Last night I think I overheard Emmylou Harris talking about a guitar pull in New York that she sat in on with Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt, and Guy Clark. There’s always such good country lovin’ on the East, but alas, for us West Coasters we don’t get quite as many sessions like the one Emmylou spoke of. However, last night’s Country Music Hall of Fame “All for the Hall” benefit at Club Nokia in LA, provided a welcome exception with a brilliant sesh that boasted Emmylou, Chris Isaak, Dwight Yoakam, and the mighty Vince Gill (with a nice little cameo from songwriter and American Idol host Kara Dioguardi).
The previous 2 years the benefit has taken place in New York, and so it was with open arms that LA welcomed the third annual “All for the Hall” concert/guitar pull. The event was to raise awareness and funds for the Country Music Hall of Fame. About 300 people filed in for the benefit. In addition to the guitar pull there was a silent auction hocking all kinds of good country schwag. Amongst the items in the auction was a Taylor Swift package that included an autographed guitar, 4 tickets to a Taylor show, and a hangout session with Taylor and her mom (sorry creeps). Also being auctioned off was an “At Home With Vince Gill” package that allowed a lucky couple to a night of dinner and hangout with Vince Gill at his house (I wonder if in view of the holidays the winners will get treated to a batch of some of Amy Grant’s super tasty pomegranate-pumpkin whiskey?)
Be sure to check out http://www.countrymusichalloffame.com because they have some serious country music pride.
