Saving Country Music’s 2017 Grammy Awards LIVE Blog
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the 2017 installment of Saving Country Music’s Grammy Awards LIVE blog. It promises to be an interesting year with one of SCM’s own homegrown artists in Sturgill Simpson up for two of the biggest awards on the night (Best Country Album, and Album of the Year), as well as plenty of opportunity for snark and commentary on the contemporary goings on at a modern awards show.
As the night goes on I’ll be peppering you with my observations and rolling commentary as we all watch along together. So get your little refresh finger ready, hope the duct-taped SCM server doesn’t crash on us, and let’s have a fun night.
To see the performers, presenters, and nominees, check out the 2017 Grammy Awards Complete Preview.
(All times CENTRAL time)
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10:52 – THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who stopped by, followed along, liked, tweeted, shared, commented, or just hovered. It helped keep me going. More tomorrow and this week. Onward and upward.
10:46 – To wrap up the whole “Best Country Album” getting moved off the telecast, obviously it wasn’t to leave room for Sturgill to receive Album of the Year. It was clearly done because the Grammy’s thought the Best Country Album category didn’t have enough star power, and instead replaced it with Best Country Solo Performance. Basically they thought Maren Morris sold better than Sturgill, and I think that’s a shame. But Sturgill fans shouldn’t be looking for things to complain about. It was a great day for him.
The story of the 2017 Grammy Awards though will be Adele, and Adele. She won all the big ones, she had the night’s biggest accidental moment, and how you feel about her will probably be how you feel about everything tonight. Beyonce’s fans will be disappointed, and that’s totally understandable, but Adele was the only one who could beat Beyonce, and her fans still save grace. Beyonce had a strong performance, but the best might fall to Chance The Rapper. Bruno Mars and Sturgill were also solid.
10:41 – Adele was who I believed would win Album of the Year from the very beginning, and though the political angle became very seductive for a Beyonce win, ultimately what 25 did upon release was just too hard to keep down. Sturgill was always a long shot, and the victory was scored by even receiving a nomination. He’s now part of the most exclusive club in all of music, but his music and message remain grounded. He could have made a spectacle tonight and received a bunch of attention, but he’s playing the long game, which is smart, and what he’s always done. There is no more ceiling for him or the independent country artists coming behind him.
10:39 – Adele in consecutive acceptance speeches pays tribute to Beyonce. Both Adele and Beyonce are crying at the end of her Album of the Year speech.
10:38 – Despite the flub, it’s Adele’s night.
10:36 – The Grammy for Album of the Year goes to Adele for 25.
10:35 – The Grammy for Record of the Year goes to Adele for “Hello.”
10:34 – Tim McGraw and Faith Hill come out to present the final two awards.
10:29 – Now on to the final two points of business. And if Justin Bieber wins Album of the Year, I’m flying tomorrow to Oakland to flip cars and loot storefronts. Not sure why Oakland. That seems to be the best place for that kind of thing.
10:27 – Ralph Stanley, Melre Haggard, Sonny James, Joey Feek, Guy Clark, Leon Russell, and others get face time during the Grammy’s In Memoriam.
10:23 – I was beginning to worry we weren’t going to get an In Memoriam segment this year. One of my favorite parts of the show. And they always go much deeper than the CMA’s and ACM’s.
10:21 – Neil Portnow always has some really poignant things to say, even though I sense the rest of the audience tunes out because the suit is talking. What he’s saying about music right now is exactly how I feel, and is at the founding of Saving Country Music.
10:18 – Thanks to everyone leaving comments down below. Trying to read them when I have a free second.
10:16 – Good observation from a guy named Brandon on Twitter. “I dont think Sturgill stood out tonight, which is a compliment. He looked/sounded like he belonged there alongside the others.”
That’s kind of how I felt.
10:12 – Okay, I gave Chance the Rapper a shot, and I was impressed. I’m no rap fan and really don’t know how to judge it, but I could feel his passion, and that’s what counts.
10:10 – See, this Chance The Rapper stuff is the way to get the message across, whether you agree with it or not. This dude is testifying. Passion. Poetry. Testification. Don’t just scream. Speak. Preach.
10:08 – That greazy dude that Corden was screwing with the chair of is the American music Anti-Christ, Max Martin.
10:06 – Can’t deny Pentatonix is talented at what they do. But here comes the proverbial “but.”
They whip my ass.
10:05 – Still some work to do.
9:59 – Bruno Mars continues to impress. Truth is though, just about anyone can do that finger tap stuff on the neck of a guitar with a few minutes of practice. Prince tribute > George Michael tribute.
9:56 – George Michael Tribute, Prince Tribute, Bee Gees tribute. Merle Haggard is next, right?
9:55 – Bruno Mars is one of the very select few who can fill Prince’s shoes. You taking notes Thomas Rhett.
