris Wood, and the McCrary Sisters.
Performers: The Lumineers, Billy Bragg, Margo Price, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Lucinda Williams, Bonnie Raitt, Parker Millsap, Milk Carton Kids, Jim Lauderdale Shawn Colvin, Buddy Miller, Steve Earle, Nathanial Rateliff, John Moreland, William Bell, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Alison Krauss, Bob Weir, Joe Henry, Steve Earle, and TWO SURPRISE PERFORMERS.
WINNERS:
Artist of the Year: Chris Stapleton
Song of the Year: “24 Frames” by Jason Isbell
Emerging Artist of the Year: Margo Price
Group/Duo of the Year:Â Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
Album of the Year: Jason Isbell’s Something More Than Free
Instrumentalist of the Year: Sara Watkins
10:00 – My general observation of this year’s awards is they probably had the most star power of any Americana Awards, and the presentation was smooth and enjoyable. Interesting to see Chris Stapleton walking away with an award after he’s swept the industry awards, but he still showed up and was a complete gentleman accepting it. Once again it’s a big Americana night for Jason Isbell as he continues to be the current “King of Americana.” It was also a huge night for Jim Lauderdale, and only fitting this capped the night off.
9:54 – Well that’s it folks, thanks for following along! I’m going to compose some final thoughts, run down the winners, and call it a night. THANK YOU for following along, liking, commenting, reposting, or just reading. Alson make sure to check out my pictures from the rehearsals.
9:51 – Billy Bragg and Timothy B. Schmit also on stage, and the McCrary Sister take a stanza. Jason Isbell hangs out backsgae just in case they all die and Americana music needs to be repopulated.
9:48 – Lucinda Williams, Parker Millsap, Milk Carton Kids, others comes out to join in to “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.”
9:46 – The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band take the stage to honor the 50th Anniversary of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.” Also see Margo Price, Steve Earle, Bonnie Raitt, and others ambling out.
9:43 – Tell me Jim Lauderdale isn’t a man full of happiness and love in this moment.
9:40 – George Strait and Jim Lauderdale take the stage to perform “The Kings of Broken Hearts,” a song Jim Lauderdale wrote, and George Strait made famous. Strait hasn’t performed the song in over a decade, but he pulled it out for his old songwriter friend.
9:38 – Jim Lauderdale on George Strait : “You were my benefactor. You were the reason I could make a living.”
9:35 – Jim Lauderdale gets emotional accepting an award. What a big honor to receive it with George Strait standing on the stage with him.
9:32 – George Strait gives a big handshake of legitimacy to Americana.
9:30 – George Strait is presenting the WagonMaster Award to Jim Lauderdale. The award has only been given out twice. Of course, Strait has recorded multiple Lauderdale songs over the years. And we get to hear King George Strait say “String Cheese Incident” (with a laugh of course) when naming off the scores of other performers Jim Lauderdale has written for.
9:27 – Isbell compares Americana to the opposite of a bucket of crabs. Then the crowd goes crazy as they realize that King George Strait himself just took the stage.
9:25 – Another Standing O for Isbell. Told you we’d be seeing a lot of him tonight.
9:24 – The 2016 Americana Album of the Year is Jason Isbell’s “Something More Than Free” produced by Dave Cobb!
9:22 – John Prine comes out to a standing ovation. He’s handing out the Album of the Year. “I can’t read shit,” Prine says as the crowd laughs.
9:21 – A faceless Chris Stapleton, and Gunnar soaking up some Americana face time.
9:19 – Wow, and Chris Stapleton is in the house. There was some question if he would be. The dude wins everything.
9:18 – The 2016 Americana Artist of the Year is Chris Stapleton!
9:17 – So Gunnar from the “Nashville” show (don’t know his real name) comes out with Wynonna, saying “This is Wynona Ryder, right?”
9:12 – Some of the latest Lucinda Williams albums have been a little hard to get into for me, but this song “Dust” is haunting. The line “Even your thoughts are dust” is just so damn depressing, and Lucinda knows how to deliver it like none other.
9:10 – Jim Lauderdale, the captain of the ship. He introduces Lucinda Williams.
9:08 – Heh, Buddy figures out Dave Cobb was overlooked and gives him a shout out. Of course Cobb has quite a few Americana Awards under his belt as a producer.
9:06 – Buddy Miller is introducing the house band Stuart Duncan, Fred Eltringham, Steve Fishell, Matt Rollings, Chris Wood, and the McCrary Sisters. Not sure where Dave Cobb went.
