Watch country-music shit-starter Sturgill Simpson busk outside of the CMAs, call Trump a fascist
Sturgill Simpson is probably our best modern progenitor of outlaw country. Across three excellent records, Simpson’s proven himself a master of that much-celebrated but rarely duplicated brand of ruthlessly honest, intelligent, funny and tuneful traditional American music. Last year, he kicked up a firestorm by blasting the Academy Of Country Music for co-opting Merle Haggard’s name for an award following his death, when Haggard himself had nothing but contempt for the institution. Afterward, Simpson said he expected to be “blackballed” from the industry for his comments, which turned out to be sort of true: His record A Sailor’s Guide To Earth was nominated for (and won) numerous Grammys but didn’t get a single nomination from the CMA awards.
This year, perhaps in response to the CMA’s brief policy banning guns-related questions, Simpson went busking outside the awards, collecting money for the ACLU alongside a sign that said, “I don’t take requests but I take questions about anything you want to talk about because fascism sucks.” He broadcasted the whole thing on Facebook Live, which you can watch below, and you really should: It’s a great example of his low-key charm, intelligence, and willingness to say exactly what the fuck he thinks.