9:52 – Man, I love me some funk music, but that’s basically all we’ve gotten tonight. One funk performance after another. It’s the mono-genre incarnate.
9:51 – Twitter liked this tweet I guess:
9:46 – Hmm. While they were announcing that Album of the Year would be given out soon, Sturgill was playing in the background. Anyone else pick up on that? Wishful thinking probably.
9:43– Hey I’m all for expressing yourself, but I question these guys as the proper messengers. Kendrick Lamar did this SO much better on last year’s Grammys.
9:42 – “I want to thank you for perpetuating all of the evil that you’ve been perpetuating.”
9:41 – I have no idea what’s going on right now.
9:39 – They’ll forgive the swearing Adele. They may not forgive the screwing up. But they should.
9:38 – What a coincidence Adele, my Grandma had that same shade of monkey shit green in her curtains.
9:36 – The Grammy for Song of the Year goes to Adele for “Hello.”
9:35 – Get to it Celine Dion, the 10 o’Clock news is coming up.
9:29 – Hate the song medley. But who among us doesn’t count the Bee Gees as a guilty pleasure? Barry Gibb is a hell of a songwriter.
9:26 – Barry Gibb all trying to act that if his brothers were still alive and he had a strong connection to General Caldaron’s Colombian Marching Power like back in 1977, he couldn’t do this so much better.
9:23 – Charley Pride and Jimmie Rodgers honored as Lifetime Achievement award recipients.
9:20 – And now the server may crash as the world truly asks “Who the fuck is Sturgill Simpson?”
9:19 – Classy, solid, strong performance from Sturgill Simpson. Nothing flashy, no pizzaz. Just good music and good singing. Won’t have the viral impact his second performance on SNL did, but it will ingratiate him to the thousands of people who are looking for good music but just don’t know where to find it.
9:16 – Sturgill Simpson has more horns on stage right now than The Band Perry has fans left.
9:15 – America, this is Sturgill Simpson. He is the true talent of country music. What you hear on the radio is a lie. You have better options.
9:13 – Whoa, Dwight introducing Sturgill.
9:12 – Dwight Yoakam? Dwight Yoakam! A pleasant surprise, and giving props to Sharon Jones.
9:12 – Completely stupid and over the top. But entertaining. Good job Gagatalica.
9:10 – Man, I was leery of Metallica with Lady Gaga on paper, but this kind of works, despite all the histrionics. Lady Gaga is on a big winning streak right now.
9:09 – I left my heavy metal phase back in my early 20’s, but I kind of think this is pretty badass.
9:08 – Man, Tony Bennett & his band have really stepped up their energy level since I last saw them perform with Lady Gaga.
9:06 – Seriously, James Corden is the worst.
9:03 – The Grammy for Best Rap Album goes to Chance The Rapper’s “Coloring Book.”
8:58 – Folks, we think we’ve fixed the refreshing issues some people were experiencing. Feel free to pipe up in the comments if you continue to have issues.
8:56 – Honestly, all the scrunched faces of sympathy in the crowd and the extended ovation just make it worse. We all make mistakes.
8:52 – I love Adele, but that last thing you can do is restart a song. That is music 101. Luckily, she is killing it now. If she wins Album of the Year, this is all people will be talking about, especially Beyoncé fans.
8:50 – Adele screws up her George Michael tribute and starts over. Very awkward. Never seen that on a live awards show.
8:49 – Decent performance from Maren Morris, but all it does is solidify for me that she’s an R&B/pop star, and probably doesn’t belong in country.
8:47 – That’s the most pronounced pant suit I’ve ever seen on Alicia Keys. That think could stop an airliner.
8:45 – It appears Maren Morris forgot her pants backstage.
8:43 – Hey folks, some are saying they’re having troubles seeing new posts refreshing. We’re working on it. In the meantime, perhaps try a different device if you’re having troubles. It appears to be working for most people.
8:38 – The Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album goes to Beyoncé for “Lemonade”
8:36 – For all those morons out there that think Americana is racist, appreciate this William Bell / Gary Clark Jr. performance is the Americana slot for tonight
8:31 – Katy Perry is Taylor Swift without the songwriting chops.
8:28 – I think this Katy Perry stage production / performance probably looked like a much better concept on paper. The whole dogwood fence slat thing just isn’t working. I don’t know.
8:26 – The career resurgence of Little Big Town still stupefies me.
8:20 – See, take moments to showcase why you’re a musician that deserves to be on a massive stage with an international audience. Don’t hide behind a computer and production.
8:19 – Never sought out a Bruno Mars album, but every time he’s foisted in my face, I’m generally amicable.
8:17 – Holy shit, there’s actual musicians playing actual instruments on the stage of the Grammy Awards. Yes, you can play, sing, and dance at the same time. You know, if you have talent.
