Keith Urban's Get Closer: Reflections From an Urban Addict

I have been reading some of the reviews of Keith Urban's new Get Closer album over the last few weeks. Although it is interesting to get the perspective of some of the "expert critics" and also is one way of getting a sense of what catches the attention of an 'outsider' listening to new music from Keith, I am pretty sure that what an ardent Urbanite hears as they experience a new album is often quite diffferent! We have a history with Keith that influences our perceptions and feelings in ways a music critic can't anticipate. I have lived with Get Closer for about a month now. I have given it time to seep into my soul, time for it to connect, time to discover what bits continue to play on that jukebox in my mind long after I turn my CD player or Ipod off. I have chosen to reflect on the expanded Target version because some of the very best tracks are not on the regular album. What do you hear when you are listening?

Put You In a Song - the full-sugar pop of the album but irresistible nevertheless. From the opening guitar lick and "Hey, hey!" to the very end, I can't help but sing along with the upbeat melody and move to the driving beat (hope I don't have an accident doing a little sit-down dancing in my car!). I love that "Onh - honh" after the first couplet, like that rhythmic bass guitar scratch in the background of the first verse (we'll be watching Jerry play that) and can't wait to see the little solo bridge in the middle performed live. I so identify with the sentiment of wanting to roll down the car's windows and let the world hear what is making me excited and happy. Does Keith realize how often we do this with his music, how often his music is "stuck in my head all day"? Another favorite bit of lyric "Gotta set you to a groo-oo-oove!"

You Gonna Fly - this tune, written by the LoCash Cowboys, brought to mind several country classics. The opening beat and "One, two, three" immediately made me think "Shania" - maybe her "Any Man of Mine", then "broken wing" made me think of Martina's "Broken Wing, and "back of my bed" made me think of Alan Jackson's Country Boy. What's with the crazy whistle?The overall tone of this high energy song made it the "Raise the Barn" of this album for me.

All For You - I love listening to Keith's sweet voice sing this touching song. One of my first thoughts as I listened was 'why did he choose to have a female provide back-up on this particular tune'? As a lovesong that most infer Keith is singing to Nic, it seemed a bit out of place to have a female back-up. Not that a woman couldn't express the basic sentiments of the song, but some of the lyrics are more masculine than the usual love duet ("make this grown man cry", "my arms will hold you tight"). Well, it sounded like a female to me - maybe Sarah or Karen- but then I found that the liner notes only list Russell Terrell as the backup singer! Is it really him that I hear??   I thought perhaps Keith was anticipating performing this song during the upcoming tour and planned to have a female from his opening acts join him some nights the way he used to for The Hard Way in the Be Here Tour. Or maybe he just liked the sound, pure and simple, whether it is Russell or some gal. Love Keith's spare guitarwork - wonderful sound and perfect accompaniment. Favorite bits of lyric: the intimacy of "my hand to pull your hair back away from your eyes" and "crazy, very crazy for you".

Long Hot Summer - the most overtly sexy song on the album. The verses being sung in that deep, slightly growly voice describing  a lover who aims to please in lines like "The picture in my mind of everything I'm gonna do" and " I gotta be the one who knows just what to do to you to get me that smile" raises more than a few goosebumps. A chorus that you can't help but sing along with is sure to make this a winner as a single and the rocking beat and guitar and banjo will make this a concert pleaser as well. Another favorite "lyric" following the little guitar bridge in the final chorus is Keith's "Unh-unh-unh-unh-unh-unh-unh-unh" : ). How does he makes these little sounds so damn appealing??

Without You - this song certainly sounds like it was written specifically for or by Keith, (although it was not) and Keith sings it from the heart. The slightly twangier, more country chorus as well as the instrumentation and arrangement take me back to early Urban songs like Tangled Up In Love or Don't Shut Me Out. I wonder if the new guy in the band might play the fiddle as well as the guitar for songs like this one? Seems like they'll need a fiddle player for the tour.

Georgia Woods - the big guitar song of the album. But long before that searing guitar solo, this is another great song that we will all be singing along with. Another sexy song with a mysterious and spell-binding intro and a chill giving bit of longing moan in Keith's voice. (I wondered if Keith and Darrell might be Guns n' Roses fans. The intro chord progression makes me think of Paradise City...). The "The sparks between you and me, We better be careful my love or these woods will be burning"brought to mind Homespun Love's "When we get to sparkin', We almost set the house on fire." I had to smile at the last line of the chorus "Gotta be fallin' 'cause I'm already callin' you baby, " because even I have been the beneficiary of more than one of Keith's "Baby"s at meet and greets! (and I was the one who was "falling" in those instances)!

