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March 23, 2012
John Paul Jones Arena
Charlottesville, VA

On an unusually hot March afternoon fans lined up to see what was promising to be one hell of a show featuring Lauren Alaina, Luke Bryan, and Jason Aldean. The audience that was later revealed to be a record breaking, sold out crowd of over 14,000 people, definitely was not disappointed.

The evening began with an opening set by Lauren Alaina. She started her show with her hit single from her debut “Wildflower” album, “Georgia Peaches” followed up by a song she says is a “song to your ex-boyfriend” called “I’m Not One of Them”. She greeted the crowd by introducing herself, “Hi, I’m Lauren Alaina”, “I was on American Idol and I got 2nd place but whatever, I’m on tour with Jason Aldean and that’s just as cool”. She continues with another single off the album called “Tupelo” and asks the crowd (that was still filing in) to “make some noise for Jason Aldean – if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be here so I’m super blessed” She finished her set with the title track “She’s a Wildflower” and “One of Those Boys”.

I was excited to see her live. I confess I voted for her on American Idol which was the first season I had actually watched the whole thing and had actually voted. I think this little lady can sing her hind parts off and she is doing a great job with her live performance. I just hope she stays true to herself and doesn’t fall prey to industry pressure to look a certain way, act a certain way, and sing a certain way. I believe she has a bright future ahead of her and I can’t wait to see what’s next for her.

Next up was Luke Bryan. Thunder and lightning accompanied by strobes signaled the growing crowd that the show was about to start and Luke Bryan was taking the stage. He opens the show with one of his #1 singles, “Rain is a Good Thing” from the “Doin’ My Thing” album. He comes front and center and asks, “Where are the country girls at? Let me see ya’” and of course all the ladies (which make up the majority of the crowd) scream. He follows that up with “Country Man” and he’s dancing all over the place, rocking out. Next song was “Someone Else Calling You Baby”. He says “Virginia, how ya’ll doin?”, “Charlottesville, how ya’ll doin?”, “Let me see all my country girls”. When the girls scream, he says “Hey”, “Whatchall doin?”, and then he meows as the audience. He asks “Ya’ll got back roads right?” He flows into the next song “Drunk on You” and the crowd is singing along with him. The next song was “Drinkin’ Beer & Wastin’ Bullets”. He finishes it up and tells the crowd “I’m a little hung-over, I went and did a little trout fishin’ today, sweat my ass off, drank too much beer so”, of course the crowd loved that and responded with a rousing “hell yeah”. Next up is “If You Ain’t Here To Party” during which he tosses his red solo cup in the air towards the crowd. Guess who was in the line of fire? You guessed it, I looked up and all I could think was “crap” and next thing I knew me and a few other people were treated to a shower. Thank God it was only water and I had a second to tuck in my notebook. They bring a piano on stage and he tells everyone he sucks at playing piano and one of the stage hands brings him another cup and he takes a sip and says “ah that’s better” and he easily plays a little diddie. Then he decided to mess with the audience and starts playing Adele’s “Someone Like You”, they take the piano away and he makes sure he gets his cup from off of it before they take it off stage. Next song was “Do I” and that was followed up by “All My Friends Say”, in the middle of which he breaks into Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” then he finishes it up. Last songs were “I Don’t Want This Night To End” and “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)”, during which he gets the girls in the crowd to shake it and then he points one guy out and puts the spot on him and the guy starts “shaking it” and Bryan tells him “That’s my dawg right there”. He proceeds to inform the male portion of the crowd that they are “outnumbered 8 to 1 here tonight and if you don’t go home with a girl, well then, you’re just ugly and I can’t do nothin’ for ya’”.

Luke Bryan has some great country songs. His ballads make you wanna grab your date and dance a close, slow dance and the rest of his songs make you wanna hoop and holler, grab a beer, and bait a hook. They take you back to childhood and bring back memories (some not too innocent) of your younger, wilder days. He’s funny as hell and is one heck of a performer. I can’t tell you how many times I myself laughed out loud at his dancing and joking around. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him and would definitely see him again.

