Blogocentric Formulations

But I've always found my way somehow

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DAY 5

Song: "The Long Way Around"
Artist: The Dixie Chicks
Album: Taking the Long Way (2006)

Well, as long as I'm catching up and we're on the topic of concerts and Las Vegas, today's entry comes from probably the best concert I've ever been to. My wife and I bought tickets for the Las Vegas stop (because the Los Angeles show the night before had already sold out) on the Dixie Chicks' "Accidents & Accusations" tour, their first tour since the controversy surrounding lead singer Natalie Maines' comments about not approving of President Bush and the war in Iraq (raise your hand if you remember a time when it was considered downright unpatriotic to not support the war on terror! ).

They were great live. Simply great. The new album was a really powerful commentary on their experiences being ostracized for the past couple years, and they mixed in a good number of past hits and special concert performances. I probably like about half the Dixie Chicks songs out there but every one of them was a blast to see live that night. "Not Ready to Make Nice" was the big headliner song at the time, but I've always been partial to "The Long Way Around" because it had the same sense of recognizing the long road they traveled, but it was more about wistful acceptance than ongoing anger and frustration. And let's be honest, "taking the long way around" is practically my life's mantra.

Other great songs at the concert were "Lil' Jack Slade" and a fantastic cover of Bob Dylan's "Mississippi." Overall, I tend to be kind of apathetic about concerts; I go, I enjoy it while I'm there, and I tend to forget about them the next day. This was one of those times where I probably annoyed my wife the entire drive back to Los Angeles saying things like, "Man, that was such a great show!" or, "Remember when they did Lil' Jack Slade? They can really play those instruments!"

After not headlining a tour (or releasing a studio album) for seven years - they each took time off to be with their families - The Dixie Chicks embarked on a brief Canadian concert tour called "Long Time Gone" which is expanding into Europe next month. I can only hope that it's a sign the group is about to start recording a new album or start touring again, because they're one group that I'd say is a "must see" concert experience... assuming you like their music and don't think they're unpatriotic, of course.