Dixie Chicks keep low profile on tour (Not)

[Nambe]

Boston Globe

--- The Chicks are not ducking the issue. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Dixie Chick Emily Robison wore a ``free Natalie'' T-shirt at a Cincinnati show in mid-June, while Maines wore a shirt that said, ``Who, me?'' And, as it has throughout the tour, the group showed a video clip for the song ``Truth No. 2'' that features footage of fans burning Beatles CDs, as well as images of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Mohandas Gandhi, abortion-rights protesters and suffragettes.

``We love for our concerts to be a platform for free speech,'' Maines reportedly told the Cincinnati crowd. ---

While sales of the Dixie Chicks' latest album, ``Home,'' dropped after the incident, sales have since gone back up, and the album has passed the 5 million mark. All of which testifies to the perseverance of the Chicks in light of the controversy.

``They're putting up million-dollar concert grosses on a regular basis,'' says Gary Bongiovanni, editor of the trade publication Pollstar. ``And they got so much mainstream press that I think that broadened them and brought them to a wider pop audience. I'm not sure I would recommend it as a career move -- they probably all got ulcers from it -- but they definitely survived it.''

Banish bush From Texas Too

[Jivenwail]

1. Did you hear abou the airline incident

A recent account I heard on the radio this morning. Said some redneck onboard a flight mistook Pam Anderson for Natalie Maines (now how he did THAT, is beyond me!) and made several trips up to first class to chew her out rather loudly. When they landed, he found the police waiting for him. Seems he disagreed with Natalie and wanted to let her know in no uncertain terms how he felt. Problem was, it wasn't Natalie Maines. I'd like to know just how much booze this guy was allowed to consume in order for him to mix-up those two! LOL!

[oregonjen]

2. chicks concert last night

My daughter and I saw the Chicks last night in Portland and they were awesome! Natalie wore a t-shirt saying Dare to be Free. No Bush comments, but a lot of free speech comments. No protesters that I could see. Just 20,000 screaming fans.

[zbdent]

15. Now if it were a liberal mistaking Margaret Hamilton for

Ted Nugent, you know that the plain-clothes air patrolment would have shot to kill with a cheering bunch of freepers in first class.

[LauraK]

3. NPR did a segment on their sudden rise in mainstream sales.

Their last album and current ture is far less country whine and more social content. A Rolling Stone critic says they are moving from the barn to the library. IMO, we have 'old Europe' to thank for the Dixie Chick awakening. They have a chance for a strong voice on some issues and they seem to be responding! Go Chicks.

[schultzee]

5. Please....What is the name of the album that is pro-free speech?

I would like to purchase it.
schultzee

[MaineDem]

6. I bought the CD

I don't like c/w music at all but this isn't bad. Plus there was the political reason, of course. ;)

I'm glad their concerts are well sold!

[bbernardini]

4. Yay!

While I like just about every kind of music to some extent, country is probably my least favorite. Regardless, the music the Dixie Chicks are doing these days is more "country" than what most country radio stations play. Today's country music=bad 80s songs with steel guitar on them.

I was just listening to a recording of a show the Dixie Chicks just did in Dallas, and they mentioned the "controversy" quite a few times. The positive response was so overwhelming that it overloaded the microphones of the gentleman stealth recording the concert.

Don't tell my wife, but they're pretty good, even if they do a song connected to Sheryl Crow (that's another post for another forum).

[sham]

7. kkklear channel was there in full force (to make $, not to protest)

At the concert in Dallas, clear channel had promotions staff from every station it has in this market that has ever played the Chicks walking around in station T-shirts, passing out bumper stickers and such. It was such disgutsting hypocrisy. I don't listen to any clear channel stations (or any commercial radio at all, for that matter) so I'm not 100% on this, but I don't think the stations around here have even started playing the Chicks' music again. But there they were advertising at the concert. Pathetic.

[Skip Intro]

8. Lot of people in DC could learn a few things from these patriots

You have a right to exercize your rights, right? For most of us, freedom is more than a word to be spalttered on some lame backdrop for the moron stand in front of. Never be shouted down by that loud and vicious little group of thugs who challenge your patriotism if you don't agree with them. They are an extreme minority who have only empty threats and gnarled teeth to offer. And one brave soul to call their bluff and stand up for his/her own beliefs is all it takes to send the air flying right out of thier evil little balloon.

Good for the Chicks. They have my adimiration.

[Catherine Vincent]

9. I am very happy for the Dixie Chicks!

I wasn't a fan before, but I am now. But before whenever their name would come up, I always thought that whomever created the name did a good job. Dixie Chicks. didn't care much for the dixie part but I'm not a C&W fan, so it doesn't matter. There was a guy that is a friend of a friend in our office that saw blood after the dixie chick made that comment about Bush. I said it was no big deal but he thought it was. He wanted them to go broke. I should forward this article to him and rub it in his face. LOL!

[Syrinx]

10. They named themselves after the Little Feat song

Originally The Dixie Chickens, soon shortened.

[GainesT1958]

11. All I can say is...

Hail to the CHICKS!!!:toast:

AND...I SUUUUURE hope they come around here soon on that tour!:D

:kick:

B-)

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

12. If they don't get a gig...

...playing the inaugeration party for the next Democratic President, there is no justice in the universe.

[AngryWhiteDemocrat]

13. My DC slogan...

"We can support the Dixie Chicks without supporting country music."

[dbt]

14. My local Clear Channel 'country' station

made a BIG DEAL out of dropping the Chicks from its playli$t shortly after the Free Speech controversy. Here lately, they've started playing the songs again without mentioning title or artist.

Such delicious irony!

(missing middle finger icon) radio anyhow,
dbt

[joeunderdog]

16. I heard on CNN that concert attendance is up 24% this summer...

largely due to megabands "like the Rolling Stones and the Dixie Chicks."

I hate country music, but I love the Dixie Chicks.