The Lynns:
Loretta Lynn:
This felt more like a family reunion than a concert. The Queen Of Country kicked things off with “You Ain’t Woman Enough To Take My Man” before announcing with a smile, "Just yell up here what you wanna hear. We'll play 'em if we can remember 'em." And that’s just what she did. The requests clearly took her by surprise, ranging from her very first single “Honky Tonk Girl” to recent numbers from Van Lear Rose, including “Family Tree,” “Portland, Oregon” and the title track. According to her, she’d never done those songs live. It felt special to be there for their premier. She tried to oblige everyone that called out a title. Occasionally, she’d forget words to the really obscure ones, but it was all so loose and relaxed it didn’t matter.
Wearing what appeared to be a glittering pink prom dress, she soared through “The Pill,” “One’s On The Way“ and “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like My Daddy Anymore.” Her daughters Patsy and Peggy sang backup and after introducing them, she explained why her son was thrown off the tour. “There’s a place for drinkin’ and it ain’t on stage.” Her daughters looked shocked at mom’s candor. “Well, it’s true. He’s just like his daddy was.” The twins shrieked, “Mama!” in an attempt to stop her. Loretta then added, “What? I know what your daddy did and who he did it with.” Then she told the whole sordid story and how it became the basis for “Fist City.” Of course, it all wrapped with “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” No encores, no excess, just a perfect concert. And it was all over by 9 p.m.
(Chris McKay / concertshots.com)
