Yearly Archives: 2014

by | September 30, 2014 · 12:08 am

Two-Steppin’ in Texas

They say that Austin, Texas is the Live Music Capital of the World, and I certainly can’t disagree. With concerts on every corner and live music in every bar, it’s hard to deny that Austin has earned that name. And although I’ve lived in Austin all my life, I’m sad to disclose that I really never attended any of those concerts or lingered long enough on an impromptu jam session to really appreciate them. However, since I started classes at UT, I’ve been more interested in experiencing the unique scene that is Austin, and that desire has driven me to places that I never expected to go. Now, mind you, I’m not really the kind of person to be that adventurous, so this feat of mine really only stretched as far as to go listen to live country music.

Ever since I was little, country music was the only genre played in my house, so I always had a soft spot for the nostalgic love song and the George Strait twang. I’m not sure why, but my parents never took me to a concert in my youth (disappointing, I know), so I had to venture off on my own to figure out just how great music is when played live.

So for my 20th birthday, accompanied by my best friend and my boyfriend, I visited Midnight Rodeo, a country dance hall in South Austin. Even on their website, they announce, “It sounds just like Texas in here!” And boy, are they right. As soon as I walked in, I knew the night was bound to be special. The atmosphere was absolutely amazing, completely unlike any place I had ever been before. There were boots and cowboy hats everywhere, and if you weren’t wearing boots, you could bet that you’d stick out like a sore thumb.

Midnight Rodeo in all its glory.

Midnight Rodeo in all its glory.

In the beginning of the night a DJ played mostly Nashville country, so we two-stepped to the honkytonk beat and had a great time. Eventually, though, it was time for the live music and soon Texas country artist Roger Creager took the stage. Before that night, I had never heard of Roger Creager before, mostly because I really wasn’t ever a fan of Texas country; it just has a completely different sound than your typical “radio” country. But the longer he played, the more I found myself dancing along and loving it. He played “The Everclear Song” (a popular crowd favorite, as I could tell) and “Love Is Crazy,” which brought all the couples out to the dance floor to enjoy the love ballad. By the end of the night, I was completely in love with Roger Creager’s music and the whole idea of live Texas country music.

My best friend and I with Roger Creager!

My best friend and me with Roger Creager!

The whole experience really opened my eyes to the world of live music, and also the subgenre of Texas country. Now I can’t help but sing along to “The Everclear Song” and linger a little longer when I hear live music being played around town. I’m so thankful for the experience and I’m excited to pass on the love of live country music to others.

Feel free to reply with a comment below about your favorite country music experience or respond to mine!

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by | September 29, 2014 · 11:24 pm

The Legends All Together

Country music has always been my main go-to music. Whether I am sad or happy, no matter the time of day, country music is always acceptable. I have gone to plenty of country music concerts from Lady A. to George Strait. As a country music fan, I look forward to the country awards shows, like the ACM’s and CMA’s. Something about hearing the new hits live, witnessing the new artists perform and hoping my favorite artist wins is a thrill in itself. In March 2013, I was privileged with my first live award show experience at the ACM’s, or Academy of Country Music Awards.

We took a girls trip to Vegas for my sister’s 21st birthday. Amidst the fun, quick- paced atmosphere of Vegas, we spent our last night attending the ACM awards. It was one of the most exciting experiences of my life. Seeing my favorite performers in one sitting and being in the same room with the top country artists was an adrenaline rush.

Along with getting to see all of my favorite performers, two of my favorite artists were the host of the award show, Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan. These two together are like stand up comedy. They crack jokes, make fun of one another, and even call out the other famous stars in the crowd.

The year we attended, George Strait was ending his “Cowboy Rides Away” tour. He only had a few scheduled, live performances left, and we were able to enjoy one of them. Being long-time fans of George Strait, it was a sentimental experience for my family.

Like most other award shows, there is always the “biggest award” at the end of the show. Along with being a host that year, Luke Bryan won ‘Artist Of The Year.’ It was rewarding to see him accept that award in person and genuinely thank the fans for being country music fans.

To top off the amazing experience we had being a part of the crowd, we unexpectedly ran into one of my all time favorite country artists, Clay Walker! It was a very cool experience to meet and talk with him. He kindly took a picture with us so we could have such a memorable experience documented. When I was little, my dad would play Clay Walker’s music every day on the way to elementary school. To me, he is one of the few country legends.Clay Walker!

We had an unforgettable experience at the ACM awards. Unforgettable enough that we decided to go back this past March. Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan hosted for the second year in a row, and the show was even better the second time around!

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by | · 10:02 pm

The Ultimate Summertime Country Songs!

People say that country music is mostly for summertime, and I completely agree with that statement. Summertime is all about relaxing under the sun, drinking cold drinks and having no worries. Students are out of school, the weather is warm, and it’s just time to let loose. All of those resonate with themes of a lot of country songs, which make everyone want to listen to country music even more during summer.

