04/05/2009 11:38 AMTonight’s broadcast of the Academy of Country Music awards will feel like rewinding Country Thunder USA 2009. Many of the artists up for awards and slated to perform were just in our backyard 24 hours ago. The Academy of Country Music has announced winners of awards that will not be televised during the live telecast of the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards broadcast on April 5.
Here’s a preview:
Tim McGraw will likely play something off his forthcoming studio album. He performed an eerie Thelma and Louise gone terribly wrong song when he headlined the festival Friday.
*Heidi Newfield*is up for several awards for “Johnny & June” but she’ll likely play her new single “Cry, Cry (Til The Sun Shines),” which was a rocking highlight of her show Friday.
A few of the awards already have been announced including Jake Owen as best new male artist and the Zac Brown Band for best new group. Both are now vying for best new artist honors, to be presented tonite.
Some final notes on CTUSA 2009:
• Great American Country was at the festival all weekend, filming interviews with the artists, snippets from the concerts and video requests from fans that the country music station will air in coming weeks. The Florence festival was the first stop on the network’s 2009 fairs and festivals tour.
• The final attendance tally for the weekend was just shy of 40,000, which to some longtime observers might seem a bit low. In past years, attendance was reported at 100,000 to 125,000 for the festival run. But here’s a little secret about concert math: promoters like to exaggerate the truth a wee bit. Or in the case of the former management of Country Thunder, apparently by as much as 60,000 or 70,000. The first thing the new owners impressed upon the media last Wednesday was that they would report actual attendance figures reflected by the number of people whose tickets were scanned electronically at the gate.
• The biggest show: Alan Jackson with 12,400.
• The twangiest show: Alan Jackson, but close runner up was Zac Brown and company.
• The most fun we had without a sip of beer: Neal McCoy, of course.
• Our welcome back home moment: Heidi Newfield, returning to a stage that nurtured her with her former trio Trick Pony and gave her her first full-band appearance as a solo artist last year.
• Bravest merch peddler: Beaudry RV pushing fifth-wheelers, campers and RVs. Apparently they didn’t get the memo about the recession.
• Biggest vendor misrepresentation: Phoenix-area Mexican restaurant boasting itself as “home of the 99 cent taco.” Festival price: two for $6.
No comments:
Post a Comment