8:15 – James Corden doing a weaker version of Ellen’s selfy at the Oscars a few years back. Carpool karaoke is a weak bit, by the way.
P.S. – That was Lukas Nelson in the background at the beginning of this bit. Son of Willie. Who is Paris Jackson again?
8:12 – This was a VERY weak category, stupid it was televised and on Best Country Album. And even though I’m lukewarm on Maren, “My Church” is a really solid song, and deserved it with obvious shoutout to Brandy Clark.
8:10 – The Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance goes to Maren Morris for “My Church”
8:06 – Anybody else having problems seeing the LIVE blog update? If so, pipe up in the comments.
8:03 – I appreciate Beyoncé’s message and effort, but it felt a little too much like anointing her as an idol as opposed to allowing the breath of her talent and creativity to be illustrated, and her expression to ring through all the pageantry.
8:01 – Beyoncé was introduced by her mother before the performance, and her performance has a very mother/feminine theme. The pregnant Beyoncé tries to bring the life cycle full circle in her performance.
7:59 – Now we’re live.
7:57 – Really intrigued by this Beyoncé performance but I wish there were clearer lines between what is live and choreographed, and what is pre-recorded. If this is just a video presentation, then it’s just not as cool.
7:55 – Lukas Graham < Lukas Nelson . That Ballerini performance really was just bad.
7:54 – Awful. Just awful.
7:53 – Looks like Kelsea Ballerini had someone seduce her, I mean produce her a hit.
7:52 – Wow, Kelsea is pretty pitchey. Country pop is always exposed on the big stage. Wow, this is really bad. Uncoordinated.
7:50 – “Hello Kelsea Ballerini, this is Dale Watson. You ever heard my song ‘Country My Ass?'”
7:49 – Also found Ed Sheeran’s ode to the female form shallow and mildly disrespectful. See Kris Kristofferson for how to be sexy right.
7:47 – They’re trying to move this thing along too fast. No breathing room to allow moments to happen. Adele was the only exception, and that was with a song from 2015.
7:45 – C’mon, no surprise celebrity recipient for David Bowie’s Grammy? A family member? Missed opportunity for a special moment.
7:44 – The Grammy for Best Rock Song goes David Bowie for “Blackstar” (like it was close).
7:42 – “We have some surprises in store,” Sturgill Simpson’s saxophonist Brad Walker.
7:40 – I want to like Ed Sheeran, but I can’t get into this loop and pedal stuff. Get a band.
7:38 – Pants off for Harambe.
7:37 – When the country performers are more pop than the pop performers, who know how far we’ve gone.
7:32 – Cool story bruh, now get the hell off the stage and get Sturgill up here.
7:31 – The Grammy for Best Pop Duo / Group Perfomance goes to “Stressed Out” by 21 Pilots. Oh and they’re taking their pants off. Music in 2017 folks!
7:29 – Can’t believe Nick Jonas even has the guts to show his face on another awards show stage after the abortion he performed with his “guitar solo” on the ACM’s last year.
7:28 – The only thing good about this Keith Urban performance is it just reminds me he got skunked by Sturgill earlier today for Best Country Album. What a bunch of Max Headroom bullshit.
7:26 – Can’t say it any better than I did in my review of this song from earlier today:
““The Fighter” very well may be the most non-country “country” song released as a single in the history of the genre. It’s at least close enough that I feel confident to puff my chest out and challenge anyone to offer an alternative to this ultra-synth, completely inorganic, Macbook-composed ode to the Metrosexual lifestyle more urbanized than a perfectly-waxed gonad glistening with Ax Body Spray in the waterfall of EDM light pulsations.”
7:25 – Just don’t sell us on Scientology there Travolta.
7:24– So seeing a lot of chatter that Chance The Rapper is actually decent and deserves New Artist more than anyone. I’ll have to check it out.
7:17 – Not opposed to Daft Punk, but this Dark Crystal bullshit isn’t doing it for me.
7:16 – No way this Weeknd dude is singing live. He should have kept the weird-ass Cthulhu hairdo to distract us from his lip-syncing.
7:15 – When I heard robots were taking the stage, I thought Keith Urban and Busbee were taking the stage.
7:14 – I have no idea who Paris Jackson is, but it looks like a tattoo artist threw up on her. Symmetry people!
7:13 – Two female “country” artists up for New Artist, and it goes to a dude who forgot to take the sticker off his cap. Eat your heart out Minnie Pearl.
7:12 – The Grammy for Best New Artist goes to Chance The Rapper.
7:12 – First politically-charged statement. Take another drink.
7:12 – My crazy aunt once had a goiter that looked like that growth on Jennifer Lopez’s dress
7:11 – First Trump joke of the night. Take a drink.
