I have said it before that with the Grand Ole Opry it is always a gamble when you buy tickets in advance, because at $54.00 for a prime seat, you never know what you are going to get. Sometimes the line-ups are just "ok" or you have a night like this coming Saturday night where the line-up of talent is well worth the price. This Saturday night you have Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris as the headliners.
I have mentioned before that I have been pleased with the amount of support Carrie has given the show. Since she has become a member, she has been making appearances on the show. And, what about Emmylou Harris? After going over a year without appearing on the show, she is playing all 3 shows this weekend, and that comes after appearing in December. Hopefully we will see more of her.
With the star quality on Saturday, the Opry is going to have 2 shows. Tickets are going very well for both shows that night.
Now for the line-ups:
Friday January 15
7:00: Riders In The Sky(host); The Whites; George Hamilton IV; Del McCoury Band
7:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Stonewall Jackson; Joe Diffie
8:00: Bill Anderson(host); Mike Snider; Daryle Singletary
8:30: Emmylou Harris(host); Jack Greene; Randy Kohrs
Saturday January 16
First Show
7:00: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jeannie Seely; Del McCoury Band
7:30: Mike Snider(host); The Whites; Dierks Bentley
8:00: Vince Gill(host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Emmylou Harris; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Bill Anderson(host); Carrie Underwood
Second Show
9:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jeannie Seely; Del McCoury Band
10:00: Mike Snider(host); Jan Howard; Dierks Bentley
10:30: Vince Gill(host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Emmylou Harris; Opry Square Dancers
11:00: Bill Anderson(host); Carrie Underwood
Everything I have heard is that they will not be adding an act in the final segment on the Saturday shows, but giving Carrie Underwood the extra time. I can't confirm that as of yet, that is just what I was told.
I note that everyone on Saturday night is a member. That is refreshing and welcome. Now if only there were a few more of them ....
ReplyDeleteI like that it is members only on Saturday night. If they did more of that I think it would make being an Opry member mean something more than what it is now. Of course with no television exposure, many of today's non-Opry member superstars have no reason to play the Opry.
ReplyDeleteOn the warmup show, Mike Terry just mentioned to Emmylou Harris how nice it is to have her at the Opry again and that he hoped she would be there more often. She said she was going to make the effort and that it isn't a long trip for her. Well, here's hoping.
ReplyDeleteI heard the same thing also. She lives right there in the Nashville area and doesn't tour as much as she used to, so you would think that she could make a number of appearances each year. I have seen her at the Opry several times and she is always well received. She also is a good segment host. She has been actively involved with the Country Music Foundation and the Hall of Fame. Hopefully she can add the Opry to that list.
ReplyDeleteI caught that comment from Emmylou Harris too and it struck me the same way it did you all. I have commented for years that there are several of these Opry members who live in Nashville that aren't on the road every weekend and they sit home Friday and Saturdays because they want their down time and don't want to make the short drive to the Opry House especially for scale. At one time, I think the feeling was that ole Roy or Bill or Hank or Grandpa were there and could entertain the fans and keep the Opry going. Well, they are long gone now and somebody else has got to step it up. Thank goodness, Jimmy Dickens, Vince Gill, Bill Anderson and many others recognize the importance of making the drive and making appearances. Hopefully, Emmylou will join them and bump up her appearances because she is a HOFer and marketable name
ReplyDeleteBTW, I was at the Opry early show. It was truly a fantastic show. The Ryman was packed. The highlight for me was seeing members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band performing with Del McCoury. I was at Preservation Hall in New Orleans last August to see a show, so this became a particular highlight for me Saturday. Jimmy Dickens looked great and sounded better. Emmylou Harris and Buck White danced with the Square Dancers which got a big hand. Of course, obviously Bentley, Vince Gill, Harris and Carrie Underwood were highlights too. Someone was actually scalping tickets outside the Ryman doors. I was told by someone he was asking around 100.00 per ticket.
Sorry for the delay I don't get to look at the blog as often as I would like.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I took our 11 month old son to the early show on Saturday for his first Opry experience. He loved it and clapped and danced. It was a good show for a first-time experience, I think.