Copious Notes

The journal of a Kentucky culture vulture

  • Feb
    8
    Carrie Underwood sings the national anthem before the start of the NFL Super Bowl XLIV football game between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints in Miami, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

    Carrie Underwood sings the national anthem before the start of the NFL Super Bowl XLIV football game between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints in Miami, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010. Photo by Eric Gay | AP.

    Last night, you saw her sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl.

    June 13th, you can see Carrie Underwood at Rupp Arena. The chart-topper and “American Idol” winner’s concert adds to a strong 2010 concert lineup for Rupp, which has already welcomed Brad Paisley and Breaking Benjamin-Three Days Grace, and has Black Eyed Peas, Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift on the way.

    Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at the Rupp Arena ticket office and all Ticketmaster outlets. Craig Morgan and Sons of Sylvia are opening.

    Underwood is touring on the success of her latest album, “Play On,” which features the hit, “Cowboy Casanova.” Here in the Bluegrass State, we have to enjoy it when the Oklahoma native invokes the name Louisville Slugger in her hit “Before He Cheats.” She won season four of “American Idol,” besting Southern rocker Bo Bice.

    This is one of several Underwood appearances in the region this Spring. She’ll be in Pikeville April 3 and Cincinnati on April 25.

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  • Feb
    8
    Naomi and Wynonna Judd perform at Philips Arena in Atlanta in 2000. Photo by Leita Cowart for the Herald-Leader.

    Naomi and Wynonna Judd perform at Philips Arena in Atlanta in 2000. Photo by Leita Cowart for the Herald-Leader.

    Before performing on the “CBS Early Show” Saturday morning, Wynonna Judd announced it is “take your mother to work year,” and that she would be touring with her mom, Naomi Judd.

    It will be The Judds first tour since 2000, when the chart-topping mother-daughter duo stopped by Rupp Arena for a performance that included a cameo by sister Ashley.  That concert was taped for a CBS special, later that year.

    According to Wynonna Judd’s Nashville-based publicist, the tour will kick off as Christmas shows at the end of this year and then move out to arenas in 2011.

    The Judds, whose roots are in Eastern and Central Kentucky, was one of the most successful country music duos in history, churning out a catalog of chart-topping hits such as “Mama He’s Crazy” in the 1980s. The act disbanded in 1991, when Naomi announced she had been diagnosed with Hepatitis C.

    Naomi and Wynonna have teamed up since 2000 for a few one-night concerts, and Naomi sang on Wynonna’s 2003 single, “Flies on Butter.” But this will be the duo’s first tour in a decade.

    Tour dates for The Judds have not been announced yet.

    Here’s Wy, making the announcement:


    Watch CBS News Videos Online

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  • Feb
    8

    The Who's Roger Daltrey, left, and Pete Townshend perform during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl XLIV football game in Miami, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

    The Who's Roger Daltrey, left, and Pete Townshend perform during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl XLIV football game in Miami, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010. Photo by Mark J. Terrill | AP.

    “This will be their last song,” I said, as The Who wound into “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” during their Super Bowl halftime performance on Sunday night.

    “Why?” my daughter asked.

    “Because it’s one of their biggest songs, one of the greatest songs in rock ‘n’ roll history,” I replied, making a statement I firmly defend.

    First off, it is a song that has everything going on. You initially hear it through the authority of Pete Townshend’s power-chord lead guitar and the pulsating synthesizer that are trademarks of the song. But imagine it without the late John Entwistle’s intricate bass roll, particularly in the chorus, or the late Keith Moon’s train-wreck drumming that sounds random until you focus on it and see the wonderful rhythm in it.

    And then there’s Roger Daltrey. Yes, 90 percent of the vocals are more valuable in the actual lyric than the performance. But that “YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAH!” coming out of the bridge — gotta tell you, I was praying for that on Sunday night, because The Who song lives or dies on that word being delivered with force, authority and passion. I put it up there with — I know to some, I am committing blasphemy here — the baritone “Freude!” in Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony.” It must be there, it must be perfect, or else, why bother? Really? Go home. Fortunately, Daltrey nailed it Sunday.

    But back to those lyrics. This 1971 song sprang out of a time of pretty wide-eyed idealism that was starting to realize change wasn’t as easy as it seemed. Hmmmmm. Some people may find that a little relevant today, judging by what you read in progressive media. “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss,” is the key lyric in this song that the National Review named as the No. 1 conservative rock song of all time in 2006, and liberal provocateur Michael Moore wanted to use as the lead-off track in his 2004 anti-Bush polemic “Fahrenheit 9/11″ — his request was rejected. One form of authority ain’t much different than the other, Townshend said, and seems to continue to say. How rock ‘n’ roll.

    Pair that with one of the most exhilarating performances in history, and a deceptively simple sounding song, and you have one for the ages.

    Were the kids alright with it?

    Well, I didn’t hear grumbling about how old The Who looked like I did in 2006 when the Rolling Stones played the halftime show. I’d credit that to them for not trying to act like they were still in their 20s while showing that these days, the mid-60s rock – Daltrey is 65 and Townshend is 64. In fact, my son picked up his Guitar Hero controller and played along, and my daughter was vigorously defending the band against charges of lip syncing some of her friends were texting around.

    The Who may not trump Green Day — Who-like in spirit, I’d say — or Lady Gaga among their faves. And there was some grumbling of why can’t a current chart-topper play the Super Bowl half time show. But this year’s did provide a moment of music appreciation.

    Check out Walter Tunis’ review of the halftime show.

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About Rich Copley & Copious Notes

Raised by opera-loving parents in a rock ’n’ roll world, Rich Copley has parlayed his broad interests into his career writing about arts and entertainment. Since 1998, he has covered performing arts, film and faith-based popular culture for the Lexington Herald-Leader, the daily newspaper in Lexington, Ky. MORE | E-mail Rich


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