Almost didn’t make it to Jacksonville despite my careful planning. First, the plane was oversold so they needed 4 scheduled passengers to ‘volunteer’ to take a later flight (too late). I was really nervous since I had heard from a gate agent that those who buy their tickets from places like Expedia or Orbitz are more likely to be bumped if necessary than those who buy direct from the airlines. Luckily, they did get volunteers. But then there was one delay after another so we arrived much later than the scheduled time. I rushed to the hotel and pulled into their parking garage. It was across the street from the hotel and just as I was crossing the street there was a sudden monsoon like torrential downpour drenching me before I could reach the opposite curb! I looked like a drowned cat as I checked in : (
Luckily there was no line at the arena will call window, so I was able to pick up my “Christmas presale” ticket quickly. I had bought a regular floor seat but once again the fan club was truthful when they promised we would be happy with the Christmas presale tickets even though we had to wait until the concert day to learn our seat locations. This time I ended up with a Center Floor “Row 5” seat but as in Biloxi, rows 1-3 are absent from the center section to make room for the little catwalk, so Row 5 was effectively Row 2!! Thank you Monkeyville!! The Jacksonville arena is smaller, so tonight the small satellite stage was located next to rows 18-20 (the rear of the front floor section) rather than near Rows 29-30 as in Biloxi.
Jake Owen appeared on time if not a little early. Boy, I am really enjoying this guy!! What a lady killer and a fine performer! This time I anticipated the effect he would have on the audience and when I saw the signs that people were going to start coming up front ‘to take a picture’, I popped up as well and got right up to the catwalk. Jake firmly clasped my hand and stared into my eyes for several seconds of the song which distracted me so much that now I can’t recall which romantic song it was! : ) Such fan contact continued for the rest of his set. Here is Starting With Me. He also came down off the stage twice, one time sitting down in the midst of some first row side section folks as he sang and did another song sitting on the end of the catwalk surrounded by many happy gals. He told us about growing up in Florida and also that he will be turning 30 on August 30, the day his new album comes out and also the day he plays Dallas with Keith (get ready to sing happy birthday Dallas fans!). Watch for his engaging hip wiggle! (video of Yee Haw)
Tonight there was different music during the break - more modern than classic, including Beyonce and also Boys of Summer among others. Tonight they also reved up the ‘incense’ machine so there was a patchouli like scent wafting over us. The Beatles’ A Day in the Life was again the song that signaled the start of the show so run for your seat if you are out in the lobby and hear that playing.
Keith made mention of having been away from Florida too long and being so happy to be back several times during the show, even incorporating it into Only You Could Love Me: :”And I’d have never had this feeling - finally making it back to Florida.” When he first chatted with the audience he mentioned they had kicked off the tour in Biloxi the night before and he had a good feeling about tonight as soon as he started to meet fans backstage in Jacksonville. “I have the feeling your guys are gonna raise the roof. After all, it is Friday night in Jacksonville. It could be a wild night, just to let you know!” Here is some of Long Hot Summer.
I think the guys had their timing a little more precise this evening (I imagine they have to worry about arena fines if they run overtime) but not all of their technology cooperated. The Little Big Town video wouldn’t play, so the cameraman had to switch to live shots. One of Keith’s guitars for the small stage wouldn’t play and, later in the evening, his colorful light-up guitar wouldn’t stay lit despite Keith giving it a few whacks. Last of all, during Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me Keith intended to go up onto the right side platform for the final verse but arrived to find that the microphone there had disappeared. He dashed back to stage but couldn’t make it to the microphone in time. So he did a bit frantic gesturing to Brian that it was up to him to sing the next verse, which, being surprised, Brian did, but a bit weakly. Keith is a good sport and once he did have a microphone he was able to incorporate his mishap into the lyrics “ this road might be long - that microphone was gone”!
I’m not sure if this is as planned or not, but it appears that the little stage does not rotate when Keith is standing for his first 2 or 3 songs there (maybe they are afraid of toppling him?) - it only rotates when he sits down for You’ll Think of Me. They have not been projecting his first 2 songs from the little stage onto the big screen, which is unfortunate for the folks up front. They only turned on the big screen for YTOM. I was watching the young people seated around me and they seemed to be a bit baffled by Blue Jeans - I think that album was a little to early for many in the audience to be familiar with. Here is the oh-so-special Silly Love Songs. and a wonderful, up close Without You.
Once again we had a Kiss a Girl sing-off. Tonight Keith picked a guy, a young woman and a little girl. He asked each in turn their name and where they were from and then had each sing the chorus. The first two were hams, totally enjoying their moment of fame. But when Keith got to the little girl and asked her if she would sing KAG, she shook her head no. So Keith asked if she wanted to sing something else. Again, she shook her head no. Oh-oh! Keith asked if he could sing with her and coaxed her with “You’re representing Jacksonville”. Once he got her started got her started she did just fine and naturally won the audience’s loudest applause. (video coming) He also lead a round of singing with the entire audience.
The audience was really singing up a storm all night long - you can hear them on my video segments - and Keith was totally loving it, just grinning with delight. He has acknowledged some fan signs with gestures or even kind of “signed” “I love your sign”, pointing to the person, outlining a rectangle in the air and then making the sign for love. No reading of signs out loud or sharing them with the audience yet. But I have the feeling that nothing is carved in stone for this tour and there may be more surprises to come.
Postscript: Just as we left the arena the monsoon struck again totally soaking most of us and more than discouraging those who might have planned on walking back to their hotels. Trying to find a cab in a rainstorm in a concert congested area is almost impossible but I finally found one and shared it with a couple other ‘drowned’ concert goers. Doused two times in one day -sheesh! Good thing that Keith is worth it!
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