MSM 90s Country: Closing out set 1

8/17/26

By Monica Collier

Hello MSM friends! Gather round …

How’s everyone doing? I don't know about y'all but I'm reluctantly settling into a post 90s Mixtape world.

I could use some Muscle Shoals Meets magic in my life right about now. How about we talk a little more about the MSM the 90s Country concert that took place at Sheffield’s historic Ritz Theatre just a few days ago? Does that sound good, friends?

I admit, I was surprised the special Shenandoah reunion/mini concert happened so early in the show. I understand, of course. I know there were extenuating circumstances but I was a little worried that having Marty Raybon, Mike McGuire, and Jim Seales gift us three Shenandoah megahits just a little more than halfway through the first set could be … well, anticlimactic.

Brace yourselves, though, your girl was wrong. That’s right; I said it, “I was wrong.”

If anything, the early Shenandoah performances Thursday night had the opposite effect on the rest of the show. Turns out, Shenandoah set the bar really high and every artist who followed them rose to the occasion. Of course they did. Duh.

Friends, I simply cannot say enough about Ashley Brown. She followed the Shenandoah reunion songs like it wasn’t nothing but a thang. She doesn't have a fake bone in her body, y'all. She's 100% authentic and clearly is just meant to be a songbird. I feel you smiling right now. You know exactly what I mean, don't you? Ashley's rendition of Deana Carter's "Strawberry Wine" had us all right there with her reminiscing about those years when we were caught between being an adult and a child. Those were the days.

Then, Shoals legend -- singer, songwriter, producer, Wishbone Studio owner, Billy Lawson -- performed "I Left Something at Home Turned On." Y'all, he wrote this 1997 top 10 hit that was made famous by Trace Adkins. Never in my life did I dream I'd get to witness THE Billy Lawson perform one of his hit songs. It was so cool, friends.

Austin Bohannon closed out the first set with one of my all-time favorite songs, "Check Yes or No" by George Strait. Listen, I don’t fancy myself a songwriter but I'm a little obsessed with the simple magic of great songs. Austin delivered this song's universally relatable and nostalgic message in the most perfect way possible. Fun, fun stuff, friends.

I'll tell you this, I came away from the MSM the 90s Country concert being a huge Austin Bohannon fan. Can I call him "Bo," friends?

Stay tuned. More to come.

Dig Worms.