Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart to Appear on Grand Ole Opry
The world has been shuttered and turned upside down by the Coronavirus. But the Opry will continue on tonight (3-21), refusing to break its storied tradition with its 4,916th consecutive Saturday night broadcast. There will be no backup band and no audience obviously, and only a skeleton support crew will be on site for the second week in a row. But the Opry will bring out the stars to stand in the hallowed circle at center stage for acoustic sets to be broadcast on WSM in Nashville, around the world via the internet, and for the first time in the modern era, via live television broadcast.
Set the perform Saturday night is Opry member and champion Brad Paisley. A long-time understudy of Opry legend “Little” Jimmy Dickens, Paisley has been one of the best mainstream champions of the institution over his career. Joining him will be Marty Stuart, who is another Opry mainstay, and our generation’s greatest encyclopedia and preservationist of country music history. Also performing will be Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill who is a regular performer and presenter at the Opry.
Last week’s Saturday night Opry presentation was the first ever to be broadcast via video online, and drew nearly half a million listeners and viewers. The Opry will be video streamed once again Saturday via the Opry’s Facebook page, on YouTube, and for the first time on the new Circle Network to all local affiliates of the expanding channel (check availability). The show will start at 7 p.m. Central.
The Grand Ole Opry has postponed all Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday night performances at least until April 4th, though with the current prospectus on the COVID-19 shutdown, it could be for longer. However, the Opry has vowed to keep the Saturday night tradition going. Saturday is the original night the Opry broadcast emanated from WSM in Nashville, and was simulcast all across the country across scores of radio affiliates.
March 21, 2020 @ 1:48 pm
So great it is those 3 giants of Country Music keeping the Opry going!!
March 21, 2020 @ 5:32 pm
Don’t see it on YouTube
March 21, 2020 @ 5:33 pm
Yeah, they said it would be on YouTube, but I couldn’t find it. It is on the Grand Ole Opry’s Facebook page.
March 21, 2020 @ 5:36 pm
Thanks
March 21, 2020 @ 6:16 pm
It was on YouTube. Circle All Access channel, not the Opry channel. Great stuff.
March 21, 2020 @ 7:35 pm
Ah, thanks! I searched everywhere. Couldn’t find it.
March 22, 2020 @ 11:20 am
I found the Circle Network on Youtube. Tuned in. No show at the scheduled time. Some other program entirely. Typical.
March 22, 2020 @ 4:13 pm
Hey Boomers, here it is!!!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ6-i8hI3Gs
March 21, 2020 @ 5:05 pm
Man that opening
March 21, 2020 @ 5:20 pm
Agreed.
Kind of lame they’re preempting Bill Cody for Bobby Bones though, at least on the TV broadcast.
March 21, 2020 @ 5:06 pm
Wow! Wow! Wow! Three amazing country guitar pickers! Wouldn’t it be absolutely great to see all three of them swappin’ Telecaster licks and singing songs together! That’d be one helluva show, plus even better – record it for a CD. Dang! Mighty powerful music!
March 22, 2020 @ 6:04 am
That was a great show! With all three playing acoustic instruments for an intimate concert. Loved the song elections and musicianship. Bobby Bones was the only thing I didn’t like; especially when talking about Opry traditions. I plan to watch it again today using the link from Marty’s FB post:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ6-i8hI3Gs&feature=youtu.be
March 21, 2020 @ 5:28 pm
Could there be more of a contrast in integrity, talent and authenticity between Bobby and these 3 dudes on stage? Whatever, I’ll try to stay positive… this is pretty cool.
March 21, 2020 @ 5:34 pm
Three of the best living country music frontman pickers all in a row.
March 21, 2020 @ 5:36 pm
Amen brother.
March 21, 2020 @ 5:49 pm
You ain’t lyin’.
March 21, 2020 @ 5:53 pm
Yes indeed. This is pure magic onstage. These 3 are such a fantastic choice. This performance is one for the ages!
March 21, 2020 @ 5:40 pm
Way too much Bobby Bones.
Marty Stuart is a national treasure.
March 21, 2020 @ 5:51 pm
You definitely feel like Marty Stuart and Vince Gill understand the weight of these moments.
Bobby Bones in his shabby sheik GQ styling, and Paisley playing “Mud on the Tires” seem a little out-of-place, though Paisley has been picking up a storm.
Also have to love how the performers are ignoring Bobby, and keep throwing it back to Cody instead. I understand Bobby Bones is the Opry’s TV personality, but he just feels out-of-place here.
March 21, 2020 @ 6:34 pm
I honestly do try to not be too judgmental. But I can’t help it here. BB was BEYOND out of place. I felt sort of embarrassed, for lack of a better word. Small thing, but he kept saying “I appreciate it.” It’s not about you bud, at all. I also DGAF about his “performances” he had to keep mentioning and laughed when he said “my peers in Nashville.” He is the worst choice on every level, and I can only hope that part of him realized just how out of place he was. Please let somebody tell his shallow hipster GQ ass exactly that.
