Photo by: Brady Jager
It was a rootin’-tootin’ time at Fiserv Forum Saint Patrick’s Day night as Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee Reba McEntire brought her “Reba: Live In Concert Tour” to Milwaukee with special guests Terri Clark and The Isaacs.
With a career spanning over four decades, McEntire proved that she still has the charisma and talent that put her on the map in the ‘70s, kept her around during the aughts with the sitcom Reba and helped to see over 56 million records worldwide.
McEntire kicked the set off with “Can’t Even Get The Blues” and “Turn On The Radio,” both in-which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Fireworks and pyrotechnics exploded from the stage as McEntire served captivating vocals and played an air guitar. She wore a rhinestoned green floral shirt with billowing sleeves to fit the holiday, the first of many extravagant outfit changes.
“Happy Saint Patrick’s Day,” McEntire said. “Notice the green. We have had such a good time today. This building— everybody in it has been so nice. The hospitality has been over-the-top. Let’s give them a big round of applause.”
Her fans showed up to the momentous occasion wearing flamboyant clothing of their own. A group of 50-somethings in the arena’s lower bowl section arrived in matching shirts that read “Shamrocking with Reba.” They rented a party bus for the night.
The on-stage party continued with McEntire throwing it back to her early days with the 1986 track “Little Rock” and 1991’s “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia.” She then changed into a floor-length, blue, sparkling dress.
“I love singing sad songs,” McEntire said. “Sometimes I think that they’re the glue for country music.”
Photo by: Brady Jager
She performed a handful of down-tempo ballads, such as “And Still” and “You Lie.” However, the sadness did not last long as McEntire raised the energy with the 2015 party anthem “Going Out Like That.” She incorporated the audience in a sing-along before tearing off the bottom of her gown to reveal a shorter, more danceable garment for the remainder of the performance’s act.
Clips from the six seasons of Reba served as an interlude before McEntire took the stage to perform the show’s theme, “I’m A Survivor,” which recently had a resurgence on TikTok. She wore a burnt orange tinselly top with jeans and cowboy boots.
McEntire dedicated a portion of the set to her religious beliefs by singing worship from her 2017 Christian album “Sing It Now: Songs Of Faith & Hope.”
“It’s that faith,’ McEntire said. “Give all my worries back to God.”
She then pivoted back to her ‘90s country classics “Take It Back” and “Why Haven’t I Heard From You” before leaving the stage in anticipation of an encore. The crowd uproared, “Reba! Reba! Reba!”
Rising from underneath the stage, McEntire appeared in a shimmering silver fringe ensemble to perform her most-popular hit, “Fancy.” On the second chorus, fireworks exploded before the superstar, revealing a quick change into a red dress, seemingly referencing her iconic 1993 CMAs look.
The stage background shifted to showcase a Times Square scene with photos from McEntire’s different eras on billboards and street signs. Her name shone in the lights above, but nothing could compare to the star power she exuded on stage.
McEntire is set to embark on her tour until the final date at Madison Square Garden on April 15. Click here for tour tickets and more information.
Great article!!