One of the most well-known characters on Miranda Lambert’s latest album got her moment in the spotlight at the 56th annual CMA Awards on Wednesday night (November 9). Lambert, busting out a tambourine and rocking stunning black fringe and bell bottoms, delivered a bold performance of “Geraldene” during the awards show, which took place at Bridgestone Arena in Downtown Nashville, Tennessee.
“Geraldene” is one of 15 tracks on Lambert’s Palomino, which she debuted in April (though fans will also recognize it from The Marfa Tapes, another 15-track collection which Lambert released with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall in 2021). Lambert co-produced and co-wrote 14 of the 15 Palomino tracks, aside from one Mick Jagger cover (a country spin on “Wandering Spirit”). The one Lambert performed during the CMAs nods to a Dolly Parton classic as the singer laments a “mean” woman who’s “trailer park pretty, but (she’s) never gonna be Jolene”:
“Geraldene, Geraldene/ Why you gotta make me mean/ Don't make me cause a scene now, Geraldene/ Geraldene, Geraldene/ You get 'em all on their knees/ But you can't take a man from me/ Geraldene”
Lambert’s latest project is a “record (that) takes you on a journey through songs,” she said when she announced the album in March, promising tons of “cool characters with great stories” (including Geraldene). The cross-country trek takes listeners to 36 destinations as they listen to the album from start to finish. She added during her iHeartCountry LIVE show at her Nashville bar, Casa Rosa, that Palomino feels like “freedom,” and aims to inspire listeners to “get in your car and drive. If you have a gypsy spirit, just go do it.”
Lambert took that gypsy spirit to Las Vegas, Nevada, where she kicked off her highly-anticipated residency in September. Velvet Rodeo, hosted at Zappos Theater, includes performance dates stretching into December, with the residency picking up again in 2023. The final show is April 9. Lambert reflected on the “one-of-a-kind” experience as she shared some of the biggest highlights from the opening weekend, and she knew she was ready for it (or for any performance, like the one on the CMA Awards stage which included a burst of Vegas-worthy sparks): “You need to bring your A game.”