Alan Jackson Sells Out at Ironstone Amphitheatre
By James E. Roberts

The unlikely town of Murphys, miles and miles from any major metropolitan center, is the site of the Ironstone Vineyards Amphitheatre, and on Friday, August 7, 2009, country music superstar Alan Jackson was there, along with many, many thousands of enthusiastic fans. If you weren’t among them, you missed a great show. I’ve been to many concerts, from small clubs to huge amphitheaters, State Fairs in several states, and venues of every size and shape. I’ve seen performers from Benny Goodman to the Beach Boys, and this concert ranks up there with the very best of them.

First, the setting: Ironstone Vineyards Amphitheatre is located outside the gold country town of Murphys, at the Ironstone Vineyards. With a museum, gift shop, wine tasting, and deli, all in the beautiful setting of rolling hills and vineyards, the Amphitheatre has both reserved seating, and vast lawns where people can relax on blankets or beach chairs. Parking is free, something that you won’t find at most venues, and the staff is courteous and very helpful.

Kate and Kacey, twin sisters originally from Denver, were the opening act. Kate, the older of the identical twins by a whole nine minutes, played the six-string guitar, Kacey played the harmonica, and both sang beautifully. Performing a set of eight songs, the singers-songwriters included some songs that aren’t on their current CD, including “Brave”, a song for those who wear their country’s uniform, and their newest single “Dreaming Love”. They moved easily from fast-paced break-up songs to slower love songs, entertaining the audience with their stories and banter between songs. They harmonize well, and the only thing I felt their set lacked was a couple more musicians to fill out the sound, particularly on the bottom. But that’s a minor quibble. Kate and Kacey are relatively new on the country music scene, but with talent like theirs, I expect that they’ll be around a long, long time. Photo: Kate and Kacey, courtesy photo

After the opening set, the audience had twenty minutes or so to stretch their legs, grab some corn dogs and beer (and some Ironstone Vineyards wine), buy t-shirts and other goodies, and then sit back and delight in an exceptional show. And an exceptional show it was. First off, it wasn’t overproduced. No pyrotechnics, no rampaging heard of bison, no four-story tall, inflatable cowboy hat; just simple, clear, evocative lyrics sung by a master of the craft. Jackson, backed by an eight-piece band that played multiple instruments and served as back-up vocals, provided his fans with an evening that was relaxed, fun, bouncy, happy, sad, nostalgic, and that, at times, outright boogied! Photo: Singer Alan Jackson performs at the 40th Annual CMA Awards at the Gaylord Entertainment Center 2006 in Nashville, Tennessee.

It might have been described as Alan Jackson’s Greatest Hits, but that would imply that some aren’t that great, and that just isn’t so. Songs like “Chattahoochee” and “Summertime Blues” had people dancing in the aisles, and they kept dancing for the slower love songs, too. In fact, it was impossible to keep the audience in their seats. The stage was flanked by two huge screens that broadcast the images from the stage so the people in the back could see, and there were three more screens behind the band that at various times showed scenes from the music videos that accompanied the songs, shots of the audience, and close ups of the band. The videographers did an excellent job of remaining unobtrusive while shooting on stage, getting just the right close-up of an instrumentalist. Of particular note was the song “Little Bitty,” where the audience shots fit perfectly with the lyrics.

Alan Jackson brings a relaxed, friendly aspect to his performance, smiling easily and singing with one of the clearest voices I’ve ever heard. In a white hat, white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and faded jeans, Jackson sang songs of love and loss, small towns, family, partying, and patriotism. Smoothly moving from “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning” to “Don’t Rock the Jukebox” he kept the show from spending too long in any one mood.

I don’t think that I’ve ever been to a concert where the performer doesn’t yell out something like “How ya doing, California?!” or something of that nature. It’s a staple of the traveling show, and it’s not unusual for someone to forget which city they’re in and say “Hello Toledo!” when they’re actually in Toronto. Alan Jackson’s show did something I’ve never seen. The second-to-last song, “Where I Come From,” was backed entirely by video shot locally. From concrete frogs in downtown Angels Camp, to churches, antique malls, road signs (including the “SOLD OUT” sign for the Alan Jackson concert), schools, billboards and people, and the Mark Twain cabin atop Jackass Hill, this video showed that Alan Jackson and his traveling troubadours took the time to make it right. They clearly knew where they were, and they, and we, were right at home. Photo: Country singer Alan Jackson performs on stage during the 31st Annual American Music Awards, 2003 in Los Angeles, California.

The summer concert series continues with Diana Krall w/ Dave Koz & Brian Culbertson Side By Side, Sunday, August 16- Doors 6:00 PM; Jason Mraz w/ Raphael Saadiq, Friday, August 28- Doors 7:00 PM; Chris Isaak w/ Brian Setzer & Nashvillains, Sunday, September 6- Doors 6:00 PM; Lynyrd Skynyrd w/ Los Lonely Boys, Friday, September 18- Doors 7:00 PM; Crosby, Stills & Nash, Saturday, September 19- Doors 7:00 PM. Indeed, The Kautz family has certainly made Ironstone a destination. Photo: Kate n Kacey, courtesy

Ironstone Vineyards Summer Concert Series, 209-728-1251, 1894 Six Mile Rd., Murphys 95247. www.ironstonevineyards.com. Travel on the new Highway 4 that goes through Murphys, CA. Tickets can be purchased on line at http://www.ticketmaster.com. To charge tickets by phone, please call (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available at all Ticketmaster Outlets including: Wherehouse Music, Ritmo Latino, FYE, and select Save Mart Supermarkets. Reserved and lawn tickets are available at Black Oak Casino. On the day of the show tickets to that show will be available on site at the Ironstone box office. The presenting sponsor for this year's Ironstone Summer Concert Series is Black Oak Casino. Their other sponsors are Guaranty Bank, Ticketmaster, Bear Valley Resort, Anheuser Bush, Pepsi and Sacramento News & Review. For more information, call (209) 728-1251 or visit http://www.ironstonevineyards.com

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