DVD Review: Lady Antebellum’s ‘Wheels Up Tour’

Much has been made of the recent announcements by Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott to record side projects while Lady Antebellum is taking a break. Many in the industry have openly wondered out loud about the future of the CMA Award-winning trio. But, it appears from all interviews that Kelley, Scott, and Dave Haywood have given on the subject, that the band is as intact as ever. In fact, the “break” seems to be just that…..a break.

And, it’s a great time to take a little while off. After building their career over the past eight years, Lady A took things to an new level with their exhilarating Wheels Up World Tour, which proved to be a consistent seller. This DVD documentation of the tour proves to be the exclamation point on the first phase of their career. The harmonies, the stage presence, everything about the group has evolved nicely over the years to such a level that they are one of the most consistently pleasing acts in the business.

This twenty song collection is filled with the hits that brought them this far – “Long Stretch Of Love,” “American Honey,” “Downtown,” and the song that brought them to the party, “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore,” and on each cut, they demonstrate that spark and chemistry that have made them so successful.

The disc also features a bevy of behind-the-scenes footage on how Lady Antebellum put the tour together, giving fans an inside look at the process. There are also a few tracks with their opening acts on the tour, Hunter Hayes and Sam Hunt, who both guest on the show-stopping version of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” which proved to be a simmering crowd favorite. Also getting the covers treatment is Shania Twain, whose “Any Man Of Mine” gives Scott a chance to show a little bit of female swagger.

The set cruises toward the finish line with the flirtatious favorite “Lookin’ For A Good Time,” as well as “Need You Now,” the late night booty-call anthem that – even though I think I have heard it 923,327 times (ok, maybe an exaggeration!) since its’ release back in 2009…..is as fresh as ever. Scott and Kelley play off each others’ talents so well on the song, making the dramatic flair all the more enjoyable. The disc closes with “We Owned The Night,” as well as a nod to Stevie Nicks on “Landslide.”

Kudos to Lady Antebellum for elevating the music and live performance continuously over the years – and in putting this DVD on the market, they have left a pretty good architect design on building their career – and how high of a bar they have to shoot for in phase two! Somehow….I think they will do just that!