7:11 – Alright, the joke about Google crashing from folks asking who Sturgill Simpson is was pretty funny. Sturgill Simpson’s name was just mentioned on the Grammy Awards. Let that sink in.
7:09 – James Corden looks like he should be serving me mints and wipees and the swanky restaurant downtown. The first funny thing he does tonight will be his first ever.
7:07 – Lol, James Corden gets fake stuck on the stage rise and then falls down the stairs. Would be funnier if it actually happened for real.
7:05 – Adele can go country any time she wants. One of the rare ones with permission.
7:03 – Adele’s dress reminds me of the backdrop of Jason Isbell’s live show, and the stained glass of the Ryman Auditorium. Classy way to start an awards show. Already better than 90% of ’em I’ve had to suffer through.
7:02 – We start off with Adele singing “Hello,” a favorite for Record of the Year. Thankfully there appears to be no microphone screw up that ruined her performance last year and had her running to In-and-Out for comfort food.
6:58 – Last minute Dark Horse pick: Maren Morris wins New Artist of the Year.
6:57 – Theories about as to why Best Country Album was moved to the pre-telecast this year. Usually, it’s part of the televised awards. One theory is there wasn’t enough star power in the category with Sturgill and Loretta Lynn in it. So instead they moved Best Country Solo performance to primetime. The other theory is they don’t want to televise two awards to the same artist they can’t help it, meaning perhaps Sturgill has a chance to win Album of the Year. We’ll see.
6:52 – For more on Sturgill Simpson’s Best Country Album win, CLICK HERE. For a recap of all the pre-telecast festivities and awards, CLICK HERE. And then come back and join us on the LIVE blog.
6:50 – Alright folks, it’s already been a crazy day, and the televised portion of the Grammy Awards hasn’t even started. To recap what has already happened, Sturgill Simpson won Best COuntry Album after it was moved to the pre-telecast portion of the awards.
Here’s a breakdown of all the awards already given out:
- Best Country Album – Sturgill Simpson’s “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth”
- Best Country Song – Lori McKenna – “Humble & Kind”
- Best Folk Album – Sarah Jarosz — Undercurrent
- Best Bluegrass Album – O’Connor Band With Mark O’Connor – “Coming Home”
- Best Americana Album – William Bell – “This Is Where I Live”
- Best American Roots Song – Vince Gill and the Time Jumpers – “Kid Sister”
- Best American Roots Performance – Sarah Jarosz – “House of Mercy”
- Best Roots Gospel Album – Joey + Rory – “Hymns”
- Best Traditional Pop Album – Willie Nelson – “Summertime”
February 12, 2017 @ 8:11 pm
Oh hey an actual for real rock performance at the grammy’s, even if they screwed up hte mic situation….and Gago doesn’t really have the right voice for hard rock
February 12, 2017 @ 8:12 pm
“Man, Tony Bennett & his band have really stepped up their energy level since I last saw them perform with Lady Gaga.”
Hehe! 😀
February 12, 2017 @ 8:12 pm
Mic problem aside that was pretty cool from tallica and Ga Ga
February 12, 2017 @ 8:13 pm
DWIGHT !!
February 12, 2017 @ 8:15 pm
Makes perfect sense that Dwight would introduce Sturgill
February 12, 2017 @ 8:16 pm
Sturgill and the Dap Kings showing the people what real music is.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:22 pm
Yup. Excellent performance of “All Around You.” 🙂
February 12, 2017 @ 8:17 pm
Whereas i thought this was the best i’ve ever heard GaGa sound….
February 12, 2017 @ 8:25 pm
Her duets with Tony Bennett are really good, took me by surprise in a big way.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:19 pm
There you go Beyonce how to sing about parenthood without making out your some kind of demigod
February 12, 2017 @ 8:20 pm
There is a Lady Gaga for me!
February 12, 2017 @ 8:20 pm
Dwight is always too cool for these shows. I want a duster, a badass hat and Sturgill for my friend now. That was a great performance. Not as out there as SNL, but perfect for the Grammys.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:21 pm
For the past two years or so, Gaga has done nothing but impress. For me, it started with her amazing Julie Andrews tribute.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:22 pm
I’m sure this isn’t going to be very popular here, but I promise it is honestly what I heard…at times the band seemed to overwhelm the vocals on Sturgill’s performance. Whether it was him or it was just the sound mix, I really felt like it should’ve been better than it was.
Great and pleasant surprise seeing Dwight out there though.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:35 pm
It was not a good night for the sound crew.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:22 pm
sorry boys I dont think sturgill had the impact yall were hopin for the crowd went to sleep durin his song
February 12, 2017 @ 8:33 pm
Maybe. We’ll see what the sales bump is. It wasn’t a flashy performance, but maybe that’s just what the crowd is wanting.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:35 pm
from the totally unscientific my twitter feed, it wasn’t well reviewed, think of the country performers the biggest hit will be for Maren. But the grammy’s is so crowded it’s really hard to have a moment.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:24 pm
I don’t think that’s going to do much for Sturgill honestly, if he’s going to start getting a lot of TV appearances, he has to figure out how to enunciate better on TV. It’s getting lost to much.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:59 pm
If I had heard all of the words I would hope to have given him more credit.
