Although the Real. Texas. Festival. is more than just a concert, music plays a huge role in the overall presentation of the event.
That being said, arguably music's biggest night goes down in a few days with the 53rd annual Grammy awards. Of the awards shows for the music industry, we believe this one to be the best as it rewards excellence in all facets of the industry.
It's not a popularity contest. It's not who sold the most albums in any given year.
And, it's a good thing because record sales remain directly in the toilet.
One of the things we like do do each year is try to predict the winners in some of the major categories. The telecast takes place on CBS Feb. 13. Here we go:
Record of the Year: My pick is "Love the Way You Lie" Eminem featuring Rhiana for the imagery and the message. The winner will be Lady Antebellum's "Need you Now." The group will continue to get mileage out of a two-year-old song.
Album of the Year: "Recovery" Eminem.
Song of the Year: "House the Built Me" as performed by Miranda Lambert. Wish that were true ... it will go to "Need you Now" because of the crossover, multi-genre appreciation. Sure, the Grammys are not a popularity contest, but when a song becomes a hit in four different genres, it needs to be given much respect.
Best New Artist: As much as it makes me crazy, give me Justin Bieber here. Mumford and Sons are my favorites in this category. Drake might also have something to say about the outcome.
Best Pop Vocal Album: "The Fame Monster" Lady Gaga.
Best Rock Album: "Emotion and Commotion" Jeff Beck is the best album, but winner will be "The Resistance" by Muse.
Best Alternative Album: Tough call here. Either "Brothers" by Black Keys or "The Suburbs" by Arcade Fire.
Best Rap Album: "Recovery" Eminem.
Best Female Country Vocal Performance: "Temporary Home" by Carrie Underwood. If she'll settle into her role as the Country Celine Dion, she'd be tough to beat. They need to stop giving her all of these modified rock songs. She can't do them.
Best Male Country Vocal Performance: "'Til Summer Comes Around" by Keith Urban should win. The sentimental pick will be Toby Keith for "Cryin For Me" written and performed in memory of jazz musician and former NBA star Wayman Tisdale.
Best Country Performance Duo or Group: "Free" by Zac Brown Band should win. The winner will be Lady Antebellum for "Need you Now" -- and if so, I will need a trash can now.
Best Country Song: "House that Built Me" is a tremendous song. It's the best song in the category. It won't win. The winner will be "Need You Now."
Best Country Album: Very tough call. Every album in the category could win. I'll pick two that could take it. "Revolution" Miranda Lambert and "You Get what You Give" Zac Brown Band.
Best Tejano Album: Not very familiar with the nominees so I'm going to use the homer rule and pick "Recuerdos" from Real. Texas. Festival. alumni Little Joe y La Familia.
I'll be watching next Sunday ... or least we'll get the DvR cued up and ready.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Approaching the 100-day mark
The check list is being developed.
We're about 100 days out from Real. Texas. Festival. 2011 and although I knew it was going to happen, I just couldn't stop it.
In August, I told people that I was going to ramp up my planning efforts for the festival. They scoffed. "Good Lord! That's in April. You have eight or nine months for gosh sakes," they said.
I told them that as sure as I'm sitting here (I was sitting down at the time I said this ... or I might have been standing ... it doesn't matter), I would look up at the calendar in what seemed like a couple of days and it would be mid January or first of February.
And, here we are. It seems like a few days since August and here it is mid January and we are watching the rope that holds the mine car getting frayed and close to breaking.
Pretty soon, the RTF mine car will become run-away in nature and if we're not careful, it will overwhelm everyone and in an other couple of days from now, it will be April 1.
So, we are making the list and checking things off as we get them accomplished -- looking to have no stone go unturned.
One of the things we are happy we don't have to worry about is the entertainment line up. It's set and locked in.
I read recently about a winter music festival that was being planned for Aspen, Colo. The organizers decided to delay the festival one year ... setting its sites on 2012. They gave some interesting reasons.
One of the reasons was that the city council didn't approve the special event permit. Well, that should wrap it up right there.
But the organizers went on.
