Stagecoach Stop
Adrian, MI
June 26th, 2005
Review By: Steve Zender
We said goodbye to Marcia at her final concert June 26. Patty introduced her to the crowd with kind words, a warm hug (very warm - it had to be at least 95 degrees out there) and then doused her with water when the show was over. More on that later, but first some observations and a question or two:
I don't know if it's my imagination or not, but are Patty's fans becoming more boisterous at concerts? A few weeks ago the Renfro Valley crowd - usually an older, quieter group - made some noise and showed its appreciation. Of course Nicole's crew was there to liven things up a bit, so maybe that was it.
At the Stagecoach Stop USA show June 26 - an outdoor amphitheater setup - in southwest Michigan, I thought the crowd bordered on rowdy from time to time. (A good type of rowdy). They were even dancing in front of the stage during the encore. One character - who might have been over-served - decided he'd even dance with a portly security guard, who didn't seem to mind a bit!
If I had a complaint in Michigan, it was that there were a few loud-talkers in our vicinity when some songs called for quiet. But all is forgiven. (Some day they'll learn how to behave properly - after they become official Loveless Lunatics.)
As already noted, the temperature at Stagecoach Stop (it's a little western theme park) was somewhere in the 90s, so the people who stood in line for the gates to open were dedicated fans. I was surprised that none of them knew about this website. They do now!
The show was general admission, so I was worried about battling the crowd. We didn't have Nicole (aka the Nashville Flash) available to zoom down to the front row and secure our seats for us as she did at the Columbus, Ohio, show a few years ago.
But I didn't have to worry. The Stagecoach people did something that really impressed me: When the gates opened, each group was made to wait briefly until the group in front of them reached their seats. This avoided a mad scramble down a really steep hill and assured that the first in line (a few had waited in the stifling heat for hours) got to sit where they wanted. I'm also assuming it meant fewer people needed emergency medical service.
We were one of the early ones - probably five or six groups back from the front - and it gave me time to talk to a few really big Patty fans. One couple had all of her albums but had never seen her in concert. One woman I talked to just couldn't figure out how there were people who didn't know Patty's music. It was her first show but she was an enthusiastic fan. I saw her taking pictures like crazy during the performance (she had obviously gone to the Nicole School of Photography). Patty shook or slapped hands with many people toward the end of the show as they came up to the stage and this woman was one of them. I saw the woman after the show and she was in heaven.
This was the first Patty show for my five-year-old grandson, Jack, and he got into it from the start. (How could any grandkid of mine not?) With a little prompting from his Aunt Molly and me, he waved at Patty and got a wave, a wink and a smile in return. He turned bashful after that.
The crowd groaned when Patty announced that this was the last show for Marcia, but applauded and cheered when the two hugged.
We looked at our pictures after the show and in one you can see Patty securing her bottle of water, in preparation for her attack. After the band had taken its final bow, Patty dumped the water on Marcia's head, then ran from the stage with Marcia in hot pursuit. It turned a potentially sad moment into something for Patty and Marcia fans to laugh about.
We talked to Marcia briefly after the show, wished her well and said we'd miss her. She said she'd like to come back to the band some day. We'd like that, too.
I also warned her that we wanted a picture to send to Nicole. She mentioned her wet hair, but Marcia looked pretty darn nice in my book, even after the Patty prank.
The set list was very similar to the one we heard in Renfro. One change: "Harlan" was out and "Someone I Used to Know" was in, with Troy singing the Jon Randall part (and sounding a lot like him).
The encore, like the second Renfro show, was "You Don't Even Know Who I Am," and "Elvis." Lots of people shouted at the pause in "Elvis" - but those Michigan people have to get it together. Not enough people knew what they were supposed to yell! It's "Come on Patty. Get it together!" The crowd did know the words to "Blame," though. Patty hasn't been calling people up front to sing the "Blame it on your lyin' cheatin', cold dead-beaten," etc., part with her lately but enough people had rushed the stage at the Michigan show that she put the mic in front of several fans.
A boastful aside: As a few of you already know, my daughter Molly and I sang that part with Patty a few years ago at Renfro. My wife was too shocked to get a picture and Nicole was too busy shouting encouragement. Consequently, I don't have our stunning performance framed and on the wall, but I tell people that Molly and I have sung with Patty Loveless.
Now, back to the Stagecoach concert:
We got to hear "My Old Friend the Blues" one and a half times. There were sound system problems in the middle of the number. The difficulties lasted for only a few seconds, but long enough to have Patty stop singing and ask the technicians to cut the sound. The problem solved, she asked the crowd if they wanted her to start over. We did and she did. Man, I love that song.
In fact, I like all of the stuff I have heard from the new album. Is it me or has there been an extra buzz surrounding the release of "Dreamin' My Dreams"? More publicity earlier; a tour that is extending into the fall and winter; updating of Patty's official website; climbing number of members at this website; even some chatter on the radio. I think we can expect big things from "Dreamin'." And I think I need to check the schedule and get ready for our next Patty concert. Let's see. She'll be in Dayton but that's not until late August. I'm not sure we can wait that long.
