Hey Ya'll: Country Music Concert and Wardrobe

Hey ya'll! (Pun Intended)

Over the weekend, I got to "cash in", if you will, on a Christmas gift my dad gave me. Let me just give you a little background.

Growing up, country music was always a part of my house. And not just country music. We grew up listening to The Beatles, Journey, Boston, The Eagles, etc. But there was always a fair amount of Garth, George and Shania and I've grown up with a love for country music. That's just kind of all there is to it.

So this Christmas, as everyone finished throwing away the last of the wrapping paper and thinking thoughts of Christmas breakfast, my dad, with a wink, told me to go look in the tree (yes, in the tree) because he "thought" there might be one more gift left. As I opened it up, attached to an iTunes gift card, were tickets to go see Lady Antebellum with my dad. Just me and him.

So, aside from my love of music, my crush on Charles Kelley, getting to watch Jana Kramer and Kip Moore open and the badass Tshirt my dad bought me, you KNOW I died over the wardrobe and makeup. Even my dad could tell. Walking out of the arena he said, "Okay, so what did you think of the clothes and makeup?" launching me into a session of gushing I'm not sure he was prepared for. But anyway. Just look.

Hillary Scott had several costume changes, but this one was one of my favorites. Peacock feathers?! Sequins? I'm not sure what's not to love. Her makeup looks great too. Not too chizzled out but her features were still defined on stage. Props to her stylist and MUA. The guys were comfortable but very put together. (As opposed to their opening act, Kip Moore. I didn't love his get up at all...especially the cut off Fender tee. I'm a Gibson girl, anyway. ha.) As far as music went though, Kip sounded great and really surprised me when he went out to sing "Hey Pretty Girl" on a stool, acoustic, by himself. The amp seemingly failed him, though, when his guitar lost power after the first count of eight, and his band tried to jump in to help him. Kip held his hand behind him, as if to tell his band to "hold off" and sang acoustic without his guitar. After "Hey Pretty Girl" he, in an effort to appease the crowd after his technical malfunction, sang "Stand By Me" acoustic, once again without his band.

One of my favorite moments of the show was when Charles stopped the band right before the last chorus of "It Ain't Pretty" to talk about how beautiful the arena looked with everyone's cell phones lighting up the crowd. He said it was one of the best parts of their tour, and then Hillary finished the last, and quite powerful, verse and chorus. There is a gorgeous acoustic version here.

Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of Jana Kramer but she was wearing some great skinnies (black leather, it looked like from afar) and a loose, almost billowy top in a dark red/purple color. She topped it off with a single, long chain, golden key pendant. Her bracelets were silver cuffs that she wore high on her forearm so as not to hit against her guitar, especially when she played along with the band during her single, Whiskey. Take a listen here. Her makeup was simple but gorgeous. Light smokey eye and a mauve lip.

I thought all around Lady A sounded phenomenal and looked just as great. Their encore included "Need You Now" and an awesome cover of "Wake Me Up" and "Cups". You can see a terrible and ghetto iPhone video here but if I were you I would skip to :40. Though the quality isn't great, you definitely get a feel for it. We left on a musical high.

If you want to check out the review from the Salt Lake Tribune, you can find it here.

Bottom line, it was a great concert with my awesome dad!

And for good measure, don't we look great? These photos courtosey of MY ghetto iPhone!

Now go listen to some country music.

-L