Right on Back to You - "Rain" has been good to Keith and the rainstorm lead-in to this song is a nice touch. Keith's voice is as smooth as silk on this song that tugs at your heart. I appreciate Keith's ability to change his voice and intonation to suit the mood of each song. I can see the whole concert audience gently swaying to this song, perhaps holding their glowing cell phones over their heads. I find the drums a bit too loud on this piece, detracting a bit from the sensitive vocals and Keith's guitar solois a bit overshadowed, but I'm sure that won't be the case in a live performance.

Shut Out the Lights - a nice change of tone and tempo and recognition that, no matter how close you are, there are likely to be times of disagreement. I enjoy all that Keith brings to the song but might have toned down the 'big band climax' near the end. I love the guitar and final "I need you, I need you" ending.

I don't know what to think of the 8 track length of the 'regular' album, but I have noticed that Keith is not alone in releasing a shorter than usual new CDs so maybe it is just a sign of the times. But I feel sorry for those who did not seek out the extended version at Target stores because a couple of the bonus tracks are truly outstanding and should absolutely not be missed.

Big Promises - I love, love, love this song!! and am baffled why it wasn't included in the album proper. It certainly fits the Get Closer theme and shows yet another side of Keith's music (a bit like Tu Compania did on LPATWCT), so it is such a shame that all album purchasers are't hearing it. It makes me smile, it makes me move, it makes me sing and is one of my very favorites. The banjo is great and don't you just love the closing over-dubbed (is that the right term?) segment: 

Yes I know when I see your pretty little face, 

I'm gonna do the best I can, 

To give you every little thing that you'd ever need,

And I will always be your man.

In the middle of the night, for the rest of your life

I'll be forever true

I'll be lovin' you, lovin' you...

Does it remind you of the closing of If Ever I Could Love (another favorite of mine)?

The Luxury of Knowing - Thank you so much Faith Hill for calling the songs of Lori McKenna to Keith's attention. Keith absolutely kills this song! No one could sing it with greater expression or intensity. The song, in turn, just kills me. It makes my heart ache and my eyes tear - just so, so moving. It could have been the Stupid Boy of Get Closer but I so fear it will be overlooked since it is a bonus track not available to everyone. I guess I see why perhaps it may not have fit the Get Closer theme. It seems to express almost the antithesis of getting closer - loving someone who gives you no sense of security or their true feelings. But it is a magnificant rendition of a great song (thank you Lori!) and should have been a headliner. This, more than any other song on the album, makes me (like in Put You in a Song) press "Play, repeat". Please, please, please Keith include this in your concert setlist even though it was a bonus track!! The catch in his breath before the final verse brings me to my knees. Bravo Keith!

Winning - a perfectly fine, fun song but I have to say that I find it a jarring disconnection from the powerful emotions of The Luxury, and so I often press skip, not yet willing to give up the hold the previous song has on me. I think I would have reacted differently if Winning had been differently placed - perhaps after one of the upbeat rockers of the album. It wil probably be a fun song to see performed live.

The Four Live Concert Tracks - for those of us who lived these concert songs these tracks are just great. Although I did not see the Atlanta show that the first live track, Once in a Lifetime, was drawn from, I did attend many other LPATWCT tour shows. Each night, after the opening act, there would be the oh-so-eager anticipation buzzing through the audience as we waited for Keith to take the stage. Some nights there was the slowly growing LPATWCT beating heart on the giant videoscreen marking the passage of time, other nights we had an actual countdown clock. In either case the audience grew increasingly excited and just went crazy when we finally heard the opening beats of OIAL and saw Keith's spread-legged silhouette against that golden background as he stood at the top of the ramp that would bring him down to stagefront. Pavlovian conditioning is powerful and persistent, so when the opening strains of OIAL on that live track began to sound, once again my heart began to race and I felt the eager anticipation of an actual concert night all over again!! How fun to re-live (at least auditorily) the tour experience! 

I wonder whether the live tracks come from a couple different shows. because I swear I remember being there when Keith broke out laughing at some fans' antics as he began to sing You look Good in My Shirt. I also remember the rare night when he mentioned "Sweet Sunday" in Better Life. Even though I'm listening to a track on a CD, when Keith asks us "Let me hear you sing it to me now", I can't help but belt out the responses, and know just the moment, during the final guitar closing to that song that the confetti cannons would go off and shower us with silvery hearts! Sweet memories! And remembering "Everybody" as the final touchingly expansive song of the concert (and also the teary Everybody that was the final song of the entire tour that night in Lexington) still gives me a lump in my throat and oh-so-fond feelings for this very special singer and musician. So the live tracks worked very well for me. I'm not sure that those who have never seen Keith perform live get a good sense of the excitement and participatory experience of Keith's concerts though, because the sounds of the audience are somewhat muted on these tracks. Certainly we hear Keith and the band better with recordings from stage microphones, but we miss a little of the intensity of the crowd.

