Tag: Awards Shows (51-59 of 59)
Jun 5
2009
02:34 PM ET
Polka Grammy outrage! 18-time winner Jimmy Sturr explains why the Recording Academy shouldn't have ditched his category
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Apr 27
2009
12:00 PM ET
CMT Music Awards moved to June 16; Keith Urban, Sugarland added as performers
The 2009 CMT Music Awards — honoring the best in country music video-making — have been pushed up a day, from Wednesday, June 17, to Tuesday, June 16. Reps for the network won’t directly confirm that the addition of Keith Urban and Sugarland to the roster of performers had anything to do with the date change, but it’s a safe bet: both acts have a tour date scheduled in South Carolina on the 17th.CMT has also added Def Leppard to the bill — one can only hope they’ll reprise their Crossroads appearance with the unavoidable Taylor Swift, which was literally the least objectionable thing she did last year — alongside Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, and Rascal Flatts. More performers are expected to sign on as the date gets closer.Meanwhile, fan voting is now open for the awards themselves, with Sugarland’s six nominations leading the pack. Anyone out there planning to participate? Who’s your pick to win it all? And who else would you like to see added to the lineup?
Apr 14
2009
03:23 PM ET
Eminem to play the MTV Movie Awards: Will you be watching?
As a big fan of Eminem’s work, I’d normally be thrilled to hear that he’ll be performing live at this year’s MTV Movie Awards on May 31. My enthusiasm is slightly curbed in this case by the possibility that Em will be performing his fairly god-awful comeback single, "We Made You." Still, I’m willing to give Marshall the benefit of the doubt for now. This performance will come just a week or so after his new album, Relapse, drops, and I’m assuming/hoping that "We Made You" isn’t indicative of the full album’s tone. So maybe Em will take this opportunity to remind us that he’s actually a hugely talented lyricist, not just a lowest-common-denominator jester. And, hey, given Eminem’s history at MTV awards broadcasts, chances are this will be a memorable night no matter what. Considering all that, I’m sure I’ll be tuning in. Will you?
More from EW’s Music Mix:
Eminem’s "We Made You" video: Snap judgment
Why rappers like Run-DMC belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Twilight soundtrack’s Bobby Long: A Music Mix meet and greet
Kanye West responds to South Park mockery
Apr 6
2009
10:13 PM ET
Toby Keith, Ethan Hawke, Kris Kristofferson, and the ACM press-room fracas
As though Tim McGraw’s decision to pull out of the show and Jamie Foxx’s on-stage rant weren’t enough, there was even more drama backstage at last night’s Academy of Country Music Awards, when Toby Keith entered the press room and decided to take a little personal time to holler at Tennessean writer Peter Cooper about a blog post he’d written over the weekend.
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Some quick background: Actor Ethan Hawke wrote a story about Kris Kristofferson in this month’s Rolling Stone (it’s not online), in which he told of witnessing a near-altercation between Kristofferson and a country star who, as Hawke put it, then had "a monster hit about bombing America’s enemies back into the Stone Age." Cooper used that tidbit to write a blog item in which he declared that country star could be none other than Toby Keith — or, as he called him, "Moby Teeth." Both Kris and Toby/Moby took issue with Cooper’s item, the former writing Cooper a very nice letter explaining he couldn’t recall the incident at all, and the latter using his moment before every reporter at the ACMs to drop about a thousand f-bombs on Cooper… who was bravely seated in the very front row.
You can read Cooper’s take and Kristofferson’s letter on the Tennessean blog; HitFix’s Melinda Newman has a great run-down of the press room play-by-play on her site. Rolling Stone is standing by their story. Ethan Hawke is, as of right now, not responding to requests for comment. But I emailed Cooper today to ask if he had any further response, and he sent the following:
"Rolling Stone is standing by its story and its fact-checking. I never reported anything, only ran a celeb item pointing people to the Rolling Stone story, with some humor, and Toby seemed more upset wth me than with Rolling Stone. Odd. I felt ill-equipped for the conversation, mostly because of my choice of manly footwear. Next time I will wear running shoes."
