But Beautiful

Unlit stage

It's about 4.30p on Friday, the first full rehearsal day of the Academy of Country Music Awards. I'm sitting in the back of the floor of the ACMs. It's so amazing to look up and see this enormous stage engulfing the floor and ceiling of the Grand Garden Arena. To think of the perspective from boxing, to hockey to supercross to ACMs, it's pretty amazing. It's so hard to explain the scale of the stage. It's like being a Barbie in a dollhouse. None of it is real, it's all kind of just chunks put togehter but that all work in perfect harmony to create this amazing false reality - But Beautiful.

Lit stage

When the show lights are off and the house lights up the actual set is gray, white and chrome. Very bland. Much like the color of concrete. But when the set is in action it comes alive with depth, vibrance and motion. 

At the Grand Garden Arena the house seats are green, teal really. I hate the color but because the MGM Grand's trademark green, it works for us. And when the show lights in the house hit them, they look fantastic!

Backstage looking towards
dressing rooms

The week has gone by quickly. No real drama to speak of. Not sure if it's because this is my 5th year on this show and we're just good at it or if there's something different this year. While things have gone smoothly, there's definitely a different feel - there's a camraderie that's missing this time. We all still get along famously but somehow it feels a bit disjointed somehow. I can't quite put my finger on it but something is definitely off. Maybe because there's no drama there's nothing really to bond us together. Everything is just kind of swimming along nicely. Nothing wrong with that.

Wanna know where Toby's sitting?

It's amazing to see this all come together though. 2 prerig days, 6 load in days, 3.5 rehearsal days. 300+ stagehands, 300 ushers, security, EMS & metro officers and countless of us nameless, faceless schmucks like me behind the scenes making little things happen to accomplish the same goal. It's really kind of cool.

The arena is quiet. They're on a meal break. A group of special needs kinds are funneling into the arena to watch the rehearsals. What a fun experience for them. I've been doing this for a while and even I'm blown away by the magnitude of this stuff sometimes, I can't imagine what it must feel like for them. 

Just spoke to Katie, the ACM social network PR person. Very cool. No issues with my Tweets. In fact, she loves that I'm Tweeting, especially behind the scenes pics. Stuff she doesn't have time to get to, the stuff only someone like me has access to. 

5.30p the crew is back. Rehearsals commence. People and equipment buzzing on stage. 

Fans waiting for glimpses
of their favorite country singers

5.50p JaneDear Girls, The Band Perry & Sara Evans are getting set to do a rehearsal for their tributes on the live taping for Girls' Night Out on CBS. 

This is the first time I've really parked my butt in the arena and watched any part of the rehearsals for this show, ever. It's funny that when I was Mandalay Bay to watch Chris Botti's rehearsal for the Latin Grammys last year I was at full attention - and I had butterflies. This time I have zero intrest in the bands performing other than that they put on a great show for the fans. I'm not even sure who they are - and that's ok. I don't think you have to like every type of music to appreciate them as musicians. But I love watching the people who are lucky enough to have guest passes to see their favorite artists perform. They have a glow. And I recognize it. It's a rush to see your favorite performer live and in person. You feel like you're privy to a secret or an inside joke. 

Blake & Reba's view as they
hit the stage

After a to go box from Chef Eric at Seablue I'm finishing up some blogging and work. I missed Darius Rucker & Martina McBride's rehearsals but am going to try and catch Toby Keith's coming up in about 30 minutes - if they're on schedule. He's performing a song that sums up where I would like to be right now. 

Lola's Mambo

2010 Latin Grammys

On PBS now is David Foster & Friends shot at our sister property Mandalay Bay. It's funny to see our venues on TV. I'd love to have Botti headline the Grand Garden with his gaggle but I don't think it's in the cards. He's got a standing relationship with Station Casinos and it seems to be a good fit. Then again, I kinda prefer to see him at other venues anyhow. Last thing I want to do at a Botti show is work. And I've been disappointed by too many artists or been turned off by their management/tour reps to the point that I don't even listen to the band's music anymore. I don't want that to happen to Botti... at least not yet. I'd like to think he's not that kind of guy and wouldn't surround himself with people like that but you never know. Let me get thru The Year of Botti first. Then he can turn out to be an asshole.

Botti with Guerra on 'Lola's Mambo'

I did manage to catch Botti at the Latin Grammys last November 11 at Mandalay Bay. My pals over there knew how I recently discovered him and gave me a head's up that he was performing. I love that we have such a great relationship between arenas. Anytime I need something, they're there and vice versa. It's nice to hook up people who spend every waking moment hooking other people up. It's very gratifying somehow. 


Botti opened the Latin Grammys with Juan Luis Guerra playing 'Lola's Mambo." That was juicy. Very 'Breakfast (Burrito) at Tiffany's.' He played less than a minute and absolutely killed it. I remember I was caught up in work, looked at the clock and thought, "Crap he goes on in 15 minutes." I  hopped in my car, zipped over to Mandalay and slipped in the side door for Botti's 45 second bit and then drove back to work at the Grand Garden. Membership has it's privileges.

Botti warming up at rehearsal

I caught his rehearsals the day before too. He was very low key. He carried his trumpet in a kind of worn leather backpack-ish satchel. That surprised me for some reason. I figured he'd show up with it in a hard, black rectangular case with brass flip latches like a 6th grader. It's funny the expectations we have for people. He looked a little hung over too. He probably wasn't. Probably just tired but maybe, just maybe he went out the night before and got drunk on sake. Hmmm?