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Little Big Town, Classic Center, 2/12/08

by Rachel Atcheson
02/14/2008

Why this band put the word “little” anywhere in their name is beyond me. From Kimberly Roads Schlapman’s hair to their energy and stage presence, everything about Little Big Town is undeniably larger than life.

The University of Georgia's University Union is to thank for bringing Jimi Westbrook, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Roads Schlapman and Phillip Sweet to the Classic Center on Tuesday night, February 12. Or maybe it’s some of the band members’ personal connections to Athens that did it. While Westbrook taunted the crowd with his love for Alabama football, Roads Schlapman admitted to spending a semester as a student at the University of Georgia, as well as having brother who currently attends UGA. Fairchild’s brother also attended UGA for a time.

Little Big Town is a fairly new sensation on the country scene, (their breakthrough album The Road To Here was just released in 2005), but you wouldn’t know that by looking at their resumes. Tours with superstars like Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and Martina McBride don’t just happen overnight. Neither do Country Music Association Award or Grammy nominations. These honors can only be earned through hard work and talent.

The various gifts of Little Big Town’s members become obvious the second they open their mouths. As the show opens, four perfectly blended and harmonized voices come out of the darkness to mesmerize the audience. When the lights come up, the four are standing in a row, with Westbrook and Sweet on either end, giving the ladies of the group center stage.

Not that they’ll stay that way for long. Fairchild and Roads Schlapman pump up the crowd by jumping, dancing and waving their arms while belting out notes that would make Celine Dion and Whitney Houston drop their jaws. Westbrook and Sweet saunter around the stage with their guitars, winking at lucky young women who promptly turn to their friends to squeal “Oh my gawd!”

Sorry, ladies, but both men are spoken for. Sweet is married and a new father of a six-week old baby girl, and Westbrook has been married to none other than fellow bandmate Karen Fairchild since May of 2006.

For 90 nonstop minutes, heart-wrenching ballads like “Stay” and “Bring It On Home” give way to the high energy crowd-pleasers like “Boondocks” and “Welcome To The Family.” An unexpected cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” had the Classic Center crowd on their feet and unafraid to sing along with Westbrook’s lead vocals.

As the band exited the stage after the set, it was obvious the audience wasn’t ready for the show to be over. The Classic Center could have almost passed for Sanford Stadium on game day, the audience was cheering so loud. For their efforts, the band members took their places once more to blow the audience away with their rendition of The Eagles' "Heartache Tonight" before leaving the stage for good.

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