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 Through the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to spend a good bit of time with Dierks Bentley, conducting interviews on his bus, backstage before shows, at his home and elsewhere. And, while I don’t know that either of us ever consciously thought about any ongoing themes in those conversations, beyond the particulars of the individual songs and career milestones we discussed, it’s hard to look back on those interviews without seeing the importance of family and having someone or something to care about in Dierks’ life. Sometimes we’d talk about his parents and brother back in his native Arizona; other times it would be about his faith and his strong belief in things bigger than himself.
Then, in one particularly revealing moment back in his single days, he touched on how it felt to pull into Nashville after being on the road with his band—his second family in many ways—and have them all eager to get off the bus and head home to wives and kids. Meanwhile, he’d try to convince them to stay on the bus a little longer and play Xbox games with him because he had no one waiting for him at home. “I also had a lot of friends, like Cody Canada in Cross Canadian Ragweed, who were starting to have kids. And I felt like I was being left behind,” he told me at the time.
If Dierks might’ve sounded a little melancholy then about not having anyone to greet him at home, a good listen to his excellent new CD, Home, will tell you all you need to know about what a married father of two—a man happy in his life and his career—sounds like. Released today, Home applies in so many ways to where the project finds Dierks, onstage and off. Whether rockin’ the house with the great party tune and earlier single “Am I The Only One,” relieving the pain of hard times—if only briefly— in “Tip It On Back” or giving sage advice about the domino effect of getting married in “Diamonds Make Babies,” Dierks is at the top of his game throughout the new CD and is “back home” in mainstream country after a foray into bluegrass and roots music with his previous Up On The Ridge.
But Dierks doesn’t totally forsake bluegrass on Home as he calls on good buddies Sam Bush and Tim O’Brien to add some tasty pickin’ to the infectious “Heart of a Lonely Girl.” And Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild offers up some beautifully heartfelt vocals on “When You Gonna Come Around,” a soulful tune about the first tentative longings in a new relationship. Just gorgeous.
As good as the rest of the record is, two songs stand out as truly special. The title cut is simply an emotion-packed treasure, with its loving tribute to the land of his birth and its acknowledgment that, while she may be imperfect, America is worth working hard to preserve as the place we all call home. It is absolutely my favorite Dierks Bentley tune . . . ever. If he did nothing else in his career, “Home” would be more than enough to assure his place in country music history.
But as special as it is, it’s hard to top the record’s final cut, “Thinking of You,” for emotional impact as Dierks shares the microphone with his three-year-old daughter, Evie, in a song he wrote for her. If you were fortunate enough to see them sing it on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium last week, you already know how moving the scene was. If you weren’t there, you owe it to yourself to find the performance on YouTube and watch it . . . with a tissue close by. It’s truly heartwarming. And, if home truly is where the heart is, Dierks playing his new music with his precious daughter, on a stage he reveres in a land he loves, truly must’ve felt like home for him. It did for the rest of us.—David Scarlett
Photo: James Minchin III
Contact: dscarlett@nashville.com or jerry@nashville.com
 The old adage “better with age” certainly applies to Austin-based band Reckless Kelly. For a band that’s been together for 15 years they seem to know how to keep things fresh, from their music, right down to the packaging. In an age where big labels cut every corner possible, it seems as though the days of cool album art are long-gone. But this self produced indie band spared no expense on packaging for Good Luck & True Love, their ninth album, and they have a Grammy nomination for “Best Recording Package” to show for it. “These days a lot people are downloading, burning or stealing it [music] and you can get your hands on a recording in a lot of different ways. We’ve always preferred people buy the CD so we always try to make our CDs stand out and make it something people would want to hold in their hands. You know give them a little added content like a game they could play or something” said front man Willy Braun. You can ask the “hand of fortune” a question and spin it for a “magic eight ball” like answer or you can use the insert to watch a silent film. 
They keep the songs fresh too and the songwriting stands out in Good Luck & True Love. Songs like “I Never Liked St. Valentine,” about a poor guy that never seems to have one. Then there’s the rocker “She Likes Money, He Likes Love” which really captures the energy of their live shows. “I Stayed Up All Night Again” is the best “drinkin” song I’ve heard in a long time. These Texas boys know what they’re doing so go out and buy the CD. Don’t download it, trust me, you’ll be missing out if you do. Click here to buy it now.
