If you spent more than 5 minutes watching a show you didn’t like, and that I’m guessing you knew you wouldn’t like even before it started, then you most certainly were wasting your time. Isn’t that kind of dysfunctional?

This program is exhibit “A” that without extensive studio manipulation most of the current batch of singers would not receive airplay. Horrible vocals and they were not caused by technical issues. Most of those folks simply cannot sing. Weak, straining voices that struggle to find the right key. And most songs have lyrics that are completely unmemorable. Country songs used to speak to the heart and to the emotions. I heard almost none of that last night.

Also I realize that times change, tastes change, styles change. But for God’s sake most of the male acts dressed like roadies or looked like they escaped from a truck stop. Few acts looked professional or like they belonged onstage. If you’re gonna be a star at least TRY to dress the part. (And I don’t mean sequins & nudie suits) The audience was better dressed than the majority of the performers.

In the reality-show-meets-awards-show category a marriage was conducted onstage during Martina McBride’s performance. The back story was a couple who had each lost their first spouse due to tragic circumstances and then met through a support group. The show directors cut back & forth between the ceremony and the live song reducing a touching moment to a disconnected contrived mess. I felt bad for the newly wedded couple.

When I saw KISS presenting an award I realized how completely off-track the program had become. What in the hell does KISS have to do with country music? I realize that some of today’s country acts may be fans but that doesn’t give KISS any country credibility. In the context of a country awards program it looked very strange.

Host Reba McEntire’s attempts at “hip” humor fell flat. Irreverent lines coming out of the mouth of a 57-year-old country icon just didn’t work. Her co-host Blake Shelton demonstrated that you better bring your “A” game if you’re gonna duet with Lionel Richie. Richie sounded great but Shelton….not so much. Richie was there because he just recorded a new album of duets with country artists that will be featured as a CBS-TV special on April 13th.

I felt that I wasted the better part of my evening.

“Hart of Dixie” used to be on Monday nights. Did they switch it to Tuesdays? I’m so confused!

I can proudly say I did not watch a second of the ACM Awards Show and did not DVR it either. AirHead Country celebration shows like that make my personal “Don’t Give A Sh*t” meter explode! I did read the Saving Country Music live blog about the program, but that was close enough for me…

Awhile back I posted a link to that cool Gram Parsons themed music video from First Aid Kit. Sadly the vast majority of the rest of their music is not nearly that interesting. Oh well.

If by “getting back to us” the Grascals mean more songs like “Long List of Heartaches”, its about time!