The two artists from Nashville who took the stage at the last Country in the City concert showed just how diverse the genre can be.
Nikki Lane is a fiery, confident singer who isn’t afraid to tell her mate all the ways he needs to “Man Up”.
She’s got the catchy choruses of a pop singer AND the honest expression you expect from a country artist, all delivered with the perfect amound of sass.
Since she made her MBE debut last week, I’ve had two of Nikki’s songs — title track “All or Nothin’” and “Right Time” — in my head almost constantly. She makes her late night TV debut on Conan tonight and it’s only a matter of before she wins over a giant new audience.
It also must be said that she had one of the best merch tables I’ve ever seen (Nikki’s Fix coffee!) and spent over an hour taking photos with fans after her set.
KCRW DJ Gary Calamar spun between sets and soon a country icon closed out the evening.
Wynonna Judd knows how to command a stage.
She’s been doing this a long time with her mega-watt smile, set against the brightest red hair imaginable and a black sequined outfit.
The country music superstar started touring with her mom when she was a teenager, and now has two teenagers of her own.
She’s got a ton of hits under her belt (with The Judds and as a solo artist) and is a powerhouse performer on every level, now performing as Wynonna & The Big Noise.
She seemed to really enjoy chatting with the audience and was truly appreciative of their fandom.
There was something in the air that made the night feel truly special.
Aside from the performances, a rare summer rain threatened at some parts of the evening and the sky between the buildings of Century City displayed one of the most gorgeously multi-colored sunsets I’ve seen in a while.
It was a great way to end our three-show series with the Annenberg Foundation.
Even better, if you haven’t seen the exhibit, Country: Portraits of an American Sound, it’s still open until September 28. I HIGHLY recommend checking it out.
Nikki Lane – Band Members
Nikki Lane: Acoustic Guitar and Lead Vocal
Ben Eyestone: Drums
Eric Whitman: Bass Guitar
Alex Munoz: Electric Guitar
Matt Stoessel: Pedal Steel
Wynonna and the Big Noise – Band Members:
Wynonna Judd – lead vocal
Cactus Mosher – drums
Justin Weaver – Guitar
Tom Hannum – steel guitar
Peter King – keyboard/B3
Dow Tomlin – Bass
