Grand Ole Opry

This weekend I did one of the things I have always wanted to do. I went to Nashville to attend the Grand Ole Opry. It was in the Ryman Auditorium which added to the enjoyment.

The show as usual for the Opry had a wide variety of musical performers. From bluegrass, to cajun to cowboy to country.

The headliners of the show (i.e. the ones that would be on television) were Emmy Lou Harris, Elvis Costello, Gillian Welch and David Rawlins. They had the prime hour of the show and were fantastic. One of the lighter moments came when Welch commented how proud she and Rawlins were to be an a Hillbilly band with Costello and Harris. And they were. It was set up as a sounded like a traditional hillbilly band.

The other highlight of the night came at the end as Vince Gill came out to close the show. After one song by himself, the song he performed last was one (I am not sure of the title) that he had recorded that day for his next album. It was a wonderful jazz number done with Diana Krall who came on unannounced and sang it with him. Who knew that Vince Gill could sing and play jazz. Look for it. After they finished Bill Anderson, who was hosting that section of the show, commented that after that, he didn't smoke but needed a cigarette.

The night was not without it problems though. While walking back to my car, I slipped on some ice, and sliced my thumb open on a metal grate in the sidewalk which meant I got to spend a couple of hours in a very nice emergency room getting eight stiches and a tetnus shot.