Country Showdown at the Ryman Auditorium

The Colgate Country Showdown, one of the nation's largest and oldest talent search, hosted the 2008 finals at the Ryman Auditorium. Some of the past participants, including local and national winners, of the Country Showdown have included country stars like Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, Keith Anderson, Martina McBride, Chris Young, Miranda Lambert, and Brad Paisley. This competition is an Annual Nashville Event, that offers a great insight into the up and coming musicians and the Nashville Music Scene.

This year's final began with a warm-up by Opry legend Little Jimmy Dickens. Jimmy put the crowd in a good mood with an assortment of one-liners and self-deprecating jokes. It's obvious that Jimmy, who turned 87 this past December, shows no signs of slowing down, and that's a good thing.

This year's host was LeAnn Rimes, who got things started with a performance of her latest tune, "Nothing Better to Do". After a brief recap of Showdown history, the competition was underway.
First up was Eldon Johnson, representing KQLX in Lisbon, North Dakota. Eldon's performance of "Small Town Saturday Night" was vocally pleasing, but his stage presence just wasn't up to par. Maybe it was just a case of nerves, but he seemed to blend into the background rather than standing out. Although he deserves some credit for singing his original song "Home", the song itself just wasn't very good.

Next to perform was Christy Suggett, representing KKBQ in Houston, Texas. Christy bravely attempted Martina McBride's "Anyway". Unfortunately, it was a poor choice. Christy has a nice enough voice and good pitch, but her overly-dramatic mannerisms were visually distracting. When I stopped watching and just listened, the effect was much better. Her second selection, Trisha Yearwood's "Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love" only emphasized or suitability for Broadway.

The third act to perform was Nash Street, the only group to make it to the finals, representing WKSK in West Jefferson, Kansas. Nash Street consists of Jason Graham, Daniel Hare, Hannah Melby and Caroline Melby. When they came out on stage with a guitar, mandolin, fiddle and stand-up bass, the crowd immediately perked up and leaned forward in their seats.
This four-member group jumped right in with "Carry On", an original song. The combination of great harmonies, instrumental abilities and catchy lyrics won the crowd over from the start. Their second selection was another original, "Widowmaker", which showcased a Southwestern influence, in contrast to the bluegrass tone of "Carry On". At this point, Nash Street was the high point of the evening.

The next artist to perform was Trevor Panczak, representing KMON in Great Falls, Montana. Trevor has a great sense of humor, which enhances his stage presence and increases his rapport with the audience. Trevor did an admirable job with Dan Seals' "Everything That Glitters", although he passed on the falsetto part of the chorus during most of the song. His original song, "The Drinking Song (Songwriter Boogie)" was fun and rowdy, making Trevor the best solo act of the night so far.

The final performer was Carrie Joy, representing WTHI in Terre Haute, Indiana. Carrie's original "A Brand New Me" was disappointing. The lyrics were very generic, making the song quite forgettable. For her second song, she too chose "Anyway", giving us two sub-par renditions of a great song in one evening. Carrie's got a good voice, but she has a habit of oversinging, making her performances seem almost like shouting rather than singing.

Before the final decision was announced, LeAnn performed again, and there was a brief round in which each finalist performed a snippet of a song that had influenced them. LeAnn's choice stood out for a very special reason. She sang a bit of "The Tennessee Waltz", made famous by Patti Page, one of the evening's judges. As LeAnn was singing, I watched as Patti Page sang along. It was a very special moment for the entire audience.

The announcement of the Showdown winner was made without any drawn-out formalities. Nash Street took the decision and the $100,000 prize. Based on their Showdown performance, I'm sure we'll be hearing more from them in the not-too-distant future.

The Country Showdown National Finals is a taped show and will usually be recorded in the winter and air in the spring. Check their website www.countryshowdown.com for more information, tickets, auditions, contestants, and broadcast times in your area.

Article Written & Submitted by Garry Duncan