Category Archives: Blog Post 4

by | October 28, 2015 · 1:00 pm

Thank You, Luke – A Country Night I’ll Never Forget

‘Do you think he’ll remember you?’ my mom called and asked me on Friday as I sat delayed in the Austin airport. After seeing Luke five times in concert, and getting to meet him once, she has come to realize when it comes to Luke my sisters and I don’t mess around.

I tried to explain to her Luke Bryan, the ACM and CMA reigning Entertainer of the Year, has performed for over a million people just this year, and would absolutely not recognize my sisters and I in a crowd. Our evening started around 5:00pm- a solid two hours before the first opener even came on. We staked out our spots in the pit and ended up standing in the same spot for about a solid six and a half hours- but it was more than worth it.Luke3

Luke busted out on stage like an energizer buddy, blasting “Kick the Dust Up”. Without missing a beat, he seamlessly transitioned into one of his oldest hits, and my personal favorite “All My Friends”. Sure, no Luke concert would be complete without some booty shaking, growling into the mike (I think only he can get away with that one), and some other funny but scripted moments.

In formal interviews, he’s a little more guarded now. After suffering another family tragedy, the loss of his brother-in-law (husband to the sister Luke lost almost 10 years ago), and wary of some reporters constantly trying to nail him with ‘Gotcha!’ questions about the bro-country debate, it’s not unexpected.Luke2

We saw how spontaneous he is on stage, when he’s in his element and in control doing what he loves. So many times he would just crack himself up about something, or he would bust out a move that no one else could have pulled off with pride unless they had a great sense of humor. We could even see him motioning to the sound crew to turn down the music volume- he can hold his great vocals on his own more than fine- shenanigans and all.

Oh, and one more thing. He can sing. Besides playing over 18 of his own songs, from “Rain is a Good Thing” and to “Strip it Down”, Luke went above and beyond to make the concert as fun and amusing as he himself is.

From DJ-ing “Apple Bottom Jeans” on the piano (only Luke), admitting that yes, he’s no Calvin Harris, to entertaining the crowd with a delightful discussion of the Whip, to killing it on the piano to one Alabama’s classic hits, to then rolling right into George Strait’s “The Chair”, beyond showcasing his mastery of the piano, Luke was making a much larger point.

No matter how many awards he racks up or how many albums he sells, slacking off as an entertainer isn’t something he’s interested in.

He brought out his opening acts again mid-concert, Dustin Lynch and Randy Houser, on stage for an awesome harmonization of “Sugar”- but not without some Moscow Mules and tequila. Luke created THE funniest and most fun concert environment I have ever been in.

Luke1

The concert felt just as intimate as when he first performed at the Houston Rodeo as a nervously excited but energetic 34 year old. I attribute that not to a venue, manager, or set list- but to the performer. My 11-year-old sister put it best, ‘When I think of Luke Bryan, I just think he’s my buddy.’

History will determine his place in country music, bro-country debate included. As the Dallas Morning News wrote in their assessment, it seems like he’s put it behind him, regardless of what nitpicky skeptics still say. But for now, it’s his likability and love and talent for what he’s doing that has him on top.

So no, mom. In the pit as he leaned down and sang a double encore of Country Girl, he didn’t recognize us- unfortunate but not unexpected. But from how much fun he was having, and how his contagious humor and energy infected the whole performance and venue from start to finish, it sure felt like he did.

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Filed under Blog Post 4, Concert

by | October 27, 2015 · 7:00 am

Spooky Country Songs To Get You In The Halloween Spirit

One of the spookiest weekends of the year is upon us. Ghosts, witches, zombies and werewolves roam the streets for Halloween weekend. While it is so easy to find country songs about Christmas, it is rare for anyone to think of country music and Halloween together, but there are definitely songs out there that get their spookiness on. Listening to them around Halloween time can really escalate their meanings. The night of this spooky holiday is all about the “scaries,” and to get you in the mood, here is a list of 5 of the spookiest country songs through out time that I have complied from research, and from songs that I have personally found to be appropriate for Halloween vibes.

  1. “It’s a Monster’s Holiday” by Buck Owens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aJnRvWq_XI

I can’t help but start this list off with this song. If it doesn’t get you in the Halloween mood I am not really sure what will. If you can’t tell merely from the title, this song is all about the creatures that encompass the meaning of Halloween. Dragons, zombies, Frankenstein, gremlins, goblins, Dracula, and Wolfman are all of the monster’s that are being celebrated during the Halloween season. Buck Owens sang one of the most directly Halloween related songs that I have found, and I like it.

