After getting cut from the cheerleading team and proclaiming that she was “shit at sports,” Miranda Lambert petitioned to add a choir to Lindale High School before her graduation date in 2001. And as a thoughtfully placed mid-show surprise, the very same hometown choir that she campaigned for twenty years ago joined her on stage for a performance of “Tin Man.” Eliciting a standing ovation from the crowd and an overwhelming sense of nostalgia, Lambert brought the Wildcard Tour back to her roots.
Decked out in fringe and sequins, the back of Lambert’s jacket donned the Texas Lone Star. “What do y’all think about my jacket?” called Lambert, poised to sing “Automatic,” a time capsule representative of her childhood in “middle of nowhere, Texas.” Lambert continued to travel down memory road with ease, as “The House That Built Me” seemed to hit a little closer to home playing through the American Airlines Center, only an hour and a half away from where she grew up.
As someone who has always shown her cards, Lambert’s impressive song catalogue has been telling of her many phases in life: Wildcard, released last November as her seventh studio album, has shown to be no different. With a set list that jumped from spirited to sentimental to encouraging, the sold-out arena sang along with Lambert and seemed to reminisce and find strength in her words. “Mama’s Broken Heart,” “Little Red Wagon,” “Only Prettier,” and “White Liar” employed an overwhelming Girls Night Out vibe, brought home by “Tequila Does,” because no one can love you quite like tequila can.
On a more heartfelt note, though, Lambert quipped that no matter how irreparably messy things may seem, “It All Comes out in the Wash.” The singer’s most distinguishing qualities were on full display at the American Airlines Center on Saturday night, as she has finally found balance in her chaotic day-to-day. As we all struggle to follow suit, be sure to remain thoughtful as you reach for that extra shot of tequila and deal with it.
