Yes, they sang with Buck and yes, it was fantastic.
Here's the thing: At the time, these Texas gals were virtually unknown but 15 minutes into their first set I was completely blown away by their talent! Their sound was unique, their musicianship was a breath of fresh air (which means they actually played musical instruments as opposed to the Britney Spears of the world who just wear virtually nothing and jiggle a lot...not that there isn't a market for that, obviously) and sitting in the audience, I couldn't help clapping along with the Chicks like a three year-old at a Wiggles live show.
Now then, if it only stopped there but no...eventually that Natalie had to go and open her fat trap.
Obviously, we at VDARE.com are big, big supporters of the First Amendment and would never want to censor anybody but by the same token, we fully understand that free speech comes with a price...a price we have paid many times over.
The war in Iraq was just getting underway and the Dixie Chicks were playing a concert in London (I think...some European country). Shortly into the show, Natalie Maines starts spouting off about how horrible President Bush is and how ashamed she is that he (like her) hails from Texas.
Sure, there are probably more than a few people who share her sentiment and more now than then HOWEVER people back here in the States took it badly—which is to say they boycotted the band and organized public bonfires to burn their CD's. Ticket sales for their nation-wide tour were so low they had to cancel more shows than they played.
The Nashville music industry wrote them off as traitors and have yet to welcome them back—I too wrote off the band and have no plans to place my hard-earned cash into their ungrateful little pockets.
(Once again, I would never condone censorship—I think the girls had every legal right to say what they said—but this is the price they pay for voicing what has been perceived as anti-American sentiment.)
Nashville may never smoke the peace pipe with the Chicks...but Hollywood will.
Last night at the Grammy Awards, the Dixie Chicks cleaned up winning every category for which they were nominated!!
How should I put this?
I HATE HOLLYWOOD!!
The United States is actually two countries: One is a toxic cesspool sans scruples called Hollywood and the other is well, everything else. One day, if the deepest desires of my heart come true, the latter will invade the former and burn it to the ground.
