___ Deserves a Sackpunch #11

Texas Music/Red Dirt Lemming

You know who you are. The guy in the Jerry Jeff t-shirt and the Southern Thread cap with a Shiner in your hand and a "whooo" on your lips. Yeah, you, the one with an inordinate amount of cockiness and hair.

You were born with one reason for feelings of superiority; your birth certificate says Temple, TX 1982. I won't begrudge you state pride. Texas is pretty cool: Willie is from there, you used to be a freakin' country, you can have temps in the upper 90's and snow in the state at the same time, you kill lots of baddies... if I was born there, I'd tout it like a mofo myself. I think my state (Mississippi) kicks ass, despite 93.5% of the country seeing us as a punch line to some joke about uneducated racist rednecks.

You also have a right to think that your music scene is awesome. It is. How many other music scenes exist in their own regional bubble yet still have radio stations that play only that style, have their own festivals, have their own culture, and support their artists to the degree that many have grown flat-out wealthy off of it? None others, that's how many.

Badass as they are, these two facts have clouded your vision. You see your favorite music as the be all end all and all others can GTFO. Nashville is fake. The worst Texas singer has more talent than the best from the middle of Tennessee. Nashville only cares about cash. Nashville sucks! In your mind, that's a Biblical fact. Well, here's some heresy for you: If it is gospel that Nashville sucks, then so does Texas!

Nashville copies success. So does Texas. How many Randy Rogers Band clones you got saddling up and riding the range out yonder? A lot, that's how many.

Nashville plays it safe. So does Texas. How many in the "scene" are willing to eschew beer, honeys and Texas as base material for songs? Not many.

Nashville leans pop. So does Texas (though to a lesser degree admittedly). Who are the biggest bands and singers? Stone country outfits like Wayne Hancock and Lucky Tubb? Nah, more mainstream sounding folks like Reckless Kelly and CCR. Sure they're great at what they do (did, in CCR's case), but they're also very accessible.

Nashville doesn't celebrate its more cerebral and artistically genuine artists. Neither does Texas. Otherwise, the Rodney Haydens, Josh Griders, Slaid Cleaveses and Jason Eadys would rule the roost. They're popular, but vastly underappreciated.

Nashville prefers image over substance. So does Texas. You got many physically unattractive stars out there? Didn't think so.

I could go on about your similarities to VietNashville, but you get the point don't you? The biggest difference is the geography.

Now don't get me wrong. Texas has still got most things over Nashville. You've got passion, grassroots connection to the musicians, a preference for artists who can actually play and sing, and a general reverence for the legends who came before. For that, you are to be applauded.

Just don't go thinking you're perfect. Check Rita's blog every day for evidence to the contrary. Clearly, you have more strengths than mainstream country, but you also have the same weaknesses. Besides, Pat Green fled the Texas scene, so how good can it be? ;)

And for those of you who disagree and still think the Lone Star State's "Texas music/Red Dirt" singers and bands can do no wrong, get your nuts ready for a haymaker... now you'll be walking bowlegged for a reason.