Personally, 90% of my summer playlist consists of country music songs. Even if I didn’t actually make an effort to make a country music playlist, country music is playing everywhere I go during summer- in stores, on the radio, at the beach, just everywhere I can think of. Avoiding country music is almost impossible, especially given that I live in the state of Texas. Including Texas, “the dirty South” in general, became home of country music and people in the south are crazy about country music, and I think it could be that summer lasts just a bit longer in south than it does in other regions,

Before I really began to listen to country music, I always thought country music was just slow and had depressing lyrics; obviously, I was very wrong. I now know that many country singers release their albums in summer or around spring break time when the weather is just getting warm, and those songs are upbeat and have fun-to-listen-to or relatable lyrics. On that note, my list below mostly consists of those songs that were made for summertime and quite honestly, even when it’s not summer, I listen to those songs and they just make me happy in general. So, here we go:

Jake-Owen-Barefoot-Blue-Jean-Night-Album-Cover-CountryMusicRocks_net

  1. “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” & “Anywhere With You” (2011) – Jake Owen. “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” is first number one hit and this was the fastest-rising single in Jake Owen’s career. The album that these songs were in was released in August of 2011. There is no music video for “Anywhere With You,” but and the music video for “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” was taken at the beach, simply depicting the laid-back summer days hanging out by the water during the day and singing and drinking at night.
  1. “Springsteen” (2012) – Eric Church. This song was what made Eric Church known as a country singer nationwide. It was the first song of Eric Church to enter top twenty in Billboard Country Music, and got him nominated for Grammy Awards. The song is about teenage love and the main verse has a catchy, easy-to-sing-along melody. Even though the song wasn’t specifically made for summertime, verses like “stars in the sky,” and “flip-flops and cut-off jeans,” create summer-like images.

Beat-This-Summer

  1. “Beat This Summer” (2013) – Brad Paisley. The title of this song already gives away that it is about summertime. This song has a pretty up-tempo and the light guitar sound, which make the listeners just smile. The lyrics are fun, as the song is about a boy meeting a girl on a summer vacation. The music video is also fun to watch; it takes place on a boardwalk, and a little boy falls in love with a girl.

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  1. “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem” (2002) – Kenny Chesney. This is one of my go-to beach songs, and one of the only few “old” country songs that I listen to. (I usually don’t listen to any country songs that came out before 2010.) The guitar sounds remind me of Hawaiian music, which of course, makes me think of the beach. Kenny Chesney’s “twang” (bizarrely) goes really well with the Hawaiian sounds, and the lyrics are just so laid-back, as you can tell from the title, which makes it more perfect for a beach song.
  1. “Knee Deep” (2011) – Zac Brown Band. The beats are simple yet a fun and even maybe a little bit funky, and the lyrics are well written. I like how it is solely beach-themed and it feature Jimmy Buffett. I find every single verse beautiful, but my favorite verses are, “Sunrise there’s a fire in the sky,” “It’s a sweet sweet life living by the salty sea,” and “When you lose yourself, you find the key to paradise.”
  1. “Cruise” (2012) – Florida Georgia Line. This song is probably one of the most famous modern country songs. Florida Georgia Line became very popular with this song, and there were even remix versions of this song, which also became successful. The two brothers (Florida Georgia Line) make great harmony and this song has a repetitive main verse with a catchy melody, which I think were the main reasons why this song was such a big hit. The lyrics and the original music video were about spending summer days in little country towns with a girl. This song is the best-selling country digital song in of all time in the United States and the remix music video featuring Nelly has over 25 millions views.

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Filed under Lists, New Country, Song Analysis

by | · 1:22 pm

“When You Think Tim McGraw…”

Music has always been there to help me express how I feel, especially when I didn’t know how to explain my feelings to myself. I grew up surrounded by classic rock, alternative and Israeli music, so coming to Texas, where the popular genre is country, was a big culture shock for me. Everything was different about it; the sound, the style, the lyrics, and the artists that sang this kind of music (cowboy boots do not exist in Israel). I immediately loved it. I loved how country music is associated with dancing, with being carefree, and with sharing a story.

A good country song is one that makes you feel better on a bad day.

A good country song is one inspires you to do something you want to do.

A good country song is one that helps you be someone else.

A good country song is a song that reminds you that someone else out there is going through what you’re going through, and is feeling what you’re feeling.

The first good country song that I heard when I moved to Texas was by Taylor Swift, “Tim McGraw”.

220px-Taylor_Swift_-_Tim_McGrawThe lyrics of “Tim McGraw” talk about a summer romance that had to end, because Swift’s boyfriend was leaving for college, and by doing so; leaving her behind.