March 21, 2020 @ 6:43 pm
First, there were 3 separate feeds of tonight’s show with WSM, Circle TV, and the streaming feeds being different. I assume sbach watched the streaming feed which had Bobby speaking during the commercial breaks. I switched about halfway through to the Circle TV version which played ads, mostly for Shriners Hospital since I would much prefer to see that over Bobby rambling. The TV version still would cut to Bobby for 10-15 seconds at times going into or coming out of commercials and I think that was ok, but the 2 minute version of Bobby was very cringe-worthy.
Also, I have to disagree with Trigger on “Mud on the Tires”. Yes, this is a trying time and several of tonight’s songs reflected that, but the Opry is built on variety and I think it is important to still play some “upbeat” songs during this time. I also recognize that I am saying that as somebody who is able to continue my 9-to-5 office job from home with only mild inconveniences vs someone who was living paycheck to paycheck and now has no paycheck to live with.
March 22, 2020 @ 8:28 am
I agree you’ve got to appeal to all audiences, and that’s why Brad Paisley was there and I’m glad he was. I just think he could have found a slightly better song in that moment. “Mud on the Tires” hasn’t aged well thanks to the Bro-Country era.
March 21, 2020 @ 5:50 pm
Our local CBS affiliate just picked up Circle; had to rescan the antennae to pick it up. Probably the best part of cord cutting ,as the cable companies (WOW & Spectrum) haven’t added it.
March 21, 2020 @ 5:53 pm
It’s now available on three separate stations here in Austin. It took a while, but they’re really getting their distribution game together.
March 21, 2020 @ 5:55 pm
Had a feeling Vince would bust out “Go Rest High On That Mountain.” Glad he did.
March 21, 2020 @ 6:02 pm
That was amazing.
“Circle” great as well – what we got of it.
March 22, 2020 @ 6:23 am
And with the new 3rd verse.
March 21, 2020 @ 6:01 pm
Damn they took that cutoff time pretty serious.
March 21, 2020 @ 6:02 pm
WOW, VERY VERY POWERFUL.
Still get chills when remembering seeing Vince on stage with the Eagles, Oct. 2018
March 21, 2020 @ 6:07 pm
Watching now the first song. Already loving it!!
March 21, 2020 @ 6:13 pm
I fuckin loved it!!! Yep way too much Bobby Bones, I muted his ass. For those of us at home alone in isolation just to hear the words “the only Country music being played live right now in the world” brought goosebumps to me…..sniff sniff…. I love those guys!!
Tomorrow night Sunny Sweeney @ 7
Kaitlin Butts @ 8
anyone else I may be missing??
March 21, 2020 @ 6:17 pm
Man, Bobby Bonehead would gag a maggot off a meat wagon.
March 21, 2020 @ 6:37 pm
Gonna say this. Look, I’m no fan of Bobby B. I’m not. I don’t listen to his radio show, ok. I too was annoyed when he was chosen as tv host of The Opry. However….I’ve been watching it on Circle tv and surprisingly he’s not been snarky and he’s been very respectful of the legends including Ricky Skaggs and Jeannie Seely for example. In fairness, he’s acting like a team player and although he still annoys me a bit, I’m pleasantly surprised . Maybe he’s sincere and finally gets it. I certainly hope so. That said, he’s no Bill Cody or Eddie Stubbs and never will be.
March 22, 2020 @ 8:29 am
Bobby Bones is fine. It’s more about the immediate reaction people have to him as opposed to the job he’s doing. I just still think there’s better personalities to pull this off than Bobby Bones, including the people who are hosting the Opry already.
March 21, 2020 @ 6:38 pm
Man is this incredible.
I’m watching it on our CBS affiliate in Knoxville
March 21, 2020 @ 8:41 pm
What a great hour of super music..Wish we had more like this
March 21, 2020 @ 10:40 pm
FYI the livestream is still up for viewing. I just wish BB had stopped talking about his performances at the Opry. Trust me Bobby, no one cares with those 3 on stage…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ6-i8hI3Gs
March 22, 2020 @ 4:45 am
Man, I could watch a show like that for another hour or two. Or five, or ten!
Sending the link around, but time also to start making more music at home.
March 22, 2020 @ 5:34 am
You know how Hulu charges a little more for no commercials? We could crowd fund 10k in an hour to pay Mr. Bones to stay home. For the Opry and its crowd, these three performers, outstanding musicianship aside, are all well proven, time-tested excellent hosts, capable of humour and reverence, history and spontaneity.
March 22, 2020 @ 5:44 am
That performance should win some type of reward, less Bonehead. He is like a square peg in a round hole.
March 22, 2020 @ 8:50 am
While I can forgive the awkwardness of having to go live for the live stream and of tv portions….what I don’t like is that Bobby Bones has the most lackluster and monotone voice. Absolutely no excitement.
March 22, 2020 @ 5:13 pm
I streamed it on youtube through my earbuds at work today. That interaction between Vince and Marty during the Jimmie Rodgers song about yodeling and Marty making his guitar yodel… I knew he was going to do that before he did it. Then later in the day by pure coincidence, I was listening to Waylon Live and he did the same thing during “T for Texas (Blue Yodel No. 1)”: “You want to hear me yodel?” Then, made his guitar yodel. Is that a Jimmie Rodgers thing? And man do I need to get into some Jimmie Rodgers music!
March 22, 2020 @ 6:46 pm
Watched on channel 4 in Nashville. Great performance by 3 who will be legends for years to come.