Thank you Keith for a very welcome addition to my music library. Can't wait for the live experience of Get Closer!

 

      It is hard to believe that we have been back home for 3 weeks and I still haven't had a moment to post more about our Italian adventure. Blame it on the end of the semester and the approaching holidays - it seems like I have been working around the clock either writing and grading exams or making a little headway on getting ready for Christmas. Final exams finally ended yesterday - hurray!

      Annie tells me it actually snowed in Rome this week!! A very rare occurrence indeed, so I'm pleased that Thanksgiving week we only had to deal with occasional light showers. Having the cobblestones of the piazza in front of St. Peter's at the Vatican glistening from a recent shower didn't detract in the least from the majesty of the surroundings. ( I also couldn't help but think of Tom Hanks and the excitement of Angels and Demons!). We all visited St. Peter's, then the rest of the family climbed the few hundred steps up to the top of the basilica for exceptional views of both the inside of the cathedral and outside, overlooking Rome. My knee wasn't up to the climb so I explored the fountains of the plaza. (I also almost had a fist-fight when, after I waited patiently for the dozen people ahead of me in the Vatican bathroom line, an Italian woman came in and tried to move right to the head of the line! I was having no part of that. She couldn't understand me and I couldn't understand her, but I guess my body language convinced her that I was not giving in. In general it seemed that Italy does not understand or participate in queuing up for anything!)

      Other days we visited other not-to be missed sights - the Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Spanish steps and shopping district. One afternoon Annie and I went to the Rome Zoo. It wasn't quite as exciting as the Prague Zoo's bat caves and free-swinging chair lift, but we had a great time and particularly enjoyed "Potato time" on the monkey island, where each monkey claimed its two potatoes from the keeper, then scurried off to enjoy them.

On Thursday Annie and 5 of her roommates made us a very nice Thanksgiving dinner in their apartment. They couldn't find all the usual ingredients (no turkey or cranberries and Mom had to bring the makings for the green been casserole in her suitcase), but the chicken and fixings were great and the company even better! All of the various animals - lions, tigers, antelopes, elephants and more- seemed to be lined up at their enclosure fences or doors, watching expectantly for the arrival of the keeper and their delivery of their food treats, but we weren't patient enough to wait with them.

We ate far too much pasta, pizza, Italian bread and gelato, but it just didn't seem to be the right time to diet! : )m.

All too soon the week was over and we had to say "Arrivaderci Roma!" and hug Annie goodbye for a few weeks. We got up at 4:30 a.m. to catch our early connection to Paris and then on to Chicago. I had no better luck sleeping on the plane, so the drive from Chicago to Iowa seemed extra long. But it was nice to collapse in my own bed and give thanks once more for an extra-special Thanksgiving.

Off on a Roman Holiday!

     Early in August my daughter Annie went off to Rome to spend a semester abroad. Although Mom and Dad were quite nervous about sending their baby overseas, I couldn't very well complain since I had gone to Europe with girlfriends when I was in college. The College of Design of Iowa State University has a small campus right in the heart of historic Rome catering to Architecture students in the spring and Design students in the fall. Happily a whole contingent of Annie's Graphic Design buddies were also taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity, so she would have plenty of company as she adjusted to her new setting.

     Since we hadn't seen her in 3 months and Annie herself was suffering occasional bouts of homesickness, we decided to visit Annie over my university's Thanksgiving Break. Both of Annie's working big sisters (Engineer Sara and Psychologist Jen) also arranged to take extra days off during that holiday week so they could join us and we could all be together as a family. Of course I worried whether all the complicated airline arrangements and weather would cooperate, but amazingly everything went just as planned.

     Jim and I left Iowa Friday after work and drove to Chicago since we had a Saturday morning flight there. Sara, who lives in Chicago, flew with us - first to Atlanta, then on an Air Italia flight direct to Rome. Jim travels so much that he was able to get both Sara's and my ticket using frequent flyer miles! The flight was fine - we watched several movies. The airline tries to help passengers 'transition' to the new time zone by turning down the lights after dinner and passing out pillows and blankets. But someone like me, who doesn't always sleep well even in my own bed, has little luck sleeping in an airplane seat when my internal clock is saying it is well before midnight. We arrived in Rome when it was midnight in Iowa but 7 am in Italy - how confusing to my biorhythms! We were pleasantly surprised to find that Jen's flight from Newark arrived just moments after ours, so we caught up with her in the baggage area.

    Having heard that some unscrupulous cab drivers frequent the Rome airport, Jim arranged to have our hotel send a car out to collect us. We piled into a small mini-van of sorts and had our first Roman cab experience (which would be repeated many times over during the week).

