Lorrie Morgan Brings Incredible, Intimate Christmas Concert to Dubuque

Whether you attended the show because you were a die-hard Lorrie Morgan fan, or you thought a Christmas concert would put you in a festive mood just over a week before the big day, you were treated to an exceptional show at Five Flags Center on Friday, December 15th.

In a year I was privileged enough to attend several exemplary, memorable concerts, be it Jelly Roll or Darius Rucker, Lorrie Morgan served as an incredible walk-off to an all-star slate of talented artists. The 64-year-old country veteran delivered a knockout performance at Dubuque's Five Flags Center with her "Enchanted Christmas" show not even 24 hours after she and her band performed at the Grand Ole Opry.

Prior to Lorrie Morgan taking the stage, before a packed crowd inside the Five Flags Theater on an acceptably warmish December evening in Dubuque, the Jimmy Welty Band took the stage. The four-piece band performed favorites from George Jones and the Old Crow Medicine Show in delightfully traditional country fashion.

There's no doubt real instrumentation in country music sounds far more appealing to the ears than snap-tracks, drum machines, and synthesizers, and the Jimmy Welty Band proved that on Friday evening. Me and my girlfriend would've happily enjoyed a full-hour of their music. They were the perfect opener for a classic country veteran such as Lorrie Morgan.

Dressed in a pearly white outfit, complete with ample rhinestones that extended even to her microphone, Lorrie Morgan took the stage a little after 8:30pm. She wasted no time in reminding everyone in attendance that her voice still packs a punch.

The beautiful aspect about the Five Flags Theater is that it bears a hominess that's difficult for larger venues to achieve. Lorrie Morgan's performance, not to mention the beautiful Christmas lights, trees, and decorations displayed throughout the theater, reminded me of a Live from Daryl's House performance, or one of those intimate country concerts you sometimes see on RFD-TV.

The first half of Lorrie Morgan's show was dedicated to the hits. You know the ones: "Something in Red," "What Part of No," and "Good As I Was to You," just to name a few. The second half was dedicated to Christmas favorites, including "The Christmas Song," and an outstanding cover of Keith Whitley's "New Kid in Town."

Most artists recognize their bandmates at a concert. They give them a shoutout, the respective bandmate plays a riff, and that's that. Lorrie Morgan goes above and beyond at recognizing the people who are about 20 feet from stardom. She not only let's us know their names but also performs a song alongside them as well.

Seriously impressive was Morgan Spears, Morgan's backing vocalist and guitar player, who joined Lorrie for a duet during the show. Lorrie sung Spears' praises before she joined her, and it was well-deserved. A lifelong fan of Dolly Parton, Spears has a voice so germane to the country legend that you could close your eyes and visualize Dolly singing. Lorrie Morgan and Morgan Spears made beautiful music together, but everyone in her band deserves the rightful acclaim.

One thing I believe few in the audience expected was Lorrie Morgan's poise when it came to working off the audience's energy. At several points during the show, Lorrie would stop to address the crowd.

Whether she was imploring the men in the audience to stand by their women when the going gets tough, discussing the unsavory parts of aging, or reminding us what the Christmas season was all about, Lorrie was spry and funny. She could likely headline her own one-woman show, but one gets the impression she is perfectly happy doing what she is doing now.

And what she is doing is taking her tour all over the country, and keeping traditional country, her music, and the sounds of her late, great husband Keith Whitley alive. This was an incredible show, with credit going to the elite team at the Five Flags Center in terms of decorating, coordinating, and everything in between.

Learn more about Lorrie Morgan on her official website, and find out what other shows will be coming to the Five Flags Center in 2024 via their website.