Review: Miranda Lambert

Photos by Fred Blocher/The Star

The song that heralded  Miranda Lambert's appearance on stage at the Independence Events Center on Thursday night was Steve Earle's "Revolution," which is also the name of Lambert's first big headlining tour.

Nothing too revolutionary happened over the ensuing 90 minutes except that Lambert proved she is as ready as anyone to take the leap from big clubs and theaters to arenas. Otherwise this was a status-quo country performance that pleased a rowdy sell-out crowd (about 5,500). She played her current hits; she played a few older favorites; and she played a few covers, including a Steve Earle song.

Lambert's performance in Independence was her first since Nov. 10, when she waked away from the Country Music Association Awards show with three big trophies, including one for album of the year. That news apparently prompted a late rush of ticket-buying for this show. Thus the long lines into the place by the last-minute shoppers, many of whom missed the first opener, Josh Kelley.

The sound in this arena has been good to fine for all the previous shows I've seen here. The mix seemed off for this one -- too bright for my ears and too much megaphone affect when she spoke to the crowd. She and her five-piece band played under four small video screens that broadcast images that suited the songs. It was a nice gesture, but some of the images were so low-res the effect was lost from a distance.

She gave them a mix of hits and inside album tracks, first "Only Prettier" then her first big hit, "Kerosene," which ignited an energetic mood that would not wane. Lambert's career got a jump start from the now defunct "Nashville Star" but she is no reality-show concoction. She just turned 27, but she has  been performing live for 10 years and writing songs about her small-town Texas life.

She played one of those, "Famous in a Small Town," then a cover of Hal  Ketchum's "Small Town Saturday Night." She followed those with "Dead Flowers," a ballad about love dying on the vine that erupts into a cathartic anthem, then "More  Like Her," an autopsy and eulogy for an expired affair. She writes a lot of ballads like that one, and they are her strength -- filled with lines and details that avoided triteness and cliche. She would sing a few of those and each was welcomed as warmly and enthusiastically as her fire and brimstone anthems, like "Time to Get a Gun" and "Gunpowder & Lead," a story of murder and revenge. During one of those ballads -- her current hit "The House That Built Me" -- she conducted an unusually long and loud sing-along, handing vocal duties over to the crowd for an entire verse and chorus.

In less than six years, Lambert has released three albums; two have gone platinum, one gold. She has plenty of material to fill a 90-minute show and still leave some good songs in reserve. So it's curious that she chose to do so many covers Thursday night -- not counting those she has recorded (like John Prine's "That's the Way the World Goes Round"). A couple fit in with the rest of the set, like Ketchum's "Saturday Night" and especially Steve Earle's "Hillbilly Highway." But the cover of RIck Derringer's "Rock 'n' Roll Hoochie Koo" came off all wrong, like something you'd see on "classic rock night" on "American Idol."

She ended the evening with an encore filled with other people's songs. First she paid tribute to her hero Merle Haggard with a solo/acoustic cover of "The Way I Am." Then she brought out Kelley and the other opener, Eric Church, for a cover of the Band's "The Weight," which included a few bars of "Up on Cripple Creek." It was an odd ending for someone with plenty of material who was just rewarded for her songwriting skills. But I suppose it's another way of leaving a crowd wanting more. 

Eric Church: His music is more Southern rock than country. It also regularly evokes the sounds of Earle during his "The Hard Way" and "Copperhead Road" days. Church likes to write about drinking more than loving but he can do both. His set list included "Before She Does," Pledge Allegiance to the Hag" (more love for Haggard), "Sinners  Like Me," "Guys Like Me," "Smoke a LIttle Smoke" and "These Boots," which prompted several dozen people on the floor to wave cowboy boots in the air.

Josh Kelley: The spouse of TV star Katherine Heigl serenaded the late-arriving crowd with a 20-minute set that included "It's Raining Whiskey" and "Georgia Clay."

Miranda Lambert setlist: Only Prettier; Kerosene; Famous in a Small Town; Small Town Saturday Night; Dead Flowers; More Like Her; Maintain the Pain; Love Song; New Strings; Sin for a Sin; Heart Like Mine; Time to Get a Gun; Rock 'n' Roll Hoochie Koo; Somewhere Trouble Don't Go; The House That Built Me; Hillbilly Highway; White Liar; That's the Way the World Goes 'Round; Gunpowder & Lead. Encore: The Way I Am; The Weight/Up on Cripple Creek.

Comments

[Clint]

The sound was perfect where I was, Section: floor1

I think Miranda had a hard act to follow with Eric Church. He is pretty much a rock act that sings about things in a country song...and he has a huge following here in KC.

I forgot about how many good songs she has though...covers are always risky. They can be great or just a misfire.

[Jeanette]

I agree the sound was off for all three acts.

Even though the center is small video from the stage would have helped.

Wish she would have played more of her songs than the covers.

Eric Church rocked.

All in all dis-appointed in the evening.

[Jerry]

The entire show was high energy. Eric Church really started it going, however, his screams & yells got to be old after a bit. The younger crowd really seemed to relate (probably due to all the drinking references). Miranda showed high energy thruout the entire show & truly seemed energized from her CMA wins. It was great to see the crowd give her a rousing standing ovation to her announcement of this being her 1st show since the CMA wins & I think it truly surprised her. Certainly would recommend seeing her in concert.

[steve]

sound was a little muddled. josh kelley was really good, but brief. not a fan of eric church,gettin' old i guess, but i get his appeal. miranda was great, but did miss hearing me and charlie talkin,down,and i cant be bothered. B+

[Simonie]

Missed Josh Kelley. Eric Church was a one note blend-in-a-crowd average male country rocker. Miranda was above average in general and completely satisfying for big fans. Not the best show I've seen, but better than most. Loved Hoochie Koo and so did the crowd. Only wish she'd have done Dry Town too!

[Robin]

I thought Miranda was awesome! Wouldn't have minded hearing more of her own material, but all in all I thought she gave an amazing and very energetic performance. Would definitely see her again!