Basically Roman drivers drive as fast as they possibly can, riding the bumper of the car in front of them even on rain slick streets, switching from lane to lane (IF only there were any lane markings on the wider streets!), trying to gain whatever minute driving advantage that they can - the heck with other vehicles or pedestrians!! Every one of them must still have Gladiator blood coursing through their veins! There are no speed limits, pedestrians in the crosswalk do NOT have the right of way and even red lights are optional and up to the discretion of the driver! Believe me - that ride woke us up despite our jet lag and most every ride during the week was a white knuckle, close-your-eyes-and-pray, try not to yelp in fear because it might distract the driver as you barrel through tiny cobblestone lanes barely 8 feet wide, adventure.

    Annie was waiting for us at our hotel and hurray, the whole fam-damily was together!

It was a bit too early for our rooms to be ready but the hotel invited us to partake of their European breakfast buffet (which I am missing, now that I am back home!) while we waited. Mmm. Croissants, Italian hard rolls and cheese, yummy Europeans yogurts, cappaccino...

Our hotel room overlooked the Roman ruins of Palantine Hill while the girls' room looked into the hotel courtyard lined with orange trees laden with fruit. I never thought of Rome as an "orange tree" area but even some of the downtown streets were lined with them.

       That afternoon we took our first exploratory walk down cobblestone lanes (ALL of Rome is paved in cobblestones) with delightful Italian names we tried (awkwardly) to roll off our tongues, past ancient churches, through arches and passageways that legions have passed through, with something historic on each and every corner - until we reached the studios were Annie and her classmates are studying graphic design. ISU's little campus is located on the Piazza des Cinque Scoles (plaza of 5 schools), with a burbling fountain in the center. Annie unlocked the huge doors and led us up older than old marble stairs to give us a tour of their various workrooms and to show us some of her design projects. Then we walked a bit farther until it began to rain (this is the rainy season in Rome). We ducked into a sidewalk cafe with a tent-like roof to enjoy our first pasta dinner of the week.  After dinner the time difference was catching up with us so we called it a night and headed back to Hotel Kolbe to recharge our batteries.

Oprah Let Me Down

It is that time of year when concerts are few and far between as artists end or pause their touring for the holiday season. I have been positively jonesin' for a show - especially a Keith Urban concert - but there are none to be had. Keith's new album (that I am slowly but exquisitely just beginning to digest) is wonderful, but only a little "live" Keith will begin to scratch my itch!
Well, a couple weeks ago Oprah put out a call, on The Oprah Show website, looking for the "Biggest Keith Urban Fan"! They were looking for fans to join them for the taping of the Oprah show where Keith will appear. As soon as I saw the submission site I decided "I'm In!" (as Keith would sing) and wrote up my personal Keith Urban story. I was hoping my dedication might earn me a spot in the audience. I even tallied up my mileage for my KU journey so far - since November 2004 I have traveled 86, 996 miles to 82 of his shows! But alas this afternoon the taping went forward without me : ( . Well Oprah, you could still fly me out to Australia with you!

Last weekend my university hosted a Bob Dylan concert as part of Homecoming Weekend. It was held in our fairly new basketball arena - a nice smaller venue seating about 5000 with much better acoustics than the football dome. The concert looked to be almost a sell-out with just a few upper bleacher seats empty.

There was no opening act for this show - Dylan and his band simply strolled out at the appointed time and went right into Rainy Day Women followed by one of my favorites, Don't Think Twice and Just Like a Woman. Bob's voice as he sings (or should it be as he speaks) his lyrics as only gotten more "Bob" over the years! He is sounding a bit like Jimmy Durante! Between my older ears and his older voice, sometimes it was hard to tell which song was being performed until I caught a bit of lyric. I'm afraid for this reason some of his new numbers were lost on me - maybe the folks in the front rows could understand him, but I needed subtitles!

But it was great to re-experience the songs of my youth and look around at all the others likewise re-living earlier days! 

Bob wore a rather formal long-jacketed suit (maybe a tux since the pants had a satin stripe down the legs) and wide-brim white hat. I was pleased that Dylan moved around more than the last time I saw him perform. In Omaha he stayed behind his keyboard almost the entire night and never looked at or said a word to the audience. Here in Iowa he regularly moved between the keyboard and playing his guitar or his harmonica. He interacted with his lead guitarist and did actually look out at and gesture to the audience - about as expressive as he seems to get!  Don't think twice - it was alright Bob!

Unfortunately Columbia Records sent out their "Web Sheriff" and asked (very nicely) that I remove my YouTube videos from the show. Gosh, that is just not the Bob Dylan we used to know, is it?? The clips are too long to post here so I just have to settle for a couple quick ones.

