THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 7, 1996 TAG: 9610070075
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: CONCERT REVIEW
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 54 lines
There was a choice Sunday night - Clinton and Dole or Brooks and Dunn. More than 13,500 people in our neck of the woods opted for B & D, winner of the 1996 Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year.
``It was the biggest country show of the year,'' said Dave Allen, promotions manager for the Virginia Beach Amphitheater.
That was good timing for the Amphitheater - getting B&D down here five days after the duo received country music's most important honor.
The duo headlined the last show of the 1996 season at the Amphitheater. The crowd was - to put it mildly - wildly enthusiastic.
B&D came on with an ultra-dramatic opening. Thunder, light-ning and a cattle stampede - on film, of course.
The big guys - Kix Brooks, 6-foot-2, and Ronnie Dunn, 6-foot-4 - create a picture of macho. Are they sponsored by Jack Daniels or Budweiser? No! They have a wuss sponsor - Kellogg's Corn Flakes - this reviewer's favorite meal.
The night was chilly - this is October and it ain't Florida - and fans were dressed appropriately.
Between the body count and the wild show, the night became heated. The fans spent most of the night on their feet, yelling, clapping, singing along and dancing. One fan did not do much dancing but kept raising her crutch in tribute.
B&D work wonderfully together. Their voices are powerful, their harmony excellent.
They offered an elaborate light show, but there was nothing light about their presentation.
There were many songs from their current hit album, ``Borderline,'' which they produced with Don Cook. The big hit from that album is ``My Maria.'' But the big hit of the night was - no surprise - ``Boot Scootin' Boogie.''
Relationships play an important part in their songs. Check these titles: ``Brand New Man '' and ``You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone.''
If they aren't singing about relationships, they're talking about them. At one point Dunn discussed the emotionless male vs. the emotion-packed female. Then went into a ballad about giving her all his love.
The duo noted that they drove for two days to get to Virginia Beach. Their fans obviously appreciated their arrival.
The opening acts were a good introduction to the excitement of the evening - David Lee Murphy and Jo Dee Messina. ILLUSTRATION: GARY C. KNAPP
Country duo Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn captivated their audience at
the Virginia Beach Amphitheater on Sunday night.
CONCERT REVIEW
Brooks and Dunn with David Lee Murphy and Jo Dee Messina
Sunday at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater by CNB