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” exclaims a distraught Charlie Brown every year during the traditional airing of the holiday classic A Charlie Brown Christmas. Fortunately for Charlie Brown, he has Linus there to move to center stage and recite the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke. But for those who may have missed Charlie Brown and Linus this year, there’s another, gloriously compelling way to find out what Christmas is all about—simply pick up a copy of A Skaggs Family Christmas, Volume Two. That spirit-filled, 10-song collection of Christmas classics and excellent new tunes—performed by Ricky Skaggs and his acclaimed band Kentucky Thunder, The Whites (Buck, Sharon and Cheryl), Molly and Luke Skaggs (children of Ricky and Sharon), Cheryl’s daughter Rachel Leftwich and the Nashville Strings—is at times powerful, at times uplifting and nearly always joyful. And it is a simply wonderful expression of the true Christmas spirit, from the songs themselves, to the excellent arrangements, to the outstanding picking, to the oh-so-tight harmonies that only seem to be possible for those sharing the same genetic gifts. From the light-hearted “Christmas Time’s A Coming,” the timeless “Silent Night” and beautiful a cappella arrangement of “The First Noel” by Ricky, Sharon and Cheryl, to the simultaneously intimate and powerful performance of recent classic “Light of the Stable” and Molly’s wonderful rendition of “What Songs Were Sung,” this CD is uniformly excellent from start to finish.
But that’s only half the story. There’s also a bonus DVD included, featuring a recent performance of A Skaggs Family Christmas Live at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. But be forewarned, do not start watching it if you don’t have the time to watch the entire show—all 26 songs—because you will not be able to turn it off. And the music, while a huge piece of the performance pie, is still just part of the reason to enjoy the DVD. There are also wonderful stories told by Buck, including one about his first-ever visit to the Ryman, as well as moving moments as proud parents Ricky, Sharon and Cheryl watch their children captivate the audience with beautifully heartfelt performances. And, just as Linus did, the Skaggs family openly shares its love of the season and, especially, their love of Jesus. They all, at one time or another, warmly talk about the worshipful feeling in the Ryman, the love embodied by Jesus and the gratitude they have for His blessings. How refreshing to see a Christmas show that can happily include traditional, fun American favorites like “Winter Wonderland” and “Deck the Halls,” while making sure to emphasize the true reason for the season. That, Charlie Brown, is what Christmas is all about.
To experience a bit of the magic of the show, check out A Skaggs Family Christmas Live Comes to RFD-TV, Dec. 8 (10 p.m. ET) and 9 (4 a.m. and 5 p.m.)—David Scarlett
Track List
1. Christmas Time’s A Coming
2. Light of the Stable
3. The First Noel
4. What Songs Were Sung
5. Silent Night
6. Flight to Egypt
7. Reunion Song
8. Children Go
9. Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel
10. Joy to the World
Contact: dscarlett@nashville.com or jerry@nashville.com
 The stars were out in Franklin, a few miles south of Nashville, Thursday night as a taste of Hollywood glitz arrived for the Tennessee premiere of “Footloose,” the updated remake of the classic 1984 dance movie that now features Kenny Wormald from MTV’s Dancelife and Julianne Hough (left) in the lead roles of Ren MacCormack and Ariel Moore, originally played by Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer. In the new production, Dennis Quaid plays rebellious Ariel’s conservative preacher father, Andie MacDowell plays her mother and, in one of the more entertaining performances of the movie, Miles Teller plays small-town local Willard, who befriends Ren who moves in with relatives in tiny Bomont for his high school senior year after the death of his mother in Boston. Under Ren’s tutelage, Willard’s transformation from non-dancing good ole boy to the man with a thousand moves is a joy to behold. And, as in the original, dancing is definitely the driving force in the storyline, which finds Ren transplanted to a town that has banned dancing, loud music and most other things teens think are fun in the wake of a tragic head-on collision three years earlier that took the lives of five teens (including Ariel’s brother, Bobby) following a night of—you guessed it—dancing and partying. The new production stays mostly true to the original storyline that follows Ren’s efforts to remove the town’s restrictive ordinances and sees him lose his heart to Ariel in the process. But Director Craig Brewer’s use of updated music (mostly modern country) and new scenes, such as a wild figure-8 bus race that replaces the original game of tractor “chicken,” definitely gives fans of the first “Footloose” reason to check out the second. Performances throughout are strong, and special kudos go to Julianne for digging deep to display some seriously believable emotion. And, needless to say, she delivers the goods when it’s time to—as her shirt says during a pivotal town council meeting—”dance your ass off.”
