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Let me just say three things about Martina McBride’s concert on the Briggs & Stratton Stage on Sunday night.

First, as I sit in my car writing this review, I stink. I’m hot. I’m sweaty. I’m hoarse. And I can’t hear.

Second, Milwaukee loves its country music.

Third, Milwaukee LOVES Martina McBride.

She brought the house down not once, not twice, but so many times I lost count during her hour and a half long set.

I expected quite a bit from McBride tonight. She’s one of those rare artists who comes along every once in a while. You know the ones? Their music takes you back to exact moments in time.

Sometimes good.

Sometimes bad.

Sometimes outstanding.

Martina McBride, for me, is one of those artists. She was just hitting country stardom when I was in law school. Her in-your-face country anthems like "This One’s for the Girls" and "Independence Day" inevitably had us dancing on tables at Flannery’s.

Needless to say, tonight, she exceeded all expectations.

She opened with two of her classics, "God Fearing Women" and "Wild Angels" – which ended with a hot acapella chorus.

After that quick start, she paused to let the crowd know that she was "freaking excited to be at Summerfest," but that tonight’s concert would be a little bit different from what most may have been expecting. She explained she’s built her tour around her latest studio album, "Everlasting," a collection of soul and R&B covers she made uniquely her own which debuted at Number 1 on the Top Country Albums Chart. 

She said that the music from the album "comes from a time when music had less boundaries." There was less concern with genre the music was so music was much more free.

McBride exuded that freedom all over the stage. All night long.

She mixed it up, stretching her vocals with the support of some amazing backup singers, an outstanding brass section, two wild guitars, a soulful keyboardist and a seriously impressive drummer. Her new music, while different, still held true to Martina’s roots, showcasing her huge and soulful voice.

It’s seriously hard to believe such a giant voice comes out of such a tiny woman. Even if towards the end – and by the end, I mean towards the middle of the first encore – you could hear some vocal strain, she still killed every song.

Oh yeah, and she plays harmonica, too.

All night, she executed to perfection. Though, at some points, because much of the music was new, the audience seemed a bit ... clueless. Regardless, she held the audience rapt throughout and never totally lost them.

So receptive was the audience to McBride’s music, she told the crowd that they’d "been one of the warmest, most sweet, special audiences that we’ve played for in a really long time. Thank you, Milwaukee! We appreciate it!"

By the time she hit "This One’s for the Girls" and "Independence Day" during the first encore, the atmosphere was electric, hot and yes, sweaty. Even the older guys were dancing and singing – that’s power, mesmerizing power.

It’s really not hard to see why she has such a pull on her audiences. She’s not just true to her country roots; she’s true to her beliefs and her faith. So many songs she performed tonight weren’t just country, they paid tribute to her belief in God and life’s journey in faith. That honesty comes out in her music and pulls you in.

And why shouldn’t she? She grew up performing. The native of rural Kansas sang with her dad’s country band, The Schiffers.

She later moved to Wichita where she met and married John McBride. The couple headed to Nashville in 1990 where John worked as a sound tech for Garth Brooks, and Martina took a job selling t-shirts at Brooks’ concerts.

John opened Blackbird Studios – one of the most successful recording studios in Nashville history – and got Martina’s demo tape to Brooks. Needless to say, Mr. Brooks agreed to bring Martina on as an opener if she could find a label.

She did.

Eventually, Martina moved from neo-traditionalist country to country-pop which better suited her huge voice and soprano range.

Twenty plus years later, McBride is one of the most successful female country artists in history. With twenty Top 10 hits, five platinum albums, two multi-platinum albums, one gold record and over 14 million albums sold, she’s accomplished more than most country artists ever will.

And she’s still going.

McBride, though, doesn’t sit on her laurels. She’s consistently stretching her artistry toward success.

With all her career accomplishments and a new album under her belt, McBride has nothing to prove.

But prove she does.

Her performance Sunday night demonstrates why McBride is, and will always be, one of country’s top and favorite female artists.

If I damaged my hearing tonight, it was so totally worth it. 

Setlist:

When God Fearing Women Get the Blues
Wild Angels
Wild Night (Van Morrison cover – "Everlasting" album)
Blessed
Safe in the Arms of Love
My Babe (Littler Walter cover – "Everlasting" album)
Perfect (Pink cover – "Everlasting" album)
In My Daughter’s Eyes
Anyway
Come See About Me (Supremes cover – "Everlasting" album)
In the Basement (Etta James cover – "Everlasting" album)
Wrong Baby Wrong Baby Wrong
Whatever You Say/Where Would You Be
Love’s the Only House
Broken Wing

Encore 1:
Son of a Preacher Man (Dusty Springfield cover – "Everlasting" album)
Baby What You Want Me to Do (Jimmy Reed cover – "Everlasting" album)
This One’s for the Girls
Independence Day

Encore 2:
Two More Bottles of Wine (Emmy Lou Harris cover)