By: Matt Thompson
Let me preface by saying that I’m normally not a fan of live music. I much prefer the clear, concise sounds of my iTunes. Nor am I a fan of the forum – standing amongst several thousand loud, screaming fans is a chore, and struggling to actually hear the lyrics doesn’t usually appeal much to me.
But since Miranda
Lambert’s “On Fire” Tour (with special guests Jared Niemann and Chris Young) was
stopping in my hometown, I decided to give it a chance. I tried to stay
positive about stepping out of my comfort zone for a rare concert experience,
but I carried fairly low expectations with me into the Macon Centreplex on
Thursday, February 23. I fully expected
it to be a ho-hum type of night, and I could feign excitement and interest
after the fact. Instead, I witnessed a
real treat!
The main reason I decided to attend was that
the concert was very affordable. Tickets started at $28.25. I heard from
several of Lambert’s loyal followers that they really appreciate her because
she often tries to play smaller venues, allowing her fans to see her more
easily.
I wanted to find
out a bit of background information on Lambert because other than her being a
country singer, I really had no idea who she was. She was a 2003 finalist on the show Nashville Star and shortly after
released her debut album “Kerosene.”
That album went platinum, and she has gone on to release ten albums
total. Miranda is renown for numerous
Top-10 hits, most recently including Number 1 songs like “The House Built Like
Me” and “Heart Like Mine.”
2011 was a busy
year for her as she married fellow country singer Blake Shelton and
collaborated with Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Pressley on a new project, the
“Pistol Annies.” I was impressed when I learned
all of this fascinating information about her, and knowing this ahead of time
actually made me more excited about the concert. I really didn’t know what to expect for a
country concert – although I’m a fan of country and have attended concerts, I’ve
never seen a country show live.
When we got there,
everything was set up quite nicely to my surprise – given that the venue has
begun to show its age. I’ve been to many
events at the Centreplex before, and the sound is nothing to write home about
either. At best, things sound garbled
most of the time, so I hoped that wouldn’t ruin the concert. Ultimately, The Centreplex’s shortcomings
were noticeable, but didn’t detract terribly from the show.
Jared Niemann came
on first and was eager to set the tone for the evening and set the bar
high. He played seven songs, and
although not spectacular, provided a very solid opening and got the crowd going
fairly well. Chris Young followed
Niemann with 11 songs, and I personally thought he was phenomenal. I didn’t know any of his songs beforehand,
but that didn’t matter. He brought a ton
of energy to the stage and really played to the crowd. Knowing that Lambert was on next as the
evening’s “main eventer” notwithstanding, I thought Young stole the show. He worked the frenzied crowd to a fever pitch
and made a perfect transition to the advertised star of the night, Miranda
Lambert.
Lambert played 22
songs in all – 20 initially then two for her encore. The people I were with were really excited
when she played Lady Gaga’s “You and I” and as seasoned fans, they also noted
that it was “just really cool” how she played her song “Fine Tune” while
sitting on a couch like she was among friends.
She also played a heartfelt, emotional dedication to her Blake Shelton’s
father, which the majority of the crowd – and yours truly – were moved by. Her final song before the encore was arguably
one of her best known and certainly the one I was most familiar with, “White
Liar.” Although I was largely unfamiliar with her set list, my company seemed
to most enjoy “Kerosene” and “Fastest Girl in Town”, but also loved both encore
songs – a cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” and Waylon
Jennings’ “Honky Tonk Heroes.” It was a fun and fitting end to a surprisingly
incredible night of music.
Overall, I was
very impressed with the concert despite my preconceived doubts. The
Centreplex’s sound issues were noteworthy but perhaps only because I knew about
them ahead of time. I’m betting that the average ear probably got lost in the
music instead. Each of the three
performers impressed me in their own way with their distinctive styles, but I
really began to get into the concert when Chris Young brought his unique energy
to the stage, and that feeling of electricity was only sustained by
Lambert. Looking back, it was fun night
and a new experience for this writer – one I’d absolutely pay to see again.
Affordability: A
Arena: C+
Performers: A+
Overall: A-
"Fastest Girl in Town"
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