Taylor Swift wanted the song to capture the sweetness and sadness of loving and losing someone. The song is called “Tim McGraw,” but is not directed towards the artist Tim McGraw, rather his music. “When you think Tim McGraw / I hope you think my favorite song.” Swift used Tim McGraw’s music as a reminder for the times they spent together, hoping that when Tim McGraw’s songs would play, the boy would remember her.

“When you think Tim McGraw

I hope you think my favorite song

Someday you’ll turn your radio on

I hope it takes you back to that place

When you think happiness

I hope you think that little black dress

Think of my head on your chest

And my old faded blue jeans

When you think Tim McGraw

I hope you think of me.”

“Tim McGraw” was the song to make me fall in love with country music, because it helped me deal with all of the confusing emotions I had when I moved to America. I was feeling sweetness and sadness all at the same time. I was holding on to the memories that I had back home, but excited for the new ones to come.. While this song was written about a boy and a girl, for me this song symbolizes letting go of the past, and looking towards a future. This song is a constant reminder of my family and friends back in Israel, but also a reminder of all the opportunities I now have ahead of me.

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Filed under New Country, Reflection, Song Analysis

by | September 24, 2014 · 11:25 am

My First Country Concert

Luke Bryan ConcertMusic is a big part of life and people who know me know that I enjoy many genres but country music has not always been one of my favorites. While growing up I did hear a couple country songs here and there but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I actually started to listen to it. Ever since, I have come to love the style of music and it’s definitely one of my favorites now. There are so many different artists that I like now and would love to see live but I never bought tickets to see them, until just recently. I wanted to wait to see Luke Bryan first.

Luke Bryan was definitely the first country artist that I liked. I would look up videos on YouTube of his concerts and I would think to myself that it would be amazing to see him live. Unfortunately, he doesn’t really come to Austin much so I hadn’t had the chance to see him. A couple of months ago, I went on his page and saw that he would be in Texas this month and I knew I had to go. I bought tickets to the Houston concert last Friday and let me say, it was the best concert I have ever been too.

So ever since buying my ticket I was way too excited to go. I even asked for Friday off and spent the entire day in Houston. The drive there felt so long. I just wanted to be there already and for it to be 7p.m. so I could see him. Once the time came, I made my way to the venue, which was one of the nicest I’ve been to (the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands) and I found a place in the lawn towards the back of the pavilion. Yes I had to sit farther back compared to others and the grassy area was muddy because it had rained there the past days and the day of the concert but I didn’t care. I finally got the chance to go see Luke.

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

I was a bit nervous yet excited to be there. First of all, I was really looking forward to my first country concert. It would be a new experience for me. I had been listening to this great music for years now but I would finally get to hear it live. Now some people might think that country music is usually for Caucasian people but it was actually a diverse audience there. There were people of different ethnicities there all just to enjoy a night listening and singing country music. It made me happy to see so many different people there that all had one thing in common.

So first up was Cole Swindell and I enjoyed his performance. He definitely started the night well. Next came Lee Brice, one of my other favorite artists. He sang all my favorite songs by him like “Hard to Love”, “I Drive Your Truck”, and “I Don’t Dance”. But everyone couldn’t wait for the next person to come on stage. The lights went out, we heard Luke come on stage and the audience went wild including myself.

The concert was great, more than great. I knew every single song Luke would sing and I didn’t care if I did not have a great voice. I was singing my heart out. I loved how he sang his newer songs and also older ones, like “Do I” which is my favorite song by him. What I liked a lot was that everyone there were was singing and dancing to the songs that were sung and it was one of the best things that I have heard. It might sound like an exaggeration but to me it really was one of the best feelings ever. But out of all of the songs, there was one song that he sang that is very personal for me.

Once I heard him start singing “Country Girl”, I knew that it would be the last song of the night so I made sure to enjoy the last few minutes. Everyone went crazy during that song and I did as well. By then my boots were muddy and even though I had just recently bought them, I didn’t care if they got dirty. I felt like that was part of being there and the country life, which I grew up in. Then the concert ended and I was still in some sort of shock because I really couldn’t believe that I had actually been to a Luke Bryan concert. I guess that’s why I had post concert depression the next day.

http://www.vevo.com/watch/luke-bryan/drink-a-beer/USUV71302435

Out of all the concerts that I have been to, this one is definitely be the best I’ve gone to. Being with all those people there was amazing and I will never forget that night even though I was losing my voice. Now that I have been to a country concert, I plan on going to lots more and I have a feeling that they will all be great. Being in a class where we talk about country music will hopefully give me the chance to hear about concerts that other people have gone to. So if anyone would like to share his or her experience about a country concert, Luke Bryan or any other artist or band, I would love to hear about it. I need to start a list of other country concerts that I should attend.

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