SNEAK PREVIEW: VAN SHELTON DOES TUNES FROM NEW ALBUM

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- A crowd of 5,144 lucky fans got a sneak preview of the new Ricky Van Shelton album Sunday night at the Show Me Center.

Shelton's 20-song set kicked off with a non-stop barrage of favorites. Beginning with "I've Cried My Last Tear for You," Shelton moved smoothly to hits like "Life Turned Her That Way," "From a Jack to a King" and "Living Proof."

After "Living Proof," Shelton addressed the crowd, telling fans that they were about to hear several songs scheduled to be on his next album, which is still untitled, set for release in two months.

Songs like "Simple Man," "Who'll Turn Out the Lights," "If You're Ever in My Arms Again" and "Man with a Hammer" were as warmly received as Shelton's monster hits.

But Shelton didn't neglect the fans' favorites: between the new selections he performed chart-toppers like "Somebody Lied," "Statue of a Fool" and "I'll Leave This World Loving You."

To close out his set, Shelton did two standards: Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire," which was enthusiastically performed by Shelton and his band, and Roy Orbison's "Oh Pretty Woman," a song Shelton recorded for his third album, "RVS III."

Shelton was by far the crowd's favorite of the evening's three performers. The stage in front of him was covered with notes and gifts fans had left for him. While his crew was trying to correct technical problems, Shelton read many of the notes, passing along birthday greetings, get-well wishes and anniversary congratulations.

Shelton is a strong performer, whether on recordings or on stage. No matter how loudly his band played, Shelton's voice lifted well above the instruments.

The show's second performer, Patty Loveless, didn't seem to fare as well; she often had to wail from behind a wall of instruments.

However, Loveless is one of a dying breed: female country stars who score hit after hit on the singles charts. Only a handful of other artists, like Reba McIntyre or Tanya Tucker, can make a similar claim.

Loveless performed a 50-minute set of 13 songs. She kicked off her set with "Blue Side of Town," a selection from "On Down the Line." Other favorites she performed included hits like "If My Heart Had Windows," "Lonely Side of Blue," "Overtime," "Blue Memories" and "I'm That Kind of Girl."

A show-stopper turned out to be "Don't Toss Us Away," which Loveless sang with the help of two background vocalists. The harmonies of the three singers merged beautifully, but the highlight was when Loveless hit and held the high notes of the song, proving that her voice is as true in concert as it is on recordings.

After "Don't Toss Us Away," Loveless performed more of her hits, closing her portion of the show with "Timber I'm Falling in Love" and "Chains."

Newcomer Mark Collie opened the show, playing a 25-minute set of songs, many from his debut album "Hardin County Line."

Collie alternated uptempo songs with slower-paced ones. Kicking off his set with "Bound to Ramble," he moved into the slow swing of "Where There's Smoke." For the next number, he played an uptempo crowd favorite, "Something with a Ring to It," followed by "Let Her Go."

After singing "What I Wouldn't Give," Collie performed a song titled "Another Old Soldier," written for his late father.

Collie closed his set with one of his biggest hits, "Hardin County Line."