Ever hear of Norwood, New York?
Congratulations if you answered yes.
It took me a while to find it on a map.
Norwood is a tiny little village - that's what they call their towns up there- just south of the Canadian border, about 90 minutes from Montreal.
There's only 1600 people in Norwood. And even though the lake homes make the town look like a summer vacation spot, most residents are year-rounders. I think I met most of them.

My cameraman Tom and I flew into Syracuse on Saturday night and spent the evening playing in Armory Square. If you're an Orangeman, I'm sure you know the area. It's a very cool strip of restaraunts and bars smack dab in the middle of downtown, just blocks away from the Carrier Dome.
The Blue Tusk, P.J. Darcy's, and some really fun Irish Pub took most of our money. There were a couple of others along the way, but details are a little fuzzy following two deadly shots of Irish Whiskey.
I vaguely recall the Pub's house band playing a version of Charlie Daniel's "Devil Went Down to Georgia" following "Oh, Danny Boy". Odd, but yet, somehow fitting.
Outside the bars, the party was just as lively.
I'm assuming that on Friday and Saturday nights, the streets surrounding Armory Square are blocked off to cars. I only assume that because one particular street was packed with folding chairs and white cloth covered tables. Hundreds of people gathered to eat, drink wine and enjoy the evening under the stars. The entertainment was an eclectic array of music performed on a portable stage. The bands played everything from Sinatra to John Mayer with a little BeeGees thrown in for good measure.
I got a neat vibe wandering the streets of Syracuse.
It was my first time to the city.
Besides the dry, cool air - a welcome change from the Nashville, and nationwide steam bath of late- the whole downtown area just took on a hip bohemian feel drizzled with an icing of class and history.
Old buildings, new life.
I'm sure winters are tough here. Long, cold, dark winters.
I think that's why the summer crowd seemed so happy.
They live for these few months when they can actually step outside.
Tom and I began the evening early and headed back to our hotel just as the night was really getting started Downtown.
Lesson learned.
Don't peak too eary in Syracuse.

Back to Norwood.
Tom and I woke up on Sunday morning and fed our bleeding heads with breakfast.
We then packed up our Hyundai Santa Fe with gear and headed north.
There's a fast way to Norwood, and then there's our way to Norwood.
We had some time to kill so we took the scenic route.
Route 11. It comes right out of Syracuse and heads North through villages like Mexico, Philadelphia, Potsdam, Brewerton, Gouverner and few others.
It's just a two-lane road with speed limits ranging from 25 to 55. 143 miles worth of two-lane road.

We stopped in Brewerton for a leisurely lunch at the Waterfront Tavern on the shores of Lake Oneida.
As bikini clad girls and biker dudes flowed in and out of the open-air decks of the restaurant, and while boats of all shapes and sizes cruised down the river into the mammoth lake, Tom voiced the quote of the trip.
"Where the hell are we?"
It was a good question.
We didn't have a map. Just a few scribbled notes on how to get to this mythical town of Norwood.
"I don't know." I replied. "But I like it."

We continued North, and slightly East, driving past corn fields and cattle farms with the occasional little village every 10 or 15 miles.
This was the real New York.
New York City is big and bustling. But the state itself is huge and sprawling, with a ton of open, tree covered land and rolling hills.
It was a perfect Sunday drive.

We arrived in Norwood shortly after 6:30pm.
My primitive directions served us well and we pulled onto Noreen St. right on time.
There was no doubt we found our destination. Dozens of parked cars lined the streets and the lawns of the lakeside neighborhood.
The party had already begun.

John Milsiak and his wife Sharon are retired.
They live in a beautiful home on Lake Norwood - A peaceful shimmering body of water along a river damned up to create power for the village.
It probably was a very quiet town....before the Milsiaks moved in.
The Milsiaks know how to throw a party.

Sharon greeted us and quickly got us up to speed on the party guests. I got a lifetime of gossip about Norwood in about 5 minutes. The barrage of information left me dizzy and with a lot of questions.
She told me it's been a busy weekend for the town.
All I could gather was that the Stanley Cup had been there and their neighbors weren't....how should I say this? .....as "social" as the Milsiaks.

The Stanley Cup? ....The Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup? ....In Norwood, New York?
Yep. I was confused.
After further education from Sharon, her daughters and a few family friends, the pieces began to fall into place.
It seems Erik Cole - a member of the Hurricanes team - has in-laws who live on the lake as well.
As a gift to the town, he arranged for the Stanley Cup to come up for a visit.
The town showed up at the in-laws house on Friday, and from the looks of thing upon our arrival, the party hadn't stopped.