Brand New to Brandi Carlile

Last Saturday our campus performing arts center brought in a female singer/songwriter that I was unfamiliar with but I am so glad that I decided to give her a try! Brandi Carlile, from the Seattle area, has an extraordinary voice. For most of the show she was accompanied by not only her band members, but also our local Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra, making it an extra special evening. But the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center has extraordinary acoustics, so at one point Brandi and her band treated us to one completely unplugged, a cappella number as well. Brandi’s set was diverse in tone and style, but many of her songs, sung in her unique voice, are haunting and continue to run through your mind long after the performance. I’m so glad she came to our area and I’ll be seeking out her albums. Cameras were prohibited at the show, however, so I have had to resort to existing YouTube videos to give you a sense of this new artist. Do give her a listen!

Dying Day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI0ekIPIdp8

The Story  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJa-KazVMYU

What Can I Say http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxxMHFIxCP4&feature=fvst

Have You Ever http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j3R2FMfniA&feature=related

Closer to You http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNYOea9eRPo&feature=related

Golden Moments With Gordon Lightfoot

One benefit of having gone to more concerts in the last few years is that I am now on various mailing lists alerting me to upcoming events. So I am no longer quite as oblivious to entertainment opportunities as I must have been for decades. For example,  in all the years that I have been a Gordon Lightfoot fan, I somehow always missed hearing about his tours or live performances. Until now. In some recent Ticketmaster or Live Nation email I finally caught sight of an upcoming Friday night Gordon Lightfoot show in Aurora, Illinois in time to buy tickets! Aurora was almost 5 hours away, but not too far from my sister’s house so it was a perfect opportunity to plan a “sisters night out”. Since hubby was gone on a 5 day business trip there was all the more reason for me to travel as well.

The only glitch in my plan was timing. I couldn’t leave campus until my late afternoon class ended, so I would barely have enough time to get to Aurora by 8 pm.

I made good time to the Iowa border but nearly pulled out my hair in frustration went traffic was backed up for about 5 miles when Interstate 80 narrowed to a single lane due to work on the bridge across the Mississippi - ARGH!!  Traffic was also pretty heavy as I approached the suburban Chicago area so I was glad I had emailed a ticket to my sister so she could get into the show even if I was late. I had not been clever enough to look into parking options near the Paramount Theatre in Aurora; Aurora had sounded ‘small town’ to me but it was crazy busy in the downtown district. After circling a few blocks I resorted to valet parking at the local casino and went off running (well, actually kind of hobbling fast after sitting in the car for all those hours) to the theatre. I walked in just as they turned out the lights!  (a little too close for comfort since Gordon didn’t have an opening act)

The Paramount is a magnificent old theatre which had all its gilding and elaborate wall and ceiling decorations renovated some years ago - a very special venue along the lines of the Chicago Theatre on State Street but more showy. Judi and I were seated in about the 15th row of the mainfloor on the leftland aisle. The rows are nicely tiered and staggered so that everyone has a good view.

Gordon stood at a center microphone for his entire performance, with a four piece band behind him. I was really surprised that he didn’t opt to move between a stool and standing during the night (as had Jackson Browne and also James Taylor at their recent shows), but I guess every performer has their own routine. Gordon is slender and wiry, with longish straight, graying brown hair (didn’t he almost have a curly afro look at one time?) and actually did a change of clothes during the intermission : )

It was wonderful hearing so many of “Gord’s Gold” live - those songs bring back so many memories. And, as my sister commented, Gordon is so good at telling a story in each of his songs. He also sometimes shared personal stories between numbers. 

His acoustic guitar work was sweet as ever as he plucked out the familiar tunes. His voice is no longer quite as strong and resonant as it was - how could it be after nearly forty years and some serious illness along the way. But he still commanded cheers and standing ovations and shouted requests and “We love you Gord”’s from the audience!

Here are a few highlights of the evening - sorry the lighting was not the best.

Sundown http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9P7ej54cug&feature=related

If You Could Read My Mind http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTQM2NZg0nE

In the Early Morning Rain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZr1RtP0Vkg&feature=related

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuMYLN0ayHU

Postscript: I was looking forward to another Friday night show this week - another artist I have never seen perform,  Richard Marx - coming to Iowa, no less! Sadly I just got an email that the show has been cancelled - no explanation given, : ( And he is off to Bulgaria next, so I guess I can't catch another show!

Had a Blast With a Blast From the Past: The Temptations and Four Tops

This week  the Temptations and the Four Tops put on a show at the performing arts center on my campus. I had bought tickets as soon as they were available because their music brings on such nostalgia for me. I thought hubby would be able to go, but once again he was off on a business trip, so my BFF Joan joined me for a fun Motown evening.

