I have to start this blog by saying that I am probably too tipsy to be writing right now. I apologize in advance for any mishaps or grammatical errors that may occur as a result of my imbibing.

But that's not how I wanted to start this blog! I wanted to start by saying, "You know you've had a good day when you've gotten to see Bruce Robison perform 'Travelin' Soldier' twice. In one day!" So pretend that that's the beginning of this entry.

My day started a little bit later, at 10:30a, at the Keynote Interview with Rodney Crowell. I only stayed for the first half hour, just enough time for him to discuss how one of his daughters' struggle with bulimia and the predominance of Paris Hilton and the like in the media was the impetus behind his latest record, Sex and Gasoline, and for him to perform "The Rise and Fall of Intelligent Design." A good start to a good day.

I then headed over to the "Listening Lounge," where Jim Lauderdale, Grace Potter, Robert Earl Keen, and Buddy Miller were doing an "in the round" session. Buddy's participation had not been previously announced, and while I'd initially been torn between making the decision between sticking around for the entire Rodney Crowell interview and the singer/songwriter session, when I saw Buddy there, I knew I'd made the right choice.

A nap (of course), then another panel, this one called, "The Lone Star Legacy: The Role of Texas Shaping Americana Music" (yes, Wanda - the premise was that Texas has shaped Americana music). After a brief discussion of Texas music history (did you know that zydeco music actually started in Texas, not Louisiana?), four singer-songwriters: Radney Foster, Rosie Flores, Cody Canada of Cross Canadian Ragweed, and Bruce Robison performed an in-the-round session, each explaining how Texas influenced their own music and then performing two songs each (even though Cody is technically from Oklahoma - we'll forgive him). The performances were a surprise for me - that had not been in the description of this panel, and since I was so sad over having missed Rosie Flores the night before, this was particularly exciting for me. (One of the songs Bruce performed was the aforementioned "Travelin' Soldier," recorded by the Dixie Chicks and subsequently the fastest descending #1 hit in the history of country music.)

I had a meeting with one of the labels at the trade show, and then headed over to the Country Music Hall of Fame where Carlene Carter was performing. She sounded a little ragged, but her increasing resemblance to her mother is uncanny.

Dinner at Monell's (I was wearing my fat pants, so it was okay - pass to the left!), then time for the evening showcases. I started out at the Station Inn for some bluegrass with Chatham County Line, followed by an acoustic set with Bruce Robison (among his songs played: "What Would Willie Do?", "Angry All the Time," "Wrapped," and "Travelin' Soldier"...again), and then Kathy Mattea. I'd originally been ambivalent about seeing Kathy, but I am SO glad we chose to stick around for her set. Her latest CD is a dark one about the perils of coal mining, and after a few songs from that, she set into playing several of her "hits," at which point I was sold. She looks great, and sounds as good as ever.

Our next stop was the Cannery Ballroom for Cross Canadian Ragweed, who made the evening. I'd expected them to play for only 45 minutes (like the rest of the sets at the conference), but they played for a full hour and a half, and you're lucky I didn't drunk dial you and sing into the phone when they performed "Alabama." It is notable that the majority of attendees at this particular show were CCR fans - not AMA Conference attendees, as witnessed by the state of the floor at the end of the night. AMA members are environmentally conscientious, and typically believe in recycling. CCR fans are clearly not.

After having serious intoxicated discussions with some colleagues, we headed out to find cigarettes (not for me). I'm not sure what's happening with the rest of the country, but in Nashville (thanks to a rumor spread on the television), there is a very serious concern that gas stations will run out of gas, so earlier in the day, cars had apparently lined up for miles to get gas, and by 2am, gas stations in Nashville were sold out, and yellow tape prevented people from driving up to the pumps.

By the way, we also saw Elvis making crop circles tonight.