The Chicks Tribute Show bring sounds of country’s ultimate “girl group” to Concerts in the Park

July 13, 2023 · 0 Comments

Since The Chicks, then known as The Dixie Chicks, first hit the charts more than 25 years ago with their hit “Wide Open Spaces,” they have become country’s quintessential “girl group,” building bridges from traditional country to mainstream success.

Next week, the sounds of lead singer Natalie Maines, and Martie Maguire and Emily Strayner, will ring out through Town Park as The Chicks Tribute Show takes over the band shell on Wednesday, July 19, at 7 p.m. as part of the Town of Aurora’s popular Concerts in the Park Summer Series.

The Chicks Tribute Show is a relative newcomer on the tribute concert circuit.

Regina Myers, who sings lead for the band, says the group was formed just over six months ago and they have hit the ground running.

“We put together a really great lineup of musicians who are really excited and proud to be doing this tribute,” says Myers. “It’s pretty new, but it has been a great show so far and we’ve had a lot of great feedback. We’ve done quite a few shows already and we have a lot more this summer.”

Myers came into the tribute as an “absolute Chicks fan,” she says.

“Surprisingly enough, I’m not really a massive country fan, but The Chicks are that type of band that crossed over from country to almost pop. Something about strong women and feminism really hits home for me. I’ve been a long-time fan of them – since the ‘Goodbye, Earl’ days in high school!”

The connection really came earlier than that, however. As a native of Cornwall, ON, Myers says she identified with Wide Open Spaces, a song which still makes her emotional when she steps up to do the vocals.

“I think it speaks to a lot of girls growing up and how I felt growing up where you need to discover things on your own and move out into the world without your parents’ guidance,” she says. “That one really hits home for me. I grew up in Cornwall, then I moved to Ottawa, and then the GTA and at the beginning of the song, the girls are talking about how a lot of people in their hometowns stayed around, got married, and did the traditional thing – but those girls, like myself, decided to take a risk and move out of their hometown and go after their dreams. That is how I feel the direction of my life went and I am still looking to pursue my dreams, travel, and sing to all kinds of people.”

That’s exactly what she and her bandmates will be doing in Aurora next week, where Myers she gets a special thrill engaging with the audience, seeing them sing and clap along, and get up and dance.

“That’s what makes it all worth it at the end of the day,” says Myers, adding the show might bring a few surprises. “At the beginning, The Chicks were popular because they had fun, bluegrass-style songs and, interestingly enough, the controversy [after the band criticized former U.S. President George W. Bush and the country’s invasion of Iraq] added value to what they were about and what they could write about, what they could sing about. It grew their audience from a country girl group to a strong role model-type of women’s group. I think that added longevity [to why they still endure]. There are peaks and valleys in everyone’s life and they have written about that – the hardships, the love, the fun.

“I think that all adds up to a really great experience with the listener.”

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter