Sugarland Prove a Well-Oiled ‘Machine’ at Los Angeles Show

Minutes before Sugarland took the stage for the duo's sold-out show at Los Angeles' Greek Theater, Michael Jackson's 'Black & White' surged through the sound system while a stage hand led a clap-along. The warm-up got the crowd on its feet, but no such move was necessary. From the first note of 'Wide Open,' Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush had the 7,000 fans wrapped around their collective finger.

Jennifer especially worked the crowd, leaving virtually no inch of the stage -- designed like the inner workings of a watch with sprockets and wheels -- untouched during the 80-minute set. The amped up crowd sung along with up-tempo numbers like 'It Happens,' 'All I Want to Do' and 'Want To,' before the duo delved into the title track from their forthcoming album, 'The Incredible Machine.' Jennifer changed into a hoop skirt while images from the early 1900s -- circa the 1904 World's Fair -- played on the large watch face that dominated the inventive staging. The mid-tempo song, which starts with the sound of steam pipes, felt a bit unwieldy and slowed the momentum; enough so that Jennifer thanked the audience at the end for "indulging us."

The pair quickly regained its footing, in large part to Jennifer's big gestures that played to the back row. Kristian proved the perfect partner, serving up strong guitar work and enticing harmonies.

By focusing primarily on its up-tempo hits, Sugarland created a party show, especially during 'Everyday America,' when the twosome went into the 'remix' version that includes fun, spiky snippets of Beyoncé's 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),' the Jackson Five's 'One More Chance,' and Miley Cyrus's 'Party in the U.S.A.' However, it was the stripped-down moments that stood out. The band joined Kristian and Jennifer around two microphones in the center of the stage for a gorgeous, largely acoustic version of 'Genevieve' (after which Kristian gave away a guitar signed by the duo). The emotional highlight was a barebones take on 'Stay,' with Jennifer's expressions -- in close up on the video screens -- beautifully adding to the poignancy of the heartbreaking song.

Sugarland rolled out two more new tracks: 'Find the Beat,' a positive anthem that crosses '70s Brit pop rock with Bon Jovi (and proved the perfect segue into 'Who Says You Can't Go Home)' and the rallying 'Stand Up,' a passionate, mid-tempo message song that exhorts listeners to "stand up and use your voice." As Kristian sang the opening, Jennifer spray painted a heart and the word 'love' onto a white flag that was then carried around the venue. Sugarland returned to a party atmosphere to close the show with a fun, funky version of the Bee Gees' 'Stayin' Alive,' that left the crowd where it had started off -- on its feet.



Download Sugarland Songs