Final set and the one everyone was waiting for was Mr. Jason Aldean. He took the stage to “Hillbilly Deluxe” by Brooks & Dunn and then asked the audience, “Virginia, whatcha got?”. First up was “Johnny Cash” and “Big Green Tractor”. Already, nobody is sitting down and the noise level of the crowd has grown. Next up was “Amarillo Sky” and “Why”. He addressed the crowd after that by saying “What’s up Charlottesville?”, “It’s good to be back in Virginia”. He’s all over the stage back and forth making sure everyone in the place gets a good view and picture opportunity. With every place he stops you see numerous cell phones raise up all the sudden from people trying to get pictures. He sings “Crazytown” next and then lets the audience know that he has a new album coming out at the end of the year. Next was his newest single “Fly Over States” and then he disappears from the stage and next thing I know, he’s at the back of the arena at the soundboard. He tells the crowd that he knows “being in the back sucks” and he “wanted to make sure that everyone had a good seat”. He’s joined next by Luke Bryan and he tells everyone that they are gonna pay tribute to their idols. He says they both grew up pretty close to each other in Georgia, played some of the same clubs, listened to the same music. They both perform “Amarillo By Mornin’” by the great George Strait, Shenandoah’s “Sunday In The South”, and “Dixie Land Delight” by Alabama. Luke Bryan tells the crowd “Virginia, you are killin’ it tonight”, “I had gone to the bus and started drinkin’ beer”, “Gimme one more – as if I don’t need any more”. Jason let the crowd know that they were informed that they were the biggest crowd at a show at the John Paul Jones Arena – that they actually broke an attendance record. Luke Bryan sang his song “We Rode In Trucks”. He left the soundboard stage and Jason went back to the front stage and performed “Tattoos On this Town” & “Relentless”. The next song, which as of my writing this review won Jason Aldean two ACM awards for Vocal Event of the Year and Single Record of the Year, was the huge hit ballad “Don’t You Wanna Stay” which was originally recorded and performed with Kelly Clarkson but tonight Lauren Alaina filled in and did a fantastic job of it in my opinion. Next up was the title song from his double platinum album “My Kinda Party” and finished with another huge hit “She’s Country”. He left the stage and the crowd began stomping their feet and screaming for more. Jason took the stage once again with two more of his hugely popular songs, “Dirt Road Anthem” and after telling them to “Crank that bitch up” he completed the night with “Hicktown”.

Jason Aldean has become one of my favorite country artists. I was very excited to see this show and I was not disappointed for one minute. There’s something different at a country music concert, don’t get me wrong, I’m still a rock girl deep inside too, but the crowds are different, almost friendlier and relaxed. Oh they get up on their feet and raise hell, NEVER doubt that, and they know how to do it as well as the next person. You see couples slow dancing with each other during the slow songs and next thing you know they are rockin it out with the rest of the crowd. His music relates to everyone. You have the songs that remind you of your hometown and your country, the songs that remind you of family and friends, the songs that bring to mind the one you love, and the songs that make you want to party and raise hell. The tour is one of the highly anticipated tours of the season, people are being told to buy their tickets very early if they want to go because they are selling out and they may miss out. This was a fantastic night; I had the opportunity to see 3 country music artists that I had been anxious to see live. Lauren Alaina is the sweet southern belle with the voice that just pours over you like honey, she’s new to the industry and yes you can tell but she’s got a huge future ahead of her. Luke Bryan is the funniest guy I have seen live and I am a fan of him and quite a lot of his songs. He’s had a huge year this year and I don’t think he has gotten the recognition he deserves for that. Jason Aldean, LOVE his music, let me get that out there. He has caught fire in the country music world but like Luke Bryan, I don’t think he has gotten the recognition that he deserves, from the industry anyway, the fans are damn sure giving him the much deserved recognition and that is proven time after time by the huge crowds that are going to stadiums and arenas to see these guys on tour. I can’t wait for the new album to come out, I know it’s gonna be as good as the others and will become part of my collection.

A special thank you to Broken Bow Records, Green Room PR, and John Paul Jones Arena for making this night possible.

