Concert review: Little Big Town brings big country sound to the Schottenstein

Alex Andrews
Fri, 16 Feb 2018 16:51:11 +0000
Campus, kacey musgraves, little big town, Midlands, schottenstein center, The Breakers Tour

Little Big Town, accompanied by Kacey Musgraves and Midland, arrived in Columbus Thursday for the fourth date of their “Breakers” tour, named for their new album.

The three acts took their audience through an emotional journey, with songs about love and loss, revenge and forgiveness and, of course, a little bit of day drinking.

The award-winning country group entered singing a tribute to Elton John, “Rocket Man.” The stage was lit in soft colors as the audience immediately became entranced by Little Big Town’s melodic harmonies.

The band continued its night of tributes by singing songs from Rosi and Don Williams, but my favorite was their rendition of “Wichita Lineman” by Glen Campbell, a revered country artist who died in 2017. It was a special shout out to the heroes of America and was performed on the rotating stage in the middle of the crowd. There were no lights except for those around the stage that cast a golden hue upon the group of musicians

Being a fan of country music, I’m very familiar with most songs by Little Big Town, but there were a couple songs played I had never heard. “Faster Gun” was one of those songs, and accompanied by deep red lights and a pair of lips syncing, the song on a giant video screen behind the band had me hooked right away.

The group closed strong, playing their popular hit, and a crowd favorite, “Day Drinkin’,” before ending with “Stay All Night.”

The concert wasn’t over after that, though. The band returned to stage to sing two of their most popular songs, “Girl Crush” and “Boondocks.”

As soon as Little Big Town began singing “Boondocks,” you would have thought every single person attending the concert grew up in a small town in the middle of nowhere. This song brought out the most excitement of the night and was a great finale for the concert.

As for openers, Little Big Town brought along Texan country music group Midland and solo country artist Kacey Musgraves. ?

If you walked into the Schottenstein Center a minute late, you would have missed the beginning lyrics to “Check Cashin’ Country” by the up-and-coming country band from Austin, Texas. Popular for its two singles “Make a Little” and “Drinkin’ Problem,” the group made sure it would be noticed by everyone in attendance. Midland performed on a rotating stage located in the center of the seats on the floor and didn’t let the commotion of incoming guests falter its momentum.

Musgraves, appeared on stage wearing a soft pink pantsuit, the only sign of sparkle adorning the shirt under her jacket and the lipstick she wore.

For Musgraves’ set, the stage was decorated in white. A white backdrop covered with ruffles was lit up a different color for each song she sang. There were a lot of cool covers, as she performed many slow ballads, but when she sang the famous breakup song she wrote for Miranda Lambert, “Mama’s Broken Heart,” the backdrop lit up red.

Musgraves took the opportunity tonight to introduce some of her new music that’s set to be released next month. Recently married, she said a lot of her new music centers on love and her newfound happiness. It seemed that the crowd was only interested in the songs that they could sing along to though. It was hard to pay attention to the new music because of all of the chattering happening around me.

Despite the talkative crowd, Musgraves got my attention when she sang “Butterflies,” a sweet ballad about finding love and the euphoria that comes with it.

Musgraves finally got the attention of the crowd when she walked through it to perform “Merry Go ‘Round,” followed by a tribute to famous country duo Brooks and Dunn and their song “Neon Moon.”

Musgraves closed out with one of her new songs called “High Horse” and rainbow lights shined across the audience and the backdrop.

Not only did Little Big Town put on a great concert, but they were wonderfully complemented by both Midland and Kacey Musgraves

Never having seen Little Big Town in concert before, it’s hard to believe they started their band in a living room, with only enough money for one guitar. The music reminded me of my middle-of-nowhere hometown and made me feel as if I were in my own living room right at home.