I played Temptations and Four Tops music before all of my classes this week. Many of these 'youngsters' were not familiar with these classic songs from my youth (big sigh). It was a sold-out show at the Gallagher-Bluedorn PAC, but not too many in the crowd were college students.

Only a couple original members of these groups are still alive and performing, but the replacement members, including a "son of a Top", stay true to the music and style of the originals and recognize the departed members during the show. Both groups kept us rocking, singing and laughing, so if you have such an opportunity, be sure to say "I'll be there!"

Temptations - Papa Was a Rolling Stone

Temptations - My Girl

Four Tops - Reach Out

Four Tops - Baby I Need Your Lovin

Jackson Browne & David Lindley Serenade Chicago

Jackson Browne had been on my “Artists I Hope to See Live” list for quite a while, so when I saw that he would be appearing in Chicago at a lovely small venue (the Chicago Theatre on State Street) I was immediately interested. It would not be easy to get to Chicago for a Thursday night show, then back to Iowa for my Friday classes, but I was willing to try.

I tried my darnedest to arrive in the Windy City before rush hour, but it seems like there is rush hour traffic almost all the time these days. I did okay until I hit the Kennedy Expressway out by the airport, but then in took another 90 minutes to creep the remaining way downtown. I headed for the parking lot the theatre had listed as the most convenient (but which turned out not to be the most economical). I had barely walked a half block when I got a meet-up call from my daughter Sara – perfect timing!! She and beau Sam walked up State to meet me so that we could walk the 3 blocks together to the restaurant Sara had selected. It was a nice Italian spot – the Rosebud- Theatre District. Not quite as cute or authentic looking as their Naperville site, but very tasty food. We had a fun dinner together – I ate too much of the crusty Italian bread and olive oil, but at least ordered some fresh lake whitefish on a bed of steamed spinach rather than pasta. I couldn’t resist ordering a side of Rosebud’s homemade Italian sausage for us to share – it was spicy, fennel-y and great! Next time I might go straight for an Italian sausage main course. Sara and I shared a trio of Italian gelatos for dessert – my favorite was a creamy lemon.

Sam and Sara walked me back to the Theatre (Jackson Browne was “before-their-time” so I was concerting alone) and we hugged goodbye until our next adventure together.

My seat was in the second row of the first balcony. All seats in the Chicago Theatre provide a good view of the stage, but what I had not realized is that the balcony rows have no leg room at all. My old knees were not too happy about that so I will avoid the balcony in the future. The only other time I had been at this theatre (to see Keith Urban’s charity concert for St. Jude’s a couple years ago) I had an aisle seat on the main floor without a leg room problem. Of course everyone stands through Urban concerts, but that was not the case for the audience seeing Jackson. They remained polite and seated except for a few brief standing ovations on the main floor after the biggest songs. One thing the crowd was not shy about - shouting out requests. In the second half of the show every round of applause following a number was followed by shouts of song names from every part of the theatre!

The sound of Jackson Browne and David Lindley playing together for the first several songs was just lovely. Their mellow acoustic instruments just resonated through the theatre – it was entrancing. For some reason the acoustics did not seem to be as good (at least not up in the balcony) later in the show when Jackson stood at the centerstage microphone (I don’t know why), but the sound seemed better when he sat at his keyboard. In any case, every song was a pleasure. Here are a few samples from the night: 

For Everyman

Call It A Loan

Bright Baby Blues

Fountain of Sorrow

Just Say Yeah

Running on Empty

My only disappointment was the omission of The Load Out as the closing song! I was so sure it would be included since it even mentions Chicago. I waited so expectantly, so patiently - but we were not gifted with this classic. (I consoled myself later by looking up the clip of Keith singing the Load Out while his crew was actually loading out - go to 6:14 in this clip.)

        I had reserved a hotel room west of the city, partway towards Iowa, so my drive in the early morning would be shorter. Little did I know that I would be encountering yet another "rush-hour" traffic jam at midnight!! The roadcrews do a lot of work between 9 pm and 5am and they had several lanes of the Eisenhower Expressway closed. Traffic was backed up for miles so I finally got off the highway and took my chances on the inner-city streets for several miles to get around the roadwork. Drove my "GPS lady" crazy - she kept directing me back to the midnight madness on 290!

Keith Urban's Summer Lovin' Tour Bids Farewell in Wallingford

"Another long summer's come and gone

I don't know why it always ends this way"

I had kept an eye out at the Essex Junction show for my online buddies who were attending as well, but never caught sight of them. But when I went down for breakfast at the hotel the next morning, there they were!! I was so glad to catch up with Corni, Edna, Leslie and Cindy! We were a

ll heading to the Wallingford show next (although they got an earlier start than I did) so we made plans to meet up for dinner beforehand. 

