The Chicks thrill Columbus audience with catchy classics, new material

By Brittany Moseley, Special to The Columbus Dispatch

As Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” cut out and the stage lights dimmed, a montage of trippy graphics were displayed on giant screens as instrumental snippets of the Chicks' songs played. Jett’s 1980 hit was a fitting prelude for the show. In their almost three decades as a band, Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer have had their reputations torn down and trampled on. But if Wednesday night’s show at Nationwide Arena was any sign, the band has successfully risen from the ashes of its past.

The Chicks opened with the title track from their critically acclaimed 2020 album, “Gaslighter.” The song is a fiery anthem on an album full of them, and it was made for live shows. The Chicks then took it back to 1999 with the bluegrass-tinged sleeper hit “Sin Wagon.” Sisters and original members Maguire and Strayer showed off their impressive skills on the fiddle and banjo, respectively, and gave the six-piece backing band time to jam out and shine.

Although there were more walks down memory lane throughout the night, this tour − the band’s first headliner since 2017 – is primarily a “Gaslighter” affair. Pop art graphics of cowboys in various stages of undress played across the screens during “Texas Man,” a delightful romp of a song. Things slowed down with “Juliana Calm Down,” as Maines sang the somber opening verse while her bandmates stood in the shadows.

Maines took a break from the band’s setlist to tell the crowd it was Strayer’s birthday, which of course, leads to a stadium-wide rendition of “Happy Birthday.” After that, it was time for another look back, this time with “The Long Way Around” from the Chicks’ 2006 album (and the band’s last album as the Dixie Chicks), “Taking the Long Way.”

Back to “Gaslighter.” The album was heavily influenced by Maines’ 2019 divorce. “When I started getting a divorce, I had a lot to say, so that kind of sparked me being ready [to make new music],” Maines said in a 2019 episode of the podcast “Spiritualgasm.” And boy, does she have a lot to say. In “My Best Friend’s Weddings,” Maines forlornly sings about meeting her now ex-husband at Strayer’s first wedding, hence the song title. On “Sleep at Night,” she sings about moving on, getting better and the awkwardness that comes with meeting a former spouse’s new partner. “Remember you brought her to our show at the Hollywood Bowl / She said, ‘I love you, I'm such a fan,’” Maines sings, defiant middle fingers up.

Those who weren’t already on their feet quickly jumped to attention as the band launched into “Ready to Run,” followed by the Chicks’ popular cover of Bruce Robison’s “Travelin’ Soldier,” before ending with the commercial juggernaut that is “Wide Open Spaces.”

Halfway through the set, the stage was adjusted. A drum set was pushed forward, and large acrylic benches were brought out for the Chicks and their backing band to sit on. With the stage lights brought in close, it created an intimate setting as the trio played “Cowboy Take Me Away.” Maines took a beat to introduce her son Jackson, who plays guitar in the backing band, before going into “Landslide.” The Chicks famously covered the Fleetwood Mac song on their 2002 album, “Home.” Although it was originally written by Stevie Nicks in the ’70s, for a generation of music fans, “Landslide” is a quintessential Chicks song.

Opener Ben Harper joined the band onstage for two songs, a cover of Patty Griffin’s “Don’t Let Me Die in Florida” and “March March” from “Gaslighter.” The crowd’s response to the politically charged “March March,” which was paired with visuals from recent protests and stats about mass shootings, was mixed and noticeably more subdued than previous numbers. While there is, no doubt, some Chicks fans who would prefer the band just shut up and sing, the reaction to “March March,” however tepid, is still proof of progress.

Twenty years ago, people burned copies of the band’s albums, and radios refused to play Chicks songs when Maines criticized then-President George Bush and the war in Iraq. Although everyone in the crowd wasn’t ready to join the march with the Chicks, the trio no longer feels at risk of being publicly shamed for sharing their progressive views.

This may be a “Gaslighter” tour, but the Chicks still know what the fans want. The band began to wrap things up with “Not Ready to Make Nice,” which still remains an anthem for the outspoken 17 years later. The Chicks signed off with “Goodbye Earl,” an infamous song with an insanely catchy chorus.

Earl may be dead, but the Chicks are alive and thriving.