Miranda Lambert’s Las Vegas ‘Honky-Tonk On Steroids’

Author Nancy Brooks // Country Writer, Beasley Media Group

September 29th, 2022 3:09 PM

Miranda Lambert admits that when she opened her first Las Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood’s Zappos theatre last weekend (9/23), she had butterflies in her stomach, but the show went great.

Miranda told Extra TV after the show, “Yeah, I feel like I was nervous at first, but when I finally got on the stage, and there were people in the house. We’ve been rehearsing into an empty room. It just felt like my normal day at work, but taken up a bunch of notches.” She continued, “I settled into, like, ‘I’m just doing a show. That’s what I do.’ I was psyching myself up a little bit, but it was a great night!”

Lambert also explained what fans could expect from her big debut in Sin City, which she had planned for months. She described the show as “A honky-tonk on steroids. That’s what it feels like to me. But I know this is Vegas, and so you got to bring it, and so I feel like we just took everything. I love this cowgirl, rock ‘n’ roll, honky-tonk vibe — and just blew it up. I think the wardrobe part was actually inspired by the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. I was inducted [into] the Cowgirl Hall of Fame back in October, and I had sent my stylist video of all the costumes and jumpsuits and outfits worn by some of the most famous cowgirls.”

Her husband, Brendan McLoughlin, was there to cheer her on opening night, and so were a couple of her close friends. Miranda gushed, “It was awesome. Ashley Monroe was here. My fellow Pistol Annie. And my best friend from second grade, Lacey, was here. And we, actually, tonight is our 20th high school reunion… So it was really cool to have, like, two of my oldest girlfriends.”

She added, “It felt good to have that support because they’re ‘home’ to me, you know? But I have a lot of guests… pretty much every night, which is fun, but I was just glad to just get my show on the road.”

Lambert also told Extra that her husband Brendan is more than ready for the Vegas lifestyle. She explained, “My husband’s very happy about all the amazing chefs that have restaurants here. And we’re very, like, outdoorsy, so there’s so much to do. That’s outside of the strip. That’s beautiful. And I love the desert. I love the mountains. So I’m looking forward to spending time like just learning the terrain and, you know, exploring.”

Miranda posted to Instagram yesterday (9/28) along with several images from the show, “I’m so happy to have the Velvet Rodeo Residency up and running. Thanks to everyone who came to see us on opening weekend! Hope y’all are ready for wild Wednesday. It’s show 3 time!”

37 Of Miranda Lambert's Finest Songs, Ranked

• 37. “Settling Down” from ‘Wildcard’ (2019)

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  We heard a lot about the end of Miranda’s previous relationship on 2016’s ‘The Weight Of These Wings’ and on the Pistol Annies’ 2018 ‘Interstate Gospel.’ But she allegedly met Brendan McLoughlin while promoting ‘Interstate Gospel,’ and on “Settling Down,” it was lovely to hear her move on to a new phase. When she asked “Am I settlin' up or settlin' down?” the answer seemed to be the latter. She seems happy, and we’re happy for her.

• 36. “Gravity Is A Bitch” from ‘Platinum’ (2014)

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  Miranda was only in her early 30s when she put this song out, but she looked towards getting old with her typical sense of humor: “Got bags under your eyes, bigger hips and bigger thighs/You got places that you can't even itch/You can nip it, tuck it, squeeze it/But you're never gonna beat it/'Cause gravity's a bitch.” Dolly Parton might take issue with these points, but most of us accept it, and this song helps us to laugh at the aging process.

