There are so many reasons to love country music, why I love country music. In New York City, there might not be quite as many of us as in other parts of these United States, and at least in my experience folks who haven’t yet hopped on the country train are always asking why.

Many posts to follow on the many reasons to love country, but let’s start with the basics. Country music is about life – love, hard times, raisin’ hell. And unlike so many TV shows, movies, music genres and people, it’s the absence of irony, of sarcasm, of condescension, of pretension that makes country music wonderful. It’s alright to sing about having a beer – just because it’s cold or because it’s a Friday night. It’s OK to sing about a date with a girl – just because you’ve had a crush on her for years. Songs aren’t about being cool – they are about being happy, or about not being happy if that’s how it works out. Without any cover of sarcasm, they’re about experiencing life.