But, while the invitation-only movie was definitely the main event last night, the hundreds of fans on Franklin’s Main Street came out to see their favorite stars walk the red—actually, last night’s was black—carpet before showtime. And there was plenty of star power to behold, including Kenny and the lovely Julianne; Blake Shelton, who sings the heck out of the title tune on the soundtrack; and Big & Rich (right), whose soundtrack performance of “Fake I.D.” featuring Gretchen Wilson is absolutely a highlight of the movie. Asked by Nashville.com which of them would’ve won an audition to fill the last remaining dancer role in the movie, John immediately replied, “Big Kenny, hands down. Have you ever been to one of our shows? He can levitate!” John was quick to add, however, that he, John, is a mere one degree of separation from Kevin Bacon, having Kev’s number on his cell phone. Kenny chimed in, “I guess that makes me two degrees away.”
Addressing rumors that he and wife Miranda Lambert just might be expectant parents, Blake dismissed the gossip as only he can, alluding to their very busy schedules, “She’s not pregnant. And I’m not pregnant. You’d actually have to touch each other once in a while for that to happen.” Good to know. True to form, he says his musical contribution to the film “reflects the desperation of the Paramount people who put together the soundtrack that they asked me to (sing the title cut.)” You gotta love him.
New Big Machine Records artist Ella Mae Brown, whose performance of “Holding Out For a Hero” is one of the best on the soundtrack, also met with media and fans on the carpet, as did stunning Whitney Duncan (below right), whose “So Sorry Mama” rocks the soundtrack with plenty of country attitude.
Other soundtrack artists who put in an appearance last night included actress (and new Warner Bros. Nashville recording artist) Jana Kramer (below), whose cover of “Let’s Hear It For the Boy” accompanies one of the movie’s cutest scenes; fan favorite Hunter Hayes, who joined Victoria Justice in doing a strong reprise of “Almost Paradise;” Lissie (“Little Lovin’ “) and A Thousand Eyes (“Suicide Eyes”).
While he isn’t involved in the film and didn’t walk the carpet, Trace Adkins and wife Rhonda turned out to see the movie but, because the screening was running a little late and Trace had to make a 9 p.m. bus call to head out for his next gig, they had to depart early. Very nice of the two of them to come out to support some of their fellow country music artists with so little time available to do it.
Another star, from a different realm of the entertainment world, also came out to say hello to fans and enjoy the screening. Yes, affable Tennessee Titans linebacker Will “Spoon” Witherspoon put in an appearance and gave Nashville.com his thoughts on which of the Titans might have dance moves good enough to be in a future re-make of “Footloose.” “Well, I think I’d have to say Cortland Finnegan would be right up there, and Michael Griffin has some moves . . . and me, of course,” he laughed. So, what about new quarterback Matt Hasselbeck? “Maybe if they needed somebody to do a waltz or something.” Ouch.—David Scarlett
Footloose Soundtrack (2011) – Track List
1. Footloose – Blake Shelton
2. Where the River Goes – Zac Brown of Zac Brown Band
3. Little Lovin’ – Lissie
4. Holding Out for a Hero – Ella Mae Brown
5. Let’s Hear it for the Boy – Jana Kramer
6. So Sorry Mama – Whitney Duncan
7. Fake I.D. – Big & Rich feat. Gretchen Wilson
8. Almost Paradise – Victoria Justice & Hunter Hayes
9. Walkin’ Blues – Cee Lo Green feat. Kenny Wayne Shepherd
10. Window Paine – The Smashing Pumpkins
11. Suicide Eyes – A Thousand Eyes
12. Dance the Night Away – David Banner
Photos: David Scarlett
Contact: dscarlett@nashville.com or jerry@nashville.com
