“Just look at the Old Testament.  They didn’t go out with the army first.  They sent the musicians out.” ~ Michael W. Smith

One year ago my good friend & songmate, BigDawg, and I decided to launch BigDawg Music Mafia to showcase the many creative ways our fellow patriots are getting engaged in the pop culture revolution, speaking truth to power through their God-given talents (songs, art, blogs, books, photography, poems, radio shows, film, humor, acting, etc).

Today, with 565 members/artists attracting over half a million site hits from around the world in our first year, we have plenty to say and an increasing number of visitors dropping in every day to “hear” us out.  With such a diverse group of artists with a wide range of talent, it is only natural that some of us would find ourselves joining forces on some cool collaborations/projects.

vimeo Get Off The Stage (The BigDawg Patriots Featuring Jana Seantelle)

Our latest project, Get Off the Stage, written by one of our members who goes by the name “Mick”, is described in an electronic press kit he recently released and distributed.  Here are some excerpts:

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Over the past few years, the Tea Party movement has seen a dramatic rise in the number of conservative female activists across this country.  From local to State and National elections, we see more and more female names on ballots.  We see women leading many of the conservative social networking sites – large and small.  We see them writing conservative books, blogging, tweeting, facebooking (has Webster added those yet as actual verbs?).  We see them on TV providing spot-on punditry on the shenanigans in DC.  We see them holding voter registration drives.  We see them courageously and passionately speaking out at Town Hall meetings, Tea Parties, rallies, and conventions.  We also see them using their creative abilities (e.g. music, art, writing, acting, film making, etc.) to spread the message of freedom.  We see them boldly fighting for this country in many capacities, all the while brushing off (and many even relishing) the insults flung at them for simply being conservative and…gasp…FEMALE!  And they are HOT (as in…”mad as Hell and not going to take it any more”…yeah).

It appears one must “fight like a girl” to save this country.

Especially proud to be one of those lipstick warriors is country singer/songwriter, Sherry Marquelle, whose ancestors, the Apache people, due to their fierce independence, were the last of the Native Americans to be placed on reservations.  That strong will is alive today and stands ready for a good fight for freedom and that fighting spirit is very evident in Ms. Marquelle.

Sherry is not new to the entertainment industry.  She has shared the stage with Faron Young,  Mel McDaniel, and John Conley.  She has recorded songs from some of Nashville’s top songwriters, such as Harlan Howard (I Fall To Pieces, I Got A Tiger By The Tail, Somebody Should Leave), Hank Cochran (Make The World Go Away, The Chair, Ocean Front Property), and Angela Kaset (Independence Day).

Sherry says she is now using her singing and writing talents “to inspire fellow Americans to get involved in the efforts to stand up for our country and uphold the Constitution.” (more…)

That chill wind Hollywood liberal Tim Robbins warned about is indeed blowing and every stand-up comic and performance artist should be worried. However, it isn’t coming from some frustrated, prudish Christian right winger. It’s coming from the open-minded, diversity embracing, tolerant other side of the aisle. Free speech is just a concept that was rejected at the pitch meeting. Artistic expression isn’t for the less enlightened. Tracy Morgan is now officially under reeducation by the Hollywood left.

In case you missed it, here is the back story: Tracy Morgan, stand-up comic and one of the stars of the NBC hit sit-com “30 Rock” was busted doing a stand-up routine at the Ryman Theater in Nashville. Unlike back when St. Lenny was being busted the cops didn’t rush the stage and drag Mr. Morgan off. No, a single audience member got offended and reported Mr. Morgan to “the authorities” through Facebook.

The verboten topic was lack of empathy for homosexuality. The “authorities” are the liberal media. A gay man in the audience, Kevin Rogers took offence and wound up on CNN chatting about how horrible the show was.

I wasn’t there and I doubt there is a recording or transcript but from reports the “bit” was pretty raw. What I have read and seen on the Internet is that Mr. Morgan was doing a rant where he imagined his son came home and announced he was gay. Mr. Morgan said if that happened he would stab him.

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Here’s the thing about Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity: it didn’t represent a restoration of anything. It wasn’t a breath of fresh air; it didn’t symbolize change; it didn’t mark the beginning of a new future for America. Instead, Stewart’s rally solidified the ongoing rule of the most influential force in America—the entertainment-political complex. The entertainment-political complex is nothing new. We certainly take it for granted.  But every so often, a public event draws special attention to the collusion between the entertainment and political industries. This past weekend, it was Comedy Central taking over the Capitol.

In his closing remarks to rally-goers, Jon Stewart said,  

“And now I thought we might have a moment, however brief, for some sincerity. If that’s okay – I know that there are boundaries for a comedian / pundit / talker guy, and I’m sure that I’ll find out tomorrow how I have violated them.”

And thus Stewart’s moment of sincerity was prefaced with a moment of insincerity. Stewart is a smart guy, and he knows the truth: there are no boundaries for comedian / pundit / talker guys—not anymore!

