This category kills me. It was so easy to choose my picks for Entertainer and Female Vocalist - I knew what my pick was the first time I saw the nominees. But then we get the Male Vocalist and I really like all five nominees. Three of whom are my favorite artists right now; not just in terms of male artists, but period. And the other two aren't terribly far behind. In all honesty, I wouldn't have much of a problem with any of them winning. It'll be a mixed reaction no matter what. Happiness for the winner and sadness for the losers. More so than any other category for me. This choice was a tough one and I've changed my mind more than once. A lot more than once, in fact. But after so much consideration, I have finally made my final decision.
The nominees? Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Blake Shelton and Keith Urban.
My pick for CMA Male Vocalist of the Year? Eric Church.
First, my thoughts on the other nominees. Starting with Jason Aldean, who I'd argue has probably had the best year of any of them. His record breaking My Kinda Party tour sold out every single date, selling 1.9 million tickets. His newest single "Take a Little Ride" is his 6th consecutive #1 and his new album Night Train is coming out in just a few days. When I wrote about why I believe he deserves to win Entertainer of the Year I said that I believed that this album would be his best to date. Well, iTunes has the entire Night Train up for free streaming until it's released and after listening to it, I have to say that my belief was correct. This is the best album he's ever done and I have a feeling it's going to be huge. All of that makes him a tough competitor in this category and hard not to pick. But seeing as he's my choice for Entertainer, it didn't seem right to pick him here too. Besides, my guess is that he could easily walk away with one of them, but not both. It'd be one or the other and I'd much rather see him get Entertainer.
Luke Bryan. I'll be honest and admit that I spent most of my time going back and forth between Luke and Eric. I love that they were both nominated, as both are deserving and this category needed some new blood. They shake things up nicely. Luke is crazy popular right now and seems to be getting more popular all the time. He's grown so much as a performer this year, though that's not to say that he wasn't always a good one. "Country Girl" just put him on a whole new level. Not just in terms of his success, but in terms of his confidence. He has such a great stage presence and I would not be surprised if he starts getting Entertainer nominations. It's only a matter of time. He's been on the road with Jason Aldean all year and no doubt has contributed to the overall success of the tour. Luke will be headlining his own tour next year, bringing Thompson Square and Florida Georgia Line along as openers. I have a feeling that that tour could be huge for him. Vocally speaking, he has more range that people may realize. He has a good shot at winning this.
Blake Shelton. The reigning Male Vocalist of the Year and, in my opinion, the best singer of the five nominees. If this was just about the vocal, it'd have to be Blake. But really, the title of this award is misleading. It's not all about the voice; other factors have to be taken into consideration as well. I feel like this year was more about him being on 'The Voice' than it was about him as an artist. Not to say that he hasn't been doing well as an artist; he's had a strong year overall. It'd be silly to rule him out for this award which is why I'm not. I believe that other nominees had better years than he did and honestly, I want to see this category get shaken up. Which is why I couldn't pick him.
Keith Urban. First I have to say that I can't believe that this is the only award he's up for. He should at least be in the running for Entertainer since his live show is incredible. Lately he seems constantly overlooked at awards shows, for reasons I just don't understand. I have a lot of love for Keith, but I don't think he has much of a chance here. He's sort of laid low this year, touring wise, though he's of course been busy doing other things. 'The Voice' in Australia and now 'American Idol'. And you know, getting inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, which trumps everything else in my opinion. That's something that I hope gets taken into consideration when the CMA voters vote. But still, I just don't see him getting this one. Not this year anyway.
So that's the other guys. Now let's talk about the Chief.
Before the CMA nominations were announced, I was hoping that Eric would at least get one. Well, he got one all right - along with four more. Yup, Eric Church was the most nominated artist for the CMA's this year. I imagine that there were many who were surprised by the amount of nominations he got. Eric himself perhaps being the most surprised of anyone. But all I can say about that is that it's about time. Eric's been overlooked at awards shows for far too long, in my personal opinion.
