Quotable Country – 03/09/09 Edition

Click the bullet after each quote to visit the original source.

The old folks loved us. I made the conscious effort to (dress up), because I don’t think that there’s anything more shameful in the world than putting your boots in the same box that Hank Williams did in blue jeans and a T-shirt. That (stuff) is shameful. ●
- – Justin Townes Earle remembers his first Opry appearance and calls for a higher standard of decorum in the circle. Thanks to Trailer for bringing this one to my attention. Tips are always appreciated.

Young people today are very smart, and they’re figuring out where the bodies are buried, just like they did in the ’60s when the folk scare came around. It’s kind of happening all over again. Acoustic guitars and harmonica racks are cool again. ●
- – There goes Justin Townes Earle being right again.

Imagine my surprise recently after I included my New England clam chowder recipe with my column and received a message from my e-mail pal, Matt, who works for Comedy Central’s The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Matt was hungry for some chowder, so he made it, ate it and said it hit the spot! Thanks for reading me, Matt. Kenny Chesney reads me, too. All the smart young girls and cool young guys do. ●
- – Hazel Smith wants you to know that she’s hip. Also, the Daily Show just got a lot less cool by association.

I would love to have a sold-out tour in London and Scotland and Germany and Australia and Canada. ●
- – Taylor Swift is setting her sights pretty low. If she really wanted to, she could probably buy London and Scotland and Germany and Australia and Canada. I hear the US is going pretty cheap these days too.

My break came in Nashville, where I was visiting, in 1998. It was at a karaoke bar called Lonnie’s Western Room. The owner of the famous Fiddle and Steel Guitar Bar approached me after I sang and asked if I would like to perform at his place. Great musicians hung out there. I said, “Man, I don’t even live here, but if I ever move down, I’d sure like to.” ●
- – Gary LeVox (The Voice) on his big break. Like they say, once a karaoke singer…

I thought the concert was very good. They played a wide range of their songs and I thought Gary sounded so much better this year than he has in past years. He’s starting to get better at singing live. ●
- – A fan responds to a negative Rascal Flatts concert review. Ideally the whole managing-to-carry-a-tune-in-concert thing would happen sooner than a decade into one’s touring career.

I totally, 100% disagree with your statement and you must be a complete moron to think otherwise. I probably assume you know nothing of Country music and probably are lookign forward to Jonas brothers concert. ●
- – Another fan responds. Zing. You’re probably one of those classless Jonas Brothers fans instead of one of us discerning Rascal Flatts fans. Also, Kettle, you are black.

And who is it to say that the music that they selected for this year houston livestock show and rodeo are not country there are only two days that i do not agree that should be there and they are only there because racial people complain and posted the rodeo. Come on people. This is a rodeo shouldnt there be winner in the houston livestock & rodeo. RASCAL FLATTS YOU ROCK!!!!!!!! KEEP WINNING ALL THE AWARDS!!!!!!! ●
- – completely incomprehensible gibberish blah blah RASCAL FLATTS YOU ROCK!!!!

Q: Why the name Lady Antebellum?
A: We love the beautiful antebellum homes in the South and thought it was a cool word. We thought it was weird enough to work. ●
- – Still waiting for someone to tell Hillary Scott and her bandmates the definition of “antebellum.”

Then at the Grammys, I could have thrown a rock and hit Paul McCartney in the head. It’s things like that you never imagine in your wildest dreams you’d be given the opportunity to do. ●
- – Like Ms. Scott, I’ve always dreamed of having the opportunity to throw a rock at Paul McCartney’s head.

Rodeo is the good Lord’s favorite sport. ●
- – Oddly enough, Trace Adkins speaking on behalf of Jesus probably won’t be as controversial as John Rich speaking on behalf of Johnny Cash. (Wow, that was only the second edition of Quotable ever.)

It was kind of bullsh-t anyway. (Lucinda Williams’ producer) Gurf Morlix called it No Discretion. It was like 50 million bands that bought an old and ragged straw cowboy hat and started doing country — and now they’re all gone. The basis of the music is always great songwriting, and that was never there. It’s not there now. As much as I love the new sounds and writers, I don’t hear great songwriting. You have to go back to Dylan and Tyson and Van Morrison for that. ●
- – Tom Russell isn’t a fan of the whole No Depression movement.

The radio stations are owned by corporations, which makes it kind of harder to get on the radio. You can’t really establish a close relationship with a program director or a DJ and count on that to get your record played. You really have to impress the consultants. That’s different. The DJs can’t play what they like. They’re pretty much told what to play by the corporate people. ●
- – Mark Chesnutt on the trouble with mainstream radio today.

The crowd sat in stunned silence as the two female fiddlers and mandolin player looked like they were more ready for a set at a “gentleman’s club” than a country show — Daisy Dukes with fishnet stockings and stiletto high heels, a pink wig with latex stockings and purple boots? ●
- – Jypsi continues to baffle just about everyone with its odd attire.