Review by: Melissa Gibson
Photography by: Stephen Gibson Photography

Nashville, TN (April 10, 2012) – Country music superstar DOLLY PARTON is hitting the television airwaves this week continuing the promotion of her just released latest project, “An Evening with… Dolly,” which is a two-disc DVD/CD set available exclusively at all Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® locations. The double-disc set includes live performances of Dolly’s biggest hits, including 9 to 5, Jolene, Coat of Many Colors, Here You Come Again, Islands in the Stream, and I Will Always Love You, among others. The package retails for $11.99 and is also available online at www.crackerbarrel.com.

You can catch Dolly’s appearance this Wednesday, April 11 on the mid-day syndicated program The Better Show, then Saturday, April 14 Dolly sits down with CMT Insider and Governor Huckabee for Fox News Channel’s HUCKABEE. Both shows will re-air on Sunday, April 15.

Dolly Parton will continue the following week with GAC On The Streets on April 17. Dolly spends some time with ABC’s The Revolution with Tim Gunn with a two-part piece airing on April 26th & 27th. With more appearances coming soon including The Dr. Steve Show, Lifetime Television’s national morning show The Balancing Act, among others.

In case you didn’t see the billboard.com live video interview, you can catch it now at: http://www.billboard.com/#/column/the-615/dolly-parton-video-q-a-extended-cut-1006696952.story

Inside Edition featured Dolly here: http://www.insideedition.com/videos/1369t/inside-edition-speaks-with-dolly-parton.aspx

For more information on Dolly Parton, please visit www.dollypartonmusic.net

Featuring Support From James Durbin and Redlight King

Band to Play Bamboozle Main Stage Along with Gaslight Anthem and Bon Jovi

 New York, NY – Hard rock outfit Buckcherry will be hitting the road this spring on a headlining tour beginning on April 21st in San Antonio, TX. The band will be joined by American Idol alumnus, James Durbin and Redlight King for a North American jaunt throughout over 30 cities. Tickets are on sale now at www.buckcherry.com.

Please see below for a list of tour dates. The band will also be performing on the main stage at this year’s Bamboozle along with Gaslight Anthem and Bon Jovi on May 20th.

Buckcherry are currently in the studio working on their new album to be released later in the year. The band has been giving fans a behind the scenes look at their recording process with online webisodes. The first 2 webisodes can be viewed at www.buckcherry.com and the 3rd is set to premiere on AOL Noisecreep in mid April.

Buckcherry’s brand new track “Wherever I Go” will appear on the upcoming Avengers Assemble soundtrack. The album is available May 1st, and The Avengers film premieres May 4th. The song was written specifically for the film, and was recorded during the sessions for the band’s new album. For more info, please visit: Official Avengers Site and Avengers Facebook.

In their more than decade-long career, multi-platinum artists Buckcherry have established themselves as a definitive hard rock band with a massive presence at both radio and on the road. Hits such as “Lit Up,” “Crazy Bitch” and “Sorry” have propelled the band’s sales to more than 3 million albums worldwide and have garnered Buckcherry two Grammy Nominations. 2008′s Black Butterfly earned the band their first-ever Top Ten Billboard album debut, with the album coming in at #8. Black Butterfly was deemed the “Album of the Year” by Entertainment Weekly and “Best Rock Album” by iTunes. Buckcherry’s fifth studio album, All Night Long debuted at #10 on the Top Billboard Top 200 Album chart and was the #1 Rock debut. All Night Long has won rave reviews from fans and critics alike.

Buckcherry dates with James Durbin and Redlight King:

4/24 – Odessa, TX – Dos Amigos

4/25 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live

4/27 – St. Louis, MO – Pop’s

4/28 – Concho, OK – Lucky Star

5/1 – Louisville, KY - Phoenix Hill (Buckcherry and Redlight King Only)

5/3 – Panama City, FL – Club Lavela

5/4 – Bossier City, LA – Horseshoe Casino (Buckcherry and Redlight James Durbin)

5/5 – Miami, OK – Buffalo Run Casino (Buckcherry and Redlight James Durbin)

5/11 – Clearlake, IA – Surf Ballroom

5/16 – Winston Salem, NC – Ziggy’s 5/17 – Baltimore, MD – The Plaza

5/18 – Huntington, NY – Paramount

5/21 – Albany, NY – Northern Lights

5/23 – Knoxville, TN – Valarium

5/24 – Biloxi, MS – Hard Rock Live (Buckcherry and Redlight James Durbin)