I've seen Eric a few times in concert and the first time was at a small club in Towson, Maryland a few months after his debut album came out. The club, the name of which I don't remember, was easily one of the smallest venues I've ever been to. Eric'd had some success with "How 'Bout You" and got a decent turnout. It was a small stage, but Eric had a great presence. I left there a bigger fan than when I came in.
That right there is one of the reasons why he's become so successful. He's known how to entertain a crowd from early on and he knew how to make fans and how to keep them. There was a point in his career where he wasn't having a ton of commercial success or radio airplay, but his fan base was consistently getting stronger and stronger. In a genre known for having loyal fans, his fans were extremely so. They believed in Eric and they believed in his music - and they told their family and friends. Over the years the crowds have only continued to grow. And grow.
Fast forward to May of this year when I saw him perform his first ever headlining show in Nashville. Now I could use a lot of words to compare the two experiences: my seeing him at a small club in Towson and seeing him in Nashville. But you know what they say. A picture is worth a thousand words and I have a few. I apologize for the quality of the first picture; my picture taking skills have thankfully improved since then. But while the picture may not be the greatest, it'll give you an idea of the crowd.
That was August 29th, 2006. Now let's take a look at some pictures of the crowd from May 5th of this year. The first two were taken after the last song of his main set as the audience was waiting for the encore.
I took this next one during "Springsteen" when Eric asked everyone to hold up their cell phones. This was easily one of the coolest things I've seen live. Such a cool visual! The picture really doesn't do it justice, but it's a neat picture nonetheless.
A lot has changed since 2006, huh? And to think that this happened before he was getting even half of the airplay he gets now. This has been building for a while now and is a testament to Eric's music and his strength as an artist. Eric Church fans are some of the most devoted fans I've ever seen and I'm sure any of them would tell you that it was only a matter of time before the general country audience caught on.
2012 has been very kind to Eric Church so far. His first major headlining tour; the Blood, Sweat and Beers tour; is doing great things for his career. He received the most nominations this year for a reason. Chief was such a big album for him and it's not done yet. "Springsteen" was what I'd call a monster hit. His new single "Creepin'" is doing very well so far and has what I feel is one of the best videos of the year. Certainly one of the coolest.
I have to say that that concert in May is hands down one of the best I've ever been to and I go to concerts all the time. Yesterday my dad made a comment about how Eric Church is the Undertaker of country music and I have to agree. Now, I may have just lost a few of you with that, so let me explain. I'm talking about the wrestler the Undertaker from the WWE (formerly WWF). He's been around for as long as I can remember, though he's pretty much retired. Maybe doing a match every now and then. We watched a lot of wrestling when I was growing up and would go see them when they did shows around town.
I used to be so scared of the Undertaker when I was little, to the point where I remember hiding as soon as I heard the gong that signified his impending arrival. I mean, he calls himself the Undertaker and used to hang out with a guy carrying an urn, for heaven's sake. Popping out of coffins; appearing out of nowhere; doing that thing where you can just see the whites of his eyes. Slowly walking to the ring to creepy music with smoke billowing around his feet. The aforementioned gong, going off after the lights to. Having the entire arena lit with blue lights and having a video with three little girls chanting "he's here". Yeah, that guy used to terrify me as a kid.
Now what does any of that have to do with Eric Church? Performing wise, they come from the same place.
There's a certain flare for the theatrical, done in a way that works. When we saw Eric Church in Nashville, the show begins with Eric walking out from the underneath the stage with smoke all around him. For the first several seconds, it's just his voice and his guitar standing in a spotlight on a catwalk with a curtain around the main stage. Then the full stage lights kick in as the curtain drops and the band comes in. It is by far the best entrance I've seen at a concert. Eric seems to come on stage with the knowledge that the show he and his band are about to put on is going to blow the audience's minds. And they know that because that's what they do.
Honestly, Eric deserves to be getting nominations for Entertainer and I'm positive that those are coming. His show is too strong for them not to. It didn't happen this year, obviously, but all the nominations he got means that people are paying attention. Vocally speaking, Eric is not the strongest vocalist. He's a good singer and gives a great delivery, but no, he's not the strongest singer in the category and that's okay. Voice is just one factor that comes into play for this award. One has to look at the bigger picture.
