CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – Natalie Maines didn’t waste any time proving that her voice is just fine during The Chicks’ concert at Blossom Music Center Monday night.
It was barely more than a week ago The Chicks walked off stage during a concert in Noblesville, Ind., as Maines struggled to belt out her signature notes. The group’s frontwoman was placed on vocal rest, postponing a run of shows that included a stop in Cincinnati.
But The Chicks returned to the road with two shows in Toronto last week and arrived back in the U.S. for the Blossom stop. Maines belted out the rocking opener “Sin Wagon” with vigor and continued to show her range as the group transitioned into the more recent hit “Gaslighter.”
The fact you could even hear her was impressive given just how excited the crowd was. There were a decent number of seats available at Blossom Music Center in the hours leading up to Monday’s gig. But the venue might as well have been sold out.
The Chicks drew one of the loudest crowds you will ever hear at Blossom, featuring about 75% women with plenty of men, most gripping their oversized White Claws tightly.
Maines’ groupmates Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer -- along with The Chicks’ large backing band – seemed laid back. But Maines appeared to have anxious energy about her at the start of the show.
At times, it seemed to be to her benefit. Maines’ performance on “Julianna Calm Down” was an emotional tour de force that brought the house down.
“We’re The Chicks and we’re here to entertain you,” Maines proclaimed before moving into “The Long Way Around.” She seemed to settle in by the time “Sleep at Night” rang out, a performance driven by Maines’ magnetic swagger.
Next up was the dice roll game where The Chicks roll a giant die to determine which song they’ll play. The Bonnie Raitt cover “Give It Up or Let Me Go” was the choice (Maines joked the crowd should pretend it was the alternative choice “Travelin’ Soldier”), producing Maguire’s first great fiddle solo of the night. If that weren’t enough, it was quickly on to the night’s first major singalong with “Wide Open Spaces.”
The transition to the acoustic portion of the set, which Maines dubbed the “Sit Down Section,” felt a bit awkward. But it set up the best stretch of the night. Blossom Music Center as a venue often lends itself to better sound during unplugged performances and The Chicks took full advantage.
It certainly helps when you have anthems like “Cowboy Take Me Away” and “Long Time Gone” mixed in with full-on hootnannies like “Lubbock or Leave It.”
One of the night’s biggest moments came during The Chicks’ popular cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.” As Maines pointed out, the group recorded the song when she was 25, just after her son Slade was born. He now plays guitar in The Chicks’ band.
The group transitioned out of its acoustic set with 2020′s “March March,” a powerhouse political anthem with equally poignant imagery that culminated with Pro-Choice support. It drew the night’s biggest ovation from the crowd, which featured several fans wearing shirts condemning the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The Chicks have never shied away from speaking their minds, as evident by “Not Ready to Make Nice” -- the group’s Grammy-winning, 2006 comeback song after being blacklisted from country music for speaking out against then-President George W. Bush – still being one of the night’s most popular anthem.
As many fans predicted in casual conversations throughout the night, things closed out with The Chicks’ first major crossover hit “Goodbye Earl.” It was the perfect cap on a triumphant return for The Chicks who proved vocal issues are just a bump in the road and they’re still one of the mightiest country acts on the block.
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