9:03 – Nice, Bonnie Raitt comes out to sing “Three of Me” with William Bell.
9:00 – Catching up, that was Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz singing backup for Parker Millsap.
8:57 – John Leventhal introduces William Bell ahead of his Lifetime Achievement Award for Song.
8:54– …and yes, after Bob Weir accepted his award, he totally randomly looked around the stage like someone had been performing in The Grateful Dead his entire life.
8:53– Randomly, the presentation has been super smooth and slick this year. Last year there were some hiccups, but they got all the wrinkles ironed out this year. Good show and a great lineup.
8:51 – The underrated Parker Millsap takes the Ryman stage to play the message-charged song, “Heaven Sent.”
8:49 – Bob Weir accepting his Lifetime Achievement Award.
8:44– Bruce Hornsby paying tribute to Bob Weir for his Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance.
8:43 – Jack Ingram introducing Bruce Hornsby. “I’m never prepared for the weight of this room.” By the way, Ingram’s latest album is great, and going too far under the radar.
8:41 – Jason Isbell thanks Amanda Shires. “She was standing next to me but George Strait came by and I lost her.”
8:39 – The 2016 Americana Song of the Year is Jason Isbell’s “24 Frames” written by Jason Isbell
8:37 – Timothy B. Schmit and Jack Ingram comes out to present the Song of the Year. I think Jack Ingram is drunk, partially because I saw him take multiple shots on the red carpet.
8:35 – I know a lot of folks see The Lumineers as “Ho Hey!” hipster frap, but I think this “Angela” song is exquisite, and the perform the hell out of it. Everybody in the Ryman is clapping along. Everyone. Infectious without sacrificing emotion.
8:33– Jed Hilly touts that Billboard now has an Americana chart, and then introduces The Lumineers who topped it while topping the all-genre Billboard 200 at the same time.
8:30 – Americana Executive Director Jed Hilly takes the podium. “My mom is here tonight. She is 88 years young.”
Jed Hilly compares the awards and the fest to a barn raising. “I can’t count the people who have contributed to put this together.”
8:27 – Steve Earle blowin’ harp.
8:25 – Steve Earle and Buddy Miller come out to perform “I Let The Freight Train Carry Me On.”
8:23 – Margo Price: “I want to thank my in-laws, my outlaws, and those who passed on my record. I know some of y’all are out there.”
8:21 – The 2016 Americana Emerging Artist of the Year is Margo Price!
8:19 – Holly Williams comes out to present the Emerging Artist of the Year award.
8:17 – There’s Margo Price’s “Tennessee Song,” and then there’s Margo Price’s “Tennessee Song” backed by Dave Cobb and the freaking McCrary Sisters.
8:15 – Hard country comes to the Americana stage in the form of Margo Price singing, “Tennessee Song.” When I first saw her on the red carpet, I swear I thought she was Lee Ann Womack.
8:12 – John Moreland. “Standard Deluxe” on his hat. A poignant oxymoron?
8:09 – John Moreland performs “American Flags in Black & White” backed by Buddy Miller and a stripped-down version of the house band. Good harmonies from Buddy Miller. I normally don’t like Moreland with accompanyment, but this is great.
8:07 – The stage is being set for John Moreland.
8:04 – Billy Bragg takes the stage to sing the Woody Guthrie song “I Ain’t Got No Home.”
8:02 – Lucinda Williams reads a quote from Woody Guithrie. It’s this famous (and great) one:
I hate a song that makes you think you are not any good. I hate a song that makes you think that you are just born to lose. Bound to lose. No good to nobody.No good for nothing. Because you are too old or too young or too fat or too slim. Too ugly or too this or too that. Songs that run you down or poke fun at you on account of your bad luck or hard traveling. I’m out to fight those songs to my very last breath of air and my last drop of blood. I am out to sing songs that will prove to you that this is your world and that if it has hit you pretty hard and knocked you for a dozen loops, no matter what color, what size you are, how you are built, I am out to sing the songs that make you take pride in yourself and in your work. And the songs that I sing are made up for the most part by all sorts of folks just about like you.
8:00 – Lucinda Williams comes out to accept the Americana President’s Award for Woody Guthrie.
7:58 – Billy Bragg then draws a convincing line between the punk songwriters of the 80’s and Woody Guthrie, who the is the recipient of the next award.
7:55 – Billy Bragg thanks Joe Henry for the “eulogy.” And then gives America hell for letting British boy Tom Hiddleston “stand on this very stage and impersonate Hank Williams.”
