Tex Turner Arena
Harrogate, TN
July 23, 2005
Review By: Richard
After such a superb and emotional show in Prestonsburg the night before, Patti and I had expectations of a less intense gig at Lincoln Memorial University at the Tennessee/Kentucky border the next night. First of all, as you gathered from the comments from Cole, Tammie, and me, the Prestonsburg show was the hometown girl putting it all out there for her family and friends. It should also be noted that David did a fab job (Beatles pun) with the sound at Prestonsburg. It was flawless. The Harrogate concert was at the Tex Turner Arena, yes arena, on campus. For me, most arena shows sound like you are listening to music in a shoe box. But a lessening of expectations was unjustified. Patty rocked and David did a fine job with the sound.
The opening act was Mountain Heart, who have opened for Patty in the past. They are a hot bluegrass band in the spirit of Ricky Skaggs. They record on his label. The crowd went wild over them with justification, but it made me a bit anxious about what the reception would be for Patty. When I was with the Byrds, they usually had weak opening acts, which made them look better. But Patty Loveless is braver than that. And she blew the audience away.
The set list was the same as the night before. There were no signs of any hoarseness from Ms. Loveless. We both sat there amazed about her ability to summon such passion on successive nights. While her rendition of Harlan did not reach the heights of Prestonsburg (I cannot imagine hearing a more dynamic version ever again), the performance was excellent. The crowd was appreciative and knowledgeable about Patty's music. Even her mention of Pineville got applause from folks who lived there.
Patty mentioned that Lincoln Memorial University was the place where Ralph Stanley received his honorary doctorate. This is bluegrass country. And when you consider Patty's set list this year, the show is approaching a 50:50 split between acoustic and electric. Deanie played guitar on Blame. She genuflected like a rock star. The band was on and clearly having a great time. I truly like the way that Kylie's voice blends with Patty's.
It was cool to meet up with Anita and her sister, Rita, who kind of resembles her. I'm being sarcastic. They are identical twins who dress alike. I thought I was having a flashback from the 60's seeing them together. We also met Jessica, who attended with Anita and her sister. Not the big PLN turnout as Prestonsburg, but it was comforting to connect with other PLNers.
The 8-hour drive to Prestonsburg and the 3+ hour drive from there to Harrogate and the 9-hour drive home to Maryland was well worth it. There is nothing like back-to-back shows. Made me feel like I was touring again, at least for two nights. Next stop for us is Sellersville Pennsylvania on August 6 - two shows in one night!
