If your first concert memory involves a cowboy hat, a borrowed denim jacket and the chorus of "Girls Lie Too," this one is for you. Terri Clark released Live From The Ryman on October 30 through BareTrack Records, and it is the warmest, most fun country record of the fall.
The album was recorded on August 29, 2024, the night Clark headlined Nashville's Ryman Auditorium for the very first time. As she tells it, it was never meant to be an album. "Headlining a show at the legendary Ryman Auditorium has always been a lifelong dream of mine," she said. "Although we never intended it to become a live record, that's exactly what happened. What you will hear is the show just as it went down that night."
The guests
Two of the best surprises come near the end. Ashley McBryde joins Clark on "Better Things To Do," and Trisha Yearwood closes the night with her on "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me." Hearing two women who came up in '90s country trade lines on a song that sassy, in that room, is a pretty great way to end a record.
It also fits the moment Clark is in. Her recent duets album, Take Two, paired her with Kelly Clarkson, Lainey Wilson, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson and McBryde, and this live set feels like the celebratory encore to that project.
What is on it
There are 17 tracks, and it plays like the full show rather than a highlight reel. You get the hits you know by heart, "You're Easy On The Eyes," "I Wanna Do It All," "Emotional Girl," "Now That I Found You" and "Girls Lie Too," alongside "A Little Gasoline," "No Fear" and "Three Mississippi." There is also a medley that weaves "I Wanna Do It All" into Sheryl Crow's "All I Wanna Do" and Dave Matthews Band's "Ants Marching," which tells you this was a band having a very good time.
The Tennessean wrote that "history was revived while time stood still" during her 90-minute set. Clark herself called the night "a truly joyous, and magical exchange of energy that will be hard to ever top or replicate." Because the show was captured just as it happened, you get the room as well as the songs, and that is exactly what a live album should feel like.
Why it lands now
Clark has been on a bit of a victory lap around the release, playing the Grand Ole Opry on October 29 the night before release. There is something especially satisfying about a woman who helped define '90s country getting her flowers in real time, on her own terms, at the venue that matters most in Nashville.
It is also simply a great record for this time of year. Put it on while you are cooking a big Sunday dinner, or during a long drive to see family, and see how long you last before you are singing the harmonies.
Where to listen
Live From The Ryman is streaming now on Spotify and Apple Music, and you can buy the digital album on iTunes for $15.99. Clark's official album page has the full track list, and her smart link points to every other platform. Start with "Girls Lie Too," then go straight to the Yearwood closer.
