WILKES-BARRE — From the moment the curtain went up Friday night, the audience at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts was transported to a more simple time – when Lawrence Welk holiday specials and Bing Crosby movies defined Christmas entertainment.

Kacey Musgraves kept attendees enthralled with her renditions of classic Christmas songs, new holiday tunes and a few of her country hits.

In front of a red satin curtain and a winter wonderland of decorative snow and white-lit Christmas trees, the coquettish country star and her black-clad seven-piece band were a throwback to yuletide Americana showcases of earlier decades.

Justin and Cassie Lee of Bloomsburg said they discovered Musgraves at the Farm Aid music festival and liked her simple and thoughtful songwriting.

“We just listened to the Christmas album for the first time on the way in,” Justin Lee said. “It’s excellent.”

The band struck up with an instrumental rendition of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” before Musgraves focused her strong and steady voice on traditional sounding versions of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “Christmas Don’t Be Late” and “Mele Kalikimaka” that carried just enough Grand Ole Opry twang to remind the crowd they were listening to a country band.

Musgraves seemed to channel June Carter, charming the crowd with storytelling and humor between tunes, and keeping a dialogue with her band throughout the performance.

The audience showed up in the Christmas spirit, wearing a healthy dash of red with the occasional Santa Claus hat and set of reindeer antlers, and people cheered heartily for the traditional Christmas openers. But it was one of Musgraves’ originals that solicited the first roar.

Her performance of “Family is Family” reminded the crowd of how simultaneously absurd and significant family ties can be, providing a poignant, and holiday appropriate, segue into her original music with a hint of comic relief.

The band followed up with another Musgraves’ original, “Everybody’s Cup of Tea,” before turning to her interpretation of “A Spoonful of Sugar.” Donning her sparkling powder-blue dress and singing the classic song from “Mary Poppins,” which she recorded for a Disney compilation album earlier in the year, Musgraves was as much one of America’s sweethearts as Julie Andrews before her.

“Feliz Navidad” featured a masterful display of accordion playing by renowned multi-instrumentalist Rory Hoffman, who also took duties on piano and guitar throughout the evening.

Picking up her ukulele, Musgraves performed “Willie Nice Christmas,” which features Willie Nelson on the studio version and alludes to the Red Headed Stranger’s preferred method of medicinal relaxation.

“Christmas Always Makes Me Cry” showed Musgraves melancholy side before “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” brought the whole crowd to its feet, clapping in time with the band.

The merry celebration was still in full swing at press time.

Back up singers perform with Kacey Musgraves Friday night at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre. Musgraves ensemble brought a wealth of instrumental and vocal talent to the stage.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_ttl121016kacey-musgraves-4-1.jpgBack up singers perform with Kacey Musgraves Friday night at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre. Musgraves ensemble brought a wealth of instrumental and vocal talent to the stage. Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader

Kacey Musgraves and her seven-piece band performed in front of a red satin curtain, decorative snow and white-lit Christmas trees reminiscent of traditional holiday specials.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_ttl121016kaceymusgraves-3-1.jpgKacey Musgraves and her seven-piece band performed in front of a red satin curtain, decorative snow and white-lit Christmas trees reminiscent of traditional holiday specials. Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader

Kacey Musgraves channeled June Carter at the Kirby Center Friday night with her charm, humor, storytelling and strong, steady vocals.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_ttl121016kaceymusgraves-1-1.jpgKacey Musgraves channeled June Carter at the Kirby Center Friday night with her charm, humor, storytelling and strong, steady vocals. Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader

Kacey Musgraves performs her Christmas set Friday night at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes-Barre. The set included classic Christmas songs, holiday originals and a few of Musgrave’s celebrated hits.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_ttl121016kaceymusgraves-2-1.jpgKacey Musgraves performs her Christmas set Friday night at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes-Barre. The set included classic Christmas songs, holiday originals and a few of Musgrave’s celebrated hits. Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader
Country star brings Christmas classics, original hits

By Matt Mattei

mmattei@timesleader.com

Reach Matt Mattei at 570-991-6651