Opening for Miranda Lambert was Republic Nashville recording artist RaeLynn. You may recognize her from this past season of The Voice. Blake Shelton and wife Miranda Lambert have taken RaeLynn under their wings since the show. The concert at Grand Casino Hinckley Saturday, Aug. 11 was only RaeLynn’s second time up on the big stage actually playing a show. She and her band played a small set of original tunes to get the show rolling. On the last song of her set, she had issues with her guitar, yet continued to keep on singing A capella. She did a fantastic job considering she is only 17 (she graduated high school two years early from her hometown of Baytown, TX), it only being her second show, and playing in front of a rather wild crowd!
After a few things were changed on stage, fellow Texan Miranda Lambert then came out and the crowd went absolutely crazy! Playing a wide variety of her award-winning songs, she (as usual) managed to keep the crowd on its feet and provide a great show. The reigning ACM and CMA female vocalist of the year puts on a very entertaining show, and if she is ever in a town near you, go get yourself some tickets! Coming off having to postpone several July shows due to being placed on vocal rest, Lambert followed doctor’s orders and was able to belt out hit after hit without hesitation.
After a few songs, Miranda’s new group the Pistol Annies hit the stage, playing its hit single “Hell On Heels,” followed by another three songs from the trio. This rowdy trio is well on its way to being ranked right up there with the best of them! Lambert and friends Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe began kicking around the idea of a trio almost two years ago already. After wowing the crowd, they left the stage while Miranda stayed to continue with her solo performance.
“We’re just taking it a step at a time because we don’t have a rule book, and bringing them out with me has been cool because we’ve already got the busses and the production and the fans to play to,” Lambert said. “But I can’t wait until we go do Pistol Annies shows just as Pistol Annies, because that’s my goal. And because I don’t want the pressure all on me — they have to share it, too! That’s what’s fun about being in a band, you know?”
In addition to having some fun, Miranda showed nothing but great appreciation for her fans, band, crew, opening act, etc. You could tell this was from the heart, and not just for show. After playing a few more songs, she paused and took a moment to mention that the song RaeLynn sang earlier (while her guitar was having issues) was one they had actually written together. She then decided to give her another shot, with a working guitar, to come back out and sing it again. However, this time Miranda sat in and they sang it together! They did fantastic! 2012 has already been a busy year for Miranda. In addition to bringing home the ACM honor for Female Vocalist of the Year, her critically acclaimed album, “Four The Record,” was also recognized as album of the year at the ACM Awards. After hearing hit after hit at her concert, it is with good reason the album received this honor.
After the show, Grand Casino Hinckley put on a fabulous fireworks show! We really liked this added piece to the show. Another great thing about the amphitheater is the great selection of drinks and food. Security did a great job of keeping fans in order, and where they belong. Many people like to sneak up and take pictures, but to keep the fans in their seats satisfied, they did the best they could to keep folks moving along.
Both Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley are owned by the Mille Lacs Band’s Corporate Commission. The casinos feature gaming, accommodations, dining, conference and banquet facilities, live entertainment, and The Grand Harmony Spa and Grand National Golf Club at Grand Casino Hinckley. The casinos directly employ more than 3,000 people and cover more than 4,000 people with their insurance plan. The Band taxes these entities at 100 percent and utilizes the revenues to provide health care, education, and other programs and services to Band members. The Band also invests in infrastructure and economic development that directly benefit the entire community.
We highly recommend this venue, and have no complaints whatsoever! We also recommend catching Miranda, Pistol Annies, and RaeLynn in a town near you!
Setlist:
Miranda solo:
“Fastest Girl in Town”
“Kerosene”
“Heart Like Mine”
“World Goes Round”
“Over You”
“Baggage Claim”
“Dead Flowers”
“All Kinds of Kinds”
Pistol Annies:
“Hell on Heels”
“Bad Example”
“Fist City”
“Taking Pills”
Miranda solo:
“Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo”
“Famous in a Small Town”
“Only Prettier”
“Wake Up Call”
“Mama’s Broken Heart”
“House That Built Me”
“Gunpowder and Lead”
“White Liar”
Encore
Photo Credits: MinnesotaCountry.com, LLC