“I was nervous because this is the place where all the magic happened,” Miranda Lambert admits to the packed arena, “but how about we make some magic of our own here tonight?” The Keeper of the Flame Tour featuring Brothers Osborne, Kip Moore, and Miranda Lambert, kicked off its second weekend in the legendary Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the exact grounds where Woodstock took place in 1969. This outdoor venue seats 15,000 guests and was packed for the night’s festivities. Although it felt more like March with the weather a cool 45 degrees by the time Lambert took the stage, the fans packed out the arena, some in seats, some on blankets and beach chairs on the designated lawn area.
John and TJ Osborne were the opening act for the tour, promoting their debut album Pawn Shop, and opened the show by singing into a mega phone to start the song “Greener Pastures.” The duo brought energy and their signature groove to the arena. Singing their current single “21 Summer” and of course their first number one hit “Stay A Little Longer,” they were the perfect opening act for a night full of country music. TJ explained that he loved this venue and how it was good to be upstate, “getting a little weird and checking out where Woodstock took place.” As usual, TJ took lead on vocals and John received a standing ovation for his 3 minute long guitar solo at the conclusion of “Stay a Little Longer.” The pair may be opening major tours now but we are sure it won’t be long till upcoming artists are opening for them.
The always entertaining Kip Moore was next to perform. Despite the cool air, he wore a cut off tank with his signature backwards hat and combat boots. Playing a variety of songs from his debut album Up All Night and his latest release Wild Ones, Moore’s raspy yet soulful voice echoed throughout the outdoor arena and drew fans in. In between songs, Moore took swigs straight from a bottle of Evan Williams, and more than once held it up as a toast to the plentiful fans drinking along. Particular high notes of his set included Moore alone on stage grooving to his song “Backseat” and his acoustic version of “Hey Pretty Girl.”
During the fan favorite “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck” Moore raced through the crowd to stand and sing the final verse right in front of the lawn area; the audience rushed to get close to him and sang along. He ended the night by thanking his fans and Miranda Lambert for taking him out on this tour. “I love doing what I get to do, so thank you.”
The sun has set and Miranda Lambert walks to her sparkly “M” mic stand. Opening with her uptempo hits “Fastest Girl In Town” and “Baggage Claim” she doesn’t have to tell the fans to get on their feet, they were already standing from the first notes of her first song. With just enough sparkle on her guitar straps and in her eyes it was apparent that this tour is the perfect summer getaway for anyone looking to hear good music and forget about life for a while. If anyone was expecting to hear Lambert disclose about her otherwise public personal life during her 90 minute set, they walked away disappointed. She danced around the stage, interacting with her band and played all of her hits including “Heart Like Mine,” “All Kinds of Kinds,” and “White Liar.”
Highlights of her set included her contribution to Dave Cobb’s compilation album Southern Family, “Sweet By and By” which showcases her strong yet subtle vocal ability. Another highlight came when Lambert explained that she had met a fan earlier in the evening at the meet and greet who explained that she had lost her son when he was only two years old and how “Over You” had really helped her through. “It’s okay to cry and miss them and celebrate them,” she tells the audience before singing the vulnerable tune.
She also sang songs from her latest album Platinum including “Automatic,” “Bathroom Sink,” and the fierce “Little Red Wagon.” Thanking the crowd for spending their hard earned money on country music and beer she closed her set with “Gun Powder and Lead” which left the audience screaming for more, even chanting her name.
For her encore she welcomed back to the stage Brothers Osborne and Kip Moore to pay homage to the very land they were now performing on by singing “Me and Bobby McGee,” the Janis Joplin hit. The well rounded lineup for the tour featured three different kinds of country artists, all bringing their own brand of music to the genre. If you haven’t gotten your Keeper of the Flame tickets yet, below are the tour stops for the rest of the summer.
Bristow, VA
Charlotte, NC
Cleveland, OH
Chicago, IL
Columbia, MD
Darien Center, NY
Fayetteville, AR
Hartford, CT
Indianapolis, IN
Irvine, CA
Jacksonville, FL
Los Angeles, CA
New Orleans, LA
Omaha, NE
Orange Beach, AL
Raleigh, NC
Rogers, AR
San Antonio, TX
Saratoga Springs, NY
St. Louis, MO
Tampa, FL
Virginia Beach, VA
West Palm Beach, FL