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As CBGBs was a mecca and starting venue for punk rock, the Grand Old Opry would be for country music, which eventually helped create rock and roll, and every other genre after that. The Opry had such legendary artists as Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and Elvis play there, and its weekly radio show has inspired countless musicians. My father and I were lucky enough to be in Nashville for this show, so we decided to go.
Not having heard of any of these artists (we went on a tour of Nashville where the guide mentioned Jimmy Dickens), I was willing to listen to everyone with an open mind. There were a few people that my dad was a fan of, mostly pop country artists playing.
We weren't waiting long before Porter Wagoner took the stage. He was wearing a sequin blue suit (fashion was not a strength for country musicians) and did a fist pump after every song he played. The guy was at least in his 60s, so it was a slow and somewhat humorous fist pump, but I enjoyed watching it and eagerly waited for it after each song. He played one song that I recognized, though I don't know the name of it, and I enjoyed his old country songs.
It was during Jamie O'Neal's set that I came to the conclusion that this show would switch off between old school country artists and new pop country musicians. I sat and politely listened to O'Neal's set, eating popcorn and waiting for the next band to take the stage. She had a good voice, and sang a song about her boyfriend snoring that was humerous, but I wasn't too impressed with her overall.
Riders in the Sky were four fun loving old looking, snappy dressing cowboys that yodelled (which prompted my father to ask me if I knew what yodelling was) and had a great sense of humor. They'd pose for pictures and seemed to have a great time on stage. The highlight of their set came when they reworded Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere," calling "I've Cooked Everything;" a tribute to all of the food that one of the guys in the band has cooked.
Trent Tomlinson looked like Raybeez of Warzone, which had me hoping in the back of my head that he would break out into "As One," which probably would have left the crowd in shock. Instead of entertaining the crowd with hardcore, he was another pop country musician who I politely sat through, perking up my ears when he ended his set with a pop country rock version of "Folsom Prison Blues."
John Conlee, according to the announcer, was a country star from the 80s who had a hit called "Rose Colored Glasses." He looked like a regular grandfather instead of a musician, which worked when he played a song called "Common Man." His stage presence consisted of pacing slowly around the stage while singing, and broke out his "Rose Colored Glasses" when he played the song.
At some point during Paul Wagoner's set, a girl and some friends sat next to my father and I. Right away, she asked for some popcorn, which I let her have. She was kind of a loud mouth and let it be known that her friend was in Carolina Rain, and wanted me to scream and go nuts when they took the stage. Not being my style, I did get excited when I saw a banjo and a mandolin, hoping to hear some old timey country music. Instead, they played pop country, which almost made me want to scream. I didn't like them at all, but I dad mentioned that he thought they were pretty good.
The highlight of the night came from "Little" Jimmy Dickens, an 82 year old guy who stands straight up at under 5' tall, and was a funny bastard. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame (its not often that you get to see a member of any Hall of Fame), Dickens best moments came with his between song banter. He'd play a song and then just stand there (after posing for some pictures) telling jokes that had the whole crowd in stitches. His delivery was great, seeming like an old man (think Abe Simpson) rambling on and on, but having some really funny stuff to say. The songs weren't half bad either, but his humor is what made him so entertaining.
Tons of people with cameras stormed the front of the stage for Terri Clark. My father wanted pictures, so I went up there as well, having to crawl on my knees so the ushers (no bouncers at this show) wouldn't yell at me. She played pop country that didn't entertain me all that much, but I was occupied taking pictures. She finished her set while I was in the bathroom, but my father told me that she stopped abruptly, probably because the radio show ends at 9 and Jimmy Dickens played longer than his alloted 15 minutes.
It was really cool to see a show that has created legends and shaped the face of music. Any fan of music (or music geek) should make it a point to go to the Grand Old Opry, if nothing else but for the history that that stage has seen (even though its at a different place now-I'm pretty sure it started out at the Ryman Auditorium) and the legends that the radio program has created. Most importantly, it was a place that my father really wanted to go to. He even bought a shirt (he never wears clothes with brand names on it-he told me he bought it because it was something that gave him great pleasure) and kept stating his shock that he actually went to the Grand Old Opry.