In the punkest country moment we’ve seen in a while, when asked if Toby Keith would be attending this year’s Country Music Awards (November 1), the 51-year-old heel-stomper quipped to Country Weekly on Wednesday, “Hell no, I ain’t showing up. I gotta go get a root canal that day, or something fun.” Which is kind of like snubbing the Grammys, really. Nominated 27 times over the years, Keith’s contention with the awards show is deep rooted it seems, calling it “crazy” that he was nominated this year for pop-crossover barroom throw-away “Red Solo Cup,” that he didn’t even write. Meanwhile, the proud country heart is about to drop his 16th record full of original barroom panache dubbed Hope on the Rocks on October 30. Dig on the lyric video for the beer-swilling words of wisdom on lead single “I LIke Girls That Drink Beer” and some of the minI RIFFs we’ll be rolling out until the record drops:

RIFF: Ain’t goin’ down to the ball in your chariot/This high rise life ain’t for me