Miranda Lambert performed at Gold Country's no-smoking Casino showroom on October 4th, showing everyone that "performer" is her middle name. The house was sold out, although people were still trickling in close to the 8:00 pm start time, and the show actually didn't start until about 8:15, but when it did, it was non-stop enjoyment.
My friend Dianne and I were fortunate enough to get to meet with Miranda before the show for a few minutes, being members of her fan club, and Miranda signed and posed for photos for about 50 folks before the show, stopping to chat for a moment or two, and making sure to personalize each person's item. A lot of stars will just sign their name and hand the item back to you, but Miranda makes sure she spells your name right, and lets you know she cares that you came to see her. I hope she'll always be this way.
The show started with the high octane number, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." I just love the guitar lick in this song, and Miranda's attitute. There is a point where she tosses her guitar to the guitar handler, and I wonder if he's ever missed, because it wasn't a 6-foot toss. It was more like 15 feet. Then, she slams her mic stand down and dances. Fun!
Bringing the tempo down just a bit, she next played "New Strings," which is off her first album, Kerosene. One of my favorites from her current album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was next, "Dry Town." I love to hear all the popular hits, but I like when an artist slips in an album track every so often, as well, so maybe people can be introduced to new music they may not have heard, if they don't have the album. She then sang an album cut from Kerosene, which she claimed was her favorite song she wrote off that album, called "Love is Looking For You."
There was a point where her mic gave out during "I Wanna Die," and she was singing, and looking towards the back of the room at the sound guys, and shrugging her shoulders, and I guess, hoping the sound might come back on, and then after a few lines, she just turned around and just shook her butt and danced a bit, and it was just so cute. Just in time, another stagehand came with a new mic, and she continued the song.
But, if you think Miranda is only about the in-your-face type of songs, you'd be wrong. She has a couple of really pretty ballads that she wrote on her current album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and she got a stool to sit on and gave the band a bit of a break as she sang the first, my very favorite cut off the disc, "More Like Her." The second one she started alone, but then the band joined in on the chorus, and that is called "Desperation."
Of course, concerts give artists a place to be able to sing things they don't ordinarily sing, and Miranda chose to cover Rod Stewart's "Stay With Me," having a lot of fun with it. She also covered Steve Earle's "Hillbilly Highway," before her final song, "Gunpowder and Lead." By now, the crowd was on its feet, and as Miranda left the stage, everyone was screaming for her return.
Return she did for a three song encore of "I'm Getting Ready to Let You Go," Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll," and ending with "Kerosene."
I wholeheartedly recommend that if Miranda is going to be coming to your town, you make an effort to see her. She doesn't charge a fortune for her tickets, and she knows how to put on a great show. She gave us a good one hour and thirty-five minute show, which is more than a lot of shows I've been to. Way to go, Ran!
Song List:
- Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
- New Strings
- Dry Town
- I Wanna Die
- Love Is Looking For You
- Guilty
- What About Georgia
- Bring Me Down
- Me and Charlie Talking
- More Like Her
- Desperation
- Love Your Memory
- Down
- Stay With Me
- Famous in a Small Town
- Hillbilly Highway
- Gunpowder and Lead
- Encore:
- I'm Getting Ready to Let You Go
- Rock and Roll
- Kerosene