My sister, Emily, and brother-in-law, Ryan, live in Lexington, Kentucky with their new puppy, which they’ve named Chesney. Yes, that Chesney. So they’re pretty big fans of country music.
They’re also, like most Kentuckians, lifelong fans of the University of Kentucky basketball team, which is currently 21-1 and ranked No. 3 or 4 in the country, depending on which poll you read. Just sayin’.
Anyway, on Jan. 21, they got to combine those two interests by taking in country superstar Brad Paisley’s “American Saturday Night” tour at UK’s home court, Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington. (Miranda Lambert opened the night, but is sadly absent from this review.)
As Frequency readers know, I believe Paisley and Lambert are the cream of the country crop right now, so I asked Emily and/or Ryan to write a short review of the show for me. Ryan came through; he was even nice enough to write a headline and sprinkle in several Dick Vitale-isms (they’re in quotes). Click below to see what he had to say, plus some video from the show:
Paisley Nails Three-Pointer in Rupp Arena
Country artist shows off voice, guitar playing, and personality in famous basketball venueOn a rain-soaked Kentucky Thursday night, Brad Paisley brought his “American Saturday Night” tour to historic Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. In the warm, dry confines of a place known more for the outstanding basketball played there by the University of Kentucky Wildcats, Paisley and his musical teammates delivered two hours of “super, scintillating, and sensational” tunes.
The country crooner from Glendale, W.V., opened things up with a trip just across the border from his home state to the little town of Harlan, Ky., singing a few notes from “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.” From there, he put up something akin to a trick shot as he launched into a surprising, yet pleasant acoustic rendition of “Start a Band,” the song for which Paisley and Keith Urban were recognized for the 2009 CMA Musical Event of the Year.
As the night continued, so did the musical momentum. To the more than 8,000 fans in attendance, Paisley consistently showed why he is a “primetime performer.” The incredible “string music” flowing from his voluminous collection of guitars, combined with the careful command of his silky smooth voice, made for a great night. His considerable instrumental chops were showcased on songs like “Ticks,” “She’s Everything,” and throughout one rousing jam session interlude. During this instrumental improvisation period, a cartoon depicting Paisley as a superhero who saves other country music stars in peril played in the background, drawing guffaws from the crowd.
That was just one of the videos which complemented the singing and picking on stage. Whether it was Little Jimmy Dickens and Taylor Swift doing “Guitar Hero” battle during “Celebrity” or Jason Alexander surfing the web as “Online” was being performed, the montages featured more of the same tongue-in-cheek brand of comedy that fans have come to associate with Paisley’s songs.
Despite the bright lights, loud speakers, and snazzy video graphics, Paisley made the cavernous arena feel intimate with the way he connected with the crowd. By making multiple allusions to UK’s hoops prowess, interjecting location-specific lyrics into songs, and even poking fun at his own senior pictures (displayed during “Letter to Me”), he tore down the divide between singer and audience. The star of the show even became one of us, doing his best impersonation of star Wildcat point guard John Wall by weaving his way through the crowd as he played and sang “Catch All The Fish.”
All in all, Paisley’s performance was a slam dunk. Just as the banners hanging in the arena rafters remind one of past great performances on the hardwood, so too will the ticket stub from this event make those who were in attendance recall the great time they had. It was “awesome baby, with a capital A!”
Here’s video (that they didn’t shoot) from the concert. Check out that light show! Also, squealing.
Tags: Brad Paisley