 Several years ago I received an email from Amy Dalley asking if I would help her brighten the holiday season for a family dealing with a life-threatening health issue. I don’t recall all the details, but I’m pretty sure the man of the house was physically unable to work, they were in jeopardy of losing their home and there definitely would be no Christmas gifts for the kids if the family didn’t get some help from someone . . . someone like Amy. I didn’t know the family at all, and I really didn’t know Amy as a close personal friend. But I had interviewed her several times, we got along well and I definitely liked her, as a performer, a songwriter and a person. When I got the request to help out the family in need, it confirmed what I had believed about Amy all along—the woman has a big heart. And she needed a big, strong heart during her five years as a Curb artist when seven singles—yes, I said SEVEN—were released, including the Top 30 “Men Don’t Change,” without ever having her album see the light of day. Quite a marketing strategy—produce an album, then get fans to like it by putting out a bunch of singles, then put the CD in the witness protection program. Fortunately, Amy’s strong heart didn’t break during what she describes as that very frustrating period. And that heart is on full display with the release this week of Amy’s latest—and best—CD, Coming Out of the Pain. The album is her second independent project (the outstanding It’s Time in 2008 was the first) and showcases an artist who’s at the top of her game, having co-written all of the CD’s 10 tracks and given vocal performances full of the signature attitude, sensuality, humor, heartache, joy and strength her fans have come to expect from Amy.
The record begins with “Peace Sign,” a rockin’, take-no-crap tune that’s quintessential Amy as she responds to her man’s cowardly emailed breakup letter by telling him he put the F-U in fun and that she’s not trying to fight . . . just saying goodbye one finger shy of the peace sign. At least one of them in the relationship had some stones. The strong woman, strong vibe continues in “Breakin’ It Down,” a great tune where Amy lays it on the line to her man, telling him she’s tired of excuses, this is useless and that she doesn’t believe him when he tells her—again—he’ll be a better man. What a concept, a strong woman telling her man she needed him to be strong, too.
The production in both of the first two tracks is impeccable (as it is throughout the entire record), all the more impressive since Amy sang all the vocals at her house, “barefoot and usually in pajamas with about a thousand candles burning down to the wax” as she says in the CD’s liner notes. Her husband, Jack Sizemore, engineered as she sang, then Amy “would fall asleep listening to Jack add guitar parts or sing the background parts as they floated up through the vents from downstairs.” And the guitar parts are spectacular, indeed. Edgy, yet tasteful and always prominent, while never drawing attention from Amy and what the songs are communicating. Very nicely done.
With “Somebody Said It Rained,” Amy showcases a different, more vulnerable and romantic side as she sings about two young lovers who need a vacation to find each other again and recapture the old magic in their relationship. While the brochure may have promised gorgeous beaches and long walks in the moonlight, the lovers never made it that far as they stayed wrapped up in a blanket for three days and got lost in conversation while the world outside just disappeared. It’s a simply gorgeous tune with great imagery and a wonderful, heartfelt vocal from Amy.
“Saturday Night Situation” turns the attitude up to 11 as some rowdy girls hit the honky tonk for a little bull ridin’, shot slammin’, booty dancin’ and all that comes with it . . . including blue lights flashin’ and officers with badges. All in all, the perfect put-the-top-down and crank it up tune.
In “Damage Is Done,” Amy sings with simple resignation of a relationship that occasionally has encouraging moments, but far too often simply lets her down. It’s a heartbreaking look at a place most of us past age 25 have been at least once—even though a relationship may not be technically over, it’s irretrievably lost. And what a sad realization that can be.
With each new track on the record, Amy confirms that she is an artist in every sense of the word. Without exception her lyrics are intelligent, well-chosen, honest and full of wonderful imagery, without ever resorting to contrivance. That’s especially true in the powerfully haunting “Civil War,” about a couple who don’t know how they got to a place of such vitriol in their relationship, where there are broken promises and poison words, where we prove a point and we make it hurt. A great, great song.
