Country Mike Blog

Holiday blues

Mike Sudhalter  |  December 1, 2007

The holiday time is supposed to be about joy. Giving gifts, giving thanks and maybe even enjoying a few presents of your own.

But the positives are few if you're looking at it solely from the perspective of a country music fan.

Albums? You've got a bunch of Christmas albums. Aren't all those the same anyway? A few traditional songs plus a few originals thrown in for good measure. And then a regular album or two will drop. But I think the biggest thing we have to look forward to is Tuesday's release of Trace Adkins' Greatest Hits. A package of already recorded material with a handful of new songs.

Concerts? Forget about it. All the big acts are counting their money on some beach. The newcomers who play 250-300 honky-tonks per year are taking a well-deserved breather. Well, the Oak Ridge Boys are coming to my California city, but it's a concert with a Christmas theme. Imagine paying $50 or whatever it is, and hearing the band sing "Silent Night"?

New artists? Wait until January. What marketing group representing an artist would advise them to release an album in December and compete head-on with holiday shopping.

The summer is the best time to be a country music fan with the spring and early fall tied for second. The late fall/winter can make even a mild honky-tonker a bit restless. Dust off all your old albums, give them a listen and count the days 'til the New Year.