Country Star Kellie Pickler Rocks Webster

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Alix Joslyn, GoLocalWorcester Music Critic

Country music star and former American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler performing in Webster Monday.

American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler put on a great show Monday at Indian Ranch in Webster. The venue, which is the premier scene for country music fans, is beautifully located on Lake Chaubunagungamaug (more commonly referred to as Lake Webster). She garnered quite the crowd, including boaters on the lake who stopped to listen to her nearly two-hour concert. I am hardly the biggest fan of country music, but by the end of the show I found myself foot tapping and head bobbing along with all the rest.

Pickler spent the majority of the concert waving to the crowd and playing up to her admiring fans. She signed autographs while singing, even coming into the crowd twice, followed closely behind by a security guard. She had a quirky Southern charm that was very likeable, telling stories of her upbringing in rural North Carolina, her American Idol audition, and her newlywed status.

The band backing the country star was made up of five immensely versatile and talented musicians. When introducing them individually at the end of the show, they each played a short solo on their instrument from songs including “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder and “Beat It” by Michael Jackson. The two guitar players multi-tasked throughout the show, handling many different instruments including the banjo, and electric, slide, and acoustic guitars. The keyboard and one of the guitar players also served as her background singers, providing tight harmonies to Pickler’s crooning, unwavering vocals.

One of the few slow songs performed was written for her grandmother, who passed away when Pickler was 15. “She was my grandma, my mama and my best friend. She’s my angel. This one is for all the grandmas here,” she choked out to the crowd. The song was a nice break from the up tempo songs that opened her set. The fans sat hushed, the woman next to me wiping tears as Pickler sang over a beautiful electric guitar, which added the perfect level of grit to the softness.

Coming in sixth place on American Idol’s fifth season was all that I knew of Kellie Pickler before the show began. It was clear to see why Simon Cowell and most of America had such an affinity for the blonde haired singer. Not only is she a very gifted singer/songwriter, she’s down-to-earth in a relatable, girl next door way. As the show went on, she became much more comfortable with the crowd and her own stage presence. She debuted songs from her new album 100 Proof, covered Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough” and performed a song for another country great, Tammy Wynette.

One of the favorites of the afternoon was a song she co-wrote with a friend in Nashville called “Unlock that Honky Tonk.” The band vamped for a few minutes with an intense kick drum (which had the audience clapping and cheering) while Pickler told stories of her time in Nashville’s famous honky tonks. The slide guitar added an extra funk layer to the hilariously catchy tune, and reinforced the versatility of the band members.

A stool was brought out at the end of the song and Pickler took a seat to thank the fans for their constant support. “Blood doesn’t make your family, and I have a huge family here with me today,” she said. For her final piece, she stayed sitting and sung “I Wonder”, the second single from her debut album Small Town Girl. The piano ballad references her mother who was absent for most of Pickler’s childhood: “Oh I hear the weather’s nice in California, There’s sunny skies as far as I can see, If you ever come back home to Carolina, I wonder what you’d say to me.”

For her encore, she came back onstage wearing a shirt a fan gave her that said “Will Sing for Shoes and Booze.” She concluded the concert with the old crowd-pleaser “Red High Heels” which got the majority of people on their feet, dancing and singing along. Am I converted? Not quite, but her wit and strong vocal talent made it a very enjoyable way to spend a Sunday afternoon.