It’s often said that what matters is the singer, not the song, which is why music fans are still moved by Bing Crosby’s rendition of “99 Bottles of Beer.” Savor a voice that could sing the phone book with this GrouponLive deal to see Martina McBride at Arena Theatre. For $75, you get two tickets for seating in rows T or U in sections 1–15 on Friday, May 18, at 8 p.m. (up to a $158 value, including fees).
Grammy winner Martina McBride has never shied away from heavy topics, leavening the domestic abuse in the poignant story-song “Independence Day” with an irresistible slide-guitar riff or the depression in “When God-Fearin’ Women Get the Blues” with a survivor’s twangy honky-tonk snarl. The country legend brings the same sensibility to the six tracks she penned on her latest album, Eleven. Martina’s powerful voice soars through the ups and downs of surviving breast cancer in “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” which celebrates the human support network that keeps people going through the “forced smiles and baggy T-shirts.” “Teenage Daughters” turns a wry eye to the emotional rollercoaster of that child-rearing phase where communication slackens, disagreements rise, and the potency of the liquor cabinet's vodka mysteriously weakens. "I think it peels back a layer and lets people see more of my personality," McBride said of her songwriting, "especially the playful and fun side."
During her live shows, Martina delves into 20 years’ worth of chart-topping material that dates back to her debut album, The Time Has Come and runs through her pop-infused follow-up discs and increasingly cinematic lyrical scope. Martina's concert at the Arena Theatre comes just days before she'll perform the national anthem at the Indianapolis 500, where she'll also work with pit crews to console shredded tires that are upset they'll never be a swing in a quirky boss's office.
Arena Theatre
At Arena Theatre, nobody sits farther than 60 feet from the show. Most concertgoers who’ve squinted their ways through major concerts at other venues can attest that the in-the-round seating arrangement and revolving stage are causes for celebration. And the stars have noticed. Since the 1970s, the state-of-the-art venue has attracted a long list of legendary performers including Willie Nelson, Tom Jones, and Aretha Franklin. While their golden vocal chords ring through the stellar acoustics, fans sink into comfy seats, savor a flashy light system, and discard their unnecessary opera glasses.