“Just Me Or Does She Look Pregnant?”

We preface all of this with the fact we revere this award show above all others.  As past winners, we are lifetime members and voters in the Country Music Association.  I never notice them throughout the year, but on this night I always try to find our CMA Awards (found them on the entry hall table...seriously, I did not know where they were) and remember a great night and our lifelong commitment to this music and its promotion.

For years Debbie and I have said we should record our comments during the award shows:  unedited raw and real.  So why not?  Here are our thoughts (as the show unfolded) on last night's CMA Awards.

OPENING NUMBER

-What is Carrie wearing? Just me or does she look pregnant?

-OMG...Loretta Lynn’s there?! That’s good cuz she’s been in a bad way for a while

-This isn't doing it for me.  There's just too many people.  I get what the CMA was trying to do, but instead of making me nostalgic, it’s making me depressed.  The years have not been kind to Tanya Tucker. This is sad to say, but I'll say it...Martina McBride can't hit the high notes anymore and they're hiding it with a group chorus.  Speaking of which...

-You know it always amazes me how women gleefully sing and celebrate homicide.  Has ANY woman EVER listened to the lyrics of “Independence Day?"  Y'all, this is a song about domestic violence and murder.  There are no good guys here.

REBA, DOLLY, & CARRIE MONOLOGUE

-People who aren't comics or naturally funny shouldn't be made to do this.  Can't we just get on with it?

-Did Reba just make a plastic surgery joke? Wow.  "Hi Kettle, I'm Pot and you're black." <g>

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

-"God’s Country"/Blake Shelton.  You know, if I'm honest, not a big fan of this particular song, but love Blake and love the Earl Thomas Conley dedication.

DAN + SHAY PERFORM "SPEECHLESS"

-Shay Mooney can sing his arse off.  This was flawless

SONG OF THE YEAR

-"Beautiful Crazy"/Luke Combs. No problem with this whatsoever, and good for co-writer Wyatt Durette. Also would have had no problem with "Tequila" winning

REBA PERFORMS "FANCY"

-She may not be able to hold some notes like the old days, but Reba can still belt this one out.  There should be no question she belongs in the same breath with the biggest names in the history of country music-no question.  If there's a Mt. Rushmore for Country ladies, she's gotta be on it.  Could have done w/o the progressive striptease tho ;)

-Blake singing along, Gwen looks completely lost...funny

-BTW, Billy Ray Cyrus rumored to be next actor to portray “Cousin It” in Adams Family movie

PINK & CHRIS STAPLETON PERFORM "LOVE ME ANYWAY"

-Really love this song. Wish there was more of him in it. Pink is a great talent

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

-Ashley McBryde. This might wind up being my fave award of the night. LOVE LOVE LOVE her!

OLD DOMINION PERFORM "ONE MAN BAND"

-"We'll get tattoos and trash hotel rooms..." How can anyone not love a love song that has THAT lyric in it.  Gosh, I   love this song. Will never get tired of it

CARRIE UNDERWOOD PERFORMS "DRINKING ALONE"

-Okay, this is gonna sound weird.  It's hard for me to hear her sing a song like this. Too out of character. She is wayyyy too "goody-goody" to sell this-at least for me.  With no other artist would this bother me, tho.  I know.  I'm crazy.

LUKE COMBS PERFORMS "BEER NEVER BROKE MY HEART"

-Luke Combs sounds great. Already a winner tonight. Gonna win a lot of awards before he’s done

KELSEA BALLERINI PERFORMS "HOMECOMING QUEEN"

-Takes a lot of guts to sing acoustic and alone in front of this crowd.  Last time I remember seeing someone do it this well was a few years ago at the ACMs when Eric Church did "Like Jesus Does."   Not good, GREAT performance

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

-Dan & Shay. Much deserved. That being said, the CMA needs to consider doing away with this category and folding it into Vocal Group.  Just seems every year they are reaching to find nominees.

LADY A PERFORMS "WHAT IF I NEVER GET OVER YOU" WITH HALSEY

-OMG...How GREAT is this?!

BROTHERS OSBORNE AND BROOKS & DUNN PERFORM "HARD WORKIN' MAN"

-Just okay.  I would have probably enjoyed the brothers singing one of their songs (or doing a version of this one without B&D) more. John Osborne is SCARY good on guitar

MAREN MORRIS PERFORMS "GIRL"

-Dig her as a performer.  Dig her fearlessness and candor.  And dig her general vibe, BUT this song just never did it for me so...

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

-Old Dominion. Very deserved. These guys are crazy talented

THOMAS RHETT PERFORMS "ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU YOUNG"

-Did he sing the same verse twice?! Oops

DOLLY PARTON PERFORMS

-I know I’m going to be killed for this. Just never been a  fan of Dolly's music. Respect the hell out of her and like her personally. That being said, really like For King and Country and their song, “God Only Knows”

KEITH URBAN PERFORMS "WE WERE"

-This guy is an all-time musical bad**s and “We Were” is fast becoming an all time fave. That’s what greatness sounds like

-Keep thinking Eric Church is going to join him on this, but alas...no

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

-Maren Morris/“Girl.” Meh. See earlier. At some point the CMA needs to do the right thing and recognize the greatness and consistency of Eric Church.

"ME AND BOBBY McGEE" ALL STAR PERFORMANCE

-Cool, up-tempo cover with Dierks Bentley , Sheryl Crow, John Osborne, Joe Walsh, and Chris Jansen. JO and Joe Walsh trading licks on guitar..pretty damn special

ERIC CHURCH PERFORMS "SOME OF IT"

-Eric Church. I wrote more than a decade ago (borrowing from Jon Landau), “I’ve seen the future of Country Music and his name is Eric Church.” I was right. He is so good and so polished. This version of “Some of It” is perfection. Hey CMA, you hearing and seeing this?!

OMG...TRISHA'S A ZEBRA

MALE VOCALIST

-Luke Combs. Won’t be the last time he’ll win this. Best hook singer in country music since Tracy Lawrence. BTW-take away the beard and he’s a ringer for a young Garth Brooks

WILLIE NELSON & KACEY MUSGRAVES PERFORM "THE RAINBOW CONNECTION"

-Can we do something about Willie being told to sing a song popularized by a muppet frog?! What are we doing here?

-Willie's still not well, voice is barely there.

-Kacey's great

GARTH BROOKS AND BLAKE SHELTON PERFORM "DIVE BAR"

-Would love to see them do this in a stadium where they could really cut loose.

-This is the most Garth sounding song since his comeback began

-Garth REALLY coloring his hair. It was NEVER black ;)

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

-Kacey Musgraves. Always been a fan. No problem with this award. Got a feeling Kelsea Ballerini’s time will come in this category-sooner rather than later

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

-Please say Eric Church. Please say Eric Church. Damn. Not that Garth doesn’t entertain or is not deserving, but c’mon, quit ignoring Church.

-Great and gracious speech by Garth. OMG stay away from the Grecian tho.  Seriously, we've been around Garth since his debut album.  His hair was a light, sandy brown.  His hair's blacker than Loretta Lynn's right now. <g>

Overall, a pretty dang good show.  Much better than the last couple of years and featured some GREAT performances.  We give it a B+ to A-.  I still wish the CMA would cut back on one or two performances and celebrate the year's achievements and give the winners time to breathe and bask in the glow of their moment.