Cheers to Miranda and her rowdy OKC concert
My boots were swimming in beer.
A few songs into Miranda Lambert’s packed-out Chesapeake Energy Arena performance, and row K in section 115 already had seen its fair share of spills. The former Tishomingo resident has a fun side, and it attracted a rowdy crowd to the downtown Oklahoma City concert.
Beers in hand, fans were ready to toast a good time.
And Lambert, 34, obliged with tons of energy, a ginormous light show and a theatrical performance. Each lyric was met with a deliberate, broad gesture as if she was acting out the songs for us in a play.She sashayed across the stage with a confidence matched only by her shimmeringblue top lined with copious fringe. With her backing band, I counted nine musicians onstage Friday night.
Lambert also was joined by an awfully dedicated fan base. I’d never seen the arena so full so early before a headlining set. Now, I’m late to the party when it comes to the country superstar’s music. By the time I started paying attention, her 24-track double album “The Weight of These Wings” had sold a million copies — and that’s without persistent radio support.
The native Texan’s 2016 record has its fair share of heartache— ugh, see “Tin Man” — mixed with shinier pop rock gems like “Highway Vagabond” and “Pink Sunglasses.”
But on Friday evening, she strayed away from newer material and focused on the most popular cuts from her previous albums. I counted only five newer songs. Even Lambert’s canine-friendly charity of choice, MuttNation Foundation — pretty much every arena-level talent broadcasts charity information between sets — is an unassuming, warm gesture.
If that wasn’t loving enough,Lambert invited her Pistol Annies bandmates onstage for a twosong reunion of “Takin’ Pills” and “Hell on Heels.” Dawhhh.
No politics. No rants. Just a buncha songs.
When it came to the subject of love, Lambert briefly mentioned she had a rough 2015— highprofile divorces must be awful— but said she “got a lot of country songs out of the deal.” She kept the stage banter to a minimum andonly ever hinted at the words divorceand separation.
This night was more aboutunity and escaping the grind of reality for a few hours. We were probably her escape from reality, too.
Lambert’s a beacon for what seems likea largely feminine audience. I’d wager the crowd was roughly 75 percent female. Gender aside, I found plenty of appeal in her music and recognized her ambition in sharing a double-album while delivering a stunning, road-tested “Livin’ Like Hippies” tour stop.
Her fans’ appreciation spilled out, along with thosesplashes of beer.Both her heartbreak and her enthusiasm speaks to A LOT of people.
Simply put, she makes crowds feel better.
Cheers to that.