Grammy Night is so far off my radar, it ain't funny. I have local color going on here in my neighborhood. The vibrations that touch me directly on an hourly basis are what is important to me. What's up with you? Been banging on a resonator lately for fun or catharsis? What have you been composing that illuminates your sky more than any Grammy Checker?

I've been on a run of LIVE performances at local venues this past couple of weeks which have left me fairly unaware of what's been going on with the Grammys. I had been interested in the Grammys for the first time, only because a young band from my hometown had been nominated. Thanks for reporting, Ann.

I am happy for the Chicks, but I wanted the Duhks to get their first Grammy and was disappointed they missed out this time. Migrations is such a good CD that it's a shame the nominating committee found only one spot for it.

I agree about Migrations. The folk fields were stuffed with "names" this year, but the country categories are tough - especially when you're from Canada and don't sing with a twang. As far as live shows go, it's winter and I'm afraid I'm not much interested in straying too far from home. An hour's drive to Cleveland is very different in February and July. The closest I've gotten is seeing Joe Crookston when he performed at church two weeks ago, and even then I passed on driving up for his actual show because I didn't want to drive up two days in a row. I'm starting to sound like my mom!

Weird Al rocks. He deserves to be happy too. Long Live Weird Al.

..and his wife, apparently.

But Ann! Wierd Al? Really?!?

Don't be hard on Ann! I have a friend who dated Weird Al - he was an extremely sweet - and sexy (it's true, it's true) - guy. You just hold your head up and feel sad with no shame, Ann.

Yeah. Now I wanna win a Grammy! I am going to try harder and harder and ... oops, popped a rivet on my jeans.

At least you'd be dating a different guy every night of the week.

You're looking at someone who braved the freezing cold rain at Fiesta Texas to sit third row, huddled beneath a blanket and between two skinny guys on a cold metal bench, to see Wierd Al in an outdoor concert! Ann - I know where you're coming from!
Huw - wasn't it you who said, "JoLynn, find a guy who can make you laugh.."etc., etc...? (o;

I also advised you to shoot him.

All I'm saying is that I spent Valentine's Day snowed in, on my own and every member of my family called because, basically, I'm alone and I could be dead. Really. I waited a long time to find that someone special, and, apparently, it was too long and I'm too late. (insert something needlessly dark here - don't worry, I'll be ok tomorrow)

Huw - '...and if he bites you in the butt, shoot him!', as I recall..but it's really hard to 'shoot' a moving target. And dang it if he didn't resurface and send a little V-day greeting sortie. grrrr....... It's hard to stop caring about someone I suppose.
And Ann - if anybody lights into a refrain of "The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar"..shoot them!
(Of course I mean shoot them a LOOK.)

I hear singing and there's no one there.
I smell blossoms but the trees are bare...

I'm sure Wierd Al was stuck in a drift Ann. Anyway it's never too late - look at Charles and Camilla!

JoLynn..."if anybody lights into a refrain of "The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar"..shoot them!"...does that also include someone lighting into a sappy love-happy tune like, "You're Just In Love"...um...not to point a finger at Richard or anything...
:0)

Jen - it's the Richards and Jims and Jacks and Pauls and Huws (and others) who are all happily in love which give all of the rest of us that wee glimmer of hope!

Oh HOPE! THAT'S what that glimmer was. I didn't recognize it. I assumed it was another heart being blown to pieces... but... I see now... and...I feel so strange...and...I keep...I keep...
iiiiiii keep tossing in my sleep at night
and what's more, i've lost my appetite
stars that used to twinkle in the skies
are twinkling in my eyes....

(Happily in love guys ARE pretty darned cute.)

And we do our own laundry!

..and the dishes, I might imagine!
"I love a man with dishpan hands"

sounds dishpassionate

ahhh, but that is where the true passion begins...with a joyous act of sacrifice. Are there any folk songs about this, I wonder...
How did we get from the Dixie Chics and Grammys to washing dishes as passionate acts?

Dunno - the sherriff's husband in Fargo is one of the great heros of modern film though.

I was gonna say that

I think it began with my dismissal of Grammy Checkers at the top of the thread. I am sorry. I think I am sore that I did not win a Grammy this year for Spoken Word. I feel I am every bit as good as William Shatner...and that's WITHOUT a cigarette prop. Rocket on!

Beam me up Schletty.

Careful Huw, the air is thin out there!

A mere bagatelle to a space-cadet like me Jack - I appreciate your concern though.

Here you go, space cadets: Galactic Overdrive: http://www.macjams.com/song/27676

It is NOT Folk.

Thanks for all the fish..

Did you say that on porpoise?

(err, in porpoise)?

(o;

Well, I'm going back to the original topic of this post. I've never watched the Grammies before BUT am a huge fan of the Chicks, ever since I first heard Earl. I think Taking the Long Way totally rocks, their best yet, and is an amazingly assertive, personally creative and positive response to the negativity that so many in country music expressed so obnoxiously after their London comments. I mean, blacklisting and death threats for expressing political opinions? How many people come back from being banned to sweep the Grammies? Plus they wrote it all themselves, another first for them. Go Chicks!

I was making up a bed on the floor for them after the Shepherd's Bush Empire remarks. She was preaching to the converted over here, but I wasn't certain they'd get back into the US.
Funny thing is, the Chicks were known and could fill a house over here before that, but now they'll sell out in advance and have people queueing around the block. They could get a house next door to Madonna and buy a baby, they're that big.
Only goes to remind us that crucifixion can be an enormous draw.

i've always liked the chicks music, but the grammy was a gift from the hollywood folks as a slap to the country folks. guess what, it didn't hurt a bit. if the chicks are proud to get a token grammy, more power to the chicks. now they can be hollywood darlings till hollywood finds someone else they can use to make a statement.

Country folks need an occasional slap to remind them what they're singing about.

Country folks are busy being 'rock and roll' folks, mostly. How often have I heard "I like country but I don't like bluegrass, it's too twangy!" I like Keith Urban, but that ain't country.

I think the most painful thing I ever saw was when the Dixie Chicks opened the CMA awards and the audience stood up and turned their backs on them - and boo'ed them.

So, hey, if it's a token...so be it. And it might interest you to know that the Chix *original* bass, which is a custom made cactus shaped thing, is in the CowGirl Hall of Fame down near Fort Worth.

Lynn. I saw the award performance they did this year on utube last night. I wanted to cheer when that little spiked heel hit the stage at the perfect moment. I'd've been standing on my chair (as I suspect the majority of this year's audience did).