The Eagles/Keith Urban/Dixie Chicks show is one of the biggest tours this Summer.  So why do they keep cancelling shows?  As of now, they reshuffled a DC show, then cancelled 2 shows in Pennsylvania, with the usual “scheduling conflicts” given as the reason.  Two rumors are circulating about the real reason.  1)  That the Chicks are being divas because they’re opening, and they’re not happy that not everyone is in their seat yet  2)  That Eagle Timothy Schmidt is having drug problems again that are affecting with his ability to perform.  It’s possible that neither are true, but there you go.

The Dixie Chicks have just announced that they’ll release a new CD on June 1st called “The Very Best of the Dixie Chicks.” It’s not quite exactly a “greatest hits” CD because some of the songs are not exactly their biggest hits, and some of their big hits, like “Goodbye Earl”, “Ready to Run” and “Travellin’ Soldier” are not on there. Looks more like they picked their favorite songs, and here’s the list:

Two songs from Wide Open Spaces (“Wide Open Spaces” and “You Were Mine”), three songs from Fly (“Sin Wagon,” “Cowboy Take Me Away,” “Let Him Fly”), three songs from Home (“Long Time Gone,” “Landslide,” “Truth No. 2″) and four songs from Taking the Long Way (“The Long Way Around,” “Easy Silence,” “Not Ready to Make Nice,” “Lubbock or Leave It”).

Remember back in the 90s when all of these music festivals were created, like Lollapalooza and the Lilith Fair?  Well the Lilith lives on, and in fact they are kicking off the tour with a show right here in town at the Clark County Amphitheater on July 2nd.  (Tix go on sale March 27th.)  Why should you care?  Because Sugarland and Sheryl Crow are part of the line-up this year.   Other country stars are participating this year (Martina, Loretta Lynn, Miranda Lambert, the Courtyard Hounds) but unfortunately none of them will be at the Clark County show.

For the first time in four years, the Dixie Chicks will do a Summer tour.  What?  Huh??!!  The reason this is so surprising is that when Emily and Martie announced earlier this year that they were starting their own band, The Courtyard Hounds, they said that Natalie just wasn’t interested in performing or anything at this time.  Then, boom!  Tour dates are announced for a month’s worth of shows in June, opening for the Eagles at big stadiums around the country.  Unfortunately none of them is anywhere near here.  (The Eagles are coming to the Rose Garden in May with no opening act, so I doubt they’ll swing by later in the Summer).  Keith Urban is also joining the fun for many of the shows,which means this will be one hot ticket this Summer.

Word on the street is that the two Dixie Chick sisters, Emily Robison and Martie Maguire, will call themselves the Courtyard Hounds now that they are Natalie-less.  But does this mean the end of the Dixie Chicks?  They say no.  Martie says, “Emily and I had the itch, and every time we’d call Natalie and say ‘are you ready?’ she wasn’t ready.  She wanted a clear-cut break.”  Though the sisters are not sure about the Dixie Chicks’ future, they still hope to make music as a trio again someday.