In Times of Trouble … Beer!

When Music Row finds itself in times of trouble, Mother Mary suggests B-E-E-R!

Brad Paisley came out this week with his best song in a few years, “No I In Beer.” It was not part of some master plan, it just sort of jumped to the top of his song pile. It’s a song written with Kelley Lovelace in 2018, but with a few 2020 tweaks, it became a potential virus-year anthem. “We’re all in this together / To me, it’s all so clear / Drinkin’ oughta be a team effort / There is no ‘I’ in beer,” Paisley sings.

Hearing that, I reached in the jukebox memory machine and wondered if other stars have sought out beer as a subject. Are you kidding me? No quite as much as love and trucks, but beer makes a good hit subject.

Recently, “Beer Never Broke My Heart” was very good to Luke Combs, and Thomas Rhett and Jon Pardi sing “There’s nothing that a beer can’t fix” in their current hit duet. Beer works for horses, too, in Toby Keith and Willie Nelson’s “Beer for My Horses.” Tom T, Hall told us one day in 1975, “I Like Beer.” Kenny Chesney likes his beer on the road in “Beer In Mexico.” Or, at the end of the day for Brooks & Dunn in 1999’s “Beer Thirty.” There’s also Luke Bryan’s “Drink A Beer,” and one of the very best Country music beer songs, “Beer Run,” recorded by George Jones and Garth Brooks, who asked, “B Double E Double R You In?” back in 2001.

Then these’s the bored traveling song “99 Bottles Of Beer On The Wall,” plus beer commercials and jingles like “When you say Budweiser, you’ve said it all!” Beer and music just belong together.

“American Idol” and “The Voice” are making “at home” final episodes. The Grand Ole Opry is still playing to broadcast audiences only. Music Row offices and studios are at whisper levels.

Some nice charity shows online keep showing up. Willie Nelson and friends recently raised a half million dollars for the farmers in a virtual Farm Aid. The Boss and Jon Bon Jovi have “Jersey 4 Jersey” coming up on April 22nd at 7pm (ET) on multiple platforms. Musicians are trying to communicate with the cooped up fans. The music folks are ready to work!

There were several tour announcements this week for July, and a few big dates are still on the books for June. How are they going to do this? Share your secrets please.

In sports, baseball and golf may be the first back to work, but the details are far from complete. And college, how is that going to work in the fall?

Recording studios in town are nervous. Will the home studio figure even more into the mix? So many issues and changes … It’s time to “Pop A Top!”