February 13, 2017 @ 1:30 am
”I don’t think that’s going to do much for Sturgill honestly, if he’s going to start getting a lot of TV appearances, he has to figure out how to enunciate better on TV. It’s getting lost to much.”
Exactly seak ….I keep waiting for someone in the SS camp to tell him the same thing .
February 13, 2017 @ 6:24 am
Fuck off
February 13, 2017 @ 6:25 am
You little bastard
February 13, 2017 @ 9:40 am
gees DT …that’s not a nice thing to say to Sturgil just because he mumbles .And he doesn’t look like such a ‘ little’ bastard to me …but I could be mistaken ..I’ve never met him .
February 12, 2017 @ 8:24 pm
Sturgill was great, how many damn folks were on stage??? Crazy!! Would have loved to hear 2 songs!!! SNL spoiled me.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:25 pm
The Bee Gees deserve better
February 12, 2017 @ 8:26 pm
Gaga is really very talented, I think for a variety of reasons that tends to get lost with many pop stars, and she definitely went to far…but I think she’s toned it down, and is just letting her talent speak for her more.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:27 pm
I once saw Sturgill opening for Dwight at the Surf. Chatted with him. No clue who he was. That was beyond awesome.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:32 pm
That first opening spot for Dwight was one of the big moments on Sturgill Simpson’s climb.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:29 pm
Sturgill opening for Dwight at the Surf freaking Ballroom will always be #1 for me in concerts I have seen. I didn’t know who he was when they started playing, but I was diving head first after the first song. https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/saving-country-musics-2017-grammy-awards-live-blog/#respond
February 12, 2017 @ 8:27 pm
Poor Barry Gibb has to sit there and hear his songs get butchered live.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:28 pm
Barry Gibb thinking “this is my life’s work and this is the tribute I get?”
February 12, 2017 @ 8:28 pm
Fuck you Barry gibb! He’s the son of a bitch that burned down the johnny cash house.
Just kidding. Kind of.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:32 pm
lol. Wasn’t him specifically, but a fair point.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:28 pm
With all the overproduction they’ve had for this show, they couldn’t drop a big disco ball and light up the floor here?
February 12, 2017 @ 8:30 pm
The Bee Gees were known for impeccable harmonies. Robin and Maurice must be spinning in their graves with this “tribute”. Demi Lovato, Tori Kelly and LBT was the best they could do?
February 12, 2017 @ 8:38 pm
I thought Sturgill killed it for what he was given. It was a beautiful performance. I am sure no one wishes he could of played longer than Sturgill himself. He had to play what he could in the time he was given. At first I thought the arrangement was setting them up to play into another song but obviously he was just crunched on time and did as much with it as he could.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:50 pm
Yes, it was almost like he finished too soon. The timing all night has been off. Producers too worried about it.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:39 pm
Oh boy, the Beyonce disciples are sure to be pissed.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:39 pm
Whenever I see Celine Dion I think of her in South Park with the phrase “I’m the greatest singer in the world, eh?”
February 12, 2017 @ 8:42 pm
That was a recurring sketch on SNL, too — she had her own talk show and kept singing the theme from ‘Titanic.’ 😀
February 12, 2017 @ 8:44 pm
Caught a bit of Sturgil’s performance online. I think if you are familiar with his music it was a good solid performance but if you are one of the people asking “who the f is Sturgil Simpson?” Who still may be asking that after his performance.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:45 pm
“I have no idea what’s going on right now”
I have no idea what’s been going on all night.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:45 pm
Rap is crap
February 12, 2017 @ 8:46 pm
Did you hear all the people boo when they cut Adele’s co-writer’s speech? That was rude of whoever did that to him!
February 12, 2017 @ 8:49 pm
They’re being way too worried about time this year and they’re cutting away from cool moments. Just like a good song, and event like this should be allowed to breathe a little bit. You can’t take forever, but the local news can’t wait a few more minutes. It’s the Grammy Awards.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:09 pm
Guarantee they wouldn’t have cut off Beyonce.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:13 pm
Man, hell hath no fury if that happened.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:44 pm
Good for Adele for calling them out for cutting the guy off!
February 12, 2017 @ 8:46 pm
No music is more tied to its community then rap (the real stuff). It’s why the concept of country rap is actually borderline offensive (it’s like if someone tried to create urban country). It pushes a point, speaks from their lives, and doesn’t make apologies.
February 13, 2017 @ 8:59 am
“(it’s like if someone tried to create urban country)”
So… like what we have now???
