Little Big Town plays little club

My friend Karen and I were excited about seeing Little Big Town and the Zac Brown Band perform on Feb. 4 at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. but when we told our kids where we were going they were less than enthusiastic. They love the venue but said two women really shouldn’t travel in that area of D.C. alone at night. Since both our husbands were unavailable that evening we recruited one of my son’s friends to be our chauffeur and body guard.

Mike arrived to pick us up in a ’99 Dodge RAM truck. You know, the kind you have to grab hold of something in order to climb up into. It was big and loud and Karen and I held our breath as we navigated the narrow streets in D.C. but people (and cars) certainly did get out of our way!

We made it to the 9:30 Club just in time to meet some friends and make our way to the front of the stage. The Zac Brown Band kicked off the show with its unique blend of country, bluegrass, and a touch of Jimmy Buffett. We were spellbound when they performed their rendition of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” When they played their number one hit “Chicken Fried” I think the entire soldout crowd was singing along. They certainly warmed up the crowd for the main act.

After opening for artists like Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and George Strait, Little Big Town has branched out and is now headlining its own tour. They opened with their current single “Good Lord Willing” and followed with “Good As Gone,” “A Little More You,” “Bones,” and moved into a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” Little Big Town certainly uses its versatility and harmonies to perfection. 
Jimi Westbrook, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, and Phillip Sweet each have the capability to sing lead or backup, weaving in and out of these roles effortlessly. It’s a joy to watch. I especially enjoyed their acoustic rendition of “Lost” from their “Road To Here” album as they finished with the cover of Coldplay’s “Fix You” at the end.  It was beautiful.

On stage Little Big Town is energetic, encouraging crowd participation. The group interacts frequently with its fans and because we were so close it was easy to reach up and shake their hands. Kimberly even posed for an extended period of time so Mike could take a cell phone picture. Alas, his hand shook so badly the photo was blurred beyond recognition but he will forever have the memory that Kimberly posed just for him.

The place was rockin’ by the time Little Big Town played its biggest hit and crowd favorite “Boondocks.”  They returned for an encore of The Dream Academy’s “Life In A Northern Town” and closed with a lively version of The Eagles “Heartache Tonight.”

When we climbed back into Mike’s big ol’ truck and headed out of the city Karen and I were glad to be with someone who knew where he was going as we peered out the windows at the shady looking characters along various intersections.  Walking in the house into my husband’s arms I found myself humming Little Big Town’s song, “Bring It On Home.”  I enjoyed the evening but there’s no place like home!