It’s sort of a running, uncomfortable joke at the annual Americana Conference in Nashville: “Now that we’re here, what IS Americana music, anyhow?”
The definition I enjoyed using this year was: “Americana music is the music you don’t hear when you are scanning the radio dial.” Bittnerness becomes me.
In any event, I had almost compartmentalized the lauded and proverbial “conference experience” and moved on with my life when, in the USA Today this past Tuesday, there was a huge story about Robert Plant. Then that story was followed yesterday with Robert Plant being interviewed on NPR.
The same Robert Plant that sang with Alison Krauss on the Ryman stage at last year’s conference, and that was the mouthpiece for the “BIG” act (Band of Joy) that capped- off the awards ceremony at the Ryman this year with a full set.
So…I have to ask: Was I the only one that noticed that the USA Today story never ONCE said “Americana” music? They called it “American” music. And that the conference was never mentioned.
Was I the only who noticed that in the NPR intervew, Americana music was never metioned. Nor was the conference.
Damn. Every time I think this Americana thing might be getting some traction, I realize the truth is: the wheels are still spinning.
Can anybody say: “Mar-ke-ting-con-sul-tant?”
Can somebody not invite the Dread Zeplin dude back next year?