For the record, not sure if Hiddleston ever did his impersonation at the Ryman.
7:52 – Dave Paulson and Joe Henry present the Spirit of Americana / 1st Amendment / Freedom of Speech award to English songwriter Billy Bragg.
7:48 – Jason Isbell. Something tells me this isn’t the last time we’ll see him tonight. He might be at the awards show podium after not too long.
7:47 – Jason Isbell is one of the few allowed to play with his own band, which includes Amanda Shires who had her van burgled a couple of days ago in Chi-town. Keep an eye out for a missing thesis. I’m sure it’s worth a load at a pawn shop.
7:45 – Jim Lauderdale introduces Jason Isbell. Oh, and awesome, he’s singing “If It Takes a Lifetime,” my favorite song from his last album, and arguably the most country of his Americana career.
7:43 – Ha! They misspelled Emmylou’s name on the award. “It’s okay, as long as you keep coming to see me.”
7:41 – The 2016 Americana Group/Duo of the Year is Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell!
7:40 – The Indigo Girls come out to present the duo/group of the Year award.
7:40 – Emmylou!
7:38 – The great Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell take the stage to perform “Bring It On HOme to Memphis.” A lot of Memphis blues in the presentation so far.
7:34 – Jim Lauderdale is explaining the rules of the awards, and playing promoter for the Americana Music Association. Asking people to join, he says in a sarcastic tone, “What have you got to lose?”
7:33– Wow, Milk Carton Kids get a standing ovation.
7:31 – The Milk Carton Kids. BTW, wanted to post pictures of Dwight, but his publicist was cracking a whip over everybody about no photography anywhere.
7:30 – The Ryman goes completely silent as The Milk Carton Kids perform “Memphis.”
7:25 – Joe Henry comes out and awkwardly vamps for four minutes to introduce The Milk Carton Kids.
7:22– It might be bluegrass, but Dwight’s still wearing the signature skinny jeans and has the lower waist wiggle going on.
7:20 – Sam Outlaw comes out to introduce surprise performer Dwight Yoakam. Dwight’s playing a bluegrass version of his song “What I Don’t Know” off his new album out Friday.
7:19 – Sara Watkins is not on the premises, so her brother and performers Sean Watkins comes out to accept the award. He says he’ll text her and let her know about it.
7:18 – The 2016 Americana Instrumentalist of the Year is Sara Watkins!
7:13 – Bonnie Raitt singing to the rafters of the Ryman.
7:11 – Bonnie Raitt now takes the Ryman stage. Never gets old watching a woman sling badass lead slide guitar.
Wow, this performance is LOUD. But who’s gonna tell Bonnie Raitt to turn down?
7:08 – Most award shows are embellished with pyrotechnics and laser shows. Americana uses recycled pallets.
7:05 – Shawn Colvin takes the stage. For years I only knew her as the woman who sang the 90’s earworm “Sunny Came Home,” but her body of work is much deeper, and she’s clearly well-respected by her musical peers.
7:03 – Shawn Colvin accepting her Trailblazer Award. She said it was an honor to receive it from another trailblazer, Bonnie Raitt.
7:00 – Bonnie Raitt presents the 2016 Americana Trailblazers Award to Shawn Colvin.
6:59 – Bonnie Raitt walks out on stage in green, and the crowd goes crazy. She calls Americana a collection of feet that “don’t fit quite right into shoes off the shelf.”
6:56 – Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats are wearing “International Dickweed” jean jackets. So there’s that.
6:54 – Jim Lauderdale takes the podium to say that the previous musical tributes were a symbolic torch passing, making sure that the circle remains unbroken. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats take the stage.
6:52 – Bob Weir. He received a standing ovation for “Mama Tried.”
6:49 – Let’s see if they jam it out Grateful Dead style.
6:48 – The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir takes the stage singing Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried.” As Deadheads can attest, they covered the song on the live “Steal Your Face” album, maybe 1972. The Grateful Dead, just like Gram Parson were HUGE in making country music cool on the West Coast. Cool to seem him perform this.
6:45 – Steve Earle, paying tribute to Guy. McCrary Sisters singing backup.
6:43 – Steve Earle singing Guy Clark’s “Desperadoes Waiting For A Train”. These first few performances have been for artists that have died in the last year.
6:40 – This is Joe Henry singing “Freedom For The Stallion”
6:37 – The show opens with Alison Krauss, Buddy Miller, and others singing a hymnal a capella. The Ryman falls to a complete hush. The song is “Gloryland.”
6:35 – Here we go!
