Kacey Musgraves performs at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on July 20, 2013. Photos by Steve Hostetler, heyreverb.com.
Beauty isn’t often considered a handicap in show business. But for Texas-native , her siren sex appeal seems to obscure her exemplary songwriting chops and overshadow her craft. In a way, her archetypal good looks unfairly lump her into a category of country music that is dominated by the bubblegum gloss of Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, and Taylor Swift. Pretty face; catchy songs.
But if you strip away the patina, you will find that Musgraves is a clever and skilled lyricist; as well as a maven for melody. Her sold-out, door-busting, debut Denver show at the demonstrated her prowess as an industry workhorse and a true original. Backed by a set design of neon cactus and a band outfitted in luminescent Western sport coats, Musgraves ripped through “Silver Lining,” “Blowin’ Smoke,” and new ditty “High Time” (which ended with one willful fan tossing a celebratory joint onstage). Musgraves then played homage to one of her Country heroes with a careful rendition of Dolly Parton’s 1977 classic “Here You Come Again.” “The Trailer Song” typified Musgraves’ winning formula at its best: earnest downhome lyrics bridged with edgy social commentary. “Mama’s Broken Heart,” made popular by Miranda Lambert and co-written by Musgraves, was a cutthroat frenzy of attitude and grit that rippled through the crowd like a buzzsaw. Fillers like TLC’s “No Scrubs” and Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” were odd tributes that seemed overworked compared to the unfettered simplicity of “Merry Go ‘Round.”
As her lead encore, Musgraves played a plucky solo acoustic version of “Cup Of Tea.” With its rebellious missive, the track was a fractured gem in Musgraves’ songbook. After a predictable Nancy Sinatra “These Boots Are Made For Walkin'” cover, the unlikely counter-anthem “Follow Your Arrow” closed the show. If only all vixens were this profound.
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Kit Chalberg is a Denver photographer and a regular contributor to Reverb. See more of his work here.
