Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn @ SXSW (pics, review)

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Iggy Pop isn’t the only music legend at SXSW this year. 83 year old country singer Loretta Lynn had the first slot on the BBC Music showcase at Stubb’s in Austin yesterday (3/17), technically opening for the much younger Sunflower Bean (and then Lapsley, Stormzy and Jake Bugg). It was obvious that most of the huge crowd was there for her though, and left right after her set (presumably to be replaced by a different crowd for the rest of the showcase). She of course played classics like “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” “Fist City,” “When the Tingle Becomes a Chill,” and set-closer “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” but also gave us one off Full Circle, her first album in twelve years. She put on a super classic, Grand Ole Opry-style performance that was classy, nostalgic, and sounded excellent. Her voice is still in such perfect form, that it’s almost hard to believe how similar she currently sounds to recordings that are half a century old. She was in great spirits and also cracking jokes on stage, like (since it was a BBC Music showcase) saying how her new album was #1 on the UK Country Albums chart but telling us Americans to step our game up. (She hit #4 on the US Top Country Albums chart.) Her bandmates, including her son Ernest Ray, were also in on the humor, encouraging her to play another new song as she shot back “the crowd doesn’t wanna hear that!” in her deadpan.

The only time you’d say she was “slowing down” was when she had to sit down for a few songs, but mostly this was an artist who helped shape country music as we know it proving that she still does it as great as anyone.

Check out more pictures below…

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's

Loretta Lynn at Stubb's