5/27 – Carlsbad, NM – Walter Gerells (Buckcherry and Redlight James Durbin)

6/1 – Chicago, IL – Full Throttle Saloon Rally

Additional Buckcherry tour dates:

4/21 – San Antonio, TX – Oyster Bake

4/22 – Wichita Falls, TX – Radio Show

5/9 – Sioux Falls, SD – KRRO Fest

5/13 – Des Moines, IA – KAZR Lazerfest

5/20 – Asbury Park, NJ – Bamboozle

5/26 – El Paso, TX – Ballonfest

6/2 – Franklin, OH – JD Legends

6/29 – Warren, MI – Stars and Stripes Fest

7/1 – Gibbons, AB – Boonstock 7/4 – Sakstatoon, SK – Odeon

7/7 – Regina, SK – Wake Board Fest

7/8 – Calgary, AL – Calgary Stampede

7/14 – Franklin, OH – JD Legends

7/19 – Cadott, WI – Rockfest

Stay up-to-date with all things Buckcherry by going to the links below:

www.buckcherry.com
www.facebook.com/buckcherry
twitter.com/#!/buckcherry
www.myspace.com/buckcherry
www.youtube.com/user/BuckcherryOfficial

OAKLAND, CA – West Coast death metal titan, All Shall Perish, will kick off its highly anticipated headlining tour in front of hometown fans tonight in Oakland, Calif. “Scion Presents: This Is Where It Ends” 2012 features an all-star supporting cast of modern death metal acts, with Carnifex, Fleshgod Apocalypse, The Contortionist and Conducting From The Grave rounding out the punishing line-up. Head over to: http://www.allshallperish.com/ for all the latest dates and to purchase tickets.

All Shall Perish is touring in support of its crushing fourth studio album, This Is Where It Ends, which released last summer on Nuclear Blast Records. The colossal blend of devastating death metal, technical instrumental majesty and a hint of ‘core’ for good measure peaked at #50 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. The band immediately hit the road to spread its wave of brutality far and wide, including a run on the high-profile Rockstar Energy Drink MAYHEM Festival in 2011.

Check out the band’s two latest music videos for “There Is Nothing Left”:

And “Royalty Into Exile”:

taken from the new record, and be sure to catch All Shall Perish headlining“This Is Where It Ends” this spring.

“This Is Where It Ends” dates…

3/29 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Metro Operahouse

3/30 – Canoga Park, CA @ Cobalt Café

3/31 – Las Vegas, NV @ Extreme Thing Fest

4/01 – Scottsdale, AZ @ Martini Ranch

4/02 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad

4/03 – Odessa, TX @ Dos Amigos

4/04 – Dallas, TX @ Trees

4/05 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live

4/06 – San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit

4/07 – Tulsa, OK @ Eclipse

4/08 – St Louis, MO @ Fubar

4/09 – Joliet, IL @ Mojoe’s

4/10 – Indianapolis, IN @ Emerson Theatre

4/11 – Detroit, MI @ Harpo’s

4/12 – Louisville, KY @ Expo Five

4/13 – Nashville, TN @ The Muse

4/14 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade

4/15 – Greensboro, NC @ Greene Street

4/17 – Springfield, VA @ Empire West

4/18 – Stanhope, NJ @ Stanhope House

4/19 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater

4/20 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium (New England Metal & Hardcore Festival)

4/21 – Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon

4/22 – Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s

4/24 – Lawrence, KS @ The Granada Theater

4/25 – Denver, CO @ The Marquis Theatre

4/26 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In the Venue

4/27 – Sparks, NV @ The Alley

4/28 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades

All Shall Perish is… Eddie Hermida – Vocals Ben Orum – Rhythm Guitar Mike Tiner – Bass Francesco Artusato – Lead Guitar Adam Pierce – Drums All Shall Perish online…
www.allshallperish.com
www.facebook.com/allshallperish
www.youtube.com/allshallperish
www.twitter.com/allshallperis

On February 17, 2012, The Coal Miner’s Daughter, the incomparable Ms. Loretta Lynn, graced the stage at Austin’s ACL Live at the Moody Theater. Ms. Lynn, who has been a fixture in the world of country music for the past fifty years, thrilled her fans with a sampling of some of her greatest hits during her hour long set. She closed the show with her mega hit from which her nickname was derived, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”

Lynn, who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1999, has received many honors including four Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, eight BMI awards, twelve Academy of Country Music, eight Country Music Association and twenty-six fan voted Music City News awards. A prolific writer with over 160 songs to her credit, Ms. Lynn was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008.

