Yee-haw...Inside the ACMs

Written by Nadine Toren

Television personality and AZfoothills.com columnist Nadine Toren is scouring the area, finding savvy Valley features, bringing readers “on the scene.” Every day she’ll introduce you to celebrities, athletes, and give you an inside look into local events and hot spots. She'll touch on topical issues, and keep AZ fans posted on all the big talkers around town.

Save a horse; ride a cowboy--that's what many people were up to this weekend in Sin City. That's because Vegas was graced with the 46th Annual American Country Music Awards...and I scored myself a ticket.

Before moving to the Valley, I lived in San Diego. That’s where I met my best friend; we were both reporters at FOX. Jen and I lived in a Little Italy condo--if you’re familiar with San Diego, that’s near the harbor bordering the Gaslamp. However, instead of going out on the town, you could often find us analyzing country music songs on our 7th floor patio.

Yes, we would pop open the vino and blast everything from Kenny to Miranda to Sugarland. Sometimes we would laugh at the witty lyrics, and other times (go figure!), we’d tear up to hymns of heartbreak and love.

So when Jen called me early March giving me an ACM heads-up, I knew nothing would stop us from making it to the awards show.

The BF and I decided this would be an excellent excuse to road-trip to Sin City for the weekend, so Friday we packed the car and headed to Vegas. That’s where we met up with my BFF—who just so happens to be good friends with my BF as well.

The kind (and very important) people at MGM hooked us up with tickets, so after a fun-filled Friday and Saturday night on the Strip, we got glammed up for the Sunday evening award show. Around 4pm, the three of us make our way to the Grand Garden Arena, only to discover our seats were in Section 10, Row N worth $450 each (OMG!!!)!

Yes, we had quite the view of the arena packed with cowboys. (Yummy!) From boots to hats, bling to bowties—we saw it all when it came to country gear.

Even after securing our seats, reality failed to set in; the whole experience was wonderfully surreal.

Keep in mind, this was a live show on CBS; therefore, the producer gave the audience direction throughout the entire thing. Just before 5pm, he announced a three-minute warning, then two, then one, then finally 30-seconds. At ten seconds, we were instructed to start the applause…and then it was show-time.

To kick things off, Brad Paisley wooed the crowd, but this was only the beginning of the show stocked with a handful of star-studded performances.

Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton co-hosted the 46th Academy of Country Music Awards, cracking kind-hearted jokes keeping the crowd enthused. But the big hit—an energetic performance, courtesy of Carrie Underwood and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.

You guessed it—the crowd went wild.

After wowing the audience with Underwood’s hit “Undo It,” the duo darted from Country to Rock, getting just about everyone on their feet. The two sung Tyler’s “Walk This Way,” and it was definitely my personal pick of the evening.

Shelton playfully joked as he introduced his soon-to-be wife’s performance. Dressed in hot pink, Miranda Lambert gleefully sang her new song after winning four awards, including Best Female Vocalist, as well as Single, Song, and Video of the Year.

However, her fire was stolen for the fan-voted Entertainer of the Year. That went to 21-year old Taylor Swift, the youngest celeb to ever gain that honor.

And speaking of the teeny bopper babe, Swift performed her latest single, “Mean.” (And truth be told, I’m actually a fan of the song.)

The whole thing was like witnessing a country concert. The Valley’s own Dierks Bentley rocked the crowd, along with Darius Rucker, Toby Keith, Keith Urban, Martina McBride, and Sara Evans.

Viewers also got a mix of rap and folk. Rihanna joined Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles for a dramatic duet, and James Taylor joined Zac Brown Band for two songs.

In addition to the country guys and gals, A-List actors like Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman made an appearance. The BF, BFF, and I sat glued to the stage, savoring the stardom.

At 8pm sharp the show wrapped up, as the thousands of people cleared the arena. The three of us ended our night at the MGM café. Dressed in gowns and a suit, we dined on grilled cheese, a Reuben, and turkey sandwich, before putting on comfy clothes and road-tripping back to

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Written by Nadine Toren

Phoenix.

Thankfully, the BF let me sleep the whole way home, because I was due back to work bright and early. We arrived in Scottsdale around 1:30am—and after a quick cat nap, I headed to work, making it right on time for our 4:30am morning show. As sleepy as I am writing this ACM-wrap, the night was well-worth it. Best of all, I got to enjoy the sounds and atmosphere alongside my two biggest fans.

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