ready to make nice?
on march 10, 2003, in a direct reaction to the escalation of war in iraq, natalie maines of the dixie chicks spoke freely to her london audience the night by declaring her shame that the president was from her home state of texas. flash forward to march of 2006 (we all know what happened in between...if you need a reminder, see the award-winning documentary shut up & sing), and the chicks came back with a superb "genre-less" album that gave country music the finger and challenged the rest of us to think that maybe, just maybe, they were right all along.
last night--at a point where the president's approval ratings have never been lower, and anti-war sentiment has never been stronger--the national academy of recording arts and sciences awarded the dixie chicks with all five grammy's that they were nominated for, including best country duo or group, best record, best song, best country album, and best overall album. it's an incredible victory for a band that remains shunned by their core fan base and all but banned from radio airwaves. of course, the question immediately rises, how politically influenced were the wins?
august 1, 2006, i had the pleasure of attending the new york performance of the chicks' accidents & accusations tour, and the energy that filled madison square garden during the rendition of "not ready to make nice" was pure electricity. three and a half years after the incident, i remember looking around the arena, a few empty seats still in the upper deck, and thinking, "soon."
now.
the winning album is called "taking the long way," and really there's no title more apt. when talent is real and material is authentic, the artistry can only be repressed for so long. country music fans might not be ready to make nice, and it might remain a challenge to find the best home for a country-based pop act, but the music industry at large has spoken and welcomed the chicks back in a big way. so, were the awards based in politics or merit? does it really matter? they were earned. a win for the chicks is a win for good music and a win for free speech. a win for free speech, is a win for us all.
last week, a second alumni from my high school was killed in iraq; a girl, four years my minor, i didn't know her. another name on the list of over 3000. maybe natalie was onto something after all in march of 2003.
last night--at a point where the president's approval ratings have never been lower, and anti-war sentiment has never been stronger--the national academy of recording arts and sciences awarded the dixie chicks with all five grammy's that they were nominated for, including best country duo or group, best record, best song, best country album, and best overall album. it's an incredible victory for a band that remains shunned by their core fan base and all but banned from radio airwaves. of course, the question immediately rises, how politically influenced were the wins?
august 1, 2006, i had the pleasure of attending the new york performance of the chicks' accidents & accusations tour, and the energy that filled madison square garden during the rendition of "not ready to make nice" was pure electricity. three and a half years after the incident, i remember looking around the arena, a few empty seats still in the upper deck, and thinking, "soon."
now.
the winning album is called "taking the long way," and really there's no title more apt. when talent is real and material is authentic, the artistry can only be repressed for so long. country music fans might not be ready to make nice, and it might remain a challenge to find the best home for a country-based pop act, but the music industry at large has spoken and welcomed the chicks back in a big way. so, were the awards based in politics or merit? does it really matter? they were earned. a win for the chicks is a win for good music and a win for free speech. a win for free speech, is a win for us all.
last week, a second alumni from my high school was killed in iraq; a girl, four years my minor, i didn't know her. another name on the list of over 3000. maybe natalie was onto something after all in march of 2003.
posted by mark at 11:52 AM
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you disappoint me
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