• 35. Don Henley/Miranda Lambert/Mick Jagger – “Bramble Rose” from ‘Cass Country’ (2015)

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  The lead song from Henley’s first solo album in 15 years saw him creating a star-studded trio with Miranda and Mick Jagger. Our girl more than held her own alongside two Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, both of whom were legends by the time Miranda was born. A theme that you’ll see on this list is Miranda covering lesser-known material to great effect: this one is a cover of a 2002 song by Americana singer/songwriter, Tift Merritt.
• 34. “Bathroom Sink” from ‘Platinum’ (2014)

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  On ‘Platinum,’ Miranda recorded a lot of songs by other writers, collaborated with other writers and did some covers. “Bathroom Sink” was the one song that she wrote by herself, and it’s so intimate, it’s understandable that she’d do this one alone. The lyrics sting and – like a lot of Miranda’s lyrics – are maybe a bit too relatable: “It's amazing the amount of rejection that I see in my reflection and I can't get out of the way/I'm lookin' forward to the girl I wanna be/But regret has a way of starin' me right in the face/So I try not to waste too much time at the bathroom sink.”

• 33. Willie Nelson/Miranda Lambert – “She Was No Good For Me” from ‘To All The Girls…’ (2013)

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  Willie Nelson has recorded tons of duets, but sharing the mic with him is a delicate balancing act: you want to compliment him without over-singing, and Miranda nails it. "She Was No Good For Me” is a Waylon Jennings cover. In Waylon’s version, he’s telling you the story of a woman he shouldn’t have ended up with. Willie and Miranda’s is somehow more intimate: you feel like you’re eavesdropping on a conversation between two friends, as Willie is telling Miranda about the woman in question, and Miranda is trying to give him advice and not be too judgmental.

• 33. “That’s The Way The World Goes ‘Round” from ‘Revolution’ (2009)

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  One of Miranda’s most underrated songs. She co-wrote it with Jessi Alexander and fellow Pistol Annie Ashley Monroe. Find yourself someone who will write a song like this for you. “Baby we just rolled in/It's cold here in Michigan/Got a sold-out show tonight/Pretty soon we'll hit the stage/I'll feel the lights hit my face/We'll see some magic in the room.” That sounds great, right? Here’s the kicker: “Ain't no moment like when I'm holding onto you.” Whew! A fun note about the song: Miranda sings “I’ve seen the Rolling Stones/Got real high on rock and roll.” The following year, she collaborated with none other than Mick Jagger -- on a Don Henley song, no less (see song #34 on this list)! Songs like this show why Miranda is a peer to those legends.
• 31. Miranda Lambert/Maren Morris – “Way Too Pretty For Prison” from ‘Wildcard’ (2019)

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  It almost feels like a sequel to “Somethin’ Bad.” Here, Miranda’s character has a new partner, and she’s a bit more careful. She tells her pal, “He cheated, he's a villian And you know I'd help you kill him.” But, she notes, “I don't want to talk about the way those jumpsuits wash us out/We're way too pretty for prison!”

• 30. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” from ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ (2007)

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  In which Miranda puts every woman in the world on notice: “It took me 5 bars, some 30 license plates/I saw her mustang/And my eyes filled up with rage/I brought my pistol but I ain't some kinda fool/So I walked right in bare-handed/She was on his arm while he was playing pool.” We *think* she’s mellowed since this song came out back in 2007. In Miranda’s world, revenge is a dish best served hot.

• 29. John Fogerty/Miranda Lambert – “Wrote A Song For Everyone” from ‘Wrote A Song For Everyone’ (2013)

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  When a legend re-records a classic with a younger artist, you have to ask: Why? How can you top the original? John Fogerty didn’t quite top the original Creedence Clearwater Revival version of “Wrote A Song For Everyone.” But this version, recorded with Miranda more than four decades after the original, had a bit more weight. “Wrote a song for everyone...when I couldn't even talk to you,” is surely a sentiment that a lot of artists relate to: the ability to talk to millions, but not connect with individuals. Miranda’s voice blended perfectly with Fogerty’s. Fun fact: when she was recording her part, after she finished a verse, she whispered “face-melting guitar solo.” When Fogerty heard that, he realized that he actually wanted a guitar solo that would blow minds, so he called his friend, Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, to play on the track as well.
• 28. Miranda Lambert/Little Big Town – “Smokin’ and Drinkin’” from ‘Platinum’ (2014)

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  An amazing collaboration with Little Big Town, the song was part of their collaborative set when Miranda and LBT toured together in 2018. Here’s hoping they put out a live album from that tour!