Traveling south from Burlington to Connecticut was a lovely drive down winding roads through the green mountains of Vermont and into Massachusetts. I enjoyed the “Moose Crossing” and “Bear Crossing” signs on the Interstate although I did not see any wildlife myself. I pulled into a small Massachusetts town for lunch and picked a funky diner with a jam-packed parking lot, figuring it must be the local favorite. I sat at the counter with a great view into the kitchen of Denny’s Pantry and watched with wonder two of the fastest moving guys I’ve seen cooking up a storm of late Sunday breakfasts and lunches. I had a cup of the requisite New England clam chowder and a scallop roll (yum!).

As I pulled into my hotel parking lot in Wallingford, CT there were my concert buddies just unloading their cars! Later we were joined by Tammy and Kelsey as well and all 8 of us had a fun dinner together (tonight 3 of us decided on Lobster Rolls (gotta eat that East-coast seafood while you can!!)). We had a great time and timed it perfectly for heading out to the show. Thanks to Tammy and Kelsey for letting me tag along in their backseat! 

The Oakdale Theatre is a wonderful place for a concert - probably not a bad seat in the house. I had heard from those who had been there before that it tended to be a relatively “strict” venue at far as security goes, keeping the fans near their seats and the aisles and stage areas clear. They did so during Chris Allen’s set but began to have a problem during the break before Keith came on. As soon as they would shoo away the gathering crowd at stage edge, the fans would return as soon as security turned their backs. And when Keith and the guys came out and began to sing Kiss a Girl, Security was there again, asking the stage-edge standers to return to their seats. But apparently that was not was Keith wanted! While continuing to play and sing he went over one of the guards who had his back to him and set his foot on his shoulder to catch his attention and then gave a “Leave them alone” gesture with his body and guitar. The stage-rushers were thrilled of course and the aisles and front were pretty much a free for all the rest of the night. I did feel sorry for some of the front row seat holders (some disabled) who could not stand or who hardly had room to stand by the seat they purchased. I know that I had some trouble holding my place at my aisle seat because the aisle-crowd kept pushing forwards and sideways. So there are definite pros and cons of allowing fans to do what they want - some of them have no consideration for others and only want to push as close as they can. Good thing that Keith’s performance

is so fast-passed and amazing that one has no time to be mad or argue with the shovers!

Stupid Boy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBq9Gn8GO2o
Stupid Boy Solo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMl6OQibBGU

Keith greeted the audience saying ti was nice to be back in Wallingford - that it had been about 5 years since they last played there. He either noticed a sign or picked up on a guy’s comments from somewhere up front,because Keith queried this fellow “She loves me?? I bet she loves you more!” One gals was lucky enough to get Keith to lean down and give her a hug with a sign saying something like “I’m home in bed and can’t give my mommy a hug. Will you hug her for me?” : ) After Keith focused attention on each section of the theatre he noted “Oh - there are people in the boxes! Good evening my lords! Thank you for letting us play for you my lords!” - hamming it up with a deep bow to the elites in the box seats : ) .

A little Sweet Thing Scatting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V192ZVMsbb4

After Sweet Thing Keith lead us in a few rounds of sing-along, with a series of ooo-nah-nah-nah-nahs followed by “I’m just makin’ it up as I go along” and a very exaggerated “I don’t have a CLUE what I’m gonna sing now!” before he lead us in the alphabet. With each bit of nonsense that the audience parroted back to him Keith grew more delighted until, after they repreated the alphabet, Keith exclaimed “I love you so much you guys!”

I thought perhaps Kris Allen might play some prank or do something special on his last night out on tour with Keith. But he didn’t , perhaps because he’s not as well established as Taylor Swift. He and Keith once again collaborated on a Meelencamp song that suits them well.

Keith and Kris Allen - Jack and Diane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llIReUNubJI

I  was sitting in the third row aisle seat of the left side of the center section. I had noticed with interest, from the time I first sat down, that directly in front of me a stairway of sorts had been improvised by setting equipment boxes at the end of the stage. I was pretty sure Keith would be coming right down those boxes to me later in the show. Yes he did!! and I got my “Vitamin K” for the evening with a little squeeze of his arm. But what surprised everyone even more was his second journey off the opposite end of the stage after he returned up front the first time! He made a lot of people happy!!

A bit of You Look Good in My Shirt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paFY2YiuHOU

As in Vermont, Keith brought out his good Aussie friend Troy Cassar-Daley to sing a song (People Get Ready). Keith stayed in the background, playing his guitar, until the end, when he (and Jerry and Brian) joined Troy for an exuberant closing. 