February 12, 2017 @ 8:49 pm
A Tribe Called Quest is an older rap group who had a member die (they pointed at the empty mic stand where he would normally be) and they just released their reunion/final album. The remaining acts were newer up and comers joining in.
Morris Day and Bruno Mars will make us forget the Tribe Called Quest in just a moment.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:49 pm
Given the reaction and hype tonight, I really don’t see how Adele doesn’t win Album. Really pulling for the upset though.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:53 pm
Totally expected Jay and Silent Bob to show up there.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:54 pm
Morris Day’s looking good up there, couldn’t pick a better person to pay tribute to Prince.
February 12, 2017 @ 8:56 pm
Yay, Bruno! 🙂
February 12, 2017 @ 8:58 pm
Thomas Rhett taking notes is what I’m afraid of…his entire next album is going to be a bad Bruno rip-off after tonight
February 12, 2017 @ 8:59 pm
Bruno Mars wins “Best Grammy Moment” right there.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:01 pm
Hell yeah! 😀 “Let’s Go Crazy” was an excellent pick.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:03 pm
Yes, he had a moment. That is what this show has been missing.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:00 pm
Let’s go crazy indeed. Bruno did that justice.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:07 pm
“Trump 4 USA” wins the Grammy for biggest ass clown.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:13 pm
Chance is impressing me here. Gotta appreciate artists who do their thing and do it well.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:13 pm
CHANCE…killed that
February 12, 2017 @ 9:20 pm
I’m actually liking this Chance the rapper shit
February 12, 2017 @ 9:21 pm
One reason that Chance is so big (if you like rap) is that he’s creating his own sound, mixing in the gospel with the rap, and pushing the genre. Plus the passion & the lyrics/message. He’s sort of like Sturgill is for the country community for rap folk, after the middle of the road generic Drake stuff.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:32 pm
Bingo
February 12, 2017 @ 9:34 pm
I was impressed.
February 13, 2017 @ 8:01 am
He used to have his own sound.
Then he mixed up Kanye and Drake’s sounds, and sanded all the truth out of his lyrics, in favor of mass appeal.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:23 pm
“Good observation from a guy named Brandon on Twitter. “I dont think Sturgill stood out tonight, which is a compliment. He looked/sounded like he belonged there alongside the others.”
That’s kind of how I felt.”
Part of me hoped that he would of bust out into a uncut “Call to Arms”.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:25 pm
I thought he fit in…but I don’t think he stood out.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:26 pm
I’m drunk but sounds like he won a Grammy. Was it live? Need to review.he sad this won’t be aired?? Was that a secret message? Ahhhh I need red bull..
February 12, 2017 @ 9:29 pm
Username checks out…
February 12, 2017 @ 9:30 pm
Trigger,
What”s the difference between record of the year and album of the year?
February 12, 2017 @ 9:32 pm
Record is basically a song. Old industry slang. It’s basically Single of the Year. Album of the Year is an actual album.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:35 pm
Ok, but don’t they also have a song of the year category?
February 12, 2017 @ 9:40 pm
Song of the year goes to the songwriters. Record goes to the artist.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:40 pm
Yup. Record OTY is for the performance/production of a song, Song OTY is for the songwriters. 🙂
February 12, 2017 @ 9:36 pm
I believe Record = Single of the Year
February 12, 2017 @ 9:31 pm
Anyone else get the feeling it is going to be really awkward in the building if Sturgill wins this? Has this slow strange build up right now. I see no real way that happens but just sayin’
February 12, 2017 @ 9:32 pm
After Taylor somehow beat Kendrick Lamar last year? Yeah….it’ll be not great
February 12, 2017 @ 9:33 pm
(not saying Sturgill won’t have deserved it (Taylor didn’t)…but most of the people in that room still don’t really know him, and it will feel like a pattern)
February 12, 2017 @ 9:33 pm
It’s going to be totally awkward, but that was set up months ago. And the Beyhive will explode. It will be music think piece pandemonium.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:40 pm
even Adele knows Beyonce should’ve won
February 12, 2017 @ 9:32 pm
Thanks for the quote of my tweet bud! @sheffib32
February 12, 2017 @ 9:32 pm
At this point, I don’t even care if Sturgill wins. I just want to go to bed.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:40 pm
To tell you the truth I didn’t expect a win but at least he’s put some of the world on notice and will hopefully get some more fans to sing to
February 12, 2017 @ 9:39 pm
Crap, was really hoping Sturgill would pull off the upset, should have known better.
Oh well, I don’t care too much about the awards stuff, past something like that. For me, it’s more about the performances, and there were some decent ones this time around.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:41 pm
At least we can say country music is closer to being saved then ever before. Trig still has a little bit more work to do.
