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Saturday, February 18, 2012
Review: Loretta Lynn at ACL Live
Kelly West AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Friday night at ACL Live, Loretta Lynn had a cold. Based on her sniffling and coughing it was a pretty bad one, but she didn’t let it get to her. Maybe it tired her out a bit, especially toward the end, but for most of the night, the country music legend was just that, a legend, delivering a set to a crowd full of fans that probably would have been satisfied with much less.
One thing that’s clear from last night is that Lynn is tough. Friday’s show was originally supposed to happen last September, but Lynn had to reschedule because of knee surgery. She canceled some shows after that because of illness. Introduced as the first country music star to have a motion picture made about her life, the 76-year-old singer took the stage in a long-sleeve, blue sequined dress after her 9-piece band and her daughter Peggy warmed up the crowd. Lynn stood through nearly the entire hour-long set, something she hasn’t done for every show on her current tour.
Colds and surgery aside, Lynn’s music is tough, too, a picture of resilience and endurance. The don’t-mess-with-my-man “Fist City?” Lynn seemed like she was still ready to make good on that promise. Same goes for “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man).” Stories between the songs drove the point home. Singing on top of Texas bars for $50, struggling to feed her children. A Dallas show canceled because of President Kennedy’s assassination? Loretta just borrowed some money to get back home. Seriously, don’t mess with Loretta Lynn.
Lynn showed that she could still do sad, too, with “She’s Got You,” “When A Tingle Becomes a Chill,” and “Dear Uncle Sam.” “Coal Miner’s Daughter” came at the end of the night, of course. It’s Lynn’s defining song and her most enduring one, made all the more impressive that she’s still belting it out on tour.
- Photos: Loretta Lynn at ACL Live