Apr 6
2009
05:03 PM ET
Why rappers like Run-DMC belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
It happened when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in 2007, and it happened again this weekend when the Hall welcomed Run-DMC. "Run-DMC? I have lost all respect for the hall of fame." "rap and hip hop AIN’T ROCK!" "c(rap) and the wonderful word MUSIC should never be said in the same sentence." So said your fellow Music Mix commenters. Blah, blah, blah. I’m trying not to put this in inflammatory terms, but may I ask what exactly it is that bothers some people so much about the idea of honoring undeniably influential hip-hop pioneers in a rock canon?
Here’s the problem with the argument that these self-appointed music cops are making: "Rock" and "hip-hop" are fluid categories. Go ahead and try to define where one ends and the other begins. You can’t, not with any degree of precision. As I noted when this year’s inductees were first announced a couple months ago, the Hall already includes musicians as diverse as Miles Davis, Van Halen, and the Everly Brothers. "Eruption," "Bye Bye Love," and Bitches Brew sound absolutely nothing like one another. That’s okay. They’re all expressions of rock music, reflected through one prism or another. The fact is that this puritanical obsession with boundaries and definitions couldn’t run more counter to rock’s true transgressive spirit. "Rock and roll" means whatever any artist wants it to mean. If you need that magical circle to exclude "King of Rock" because, what — it has a looped backbeat? Its lyrics are proclaimed rather than crooned? The people who recorded it don’t dress like your idea of "rock stars"? — then I’m afraid that’s just your loss.
But please, tell me what I’m missing here. If you’re one of the folks who objects to Run-DMC entering the Hall, enlighten me. Just why does this get under your skin?
More from EW’s Music Mix:
Metallica, Run-DMC inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
What’s the most heartbreaking song of all time?
Spike Jonze and Kanye West to reunite for short film
Method Man and Redman talk reunion album, movie plans, and more
Apr 5
2009
11:57 PM ET
Academy of Country Music Awards: Backstage live blog!
The 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards air tonight on CBS, and the Music Mix has a backstage pass to all the action! Okay, I wrote that like a bad press release, but you get my point — after two exciting days in rehearsals, it’s time for the big show, and I’m hanging out at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with my laptop hoping to lure some of your favorite country acts into my lair and pick their brain for juicy blog tidbits. The blog must be fed, Mixers!
So many questions to be answered: Will Kenny Chesney pick up his 44th annual Entertainer of the Year trophy? Last year, Taylor Swift drenched herself in water; tonight, will she set herself on fire? And will Carrie Underwood’s dress rise up and devour us all? The show is mere minutes away from starting — I’ve just come in from the “orange” carpet, and I’ll share some of what I learned out there along the way. Deep breaths. And away we go…
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Apr 5
2009
12:24 PM ET
Metallica, Run-DMC inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
"Welcome to one of the greatest nights in music history," said co-host Jared Cotter at the beginning of Fuse’s TV broadcast of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, demonstrating exactly the sort of grasp of music history you would expect from a former American Idol contestant. It wasn’t. In fact, much of the night felt a little B-list: Ron Wood instead of Mick or Keith, Max Weinberg and Garry Tallent instead of Bruce, Rosanne Cash instead of just about anybody else (nothing against Cash, but surely they could have found a bigger name to induct rockabilly pioneer Wanda Jackson). Poor Spooner Oldham, the quietly dignified classic-soul keyboard legend, had to endure a hammy induction speech from Hall of Fame-perennial Paul Shaffer.
That’s not to say this wasn’t a worthy bunch of inductees. Little Anthony and the Imperials, Wanda Jackson (how was she not in the HoF already?), Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Elvis sidemen D.J. Fontana and Bill Black, Jeff Beck, Run-DMC, and Metallica all deserve their slots. But the ceremony itself was often tough to sit through. With no apparent time limit on speeches and EVERY SINGLE MEMBER of each act getting to talk, the night dragged on endlessly.
