My Husband The Music Hypocrite

Mike and I "fight" about music a lot. Mike claims to have very distinct taste in music, and to a certain degree, I agree with his claims. Mike definitely likes edgier stuff than I do, but every so often we are able to meet in the middle.

We have been to a handful of concerts together that we have enjoyed. We've seen Sting three times because, well, EVERYONE loves Sting. Even if you don't like Sting now, you have at one time liked Sting. Personally, I don't much care for current Sting, but there is not a person alive who at one point did not love Nothing Like The Sun. So Mike and I can agree that Sting was once Da Man. We both have a extreme fondness for Annie Lennox (Diva should be right next to your Nothing Like The Sun cd) and a couple of year ago we saw a Sting/Annie Lennox concert in which she kicked his musical ass. We both love Paul Simon because his Negotiations And Love Songs cd was released when we were dating and we listened to it so much, I'm surprised it still works 20 years later.

But here is where Mike is a big liar liar pants on fire. He says he hates country music. Now, I'm not debating his true hatred for Toby Keith/Alabama/Reba McIntyre/anything with a banjo. But he does like country music--he just won't say the words out loud. Country music has developed a broad spectum which he refuses to acknowledge or accept. I grew up with country music and, well, I like it. It's part of my childhood and it's a lot easier to listed to than The Cure (Mike!). A couple of years ago I bought a Keith Urban cd and, if I were not legally bound to the people in this house, I would have bumped off Nicole and become his personal stalker. I decided that if he ever came to town, my husband would have to take me to the concert and enjoy it. First of all, I have the goods on him--Mike has a secret crush on Lindsay Lohan (Oops--I guess it's not a secret anymore. And at least my guy is of legal age). Second, Keith is an exceptional musician, which Mike would completely appreciate if he would just take the fingers out of his ears and quit chanting "la la la country music la la la". But, while Mike claims to hate all things with a country music label, he listens to country music.

Mike likes Lyle Lovett. He owns Lyle Lovett cds. According to Mike it doesn't count because they play Lyle on The Mountain (http://www.kmtt.com/). The Mountain is known for playing GOOD MUSIC, and is not loyal to any particular genre. So they play Sting, Los Lonely Boys (country!), Toad the Wet Sprocket, Norah Jones, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Allison Krauss (country!), Wilco, Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne...you get the picture. They play old and new alike and are often introducing their listening audience to new music. Mike is so loyal to The Mountain, you could play The Wiggles on that station and he would listen to them.

Mike likes Johnny Cash because his grandmother liked him. Mike likes Pasty Cline. Mike likes The Eagles. MIKE LISTENS TO COUNTRY MUSIC. When I point out that Elton John plays country music Mike will dismiss it as a crossover. Bon Jovi has a new country inspired album (not that Mike is a huge Bon Jovi fan, but it furthers my point). Crossover. Lucinda Willams? Crossover. Bonnie Raitt? Crossover. If they play it on The Mountain, it is worthy of Mike's ears. If the exact same song by the same artist is played on a country music station, then it is country and therefore banned from the soundwaves hovering around Mike's ears.

Now it's starting to get funny because in Mike's new office there are a couple of young girls who work along side of him. One of the girls recently won a radio contest and was given Stray Cats concert tickets. She's not going because she's too young to know who they are! A little piece of 38 year old Mike died inside when he heard that. But she does listen to a country station on the radio at her desk and he can't change the station, like he tries to do to me. So he is held hostage every Tuesday and Thursday by her radio. He mentioned the other day that he is taking me to the Keith Urban concert in September and her response was "oh, I LIKE him!"

So come September 15th Mike will be attending the Keith Urban concert, with the tickets that he purchased with his hard earned money. I'm going to take a picture of him actually enjoying himself. And I'm going to buy him a t-shirt. If only Lindsay Lohan were opening for Keith....