Reba McEntire didn't have the best night at the Mohegan Sun Saturday - far from it.
RebaUNCASVILLE, CONN. – Reba McEntire is coming off one typically super successful year, but before she has another she has some work to do.
She’ll soon be playing concerts in the likes of London, Belfast, Zurich and Mannheim, Germany, but before the road swing starts she’ll have to pack more power into her shows – unlike the relatively drab performance before a packed house at the Mohegan Sun Arena Saturday.
Singer, author, actress and entrepreneur, Reba recently released her 34th studio album, “All The Women I Am,” and was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame last year.
The songstress played music from throughout that career on Saturday during a hits-filled set that left some room for new tracks. On stage for nearly 90 minutes, she turned in 23 songs, though some were abbreviated into perfunctory medleys. Those who came just to hear a verse and a chorus of a favorite were no doubt pleased, but Reba often sounded like she was just going through the motions and it would have been much better to hear longer versions of fewer songs.
With a nine-piece band behind her, Reba opened her first show of 2012 with the title track from her album “All The Women I Am.”
The early part of the set was sparked by “The Fear of Being Alone,” and then “Somebody’s Chelsea,” which the red-haired singer from Oklahoma noted was inspired by the film “P.S. I Love You.”
She also did a strong version of her vintage hit “The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia,” and the concert was picking up some real steam.
Unfortunately, that’s when she delved into the first of the melodies, draining the life from a classic like “You Lie,” and several others. It threw off the tempo and night’s momentum.
The evening’s second half was highlighted by one of Reba’s finest vintage songs “The Greatest Man I Never Knew,” as well as the power ballad, “Does He Love You,” the uptempo rocker “I’d Rather Ride Around With You,” and “Because of You,” which she recorded with Kelly Clarkson on Reba’s album “Duets.”
Reba recently got news that she’s got another sitcom coming down the line in 2012. Her earlier network show “Reba” ran from 2001 to 2007. The show’s theme song “I’m a Survivor” was very well received as was the track that followed it, the honky tonk piano blues-powered “Take it Back.”