by Julian Spivey
His sound and voice were unmistakable. Unmistakable and inimitable. Robbie Robertson might have been the genius behind the words, but the late Levon Helm was the soul behind The Band.
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Helm died on Thursday (April 19) from throat cancer. He was 71.

Helm was the drummer, one of music’s most iconic, for The Band and vocalist on not all, but many of their biggest and most recognizable tunes like “The Weight,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “Up On Cripple Creek.”

Along with Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson, Helm helped make some of the most distinctive and original sounding music that rock history has ever seen. The Band was known for its rootsy Americana type sound that honestly sounded like it could’ve come out of any era and dealt with outside the box topics like the American Civil War (“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”), Unions (“King Harvest (Has Surely Come)”) and particularly the American South.

You could argue that no band has ever sounded as American as The Band, which is particularly interesting given the fact that Helm was the only American born member of the group. Robertson, Danko, Manuel and Hudson all hailed from Canada. Helm was born in the small town of Elaine, Ark. and grew up in Turkey Scratch, Ark the son of cotton farmers. This upbringing naturally leads credence to Robertson’s lyrics. It brings it to life so effortlessly that you see the picture the song is painting so vividly in your mind, despite the fact that most of us have never experienced such topics. Last week in an Esquire piece Charles P. Pierce stated that Helm was the “Real Voice of America” and he hit the nail right on the head.

After The Band split up in 1976, something I’m not sure Helm (who didn’t want the group to split) ever got over with Robertson on, Helm had a successful solo career which included winning Grammy Awards for his final two albums “Dirt Farmer” (2007) and “Electric Dirt” (2009). He also won a Grammy earlier this year for his live album “Ramble at the Ryman.”

The truly tragic thing about Helm and The Band, in general, is that I fear they have or at least will become forgotten by this generation or future generations. The music is timeless, but the minds and attention spans of listeners are increasingly becoming more and more dumbed down. Helm and The Band’s music was anything but typical, even for its day and time and that would probably be its curse among new listeners, if they even gave it a chance from the beginning.  

Helm is now gone, but his legendary music will live on forever. One of The Band’s best recordings was “When I Paint My Masterpiece.” Levon Helm has painted his and what a masterpiece it proved to be.     

by Julian Spivey

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers have been rocking America for nearly 40 years, but somehow have managed to skip Arkansas until tonight (April 21) when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees took the stage at North Little Rock’s Verizon Arena. One thing was certain Saturday night, Arkansas sure loved them some Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. Based on Petty’s reactions throughout the night, the feeling seemed mutual.
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The evening began with about a 45 minute performance from opening act Regina Spektor, who seemed to perform the same song 10 times in a row, despite me knowing better. Spektor seemed like an awkward choice for opener from the start of the tour announcement.

Once TP&HB took the stage the night flowed effortlessly from start-to-finish. The band opened up the night with the hit “Listen to Her Heart,” from the 1978 album “You’re Gonna Get It!”

What followed was a great mixture of Petty classics that all rock fans know by heart and deep cuts from albums, both recent and years gone by. The hits had the thousands of fans in attendance on their feet, shimmying in the aisle and singing along. The lesser known tunes didn’t break the audience’s attention, as happens with some artists, as the fans marveled at the Heartbreakers musicianship like lead guitarist Mike Campbell’s fine shredding on bluesy tunes like “I Should Have Known It” and “Good Enough” from the group’s most recent album, 2010’s “Mojo” and Benmont Tench’s masterful, prolonged piano solo on “Melinda.”

Among the rare album tracks that made their way into Petty’s setlist were two of my favorite performances of the night: the fun, story song “Spike” from 1985’s “Southern Accents” and “Yer So Bad” from 1989’s “Full Moon Fever.” The night also included a rare album track from 1981’s “Hard Promises” album titled “Something Big” that I had not previously heard and enjoyed thoroughly.

Petty’s hits were as good as expected and worth the money everyone paid to hear them. Included in the setlist were standard Petty tunes like “Free Fallin’,” “I Won’t Back Down,” “Runnin’ Down a Dream,” “Refugee,” “Here Comes My Girl” and “Learning to Fly.” Listening to the entire crowd sing every word of “Free Fallin’” along with Petty instantly became one of the greatest concert moments that I’ve ever witnessed.

Other highlights from the show included the band’s performance of “You Wreck Me” from the 1995 “Wildflowers” album, a Traveling Wilbury classic “Handle With Care,” in which band member Scott Thurston sang the late Roy Orbison’s part and a cover of the blues classic, made famous by Bo Diddley, “I’m a Man.”

