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"Chesney delights audience at UIS...Springfield native Amanda Pearce opens show" Of special note Friday was Springfield native and current Nashville resident Amanda Pearce's 30- minute opening set. The 19 year old Pearce for years has sung around central Illinois, and early this year moved to Nashville to pursue her music dream full time. Pearce has been signed by a California management company, and in January will begin an extensive touring schedule in pursuit of a record deal. Pearce's set Friday should have provided a good taste of what awaits her as she begins playing college campuses and large country music clubs next year. Pearce's tireless enthusiasm and likable personality helped her overcome a couple of distinctive disadvantages during her portion of the show. First, she was playing with a band that had not played live together before. (Two members of Friday's band will accompany her on tour.) Second, she did not have the luxury of the flashing, turning ever-changing stage lighting that brought much visual punch to Chesney's show. There was a sense of hesitation between Pearce and the band during the first few songs, but things loosened up greatly as Pearce took control of her set. Most of Pearce's songs came from her debut album "Before I Fall" which was independently released this summer. Standouts Friday were the punchy "Yesterday's News"(notable for its infectious "extra,extra" chorus) and "Good Chance, Bad Choice," a nimble, gentle rocker reminiscent of a Pam Tillis heartache tune. The ballad "Next To Nothing,")chorus:("I'll be next to nothing/until I'm next to you") is another excellent choice. The music business is the ultimate in career crapshoots, so it's anyone's guess whether Pearce will achieve her dream. But Friday's performance proved she has the voice, personality and- it can't go unstated- the stunning looks to attract some attention. Matthew Dietrich covers entertainment
for the State |