Crowd-pleaser

Published 9:00 pm Friday, August 5, 2005

TULALIP – Once the expected glitches and the annoying helicopter were gone, the first night of a public performance at the new Tulalip Amphitheatre went just fine.

Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald Seats are nearly filled Friday night at the Tulalip Amphitheatre as Trisha Yearwood opens her show.

Country star Trisha Yearwood thought so, anyway.

“Sorry we couldn’t have a prettier night for you,” she joked with the crowd of about 2,000 fans as they sat under a warm evening sky with a mild breeze gently blowing into the fenced area between the Tulalip Casino and the Seattle Premium Outlets.

Yearwood put together a string of her hits, sprinkled with some songs off her new album, “Jasper County,” which lands in record stores on Sept. 13.

Some seating mixups, no credit- or debit-card availability, and little clear direction on exactly how to get from the parking lot to the main entrance of the venue were the only major complaints from patrons, and they’re all small wrinkles to be ironed out.

The helicopter was just an opening-night distraction that took off for good before Yearwood began her set just before 9 p.m.

For the most part, fans were pleased with the sound, the atmosphere and the intimate setting that put them closer to their star than they expected.

“The seats are really a lot closer than I thought they would be,” said Jeff Thomas of Mukilteo, who took in the show with his date, Erin Taggart of Bothell.

“Even in the general admission seats, you’re still so close to the stage,” said Jennifer Olsen of Marysville. “This is so nice, you can hardly tell it’s right next to the freeway.”

Olsen and her husband, Darren Olsen, live close to the amphitheater and when they first heard about it they hoped someone they liked would come along.

They didn’t have to wait long.

“We’re big country fans,” Darren Olsen said. “It’s a beautiful setup, it’s very well organized. It’s great to have something like this in Snohomish County. You don’t have to make overnight accommodations just to go see a concert.”

The food options were somewhat limited, compared to other larger concert venues in the area. Local vendors occupied tent space in a food court that offered pizza, fish and chips, burgers and chili dogs.

The beer garden, the only spot where alcohol is allowed, was well maintained and provided decent views of the stage. But fans mostly poured out once the headliner hit the stage.

Yearwood, a three-time Grammy winner, kicked off her show with some upbeat tunes, “XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl)” and “She’s in Love With the Boy.”

She slowed things down with the ballad “Thinking About You” before dropping into a couple of new songs, “Georgia Rain” and “Who Invented the Wheel.”

Yearwood made no bones about Friday’s show being a warm-up of sorts, calling the crowd her “guinea pigs.” The tour officially starts next month.

The evening was mostly a live version of her album, “Songbook: A Collection of Hits,” because, as she told the crowd, “When I go to a show I like to hear the songs I know.”

Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.