Following an uproarious enticement by the crowd, Petty & the Heartbreakers returned for a two-song encore of “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” and “American Girl” that perfectly capped off the night. “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” and “American Girl” happen to be my two favorite Petty songs, so the encore became the most memorable I’ve ever seen, as well as my favorite performances of the night.

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers is one of those rock bands that you must see live. It’s an experience I’ll never forget and one more dream concert I can now check off of my list. 

by Julian Spivey
Vocal Event of the Year
Nominees:
*”Old Alabama” Brad Paisley feat. Alabama
*”Don’t You Wanna Stay” Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson
*”Country Boy” Aaron Lewis feat. Charlie Daniels & George Jones
*”Remind Me” Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood
*”You & Tequila” Kenny Chesney feat. Grace Potter

Who Should Win: “You & Tequila” – It’s almost a toss up between “You & Tequila” and “Remind Me,” as both were probably top 5 songs last year in country music, but I like the Chesney/Potter tune just a little bit more.
Who Will Win: “Don’t You Wanna Stay” - Despite “You & Tequila” and “Remind Me” being far superior, Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson’s “Don’t You Wanna Stay” duet was the bigger hit and will likely win.

Music Video of the Year
Nominees:
*”Tattoos On This Town” Jason Aldean
*”Just a Kiss” Lady Antebellum
*”Homeboy” Eric Church
*”Red Solo Cup” Toby Keith
*”Mean” Taylor Swift

Who Should Win: “Homeboy” – Alright, I know that this award is strictly for music videos, but I always like to see the best song win either way. For that reason, I think Eric Church’s “Homeboy” should be the winner. It’s a shame that guy hasn’t won a major award yet.
Who Will Win: “Mean” or “Red Solo Cup” – I can’t even make an official prediction as to who will take home this award, that’s how close it is. It really depends on whether the ACM Awards want to be serious or show a sense of humor. If serious, expect Taylor Swift’s “Mean” to win. If funny, expect Toby Keith’s “Red Solo Cup” to win.

Song of the Year

Nominees:
*”Just a Kiss” Lady Antebellum
*”Home” Dierks Bentley
*”Crazy Girl” Eli Young Band
*”Threaten Me With Heaven” Vince Gill
*”You & Tequila” Kenny Chesney feat. Grace Potter
Who Should Win: “You & Tequila” – Simply put Kenny Chesney’s “You & Tequila” was the best song nominated this year.

Who Will Win – “Crazy Girl” – I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see Lady Antebellum’s “Just a Kiss” or Dierks Bentley’s “Home” win this award, but I’ll go with Eli Young Band’s “Crazy Girl,” which was the most played country song of 2011.

Single of the Year:

Nominees:
*”Don’t You Wanna Stay” Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson
*”Crazy Girl” Eli Young Band
*”Red Solo Cup” Toby Keith
*”You & Tequila” Kenny Chesney feat. Grace Potter
*”Tomorrow” Chris Young

Who Should Win: “You & Tequila” – See reasoning above.

Who Will Win: “Crazy Girl” – See reasoning above.

New Artist of the Year
Nominees:
*Brantley Gilbert
*Hunter Hayes
*Scotty McCreery

Who Should Win: None of These – In fact, Sunny Sweeney should actually win this award, but wasn’t even nominated … oh, well.

Who Will Win: Scotty McCreery – I think that this award is fan voted (don’t hold me to it), which means Scotty McCreery and his crazy “American Idol” fans will run away with this.

Vocal Group of the Year

Nominees:
*Lady Antebellum
*The Band Perry
*Eli Young Band
*Zac Brown Band
*Rascal Flatts

Who Should Win: The Band Perry – Some might think I’m playing an April Fool’s Day joke here, but I’m not. Their performances of “You Lie” and “All Your Life” make them well-worthy of this honor.
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Who Will Win: Lady Antebellum – This award used to be the “Rascal Flatts Award,” but country music is no longer short on good vocal groups. This is a packed field this year, but Lady Antebellum seems to have somewhat of a hold on it.

Vocal Duo of the Year

Nominees:
*Love & Theft
*Montgomery Gentry
*Steel Magnolia
*Sugarland
*Thompson Square

Who Should Win: Thompson Square – Montgomery Gentry is the best, most talented duo in this category, no doubt, but they don’t deserve the honor this year. Thompson Square should get it just based on their smash “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not.”

Who Will Win: Sugarland – This is pretty much the “Sugarland Award” now and that won’t change this year, despite a rather uneventful year for the duo.