Opening the night for Loretta Lynn were her daughter Peggy Lynn and Jim Lauderdale.

Review by Margy Moore
Photography by Scott Moore / Limelight Images

The renowned PBS television series, Austin City Limits, kicked off the tapings for their 38th season in grand style when The Civil Wars graced the stage of the Moody Theater on February 29, 2012. The Award winning duo, fresh off their appearance at the Grammy’s, where they introduced fellow The Hunger Games soundtrack artist, Taylor Swift, amazed the ACL crowd with their ethereal vocals.

The duo, famous for their powerful melodies, has taken the folk/pop/country music world by storm. Their intimate arrangements are perfect for showcasing their dynamic on-stage chemistry. Williams’ and White’s voices meld perfectly to create breathtaking harmonies while the precision of their musical accompaniment captures the audience’s attention. The Civil Wars minimalist approach to instrumentation, one guitar and, occasionally, a baby grand, offers a unique sound, rarely seen in music today.

The Civil Wars, comprised of Joy Williams and John Paul White, have had an amazing 2012 so far as they were presented their first two Grammy Awards on February 12 for Best Country Duo/Group performance of their single Barton Hollow and Best Folk Album. These prestigious awards were followed only weeks later by another great honor, appearing on the ACL stage. Their debut album, Barton Hollow, which was released in the US in 2011, was released in the UK in March 2012 to rave reviews. To top it all off, Joy Williams and her husband/manager, Nate Yetton, announced early in the year that they are expecting their first child this summer.

Their appearance on the stage of Austin City Limits was “a dream come true” for the duo. Joy told the audience in attendance that this taping was enabling her to check one more item off of her bucket list while John Paul explained how he had grown up watching the series. He told how he anxiously awaited each week’s show to see which great performer he would be introduced to next. The two were both humbled to be included in this amazing part of music history known as Austin City Limits.

While on the ACL stage, the duo performed many selections from their award winning album, Barton Hollow, and several covers as well, including an incredible rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean.”  Make sure to tune in this fall for the 38th season of Austin City Limits and see and hear, in my opinion, one of the best acts in music today.

Review by Margy Moore Photography by Scott Moore / Limelight Images

The Empress of Soul, Gladys Knight, graced the stage at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater on March 2, 2012. Showing no signs of slowing at the age of 67, Ms. Knight thrilled the sold out crowd as she performed some of her classics. Ms. Knight, a seven-time Grammy winner, has enjoyed several #1 hits in Pop, R&B, and Adult Contemporary genres over her fifty year career.

The singer, whose accolades included her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, also has professional credits for appearances in television, film and live performances.

Ms. Knight will be undertaking a new challenge this year as she will be appearing in the cast of ABC’s successful television reality show, “Dancing with the Stars.”

Review by Margy Moore
Photography by Scott Moore / Limelight Images

The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival is proud to announce the second installment of their branded tour, “Mission Quest to Metal Fest.” The tour features The Mongoloids, Expire, and Wrong Answer. The tour was created to give bands the opportunity to tour to and make an appearance at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. Check out the bands at one of the dates listed below.

The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, the largest and most successful metal festival in the United States, has presented some of the biggest and up-and-coming artists in the metal and hardcore music genres over the past 13 years. This year’s lineup includes Killswitch Engage, The Black Dahlia Murder, All That Remains, Dragonforce, Every Time I Die, Oceano, Overkill, and many more. The fest takes place from April 20-22. Tickets are available through www.massconcerts.com and special VIP packages are available through www.soundrink.com.

