Concert Review: Storm shortens powerful Reba McEntire set
By John Hayes
Sneaking songs in between the raindrops Sunday, Reba McEntire rushed a free concert performed before a massive crowd at Point State Park.
With dark clouds threatening at dusk, she appeared abruptly some 20 minutes ahead of schedule on a temporary stage backdropped by the park's lighted fountain. After a half-hour of songs, the clouds released a light sprinkle that segued to an intermittent pour. The performance ended abruptly after one hour, followed immediately by a Zambelli fireworks display and a quick soggy exit by tens of thousands of fans.
The Pittsburgh leg of McEntire's first concert tour in three years came during a one-week break from the taping of her WB TV series, "Reba." In a rush to protect the audience from a downpour and the production crew from the lightning, the country-pop superstar skimped on much of her usual banter and shaved some of her 25 years of hits from the set.
Posed in front of three giant video screens, McEntire, who received a CMA nomination yesterday for female vocalist of the year, opened with the title cut from 1999's "So Good Together." Despite a reputation for lavish costume changes, she prowled the large stage in a sparkling top and black pants. A poised and confident performer, she sang in a clear and distinctive voice, beckoning participation from a standing crowd, which at times applauded the grand arcs of lightning that coursed across the sky.
Her cover of Vicki Lawrence's "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" remained true to the original, and "You Lie," "How Was I to Know" and "Whoever's in New England" mirrored the familiar radio hits.
Linda Davis provided back-ground vocals and joined McEntire at center stage for their Grammy-winning No. 1 hit duet, "Does He Love You?" New material from McEntire's first album in four years dovetailed with the older stuff, and the crowd joined in on the optimistic single, "Somebody."
The daylong 10th annual Dollar Bank Jamboree took place under clear skies until the final performance. Following opening sets by Pittsburgh's Vanessa Campagna, the PovertyNeck Hillbillies and Corbin/Hanner, the crowd stretched from the stage to the Fort Duquesne Bridge overpass. Slowly moving lines at food vendors reached to about 20 yards when Canadian Carolyn Dawn Johnson took the stage at 7 p.m.
Johnson's first Pittsburgh performance showcased songs from her two Arista albums, and she proved throughout her half-hour set to be a confident, engaging performer. She picked an acoustic guitar on clever country songs that included "Complicated," "Head Over High Heels" and "Simple Life," and fronted with a cordless mike on electric rock songs. The only disappointment was that she didn't do "Single White Female," her song that became a hit for Chely Wright.
CLICK HERE to discuss in our forum.
Sneaking songs in between the raindrops Sunday, Reba McEntire rushed a free concert performed before a massive crowd at Point State Park.
With dark clouds threatening at dusk, she appeared abruptly some 20 minutes ahead of schedule on a temporary stage backdropped by the park's lighted fountain. After a half-hour of songs, the clouds released a light sprinkle that segued to an intermittent pour. The performance ended abruptly after one hour, followed immediately by a Zambelli fireworks display and a quick soggy exit by tens of thousands of fans.
The Pittsburgh leg of McEntire's first concert tour in three years came during a one-week break from the taping of her WB TV series, "Reba." In a rush to protect the audience from a downpour and the production crew from the lightning, the country-pop superstar skimped on much of her usual banter and shaved some of her 25 years of hits from the set.
Posed in front of three giant video screens, McEntire, who received a CMA nomination yesterday for female vocalist of the year, opened with the title cut from 1999's "So Good Together." Despite a reputation for lavish costume changes, she prowled the large stage in a sparkling top and black pants. A poised and confident performer, she sang in a clear and distinctive voice, beckoning participation from a standing crowd, which at times applauded the grand arcs of lightning that coursed across the sky.
Her cover of Vicki Lawrence's "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" remained true to the original, and "You Lie," "How Was I to Know" and "Whoever's in New England" mirrored the familiar radio hits.
Linda Davis provided back-ground vocals and joined McEntire at center stage for their Grammy-winning No. 1 hit duet, "Does He Love You?" New material from McEntire's first album in four years dovetailed with the older stuff, and the crowd joined in on the optimistic single, "Somebody."
The daylong 10th annual Dollar Bank Jamboree took place under clear skies until the final performance. Following opening sets by Pittsburgh's Vanessa Campagna, the PovertyNeck Hillbillies and Corbin/Hanner, the crowd stretched from the stage to the Fort Duquesne Bridge overpass. Slowly moving lines at food vendors reached to about 20 yards when Canadian Carolyn Dawn Johnson took the stage at 7 p.m.
Johnson's first Pittsburgh performance showcased songs from her two Arista albums, and she proved throughout her half-hour set to be a confident, engaging performer. She picked an acoustic guitar on clever country songs that included "Complicated," "Head Over High Heels" and "Simple Life," and fronted with a cordless mike on electric rock songs. The only disappointment was that she didn't do "Single White Female," her song that became a hit for Chely Wright.
CLICK HERE to discuss in our forum.
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