Martina McBride, "Biker" Chick

Martina McBride photo courtesy of frontpagepublicity.com.

Aug. 18, 2008 — Martina McBride is in the midst of the first amphitheater tour of her career, and she’s taking full advantage of being outdoors. She brings her family on the road with her, and instead of having her three daughters cooped up in the bus, at the hotel or in the dressing room, she’s able to let them play out on the lawn at some venues. Plus, she’s packed the family’s bicycles along with the tour gear, so there’s plenty for them to do together during the day.

"The amphitheaters are kind of like a little compound backstage," Martina says. "Some of ‘em have rooms of video games, and they always have a really nice catering space where we can hang out, and everybody kind of communes there. We ride bikes sometimes, if it’s not too hot. We’ll ride bikes around the entire facility. It’s a lot of fun to be out there, and the kids are so enjoying it, thank God."

The bikes are not only good exercise; they’re also an excuse to see parts of the communities where she plays.

"Generally speaking we ride most every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes," Martina notes. "Sometimes we put ‘em in a van and try to find an actual bike trail, which is one of my favorite things to do on the road. We all go on the bike trails together. John pulls Ava (age 3) in a little wagon or carrier behind his bike, and it’s really fun. But sometimes we just tool around the venue."

Martina was particularly impressed earlier this summer by a trail in Vancouver that went took them through a forest. She’s also a fan of the trails in the Northeast.

"I love New England anyway," she says. "It’s so quaint and crisp and different."

Martina gets back to New England when she plays Hartford, Conn., on Sept. 19. Prior to that, she’s got a trio of shows lined up just before Labor Day: She plays Birmingham on Aug. 28, St. Louis on Aug. 29 and Chicago on Aug. 30.