As the lawsuits roll in from victims of the horrible stage collapse in Indiana last month,  we are keeping an eye on Sugarland to see if they actually end up getting sued by anyone.  Right now, the victims are mainly listing any entity that they MAY choose to sue in the coming months, and Sugarland has been included on several of those lists.

There’s speculation that some people were prompted to include the band, who narrowly escaped the collapse when they decided to momentarily delay walking on the stage, due to the specifics of their recently released touring contract.  Specifically, the contract says Sugarland has the right to cancel a show due to weather, and also that if a show does get cancelled for that reason, they still get a big chunk of money.  The logic here, I guess, is that Sugarland could have called it off if they wanted to, and also that by charging a hefty cancellation fee they were somehow influencing the decision of the fair officials.  I don’t think that really makes sense, but I’m just letting you know the details.

On a totally separate note, I’m sure Sugarland is still deeply grieving the fact that there are people who died just because they came to a Sugarland show. Imagine how hard this would be to get over.  But if I ever get a chance to talk to them about it, I will be sure to make the following point:  there are probably people out there as well who are ALIVE because of Sugarland.  Think about it:  They may have been suicidal and a Sugarland song somehow made them reconnect and recover.  They may have driven to a Sugarland show and because they were there, they avoided a car wreck they would have gotten into if they had done something else instead.  You can make yourself crazy with this kind of thinking, and I just hope that they are able to put this whole awful thing in perspective and not blame themselves.  That’s all!

So sad.  Yet another death from the Indiana stage collapse.  Her name was Meagan Toothman (on the right in the photo above), and she was a 24 year-old cheerleading coach.  The only lovely part of this story is that Meagan was registered as an organ donor, and her family has revealed that because her body was preserved on life support,  literally dozens of people will benefit from her donations.

And the lawsuits have begun as well.  The first one has been filed by Janeen Urschel, who is asking for $50 million for the estate of her partner, who died in the collapse, plus $10 million more in punitive damages.  She’s suing three different organizations, but (fortunately) not Sugarland, who was about to take the stage.

Last night, Sugarland performed for the first time since the Indiana stage collapse that killed 5 people and injured about 40.  Here’s a video of their tribute to the victims:

Here’s Sugarland’s latest message about their thoughts and plans following the Indiana stage collapse:

Dear Fans, Family and Friends,

We have taken a couple of days to try and even begin to emotionally process the magnitude and gravity of the tragedy in Indiana on Saturday. While the path to healing from this type of trauma and loss is long and winding, we wanted to reach out and update you on where we are and how we are.

We are in the process of planning a private memorial in Indiana, to honor those fans who died. We would first like to hold space so that their families can have time to go through their own services and memorials. Until that time we are holding vigil for them. We join them on their mourning benches. And we stand in the gap asking God to offer them peace and healing. For those suffering from injury we hold you up with prayers for complete healing of your own.

We are also addressing our own specific healing. Our road family experienced its traumas together. While we all scattered to our given families for their comfort, the trauma we experienced together binds us in a unique way that we share only with each other, and those who were there. There is healing in our being together. There is healing in our working together. For this reason we are planning to get back on the road this weekend, beginning with our scheduled show in Albuquerque this Thursday, August 18th. The emotions have us yearning to be close to each other immediately. The logistics have us needing to replace all of our instruments and equipment. (The set is a loss that is insignificant in light of the tragedy.)

This Incredible Machine is more than a tour and more than a set. We have always celebrated music as a Healer. While music cannot change the events and losses at the Indiana State Fair, it can hopefully serve as a ritual and a balm to provide comfort and facilitate healing in this time of great sorrow. We hope to see you all soon.

Love,
Sugarland

So, here’s Sugarland and Sara Bareilles performing “Come On Eileen” by ’80s one-hit wonders Dexys Midnight Runners. They NAILED IT!

You really learn a lot about an artist when you take them out of their element.  Some nail it, and some not so much!  Two of the more talented artists/groups nailed it here!

Yes, and it’s Jennifer Nettles.  Huh?  In an interview with the South Florida Gay News recently she admitted that she has the music taste of a “gay man.”  This because lately Sugarland has been doing a lot of their own versions of songs from artists like Madonna and the BeeGees.  So when asked if that made her the first openly gay man in country music, Jennifer said she guesses so!  Then the interviewer wanted to know if it was harder for an entertainer to “come out” in country music, she said, ”But isn’t it scary for any artist to come out?”   She also confessed a love for men in eyeliner.

Isn’t she a pop star from the Bahamas?  Yes.  So of all of the country acts that could be doing some kind of musical event with a non-country act, who pops up in your mind?  Sugarland?  Me, too.  And we’re right.  They’ve already collaborated with Beyonce on one awards show, and with the B-52s on another.  So yep, it’s Rihanna singing her new song, “California King Bed”, with a little help from Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush.  As they are both singers who like to make a lot of random sounds while they sing, this could get really interesting!

Their new top ten hit, “Stuck Like Glue,” is getting mixed reactions from radio stations around the country, who feel like the “reggae breakdown” part of the song (you know, when she goes into that “uppah-yo-head” kind of jag), is not appropriate for the country format.  Some stations have gone ahead and re-cut the song without that section, without the permission of the band.  Jennifer and Kris say their not mad, just surprised that this song has raised any eyebrows.  Kris points out that other artists have added reggae sounds to their music (Kenny Chesney even recorded with Bob Marley’s family), so he didn’t think this was a big deal.  My personal theory is that it’s not so much the music but the singing style that seems a little out of place, but maybe that’s just me?

Jennifer Nettles says their next album is almost done, and it’s called “The Incredible Machine.”  Now here’s the funky part:  Jennifer says the CD is insired by something called “Steampunk.”  What?  That is a genre of Sci-fi where technology is stuck back in the past, but it’s still kind of futuristic…think “Wild Wild West” with Will Smith.  what does this have to do with Sugarland?  I’m still not really sure.  Though if I had to guess I think maybe they’re using state-of-the-art recording technology to make classic old instruments like the banjo and the fiddle sound super-cool.