From ACrazy Litttle Woman in Kansas City

>It has been quite a day and I am plum tuckered out, so I don’t know how much I’ll be able to write tonight. But right now I am so wired with Keith excitement that I know I won’t be able to sleep for some time, so here it goes.

This morning in Iowa I awoke to fresh snow (for the hundredth time) and flurries still coming down – a bit worrisome considering my tightly scheduled road trip plans. I taught my morning classes trying, without complete success, to keep my mind on my students. I had arranged for someone to take over my last class so I could leave town in a timely fashion, but he got sick at the last moment, so no early escape was possible. Then I rushed off to the cancer clinic to have my chemo pump removed and hit the snowy roads, pressing the pedal to the metal as much as I dared (and keeping the volume on my music a bit down so I could hear if my radar detector went off!!). Luckily the blowing snow stopped after 100 miles and the remainder of my trip was clear sailing, although I did not get to my hotel in KC until nearly 6:00.

There were fairly long lines to get into the arena and we all went through metal detectors ( the guy in front of me had to give up a pocket knife…) The first thing I saw once inside was the Verizon “green screen” where they can film you so that it looks like you are in a video with Keith. At that moment there was no waiting line, so I decided to give it a try. They asked if I wanted a guitar to hold or if I just wanted it to appear that Keith was serenading me. I chose the latter and, as they filmed me, I could see (on a video screen) what looked like Keith singing Everybody to me (standing next to him). Fun! They said they would send the video to my phone – the question is whether cell-phone challenged me will be able to retrieve a video message!

The new Sprint Center is a nice arena (although there are some nosebleed seats). To me it seemed that the catwalk was shorter tonight than usual, ending just past the middle of the arena. I tried to count the floor rows and believe there were only about 28 rows next to the walk and small stage instead of the usual 40 or so. They had a fairly large fenced in area beyond the small stage where some (special?) people stood all night. Security was a bit tight – they not only walked the aisles keeping folks in line, but actually came into some of the floor rows, telling fans not to shoot video.

Carrie was perky and in fine pitch but I was counting the minutes until it was Keith’s turn. I did enjoy the cute video she had accompanying her All-American Girl song ( I must not have been looking at her video screens in Virginia) and the rollicking rendition of one of my favorite Guns ‘n Roses songs, Paradise City, that she surprised us with. I also liked the warm shout out she gave to friends and family who were in the audience tonight (and the “I love you Mama” at the end of Don’t Forget to Remember Me) but felt my pulse speed up when she finally sang Before He Cheats because I knew that my waiting was almost over.

DJ Debonair mixed in some new tunes tonight, including Kansas City (Here I Come). Finally the lights dimmed and the beat of Keith’s guitar began. I am really liking the “astronomical” shooting stars and comets background that they are now using during OIALL. Keith was looking so fine today!!! His hair looked freshly trimmed and downright handsome. His boyish gorgeous grin melted my heart faster than usual. And that man has definitely been working out – I swear I could see well-defined pecs and abs through that skinny teeshirt! And need I say anything about the cutest butt in the world?

When Keith had us all give a round of applause for Carrie, he added “I gotta get me some of those boots!” (tall, tight, black and flashy). He reminisced about playing the Beaumont Club in KC back in 1999 or 2000 and how KC has always given him a warm welcome.

One less song tonight for some reason – they skipped Used to the Pain and went right to the video of Keith playing that musical ditty on the E-bow (is that right?) – wonder why this change? I was excited to hear that signal that they would be heading down the catwalk since I was sitting about 6 seats to the side of the small stage. But gosh darn it, Jerry – God love him – almost always managed to be between me and Keith during their songs down there. Except during BH, when the guys move around a lot, I was just able to glimpse pieces of Keith – a bulging biceps, the flying hair during the passionate YTOM,

his back as he leaned over his guitar. I was wishing Jerry might fall off his stool so I would have a better view!;) Chis M. wore a red and white polka-dotted dewrag or maybe more like a pirate’s kerchief while on the small stage. Keith introduced Chris R. not only with the usual list of instruments and vocals, but also said that Chris played the triangle J

Keith threw in some extra flourishes here and threw – an “Ole!” at the end of one song, a ululating (sp?) cry after another, some extra dramatic concert pianist like playing before TIWC, a couple “baby girl”’s in GIRTT (is he telling us something?), and twirling in repeated circles from one edge of the stage to the other at the end of WWWBM. He accepted something red and white from someone in the first row and stuck it in his back pocket, where it flapped as he sashayed across the stage (as if he needed a little “flag” to draw our attention to his hiney!). He sang YLGIMS with an extra strong country twang and chose not the first stairway to the risers during his foray on the floor, but the second or third stairway – almost making it as far back as where I was sitting by the small stage. I could not see who received the guitar tonight.

Although there were almost no cell phones out during the applause and screams before the encore, Keith did do the cell phone wave – wanting to see what it would look like in an arena of 13000. He had fun pitting one side of the arena against the other for who would begin the wave and just loved the loud boos he got from one side or the other when he suggested maybe the other side of the crowd should start the wave. When Keith offered his usual thanks to the 140 hard-working road crew they showed a cool fast-forward video of the catwalk and small stage and floor seating being set up before the show. During Everybody he changed the words during one verse to “If you don’t want to go home, we’ll stay!” (wish that were true!). He did stay afterwards to slap many, many hands and accepted as many gifts (hats, roses, cards, posters, maybe a coffee cup) as his arms could hold before he gave a final nod and thanks to the crowd and left the stage.

Another wonderful night to spark sweet dreams of Keith!