LeAnn Rimes transports audiences to a more wholesome time

7 hours ago 1

MUSIC
LeAnn Rimes ★★★★
Margaret Court Arena, September 16

The spotlight illuminates LeAnn Rimes as she walks on stage barefoot; she’s graceful and ethereal, with her long hair and flowy dress.

The crowd cheers her entrance with excitement – clapping, howling, and whistling. “Hello beautiful people,” says Rimes, in her southern twang once she takes a seat at the piano. She starts performing solo – a pared back version of country rock song Remnants – signalling that this evening will feature a more intimate reinterpretation of her greatest hits.

The 43-year-old American singer-songwriter from Mississippi hasn’t toured Australia in 22 years, performing in Sydney and Brisbane before ending her run in Melbourne. Her stint as a judge on TV show The Voice Australia last year makes her return to the country feel timely. Selling more than 48 million records to date globally, the platinum artist achieved success at a young age, winning two Grammy Awards as a 14-year-old for her cover of Billy Mack’s 1958 tune, Blue. To this day, she remains the youngest performer to ever earn the Best New Artist accolade.

Rimes performed more intimate versions of her greatest hits.

Hearing Rimes live, performing her repertoire of country and pop hits, transports you to a wholesome time in the late ’90s and early noughties when earnest ballads and tunes fuelled by youthful yearning often dominated the charts. She’s a great storyteller, sharing background on pivotal career highlights, including her mainstream success with the soundtrack for Coyote Ugly, a 2000 film about an aspiring singer who works in a show bar. “I was America’s sweetheart until they put me on a bar,” she jokes, referring to her dancing in the music video for Can’t Fight the Moonlight.

She also sings The Right Kind Of Wrong and I Do Love You from the soundtrack, mentioning how the film and music have garnered a cult following, engaging a new generation.

Early in her career, she was told to sing more “age-appropriate songs”, stating that as she’s aged, the lyrics have grown with her. She plays around with musical arrangements, which brings renewed depth and tone to her music. Can’t Fight the Moonlight is performed with an up-tempo country strum, bringing an energetic feel to Australia’s highest selling-single of 2001. Fast Car inspires her rendition of One-Way Ticket (Because I Can), weaving the chorus of Tracy Chapman’s hit into the ending.

It’s clear Rimes loves performing. She dances along to upbeat tracks and maintains stillness in slower songs. It’s refreshing to hear a singer lean into their natural voice when performing live, rather than overly produce the sound for a stadium show. The band, including bass, electric and acoustic guitar, drums and keys, never overshadows Rimes’ vocals. She mentions that she’s starting to lose her voice – you couldn’t tell.

The crowd is timid throughout, not quite meeting Rimes’ energy, which brings the overall vibe of the night down a notch. She also sings a few too many covers (three in total), including a duet of Coldplay’s Fix You with support act and former Voice contestant from “Team LeAnn”, Reuben de Melo.

Overall, the show effectively reintroduces you to her catalogue of bangers, enticing you to rewatch Coyote Ugly and maybe even dance on a bar top.

Reviewed by Vyshnavee Wijekumar

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