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Written by Jim Ryan Wednesday, 06 August 2014 09:13

She doesn't require flashy sets or outrageous costumes to entertain.

The Pageant, St. Louis

Country music superstar LeAnn Rimes made her way to the Gateway City to help raise money and awareness for the Vatterott College Scholarship fund. Since 2009, the Vatterott Scholarship Fund has issued 306 scholarships to students in need.

There was a VIP area in the upper level of The Pageant, which had Southern “comfort food” prepared by L'École Culinaire. I am not going to lie, the food smells wafting around the area were incredible. I would have loved to try some of the delectables, but I have a personal issue with eating in front of people. Just keeping it real.

St. Louis native Erin Bode opened the show. I am not going to lie about this either. I found her set to be non-engaging. Let me clarify this—Erin Bode can sing. She has a beautiful voice. Additionally, each of her band members displayed their amazing skill levels throughout the night. I just didn't feel like her music was speaking to me. Her music is light jazz with an ethereal feel. Bode's voice drifts over the melodies, but, overall, her set fell a bit flat for me.

Now onto the main course: LeAnn Rimes. I—like the rest of the world—was introduced to LeAnn when her smash hit, “Blue” hit the airwaves. I remember standing in the offices of WIL92—as I was an intern at that time—mesmerized by her voice. The girl was only 13 years old, and she was running with the big dogs.
Eighteen years later, after selling over 37-million albums and receiving numerous Grammys, Academy of Country Music Awards, and Billboard awards, Rimes shows no signs of slowing down.

As she took the stage, she was dressed very casually, but I did notice her fierce high heels. This is the thing about LeAnn—she has the goods. She doesn't require flashy sets or outrageous costumes to entertain.

She kicked off her set with the uptempo “Swingin'.” This is another aspect of LeAnn that I adore—this woman can rock. She had great energy, and this was an excellent song to get the crowd grooving. Keeping the energy up, she tore through “Nothin' Better to Do” and “I Do Now.” What engaged me most was the undeniable joy in her voice as she poured her soul into these performances.

Then she sang “Happy Birthday” to an audience member. This is why I love to go to shows at The Pageant. It is such an intimate venue that artists and the crowd can freely interact. It may have been a small gesture on Rimes' part, but she just made that person's birthday one to remember. Rimes did converse with the audience throughout the night, which made this performance feel very personal and genuine.

Rimes then rolled out the ballads. I do love a rocker, but songs of this nature just take me to another place. One thing I noticed during “Probably Wouldn't be this Way” is the purity of Rimes' tone. It just resonates flawlessly in the auditorium and made me sit up and take notice. Now that she had me all sentimental, she did a one-two punch with phenomenal renditions of “I Need You Now” and “I Can't Make You Love Me.”

These songs cut me to the quick and made me miss my husband. And yes, they even made me shed a tear as Rimes’ voice is so beautiful all by itself. This woman knows how to walk that fine line to give her performance just enough emotional realness without coming off cheesy. This portion was the highlight of the night for me.

Rimes then took on the legendary Johnny Cash. This is a ballsy move, but she had enough swagger in her voice to do this country music legend justice. The next two songs were my least favorite of the night. I wasn't familiar with her song “Spitfire,” and it just kind of went nowhere for me musically. I liked the sass in her performance, but this one was a miss. Then she ran though “Blue.” It was a bit faster than the song I fell in love with, and LeAnn seemed disconnected from the song.
On one hand she has been singing this song for 18 years, but on the other hand, it is a beautiful song which put her on the charts. I just got the feeling she is over this one and just did it for the audience's sake.
Another song I found odd was “Can't Fight the Moonlight” from the Coyote Ugly soundtrack. It was a slower version than I am used to, and it just felt like it dragged. But I will say this, Rimes hit the big note in that song that sent shivers down my back. Once again, this woman has the goods.

Winding down her set with “How Do I Live,” I was impressed with how fresh this song feels today. Maybe it was Rimes' timeless voice, but this song could still be on the charts. Rimes also did a very captivating bluesy type of number which was unfamiliar to me. But nonetheless her vocal abilities fit the song perfectly. 
After wrapping up the set with “Something's Gotta Give,” Rimes exited the stage. After the obligatory cheers and clapping, she came back out with just her guitarist and performed “Hallelujah.” Now this is one of my all-time favorite songs. When artists attempt this it can be brilliant or horribly wrong. You know Rimes nailed this one. She was serving gospel realness, and I was frozen in place as she poured her heart and soul into this song. It was a brilliant way to end the concert.
Some people are born to paint, some people are born to dance, and Rimes was born to sing. Her ability to connect with her audience on a music and personal level is amazing. She has a beautiful voice and a beautiful soul, and I was so happy I could spend just a couple hours with this amazing artist. We need to have her back in the Gateway City very soon. | Jim Ryan