Chris Wille

Clay Walker Saturday, March 28, Spokane Arena Women were everywhere. Waving, whistling, dancing, screaming, clapping. Doe-eyed. Though small in stature, Clay Walker is big in the hearts of his mostly female fans, who descended on the Arena Saturday night in packs to gaze on the 28-year-old Texan.

Country crooner Clay Walker will be wearing his trademark black hat when he performs at the Spokane Arena on Saturday along with Diamond Rio and Daryle Singletary. The last time Walker came to town, in the summer of '95, he played at Playfair Race Course. Now he's moving up to bigger gigs, thanks to eight No. 1 singles and sales of 6 million albums.

Clay Walker performs at the Spokane Arena on Saturday, along with Diamond Rio and Daryle Singletary.

Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn Thursday, Nov. 20, at the Arena Country superstars Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn put on a fantastic visual and musical feast Thursday night at the Arena. The seamless production featured split-second timing, a center stage with numerous elevators and a turntable, fireworks and a lively light show of geometric designs. The concert began with a bang. As music exploded, the huge white curtain, funneled around the heart of the stage, lifted while splashed with flickering lights. Reba and Brooks & Dunn descended from the ceiling on a small platform, singing and playing "Travelin' Band."

Dual headline acts Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn will share the stage in the Spokane Arena tonight.

Two of the biggest names in country stop in Spokane Thursday for a concert in the round at the Arena. Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn, both headliners in their own right, will share a specially designed center stage that will allow close contact with fans. In what's billed as a hits-packed show without an intermission, the artists will hit the stage together for a few songs before performing as separate acts. The show's expected to last more than 2-1/2 hours, with Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn and Reba performing at the end as well.

Mark Chesnutt Tuesday night, Oct. 28, at the Arena Mark Chesnutt uncorked hit after hit during a jam-packed Arena concert Tuesday night, but the crowd didn't howl much until his band started cooking on his trademark honky tonk. Though he opened with "Bubba Shot the Jukebox" and "Goin' Through The Big D" and got folks stirred up, Chesnutt and his fine seven-member band stood with their boots seemingly nailed to the stage for an hour.

Loveless

1. Patty Loveless' ninth album, "Long Stretch of Lonesome," has drawn rave reviews. File/Associated Press 2. Bryan White

John Michael Montgomery performed at the Spokane Arean on Friday. Photo by BPI

John Michael Montgomery, the Grammy-award winning star who thrilled the crowd during a swing through Spokane last year, returns for an Arena show tonight. Two other bright lights on the country scene - Ricochet and Kevin Sharp - open the 8 p.m. show. All three acts have scored top 10 albums and singles in the past few months. Montgomery's been a fixture on the charts since bursting onto the scene in 1993 with three No. 10 singles. His first three albums sold more than 10 million copies, and his latest, "What I Do Best," also reached the top 10. The release already has spawned two No. 1 singles - "Friends" and "I Miss You A Little" - plus the current rising hit, "How Was I To Know." Tickets are $22.50, available at the door, G&B; Select-a-Seat outlets or by calling (800) 325-SEAT.

Country star John Michael Montgomery performs at the Spokane Arena Friday. Ken Settle photo