Welcome to your 2012 American Country Awards live blog & discussion post, featuring rescue attempts a performance by Keith Urban and appearances by Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Casey James, and Carrie Underwood. Tonight’s proceedings will be cohosted for the 2nd straight year by Trace Adkins and Kristin Chenoweth.
Luke Bryan opens the show with his latest #1 country hit “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” and his trademark grinding hips. Yeah. Carrie’s singing along.
We get a pretaped skit from our cohosts Trace & Kristin that plays off their height differential and has them reminiscing fondly over their baby carrier gag from last year (Trace carried Kristin in one). This year, they take the stage Kristin in a baby-bearing sash, which they promptly gift to Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum, who recently announced her pregnancy. There’s also some kind of voting gag in which our hosts will dress up as Santa and a elf? OK?
Dierks Bentley performs “Country & Cold Cans” from his EP of the same title.
Ladies & gentleman, today’s country summarized in 1 simple statistic:
Backwards baseball cap count: 2
Cowboy hat count: 1
Rascal Flatts borrows the American Idol 2003 era Burger King background flames to perform “Hot In Here,” which is not their new single. Some caterwauling ensues.
Florida-Georgia Line (who have grammar problems, or as they’d spell it, problemz and the current #1 country song “Cruise”) introduces Kip Moore to perform his current t10 single “Beer Money” in a medley with his 1st #1 hit, “Somethin’ Bout A Truck.”
Backwards baseball count: 3
Cowboy hat count: 1
Comedian Ron White is up to present with his mother Barbara. After some banter about having as many Tour de France titles as Lance Armstrong, they present Breakthrough Artist Of The Year to Jake Owen.
Trace Adkins performs Lynyrd Skynyrd. They’re singing Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “What’s Your Name”.
We’re back from commercial break and Kristin Chenoweth is gamely doing her best Honey Boo Boo imitation. Carrie and Keith look a little confused.
Gloriana introduces Jake Owen, who performs his latest #1 “The One That Got Away”. Is it just me, or are the ACAs mostly a showcase for 1980s pop/rock? I guess that’s country music these days.
Dustin Lynch and Carmen Electra introduce Jason Aldean who has found his cowboy hat. He is performing his current single “The Only Way I Know.” He does the solo version (the single/album version feature Luke Bryan and Eric Church.
Kristin Chenoweth is up to perform “What Would Dolly Do?” She’s dragging behind the beat a little but it’s actually kind of a cute song and no doubt it’s actual country. It’s definitely better than her performance last year. The “WW double-D” though? OK that performance went south around the time she went for a “phone call” to Dolly.
Kristin pimps the 2013 Fleetwood Mac tour and introduces Lindsay Buckingham, who introduces Keith Urban, who will save the show by performing Eric Clapton’s “Crossroads” with seven kids from the Grammy Foundation Camp. Keith starts off the song but backs off to let the kids shine. This is the show highlight by far.
Eli Young Band introduces Little Big Town to perform their current single “Tornado”. They may have borrowed Carrie’s “Blown Away” wind machines and confetti storm. Reverb is a little too big but they sound great as usual. Probably the only act performing tonight who could follow Keith.
When we come back, Lady Antebellum closes the show. But not before we are subjected to Trace Adkins the elf and Kristin the Santa Claus. *le sigh* They introduce Lady A, who sing “Christmas, Baby Please Come Home” to cap off a classy half hour of performances.
And with that, the show is over. Thank goodness.
