Judds' reunion show is testimony to the power of love - and music

Concert review

The Judds and Jo Dee Messina, Tacoma Dome, last night.

TACOMA - Every reunion should be this satisfying.

Naomi and Wynonna Judd returned to a Pacific Northwest stage for the first time in nearly a decade last night by rising through a rear-stage pillar, backs to the audience, hands clasped, eyes fixed on a large video screen.

On display were scenes from the mother-daughter's emotional farewell concert of Dec. 4, 1991, a career abridgement forced by Mama Naomi's weakened condition due to a hepatitis C infection.

Their final song that night, the life-affirming "Love Can Build a Bridge," served as last night's rousing opener, reinforced by a gospel choir and the cheers of an adoring audience that filled more than three-quarters of the Tacoma Dome.

"The power of love is very, very real," Wynonna Judd told the crowd at the song's conclusion. Looking at her mother, she added, "Tonight is living proof that it is."

With that, the lovefest was on, and for nearly 2 1/2 hours - involving 27 selections, a seven-piece backup band, three supporting vocalists, dancers and a delightful guest appearance by Ricky Skaggs - Naomi and Wynonna remind everyone why they were one of the most popular acts in contemporary country.

The event, the eighth stop on a 19-city tour that was spawned by the success of the Judds' New Year's Eve reunion concert, had the potential to lapse into a mere sentimental journey down memory lane.

While at times it careened in that direction, the humor, affection and creative vitality exchanged by mother and daughter sustained a level of energy and spontaneity throughout the evening that made this a rewarding experience for fans of both the '80s Judds and the '90s solo Wynonna.

Naomi Judd, 53, appeared to have just stepped out of a time capsule, executing four costume changes and lending her still supple voice to a string of hits: "Turn It Loose," "Girls Night Out," "Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain" and "Have Mercy" for starters.

When they concluded their sixth number, "Love is Alive," Wynonna again celebrated the fact that her mother's disease has moved into remission. "Love is alive and here by me," she said. "Yes, she is."

One of the most enjoyable surprises came when Wynonna, who cranked out a long list of her solo hits as well, sang a glorious, high-octave rendering of Joni Mitchell's "Help Me."

"I've been singing country music for 17 years," she said, "and I think by now I've got a right to sing this song. I've always been a rebel."

Opening act Jo Dee Messina, another redhead, reveals ample vocal power in her delivery, though her stage banter and mannerisms, while well-intended, seem a bit stilled and forced to generate the kind of personality-rooted bond that the Judds have so skillfully cultivated. Too bad she omitted her first-album hit, "Heads Carolina, Tails California."