Coming in Weekend: Carrie Underwood talks CMAs, upcoming BOK show
BY JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Country songbird Carrie Underwood is looking forward to the holidays. She returns to the BOK Center on Nov. 21, just in time for Thanksgiving.
“Coming back to Oklahoma for concerts is always exciting, I’m definitely looking forward to it,” she said during a recent telephone interview.
But like any family holiday, she also gets the jitters.
“I cross the state line and I definitely feel like I’m at home,” she said. “I’ve spent so much time around Tulsa my while life, so when I’m in Tulsa, even though it’s an hour away from my parents house and my hometown, and that’s why all of this still feels like home,” she said, then paused.
“I have to add, there still feels like there’s a little added stress because we generally have so many family members and friends coming to those shows.
“I’m like ‘Where are your tickets, where are your tickets?’ ‘When are you going to get here?’ ‘Yes, I want to say hi to you, don’t leave without saying hi!’ So, yeah, it can get a little hectic sometimes.”
Whether or not her husband will join her also adds a bit of stress, she admitted.
“The lockout with the NHL is still happening, so there’s no telling if he’ll be with me or not. Honestly, he wants to play hockey, so that’s what I hope he’s doing. That’s his job.”
Thankfully, the couple have three weeks to figure out their plans for the Tulsa tour stop.
‘Off-the-cuff’
Thursday night, however, Underwood will be in Nashville as a co-host, performer and nominee in the Country Music Association Awards show. For the fifth year, she’ll join Brad Paisley 7 p.m. Thursday on the ABC network as the gala is broadcast live from Nashville.
Both are well-known for their senses of humor — “I told Brad I’d kill him if he pranked me on that stage,” she said.
“But, boy, we have a lot of fun. It’s fun to be the ones that get up there and drive the bus, so to speak. It makes me not worry about performances or nominations. … He’s actually always been a perfect gentleman on those days, which I really appreciate.”
She’s also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, a competitive category that pits her against Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift, Martina McBride and Kelly Clarkson.
One of her favorite moments in recent years was when Hank Williams Jr. walked onstage last year to poke fun at himself during a parody of Williams’ hit “Are You Ready for Some Football?”
“That was a really cool moment, to stand there with him, he’s a legend, and Brad and I couldn’t keep a straight face. Hank is really funny. That was a really cool moment,” she said.
The laughs during the awards show feel spontaneous because many of them are, she added.
“Yeah, we wear many hats. A lot of it is scripted, but not down to the word, like we don’t always say what’s on the Teleprompter so I think that helps us stay more off-the-cuff. … I think we get better every year and have more fun with it every year because we know what to expect.”
Co-hosting the CMA Awards isn’t a gig she or Paisley are ready to end, either, she said.
“It’s a good thing to do, so we’ll be doing it as long as they’ll let us.”
After Thursday night’s awards show, Underwood’s back on tour.
Read more of this interview in Thursday's Weekend magazine or online at tulsaworld.com/weekend.
Associated Images:
In this 2011 file photo hosts Carrie Underwood, left, and Brad Paisley speak during the 45th Annual CMA Awards in Nashville, Tenn. MARK HUMPHREY/AP File Photo
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