Opry!

The Grand Ole Opry - the Mecca of Country Music is an outstanding show with incredible talent, in 7 acts, each representing a sub-genre of Country. Like the Ryman, the new venue, (c. 1974), has oak church pews, but at least are upholstered. (The Ryman's are bare and rock-hard.) The show is replete with dazzling and ever changing lighting effects, projected through a light stage-fog.

The show is a live radio broadcast, as it been for over 80 years - complete with commercials. During each commercial announcement, a well-oiled stage crew deftly and silently changes out the equipment in preparation for the next act.

Before the show started, a comedienne dressed as the famous "Minnie Pearl" character warmed up the audience. The real Minnie Pearl was an institution at the Opry for 50 years, starting in 1940. She was dressed in a 1940's style dress with a flowered straw hat from which a price tag conspicuously hung. Her jokes are legendary, and most deal with her musings as a man-crazy spinster. The new Minnnie did a great job and was hilarious. She made a point of saying that we could take all the pictures we wanted - even with flash!

It is a truly eclectic two-hour show, everything from very classic country to cutting edge, to cowboy. The most memorable act for us is a 90 year old performer named Jimmy Dickens who has been a member of the Opry since 1948!! He sang some great old songs, and told some old - age jokes I will will never forget. (Something about a hearing aid and a suppository!) The guy didn't look or move like a 90 year old. Talk about sharp!! He did some great ad-libbing with the audience that had them rolling in the aisles. All told, the show was a wonderful blend of toe-tapping melodies, old-fashioned harmony, and good humor. It reminded me somewhat of a broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion when Garrison Keillor came to Redding many years ago.

Here's the entire lineup for the show: Jim Ed Brown; Josh Thompson; Jeannie Seely; Steve Wariner; Riders in the Sky; Jimmy Dickens; and Eric Church. Each of the performers literally wore their heart on their sleeve and talked much about family, friends and life. It was refreshing, and was the antithesis of the steely, angry hardness associated with rock music.

The audience came from all over - many tour groups, and mostly people who had never before attended an Opry performance.