Mission Quest to Metal Fest dates:

April 16th – Summerville, South Carolina @ Summerville American Legion
April 17th – Wilmington, North Carolina @ The Soapbox
April 18th – Virginia Beach, Virginia @ Shaka’s
April 19th – Gloucester City, New Jersey @ ICAC Club
April 20th – Newburgh, New York @ Pup 151
April 21st – Worcester, Massachusetts @ NEMF 2012
April 22nd – Buffalo, New York @ The Funeral Home
April 23rd – Detroit, Michigan @ Magic Stick Lounge
April 24th – Whitesburg, Kentucky @ Letcher County Tourism Building
April 25th – Nashville, Tennessee @ Little Hamilton
April 26th – Covington, Kentucky @ Bangarang’s w/ Rotting Out
April 28th – Chicago, Illinois @ The Rumble 2012
April 29th - Fort, Wayne, Indiana @ Sears pavilion (No Expire)
April 30th – Decatur, Alabama @ Planet Avalon (No Expire)

www.mazurpr.com
www.myspace.com/mazurpr

If you haven’t heard of Alabama Shakes before now, you are not alone. The young band from Athens, Alabama only released a self-titled four song EP in September 2011. The good news for all of those not “in-the-know,” this group of newcomers is about to take the music world by storm and the folks at the renowned PBS show, Austin City Limits, are here to help them.

On March 13, 2012, Alabama Shakes took the stage of the Moody Theater for a taping to be included in the upcoming 38th season of Austin City Limits. The audience, a mixture of ACL’s faithful Austin followers and SXSW Music Festival visitors, might not have started out knowing about this dynamic group of musicians, but were soon falling under their musical spell. By the end of the night, and the exposure to 12 songs by this awesome group, the audience was hooked.

Alabama Shakes mixes both traditional and modern to craft a bass-driven, soulful, raw southern sound. The group is fronted by Brittany Howard, a powerful young songstress, whose voice is reminiscent of Janis Joplin and Otis Redding. She is joined by Heath Fogg on guitar, Zac Cockrell on bass, Steve Johnson on drums, and Ben Tanner on keys. Their debut album, “Boys and Girls” is set to be released on April 10, 2012.  In addition to their appearance at ACL, the group has multiple performances scheduled throughout the week long SXSW Music Fest, and has been included in MTV’s list of 11 Artists to Watch in 2012.

Don’t forget to watch for the airing of this fantastic show sometime during the 38th season of Austin City Limits, beginning in the fall.

Review by Margy Moore Photography by Scott Moore Limelight Images

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John Paul Jones Arena- Charlottesville, VA

I’m not ashamed to admit it.  I LOVE me some country music.  I get it honestly, my Daddy listened to country music along with a little rock in there every now and then and we all learn by example.  Tonight, I got treated to some GREAT country music by one of the hottest ladies on the country music scene, Miranda Lambert (www.mirandalambert.com).

The show was opened by Jerrod Neimann and Chris Young who are also very popular in the country music world these days.  I was pleased to see Chris Young as myself and my husband watched him win “Nashville Star”.

The main event this evening, however, is Miranda Lambert.    This woman has taken country music by storm and has become at times a “bad girl” and at other times a “country sweetheart”.  Her songs talk to people, tell a story, can get you dancing in the driver’s seat, and bring back memories.  I think I like her so much because of the person she is.  She bucks tradition and doesn’t mind telling you that she’s not going to conform to what everyone in the industry wants you to be, she’s gonna be her own person and if you don’t like it then tough shit.  I love that.  With so many influences out there in the media, it’s refreshing and empowering to see a woman comfortable in her own skin and not afraid to be herself.  I was looking on ITunes while I was doing my research and saw this post from a fan and it sounded so appropriate to me, it reads, “her music is like home, like talking to your best friend, crying when you need it, laughing when you should and loving raw and real”.  That’s an awesome way to describe it and kind of hits the nail on the head for me.

Ok, so on to the concert.

The show started out with a video montage of past and present female  icons from Loretta Lynn to Betty Boop to Beyonce all playing to “Run The World (Girls)”.