Album of the Year:

Nominees:
*”My Kinda Party” Jason Aldean
*“Own The Night” Lady Antebellum
*”Hemingway’s Whiskey” Kenny Chesney
*”Chief” Eric Church
*”Four the Record” Miranda Lambert

Who Should Win: “Chief” – There’s no doubt in my mind that Eric Church’s third album “Chief” was the best in country music in 2011. Kenny Chesney’s “Hemingway’s Whiskey” and Miranda Lambert’s “Four the Record” are both great, as well, but Church should run away with this one.

Who Will Win: “My Kinda Party” – There’s little doubt in my mind that Jason Aldean’s “My Kinda Party” is the worst album nominated among this group this year, which is why I’ll be extremely pissed off when his name is announced as winner on Sunday night.
 
Female Vocalist of the Year

Nominees:
*Sara Evans
*Miranda Lambert
*Martina McBride
*Taylor Swift
*Carrie Underwood

Who Should Win: Miranda Lambert – Miranda Lambert is not the most popular female vocalist in this field, but she is world’s better than the other four nominees. This shouldn’t even be a competition.

Who Will Win: Miranda Lambert – This is one of the few awards that I actually think will turn out the way that it should.

Male Vocalist of the Year
Nominees:
*Jason Aldean
*Blake Shelton
*Brad Paisley
*Kenny Chesney
*Chris Young

Who Should Win: Kenny Chesney – Just listen to “You & Tequila” and “Somewhere with You” and tell me this guy doesn’t deserve this honor this year.

Who Will Win: Blake Shelton – This award is very wide open, as well, and I could honestly see any one of these guys taking home the statue. Blake Shelton has been winning this award lately, so I think he will again.

Entertainer of the Year
Nominees:
*Jason Aldean
*Kenny Chesney
*Brad Paisley
*Blake Shelton
*Taylor Swift

Who Should Win: Kenny Chesney – He wasn’t the most talked about country music artist of the last year, but of those nominated he had the best album and best songs. He should be the winner.

Who Will Win: Taylor Swift – Since this honor is one that is voted on by the fans (which makes the night’s biggest honor also the most bogus), Taylor Swift will likely win in a landslide. 
 

by Julian Spivey
Miranda Lambert brought the house down at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock on Friday night with a rip roaring performance of her kickass brand of country music.
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Lambert opened the show with a track from her most recent album “Four the Record” titled “Fastest Girl in Town,” which is in the style of many of her hardest charging hits like “Kerosene” and “Gunpowder & Lead,” minus the revenge on a guy aspect. She then followed that up with the perfectly placed “Kerosene,” her first massive hit from her 2005 debut album of the same name, which had the crowd pumped up and ready to go for the remainder of the set.

Lambert followed the opening performances with hit after hit mixed in with tracks from “Four the Record.” Among the “Four the Record” performances were the album’s first two singles: the typical Lambert “Baggage Claim” and the emotional “Over You.” Also, performed from the album were “All Kinds of Kinds,” “Mama’s Broken Heart” and surprisingly “Fine Tune,” which has to be the sexiest performance of a song I’ve ever seen at a concert.

Among the “greatest hits” selections were “Gunpowder & Lead,” “Dead Flowers,” “More Like Her,” “New Strings,” “Famous in a Small Town,” “Heart Like Mine,” “Only Prettier” and “White Liar” all of which sounded as good live as they do on her albums. 
My favorite performance of the night was “The House That Built Me,” which will probably be Lambert’s essential song no matter how many more great albums and tracks she releases. All great artists have “that song” that will be the first to pop into minds of people everywhere and this is it for Lambert.

The biggest surprise from Lambert’s set was a cover of a Lady Gaga song … nope, that’s not a typo or error, she actually performed Lady Gaga’s Grammy nominated hit “You & I,” which she said would make a great country song. I agree and have actually said as much before hearing Lambert’s countrified version. I wouldn’t mind hearing Lambert cut “You & I” for her next album.

Lambert’s opening acts where the massively talented Chris Young and the not worth wasting much ink on Jerrod Neimann. Young performed his biggest hits like “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song),” “Voices,” “The Man I Want to Be” and “Tomorrow” all in his silky smooth voice that recently saw him nominated for ACM Male Vocalist of the Year. Two of the biggest highlights from Young’s opening set where his current single “Neon” and “Lost,” which hopefully will be eventually released as a single.

After Lambert’s set she returned to the stage for an encore of an Aretha Franklin song that I failed to catch the name of and then she was joined on stage by Young and Niemann for a cover of the Billy Joe Shaver written, Waylon Jennings recorded “Honky Tonk Heroes,” which was a fitting way to end the night.    

This was the third time I’ve seen Miranda Lambert in concert, but the first time I’ve seen her as a headliner. I can only say that she’s getting even better each time I see her.