Review: Sara Evans

Above: The pride and joy of New Franklin, Mo. Photos by Fred Blocher/The Star

About 650 fans showed up at the Midland on Sunday night, and it seemed that about one in 10 were related to the headliner, Sara Evans.

A Missouri farm girl, Evans grew up in New Franklin, a town so tiny that when people from there head for the big city, they end up in Boonville. New Franklin is about two hours east of Kansas City, so a chunk of Evans' family made the trip over to the bigger city to watch and listen to their town's most famous native.

Evans' band, too, is stocked with family: her older brother Matt (her bassist and band leader) and her younger sisters, Ashley and Lesley. And just to keep the circle unbroken, Ashley's husband, singer/songwriter Zach Simpson -- yes, her name is Ashley Simpson -- opened the show. Her band also includes native Kansas Citian Brent Wilson, who, it seemed, also had some kin in the crowd.

Evans has won her share of country-music awards, including several "female vocalist of the year" awards in 2006. Of the five studio albums she released in 1997-2005, one went gold, two went platinum and one, "Born to Fly," is now multi-platinum.

Still, it seems that Evans isn't included in the same place as country superstars like Faith Hill, Martina McBride or Trisha Yearwood, and it's hard to reason why. She is one of the best true singers in country music; she can do all flavors of country (modern or hardcore traditional); and she has one of the most ingratiating personalities in the genre. She is flip, witty and self-effacing -- the kinds of traits that a gal can develop when she grows up in a big family (and behind two older brothers).

Sunday night, during a 90-minute performance, she played most of her big hits, like "Perfect," "Born to Fly" and "Suds in the Bucket" -- songs written for the modern-country format. She likes to swerve into hardcore country rock, too. Her band features guitarist Clint Chandler, who had several opportunities to unleash some fiery rock-guitar solos. To further muddy the line between country and rock, they ended the show with a straight-up cover of Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me."

Before that, however, she played up her Missouri upbringing and her country roots. Her sisters joined her for an acappella rendition of "In the Pines" and, after a raucous cover of "Jolene," a hootenanny version of "Coalmine."  Twice during the show, Evans stopped to deliver a monologue on her life and her family. A few times she stopped herself to say hello to an old friend or a relative.

She brought up her new husband, Jay Barker, who was the quarterback when Alabama won a national title in 1993. She did not mention her first marriage, which ended tumultuously, at least not directly. She did mention the possibility that Alabama and Missouri could meet for the national championship this year. "Then what will I do?" she wondered out loud. Some one shouted: "Cheer for Missouri." She gave him the stink eye and said, "I've already been divorced once." Later, she sang "Cheatin'," her defacto divorce anthem, and the crowd reacted  like it was a college fight song.

Evans is a devout Christian, but the only time the show got overtly spiritual was when she sang "Low," the feature track on the soundtrack to "Billy," a film about the early life of Billy Graham. Amid all the funny one-liners and the sporty barbs she aimed at her siblings and herself (like the story about sitting on a box of live chicks), Evans conveyed a sincere and deep sense of appreciation, for family first, then for friends and fans. She didn't come out and say it, but she seems to believe that fame has nothing on hometown roots and family ties.

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Setlist: A Real Fine Place to Start, Perfect, Born to Fly, Rockin' Horse, I Keep Looking, In the Pines, Jolene, Coalmine, Momma's Night Out, Low, Cheatin', Suds in the Bucket, As If. Encore: Could Not Ask for More, I Want You to Want Me.

   

Comments

[bob]

"Evans has won her share of country-music awards, including several "female vocalist of the year" awards in 2006. Of the five studio albums she released in 1997-2005, one went gold, two went platinum and one, "Born to Fly," is now multi-platinum"

And only 650 showed up? A good chunk were her family? Odd.

[Tim Finn]

The last time I saw her was December 2006 at the VooDoo and about 800 people showed up. I don't get it. She's great live.

[kcmom]

Thanks for the review, Tim; glad you made the show. I was in the front row last night and agree it was a great concert. Thanks for mentioning the fact that there is no clear reason why she isn't ranked up there with Martina et al; I don't get it either.

[Smokin-Buddha]

Smokin' hot is right...She is awesome! 37 year old Native Missouri-man!

[Gary Dean]

I don't get it Tim, 3 pictures for this artist and only 1 picture for Lindsey Buckingham ?

[Justin]

I've seen her live 4 times now, and I will never go another of her shows again. She is the biggest example of how much mixing and voice fixing goes on in a studio. She is not good live and her voice is not that great live. On her CD's, she sounds great, but live, different story.

[Ron Karlin]

Tim,
Thanks for the review. Just to clear things up: the opener was Zach Simpson, not Matt--who is her brother as you mentioned. To Justin: You must have been at a different concert than us...we've seen her lots, and she is one of the few artists who sound better LIVE than what the studio mixes. I, too, don't get why she doesn't sell arenas like Martina.

[Tim Finn]

My bad. Thanks.
?? Her voice sounded great.

RE: Buckingham: I can only post the photos I'm sent.

[Scorp]

I saw her at Arrowhead years ago as part of a George Strait Festival, and again last summer at the Kansas state fair. I like her, and she sounds good in concert, but only 15 songs? Looks like she is getting to be if you've seen her once....

[Tim Finn]

She left some songs in the tank, but it was a standard almost-90-minute show from her, plus 30-minute opener. Tix were reasonable, though ($45)

[KT]

I like the fact that she is personable. It's refreshing to go see someone in concert and you leave feeling like you know them. We saw her at the VooDoo also, and I think both concerts were excellent. She also lost alot of weight since the VooDoo! She looks great.

[Pam Clark]

I thought Sara Evans was in great voice Sunday night at the Midland. No studio or audio tricks were evident at a concert that featured a beautiful a cappella rendition of "In The Pines" with her sisters and parts of several songs ("Jolene" and "Cheatin'," among them) where you were hearing Evans and nothing else. She has a kickin' country voice, one of the best in the business. And she oozes personality, too. You always feel a connection at one of her shows, and I'm not sure how many artists can pull that off. It was a fun concert. Too bad more people didn't see it.