As I stood in the crowd at the Rally to Restore Sanity on Saturday, I couldn’t help but think of the last scene of Robert Altman’s 1975 film, Nashville. That whole film is a monument to the pathological relationship between politicos and entertainers, and it climaxes at a campaign rally for the make-believe “Replacement Party.” The movie ends with empty-eyed rally-goers singing, “They may say that I ain’t free / but it don’t worry me.”

Here’s the thing, though: it should worry us. It really should. (more…)

This article is nearly three months in the making.  For the second year in a row, my partner John and I attended the Country Music Association (CMA) Music Fest in Nashville, TN in early June.  As a side note, if you ever get the opportunity – GO!  It is a weeklong celebration of great country music and the great American city of Nashville.

But this isn’t a tourist agency pimping of Music City.  Nope, it is a damning indictment of Hollywood’s natural, auto-immune liberal bias.  Let me explain.

During the actual CMA Music Fest in June there is a massive concert each of four nights at LP Field where the Tennessee Titans play football in the fall.  The good old American Broadcasting Company takes four nights of country music and compresses it into three hours.  That edited program was shown last evening on ABC for all to see.

As I sat in LP Field in June and saw each night’s great entertainment unfold, I knew with confidence that two notable events would NOT be aired last night on ABC.  I was right.

In fact, I tweeted “live” from the floor of the concert when one of them occurred.  Unfortunately, as usual, Twitter’s status history is malfunctioning. When viewers saw Tim McGraw sing “Southern Voice” last night on ABC, there was an important moment that the network cleverly edited out and actively hid from America.  Why? Because it was inflammatory and would have exposed McGraw, a passionate Democrat activist, to extreme ridicule today. (more…)

If there’s anything Hollywood does well and deserves credit for, it’s raising money for victims of natural disasters. For some reason, though, the flood that Nashville is still digging out from under – the flood that killed eleven people — has been almost completely ignored by Hollywood.

Same with the Gulf Oil Spill.

When you look at Hollywood’s recent history in rallying for this kind of thing, you’re left to ask why? Where are the telethons and public pleas for humanitarian assistance? Is it that the Nashville “rubes” don’t rate? Is it that calling any attention to the ongoing catastrophe in the Gulf can only hurt Their One? What else could it be?

Nashville stars came out for Nashville and good on them, and so did David Spade. But where was/is the big star-studded nationally televised gala?

And in the Gulf, with the exception of Kevin Costner, all we’ve seen thus far from Hollywood are shockingly shameless A-listers covering for Obama and behaving in ways little better than price-gougers as they cravenly exploit this environmental and economic catastrophe to push their own political agendas. (more)

A few years ago one of the most culturally significant cities in the United States ended up under water and millions of Americans rushed to her aid. A lot of conservatives and liberals joined church and civic groups and headed to The Big Easy to help rebuild the city. The Hollywood elites got in front of the cameras and opened their checkbooks, which was great. They also opened their mouths and unloaded on President Bush about his lack of action which I found a bit pompous and hypocritical. Now their hypocrisy has resurfaced. As a friend of mine in Nashville might say, “They have showed their ass.”

Nashville is drowning and Hollywood is nowhere to be found. Country singer Julie Roberts has lost her home and yet Julia Roberts has yet to send help. Julie Roberts wrote my wife’s favorite country song  which goes, ”…men and mascara, always run…” Where are Brad Pitt and the rest of the Hollywood liberal elite who rightfully rushed into New Orleans now that culturally significant sites like The Grand Ole Opry and The Country Music Hall of Fame are under water?

When will Bono write a song? (more…)

I did two things Sunday night I usually don’t do: I tuned into CBS and watched an awards program. They were actually the same thing, as I watched the CMA Awards on CBS. While I was told repeatedly the CMAs are a country music awards show, my question is, “Where were the country folks?”

Where was the modern Loretta Lynn? You know, a simple country girl who just loves to sing walking the stage in a homemade dress and an out-of-date hairstyle. Where were George Jones and Dolly Parton? Where were Willie, Hank Jr., and Merle? Why are the Country Music Awards being held in Las Vegas and not Nashville, Austin, or Branson? The problem is that in country music today, the last thing you want to be is “country.” It used to be “I was country when country wasn’t cool.”  But now, to paraphrase the great Mr. Jones, if you are country, that isn’t cool. (more…)

Last Friday I got back from a hike and saw that my Uncle Luciano (we’ve always called him “Tío Chano”) had taken the car. He left me a note saying that he was going to go see “an Army movie.”

Somehow, I knew he was going to be disappointed.

The disconnect between beauty and popularity in music has never been greater.  Where once America sang the Beatles or Motown (“The Sound of Young America”), today the music industry is severely fragmented.  Gangsta rap.  Speed metal.  Trip-hop.  The major recording companies whine about declining profits even as they pay Mariah Carey $18 million not to record.

Unanimity of public opinion over popular song has passed.  Music, which used to unite, now divides.  Eminem and Ludacris would have been unthinkable thirty years ago.  We live in an antinomian age where it’s hip to defy conventional wisdom long after every vestige of conventional wisdom lies in tatters.  Where Keats’ Grecian Urn once proclaimed, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” today’s antinomian consumer proclaims, “Whatever,” in a voice oozing ennui. (more…)