You’ll Think of Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbRCF_DpD8k

Better Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9yWxT5hXnc

There was thunderous applause and cheering for what seemed like a long time. Keith came out and graciously thanked the audience. Before he began to play again he said “This has been a fun, fun year for us - thank you so much! I don’t know where this song came fo me the other day, but this really sums up how I feel about you guys” and began to play the following:

I Only Want to Be With You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlJPk-yROQY

The very last song was Somebody Like You, with a few little variations in the guitar runs from usual. Also, at the point where he sang “ Don’t want to take this life for granted like I used to do” Keith looked at and gestured to some one in the first row or so and said “Ain’t that right Al?” to this person. Al? I wonder who Al is. (see the following)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0crU26dvOY

All too soon we had the final “day-o” sing-along and the great jumping, circling SLY ending. Keith did his water spray surprise from last tour and slapped many hands, signed a number of autographs and “signed” his final thanks and goodbyes. There were nearly brawls by me over the drumsticks and wristband tossed and other fans pleaded at stage edge for the set-lists taped to the floor. When will we next have a new setlist to fight over? Thanks so much Keith, Brian, Jerry and Chris for a great summer tour! We’ll miss you!

You had to go I understand
But you promised you'd be back again
And so I wander around this town
'Til the new tour comes around

Viva Vermont - Keith Urban Plays the Green Mountain State

I survived my drive through midtown Manhattan and made my way to JFK. My flight to Burlington was a bit delayed by the line-up of planes waiting to take off, but once in the sky I enjoyed my departing views of NYC and the New York coastline, as well as my landing views of the green mountains of Vermont and lakes and rivers near to Burlington. With just a brief stop at my hotel I headed towards Essex Junction and braved the lines of cars waiting to enter the fairground parking lots (long lines but plenty of spaces, unlike Allentown). I wandered through the vendor booths looking for something distinctly “Vermont” for dinner, but the only thing that appeared to be regional were the many maple-sugar or maple-syrup related treats in the Maple House. I did try the Maple ice cream (so mild it could have been vanilla) and maple pecans (again, not distinctively maply). Meanwhile the skies were looking a bit threatening and the gusty wind was sending clouds of fine fairground sand through the air - I was hoping that we weren’t going to have any ‘Raining on Saturday’.

Apparently Keith and the guys were also worrying about that. When Keith cam out on stage he said that he and the boys had been singing “Earl Must Die” all day in hopes of keeping the hurricane’s side effects at bay. It didn’t completely work however.

Almost as soon as they took the stage a sideways rain joined the brisk breezes and for about the first 3-4 songs Keith and the guys were taking it in their faces. Happily the showers were never drenching and ended shortly. I kept my rain poncho on because it had gotten a little chilly out.

If you look closely at this first clip you can see the slanted rain and some of the debris flying through the air. Keith of course, being the trouper that he is, was unfazed in his performance. Before the concert began the big video screen was up and they used color displays to test its functioning (worked fine). But the weather must have been too threatening because by show time the video screen had been lowered out of sight, making this the first tour stop with no video screen at all. I’m glad I wasn’t in the grandstand!!

Stupid Boy in the Rain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC5MKziCcUw

Where the Blacktop Ends http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odFvXs2OrME

When Keith paused to talk to the audience with “It’s a little windy out here” to start off. He greeted each part of the audience but took special note of a “strong Montreal contingent” out on his left, who apparently had signs begging him to come to Montreal. Keith joked “ First we gotta play Vermont...” but then said he would love to play in Montreal and that they should “Consider it done!”  A little later Keith made fun of the windy weather again, stretching out and holding onto the microphone as if any second he was going to be blown away like Dorothy’s home in Kansas. lol

Keith Out in the Audience for You Look Good in My Shirt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uecnQ-_NsQk

Once again Keith brought out Kris Allen for a duet of Mellencamp’s Jack and Diane, When Kris groped for the lyrics of his verse Keith teased him with “and you won American Idol??”

Keith and Brian in Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbPxIX2v4Hl

At one point during the night as Keith came forward for the next song, he was for some reason inspired to make one of those very rare disclosures about Sunday Rose. He imitated her 2-year old style of speech saying my daughter Sunday says “ Daddy play the guee-tar?” And then his response “ Yes Sunny - Daddy play the guee-tar.” : )

Keith then said he wanted to do something special and bring out his friend of 20 years and multi, multi platinum country recording artist in Australia, Troy Cassar-Daley. Here is Keith’s introduction and the beginning of Troy’s performance of People Get Ready (There’s a Train A-coming). Part 2 will appear after this post. Troy has quite a set of pipes on him!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGuoX4HYmIw

A special treat: Keith’s version of I Only Want to Be With You http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1NeradV2Pg

So show #2 of my 3 concert roadtrip was another killer one. I headed right to bed in preparation for the trip south to Connecticut the next morning to the closing performance of the Summer Lovin’ Tour.