Brandy Clark is known for being a writer of some of the biggest country hits on radio today, but she took the spotlight as a performer at the Verizon in Manchester, NH and scorched it.
Playing a set that drew mostly from her solo album 12 Stories, Brandy electrified the crowd with songs that inspired laughter, tears, and a deep pride in one’s own roots. In fact, the moment that made my night came right before she played “Big Day in a Small Town.” After asking the audience how many of them were from a small town, she was greeted to enthusiastic hand raises from almost every person. That’s the thing about New Hampshire; we love our small towns and embrace that lifestyle, even in our cities (and Manchester is one of them). It’s one thing that makes us a hot spot for country acts to land on their tours, and you could tell that Brandy was feeling it and loving the reception.
The rest of the show had Brandy taking the audience on a ride through many different worlds in the stories of her songs. Visiting home with “Small Town,” going into heartfelt ballad land with “Hold My Hand,” stopping for vices with “Get High,” and driving through the “don’t piss me off” highway with “Stripes” and “Crazy Women.” She even brought us to familiar territory with a mini-medley of “Better Dig Two” and “Mama’s Broken Heart,” The Band Perry and Miranda Lambert hits that she had a hand in creating.
I was really impressed by not just the music Brandy played but the connection she made with the audience. There were positive vibes coming from her and the crowd to each other, and she kept this smile and humble attitude the entire time. There’s no doubt in my mind that she gained a lot of new fans that night.
Brandy Clark’s set may have been a short one, but it left a lasting impression. And it takes a truly remarkable artist to be able to make that mark. Her stories are ones that I definitely want to see her tell again very soon.
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