INDIGO GIRLS, Wednesday, Nov. 18, USU's Dee Glenn Smith Spectrum, 8 p.m.Their smiles said it all. That and the fact they offered their almost expected "Thanks ya'll" after nearly every song, always in the midst of thunderous applause.
Audience members, who filled less than half the Spectrum, sang entire verses of popular Indigo Girls songs, screamed their lungs out when each tune ended and danced the rest of the time Wednesday night as the duo performed. Amy Ray and Emily Saliers smiled appreciatively and marveled at the "amazing" crowd. It was unclear who was performing for whom, duly noted by Saliers.
"We've traveled (to Utah) a couple of times, and we're real surprised by your energy and love. No, not surprised. It's a gift, a real gift. Thank you."
The Indigo Girls started with the bass-driven "Go," moving on to "Trouble," for a total of eight songs from their new 12-track album "Come On Now Social," including "Gone Again," "Peace Tonight," "Ozilline," "Cold Beer and Remote Control," "Andy" and "Faye Tucker." Fans who went expecting to hear the folk ballads "Ghost" and "The Power of Two" weren't disappointed, but Ray made sure the crowd knew she'd come to rock.
With furiously fast-moving fingers on her guitar, a short solo on the electric cello by Caroline Dale and Ray singing her vocals over tweaked strings on one number, the group had all the makings of a female-based Led Zeppelin.
On a few tunes, including "I Don't Wanna Know" and "Nashville," opening act Michelle Malone returned to the stage to offer up an extra guitar, the third part of a three-part harmony and a mouth harp (for the musically disadvantaged, that's a harmonica). Malone is one part Sheryl Crow and two parts Joan Osborne, and she was a welcome addition.
The crowd only got to hear about half of "Closer to Fine" from the band, as the stage lights turned toward the audience and everyone sang the entire last verse, which sounded amazingly good..
It was a little bizarre to cast eyes on the audience during the course of, say, "Shame on You," and see almost everyone in the audience dancing. Every concert has a few who can't help but boogie throughout the course of the two or so hours, but this concert had a few . . . thousand. And the fact that beer isn't sold there is a good indication that the audience wasn't just tipsy but connected with the performers and couldn't help but respond. At one point, Ray said, "You guys know how to move!"
Unsurprisingly, the Indigo Girls gave two encores, ending with the ever-popular "Chickenman," to the screaming of a fairly small audience that more than made up for its number with energy.
"Someone told us we were going to have fun up here -- they were right," Ray said. "We needed this show."
Not as much as Logan needed the Indigo Girls. Here's hoping they'll stop in again next year.