Here is this week's Grand Ole Opry line-ups:
Friday March 5
7:00: Jeannie Seely(host); Jimmy C. Newman; Chuck Wicks
7:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Marty Raybon
INTERMISSION
8:15: John Conlee(host); Riders In The Sky; Connie Smith; Mandy Barnett
8:45: Mike Snider(host); Jan Howard; Jim Ed Brown; Montgomery Gentry
Saturday March 6
7:00: Jimmy Dickens(host); John Conlee; Emily West
7:30: Bill Anderson(host); Jack Greene; Del McCoury Band
INTERMISSION
8:15: Mike Snider(host); The Whites; Little Texas; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Riders In The Sky(host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Jim Ed Brown Sammy Kershaw
It is a safe bet that with Sammy Kershaw on Saturday night that Lorrie Morgan will be nowhere to be seen!!! Also, I noticed that Bill Anderson is not in the final segment on Saturday night, which is where he traditionally has been since Hank Snow passed away.
As far as the rest of the line-up, Friday night is highlighted by Montgomery Gentry, with the rest of the line-up nothing really special. Saturday night looks like it might be the stronger of the two nights this weekend.
Here is the line-up for the Tuesday Night Opry, March 9
7:00: Riders In The Sky; Steep Canyon Rangers
7:30: Jeannie Seely; Love & Theft
INTERMISSION
8:15: John Conlee; Terri Clark
8:45: Jimmy Dickens; Lorrie Morgan
Not too bad for the Tuesday night show.
I didn't want to do a whole post on this intermission business with the Opry, but I listened to the Friday Night Opry last night, and Jimmy Dickens finishes his final song and Eddie Stubbs comes on with the sponsor and Jimmy's sign-off, then he announces that for those in the Opry House, there will be a 15 minute intermission so that they can go to the refreshment stands and the Opry shop. For those listening on the radio, he said that we would hear some music from Opry artists on tonight's show and scheduled to appear on upcoming shows. Then, they went to a commercial. That was when I turned it off.
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten that there was going to be a 15 minute intermission during the show---just wasn't thinking. But, when it came on and listening to it on the radio, it just broke the flow of the whole show. If I wanted to listed to records, I could listen to my local country station. I wanted to hear the Opry. I wonder how many others turned the station when the commercials and records came on.
I turned it back on after about 10 minutes, and when they finally went back to the live show, it was as if they were starting the Opry over again. It just didn't seem right.
I know they are doing this intermission to sell more pop, hotdogs and Opry books. But, the show is only 2 hours long. I would think most people could sit through a 2 hour show. Besides, they have video monitors at the refreshment stands and even in the restrooms, so you are missing nothing. This is nothing more than a money grab by Gaylord!!
I think I will continue my practice of listening to the Opry on delayed basis on Sirius/XM, when they play it at 9pm. When they do the replay, they cut out the commercials, so the show goes pretty fast and it is all live music. As much as I enjoy listening to the "live" broadcast with the commercials, on most nights, I will probably go the Sirius route.
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ReplyDeleteAgree that XM Sirius is the way to go. That is what I have been doing the past couple of weeks. I didn't think I was gonna to like the XM feed without commericals, but I do. . .since the commercials are becoming so repetitive and long.
ReplyDeleteObviously, as I've stated before, hate the games they are playing with this American institution.
Hate the intermission. Hate the shorter shows. Disappointed in the reduction in artists per show(especially Tuesday. . .which is really just a concert without any interaction between the artists themselves on stage). Disappointed that there is no TV. There are too many shows running(Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays etc etc etc) which only waters down the brand futher.
In regards to the intermissions, one of things I loved about the Opry, back in the good ole days, was that it was a non-stop barrage of country greats dizzily hitting you rapid fire, especially back when they had 25-30 acts on a two and half hour show. The commercials were shorter and even the sponsers were entertaining with the jingles, stage props, backdrops, etc.
It was intense and magical. Exciting. It was a circus unlike any other show in the world.
Sadly, the Opry is becoming more and more like any other run of the mill concert that you can go see in your local town. The pace has slowed to a crawl. Too many breaks. It is becoming very difficult to listen to it on the radio.
If they are not careful, the things that make the Opry distinct and worthwhile will be all but gone, and it well may have already passed that point.
BTW, speaking of concerts, just snagged a ticket to Brooks and Dunn advertised last concert of their career, a show for the HOF at Nashville's arena in August. The cost was only 34.00 including all charges for any ticket in the arena. Never have seen them before, since they made very few Opry appearances, so I'm looking forward to seeing them. The tickets were gone very fast. Now they might come out of retirement someday(they are still young), but thought it would be a good opportunity at a good price to see them in concert.
I would like to echo the above post. Granted, times and tastes change, and I don't mind the Opry making SOME changes. In the past, I have been highly critical of Pete Fisher's treatment of older artists, feeling that it also hurt the fans. Now I almost suspect they are looking for an excuse to shut it down. I never thought I'd say that.
ReplyDeleteI know that many of you listen to the Opry on Sirius radio. Did any of you notice that on Saturday night's show, that they edited out all of Jimmy Dicken's jokes? If you listed to it, he did his first song, then the usual joke about getting his picture taken, then his joke about being "Willie Nelson after taxes", and then they cut right to his intro of John Conlee. I know that I listed to the live feed on WSM earlier in the evening, and all the jokes were there. Basically, they cut about 5 minutes out of the replay. Wonder what was up with that?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it's because the show ran a little long? Anyway, I have to say, The Potato sounded pretty close to normal. It was also nice to hear Mike Snider ask Charlie Collins how long he worked with Mr. Acuff. I'd like to throw in that his fiddling partner, Earl White, is the last performing member of the Crook Brothers, the last original group from the Opry, and Earl first came to the Opry in 1955 as a fiddler.
ReplyDeleteI kind of thought they had been cutting some content out of the XM-Sirius broadcast. If they are going to start doing a lot of that, then I'll go back to the internet feed. I wonder who actually edits that, XM Sirius or WSM people?
ReplyDeleteI noticed that Lorrie Morgan has cancelled from tonight's Tuesday Night Opry and replaced by Exile.
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