I love Sarah Evans
by Godspeede on 8/9/09Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre - MabletonRating: 5 out of 5I first became aware of Sarah Evans years ago when she did a soft drink commerical that I loved. She was all nasal twang and authentic country ambience, and so she has continued, though with an admittedly more mainstream approach. The hits followed, and she has grown famous not the least because of a growing awareness of just how physically beautiful she is .
So, I went to the concert with high expectations, and they were all met. She was great in every regard. Her voice was on, and she demonstrated just why she is a leading country act. The pace was great, and the family values tone of the event was sweet (introducting her youngest daughter, her sisters/backup singers, her chubby brother/bass player, and speaking of her recent marriage).
Most of the songs were hits, or selections from her new cd, coming out in January 2010, and the performances of the new numbers were very strong and the songs were worthy successors to her catalog. She also did some "standards" like Dolly Paton's Jolene (as a trio with her sisters), as well as some rock numbers like Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me," and a hot version of Elvis' "Suspicious Minds." I must say that I did miss Sarah's hit, "Cheating," but given the recent circumstances of her life, it is understandable that she forewent its inclusion.
If there was anything that I might change, it was the overly "bassy" sound system (which may be a function of the venue); the guitars tended to get drowned out as did the backup vocals. Still Sarah's magnificient voice broke through it all, and in the end it was all a reminder of just what real talent is, and by contrast, in this era of Taylor Swift, what it is not. Great Show! Sarah is awesome!