While the record definitely has more than a little heartbreak and different takes on relationships gone bad, the final two tracks—“Bottle It Up” and “Coming Out Of The Pain”—are nothing less than joyous anthems to how wondrous love can be when it’s totally right, totally good. Written with husband Jack, “Pain” is a testament to refusing to stay down when you’re knocked down, as well as to the healing power of love when it’s given by the perfect person at just the perfect moment. The production is, once again, impeccable, as are lyrics like every sound from your mouth fills the spaces where the hurt poured out. Just beautiful.
It’s obvious Amy has, indeed, put her whole heart into this new project, and I know she’s rightfully very proud of it. She should be, but not just because she’s created a record where her writing, her singing, her passion and her talents are all displayed at their absolute best. She’s done it on her own, her way, without any input from record label executives or marketing focus groups. And she deserves to be rewarded for creating such a wonderful piece of art on her own terms. I hope she will be.
I started this review on a very personal note concerning Amy, and it seems appropriate to end with another one. The day I received Amy’s CD, I was heading out the door to see my parents, an hour away. It seemed liked the perfect time to take a first listen to Amy’s record, so I popped it into the CD player and listened from top to bottom, thoroughly enjoying every tune. Later, when I got home, I pushed the eject button and nothing happened. The CD was stuck and, in spite of my best efforts with screwdrivers, needle-nosed pliers and fists, remains so several days later. However, I have since listened to the record multiple additional times, and continue to discover new things to like about it. If a CD had to get stuck in my car—apparently forever—thank God it’s Amy’s. Go to AmyDalley.com and buy it.—David Scarlett
Track List
1. Peace Sign
2. Breakin’ It Down
3. Somebody Said It Rained
4. Saturday Night Situation
5. Damage Is Done
6. I May Love You Now
7. Civil War
8. Round And Round
9. Bottle It Up
10. Coming Out Of The Pain
Contact: dscarlett@nashville.com or jerry@nashville.com
 Not long before the release of Eric Church’s outstanding sophomore CD, Carolina, in 2009, I hopped on the bus with Eric, his wife Katherine, his publicist and his manager and rode through the night from Nashville to Eric’s Granite Falls, NC, hometown. Before I wrote a story about Carolina, Eric wanted to show me his Carolina, through his eyes. He wanted me to see the places and meet some of the people who helped shape the man and the artist he had become. And nothing he showed me had more meaning to him than the cabin his late grandfather, Ralph “Rusty” Barlow, built with his own hands on 100 acres in a gorgeous valley teeming with wildlife and traversed by the Elk Creek where Eric and his grandpa used to fish. [See photo of Eric on the porch of the cabin his grandfather built]. Having retired as the long-time chief of police in Granite Falls before his death in 1995, Rusty was known to most people simply as “Chief.” Fast-forward about 15 years and the name “Chief” lives on, but this time it’s Eric’s band who first began calling him that after he got contacts and started wearing sunglasses and a ball cap. They didn’t know about his lifelong connection to that name, so perhaps there’s a bit of destiny involved in Eric having acquired the same moniker his grandpa had. And, when you think about it, there’s just a bit of irony in having Eric—notorious for eschewing whatever career rules might confine others—and his grandfather—a man sworn to uphold the rules—both called “Chief.” But I’m guessing the original “Chief” was more concerned about keeping the peace than about arresting every jaywalker and sidewalk spitter. I’d like to think so. 
And I’m guessing he’d also be proud of the man and the artist his grandson is today, the official release date of Eric’s third CD, Chief. When I talked with Eric at the gold record party for Carolina not long ago, I’d just received my copy of Chief that day, but hadn’t had time to listen to all of it yet. I told Eric that, and he looked at me and smiled and just said, “You’re gonna love it.” And he’s right. It’s nothing short of excellent. And that’s true, in no small part, because Eric is playing even less by the rules on this record than on his previous two. From start to finish, the production and the grooves of each tune are totally unpredictable. And, while it’s hard to top chart-climbing first single “Homeboy” for emotional impact, there simply is not a weak link anywhere on this record. Will some of the songs have to grow on you? Probably so. But that’s only because they are so different not only from each other, but from absolutely everything else on the radio. It might take a second or third listen to a couple of songs to put aside your own preconceived ideas of what country music should sound like and embrace these songs for what they are . . . works of art. But it’s worth the effort.
