The list of bands that I wish I had seen is small, but near the top is Lady Antebellum. A few years back they played at my son’s college for $2 a ticket and my son forgot to pick up tickets. The next few times around I was covering other shows, so when Lady Antebellum’s “Own the Night World Tour” DVD showed up in my mailbox, it literally gave me a chance to see what I have been missing.
The main concert footage on Lady Antebellum’s “Own the Night World Tour” DVD is from the final weekend of the band’s tour. It was filmed in Little Rock, Arkansas. The DVD also intersperses footage from other shows, and behind the scenes footage from their incredible, albeit short, career.
One thing that is striking about the band is how success has not spoiled them. Even though they are performing in front of a huge crowd in an arena, they still come off as three ordinary folks with extraordinary talent.
The show starts off with “We Owned the Night,” and as excited as the crowd is when the band appears from under the stage, the show’s starting point is somewhat reserved, setting the table for a performance that just gets better and better as the set progresses.
By the time they get to “Perfect Day,” the band is truly owning the night. It’s a case study of how a set list should be constructed, and for a band as new to headlining as Lady Antebellum is, it’s amazing to witness. The chemistry between the three band members is simply fantastic.
There’s no question that Lady Antebellum is headed towards a long and prosperous career, and someday this DVD will be an important historical document of their early years. If you caught the tour, you will relive some magical moments and certainly enjoy the behind the scenes stuff. If not, you will enjoy watching them truly “own the night.”
