Pulled off the Tuney Awards last night with co-emcee Scott Prinzing. The Depot was nicely filled, we had the best lineup of musicians in the three years of the celebration, and the whole thing actually finished a couple of minutes ahead of schedule.

The big winner was Jared Stewart, in nearly every category he was entered in. While some people have suspected Jared Stewart fans of stuffing the ballot boxes, I can vouch that that isn't true. Sure, there were straight Stewart ballots, but so were there also for at least a half-dozen other performers. I counted a fair chunk of this year's ballots myself, and I can attest that Stewart's support cut across all geographic and genre boundaries.

Why so many votes? For one thing, Stewart is successful. His band draws big crowds everywhere he plays, and he just released a second potent CD. For another, his music appeals to fans of lots of different kinds of music: blues, rock, pop. He combines superlative covers with original tunes. His band cooks.

Most importantly, it seems to me, is that Stewart takes everything he does seriously, from his music to his service to the Crow Tribe. He works hard, come prepared and gives his best. His speeches as he accepted his awards last night bore that out, from his tribute to Dale Renee to his one-sentence homage to artist Rabbit Knows Gun. Jared Stewart appears to be headed straight up, and it has been a pleasure to meet and hear him here.