The multi-award-winning-duo Sugarland played to a sold-out crowd at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, MN, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012.
The unique part about this show is there was no opening act to get the night started. Even with no opening act, Sugarland kept its fans on their feet from the time the duo hit the stage until the time the show ended. They played many hits from all of their albums, and kept the fans engaged in this one-of-a-kind show.
With the tour being called “In Your Hands,” the duo gives its fans a chance to basically decide which of its many hits get played the night of the show. Fans could use social media, Sugarland’s website, and even bring signs to the show to request their favorite songs! “If it is on one of our records or if we’ve played it on stage it is fair game,” according to Sugarland. It is no surprise then that, despite winning multiple Grammy, CMA, and ACM awards—and selling more than 8 million records—the country-music duo of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush is embracing a creative rebirth, a musical awakening that permeates their adventurous fourth album, “The Incredible Machine.” The “In Your Hands” tour gives fans a chance to be a part of the creative rebirth and keeps the music flowing with different set lists night after night.
We thought this was a very neat idea, as it provides the fans with a very unique experience as well as a one-of-a-kind show! Kristian Bush actually walked through the crowd to collect the many signs fans had brought with song requests displayed upon them. He took them all up on stage and they shared them with the crowd, and of course played a few of the requests as well! Kristian invited 19-year-old Cari Keller onstage during “Everyday America” and there was a whir of magic in the air the entire night, according to Sugarland’s official review of the show.
During the show, a very special moment took place when a woman and her young daughter (Avery) were called on stage by Jennifer Nettles. Once on stage, Jennifer Nettles introduced them to the crowd and explained their situation. In her explanation, she stated that Avery was diagnosed with a form of cancer and was given roughly six months to live by a Twin Cities hospital. Tears were in the eyes of many in the crowd, and then they stated that Avery was given six months to live about THREE YEARS AGO! The crowd clapped and cheered while they explained that with the help of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, Avery is now about 80 percent cancer free! After hearing this great news Sugarland, Avery, and her mother got to sing and dance to the hit single “Baby Girl.” The crowd was in awe while watching this precious young child dance, sing, and smile to such a great song!
To sum it up, it was an all-around great show! We recommend you check out Sugarland next time they play a venue near you! In its second year of outdoor concerts, the Mystic Lake Amphitheater is a very nice venue, and they are continuously making changes to better serve the fans. Seating 8,357 and featuring tiered seating, it is an easy place to enjoy outdoor music. Smoking is kept a distance away from the majority of the crowd. All seats have a very good view, but we would recommend getting your tickets early and paying a little more for the better seats.
Cons*
The higher end seats cost nearly $100 a ticket, and we feel as a casino they could afford to keep the price a bit lower. With that said, since Sugarland is such a great act, every penny was well worth it!
The food was very basic, and we feel they could provide a better selection at future shows. A hot dog was the closest thing to a main entree that they served. Hamburgers and maybe more appetizers would be nice to see added.
Setlist:
“Everyday America”
“It Happens”
“Tonight”
“These Are the Days”
“Genevieve”
“Life in a Northern Town”
“Little Miss”
“We Run”
“Incredible Machine”
“Stay”
“Love”
“Baby Girl”
“All I Want To Do”
“Find the Beat Again”
ENCORE
Photo Credits: MinnesotaCountry.com, LLC