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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Ledoux’s And Chestnut’s Fans Were In Full Form For Their Stars Hard-Rocking Honky-Tonk Sound Rocks The Spokane Coliseum

Joe Ehrbar Correspondent

Chris LeDoux and Mark Chesnutt, Sunday, Feb. 26, the Spokane Coliseum

It wasn’t a sold-out concert, but judging from the crowd’s response to the performances by both Chris LeDoux and Mark Chesnutt at the Coliseum Sunday night, it sure seemed like one.

Much of the applause resulted from a dazzling LeDoux set.

Clad in standard cowboy garb - white Oxford shirt, tight-fitting blue jeans, boots and cowboy hat - LeDoux and his band riled up the audience with several hard-rocking, honky-tonking songs, including “Cadillac Ranch,” “Dallas Days and Fort Worth Nights” and “Rhythm of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”

LeDoux’s standard “Copenhagen,” which paid tribute to a cowboy’s favorite pastime, chewing Copenhagen tobacco, was hilarious. According to the song’s lyrics, Copenhagen tobacco “makes childbirth a pleasure,” although, none of the mothers in the audience would confirm this.

When LeDoux tells impassioned stories from a third-person point-ofview, his song-writing prowess really shines through. This was evident in his epic songs “Hooked on an EightSecond Ride” and “This Cowboy’s Hat.”

Not only does he write great songs, but LeDoux is also a phenomenal entertainer with a distinctive and robust voice.

Whether it’s pointing people out in the crowd, cracking a few jokes, throwing flowers to the ladies in the audience or dancing all over the stage like a wild banshee, LeDoux knows how to reach the crowd. That’s why he’s a favorite everywhere he goes.

And, he proved you don’t need an elaborate stage production to pull off a stunning show.

Chesnutt, who followed LeDoux, also turned in a strong performance.

For nearly an hour-and-a-half, Chesnutt drew from his vast well of hits, playing such songs as “Too Cold at Home,” “Bubba Shot the Jukebox,” “I’ll Think of Something” and “Blame it on Texas.”

However, something seemed to be missing from Chesnutt’s show. He didn’t quite have the same magic and excitement LeDoux captured in his set.

In other words, LeDoux would have been the better closing act.

The scheduled concert opener Ken Mellons cancelled his performance before the show.