Review: Maren Morris at the Armory - Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 03:33 PM PST

It's refreshing to see a brunette in country music. Don't get me wrong–I love Miranda, Carrie, and Dolly just as much the next girl–but it's nice to see that you don't have to be a blonde bombshell to dominate in country music.

At 29, with a five-month baby bump, five-foot-tall Maren Morris owns the stage, strutting around and doling out all the sass in her neon green beanie.

In such a tiny package, Moriss has a powerful voice. She hits high notes with the best of them, she slows down for bluesy melodies that raise goosebumps, and she belts out catchy, spunky tunes that pack a punch.

To say Maren Morris's final show (number 47!) of her world tour was a religious experience would be an understatement. She was breathtaking and empowering, from opening with "GIRL," reminding us not to lose our halos, to belting out "the house don't fall when the bones are good" in the encore.

There is not a single Maren Morris song I wouldn't crank up to 10 in my rusty old car. That started with "My Church," when it hit radio waves in 2016 and spoke to the souls of anyone who has ever rolled down the windows and turned up a song to tune out the world.

Morris closed the show with a version of "My Church" that began with a gospel and ended with tons of orange confetti. (A moment of silence for how incredible the orange confetti looked against the all-black backdrop of the Armory.)

For a while it's seemed like Nashville is a boy's club, but the powerhouse lineup of up-and-comer Haley Whitters and Canadian native Tenille Townes at Morris's show is evidence of the women in country music demanding to be heard. We cheered along–and definitely cried–when Maren won Album of the Year for GIRL at Wednesday's CMA Awards.

It's been a big year for Morris. At this final show of the GIRL tour, Morris is honest about it all–good and bad. She married fellow country singer Ryan Hurd last year (if you don't know "Diamonds or Twine" and "To a T," go listen to them right now.) Morris and Hurd are now expecting a baby boy in March, and Morris is an adorable kind of pregnant. Diamond-studded baggy jeans, a black crop top, and stilettos? We're here for it.

But she's also had her fair share of heartache with the death of her close friend and album producer Busbee from brain cancer in late September. She is honest and open about her joys and struggles, making fans feel like they can be themselves.

Oh, let's not forget, she also joined a band this year. The Highwomen is a collaboration between Morris, Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires, and Natalie Hemby. With a stripped down version of The Highwomen's "Crowded Table," Morris spoke to the need for coming together and accepting each other. Like a concert, she said, where everyone, no matter their age, gender, sexual orientation, tax bracket, or beliefs comes together and sings–screams–along to songs they all love.

Morris is right in saying there's "A Song for Everything." Her Armory show hit the highlights of her new album with "The Feels," "To Hell & Back," "Make Out With Me," "Good Woman," and "All My Favorite People," plus the 2018 pop hit, "The Middle." She pulled from her first album, HERO, with the early sounds that made us love her: "80s Mercedes," "I Could Use a Love Song," "I Wish I Was," "Once," and "Second Wind."

And just in case we forgot about our halos, Maren reminded us by mixing Beyoncé's "Halo" in with "RSVP." An ever-changing rainbow of lights lit up the stage for "Shade," and the comical cartoon backing "Rich" made this nickel-and-dime love song even more amusing.

Maren Morris is unlike any singer before her. She's not the next anyone. She isn't confined to a genre and she doesn't need one. Maren can stand on her own and all her fans will stand with her. Not everybody drinks on a Tuesday night, but all of Maren's favorite people do. So you know what we'll be doing come Tuesday.

Toward the end of the show, Maren said, "Sorry, I'm rambling a lot tonight because I never want it to end." We didn't either.