Country music, like all music, goes through different periods. Different eras, if you will. We've been in the Shelton era and it's been a great one. But now I think we need to enter the Church era. I really feel that Eric deserves this one and I can't even say how much I'd love to see him take it home.
The nominees? Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Blake Shelton and Keith Urban.
My pick for CMA Male Vocalist of the Year? Eric Church.
First, my thoughts on the other nominees. Starting with Jason Aldean, who I'd argue has probably had the best year of any of them. His record breaking My Kinda Party tour sold out every single date, selling 1.9 million tickets. His newest single "Take a Little Ride" is his 6th consecutive #1 and his new album Night Train is coming out in just a few days. When I wrote about why I believe he deserves to win Entertainer of the Year I said that I believed that this album would be his best to date. Well, iTunes has the entire Night Train up for free streaming until it's released and after listening to it, I have to say that my belief was correct. This is the best album he's ever done and I have a feeling it's going to be huge. All of that makes him a tough competitor in this category and hard not to pick. But seeing as he's my choice for Entertainer, it didn't seem right to pick him here too. Besides, my guess is that he could easily walk away with one of them, but not both. It'd be one or the other and I'd much rather see him get Entertainer.
Luke Bryan. I'll be honest and admit that I spent most of my time going back and forth between Luke and Eric. I love that they were both nominated, as both are deserving and this category needed some new blood. They shake things up nicely. Luke is crazy popular right now and seems to be getting more popular all the time. He's grown so much as a performer this year, though that's not to say that he wasn't always a good one. "Country Girl" just put him on a whole new level. Not just in terms of his success, but in terms of his confidence. He has such a great stage presence and I would not be surprised if he starts getting Entertainer nominations. It's only a matter of time. He's been on the road with Jason Aldean all year and no doubt has contributed to the overall success of the tour. Luke will be headlining his own tour next year, bringing Thompson Square and Florida Georgia Line along as openers. I have a feeling that that tour could be huge for him. Vocally speaking, he has more range that people may realize. He has a good shot at winning this.
Blake Shelton. The reigning Male Vocalist of the Year and, in my opinion, the best singer of the five nominees. If this was just about the vocal, it'd have to be Blake. But really, the title of this award is misleading. It's not all about the voice; other factors have to be taken into consideration as well. I feel like this year was more about him being on 'The Voice' than it was about him as an artist. Not to say that he hasn't been doing well as an artist; he's had a strong year overall. It'd be silly to rule him out for this award which is why I'm not. I believe that other nominees had better years than he did and honestly, I want to see this category get shaken up. Which is why I couldn't pick him.
Keith Urban. First I have to say that I can't believe that this is the only award he's up for. He should at least be in the running for Entertainer since his live show is incredible. Lately he seems constantly overlooked at awards shows, for reasons I just don't understand. I have a lot of love for Keith, but I don't think he has much of a chance here. He's sort of laid low this year, touring wise, though he's of course been busy doing other things. 'The Voice' in Australia and now 'American Idol'. And you know, getting inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, which trumps everything else in my opinion. That's something that I hope gets taken into consideration when the CMA voters vote. But still, I just don't see him getting this one. Not this year anyway.
So that's the other guys. Now let's talk about the Chief.
Before the CMA nominations were announced, I was hoping that Eric would at least get one. Well, he got one all right - along with four more. Yup, Eric Church was the most nominated artist for the CMA's this year. I imagine that there were many who were surprised by the amount of nominations he got. Eric himself perhaps being the most surprised of anyone. But all I can say about that is that it's about time. Eric's been overlooked at awards shows for far too long, in my personal opinion.
I've seen Eric a few times in concert and the first time was at a small club in Towson, Maryland a few months after his debut album came out. The club, the name of which I don't remember, was easily one of the smallest venues I've ever been to. Eric'd had some success with "How 'Bout You" and got a decent turnout. It was a small stage, but Eric had a great presence. I left there a bigger fan than when I came in.