February 12, 2017 @ 9:50 pm
“10:29 – Now on to the final two points of business. And if Justin Bieber wins Album of the Year, I’m flying tomorrow to Oakland to flip cars and loot storefronts. Not sure why Oakland. That seems to be the best place for that kind of thing.”
Hey fuck you, Trigger! I’m from Oakland and though we’ve had our struggles you may want to rethink throwing your ignorance around. We’re a dynamic city with a lot of heart, resiliency, and character and there’s far more to us than looting and vandalism. Why don’t you come out for a few days and I’ll show you around.
February 12, 2017 @ 10:03 pm
Oh Jesus Jae, it was an obvious stupid joke in a snarky live blog. If it makes you feel any better I shit on Austin where I live every chance I get. I’ve actually been to Oakland and Berkley numerous times. I would love for you to show me around. I love the East Bay, truth be told.
February 12, 2017 @ 10:21 pm
Don’t care for Berkley or the Bay Area much, but hoping Oakland doesn’t lose the one thing that takes me there.
Go Raiders!
February 13, 2017 @ 3:05 am
Trigger, I always defend Oakland to the ground, even if I have to be wrong to do it. I’m quite serious — if you find yourself in the Bay Area I’ll take you to listen to great music, eat great food, look at great scenery, and watch great baseball (the A’s, not the fucking Giants).
Sorry Scott S. It’s happening.
Bear, you can shut up, too. Which city would work better? How about Chicago? Those fools make us look like Salt Lake City.
February 13, 2017 @ 2:40 am
I KNEW somebody would lose it over the Oakland bit.
I am from the area too. And I found it hilarious because stereotypes are not based on nothing. Besides what other city would have made that joke work? SF??? People still think of SF as all Summer of Love hippies. LA? Portland?
February 12, 2017 @ 10:01 pm
Not trying to pump sunshine up anyone’s ass but aside from winning I really think this turned out about as good as it could for Sturgill. You get beat by a behemoth; arguably one of the best vocalist of all time. I’m not a huge country-only guy so I know some here disagree but Sailors Guide was a brilliant album and that is why it got recognized alongside the industry’s biggest megastars. He literally made it all the way to the wall of the machine and put a hell of a scare into it. The fact he was even in this position is truly remarkable and something every fan of music should be excited about.
We live in a world of overproduction. How far singer-songwriters can go in the future is unclear. But I hope everyone puts in perspective how hard it is to get where he got. Sturgill you should be proud. Keep doing what your doing.
February 13, 2017 @ 2:51 am
This so true. I just watched the Wrecking Crew doc and never realized how the singer songwriter totally changed the idea of what it meant to be a musician. Nowadays the fact that Monkees or The Beach Boys didn’t even play on their own records would not raise an eyebrow. But in late 60s and 70s that could kill your career. Selling out is something acts today do not have to worry about.
February 12, 2017 @ 10:03 pm
As great as Sturgill is, I am beyond happy that Adele won this over beyonce. Beyonce is not an artist – she is a political exploiter with an okay voice. I am strongly against someone who used over 1200 credits for a “personal” album plus a monumental amount of plagiarism accusations.
And a win for adele is a win for sturgill and all artists of their caliber and type – true musicians who work hard on their talent to achieve greatness. Kudos to true music out there! I am also extremely upset they gave the marren morris the spotlight over the more revered Country album of the year category. NO NO NO NO NO.
I think they wanted the audience to be guessing over the AOTY and a possible surprise win.
Seeing a back to back repeat telecast of true country musicans being bestowed with the highest honors perhaps would have further inspired and invigorated the honest country movement. Giving an award to someone like morris sells the “keith urban” message – release one good blues/country song to capture an audience and follow it up with bullcrap.
STURGILL SELLS (and from what i have read, his opening sales were far greater than Morris), STAPLETON HAS BEEN SELLING SINCE 2014 (haha i checked billboard a couple of weeks ago and guess which album was at the top in 2017??), Lambert sells (albeit she is a bit less traditional than other two but her new album is a personal favorite), COME ON RADIO!!!
February 12, 2017 @ 10:16 pm
While I didn’t bother watching the latest Trump protest disguised as an awards show, I did catch Metallica’s performance with Gaga online. Really sad to see the greatest metal band of their generation have to go this low. The mic wasn’t even on for James Hetfield, there was cheesy dancers and flames all over the place, and they looked bored to death as Gaga took turns grinding on them like a stripper.
I just don’t get these genre mixing performances and idiotic stage shows on these award shows. For metal fans it was like watching Willie Nelson perform with Miley Cyrus while she rubs him with one of her blow up dildos. Shame to see a legendary band submit themselves to this.
Congrats to Sturgel for his win, though the Grammys have lost their luster.
February 13, 2017 @ 2:45 am
Well we livein age where artists no longer have the fear of their career ending from selling out.