By the way, do you know the name of the Carolina Hurricane's mascot?
I'll give you a hint. Replace a "Y" with and "E" and you've got my name.
It's a cow.
I share a name....with a cow. But I digress...

A large white tent adorned the Milsiaks backyard. In front of the tent was a small stage.
The scene overlooked a beautiful landscape of a sloping hill that led down to an amazing lake.
Under the tent and all over the property, over 50 people mingled and drank, awaiting the arrival of the guest of honor.

At 7:00pm - right on schedule- the guest arrived.
It was Country singer/songwriter Julie Roberts.

You see, John Milsiak is a bit of a sweepstakes junkie.
He enters them all...Alot.
He also wins.... Alot.
John told me that so far this year he's won 27 different sweepstakes.
He's got an autographed guitar from Hoobastank. He has a new I-Pod. He even has a thousand dollars worth of NHL merchandise.
But this time, John won a private concert.

Julie and two of her musicians traveled to Norwood to perform an acoustic show at the Milsiak's house as a part of GAC's Summer Backyard BBQ contest.

John and his wife knew of Julie and entered the contest in hopes of entertaining their neighbors.
Like he has 26 other times this year, John won.

Julie performed a perfect set of acoustic versions of her hits, and music from her new CD "Men and Mascara". She then stuck around to sign autographs and take pictures with everyone in the crowd.

As one partygoer told me, "Not much happens here. Then suddenly in 48 hours we get the Stanley Cup AND Julie Roberts! This is awesome!"

I nicknamed John Milsiak "Dr. Sweepstakes". The name took.
That's how Julie signed John's new guitar - an added bonus to the prize.

Though I hope I do - I may never see Norwood, New York again.
But at least I did get to see it, and meet its people.
It's another example of why I love my job.
I've seen places most people never get to visit. And I've met people few get the chance to meet.
This is the real America.
It's almost ironic. The surreal world of entertainment allows me the opportunity to meet the real America. It's a nice balance.

Places like Norwood are off the beaten path.
There is no Chili's, Cracker Barrel or Mall in Norwood.
There's no Starbucks, Gap or Old Navy in Norwood.
The nearest McDonald's is 14 miles away!
It's just a town - a village nestled in the rolling hills of Northern New York.

A town like Norwood is unique. Not because it's a small town located far from an interstate. Coast to coast, America is filled with towns located far from the conveniences- or necessary evils- of modern society.
Norwood is unique because there is no other town like it. It still has an identity all it's own.

I got to visit Norwood because John Milsiak entered a contest.

Life is strange.
I like that part of life.

By the way, Julie's new song is "Men AND Mascara", not "Men IN Mascara".
Don't confuse the two. It could lead to an ugly interpretation of the song.
I'm just saying.

Take care everybody.

storme

Posted by Storme Warren at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

We ask our fine viewers a question at the end of our show that airs Thursday August 10th at 9pm ET.
This is the entry where you could, should or might respond.
But aside from answering my show inquiry, how about answering a few more questions?
Why not? You're here, aren't you?
Why should you answer questions?
See entry number one.
In summary; it's only fair.

Please respond with question number listed first.
1) Do you get GAC where you live?
2) If not, and you live in the U.S., have you called your cable company to request it?
3) What can we do to make "Country Music Across America" better?
4) Which would you rather watch? Me with a celebrity co-host (alot of fun, but usually takes away from coverage of other stories) -or- Just me, and alot more stories on other artists?

Don't want to answer questions?
You want to actually read a blog?
click below......

So....should NFL defensive end for the Miami Dolphins, Kevin Carter co-host a show with me?
give me your thoughts?

Alan Jackson and Alison Krauss have collaborated on new CD due out in October.
Alan sings. Alison produces.
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during those recording sessions.
Despite their rather conservative on-stage demeanors, they both have pretty bizarre senses of humor.
Alan defines the music on his album as "moody" and "different". "Like Red on a Rose" is a perfect example of the new tunes.

Trace Adkins has a message to fans and friends who treat his sobriety with kid gloves.... Don't.
The big man respects people who acknowledge his decision to stay dry. But he has a problem with those who feel they need to blatantly avoid alcohol in his presence. Trace says it feels like an insult - Like he's not strong enough to handle being close to people drinking. After being shot at, run over, cut, sliced, burned and pretty much left for dead....numerous times, I think he's tough enough.
A song on his new CD "Dangerous Man" titled "High" addresses the issue.

