It took them long enough, but on Tuesday night Lady Antebellum, country music's star-studded, platinum-selling super trio, finally played a Tucson show.
The old adage of worth the wait applies here. Tucson fans whose only shot at seeing the band since they hit the national stage seven years ago has been to travel to Phoenix, filled every seat and every inch of Casino del Sol's AVA's lawn. And Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood gave them a show that was worth abandoning those seats and spending 75 minutes on their feet.
When we think of Lady A, we tend to think more of the midtempo ballads and power love songs — "Lookin' for a Good Time,""Goodbye Town," "I Run to You," "Need You Now," "American Honey," "Just a Kiss" and "Downtown" among them. But the trio turned those songs on their head for the "Downtown Tour," adding crazy mad energy to every note.
There was little reason to sit down; the band slowed things to a ballad whisper only a couple of times. The handful of midtempo songs seemed infused with a sense of urgency from driving guitar riffs to pulsating percussion courtesy Scott's husband Chris Tyrrell. The energy was even more intense for the rocking "Bartender," "Downtown" and "Compass."
And lest you think they were crossing that line that divides pop and country, their instrumental arsenal included Haywood playing mandolin and a twangy bang of banjo in the encore cover of Avicii's "Wake Me Up" during the encore.
The audience sang along to "American Honey" in near perfect harmony and pulled out their cell phones — the modern day Bic lighter if you will — for "Dancing Away With My Heart," creating a canopy of twinkling lights.
But the concert's pristinely perfect moments came when the trio's harmonies, particularly Kelley and Scott exchanging vocal duets, took the spotlight. Their a capella take on "Hello World" showcased the vocal prowess that has earned them seven Grammys, and a handful of other awards including several Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association nods.
Rising country star David Nail opened the night with a 45-minute set that covered his handful of hits including "Red Light," "Let it Rain," "Whatever She's Got." Nail also brought his wonderfully nasal baritone back on stage with Lady A in a cover of Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." During the performance, he also took selfies using the cell phones of several fans standing in an area near the front of the stage.