That right there is one of the reasons why he's become so successful. He's known how to entertain a crowd from early on and he knew how to make fans and how to keep them. There was a point in his career where he wasn't having a ton of commercial success or radio airplay, but his fan base was consistently getting stronger and stronger. In a genre known for having loyal fans, his fans were extremely so. They believed in Eric and they believed in his music - and they told their family and friends. Over the years the crowds have only continued to grow. And grow.
Fast forward to May of this year when I saw him perform his first ever headlining show in Nashville. Now I could use a lot of words to compare the two experiences: my seeing him at a small club in Towson and seeing him in Nashville. But you know what they say. A picture is worth a thousand words and I have a few. I apologize for the quality of the first picture; my picture taking skills have thankfully improved since then. But while the picture may not be the greatest, it'll give you an idea of the crowd.
That was August 29th, 2006. Now let's take a look at some pictures of the crowd from May 5th of this year. The first two were taken after the last song of his main set as the audience was waiting for the encore.
I took this next one during "Springsteen" when Eric asked everyone to hold up their cell phones. This was easily one of the coolest things I've seen live. Such a cool visual! The picture really doesn't do it justice, but it's a neat picture nonetheless.
A lot has changed since 2006, huh? And to think that this happened before he was getting even half of the airplay he gets now. This has been building for a while now and is a testament to Eric's music and his strength as an artist. Eric Church fans are some of the most devoted fans I've ever seen and I'm sure any of them would tell you that it was only a matter of time before the general country audience caught on.
2012 has been very kind to Eric Church so far. His first major headlining tour; the Blood, Sweat and Beers tour; is doing great things for his career. He received the most nominations this year for a reason. Chief was such a big album for him and it's not done yet. "Springsteen" was what I'd call a monster hit. His new single "Creepin'" is doing very well so far and has what I feel is one of the best videos of the year. Certainly one of the coolest.
I have to say that that concert in May is hands down one of the best I've ever been to and I go to concerts all the time. Yesterday my dad made a comment about how Eric Church is the Undertaker of country music and I have to agree. Now, I may have just lost a few of you with that, so let me explain. I'm talking about the wrestler the Undertaker from the WWE (formerly WWF). He's been around for as long as I can remember, though he's pretty much retired. Maybe doing a match every now and then. We watched a lot of wrestling when I was growing up and would go see them when they did shows around town.
I used to be so scared of the Undertaker when I was little, to the point where I remember hiding as soon as I heard the gong that signified his impending arrival. I mean, he calls himself the Undertaker and used to hang out with a guy carrying an urn, for heaven's sake. Popping out of coffins; appearing out of nowhere; doing that thing where you can just see the whites of his eyes. Slowly walking to the ring to creepy music with smoke billowing around his feet. The aforementioned gong, going off after the lights to. Having the entire arena lit with blue lights and having a video with three little girls chanting "he's here". Yeah, that guy used to terrify me as a kid.
Now what does any of that have to do with Eric Church? Performing wise, they come from the same place.
There's a certain flare for the theatrical, done in a way that works. When we saw Eric Church in Nashville, the show begins with Eric walking out from the underneath the stage with smoke all around him. For the first several seconds, it's just his voice and his guitar standing in a spotlight on a catwalk with a curtain around the main stage. Then the full stage lights kick in as the curtain drops and the band comes in. It is by far the best entrance I've seen at a concert. Eric seems to come on stage with the knowledge that the show he and his band are about to put on is going to blow the audience's minds. And they know that because that's what they do.
Honestly, Eric deserves to be getting nominations for Entertainer and I'm positive that those are coming. His show is too strong for them not to. It didn't happen this year, obviously, but all the nominations he got means that people are paying attention. Vocally speaking, Eric is not the strongest vocalist. He's a good singer and gives a great delivery, but no, he's not the strongest singer in the category and that's okay. Voice is just one factor that comes into play for this award. One has to look at the bigger picture.
Country music, like all music, goes through different periods. Different eras, if you will. We've been in the Shelton era and it's been a great one. But now I think we need to enter the Church era. I really feel that Eric deserves this one and I can't even say how much I'd love to see him take it home.
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