The Totally Unofficial Tanya Tucker Fan Site

Concert Review:  Ocean Opry - Panama City Beach,  FL - Feb 2005

Tanya played two sold at shows at the Ocean Opry House in Panama City Beach.  The Ocean Opry is on its final run - this will be the final season after 25 plus years of music.

Thom Bresh, one of our favorites, opened both concerts for Tanya.  Casey and I saw Thom for the first time at Fan Fair two years ago and made a point of catching his show last year at Fan Fair as well.  He is an amazing guitar player and is also hysterically funny.  He can play the heck out of both sides of his two-sided guitar.  If you ever get the chance, be sure and catch his show.

Tanya came on stage during the early show and let us know right away that her voice most definitely was not awake yet.  She started out the show with "Some Kind of Trouble"  while fighting off some microphone problems.

Tanya was in the mood to talk about songwriters.  She made a point of mentioning and honoring Mack Vickery right before singing "Jamestown Ferry".

She also told us about seeing Paul Davis in Meridian MS during the Jimmie Rodgers Festival and hearing "Down To My Last Teardrop" for the first time. Tanya laughed at the memory of Paul's long hair and his slow southern drawl.  Apparently Tanya told Paul to put a hold on the song for her and she definitely didn't want Reba to hear the song.  Tanya also mentioned and sang snippets of some of the songs Paul Davis is famous for recording ("Ride 'em Cowboy" for one).  I know Paul Davis either wrote or co-wrote a LOT of songs that Tanya has recorded.

Before singing "Would You Lay With Me In a Field of Stone" Tanya talked about David Alan Coe coming into the studio with his seven wives to pitch the song.  Tanya said she was so overwhelmed by David Alan the character she couldn't really appreciate the song at the time. 

Tanya also talked about Mark Alan Springer writing "Two Sparrows In A Hurricane".  Apparently, Jerry Laseter (Tanya's ex-fiance with an emphasis on ex) had an opportunity to co-write the song with Mark Alan Springer but didn't feel like a song about two sparrows was his kind of song. 

As always, Tanya dedicated "Two Sparrows In A Hurricane" to both of her parents.  She is definitely in awe of their ability to stick together for 62 years. Tanya dedicated the song to all of the parents in the audience and wished all of the recently married folks in the audience "good luck!"

Tanya introduced "Walking Shoes" by saying I have these shoes in several colors.  First time I have heard this song in concert and it was great, great, GREAT! It never occurred to me before, but apparently my shoe collection is deficient.  Never know what you will learn at a Tanya concert. 

Tanya also performed one of my favorites, "Love Me Like You Used To" and she sang it to near perfection....awesome.

Other songs that stood out to me, but of course they were all great:

"Lizzie and The Rainman", "It Won't Be Me", "What's Your Mama's Name", "Down To My Last Teardrop",  "It's A Little Too Late", "Jamestown Ferry", "Would You Lay With Me In A Field Of Stone".

Other songs Tanya performed in one or both shows: "I'll Come Back As Another Woman", "Oh What It Did To Me", "A Memory Like I'm Gonna Be", "Blood Red and Goin' Down" and "Strong Enough To Bend."

I have been very impressed by Tanya's new band the last two concerts.  Lead guitar/mandolin, acoustic guitar/fiddle, keyboards, drums, bass -- they are a talented bunch of guys that play and sing really well.  Tanya has kicked up  "What's Your Mama's Name" and several other songs another notch because of the incredible backup. 

Tanya also got to talking and joking about Loretta Lynn for some reason.  She did some Loretta imitations and one liners that had us all laughing.  Tanya also had Layla, her 5 year old come out on stage after some coaxing.  Despite coaxing, Layla refused to say a word.

Tanya closed both shows with her always incredible "Delta Dawn".  She got a well deserved standing O at the end of both shows.  Tanya gave the Ocean Opry a pretty good send off.

D Miranda

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