The album kicks off with “Creepin’,” written by Eric and Marv Green, and just as the opening strains have you convinced it’s going to be a swampy Tony Joe White-type tune, the drone of a banjo kicks in and before you know it, it’s a balls-to-the-wall rocker, complete with screaming guitar solo . . . or is it? There’s a good chance Eric might view that as the ultimate compliment about his music . . . the inability to pigeonhole or categorize it. It is, quite simply, Eric Church music. But one thing is absolutely consistent with Eric’s music—no matter what the groove or subject matter, the lyrics are uniformly excellent. Whether it’s That need-you-back comes over me like ivy crawlin’ over every tree, just creepin’ from the opening cut or I’m a long-gone Waylon song on vinyl, I’m a back-row sinner at a tent revival, but she believes in me like she believes her Bible . . . and loves me like Jesus Does, from “Like Jesus Does,” the images are always there, always vivid and always powerful.And the CD’s highlights will change, depending on the mood or situation of the listener. You say you just put in a killer 40-hour week? Then pick up a cold one, crank up “Drink in My Hand” and let the stress just rock away. Did you just hear a song that instantly transported you back to your first love in high school? Then listen to “Springsteen,” a wonderfully crafted tune about how melodies and memories are so often intertwined. And your ex tied the knot today and you don’t know how to cope? Well, with apologies to the DEA, “I’m Getting Stoned” offers one possible course of action. And if you’ve given love your best shot and it just didn’t work out for you, kick back and listen to the infectious melody and image-filled lyrics of album finale “Over When it’s Over”—Wish we could do it over, damn it, Baby, damnit, we had it in the air, but just couldn’t land it. It hits the emotional nail on the head for everyone who’s ever come close to winning at love, without quite doing it.
And it, along with the other 10 tunes on Chief, confirms once again that Eric Church is someone Nashville needs. He’s walking that precarious line between pushing country’s boundaries and honoring the genre’s roots better than anyone else in town. Kudos, Eric, for another great record.—David Scarlett
Porch Photo:David Scarlett
Chief Track List:
1. ‘Creepin’ (Eric Church, Marv Green)
2. ‘Drink In My Hand’ (Eric Church, Michael P. Heeney, Luke Laird)
3. ‘Keep On’ (Eric Church, Ryan Tyndell)
4. ‘Like Jesus Does’ (Casey Beathard ,Monty Criswell)
5. ‘Hungover & Hard Up’ (Eric Church, Luke Laird)
6. ‘Homeboy’ (Eric Church, Casey Beathard)
7. ‘Country Music Jesus’ (Eric Church, Jeremy Spillman)
8. ‘Jack Daniels’ (Eric Church, Jeff Hyde, Lynn Hutton)
9. ‘Springsteen’ (Eric Church, Jeff Hyde, Ryan Tyndell)
10. ‘I’m Gettin’ Stoned’ (Eric Church, Jeff Hyde, Casey Beathard, Jeremy Cradey)
11. ‘Over When It’s Over’ (Eric Church, Luke Laird)
Contact: dscarlett@nashville.com or jerry@nashville.com
 Southern rock has a sound. If you’re a fan you know what I’m talking about. It’s hard to put a finger on it sometimes but it definitely has a sound. It’s twin lead guitars, it’s bluesy slide guitar but it’s more than that. There are plenty of country acts that have a Southern rock feel and many of them will have “country rocker” somewhere in their bio but when you hear a Southern rock band you know it.
Just when I thought commercially successful Southern rock bands had gone the way of the dinosaur along came Blackberry Smoke which gave me some hope. Blackberry Smoke just signed with Zac Brown’s new label and even recently played the Hollywood Bowl.
It’s far from a resurgence but after watching a Whiskey Myers showcase last night at the Rutledge in downtown Nashville I’m feeling a lot better about Southern rock. I’ll just go right ahead and use an over used description for Whiskey Myers. They’re the real deal!
