Lonestar In Concert At The Colonial With Whiskey City
April 1, 2022
Pittsfield, MA.
https://www.lonestarnow.com/music.html
After two years, it was nice to return to the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It always feels like home there to me. That beautiful theater has hosted some great performances over the years; I have witnessed many.
Lonestar came for a visit, and it was not an April fools' joke.
Before we got to see those famous country artists, we were treated to an excellent local opening act. Whiskey City. Randy Cormier (Guitar / Lead Vocals), Beth Maturevich (Lead Vocal), Dale Zavatter (Bass), Abe Guthrie (Keyboards / Vocals), a new addition to the band, Darrin Todd (Lead Guitar / Vocals), and Frank Algerio (Drums) fill out their great sounds. They encompass a polished and exciting musical formula that includes some of their original tracks and covers.
The musicianship and some of the bands harmonizing throughout the evening were outstanding.
This band was the perfect opener for Lonestar, and there could not have been a better choice. Their originality for a local band is miles ahead of other acts in the area, and they have plenty of their material that stands up well. I have to say that I heard songs that could easily be a hit and something you would listen to on the radio. I am proud to say that Whiskey City is a product of the Berkshires.
Their performance was exemplary, and I got those good-feeling goosebumps a few times during their songs. Randy and Beth are quite a pair of powerful vocalists and animated performers, and I appreciated every moment they shared with us. Only two of the songs out of ten were covers; the rest were original material.
Set List:
01. Greatest Show on Dirt
02. Concrete Rodeo
03. Wasting Time
04. Hate Myself For Loving You (cover)
05. It's The Women
06. Who in The World
07. You're The Reason This Drinks In My Hand
08. Hell of a Lotta Friday Night Ago
09. When Will I Be Loved (cover)
10. Love You Like Crazy
After a great reception and opening show, the audience got a break to stretch their legs and get something to drink. I believe the venue was real close to being sold out. It was the first time they had drinks and food set up on both ends of the main floor to accommodate the audience (at least when I attended).
Now it was time for the legendary opening band to arrive. Lonestar is Dean Sams (keyboards, acoustic guitar, background vocals), Michael Britt (lead guitarist, background vocals), Keech Rainwater (drums), and Drew Womack (lead vocals, guitar).
Lonestar is one of the most successful country crossover bands of all time. They have sold 10 million records with 10 number 1 singles. For fans of the band's catalog, they will be doing a top ten redo of their hits in the studio with plans to release the album in the fall.
Lonestar is excellent live. They are seasoned musicians that can present their well-known catalog of hits with precision and accuracy. You could feel the excitement and anticipation before, during, and after every song. They never took a break; many songs segued into the next.
I took a moment to go to YouTube to watch the original track and video of "Amazed." To date, it has over 56.5+ Million views. I am "amazed" but not surprised. And that is the one song that I thought would be the encore; however, what we got was very good.
I have to be honest; country is not at the top of my list for my concert attendance, but this once again showed me what a great show I may have missed. I am glad I was there to see all the outstanding musicianship and lead vocals, and harmonies that were so outstanding. Gradually my interest in country-rock crossover has grabbed my attention. It takes an impressive group of musicians to change my mind about something, and it was easy to believe in Lone Star right from the start.
Some of my favorite songs were "I'm Already There," a real tear-jerker about a veteran away from their family. Any time there is a song about our heroes of the military, it touches my soul in ways I cannot explain. I am a vet, and my father was also in WWII, so I am sure that has a lot to do with my reactions.'
"Walking In Memphis" and "Amazed" were some of the highlights of the evening, to be sure. The encore was a lot of fun and presented impressively. A montage of songs from past hits and a tribute to the passed on artists like Tom Petty, Dusty Hill (ZZ Top), and several others got a few minutes to spotlight the audience was standing and singing along.
I am re-energized now about live events at The Colonial and hope that more acts like Lonestar will be visiting us in Pittsfield, MA, soon.
A shout goes out to all the staff there for providing excellent seating for my coverage and all the selfless volunteers who assists us with any questions or help with finding our seats.
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
April 2, 2022
Setlist:
01. What About Now Intro
02. You Walked In
03. Tequila Talkin'
04. Runnin' Away
05. Smile/Tell Her
06. Coming Home
07. Mountains
08. Everything's Changed
09. Whatever Comes First
10. Fancy Like/Intros
11. Hope You Dance
12. Shes Got It All
13. Front Porch
14. Mr.Mom
15. Already There Intro
16. Already There
17. Walking In Memphis
18. Home Cryin' To Me
19. No News/Get Back
20. Amazed Intro
21. Amazed
22. Rock Medley 22
