The Heaven That is the Opry

I never finished "documenting" the big Nashville excursion with the last installment...the Grand Ole Opry! I love country music, so this was a little like what I think Heaven may be for me. I enjoyed every single minute of this. And I want to go back...again and again and again.

This was pretty exciting, to say the least. Prior to the show, we visited the Opry Museum. It was almost like a mini country music hall of fame since a lot of the same things were there...only more Opry-focused. I know...it looks like I got to perform, but this was a little mock-up (I guess...don't think it was every used, anywhere) of an Opry stage. Everybody's gotta have a gimick, so I guess you could call me Bag Lady.

And then...there was the show! The first hour was hosted by Jeannie Sealy. We were treated to performances by Emily West ("Prom Dress Girl"), Phil Vassar ("The Vassar Boy" ...seen to the left here...who incidentally doesn't look like a "Phil," but who is certainly countrylicious), Charlie Daniels, Connie Smith, Whisperin' Bill Anderson and other notable Opry legends & mainstays. (I don't know where the program is or I'd be a little more meticulous here.) In any event, the new talent and a few legends.

An Opry show is not just a concert. It's a radio broadcast, so throughout the show you're hearing (and seeing, of course) the DJ introduce acts, go to commercial break and read ads from the sponsors. There is a lot happening on that stage and we could see a lot of people sort of hanging out in the wings...they weren't made to stay out of sight and seemed to be part of the spectating crowd. Not only was there singing, but there was dancing, too. I don't recall what they called these folks, but they were clogging...square dancin'...whatever...they were having a good time and quite entertaining.

All of the performances were fantastic, but the most exciting was Charlie Daniels (and the Charlie Daniels Band, of course). I have to say that I wasn't too thrilled that he -- as opposed to any of my favorite performers -- was scheduled to appear, but my my my...what an exciting performance it was! Mr. Daniels is 71 years old, but you'd never know it. He is larger than life and full of the most amazing energy and enthusiasm for his craft. If you listened to the radio at all during the '70's, then you, too, probably eventually grew very tired of The Devil Went Down to Georgia. This was the last song they performed and I have a new appreciation for it, for him and for the band. All three of their performances were amazing, but this was one was especially exciting. He is a very physical musician and throws every bit of himself into his performance...swinging his bow around and working that fiddle like nobody's business! His comments before the song humbly included sort of statement saying they have included it in every performance since they first recorded it and he said, "We sure hope you all don't get tired of hearing it, because we never get tired of playing it." Their performance proved that.