The Eagles, Keith Urban, and the Dixie Chicks recently announced their new tour for Summer 2010. This will be the first Dixie Chicks tour in four years, since lead singer Natalie Maines made her infamous statement at one of their shows in London.
We don't want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.
Not only was the statement unpatriotic, it was extremely bad timing as in the years directly following 9/11 the people of the United States were truly supporting the mind set of:
United We Stand, Divided We Fall
This tour then begs the question, what does this say about Keith Urban? As an avid Urban fan, I go to every concert of his within a reasonable distance. This summer will mark the third Keith Urban show I have attended, and every time I see him, they get better and better. It would take a lot for me to lose respect for Keith Urban as an artist. He is one of the best in country music today. Urban is a talented singer, songwriter, entertainer, and musician. The guitar skills of both Brad Paisley and Keith Urban are enough to make them stand out in the music industry.
I have never got the impression that Keith Urban really gets involved in the politics of the business. Live and in interviews, Keith seems down to earth, a man who loves his fans and the music he plays. In his defense, it would be hard to turn down an opportunity to play with The Eagles despite the presence of the Dixie Chicks. I also think we can't pass too much judgement on Keith as this is The Eagles tour, not his. Including the Dixie Chicks says more about The Eagles than it does about Keith Urban.
However, with the amount of money I spend almost annually to see Keith Urban Live, a show with the Dixie Chicks is the ONE Keith Urban Show that I would pass up. Yes, there are a few Dixie Chicks songs such as Cowboy Take Me Away still on my iPod but I no longer support the group. Free speech isn't ever free, and you will pay the price for what you say.
Maines should have thought about the demographics of her target audience before making such an un-American, left-wing statement. Politics of the statement aside, the president of the United States deserves respect. If someone that I did not vote for is elected, my attitude has been similar to a John Wayne statement:
I didn't vote for him, but he's my president, and I hope he does a good job.
Alienating listeners, or potential listeners makes statements like these impossible to forget. These statements define your character as an artist and your ability to relate to your audience. If people can no longer relate to the lyrics of your songs, they will no longer listen to you or think that you are genuine.
In recent events, Miley Cyrus should have taken a hint from the Dixie Chicks and thought about who she might offend in her comments to PARADE magazine calling country music "contrived." Personally, I have never been a huge Cyrus fan but now I won't become one either.
It is unfortunate that the presence of the Dixie Chicks on this tour could limit audience size for Keith Urban and The Eagles. I think the best bet for the girls of the Dixie Chicks is to continue without Maines in their bluegrass group the Courtyard Hounds
Click on the image above for tour dates and ticket info.
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