Look at all the products bro-country or rap name drops. It wasn’t long ago that kind thing could kill your career.
February 12, 2017 @ 10:21 pm
Pretty sure the night would have been much more entertaining had it been one giant Sturgill Simpson show without any other artists.
February 12, 2017 @ 10:25 pm
Did anybody else see sturgill’s reaction when those two dudes took their pants off to accept the awrard? It was hilarious.
February 13, 2017 @ 12:39 am
I know this a country music site, but my gosh, that Anderson .Paak, Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest performance was so bad and inappropriate. I hate rap in every way, and that certainly does not help me like it. Chance The Rapper though is a good guy–so it seems. I liked a lot of the performances and have a special soft spot for Sturgill’s, but the Grammy’s was about as good as I expected it to be. Oh yeah, Beyoncé and Katy Perry’s performances were also pretty throwaway (I hate Bey about as much as I hate Sam Hunt, maybe even more. Just talentless with a lot of media coverage.) Adele is great on and off stage from my perspective, but I still think Sturgill and Gary Clark, Jr. are the real winners.
February 13, 2017 @ 5:10 am
There are 35 televised awards shows now! (listed below) There are dozens if not hundreds more that aren’t televised. Cannes film awards, Razzie film awards, etc
Do these “artists” have enough awards shows to stroke their egos and pat one another on the back with yet??
Emmys (Rotating: Fox, NBC, CBS)
Daytime Emmys (Pop)
Creative Arts Emmys (FXX, starting in 2015)
Oscars (ABC)
Golden Globes (NBC)
SAG Awards (Turner)
BAFTAs (BBC America)
Grammys (CBS)
Tonys (CBS)
Critics’ Choice Movie Awards (A&E)
Critics’ Choice TV Awards (A&E)
Independent Spirit Awards (IFC)
MTV Movie Awards (MTV)
MTV VMAs (MTV)
MTVu Woodie Awards (MTVu)
BET Awards (BET)
BET Hip-Hop Awards (BET)
Soul Train Awards (BET)
CMT Music Awards (CMT)
CMA Awards (ABC)
Academy of Country Music Awards (CBS)
American Country Countdown Awards (Fox)
American Music Awards (ABC)
iHeartRadio Music Awards (NBC)
Billboard Music Awards (ABC)
Kids’ Choice Awards (Nickelodeon)
Kids’ Choice Sports Awards (Nickelodeon)
People’s Choice Awards (CBS)
Teen Choice Awards (Fox)
TV Land Awards (TV Land)
Radio Disney Music Awards (Disney Channel)
NewNowNext Awards (Logo)
ESPYs (ESPN)
Young Hollywood Awards (The CW)
Latin Grammys (Univision)
February 13, 2017 @ 7:27 am
here’s some interesting facts about Chance the Rapper that could have alot of important implications for music (and independent country in particular) in the years to come. He’s never signed to a label (major or otherwise) and has never released physical product:
https://qz.com/908815/why-chance-the-rapper-who-just-made-grammy-history-gives-his-music-away-for-free/
February 13, 2017 @ 7:57 am
He also made everyone sign up for Apple Music to get his latest (and worst) album “for free.”
February 13, 2017 @ 9:20 am
Fascinating. We always talk about how political these award shows are, but here’s a guy winning without the machine. I was very impressed by him last night.
February 13, 2017 @ 7:59 am
Yeah…just can’t work myself up to feel good about Chance finally getting mainstream recognition for his equivalent of 1989.
Coloring Book sands off everything that was ugly and raw and true (and interesting) about his music in favor of bland platitudes…and he gets absolutely bodied by the guest artists on his own tracks, because his technical skills have fallen off so much.
February 13, 2017 @ 9:49 am
I have to say that I did not see “All Around You” coming as the song Sturgill would play. I was hoping it would be Sea Stories or maybe even Brace for Impact. A song where Sturgill and the band could stretch out a little. I figured they weren’t going to do Call to Arms again. However, I think with Dwight talking about Sharon Jones in his intro and tying in the Dap Kings with her, it turned out to be a pretty good choice, as it’s the most classic soul sounding song on the album and it gave the Dap Kings an opportunity to stretch out. Very respectful. And like Trigger says, Sturgill is playing a long game.
February 13, 2017 @ 12:00 pm
And predictably, the press is bemoaning the fact that Adele won over Beyonce.
February 13, 2017 @ 12:01 pm
I know city slickers are frowned on here, but if more constructive artists like Chance keep coming from Chicago I couldn’t be more proud of living here.
February 13, 2017 @ 1:21 pm
“Sturgill Simpson has more horns on stage right now than The Band Perry has fans left”!
I knew you couldn’t help yourself!! Well done!
February 14, 2017 @ 9:54 pm
“Oh Sarah” would have been a better song in opinion.