6:25 Some Pictures from the Red Carpet:
Margo Price and husband. That’s a crushed orange velvet dress.
The Lumineers:
Angaleena Presley:
Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, for some reason holding a stencil of Margo Price.
Amanda Shires showing off her back ink.
Cactus Moser, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Wynonna. Remember, Isbell sang on Wynonna’s last album.
Jack Williams
September 21, 2016 @ 5:14 pm
John Leventhal on electric guitar with Shawn Colvin. Pretty sure he co-wrote the song they’re playing. Diamond in the Rough from Steady On.
Trigger
September 21, 2016 @ 5:31 pm
When you’ve got John Leventhal, you can tell Dave Cobb and Buddy Miller of the house band to take a song off. But only then.
musicfan
September 21, 2016 @ 5:16 pm
Quality performances by talented artists…nothing to complain about here, just didn’t want you to think you were blogging to nobody, Trigger! Wait…we could bitch about having to watch this on a live stream rather than a major television network! How about that?
Trigger
September 21, 2016 @ 5:32 pm
Unfortunately I’m much better at snark, so an Americana live blog is probably not as entertaining (or popular), but it’s arguably much more important.
HJ
April 27, 2017 @ 11:53 am
(Very late to the discussion, but just stumbled upon this today while searching for name of one of the artists).
I was there in person (gonna guess my seats were not as good). Was excited to watch the airing via Austin City Limits. But, Georgia Public Broadcasting doesn’t carry ACL. We live near Athens There is some access via the GPB website. But, I am not tech savvy enough to DVR that like I can a TV show
😉
(I know, I know…don’t whine, since I got to see it live…)
Will have to scroll around to see if you made it to Dwight’s session at the HOF or Margo Prince’s (though that overlapped with award rehearsal, according to Jed’s confession about sneaking away to catch her session).
Overall, that was one of the best weeks of music I can recall. Stuck around town to see Cat Stevens at the Ryman the next week. (Hmmm…that topic probably could start a fight).
Belated thanks for being there and reporting on it!
mark
September 21, 2016 @ 5:20 pm
thanks a lot for the live stream link
Harrison
September 21, 2016 @ 5:26 pm
Thanks for the stream, Trig.
mark
September 21, 2016 @ 5:34 pm
nice guitar sounds from milk carton kids…. song might be a little somber for this occasion
musicfan
September 21, 2016 @ 5:51 pm
A week ago tonight I was sitting in the audience at Red Rocks listening to Jason and the 400 Unit; it was just as incredible as you can imagine.
mark
September 21, 2016 @ 6:09 pm
yes that is great paragraph from woody guthrie. first time I’ve heard it.
HJ
April 27, 2017 @ 12:03 pm
Invited a long-time friend to be my guest for the show and festival (when I registered, I just went ahead and ordered a second pass and ticket because I knew I would have many friends who would love the festival, and hopefully at least one who could manage the time away). She almost levitated out of the pew when they read that quote. She whispered, “we have that on a print framed in our living room.” Later, we discussed what a great statement it was. A few weeks later, a print of the quote arrived from her as a thank you. They’re available through the foundation Woody’s daughter runs in his legacy.
mark
September 21, 2016 @ 6:23 pm
great catchy tune by margo price
backup singers could blow some people right off the stage with their vocal power wow.
Mike
September 21, 2016 @ 6:39 pm
This music….it’s just too “songwriterly” for Jason Aldean. 🙂
mark
September 21, 2016 @ 6:59 pm
that was something special ….. parker milsap. Beautiful.
Amy
September 21, 2016 @ 7:18 pm
I wouldnt say he is underrated. He just came off of performing in london with elton john and has had major National exposure. He is getting noticed.
musicfan
September 21, 2016 @ 7:25 pm
Gunnar’s real name is Sam Palladio…It’s always weird to hear him speak with his real accent!
Trigger
September 21, 2016 @ 11:42 pm
He was hanging out in the alley behind the Ryman all night, and then was glad handing everyone at the afterparty at Robert’s.
DulciLo
September 21, 2016 @ 7:50 pm
Congratulations Jim Lauderdale!
ElectricOutcast
September 21, 2016 @ 7:52 pm
Are they streaming this on YouTube?
hoptowntiger94
September 21, 2016 @ 8:02 pm
Thank you for the live stream and a touch of snark!
Who was that random person that ran onto the stage and gave King George and Lauderdale a hug during their performance?
