I thought I was going to die when the alarm went off at 7:30 in the morning today, so I set it back another half-hour...and still thought I was going to die. I was one of three radio people and two record promoters on the Call Day Panel - in which we simulated actual calls between PDs and Promoters. A handful of radio people and record promoters were in attendance, but the majority of attendees at this panel were artists looking for radio play. Hopefully, they'll consider our pleas for CDs in jewel cases (not flimsy CD sleeves) and for taking the shrink wrap off the CDs before sending them. And, above all, do their homework and find out something about the station before asking us to play the record.

(We must have done a good job with the panel, because I had people coming up to me all day, saying what a great panel it was - and when I conferred with one of the other panelists, he gave the same report. In all my conference history, I do not recall ever going up to a panelist just to say how great it was. Apparently, we were effective and informative, or something.)

Appropriately enough, the next panel I attended was the "Songlines Music Meeting Panel," which is unquestionably the largest music meeting I attend all year. Approximately a dozen songs are played for panel attendees, followed by a group discussion of each song. Two standouts for me were "Thurman" by the Gourds, Buddy and Julie Miller's "Gasoline and Matches" and Todd Snider and Loretta Lynn's "Don't Tempt Me." Happily, Buddy Miller will have a new record out on March 3rd, featuring guests Julie Miller, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, and Robert Plant - but it seems like six months in advance seems like an awful long time to tease us!

(Among the attendees at that panel was the always delightful Audrey Auld Mezera, and I could not believe she remembered me from our interview on Altville).

A nap, then more panels in the afternoon - one on "The State of Americana Radio," which revealed the results of a national survey of radio listeners indicating that there was an interest in having more Americana radio stations available - mostly from listeners of Classic Rock and Country stations. One of the suggestions to come out of the study was potential interest in syndicated specialty shows - much like the one I produce. The next panel I attended was "Live in Concert," which mainly discussed the very significant ways the economy has changed booking and touring. Very fascinating, and many heated rants against Ticketmaster and the like.

Another nap (I like naps), followed by the AMA Awards Pre-Party, where my new favorite band the Bittersweets played on the patio of the UMG building. Then the dreaded awards show. I HATE awards shows, especially this one - which runs way too late every year. AMA, please take note: Less awards (is an Instrumentalist of the Year Award AND a Lifetime Achievement Instrumentalist Award REALLY necessary?), and limits on acceptance speeches - and on introductory speeches! Three and a half hours is far too long - I was proud of myself when I made it two hours before leaving. Brevity is key, in this case.

My friend Jasmine (who is actually a neighbor of mine in L.A., but also owns a place in Tennessee and is living in Nashville for the next few months, had met up with Pam and I at the awards show, so after we ditched that, we met Altville's Associate Producer Lauren and her roommate at the Sunset Grill, a place, according to Pam, that we'd be bound to run into someone. And sure enough, who walked in but Chris Thile! Evidence suggests that he also left the awards early.

We lingered a little too long at dinner, so we missed most of the music I wanted to see (Rosie Flores, whose set had ended an hour before our arrival, looked super-cute, and when I saw that James Intveld - not on the bill - was dressed in matching attire, I was so sad that I'd missed what was obviously some sort of collaboration between them, not to mention our poor timing of walking in just as Joe Ely was finishing his set), but we did manage to see the Band of Heathens, who are clearly the current "buzz band" of the AMA.

The momentum is definitely picking up....