Things finally seemed like they might pick up when Eminem hit the stage to induct Run-DMC. It was a rare public appearance for the rapper, who’s gearing up for a comeback album that’s due this summer. Gaunt and a little subdued, he paid heartfelt tribute with a speech based on a recurring "two turntables and a microphone" theme that didn’t quite make sense (like no other artist in hip-hop history, Run-DMC’s sound was based on having TWO mics). It was a decent-enough set-up for a performance that sadly never came. Earlier they had announced they wouldn’t be performing out of respect for the late Jam Master Jay, a decision that was both admirable and a little disappointing.
It was up to Metallica to wake things up, which, of course, they did. Playing as a five-piece with former bassist Jason Newsted, they tore through "Enter Sandman" (something less predictable might have been nice, guys…) and the entire eight minutes of "Master of Puppets." The night ended with the obligatory "jam session," in this case a megawatt version of the Yardbirds’ "Train Kept a Rollin," featuring Metallica along with former Yardbirds Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, and Ron Wood. It was a fun cap to a mostly slow night, but as usual with these things, all that heavy artillery proved overwhelming. As Paul Shaffer pointed out earlier in the night, sometimes what musicians leave out is more important than what they put in. In this case, they didn’t leave out a single thing.
But what did you think of the ceremony? Is the Hall of Fame still a big deal, or is it getting a little tired?
Apr 5
2009
01:32 AM ET
Academy of Country Music Awards rehearsals: Sugarland, Keith, Faith... Tim?
4:44 p.m. Sugarland will kick off the afternoon in the Taco Bell Teal confines of the MGM Grand’s Garden Arena as soon as they get here. (Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift rehearsed this morning; both sessions were closed to media.) Meanwhile, Jake Owen is rehearsing a voiceover. Yes, America: Jake is not just a pretty, pretty face; he is also capable of saying words into a microphone. Today there are about a billion more people in here, and it’s about 15 degrees hotter.
4:50 The backing track to “What I’d Give” starts playing, and right on cue, Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush walk down the aisle. Because I do not have any journalistic objectivity when it comes to this band, I am not even going to bother trying — though I’m super psyched they’re doing this song instead of “It Happens,” which is not my favorite thing ever. There are these weird lights on the stage that look a bit like the kind that hang in gyms, or mental asylums. I smell impending theatricality. Though if the lights are it, that’s fine: I actually feared there would be Cirque du Soleil. And Cirque du Soleil TERRIFIES ME.
4:57 Kristian is soundchecking his mandolin. It is infinitely nicer than the drum soundchecks from yesterday.
5:00 Sugarland publicist tells me to start making up stuff, because it’s really boring in here right now. Um. Oh! I don’t even have to make anything up: Holly Williams — daughter of Hank Jr. — got in a fight with a security guard at the Bellagio last night, punched her right in the face with her Lanvin ring. I am also told that Jamey Johnson got busted for smoking a cigarette on stage during rehearsals. What do these two stories teach us? Do not mess with Mercury Nashville’s artists, children — they will cut you.
Apr 4
2009
03:34 AM ET
Academy of Country Music Awards rehearsals: Reba, Miranda, Carrie
Greetings from Vegas, Mixers, and the Academy of Country Music Awards! I know what you’re saying: Hey, doesn’t that show happen in the fall? No. That is the CMAs. Not to be confused with the CMTs. Or CBS, the network on which these awards air. Also, please do not make the mistake of confusing this with AIG. These are the ACMs, they air Sunday night on the Tiffany Network, and your host for the eleventh year running is one Ms. Reba McEntire. Based on the list of performers I’ve seen — Kenny, Trace, Rascal Flatts, Keith, George, Tim and Faith, Sugarland, and the three ladies I’m here to observe today — it seems you will get more than your recommended daily allowance of big-ticket Nashville action if you choose to tune in. And yes, I will be using first names almost exclusively all weekend.
I originally intended to live-blog rehearsals from inside the arena, but my plan was foiled by lack of interwebs. Now I am sitting deep in the bowels of the MGM Grand Casino And Place To Sleep, stealing wireless and a chair from the Dick Clark Productions office, and putting this up in chunks. I think it’ll be just as good. Here is what you get if you follow me after the jump (this list to be updated as exciting things happen): An interview with Reba herself! Miranda Lambert on her new single, “Dead Flowers!” Carrie Underwood’s dress! And a live chat with country star Jack Ingram!
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