Review: Sheryl Crow at Beech Mountain Resort
Whatever the over/under was on the number of times Sheryl Crow would mention Conover and Burgaw at her July 28 show at Beech Mountain Resort, it’s safe to say she exceeded expectations.
Back in Western North Carolina for the first time in nearly a decade, the iconic rocker kicked off the Party on the Mountain weekend with a set of hits and a generous dose of Tar Heel humor. Whether planned or improvised, Crow’s comedic banter and municipal mispronunciations stemming from bassist Robert Kearns being from Conover and guitarist Audley Freed hailing from Burgaw — as well as organist Jen Gunderman’s revelation that she too once lived in Kearns’ hometown — added a pleasant lightness to an evening already elevated by the gorgeous High Country views.
Following an energetic opening set from Memphis-based soul rockers Southern Avenue, the headliners took to the massive stage with the one-two punch of “If It Makes You Happy” and “A Change Would Do You Good.” Her vocals sounding as rich and lovely as they did in her ’90s/early ’00s prime, Crow and her impressive band filled the off-season ski slope with well-practiced instrumentation, delivering true-to-record takes of the familiar tunes and letting her banter provide the concert’s unpredictability.
Not even some bozo in an “Aldean” T-shirt at the shuttle bus parking lot or scattered “boo”s at the singer/songwriter’s story of a trans woman who inspired “Hard to Make a Stand” and her stated belief that humans have the capacity to love everyone could ruin the night. No, the mountain vistas, cool temperature, and the Greatest Hits compilation from one of the best to ever do it overpowered the negative energy, as did Crow’s evident joy at getting to share her songs in such a lovely environment.
The good times kept rolling as such bucket-list numbers as “Leaving Las Vegas,” “Strong Enough,” and “My Favorite Mistake” in stunning succession sustained the positivity, and her cover of “The First Cut is the Deepest” inspired an surprising number of empathetic women to stand up and belt out the heartbreak anthem in unison.
Clearly elated to be playing with her cast of regular musicians in an unusual spot, Crow saved one last Conover shout-out for the intro of “All I Wanna Do,” substituting the Catawba County town over “L.A.” And though “Soak Up the Sun” played somewhat odd under the star-lit night sky, she compensated with possibly one of the most appropriate uses of “Every Day is a Winding Road,” which sent adventurous concertgoers out into the night via the curvy, two-lane highway down the mountain.
(Photos by Arlo Abrams)
Southern Avenue
