Review: McBride powerfully closes out amphitheater season

BY FRANK ROBERTS

MARTINA McBRIDE leaves one in a state of wonderment. How does she keep going for two hours with an ultrapowerful voice that never wavers, never cracks?

The amazing young lady wound up the superstar summer season Sunday at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater. The bad news is she drew the smallest crowd – only 9,000 to a place that seats 20,000. The good news is the fans were superenthusiastic.

And for good reason. She put on a fantastic – and that is not too strong a word – show that seemed to appeal especially to her fellow ladies. In fact, the majority of the audience were of the female gender. It looked like a girls’ night out.

“Happy Girl” was an appropriate opening number. The applause was constant and, by show’s end, deafening. McBride was genuinely overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the fans.

“When I walk onstage, it’s the best feeling in the whole world,” she said.

McBride dug into such hits as “Valentine,” which she recorded with Jim Brickman (who will be in the area for a Christmas show) and, of course, her trademark song, “Independence Day.”

She sang and showed her video of “Concrete Angel,” a moving song about child abuse.

McBride gave fans a preview of her next single, a good piece called “Ride.” The album it’s on is due later this year.

That was something new. There were a couple of something old numbers, too. There was a swinging version of “Lean On Me,” and, going even further back, a beautiful version of “Help Me Make It Through the Night.”

In deference to that oldie, the background featured some WSM (the Grand Ole Opry station in Nashville) microphones.

She also reprised songs by Journey and Pat Benatar, her output of oldies almost equaling her trademark songs.

The songs of Jason Michael Carroll and Jack Ingram were excellent. They are two different types of entertainers, both with good, strong voices.

Carroll gets automatic cheers for his attitude as he sings about small-town America and faith. Ingram, on the other hand, is an energetic nutcase – and that is being said in kindness.

He’s a fun guy who is constantly on the move, going out in the audience, hugging a pretty girl or two, jumping, pumping and finally winding up on his tummy.

Ingram seems to operate on buckets of sugar and pitchers of energy drinks. His set included his No. 1 country hit from a few years back, “Wherever You Are.”

All in all it was a powerfully good show to close this season’s country superstar program.

Frank Roberts, froberts73@yahoo.com