Miranda Lambert working overtime with Pistiol Annies; ready to 'Rock the Rapids'
Tonight, when the week-long Rock the Rapids 2012 festival begins in downtown, Miranda Lambert will open for herself. Yes, that's right.The country star will perform with her side project the Pistol Annies as the opening act to her headline performance.
Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe, the other members of the Pistol Annies, sit at the side of the stage during Miranda's set and like to dance along to the songs.
"Every time we go out, and I watch her on stage, I feel like I'm a teenager at a rock concert," said Angaleena Presley, a.k.a. "Holler Annie."
"It never gets old to me. It's just as amazing the millionth time as the first time."
Amazing is a great way to describe the success of the Pistol Annies.
The national audience first heard of the band on a televised industry awards show last year, and from there it blossomed into one of country music's most unusual success stories.
As the story goes, Miranda and singer/songwriter Ashley Monroe were working on some songs, when Monroe called Presley to email her some of her latest material because Miranda wanted to put a band together.
That was two years ago, right in the middle of Lambert's skyrocketing success.
Immediately the three clicked, claimed alter egos -- Lambert is "Lone Star Annie and Monroe is "Hippie Annie" -- and started recording songs.
"It's kind of surreal because we met each other and we starred writing these songs, and everything happened so organically," Presley said.
Their biggest hit, without much radio airplay, is the in-your-face, roots country and raw "Hell on Heels," the same song they played on TV.
It shocked the industry.
Since then, it's been so much fun, Presley said.
"We're still like three high school girls having a slumber party," she added.
So, what's Miranda like?
"Oh my gosh, she is so sweet. If you didn't know she was famous you wouldn't know she was famous," Presley said.
"She is a down-home, country Texas girl. She loves to be outside, and she is very sweet and considerate, She is always the first person to send a thank you card."
And they have great chemistry, too. Presley is from Kentucky, and Monroe is from East Tennessee.
"I feel like they understand every part of me," Presley said. "The artist side, the silly side, the side that goes into a funk and have my private time. Its a blessing to be a part of this whole family."
When it comes to being together on stage, the end result can be a little crazy.
She said fans can expect "a lot of sass, and maybe some hair pulling and cat fighting, and some really good honest music that will hopefully make them think."
Oh, and they will raise hell, too.
"Yeah, we like to raise some hell...in high heels that is."