• 27. Pistol Annies – “Got My Name Changed Back” from ‘Interstate Gospel’ (2018)

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  Like many Pistol Annies songs, this was co-written by Miranda with Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe. Miranda handles the lead vocals with her bandmates backing her up. That might be a metaphor for how things played out after Miranda’s divorce from Blake Shelton – she didn’t take his name in the first place, and most of the song is probably fiction, but it must have been cathartic in the studio when they were recording this jam.

• 26. Green Day/Miranda Lambert – “Ordinary World” from ‘Greatest Hits: God’s Favorite Band’ (2017)

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  “Ordinary World” is a song that Green Day originally did on their 2016 ‘Revolution Radio’ album, but this version, featuring Miranda on harmony vocals, gives the song an immediate upgrade. She’s 100% country, but it’s also easy to understand why so many rock acts want to work with her. If she was an actress, she’d be great as a movie star, or in an ensemble cast.
• 25. “Somewhere Trouble Don’t Go” from ‘Revolution’ (2009)

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  Another great song that wasn’t well known before Miranda recorded it. It’s a cover of a song by Americana singer/songwriter Julie Miller (her husband, Buddy Miller, provided backing vocals on Miranda’s previous album, ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'). And while “somewhere trouble don’t go” doesn’t sound like somewhere where you’d find Miranda, you definitely believe her when she sings, “Sorry but I got to ride/You know you could end up dead/Sleeping in the devil's bed.”

• 24. “Fastest Girl In Town” from ‘Four The Record’ (2011)

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  Co-written by Miranda and fellow Pistol Annie Angaleena Presley, it’s another wild anthem, like “Kerosene” and “Gunpowder and Lead.” In this song, Miranda explains to her dude that if they run into trouble with the police, she’s leaving him in the dust: “If he pulls us over/I'll turn on the charm/You'll be in the slammer/And I'll be on his arm.” We’re guessing that Miranda and Brendan McLoughlin get a good laugh about this song.

• 23. “My Father’s Gun” from ‘Restoration: The Songs Of Elton John and Bernie Taupin’ (2018)

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  It’s pretty amazing that a British guy – Bernie Taupin, who writes most of Elton’s lyrics - - penned this song. “From this day on I own my father's gun/We dug his shallow grave beneath the sun/I laid his broken body down below the Southern land/It wouldn't do to bury him where any Yankee stands.” Bernie and Elton were big fans of the Band (and their classic “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”) and Elton’s version from his 1970 album ‘Tumbleweed Connection,’ is great. But now that we’ve heard Miranda’s, we think that her version is the definitive one (with all due respect to Sir Elton).
• 22. “Look At Miss Ohio” from ‘Four the Record’ (2011)

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  This one is a cover of a song by Americana singer/songwriter Gillian Welch. “She’s runnin’ around with her ragtop down,” Miranda sings, and if you’re not the type to read the songwriting credits, you’d be excused for thinking Miranda wrote it. Especially with this kicker: “She says ‘I wanna do right... but not right now.’”

• 21. Pistol Annies – “Hell On Heels” from ‘Pistol Annies’ (2011)

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  The song that introduced the world to the Pistol Annies: Miranda, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley co-wrote this song and split the lead vocals, each telling the story of an unfortunate guy that they left in their wake. Miranda growled, “I got a pink guitar, a Lincoln Town Car/From ol' what's his name I met at a bar/Got a high-rise flat in Hollywood/From a married man who wasn't up to no good.” Of course, it was a made up story. We think.

