* At 7, ESPN2 has U.S. Open Tennis.
* At 8, ABC has the CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock.
* ABC Family has a new Secret Life of the American Teenager at 8, followed by the season premiere of Greek.
* ESPN has Pre-Season Football at 8, the Vikings vs. the Texans.
* BBC America has a new Top Gear at 8.
* At 9, USA has a new Monday Night RAW.
* TLC has a new Jon & Kate Plus 8 at 9, then a new Ultimate Cake-Off.
* At 10, NBC has a new Dateline.
* Showtime has the season finale of Weeds at 10.
* Food Network has a new Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives at 10.
* E! has a new The Soup Presents at 10.
* Also at 10: Travel Channel has a new Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.
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ABC seems terribly afraid that viewers will remember this is country music.
So the concert starts (barring a re-edit) with Kid Rock. He does three songs during the night, while some of country's best settle for one apiece; some fans will nod in agreement with the only song from Brooks & Dunn: "Play Something Country."
If you want heartfelt ballads, you'll need patience; in the first hour, every song is up-tempo.
Eventually, the ballads do come - strong moments from Brad Paisley, Jamey Johnson, Taylor Swift, Sugarland and - really - Kid Rock. When he and Martina McBride do a "Picture" duet, we're reminded that country and rock (or Rock) can co-exist. (See story, Page 4C)
See the 'Beauty' of classical music
TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE II: "Great Performances: Karajan, or Beauty As I See It," 10 p.m., PBS.
As the Depression began, Herbert von Karajan began his conducting career in the modest-sized German city of Ulm. He promptly demoted many musicians; word spread that the former concertmaster planned to shoot him at the rostrum. The man was frisked and a loaded gun was found.
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