Songwriter Harlan Howard famously said, “Country music ain’t nothin’ but three chords and the truth.” He was coining an adage that lent its name to the newest venue in Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood. After opening just over two weeks ago, The Truth welcomed a group that uniquely encapsulated that sentiment when The Chicks took the stage on October 15.
The members of the trio — Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire, and Emily Strayer — are currently celebrating the 20th anniversary of their landmark album, Taking The Long Way. It would be tempting to lean on the nostalgia or coast on the record’s legacy. But instead, the band has constructed a tour that celebrates the work while also framing it in a new light. After all, The Chicks have never been known for taking the easy route.
Everybody Knows
With no opening act, the show began promptly at 8:30 p.m. A simple curtain drew back to reveal The Chicks seated beneath a four-tier fabric chandelier. They dove into the album opener “The Long Way Around” before introducing one of the key elements of the night: archival footage between songs detailing the album-making process. After the performance of “Easy Silence”, Maines joked that if the audience didn’t realize the band would be playing through the album in full, they were in for a weird night.
The Chicks’ warm, fully engaged Nashville tour stop of the anniversary trek was sold out. That was something that may have felt like an impossibility when the album being celebrated was first released in 2006. Granted, not everyone abandoned The Chicks at the time, but the machines powering Music City certainly did — especially country radio. The footage traced the fallout from Maines’ 2003 onstage remarks in London. It showed how the controversy followed the band into the studio as the members developed the album with producer Rick Rubin.
Throughout the night, The Chicks followed the album’s original sequence, keeping barn-burner “Not Ready To Make Nice” in its place as the third track. But despite the early energy boost, the momentum held. And songs that didn’t receive as much love or attention during initial release were given time to shine in the live setting. Maines’ distinct vocals remain as compelling as ever. The trio performed remarkably in sync throughout the evening with Maguire and Strayer in musical lockstep.
A Fitting Guest
One of the evening’s biggest surprises came when Sheryl Crow joined the trio for “Favorite Year”, which she co-wrote. Her appearance offered a fitting reminder of the creative community behind Taking The Long Way while adding a special moment to a performance otherwise devoted to the album as it was originally conceived.
Revisiting a 20-year-old album carries its own degree of vulnerability. But the legacy of Taking The Long Way amplifies the stakes even further. The footage featured throughout the night underscored the sometimes grueling work that went into the record, which went on to win Album of the Year at the 2007 Grammy Awards. “Not Ready To Make Nice” also won both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. The Chicks opted not to dwell on the industry backlash and redemptive critical embrace that surrounded the album. Rather, they focused on the music itself and the personal experiences that shaped its final 14 tracks. The result was a performance that acknowledged the weight of the past without allowing it to define their present chapter.
We Hope
Maines introduced the album closer “I Hope” by underscoring the central theme of the song. “Our children are watching us / They put their trust in us / They’re gonna be like us.” Against the backdrop of footage of children, pets, parades, and historical figures (including Dolly Parton, who earned one of the biggest cheers of the night), the song’s message extended beyond the album’s original moment. Maines reminded the crowd that there was reason to hold on to hope, especially in November, urging those in attendance to vote.
It was a fitting conclusion to a night dedicated to the album shaped by the fallout of the band’s political controversy. It was also a reminder that Taking The Long Way was never simply about standing your ground. Hope is the throughline, and two decades after release, that message is more resonant than ever.
An Indulgent Encore
And after a brief intermission, The Chicks returned for an encore that quickly made it clear they weren’t settling for just a song or two from the back catalog. “Wide Open Spaces”, “Goodbye Earl”, “Cowboy Take Me Away”, and “Travelin’ Soldier” arrived alongside a mashup of “Long Time Gone” and “Daddy Lessons”. They also included a more recent favorite, “Gaslighter”. Nothing could have made The Truth feel more like a living room than their beloved cover of “Landslide”. The run of hits was almost comically generous. It was a strong reminder of just how many enduring staples the trio has to its name.
If the first half of the show offered the artistic statement on Taking The Long Way, the lengthy second-act encore was a demonstration of legacy. The catalog speaks for itself. But the pitch-perfect performances made the larger point unmistakable: The Chicks aren’t on this tour digging up the past. They’re tending to their roots and allowing new seeds to bloom alongside them. Twenty years after being told to just shut up and sing, they brought down the house for an audience grateful that they refused to listen.
Photos by Nicole Mago
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