Praise the Lord, pass the ammunition

I saw the Dixie Chicks Friday night at the Verizon Center with my girlfriend, who's a major fan. Despite the Washington Post's observation about the group having trouble filling up concerts, the place was practically, though not totally, sold out. They played well, despite the distorting effects stadiums tend to have on a band's sound. The two bluegrass numbers were especially good. And the political references were kept to a minimum: The trio came onstage to the tune of "Hail to the Chief" (irony and country music, they just go together!); Natalie Maines gave a shout-out to President Bush, which was greeted with resounding boos; and of course they played "Not Ready to Make Nice," which would make a really good slogan for the Democrats this year -- it'd be just as good than "Together, America Can Do Better" or whatever it is.

(Edited for brevity.)

Tags: Dixie Chicks