Boring First Half, A Doozy Of A Second

The year is now half over. The first six months felt like a one-sided football game. We were asleep and hopeful in the first few months, busier the last few.

Now on the backside of 2021, it’s going to be -- already is -- full tilt crazy!

Full capacity events, good movies at the theaters, tourism exploding, concerts, football games … life as we once knew it and appreciating life even more after losing it!

Let’s pray that this new virus variant doesn’t spoil the party. Cases are going up around the country. Los Angeles is suggesting masks again. Better hold on!

Radio people are sort of back in the station, TV anchors too. Arena concerts with full audiences are happening with Alabama this weekend at the Bridgestone arena in downtown Nashville. Hundreds of thousands are gathering in the city for music and fireworks over the long 4th.

Headlines for the first six months of 2021: The top story early on was the shunning of Morgan Wallen, his big, #1 album and a blackballing by the industry. How will this story play out in part two of 2021? Is his music dead or alive?

On the awards show front, the ACMs are homeless for now, and the edgy CMT Music Awards are going to the anything but edgy CBS. Lady A’s name lawsuit is still in play with an angry Washington state woman. It’s been a tread water few months.

One issue that doesn’t get talked about is the vax versus anti-vax Country fans. If you noticed, it’s hardly been an all hands on deck push from Music Row to get everyone vaccinated. A few high profile artists have been pro vaccine, but the blowback on social media is nasty and loud when they are. (Dolly Parton sort of gets a pass, but she’s Dolly.)

The silence is rather loud. Look at the unvaccinated locations. Maybe they are concerned their audience will get angry. We shall see in the second half of this game.

Another singer is on voice rest … first Jon Pardi, now Cody Johnson. Alan Jackson raised two million dollars for his hometown tornado relief!

Rolling Stone magazine reviewed Trace Adkins’ new song with Luke Bryan and Pitbull, “Where The Country Girls At,” calling it lighthearted, club ready fun, then went on to say others call it inane. INANE! You don’t see that in Country song reviews very often. It’s a $10 word for those scoring: an adjective that means silly or stupid.

I say it’s a genre bender, but it’s fun. I find people who write serious reviews of songs like that inane.

So, the buses and trucks are fueled and blasting off. Garth Brooks is taking his gang to Vegas early to get ready for the July 10th stadium show. Brad Paisley is playing to the huge Nashville 4th celebration, then off to start tour in Florida.

Lets just hope this virus doesn’t blow up in anti-vax land and mess up our second half of 2021 revival.