Tonight’s the night. The Last Rodeo for Slim and Howdy before they set off on their paths to individual projects. Brooks & Dunn will perform their final concert as a duo tonight at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The duo decided to call an end to their 20 year career in August of last year but couldn’t say goodbye without one last tour for their fans, which luckily for us, included a stop in Las Cruces this past May. Proceeds from the concert tonight will go to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.So while one career is winding down, another is picking up. Little Big Town is celebrating a career first as their fourth studio album, The Reason Why, debuts at the top of Billboard’s Country Albums chart this week. Their label president challenged them to take turns singling lead throughout the album which means fans will get to hear the voices of some group members that have always been in the background. The foursome also learned of their CMA Award nomination in the Group category this week. Karen Fairchild said it best by saying, “This will be a week we never forget.”
From “Fine Line” to “Boondocks,” Jimi Westbrook, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Roads Schlapman, and Phillip Sweet kept pace with hits and selections from A Place to Land. 
All four accomplished singers, each had an opportunity to showcase lead vocals on respective selections and each, particularly Phillip Sweet, demonstrated a vocal quality that is under represented on studio recordings. 
In a telephone interview, Kimberly told KGRT listeners that Carrie Underwood was very generous to Little Big Town when it came to use of lights and production, something that headliners oftentimes hold back from the opening acts. Little Big Town made good use of those lights to create interest and keep track of the four energetic singers, two of whom were often on the move. 
Carrie Underwood’s stage set up included a T-shaped runway into the floor seating, again, a zone traditionally off limits to the opening acts. Little Big Town owned the T. As a result, Little Big Town looked as much the headline act as the young lady who was waiting to sing last. Stand out numbers included the four-part harmony of “Life In A Northern Town,” and what Kimberly and Phillip later hinted could be the next single, the bouncy “Good Lord Willing and The Creek Don’t Rise.” 
For a 10-year old band that was born and raised in the boondocks, Little Big Town is about to cross that invisible line that separates the legions of working artists from the handful of superstars in the format. The next record should be titled Large Big Town.
The approximately 1-hour-45-minute set was packed with proof as to why this girl won American Idol in the first place and left little doubt as to the legitimacy of her multiple variations of the title “Female Vocalist of the Year.” Carrie was in good form vocally as she effortlessly breezed through her hit singles as well as selections from her two best-selling CD’s, Some Hearts and Carnival Ride. 
Carrie kept interest throughout the show with well-placed personable stories about her life; her hometown of Checotah, Oklahoma; her dog, Ace; the current rumors of her love life, or lack thereof; and her stay in Las Cruces which according to Carrie included the sighting of Sonic and the desire for Cheddar Peppers, and according to sources connected with The Country Station included a stop at a local tanning salon and a trip to the gym. Carrie did say that she had a very nice day off before the show. Carrie also made light of the fact that she didn’t think she was ready to headline a show, but from the production of the night, she’s too modest. 
Like all top female entertainers, Carrie made the obligatory costume changes throughout the show, time that was brilliantly filled with a video retrospective of her career and musical solos from the band members. 
Each chapter of the show seemed to keep in musical theme of the costume. Carrie sported a sexy, little black shorts-set with knee-high stiletto boots to open the show; presented her spiritual ballads in a formal gown; stripped the hoop skirt for a mini for a series of sassy selections; changed to a more conservative pantsuit for the bridge of the show; and then added a shimmering silver jacket for the finale. 
The crowd loved it; especially, as Carrie called them, the good-lookin’ boys that were peppered throughout the floor seating holding signs that offered everything from marriage proposals to promises that they would not cheat. The crowd was also filled with young ladies who adore the image of this all-American girl. 
One young lady, 5-year old Logan, was invited on stage to sing “All American Girl” with Carrie. She turned shy in front of a huge crowd, but still did a great job. After all, it’s not everyone who gets to hear Carrie Underwood belt out a song to their face. 
The entertaining night proved to be a winner for all ages. However it’s interesting to note that during the aforementioned conversation with The Country Station, Kimberly made reference to “Carrie’s crowd” being a little different from the Little Big Town fan base. While the two shows are complementary, Kimberly’s comment did make sense after observing the crowd’s reaction to the subtle differences in the two styles of music. 
Yet at the end of the night, especially after Little Big Town came back out for a pre-finale cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way,” both fan bases were meshed into one big country music family. And yes, those confetti cannons did fire off for the anticipated finale, “Before He Cheats.” 
Now – get out and VOTE. There’s an election to decide today.
TONIGHT, inside your heaven known as the Pan Am Center, you’ll hear the last name UNDERWOOD. It is not just a dream. Some hearts in Las Cruces are praying for time with this all American girl who plays to crowds that are not so small. So don’t forget to remember to just stand up when Jesus takes the wheel. Carrie will stand by you and your time will not be wasted. You will be one of the nearly one million fans out to see Carrie Underwood this year. Las Cruces is one of 137 dates on the tour. The show starts at 7:30 pm.
If you need some more inspiration for your sign, how about this image of Carrie Underwood and her wax figure at Madame Tussauds museum in New York? “Vote Carrie – She’s No Dummy.” “Underwood. Real. Live. In Las Cruces.” The possibilities for your campaign signs are as limitless as your imagination.
And finally, a sweet treat for a sweet milestone. It originated in 