Miranda Lambert Just Taught 2021 A Lesson.
Last night at the Minnesota State Fair, in the pouring rain and lighting, Miranda Lambert taught 2021 a lesson. A few of them, actually:
When you fall down, you get back up.
A little rain will get you wet, but it shouldn’t dampen your spirits.
When you’re a true pro, you do your job no matter what.
And most importantly, the show must go on.
Everyone that was lucky enough to have a ticket to Lambert’s show at the State Fair yesterday went through the same stages of grief throughout the day. Country music fans of all ages were looking at radar on their iPhones as Twin Cities meteorologists predicted weather Armageddon including severe thunderstorms, and the dreaded concert deal-breaker, lightning.
Weather disrupting an outdoor live show is far from a new phenomenon. But given this is 2021, and we all have cancellation PTSD, and have been living in pandemic purgatory for 18 months now—yesterday was a roller coaster ride for anyone holding a ticket to Miranda’s show in their hand. Not to mention, it was the first day of the “Minnesota Get Back Together” after last year’s cancellation.
A quick glance at the State Fair’s refreshingly genius “all concerts go on, rain or shine” cancellation policy made it pretty clear that no one was particularly interested in handing back money, and a lot of it—so there were traces of optimism we might squeak in the show if we could just find a 90-minute landing strip amid the storm.
Thousands of concert goers in a variety of ponchos huddled inside the bazaar and the covered staircases next to the Grandstand as the start time was continually pushed back. You know it’s a country music show in Minnesota when the speakeasy inside the Grandstand has to put an upside-down plastic cup on both the Coors Light and Michelob Golden taps because they’re sold out before the show even starts. You could hear an audible groan from the border-town-buzzed crowd each time lightning flashed as people would hold up their hands to make a zero, signaling that we had once again restarted the clock for a concert that no one knew if it would actually happen.
And then it did.
At 9:45 pm, Lambert took the stage in a hot pink tassel shirt, jean shorts with the pockets sticking out the bottom, fishnets, and heels. With rain coming down in sheets, she actually slipped and fell down on stage while playing her first song “White Trash.”
And then something remarkable happened. Lambert kept right on playing, telling the crowd, “we’re just going to keep on playing for you until they tell us we can’t” acknowledging she had been “waiting two years for this show” and telling the crowd “I missed the shit out of you.”
Lambert is a wonderful live act, a rare musician who sounds as good, if not better, live as she does on her recorded albums. She plowed through her hits including “Gunpowder and Lead,” “Settling Down,” and “Bluebird,” which has to be one of the best crafted songs of the last decade.
Later on in the show, the sideways rain caused Lambert to fall down on stage again. After her tumble, Lambert regrouped and said, “I think I’m going to break it” referring to one of her high heels. Then came the loudest cheer of the night as Lambert took off her shoes choosing to perform the rest of the set barefoot exclaiming, “the fishnets seemed like a lot sexier idea earlier!”
For 90 minutes, Lambert alternated between slowing things down with ballads including “The House That Built Me,” and “Vice.” And speeding things up with “Kerosene,” and a raucous “Tequila Does” which included an enthusiastic call and response from the crowd. The highly anticipated opening act, emerging country star Lindsay Ell, whose set was cancelled joined Lambert for a cover of The Chicks “Goodbye Earl.”
It was a great country show, there is no doubt. But that’s not what made the night special. Rather it was Lambert’s absolute refusal to be denied during a time when we all expect things to be given, only to be taken away. In the lipstick-on image focused industry of country music, there was nothing cooler than seeing one of its biggest stars, hair soaking wet and hot pink shirt completely drenched—smiling and grinding her way through her set. At times it seemed like Lambert even shortened the time between songs, so as not to leave any space for someone wearing a lanyard to jump on stage and tell her to stop.
Lambert has always had a reputation for being spicy, and the first night of a soaking wet Minnesota State Fair was proof of that. It’s not every concert you hear the guy next to you at the urinal afterwards smile and say, “I love her. What a trooper.”
Certainly, some cynic may say Lambert’s decision to play was financially motivated. I don’t know the specific terms of Lambert’s deal or the State Fair’s policies on cancellation. But I do know not every artist would have done what Lambert did last night. I’m sure whatever handlers Lambert has couldn’t have been thrilled with the situation, as running around and spinning on a soaking wet stage couldn’t have been safe. But Lambert showed us all the best way to keep moving forward is to refuse to look over your shoulder. For everyone in attendance, one country music star’s decision to take off her heels and get her fishnets wet was a reminder that maybe it’s time we all stop waiting for the other shoe to drop.
So, on behalf of everyone in attendance last night, thank you Miranda Lambert. We can only hope 2021 was listening.