The curtain falls and the night starts off with “Fastest Girl in Town” off her newest album “Four the Record” and right off the bat she’s jamming on her pink guitar like a rock star, singing to the audience with a pink microphone mounted on a 12 gauge shotgun .  This is followed by one of her huge singles, “Kerosene” after which she greets the crowd “Hey Ya’ll!”, “How’s everybody in Charlottesville doin?”, “We’re glad to be here”.   Next up was “Heart Like Mine” from Revolution and “New Strings” from Kerosene.  The next song was written with her husband Blake Shelton, called “Only You”, which was about the death of his brother in a car crash and she says “music can move you to emotions you never knew you had” and you can see that raw emotion in this song, at the end she says “I didn’t cry so far so we’re good”.

Next were “More Like Her”, her huge hit “Baggage Claim”, and “Fine Tune” which she sang on a fainting couch with an oldie style microphone that distorted the sound like it was from the older days.  She follows that up with “Up Around The Bend” by CCR, “Maintain The Pain”, and “Dead Flowers”.  During “Dead Flowers” she pulled this little

girl out of the audience, she couldn’t have been more than 8 or 9, was clearly a fan with her tee shirt proclaiming that very thing with Christmas lights on it.  She put this little girl on stage and knelt beside her and sang to her as if she were the only one there.  When she was finished and had returned her to the audience she told the crowd “You’re making my week – thank you”.  Next up was “Famous In A Small Town”, “Only Prettier”,  Tom Petty’s “Free Girl Now”, & “Mama’s Broken Heart”.  She took time out after that song to address the crowd by saying “our love of music brings us together, love everybody as they are no matter what”, she went on to say, “it ain’t easy being blonde in this business, they want me to act a certain way, be 100 pounds, which I ain’t.  I’ve made a career at being just a little bit different”.    She went on to play “Kind of Kinds”, and then told the crowd that this week had been an awfully hard one because she lost two very important very people in her life, her husband Blake’s Father passed away and they had his funeral that week and she found out only a couple days before our show that one of her friends had passed in a car accident.  The next song was “The House That Built Me” which showed pictures of her as a child and other family photos from her childhood, the audience was singing so loud and she was overcome with emotion.  She stopped singing and she couldn’t go any further as she began crying but the crowd held her up by singing back to her so loudly.  They were showing their love for her and trying to help her through the pain.  It was a very moving moment.  After getting herself together as best she could, she finished up the night with “That’s The Way The World Goes ‘Round”, “Gunpowder & Lead” after which she proclaimed she was proud to be a “redneck chick, a deer hunting, beer drinking, chicken fried steak eating redneck chick”.  Lastly was “White Liar” and she took leave of the stage.  The crowd began stomping their feet and hollering and of course she came back out and said “Encores are so dumb,
you knew we were coming back”.  She performed Aretha Franklin’s “Do Right Woman – Do Right Man”, after which she was joined by her tour mates, Jerrod Neimann and Chris Young and together they capped of a great night of country music by performing Waylon Jennings “Honky Tonk Heroes”.

This was a great night filled with even better country music.  I noticed that there are subtle differences in the audience at a country concert and an audience at a rock concert.  The audience actually sits down a couple of times, couples slow dance together and don’t care that anyone watches them, they get just as rowdy sometimes even more so and just as intoxicated (believe me I’m not saying anything is bad about that either).  Fans of country music are just as dedicated to the artists whose music they love and can relate to.  I also got to see that little girl that she sang to while we were making our way out of the arena and you can bet that she got the memory of a lifetime tonight and had the biggest smile on her face.

Miranda Lambert has proven over and over again that she belongs in the spotlight of country music.  I can say that as a fan of hers that I not only like her music but I like the way she puts herself out there.  She comes off as if she’s saying “I am who I am and if you don’t like it then tough shit and I’m not gonna change for anyone” and I love that about her.  She’s not only beautiful but strong, confident, and incredibly talented in my opinion.  It was a pleasure to be at her concert tonight, I left an even bigger fan than I was before.  I’d like to first off thank Miranda Lambert and her staff for allowing us the opportunity to see an absolutely fantastic concert tonight and also a thank you to the staff at John Paul Jones Arena (www.johnpauljonesarena.com).

www.mirandalambert.com

Review by Melissa Gibson
Photography by Stephen Gibson Photography