Review: Country-pop star Maren Morris was in the moment, though low energy

Country-pop star Maren Morris is more present than most touring musicians. Most of them offer a "Hello Minneapolis!" (or St. Paul), but often little beyond that.

On Friday night at the Armory in Minneapolis, Morris mentioned that the last time she was at the venue, in 2019, she was pregnant and so was her bass player. And it was the last night of their tour. This time around, they have four shows to go.

And, oh, her bassist is pregnant again. Thirty weeks, Morris shared. She also teasingly praised her backup singer for washing her hair.

Morris, 32, was more impressive Friday than three years ago, but not as dynamic and exciting as she was last year at the Minnesota State Fair. Her voice seemed a little road weary this time, as she struggled for some high notes. But the real issues were — just like last time at the Armory — energy and pacing.

Morris' three rewarding, award-winning major-label albums are chock full of ballads and medium-tempo tunes. At the State Fair, she prudently pulled out "Redesigning Women," the playfully empowering romp she recorded with the supergroup the Highwomen, featuring Brandi Carlile and others. That number could have injected some much needed liveliness into Friday's 95-minute concert.

She attempted to pump up the proceedings by covering "Criminal," Fiona Apple's 1997 self-scolding alt-rock hit. But the country-pop singer wasn't fierce enough; she couldn't pass for a "bad girl," and the crowd's response was tepid.

Morris fared more effectively with her own upbeat material, including the cheeky oldie "Rich," about imagining wealth; her 2018 pop hit "The Middle" with Zedd, about compromise; her Grammy-winning 2016 breakthrough "My Church," about loving songs on the radio; and her new "Detour," about being open to new things.

Always in the moment, Morris stopped the concert at one point to read a sign held by a front-row fan, who just wanted the star to shoot a selfie. A phone was passed to the stage. Morris messed up. The indulgent delay lasted too long but she fired off a zinger: "When it comes to technology and anything cool, I'm kind of a boomer."

Like the Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks), Morris is a musically talented Texan who isn't afraid to open her mouth and spout progressive thoughts in a conservative arena. On Friday, she praised — and thanked — her fans for being loving, supportive and inclusive.

"I'm lucky to have you guys as my crowd," she declared near the end of the night. "It puts gas in my tank."

That way she can travel down the trail she's paved in Nashville to the intersection of Independence Road and No-Nonsense Place. She lives in a corner house that, of course, has great bones and a hand-stitched tapestry over the hearth declaring "It's about the soulfulness, not the twang."