04/14/2007 01:30 PM
By Larry Rodgers
azcentral.com
FLORENCE -- After a dicey opening night on Thursday that was dampened by rain, high winds and low temperatures, the Country Thunder USA festival showed its more alluring side Friday.
The skies cleared, the mercury rose and all was as it should be when thousands of country-music lovers descended on Canyon Moon Ranch.
Though this year's lineup for the four-day event isn't brimming with blockbuster acts, four solid players -- including a pair of superstars -- capped Friday's festivities on a strong note.
Headliner Reba McEntire delivered the kind of performance she's famous for: A no-nonsense run through her huge catlog of hits spiced with some folksy banter from a woman who was raised on an Oklahoma ranch.
Looking great at age 52, McEntire effortlessly commanded the stage, backed by her high-powered touring band, deployed around a massive, multi-tiered stage set.
She talked about growing up as a rancher's daughter, about her love of family and about her work with Habitat for Humanity. She said the group's Building Blocks project will soon visit Phoenix to build nine homes for needy families in four days.
McEntire opened with the upbeat title track from her 1999 album "So Good Together." She dropped in a few other newer tracks, such as 2004's "Somebody," but the bulk of her set featured the classics that made her a star starting in the early '80s.
She proudly identified "Can't Even Get the Blues" as "my first No. 1 record, back in 1982," and appeared to still enjoy performing it.
Fans of all ages smiled and swayed or danced as McEntire moved through such classics as "Little Rock," "Whoever's In New England" and "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter."
High points included 2003's gospel-flavored "Love Revival" and a tight take on the classic "The Fear of Being Alone."
The night's second superstar was Randy Owen, front man for the on-hiatus Alabama, which ruled the country radio waves in the '80s and early '90s.
The singer-guitarist chose Country Thunder to launch a solo concert tour, and he received a warm welcome from the crowd, which appeared to top 25,000.
Opening with an Alabama hit, "I'm In a Hurry (And Don't Know Why)," Owen made it clear he wouldn't turn his back on the band that made him a multimillionaire.
In fact, despite the fact that Owen reportedly in nearing completion of a solo CD, most of his set Friday featured Alabama hits. For a good-timing festival crowd, that's OK, but for those curious about Owen's future, it was slightly disappointing.
Owen played guitar only sparsely, choosing to grab the microphone and work Country Thunder's huge stage.
"Who out there had a good day? Raise your hand!" Owen, 57, said. "Who's glad to be alive?" He then launched into another Alabama classic, "Give Me One More Shot."
Owen and his new band did a nice job on such hits as "Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)" "Mountain Music," "Feels So Right" and "If You're Gonna Play In Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)." But some of the rich harmonies of Alabama, as well as that group's onstage chemistry, were missing.
Texas-born Tanya Tucker had her heyday in the '80s but still draws a crowd when she takes the stage.
The former Mrs. Glen Campbell came out in sunglasses and a glittery sweater, and spent lots of time interacting with the audience. "It's good to be home," said Tucker, who was raised in Arizona.
Tucker, who has seen her share of personal ups and downs. seems to translate that experience into music that leans toward country's roots. Her voice was sometimes a little rough around the edges, which worked for the old-school numbers.
"Oh What It Did to Me" and her cover of the late Tammy Wynette's "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad," elicited whoops and shouts of "Yee-haw!"
Tucker, 48, joked that she had recorded "San Antonio Stroll" at age 16, "just a few short years ago."
"When I Die" "Two Sparrows in a Hurricane" and her signature hit, "Delta Dawn," were also crowd-pleasers.
Relative newcomer Blake Shelton knows how to whip up a fstival crowd.
His rowdy set was heavy on cover songs, such as Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" and Steve Wariner's "Lonely Women Make Good Lovers."
Shelton's new single, "The More I Drink" and his 2004 classic "Some Beach" were a perfect fit for Country Thunder.
Reach Rodgers at larry.rodgers@arizonacentral.com or (602) 444-8043.
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