Aspen Skiing Company spokesperson Jeff Hanle said, "as organizers tried to assemble a lineup, it found that the performers it wanted to book were no longer available, and those who were available weren't big enough to draw the kinds of crowds it wanted."
Translation: We got started too late. Also, the performers that WERE big enough to draw the kinds of crowds the event wanted were probably too expensive. The event simply couldn't afford them.
I believe the Aspen folks learned a valuable lesson regarding the entertainment industry. With record sales limping along, artists are touring more. And, there seem to be more venues cropping up everywhere.
We've certainly experienced that. The two casinos have spiced things up in Dallas-Fort Worth for sure. The two locations are within 100 miles of the Metroplex so Metroplex venues often fall in the 90-day booking radius clause in most contracts.
It states that the artist won't book a show within a certain radius within 90 days. In our case, an artist booked at Winstar in Thackerville, Okla., in February might be off limits to us.
That's why the RTF tries to have its entertainers booked by October and November ... and tries to have the headliners booked much earlier than that. We can reverse the whip on Winstar. Of course, we contend Winstar and Choctaw are overpaying for entertainers because they can ... but that's another story altogether.
So, the check list continues to get marked up as we get closer to the festival.
Headliners booked? Check.
Entertainment line up completed? Check
Vendor recruitment underway? Check
Sponsorships locked in and resigned? Not so much ... still working on it.
Oh ... and by the way ... did we mention this year's headliners are Stoney Larue on Friday and Eli Young Band on Saturday? Good times.
We're about 100 days out from Real. Texas. Festival. 2011 and although I knew it was going to happen, I just couldn't stop it.
In August, I told people that I was going to ramp up my planning efforts for the festival. They scoffed. "Good Lord! That's in April. You have eight or nine months for gosh sakes," they said.
I told them that as sure as I'm sitting here (I was sitting down at the time I said this ... or I might have been standing ... it doesn't matter), I would look up at the calendar in what seemed like a couple of days and it would be mid January or first of February.
And, here we are. It seems like a few days since August and here it is mid January and we are watching the rope that holds the mine car getting frayed and close to breaking.
Pretty soon, the RTF mine car will become run-away in nature and if we're not careful, it will overwhelm everyone and in an other couple of days from now, it will be April 1.
So, we are making the list and checking things off as we get them accomplished -- looking to have no stone go unturned.
One of the things we are happy we don't have to worry about is the entertainment line up. It's set and locked in.
I read recently about a winter music festival that was being planned for Aspen, Colo. The organizers decided to delay the festival one year ... setting its sites on 2012. They gave some interesting reasons.
One of the reasons was that the city council didn't approve the special event permit. Well, that should wrap it up right there.
But the organizers went on.
Aspen Skiing Company spokesperson Jeff Hanle said, "as organizers tried to assemble a lineup, it found that the performers it wanted to book were no longer available, and those who were available weren't big enough to draw the kinds of crowds it wanted."
Translation: We got started too late. Also, the performers that WERE big enough to draw the kinds of crowds the event wanted were probably too expensive. The event simply couldn't afford them.
I believe the Aspen folks learned a valuable lesson regarding the entertainment industry. With record sales limping along, artists are touring more. And, there seem to be more venues cropping up everywhere.
We've certainly experienced that. The two casinos have spiced things up in Dallas-Fort Worth for sure. The two locations are within 100 miles of the Metroplex so Metroplex venues often fall in the 90-day booking radius clause in most contracts.
It states that the artist won't book a show within a certain radius within 90 days. In our case, an artist booked at Winstar in Thackerville, Okla., in February might be off limits to us.
That's why the RTF tries to have its entertainers booked by October and November ... and tries to have the headliners booked much earlier than that. We can reverse the whip on Winstar. Of course, we contend Winstar and Choctaw are overpaying for entertainers because they can ... but that's another story altogether.
So, the check list continues to get marked up as we get closer to the festival.
Headliners booked? Check.
Entertainment line up completed? Check
Vendor recruitment underway? Check
Sponsorships locked in and resigned? Not so much ... still working on it.
Oh ... and by the way ... did we mention this year's headliners are Stoney Larue on Friday and Eli Young Band on Saturday? Good times.
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