From 300 to 30,000

As I write this, I am about five miles from the ocean. There is a bit of peaceful tranquility that one feels when they are close to such a powerful vessel of water. Anyone who can look at such a picturesque view and not feel the presence of a higher power, well, I think they miss the point. There's a sense of everything being ok. Too bad the Atlantic isn't in Hickman County!

I'm writing this while I am covering the Carolina Country Music Festival in Myrtle Beach, SC. For four days, some of the biggest stars in the format - Kenny Chesney, Darius Rucker, Jason Aldean included are playing in front of 30-40,000 Country fans within rock throwing area of the ocean. It's been really interesting to see the reaction to the various performers this year. 

Maybe, being outside of Nashville for an event of this magnitude is a little bit of an experience upon itself. I've traveled for Country Music shows and interviews before, but being in Nashville kind of makes you immune to just how cool it is that music has such an impact on the world we live in. In Nashville, it's an automatic part of the culture. Heck, growing up and watching Channel 2 as a kid, the newsman's name was.....George Jones. So, you kind of get used to your surroundings.

And, as a longtime fan of the format, I will be the first to say that I get a little jaded at the changing sound. For better or worse, I am a traditionalist. (With a love of all kinds of music, however, as anyone who knows me can attest, Kenny Rogers is my favorite - and he was never honky-tonk). I still hold out hope that the next big thing will be someone who makes traditional Country bad-ass - kind of like Ricky Skaggs did in the 80s. But, times have changed. I still hope that artist is out there, but you can't begrudge anyone for having success these days. And, it's interesting to see so many styles of song coming into the format nowadays. My generation - the middle agers (Did I really just write that?) - was probably the last that were probably exposed to just one kind of music growing up. At least that how it was for me. Sure, I loved Janet Jackson, Richard Marx, and Billy Joel as much as anyone - the night before my high school graduation, I was at Starwood (again, dating myself) watching Paula Abdul and Color Me Badd. But, it was 90 percent Country, and ten percent everything else for me. It's almost impossible to be that single-minded musically, now. Chances are, one's music collection includes as much Drake and Katy Perry as it does mainstream Country. That's not a complaint, just an observation. It's going to remain that way. I have to admit that seeing the reaction to some of the newer acts like a Brett Young has been very interesting and entertaining to watch. I think we've got some pretty good acts out there right now that are making a name for themselves. I hope it continues for everyone, though if a Kentucky Wildcat like Skaggs comes along, I would be game!

That leads me to something that happened today that I have to share with you. I went on the bus to interview Granger Smith at CCMF today. He and his crew graciously invited me to hang and watch the show from the stage. I enjoyed the moment thoroughly. I wrote my first piece on Granger in the summer of 2011 - a few months before I started working for Billboard. So, to see him go from being primarily a Texas act that might play for 300 or so a night back in those days to an artist who was playing for at least 30,000 this afternoon was an incredible feeling. He has worked for it, as has his whole team. And, trust me, Granger Smith would have signed with Wheelhouse and topped the chart with "Backroad Song" without Chuck Dauphin's words. I know that. But, it feels good to have been a part of a sliver of the story. 

There are times that this business can break your heart, or piss you off. I alternate between the two more often than not. With over 2,500 stories written in the past decade, you would think I would be a little more secure than I am. I'm still waiting to feel comfortable. When I don't get invited to participate in an album launch, the competitor in me gets upset. I think there are two writers in Nashville who are better than everyone else, and the rest of us have our good days, but I would put my work up against anybody else. I feel I'm writing as good as I ever have, so I guess I'll keep at it. There's been more good days than the other as of late. I know I am rambling a bit, but after twenty-six years of talking or writing about music, I'm just glad to be in the game.....and glad when success happens to good people, like it has my good friend, Granger Smith. And, with that, I will close and say 'Yee Yee.'