One of the best stories I've ever come across landed in my lap the other day. Former Mavericks member Robert Reynolds made an auction bid on a roller coaster car in Memphis. The car is from the "Zippin' Pippin" coaster, part of a now defunct Memphis amusement park. It is said to have been Elvis' favorite ride. In fact, Elvis spent three solid hours on the thrill ride just weeks before his death.
Not only did Robert get the car.....he got the whole freakin' coaster!!!!
Just one problem. His $2500 bid did not include dismantling and moving the coaster.
How do you move thousands of feet of steel and wood? Good question. A question Robert is still struggling with. Stay tuned to "Country Music Across America". Robert will be stopping by to tell the whole story soon.

We're still looking for the small town in America that prides itself on having the biggest contingent of Country Music fans. Time is running out. Please submit your small town in the entry "Where do we go next?" located in this blog site. We've got a bunch of great entries so far, but I think there's still a few towns we haven't heard from yet.

I've already caught some heat on my comments in the current issue of "Country Weekly". In my little article I listed Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. I noted their importance in today's Country scene. But I chose Brad Paisley as the one artist who I think will stand the test of time. Maybe I'm wrong. Who knows?
The rest of the artists i mentioned will no doubt leave undeniable marks on the history of Country. I just think Brad will be the one still playing 30 years from now.
Brad defies trend or fad. He follows it, but he doesn't live by it.
My only regret is not giving Tim, Kenny, Faith and Keith more credit. They are the ones defining the trend and fad of today. Toby, too.
I still stand by my statement that Brad will the be the one left standing - or rather- stooping next to his walker at the microphone 3 decades from now. He's in it for the long haul. I can't say that for the rest of them.
Rascal Flatts, you ask?
I'm still trying to figure them out. I love their music. I was there in the studio when they cut their first tracks as a fresh new trio. I agree, they're impressive in the studio. And their wild live show attracts an unbelievably devoted following.
Are they "George" or "Merle" or "Alabama" worthy? I don't know.
Maybe I just need to recalibrate my grading scale to the times.
Geez, I'm starting to sound like Ralph Emery.

Till next time!

storme

Posted by Storme Warren at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Vacation is over. Time to get back to work.
The only thing worse than not getting a vacation is that first day back from a break.
It doesn't take long for the relaxation to fade away.
I know I promised I would update this blog during my vacation but, unfortunately, my laptop crashed and decided to take a break as well.
No internet. No writing. No nothing.
It's amazing how dependent I had become on this little piece of addictive technology.
I'll admit, though. It was kind of nice having a few days without it.

To kick things off, how about some food for thought and a few random notes?

Is it just me? Or does "the Wreckers" frist single sound like they're picking up where the "Dixie Chicks" left off before the big 'incident'?
Great sound. Great CD.
I'm just glad somebody picked up the baton.
The rest of the music on their album definitely carves a different path from the 'Chicks', but the similiarity- at least on their current song- is pretty undeniable.

Congrats to Rodney Atkins ("If You're Going Through Hell") on his big couple of weeks. The dude has the #3 album on the Top 200charts!
Not to mention, number one on the Country Album charts and a number one song on the R&R charts.
I'll be hanging with him this week. From what I understand, he really hasn't quite absorbed what's going on yet. Should be a fun interview.

Football!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just a few days until the first -albeit preseason- Monday Night Football game.
All is right with the world.
It's been a long 5 months.
Seahwawks and Titans superbowl. Bet on it now.
It would be a dream match-up. I can't lose.

Speaking of football....
Do you remember when Matt Leinart claimed victory over Texas in the NCAA championship game?
I believe "It was a good win" was the post game quote.
I still laugh at that. Especially since Mr. Hollywood hasn't even arrived at Cardinal's training camp.
He was almost a Titan. Whew!! That was close.
I hear he's a nice guy, though......whatever.
Look at me! The trash talking starts already!
I love this time of year.

Mark Chesnutt is back with new music.
Again....all is right with the world.

Is it hot where you are?
It's a steam bath here in Nashville. I opened the door to let my dog out this morning and he looked at me like "you've got to be kidding me".

I just got a peek at the new artwork for Vince Gill's new, massive 4 CD release of ALL NEW songs....43 of them!!!!
All original paintings commissioned specifically for the project. Each one is like a riddle. Really cool.
I can't wait to hear the music.

New show debuts on August 10th at 9pm ET on GAC.
I'm still not quite sure what's going in it yet. Any suggestions?
Thanks for putting up with our mini hiatus.
It feels great to get back to work.

More blogs to come! Stay tuned.

Posted by Storme Warren at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)