• 20. Keith Urban/Miranda Lambert – “We Were Us” from ‘Fuse’ (2013)

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  This #1 song blended the two very distinctive singers perfectly. Not that Miranda needs any more collaborators, but we’d love to hear her and Keith reunite for another duet.
• 19. Jack Ingram/Miranda Lambert/Jon Randall – “Geraldine” from ‘The Marfa Tapes’ (2021)

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  Technology has taken country music -- and all music –- pretty far. It’s given us more dancefloor jams and allowed artists to collaborate when they’re in different states or even different countries. It helps fix mistakes in the studio that would have derailed recordings in decades past. Technology is great! But the best artists can make a classic with just mics and acoustic guitars and that’s what Miranda did with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall on ‘The Marfa Tapes.’ They’re the guys who she wrote “Tin Man” and “Tequila Does” with. The album’s title comes from the fact that it was recorded in Marfa, Texas in late 2020 with just two microphones and two acoustic guitars. The trio wasn't going for perfection: in fact, you can hear the other guys laughing when Miranda throws in a Buddy Holly-esque stutter about 2:10 into the song when she sings, “Geraldine! G-G-G-Geraldine!” They’re having a blast and so are we.

• 18. Pistol Annies – “Hush Hush” from ‘Annie Up’ (2013)

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  There’s something really sweet – and really fun – about Miranda taking occasional breaks from her massively successful solo career to play in a band with her pals, singer/songwriters Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley. This song, which the trio co-wrote and split lead vocals on, is a blast. And who hasn’t been at the dinner table “while the sugar-coated pretty little secret was eating everybody alive?” Whether you’re a country superstar or a regular person, we all love some hot goss!

• 17. “Holding On To You” from ‘Platinum’ (2014)

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  One of Miranda’s most underrated songs. She co-wrote it with Jessi Alexander and fellow Pistol Annie Ashley Monroe. Find yourself someone who will write a song like this for you. “Baby we just rolled in/It's cold here in Michigan/Got a sold-out show tonight/Pretty soon we'll hit the stage/I'll feel the lights hit my face/We'll see some magic in the room.” That sounds great, right? Here’s the kicker: “Ain't no moment like when I'm holding onto you.” Whew! A fun note about the song: Miranda sings “I’ve seen the Rolling Stones/Got real high on rock and roll.” The following year, she collaborated with none other than Mick Jagger -- on a Don Henley song, no less (see song #34 on this list)! Songs like this show why Miranda is a peer to those legends.
• 16. “Famous in a Small Town” from ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ (2007)

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  This little gem was Miranda’s second Top 20 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. If you’re from a small town, you can relate: not every kid with big dreams will become a superstar like Miranda. But, as Miranda sings, “Well, baby who needs their faces in a magazine? Me and you, we've been stars in this town since we were seventeen!” The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2008.

• 15. “Vice” from ‘The Weight Of These Wings’ (2016)

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  We all have a “Vice” but few of us can express it words (and music) the way that Miranda can. Again, she’s writing about something that many of us can relate to, even if we wish we didn’t. That’s why when she sings, “Another vice, another call, another bed I shouldn't crawl out of/At 7 AM with shoes in my hand... Said I wouldn't do it, but I did it again,” it stings.

• 14. “All Kinds of Kinds” from ‘Four The Record’ (2013)

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  An amazing song of inclusion... and country music needs more of those. The lyrics refer to different characters: a dog-faced boy, a cross-dressing congressman, and a can’t-help-herself pharmacist. Miranda didn’t write the song, but it seemed like writers Phillip Coleman and Don Henry had Miranda in mind. At any rate, she sings the last verses as if it’s biographical. “When I play this old guitar from children's shows to smoky bars/I take a break and think about the past/When I stood up in geometry and everybody stared at me and I tossed my test into the trash!”
• 13. “Tin Man” from ‘The Weight Of These Wings’ (2016)

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  This one is just epic. Following Miranda's performance of the song at the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards on April 2, 2017, the song climbed back up the chart and even charted at 75 on the Billboard top 100. It won Song of the Year at the ACMs in 2018. The song, co-written by Miranda with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall (they would later record ‘The Marfa Sessions’ album together) sees the narrator envying the Tin Man from ‘The Wizard Of Oz’ for not having a heart. The song, like much of ‘The Weight Of These Wings,’ came in the wake of Miranda’s split with Blake Shelton.

