The Farr Side: LeAnn Rimes' journey through music

The lights dimmed and the anticipation grew.

It had been a long couple of years since I attended a concert. My heart rate escalated and there she was, sitting alone on-stage, just her and a baby grand. The incomparable LeAnn Rimes was front-and-center July 16 at Four Winds Casino, part of her “The Story … So Far Tour.”

Rimes opened the show with a stirring performance of “Remnants,” a song she performed alone onstage. Her vocals were stunning and powerful. She prepared the sold-out venue for a memorable evening.

She was joined by only two other musicians for the remainder of the show, to which she shared that her bass guitarist was out due to COVID-19.

“These are some crazy-a-- times,” she said, before launching into “Life Goes On.”

I love the glitz and pyrotechnics many artists do to entertain fans, but there’s something more special when all of that is absent. You tend to get the true story behind their artistry and can appreciate the depths of their talent. Plus, you get a firsthand account of how good they are. It’s more intimate and real.

“Blue” came next. The song is what started it all for her more than 25 years ago. The first notes triggered an outburst from fans as she belted out the track like only she can do. I was reminded she was only 14 when the song earned her two Grammys, including Best New Artist and Best Female Country Performance.

Rimes’ show was all about her story, her journey through music. She talked about how her dad had thrown away the initial recordings of the song and how she recovered them from the garbage. Her persistence is something she has championed. “It’s gotten me through a lot of things,” she said.

“Family” was an album on which she believes she came into her own, she explained, citing her public issues with her family.

I admire her strength and willingness to be open with the audience. It was important to her to share her thoughts on what family is.

“It’s not always about those you are blood with. It’s who you choose to be family with. I have a few close friends who are my family,” she said.

Her words resonated with me at a time when I needed to hear them most. It was the perfect segue into “Family” and “Nothin’ Better To Do.”

Rimes recalled how the pandemic affected the recording of her forth-coming album, “god’s work.”

“We had just recorded three tracks with a full-on band in the studio and then all of a sudden we were all at home on our couches,” she said.

The change allowed for her to rethink the direction. All of the artists she wanted to be a part of the album had agreed to contribute. The title of the album and all the songs are deliberately styled in lower-case, something she chose to do.

“If we’re arguing about why the ‘g’ is or isn’t capitalized, we’re kind of missing the whole point. It’s so important for us to focus on the messages, rather than the nuances,” she said. Amen, sister!

You can’t go to a LeAnn Rimes concert and not hear some “Coyote Ugly” music. She jammed effortlessly “Can’t Fight The Moonlight” and “The Right Kind Of Wrong.” I almost forgot there was not a whole band backing her.

A highlight came when she performed “How Do I Live,” a song that is the sixth most popular single ever on Billboard’s Hot 100. I was in awe of her gorgeous voice as she sang over the many hoots and hollers coming from the stands.

She closed, in encore, with the beautiful Patsy Cline hit “Crazy.” It was one of the most beautiful renditions of the song I’ve heard. Rimes sat on a stool, accompanied by Greg Hagan on guitar, and astounded the audience with her vocals.

David T. Farr is a Journal correspondent. Email him at farrboy@hotmail.com. 

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: LeAnn Rimes gives an intimate performance at Four Winds Casino