The Tyler, Texas-based group’s new CD, Firewater, is Southern rock at it’s best. It incorporates their country and blues influences and was produced by ex-Shooter Jennings guitarist and songwriter Leroy Powell. “We know people are going to compare our sound to bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, and that’s fine, we take that as a high compliment,” says Whiskey Myers lead singer, Cody Cannon.
Firewater’s lead single, “Bar, Guitar and a Honky Tonk Crowd,” was released regionally in Texas and is currently approaching Top 20 status on the Texas Music Chart. John Jeffers and Cody Tate trade guitar licks that would make Ronnie Van Zant proud. Rounded out by bassist Gary Brown and drummer Jeff Hogg, the band wrote nine of Firewater’s 12 tracks, with producer Powell contributing three songs.
The group has opened up for some of country music’s hottest acts, including Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan and Randy Houser but they have a sound that’s not Nashville, and it’s not Texas either. It’s just fresh new Southern rock and it’s as good as it gets.
For more information and the latest Whiskey Myers tour dates, visit www.WhiskeyMyers.com.
—Jerry Holthouse
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 When one door closes, a window opens . . . when life gives you lemons, make lemonade . . . when you get bucked off, get back in the saddle. As uplifting as they sound, those phrases are all really nothing more than well-intentioned cliches. At least, that is, until you see someone like real-life surfer Bethany Hamilton truly embody the never-give-up attitude that made her a world-wide inspiration as she courageously rebounded from a tiger shark attack that took her left arm just below the shoulder when she was 13. The recently released movie Soul Surfer brilliantly tells her story of loss, triumph and forgiveness and reminds us all, as Bethany’s dad reminded her . . .”all things are possible through Him who strengthens me.”
The cast of Surfer is uniformly excellent, with AnnaSophia Robb showing great range in portraying Bethany in her pre-attack moments of carefree teen life, as well as in the overwhelming immediate grief and despair following the attack and, ultimately, in her triumphant return to the passion she refused to let the shark take from her. Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt give strong performances as Bethany’s parents, both of whom want to support their daughter, while not always agreeing on the best way to do it. Kevin Sorbo, as the father of Bethany’s friend and surfing buddy, Alana Blanchard (Lorraine Nicholson), is beyond solid. And his calm handling of the attack itself, just moments after he and his daughter had been enjoying a surfing outing with Bethany on a gorgeous Hawaii morning, ultimately made the life-saving difference for Bethany. The always believable Craig T. Nelson turns in another strong performance as the family friend and doctor who treats Bethany just after her injury and tells her in her hospital room, “Those things you’re not going to be able to do? So small.” Bethany eventually proves him right as she overcomes obstacle after obstacle before finally declaring, “I don’t need easy; I just need possible.”
Along the way, the faith displayed by Bethany and her family is portrayed honestly and unapologetically as the true foundation of their lives, the way it is with so many other Americans. How refreshing to see a film that presents Christians in a positive light.
And newcomer Carrie Underwood (pictured), in her first big screen role, holds her own with a cast of seasoned pros as she portrays the youth group leader of the open air church attended by both Bethany and Sarah. Called upon to dig deep during several emotional scenes, Carrie is totally believable in sharing Bethany’s pain and offering loving support, even when she might not have all the answers to some very tough questions. It’s the perfect first role for Carrie, who has openly professed the importance of faith in her own life.
And the film’s theme of overcoming adversity with faith and resolve may just be the perfect message for these or any other times. On those days when the rest of us may not feel like going to work because we have the sniffles, or perhaps our back is a little sore and we don’t want to mow the yard, it might be helpful to remember that Bethany was back in the water within a month after the attack, trying to find a way to surf with one arm. And, within six months, she finished 5th in a national surfing event. Today, she’s worked to become one of the top surfers in the world. So, while there truly is a powerful message of faith and spiritual inspiration in Soul Surfer, the much more basic underlying message for those of us with two good arms and two good legs is to quit whining and letting minor inconveniences keep us from living life. If Bethany can came back from her horrific encounter with a tiger shark, surely the rest of us can pick ourselves up and move on when things don’t go our way in life. Thanks to Bethany for being a living example of courage and perseverance. Kudos to all involved in the making of this wonderful film.—David Scarlett
Contact: dscarlett@nashville.com or jerry@nashville.com
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