  1. “Two Black Cadillacs” by Carrie Underwood

Don’t ever cheat on Carrie Underwood. “Two Black Cadillacs” is only one of many songs that she has about a cheating boyfriend or husband, but it is arguably the most serious. It is about a wife teaming up with “the other woman” to take out the guy that they both thought was theirs. The music in the song along with the lyrics create an eerie sounding threat that would scare me if I was a cheating guy. The song is very vague about how the women killed the husband, but its sound and the lyrics do make a convincing point to be scared of two pissed off women.

  1. “Creepin’” by Eric Church

Eric Church’s song Creepin’ is a song is about him looking back on a previous relationship, but his lyrics take it further than him just being reminiscent about his loss, the imagery makes it creepy. “Your cocaine kiss and caffeine love, run under my skin and into my blood.” This line could make any listener’s blood quiver, and the chorus following adds to the creepiness factor. “Ivy crawlin’,” “living in glass,” “like a honeybee beatin’ on my screen door,” and the 30 times the word “creepin’” is used all contribute to the eeriness. I realize that this song won’t really scare anyone, but it’s tune and sound along with vivid imagery make the song perfect for this Halloween season.

  1. “Ghost Riders in the Sky” by Johnny Cash

Have you ever wondered what hell looks like? Well for a cowboy it would be endlessly chasing around a bunch of mad cows and never being to catch them. And what’s worse? They seem to be devil cows. In this song, Cash has painted a picture of cowboy hell. I picture a very scary setting that is filled with blood and demons, and that is often what I run into on a Halloween night (but the things I run into aren’t real, so I am ok with it.)

  1. “Better Dig Two” by the Band Perry

This song is actually a bit disturbing if you really pay attention to the lyrics. The Band Perry’s song “Better Dig Two” is about a girl who is so freaky obsessed with her husband that she plans to die if they are ever separated by death or divorce so she won’t have to see him with someone else. She talks about their burial process as the pre-chorus (one of the catchiest parts of the song) for if he dies before her. This girl takes “till death do us part” very seriously, to the point where its spooky.

As Halloween approaches, listen to these songs with this more spooky perspective in mind. When I did, it made me even more aware of the eeriness in so many of these songs. There are many other songs out there that could be included on this list, so as you are listening to country music this week, try to be more aware of the lyrics to see if there is a scary factor that you didn’t even notice before.

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Filed under Blog Post 4, Lists, Song Analysis

by | October 24, 2015 · 7:00 am

What if We Put Rap Lyrics to Country Music?

Over the years rap music has been one of those genres my parents tried to keep out of the house as long as possible. Even when I was in early high school I got into Christian rap which they immediately assumed was typical, inappropriate secular rap music (it took some convincing that the rappers in fact were NOT singing about drugs and alcohol). Rap music seems to cover a whole slew of controversies and in turn receives much of the backlash and hate for doing so. Meanwhile in country music a lot of the topics discussed are very similar yet do not take as much heat. Here are just a few comparisons between the two that might explain why this is. (side note: a lot of this is speculation from my experience with each of the genres so y’all may have differing opinions that I would love to hear.)

Sound. Country music generally has more upbeat melodies that you can dance to or just plain relax to. Popular songs such as “Friends in Low Places” and “The Boot-Scootin’ Boogie” make people want to get on their feet and dance. In contrast rap tends to have a harsher sound–not to say it sounds bad, just different. Many times the tone rappers have in their music can be a little angry or intense, like Eminem (sorry Slim Shady–still love you). This being said negative topics can more easily be associated with rap music even though both genres generally talk about the same things.

Singers Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj strike a pose

Look. Appearances matter–especially for musicians. What a musician wears for their performances and music videos says something about their self-expression and how they want people to view them. Although there can be an occasional country music star such as Dolly Parton who appears flashy on stage, for the most part they are more humble and down-to-earth in their appearance. Rap and Hip-Hop music is more edgy and usually pushes the boundaries of what is appropriate to wear on stage and in music videos.

Word Choice. The way lyrics are stated vary from genre to genre. Rap music tends to be more blunt. Artists will typically throw in clever puns that allude to illicit substances or sexual innuendos. Country music tends to romanticize lyrics–whether they really are romantic or not. One such song is “Your Man” by Josh Turner (locking the doors and turning the lights down low is a nice way to say they are about to ~get it on~). In the end, however, country music tends to not be nearly as vulgar in language as rap, which contributes to its positive reputation.

Beyond the Music. Could it be that aside from all of these technical reasons there is a deeper, underlying social issue? Race can be a very touchy subject but sometimes that can be the reason for a lot of stereotyping and hate. Rap does not receive a lot of hate–but more like criticism because of the touchy subjects it covers. Again a lot of this is from my perspective on rap music versus country music as a whole. I would like to hear what y’all think about the difference between rap and country in listeners’ ears. Looking back at the title: what if we put rap lyrics to country music? How would it be different? How would people take it?

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Filed under Blog Post 4, Politics, Reflection