Last night, I went to the Grand Ole Opry to see the BEST line-up I have ever seen there….Gloriana, Jimmy Wayne, Keith Anderson, Trace Adkins, and Taylor Swift performed.  It was a mommy-daughter date night, and we both had a BLAST!

This was my first time seeing Gloriana  live.  I’ve heard nothing but good things about them, so I was obviously excited to experience a live performance.  Gloriana did not disappoint.  They had amazing harmony and really good chemistry.  Gloriana also fit in perfectly with the Opry.  I wish I could remember what songs they sang, but I just can’t.  I do know that the first song they sang was a remade cover and it was AMAZING!!!  I can’t wait to catch them live again soon! 

I also lost my Jimmy Waynevirginity last night…as in…it was also the first time I’ve seen him perform live.  Many of my friends are HUGE Jimmy Wayne fans, and they kept telling me that I would love him…I DID!  Jimmy is sporting a new shorter hair cut…When he first came out, my  4 year-old yelled “It’s Keith Urban!”  I laughed, and so did nearly everyone around us.  Jimmy puts on quite a show.  He sounds amazing, and really worked the crowd….which was much younger than a typical Opry crowd.  When Jimmy came out, fans rushed the stage to get a closer look.  Jimmy’s fiddle player is AMAZING!  He impressed everyone.

Keith Anderson was great as always.  I’ve seen him perform a few times, and he is always high energy.  He sang “Lost in this Moment”, which he co-wrote, and “Wild Flowers.”  He was awesome! He had everyone singing along.

Trace Adkinsalways surprises me.  Here’s this guy who sings about honkey tonkin booties, yet still seems shy and bashful when he’s talking.  Trace commented on all the “little girls in the audience” and was acknowleged with shrill tween screams.  He said his girls were also there…Aparrently their “momma don’t usually let ‘em come to the Opry on a school night, but Taylor Swift doesn’t usually play the Opry.”  He showed us his very own Taylor Swift guitar pick that he was playing with.  He seemed pretty proud that she gave it just to him.  Trace dedicated “You’re Gonna Miss This” to “Taylor’s daddy,” and then he sang “Marry for Money.” 

Finally, the moment had arrived.  My 4 year-old had waited patiently for nearly 2 hours to see Taylor Swift.  On a normal Opry night….we would have rushed the stage so she could get pictures and an up-close-and-personal view.  Unfortunately, instead of an audience two-thirds full of senior citizens, the audience was two-thirds full of screaming tween girls.  I knew she would be trampled if I sent her up there, so she settled for watching from her seat.  Taylor came out with her bedazzled guitar and sang “Our Song.”  Almost immediately, my daughter joined in the hundreds of others who were screaming “I LOVE YOU TAYLOR SWIFT!”  Taylor then talked about love, and how she grew up reading fairy tales…The bad guys always wore black and were easy to spot.  Then, she grew up and realized that the bad guys make you laugh and have PERFECT hair.  She sang “White Horse” and the pop version of “Love Story.”  I wasn’t sure how I would feel about seeing Taylor live.  It’s no surprise that she’s not known for her vocal ability, but more for her connection to her fans and music; as well as, her songwriting.  Taylor was AMAZING!  She sang well, and really put on a show (even if it was only for 3 songs).  I will see her again, and she left my daughter wanting more. 

The Grand Ole Opry is a must see for any country music lover…but I think the Opry introduced a whole new generation to country music last night.  The screaming girls also got introduced to Jean Sheperd, Little Jimmy Dickens, and Riders in the Sky….All were amazing, and I’m sure grabbed at the heart-strings of many.

I took a million pictures, so just click on our Flickr to see em all!

Got some country gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale?  Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com