27 Jan 12 The Oak Ridge Boys and a Texas Music Surprise

By Sam Moore

In an environment of relaxed excitement, the Oak Ridge Boys delivered their smooth harmonies in a great performance Thursday night at the Allen Event Center.

For the audience, it was like a visit with old friends – not just the Boys, but the songs themselves. The show opened with “The Boys Are Back,” the title track – written by Scooter Jennings – from one of their recent albums. Then the hits started rolling. First, it was “One in a Million.” Others, such as “Y’All Come Back Saloon,” “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight,” and the beautifully peaceful “Dream On” soon followed. William Lee Golden, he of the baritone voice and mountain man hair, sang his inspiring “Thank God for Kids.” He even paid tribute to his age, ending the tune with “and grandkids, too.”

Lead singer (if this group can actually have a lead singer) Duane Allen is from Taylortown. He and his wife support a scholarship program for music students at Texas A&M. Tenor Joe Bonsall pointed out Allen’s Texas heritage. He said, “No matter what happens, if we sing in Texas, we’ll always have a good size crowd out there.”

In addition to their traditional hits, the Oak Ridge Boys sang several songs from some of their later works, including their current album – available at Cracker Barrel. And to show they remember their traditional gospel roots, they performed an incredible rendition of “Amazing Grace.”

Of course, no Oak Ridge Boys concert would be complete without their final two numbers: “Elvira” and “Bobby Sue.” Both songs featured Richard Sterban, the man with the world’s deepest voice (Can you say “oom-papa”?). The audience members were on their feet, clapping and singing along. It was a great ending to a great night.

And what was the Texas music surprise? It was an opening set by Texas singer-songwriter Drew Womack. He surprised many of those in attendance when he played a monster hit that he penned – “She Got It All” (Kenny Chesney’s first number-one hit) as well as “I Hope You Dance” (Drew’s Sons of the Desert Band was featured on the song as a duet, and won several awards with Lee Ann Womack).

Drew Womack

Despite playing an acoustic set, accompanied only by a drummer, Womack produced a much larger, richer sound than anyone expected. It is a sign of his excellence at what he does, and his ability to deliver a quality product to his listeners.

Credit also goes to the Allen Event Center. The acoustics in this arena are amazing. It really is a perfect place for performers to perform, and for audiences to enjoy the shows. The ushers are helpful and friendly. Even the food is good!

What is a sign that the concert was good? Afterward, while standing in line at In-N-Out Burger, I overheard several men talking about what a great show they just witnessed. One couple talked about how it had been 31 years since their first date – an Oak Ridge Boys concert. Tonight’s show was over, but the memories are still going strong.

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