Trigger
September 21, 2016 @ 11:41 pm
We eventually determined that was producer (and accused domestic abuser) Tony Brown.
seak05
September 21, 2016 @ 8:15 pm
This is going to come off more negatively than I intend it..but it sort of seems, much like country has become for again rock artists, Americana has become a fallback for aging country artists. No by and large these artists are excellent, so it’s nice to see them getting recognized. But when half the awards show is old country artists & the biggest prize of the night goes to the same guy as who is winning all the country awards….it feels like Americana maybe needs to forge it’s own identity? or it loses its identity to country, much like country has lost some of it’s identity.
Anyways the quality of everything is very high…so I really didn’t mean this as negatively as I’m sure it’s coming across…
Jim Z
September 21, 2016 @ 9:52 pm
Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was.
While the awards show and the festival have gotten better over the years, the battle to define Americana as something else other than a lot of acts most people have never heard of or a place for acts that no longer get played on country radio rages on.
Trigger
September 21, 2016 @ 11:39 pm
That has always been the knock on Americana, and it’s a fair one. At the same time, there’s plenty of young talent involved.
One thing I would point out is that according to Americana, their biggest award is Album of the Year. That is why it gets handed out last.
seak05
September 22, 2016 @ 5:54 am
Sure, and it’s a fair point with the younger stars. But 2 of the bigger awards last night went to people who are sending their music to country radio, Chris and Margo, and Anderson East (who isn’t country at all), was debuting video’s this year on CMT. So it sort of seems like a fall back for the younger crowd as well?
Americana has definitely always had a definition problem, but as it rises, I don’t want to see it become defined as also country.
Jack WIlliams
September 22, 2016 @ 6:10 am
Well, the term used before Americana was Alt.Country. And really, it’s not like every former big time mainstream country star can fall back on Americana. Somehow, I don’t see Shania Twain appearing at any Americana Music Association award show any time soon.
I remember some discussions at NoDepression.com some time ago where some people thought that Americana was becoming a refuge for aging rockers. People like Robert Plant, Levon Helm, John Fogerty, and Bonnie Raitt. The difference between them and some of these people making mainstream country albums (Tyler, Michaels) was either their new music was consistent with what they did in their heyday (e.g., Fogerty) or it seemed like a natural artistic progression (e.g., Plant).
I think it’s cool that Stapleton won the Artist of the Year award. He did make a very Americana friendly album. It just so happens that it was the best selling album in the “country” genre. Also, as I recall, it finished second to Isbell’s album in the No Depression reader’s poll. But also, I agree with Trigger. Like the SCM end of year awards, I think the AMA Album of the Year award is the biggest award. Personally, I think Song of the Year is more meaningful, too. It seems like for a while there, the AMA was giving the Artist of the Year award to Buddy Miller every year, even when he hadn’t released any new music.
Big Red
September 21, 2016 @ 9:07 pm
Is there any place to watch a rebroadcast?
Penny
September 22, 2016 @ 1:29 am
I’d like to know that too, I can’t find it anywhere.
It was shown in the middle of the night in my timezone sadly..
Kent
September 22, 2016 @ 4:39 am
I’d like to know what too 🙂
Trigger
September 22, 2016 @ 7:47 am
It will be rebroadcast on Austin City Limits later this year as part of the current season. No specific date at the moment, but I’m sure it will be passed around once it is set. They had a whole camera crew there, which was in question leading up to the awards due to funding issues. BUt they pulled it off last minute.
Kent
September 22, 2016 @ 12:25 pm
Yes they did a rebroadcast of last year show. So hopefully they’ll do so this year too.
Lil Dale
September 22, 2016 @ 5:02 am
yawn
johnny k
September 22, 2016 @ 5:21 am
Award shows, they all look the same, different smiling people on the pictures, but i don t think “real” down to earth people need a pat on the back from their fellow sybling musicians and an award to keep doing / playing what they love.
Award shows are not keeping it real, just emulating what they say they hate about other award shows.
My 2 cents.
HJ
April 27, 2017 @ 12:30 pm
I always found it strange that the professions in which a person’s work is available for public observation (and direct judgment as to merit) primarily are the ones for which there are award shows. Seemed odd: I can see and decide for myself who had “best picture” or was “best actor in a lead role.” I can’t see who excelled at being an EMT, teacher, transportation planner… (though there are some awards for such endeavors).