• 12. “Gunpowder & Lead” from ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ (2007)

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  A classic murder ballad, Miranda’s first real big hit at country radio was about a woman planning on killing her abusive husband; it was likely influenced by the Dixie Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl” (which Miranda and Little Big Town would later cover on their joint summer tour in 2018). "Gunpowder & Lead" was certified Platinum by the RIAA on December 3, 2010. The song was even made available as downloadable content for the game Rock Band on December 16, 2008.

• 11. “Kerosene” from ‘Kerosene’ (2005)

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  The song that made people first take notice of Lambert, it was the title track and first song on her major label debut, and it was a great intro to her. The song is about a jilted lover, who is about to take her revenge... with the help of some kerosene. Lambert had to split songwriting credit with Americana artist Steve Earle, as this sounded a bit too similar to his song, “I Feel Alright.” It was her first to be certified Gold by the RIAA on March 6, 2006. It also gave Miranda her first Grammy nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
• 10. “Bluebird” from ‘Wildcard’ (2019)

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  Nine years after her first #1 (“The House That Built Me”) "Bluebird" topped the Country Airplay chart. It also won the CMA Award for Video of the Year and was nominated for Single and Song of the Year at the 54th Annual Country Music Association Awards. It was also nominated for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Miranda’s reign is still going strong.

• 9. “Only Prettier” from ‘Revolution’ (2009)

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  This funny and fun song’s accompanying music video features Lambert along with fellow country artists Kellie Pickler, Laura Bell Bundy, and Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum, in dual roles as both "good girls" and "bad girls" at a 1950s high school sock hop.

• 8. “Dead Flowers” from ‘Revolution’ (2009)

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  Miranda got the inspiration to write the song from a personal experience. "I had some flowers that I got for Valentine’s Day in a vase on the kitchen table. I was going on the road, so I had to throw them in the yard. They were just laying there, and it was a really sad image. The song came to me right away and was one of those ones that kinda wrote itself.”
• 7. “White Liar” from ‘Revolution’ (2009)

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  This was Lambert's second Top 10 hit and reached a peak of number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of February 6, 2010. Miranda donated the original, handwritten copy of the lyrics of "White Liar" to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for public display.

• 6. Miranda Lambert/Elle King – “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” (single release, 2021)

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  It’s a fun song and an even more fun video with pop star Elle King. The two performed the song live for the first time when they opened the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards on April 18, 2021.

• 5. Miranda Lambert/Carrie Underwood – “Somethin’ Bad” from’Platinum’ (2014)

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  These two are epic together. The song is the first number one by teamed-up solo women in more than two decades on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Which is pretty crazy: here’s hoping Miranda and Carrie reunite and top the charts again!
• 4. “If I Was a Cowboy” (single only release, 2021)

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  It sounds like a classic country song and Miranda’s vocals are spot on. It makes me want to be a cowboy.

• 3. “Mama’s Broken Heart” from ‘Four The Record’ (2013)

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  A song co-written by Kacey Musgraves before she was famous, along with Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally. Musgraves was playing the Texas clubs at the same time Miranda and rumors have circulated that they were rivals at one point. Whatever the case may be, Miranda was the perfect singer for this song.

• 2. “Little Red Wagon” from ‘Platinum’ (2014)

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  A great little cover song. Miranda said that she first heard of the song when rock singer/songwriter John Eddie, with whom she had been touring at the time, recommended that she listen to an Audra Mae album. Upon hearing the song, Lambert wanted to record it and asked Mae for permission to do so. It’s one of Miranda’s most rocking songs.
• 1. “The House That Built Me” from ‘Revolution’ (2009)

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  I get emotional every time I hear this song. Miranda first performed the song during the 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards on April 18, 2010 and received a standing ovation. At the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards on February 13, 2011, she won the Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. It also won Song of the Year at the 46th ACMs and the 44th CMAs. Miranda is a great songwriter, but she’s smart enough to know when to sing something that she didn’t write: this song was written by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin, but it’s really Miranda’s song. It’s also her first number one hit.

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Author Nancy Brooks // Country Writer, Beasley Media Group

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