• ABOUT
    • Contact
    • The Team
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Events
    • FAQ
    • Use & Privacy Policy
  • ADVERTISE
  • ROWFAX
  • THE SPORTS CREDENTIAL
  • JOB LISTINGS
MusicRow.com
  • CALENDARS
    • Album/EP Releases
    • Single/Track Releases
    • Industry Events
  • OBITS
  • CHARTS
    • Radio Chart (Current)
    • Radio Chart (Archives)
    • No. 1 Challenge Coin
    • Songwriter Chart (Current)
    • Songwriter Chart (Archives)
  • REVIEWS
  • MY STORY
  • NEWSLETTER
    • Newsletter (Current)
    • SIGN UP (FREE!)
    • Newsletter (Archives)
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • STORE
  • Search
  • Menu Menu

Little Big Town, Kacey Musgraves Bring Country to Knoxville

February 26, 2013/by Jessica Nicholson

LIttle Big TownAfter earning their first No. 1 with one of the biggest hits of the summer in 2012, “Pontoon,” and picking up their first CMA awards for Vocal Group of the Year and Single of the Year (“Pontoon”), Little Big Town kicked their touring schedule up another notch with The Tornado Tour. The outing visited Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday (Feb. 23) at the Historic Tennessee Theater, which opened in 1928.
Show opener Kacey Musgraves proved her frank and catchy first single, “Merry Go Round,” is just a tasty appetizer of the lyrical wit that peppers her upcoming album, Same Trailer, Different Park (March 19). She sailed through several songs with humility and charm. Her knack for storytelling was on full display, including tales of nosy neighbors using the guise of friendship to get into other people’s business (“Go Back To Your Trailer”), and a lonely woman seeking companionship and pseudo intimacy on “It Is What It Is.”
To garner the crowd’s attention, Musgraves enchanted the gathering with well-crafted wordplay and razor-sharp observations of the monotony and occasional bouts of hopelessness that can plague small-town life, along with its pleasures. She was pure confidence as she performed “Mama’s Broken Heart,” a Musgraves-penned song recorded by Miranda Lambert. She also performed “Undermine,” a song featured on Nashville.
Little Big Town proudly staked their claim at the corner of rock and country, launching their headlining show with “Pavement Ends” and following it with “Front Porch Thing,” along with a smattering of their own hits throughout the set, including “Little White Church,” “Home” and “A Little More You.” They performed a spot-on cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” before later serving up a medley of the cover songs featured in their video series “Scattered, Smothered and Covered” including Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger,” among others. Whether originals or countrified remakes, the crowd’s attention stayed on the group’s air-tight harmonies and polished stage presence.
Smart lighting added appropriate drama to the ornate yet intimate venue. A lone spotlight highlighted Karen Fairchild as her haunting vocals capably handled “Shut Up Train,” while she and husband Jimi Westbrook were featured on the sizzling ballad “Your Side of the Bed.” During “Pontoon,” lights spelled out the group’s name, a nice addition to the summer-themed song.
The group ended the evening with a couple of its most well-known songs. Fairchild took the lead on “Tornado,” complete with a slight costume change for Fairchild and smoke and wind machines underscoring the drama of the song. They ended the set with what could be considered a signature song, “Boondocks.” Both tunes kept the sold-out crowd on its feet to the very end.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Jessica Nicholson
Jessica Nicholson
Jessica Nicholson serves as the Managing Editor for MusicRow magazine. Her previous music journalism experience includes work with Country Weekly magazine and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine. She holds a BBA degree in Music Business and Marketing from Belmont University. She welcomes your feedback at [email protected].
Jessica Nicholson
Latest posts by Jessica Nicholson (see all)
  • CMA Honors Robert Deaton With Chairman’s Award - December 4, 2020
  • Nashville Symphony, Nashville Musicians Association Reach Agreement - December 4, 2020
  • Zach Williams’ “Chain Breaker” Is Most-Added On ‘MusicRow’ CountryBreakout Radio Chart - December 4, 2020
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/lbt1.jpg 379 570 Jessica Nicholson https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png Jessica Nicholson2013-02-26 16:44:402013-02-26 16:44:40Little Big Town, Kacey Musgraves Bring Country to Knoxville
You might also like
Eric Church, Chris Stapleton Lead ACM Awards Nominees
Do Twitter Followers Equal Sales?
George Jones Funeral Service To Be Open To Public
Weekly Register: Willie Nelson Rides In At No. 1
DISClaimer Single Reviews (4/6/11)
Artist Ink

RECENT NEWS

  • Billy Strings, The War & Treaty Among Americana Honors & Awards Winners September 21, 2023
  • Russell Dickerson Signs With Range Media Partners September 21, 2023
  • Bailey Zimmerman, The Core Entertainment & Warner Chappell Music Sign Dipper September 21, 2023
  • Warner Music Nashville Signs Matt Schuster [Exclusive] September 21, 2023
  • Collen Mayer Named CEO Of Brad Paisley’s The Store September 21, 2023
  • In Pictures: Born & Raised Music Festival Hosts Third Annual Event September 20, 2023
  • Music Health Alliance & Lauren Daigle Unite To Launch The Price Fund September 20, 2023
  • SESAC Honors Nashville Songwriters At Annual Music Awards September 20, 2023
  • Luke Laird To Be Featured In CMHOF’s Poets & Prophets Interview Series September 20, 2023
  • Industry Ink: Mitchell Tenpenny, Rosanne Cash, Michelle Wright, More September 20, 2023
  • Kane Brown Plots 31-Date ‘In The Air Tour’ For 2024 September 20, 2023
  • Brett Eldredge’s ‘Glow Live’ Tour To Return With Three Nashville Dates September 20, 2023
  • Bobby Bare To Receive Frances Williams Preston Mentor Award September 20, 2023
  • Travis Tritt Announces Solo Acoustic Tour For 2024 September 20, 2023
  • Needtobreathe Digs Deep With Ninth Studio Album ‘Caves’ [Interview] September 19, 2023

Like Us on Facebook

Follow Us on Twitter

Tweets by MusicRow
© 2023 Music Row Enterprises, LLC – All rights reserved.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
Scroll to top