I’ve watched several awards show on TV over the years (less frequently now that they are more in number and frequency). This was the first I attended live, and my first visit inside the Ryman. In the moment, it felt like the awards were secondary to the performances. The moment was about the music. The award aspect was a framework to bring together the people that make the music and the people that appreciate it in a historic and intimate setting, with a lineup of some bucket-list artists to see. Just hearing the sound of the pews as the audience in union rose from their seats and returned was spine-tingling. Sounded just like being at our old church, appropriately, before the pews and preaching were padded.
Perhaps because it wasn’t for mass broadcast, the ceremony was, for the most part, blissfully free of the insipid banter between co-hosts and co-presenters. It had the sincerity of Sally Field’s “you like me,” and a little bit of the spirit. ‘Hey, I don’t do this for awards and adulation of peers. And, if I just did it for the money, this wouldn’t be the show for me. It’s cool to hang out and see the faces of folks who hear what we’re doing and want it to keep going. We may not have radio, but we have the Ryman, and we have this week to run amuck in Nashville, blessed with the dilemma of which show to pick among many concurrently playing.’ For a music fan who likes Americana (and country and some other genres and genre-defying artists), it was like a week at Disney World in its heyday. No way to see it all, but a lot of fun trying.
seak05
September 22, 2016 @ 5:55 am
Ok, how does a guy win song and album of the year, but not artist of the year? :p
Al Moss
October 4, 2016 @ 1:11 pm
Because the voters felt that he had such a huge year that he deserved it, I guess. That often happens in awards. It’s not unusual. You can have a song that is best, and an album that is best, or that are deemed to be by the voters, but an overall career explosion that makes people feel that a different artist or a particular artist was THE artist of the year. Both Jason and Chris had spectacular years. Certainly top song and top album are important, but are not the only factors that go into a career, i.e, artist of the year. I would have a difficult time imagining that Stapleton did not deserve artist of the year. Either one of them could have easily won any of those three awards
Rob
September 22, 2016 @ 8:21 am
I’m not a huge George Strait fan, I like him though, but he really has helped guys out by playing their songs. That Lauderdale guy that I saw in this article, Jamey Johnson, and probably more.
Jeffro
September 22, 2016 @ 10:12 am
Thank you for the video stream last night. I always enjoy your live blog, too.
Hornet
September 22, 2016 @ 11:21 am
Man, Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell taking home awards. Good stuff. I gotta make it to AmericanaFest next year for sure!
Mark
September 22, 2016 @ 4:23 pm
Do some people just go negative when they get on the keyboard? Or are they incapable of noticing something good, cause it doesn’t coincide with how they view a particular thing?
The music on this (free to watch and listen to) show ranged from good, to outstanding.
Chris
September 22, 2016 @ 4:32 pm
Great article! Please check out http://www.sacredimprint.com and please check out this life is not pretend tv on youtube and please subscribe.
Frank the Tank
September 23, 2016 @ 8:10 am
Good to see the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band still going strong after 50 years. Anyone else hoping that they do one more “Circle” album?
Jason Galaz
September 23, 2016 @ 10:59 am
Muddy Roots official American Fest showcase is today 5pm-8pm at InDo Nashville.
Zander Schloss, Dylan Walshe, and the Hardin Draw
hoptowntiger94
September 23, 2016 @ 10:08 pm
Trig,
I was thinking today, where were The Cactus Blossoms? I thought they’d be perfect for this genre’s award show. In my opinion, they are a better fit than the Milk Carton Kids (which for some reason AMA loves).
Trigger
September 24, 2016 @ 12:54 am
Funny you say this. When I was doing the live blog and the Milk Carton Kids came out, I was going to make a crack about them not being as good as the Cactus Blossoms. But the Milk Carton performance was actually really spectacular, so I held off. The Cactus Blossoms were not on the awards, but they are official performers at AmericanaFest. I agree the Milk Carton Kids are an Americana favorite. I think they are asked to participate because they can do schtick on the mic and are generally liked.
Grey Lemur
December 4, 2016 @ 9:09 pm
Oh you guys that take things out of context…”slammed”???
According to the Tennessean and a few other places, it was a joke tied in to the fact that he was the first foreign recipient of the Free Speech Award:
“Billy Bragg, the recipient of this year’s “Spirit of Americana” Free Speech Award, saluted Nashville’s love for “wayward Englishmen,” deadpanning, “Not only did you let Tom Hiddleston go out with Taylor Swift, you let him stand on this very stage and impersonate Hank Williams.””
Trigger
December 4, 2016 @ 9:30 pm
I think you’re misrepresenting how that moment was portrayed. Some might be getting lost in the dialect here. Of course it was just a joke. But like many jokes, there’s a butt of it. But it was all in good fun.