Big voices often come wrapped in small packages. Pam Tillis appeared at the Paramount Theater last night and showed that she has truly stepped out from the long shadow cast by her famous father. The 1994 CMA Female Vocalist of the Year wowed a near sellout crowd with her own brand of bluesy, sultry, rocking country that is still firmly grounded in the old traditions. Tillis spoke of her father's guitar case having serving as a surrogate cradle on occasion, and it was there that she thinks she must have first picked up her country music roots.

The show was lively, and fast-paced. Tillis performed songs from all her CD releases, including "Blue Rose Is," "Don't Tell Me What to Do"(her first #1 hit), and "Maybe it was Memphis" from the Put Yourself in My Shoes release. She also sang later hits such as "Spilled Perfume," "Cleopatra, Queen of Denial," "When You Walk in the Room," "Sweetheart's Dance," and "Let That Pony Run," as well as the current single release, "Mi Vida Loca."

An especially crowd- pleasing, fun, song was "What would Elvis Do" during which Tillis strutted back and forth on stage and used hand and body gestures to lend extra oomph to many of the lines in the song. Tillis next performed an elegant and mournful, yet-to-be-released song called "Tequila Mockingbird" co-written by one of her brothers. It definitely deserves to be recorded.

Tillis made sure the audience knew she was true to her roots by dedicating a song to Tammy Wynette, singing of Hank Williams in "Til All the Lonely's Gone" and including the title line of the recording "It wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" by Kitty Wells into one of the songs.

Pam Tillis interacts well with the audience, talking to individuals in the front row, encouraging everyone to clap along, thanking the crowd for their enthusiasm and interest. She jokes easily with her audience -- for example, telling all the women in the audience to wear their "Don't Tell Me What To Do" T-shirts around the house. When she bent over to shake hands with audience members, it was interesting to see all the men in the audience (who are usually more reserved about these things) rush the stage to get a chance to touch her.

Radio station KYGO ran a contest during the day for those who might wish to earn the right to get up on stage with Tillis and sing a few lines. Two women from Denver won, came on stage and sang a few lines of "Don't Tell Me What To Do." They must have been nervous, but didn't look it, and everyone had fun with the whole concept.

The performance was videotaped for the Full Access series produced by The Nashville Network and the special will air sometime in February, providing a great chance for those in attendance to see a replay of the show. Tillis has stated that an artist should be careful before releasing a song, because if it becomes a big hit, one may have to sing it the rest of his or her life. Well, Pam Tillis sings every song as if it is the biggest hit of her life. She is an energetic, versatile entertainer who can move effortlessly from contemporary to classic country, from soulful, contemplative ballads to fun- loving, boisterous foot-stompers. She is the complete package - all hits, no misses.

Pam Tillis Photo Album

Mountain West Music 2002