Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 19, 1993 TAG: 9302190304
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
TRAVIS TRIUMPHANT; TRISHA IN TOP FORM
It was Travis Tritt's third concert in as many years in the Roanoke Valley - and his best.Or certainly just as good.
Tritt returned Thursday night to the Salem Civic Center, the siteof his debut here in 1991 when the country rocker opened, appropriately, for fellow Nashville longhairs the Kentucky Headhunters.
A year ago, Tritt headlined a show with his frequent country collaborator, Marty Stuart, at the Roanoke Civic Center.
Both were good concerts, and Tritt showed more confidence each time around as he ascended to his current position as king of straight-ahead, kick-you-in-the-teeth country.
But Thursday's show, before an audience of 6,077, was arguably the best of the three, with Tritt clearly comfortable with his ranking.
He was in top form on both his trademark Southern-fried country and the heartfelt ballads he balances with the hard stuff.
He threw in the homages: covers of Bob Seger's "Night Moves," Buddy Guy's blues standard "Leave My Girl Alone," Hank Williams Jr.'s "We Are Young Country," and he even helped out a videotaped George Jones with "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Of course, the whole 90-minute package was met with a roar of approval in return.
Tritt even got political, putting in a plug for the rights of disabled American veterans.
"Maybe I'm just a dumb country boy and I can't figure it out. But how come we can send money all over the world to places like Somalia, but we can't take care of our own people," he said.
All in all, vintage Travis Tritt.
No less bright was Trisha Yearwood. Making her entrance from the opposite end of the civic center from the stage, Yearwood belted out "She's in Love With the Boy" as she strolled through the audience to join her band.
Then she kicked into an equally bouncy "That's What I Like About You" before slowing things down.
Either way, throughout her 45-minute set, Yearwood handled the upbeat numbers and the ballads with equal grace.
She especially showed off a fine voice on "Hearts in Armor," softly accompanied only by piano, and on the acoustic, accordion-flavored "For Reasons I've Forgotten," on which Yearwood was on a par with any of Linda Ronstadt's best work.
She showed sass on the faster "You Say You Will" and "Wrong Side of Memphis," but fell flat on the Elvis Presley throwaway "Devil in Disguise."
But that was only a minor fall. Overall, Yearwood sparkled. She is a keeper.
Less impressive was Little Texas. Put this band in the bins with REO Speedwagon, Styx, Journey and .38 Special. Sort of middle-of-the-road pop rock. Not country. Not original. Not very memorable.