by Jeanni Ritchie
“Did I shave my legs for this?”
That was the anthem for overstressed and under-appreciated women in the 90’s courtesy of country queen Deana Carter. I sang it often, the tag doubling as a song title and album name on Carter’s five-time platinum debut album.
Three other songs from the album peaked at number one, How Do I Get There, We Danced Anyway, and Strawberry Wine. The latter is what brought her to Portland, TN when I visited last month for the Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival.
Performing her greatest hits plus a few new ones, the barefoot 58-year old didn’t look a day over 30. Interspersing delightful stories of her Tennessee upbringing with the acoustic set, Carter was accompanied by her husband who she joked had to perform songs about her exes every night. He took it in great stride; after all, he was the one she went home with every night.
Carter performed her first Grammy-nominated songwriting hit, You and Tequila, recorded by Kenny Chesney in 2011. She also played a new song, Smokin’ the Boys, after sharing the story of drag racing in Tennessee with her brother’s hand-me-down car.
The Temple Theatre venue, managed by the Portland Preservation Society, was the perfect place for such an intimate show. Audience members of all ages enjoyed the show but it was my demographic that laughed the hardest with her lyric change to Strawberry Wine.
I still remember…when 40 was old….
Catch Deana Carter’s 2024 Barefoot Again tour. Dates and venues can be found at http://deana.com.
A 25th anniversary remastered edition of Did I Shave My Legs for This comes out in November. Relive the classics and collaborations with Lauren Alaina, Ashley McBryde, Kylie Morgan, Martina McBride, Vince Gill, Terri Clark, and Sara Evans.
