Country act Lonestar lets talent shine

Lonestar showed how it’s climbing the country charts at a Wednesday night concert at the Bangor Auditorium.

The Texas quartet, backed by musicians on steel guitar, bass and fiddle, enthusiastically rifled through the songs of its nine-year career, delighting the sellout crowd of 2,967 in Bangor.

During their 90-minute set, the foursome strip-mined their current “I’m Already There,” playing nine songs off the album, including the title hit and “With Me.” Their earlier three releases were less represented, but they did perform their megahit “Amazed” and the No. 1 singles “What About Now,” “Come Cryin’ to Me” and “Smile.”

Richie McDonald proved he is a talented vocalist and a charismatic front man, whether he was talking to the audience, shaking hands or accepting tribute. At one point early on, he playfully offered and withdrew a CD to and from a female fan. When he finally gave it to her, she handed him a small stuffed lobster. He looked at it quizzically for a moment, then asked, “What is it? Back home, we’d called it a crawdad.”

During “Unusually Unusual,” McDonald sang while reading a small yellow note from a fan. He then stuck it on his forehead so his band mates could read it as well.

Although the show was spirited, at times it was like watching an animatronic jukebox. The songs were flawlessly re-created, but there was little that the listener couldn’t have gotten from their CDs at home.

The exception was the not-frequent-enough solos from guitarist Michael Britt. While drummer Keech Rainwater and keyboardist Dean Sams were a big part of the musical mix, their instruments didn’t allow them to become as much of a presence in the stage show.

Often, covers are a way to gauge a band’s roots. Lonestar didn’t do any of these until their encore. Rainwater started off with an extended drum solo, then he was joined by Britt and bassist Ronnie Cheuvront. They launched into segments of several rock classics, including “Life’s Been Good,” “La Grange” and “Back in Black.”

Next up was their own rockin’ “Like a Good Cowboy,” during which they all put on cowboy hats, except Sams, who had been wearing one but who had switched into a baseball cap. They closed their set with “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” which they recently had recorded for a ZZ Top tribute album.

Lonestar is a growing act that’s still polishing its stage show. But their fans got what they wanted: a chance to see their favorites in the flesh and hear their music.

Opening the evening was Aussie singer Jamie O’Neal and her four-member band. O’Neal’s unusually lengthy 10-song set including much of her debut album, “Shiver,” featuring the title cut and her No. 1 single, “When I Think About Angels.” She also offered inventive covers of “Natural Woman” and “Son of a Preacher Man.”

O’Neal explained that she felt a special connection to Bangor: “Stephen King lives here, right? I wouldn’t have had [her song] ‘There is No Arizona’ if it wasn’t for him, as it’s a line from ‘Dolores Claiborne.'”

O’Neal is a commanding presence onstage, and she and her band interacted well live. She’s a woman to watch in Nashville.