My “tour” of country music festivals continued into Ohio this weekend. Even though some of the same artists play at each of them, every festival has its own personality and its own pros and cons. And there is a learning curve for getting the most out of a fest, although getting some tips from the “ol’ timers” who are there every year helps.
I flew into Indianapolis to get to Ohio because I got a really cheap flight. Then I drove east on Interstate 70 - the same interstate I had traveled in Colorado - to get over towards Fort Loramie (a tiny blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town). Unfortunately this trip was neither pretty nor pleasant, with heavy traffic the entire way, so I was wishing I was back in Colorado! But the 13 mile ride from my hotel to the festival grounds, on winding roads through green farmlands was nicer, which was good, since I would be going back and forth for 3 days.
Thursday was rainy for those who arrived early, but because of my travels I didn’t arrive until 7:00 pm (missing the Band Perry and Joe Nichols). I only had to wear my rain poncho for about an hour before the weather cleared (but I still looked a bit like a drowned cat). Happily I was in time to see Gary Allan - excellent as usual but he sure doesn’t interact much with the audience. For some reason his show was also the shortest of the entire festival - he played only 51 minutes!! Everyone was sure he left time for an encore, but no - he never came back. To me that seems to say he was just not “into it”. One of the fun highlights was the appearance of his dog wandering around the stage during the last several songs of his set - a distinctive tall white-with-brown-spots type-unknown (to me) pooch, although it did seem to have sort of a “poodle hair cut” around the head. I tried to take a picture but between it’s moves and the heads in the way, I never succeeded. Later I only stayed for 3 of Hank Williams Jr.’s hard rock songs and from what I heard from other concert goers the next day, he stayed away from more country songs and his more familiar songs all night. So I didn’t regret opting for the easy escape from the parking lots before thousands tried to exit.
Friday was partly sunny and a perfect festival day. Now that the sun was out the concert goers were partying like crazy (Country Concert is the first festival I have been to that allowed people to BYOB and small coolers). The day started out with Steel Magnolia who were very personable and fun. They included Homespun Love in their set. Thanks to advice from the regulars I learned about one of the particular benefits of Country Concert that I had not seen at Country Thunder or Country Jam: those who have “Stagefront Tickets” (the fenced in reserved seat section) have access to “Photo Lines”. Many of the artists (except the big headliners) agree to meet fans and have individual photos taken for 20-30 minutes about an hour before their show! So although headliners Trace Adkins and Keith did not participate, I did get to meet and have my picture taken with Billy Currington, Justin Moore, Randy Houser, and Jo Dee Messina before seeing their performances!
I enjoyed every one of the sets of these gentlemen and lady but I’ll just mention a few highlights. Trace wore his hair loose and flowing and really rumbled those base speakers with his deep voice. He had brought his daughter with him and I thought I could see her and others sitting offstage in some of my videoclips. Justin Moore does Keith one better in one way - he both unbuttons several buttons at the top AND several at the bottom of his shirt, showing skin in both areas! Since he performed fairly early in the day I was able to sit in some empty front row seats so had quite the view! Jerry Flowers was on the side of the stage rocking out throughout Randy Houser’s and later Jo Dee Messina’s sets and was joined occasionally by Brian Nutter. Both of them were in their off-stage casuals of baggy shorts and tees. Jo Dee told us a funny story about how she had been in Dayton the night before, so in the morning she stopped at the BMW dealer there and traded in her car for a new one, then drove it to the Country Concert. When she arrived she had a hard time convincing the people at the gate that she was one of the performers - they wanted $5 for parking and asked to see her concert ticket!! Even when she showed them her driver’s license they were doubting and debated back and forth whether to let her in! She later performed a song that she and Jerry wrote together and described him as one of the best bassists in the business : ) Brian Nutter has a new little mustache which, right now, looks a little silly to me, but its probably just growing in.
The first 2 days we could see into the fenced in region where the buses were parked and where a backstage dining tent was set up. On Saturday however, when Keith arrived, all the fences were newly covered with tenting fabric, hiding this area from view. Security said that they had been asked to do that to protect the Urban family’s privacy, so I’m guessing that Nicole and perhaps Sunday was there with Keith, although he didn’t mention it during his show.
Another Country Concert oddity - before Keith’s show (as the big star closing the festival) they wanted to make sure that none of the “General Admission” partiers had somehow made it into the reserved seat section. So security emptied the reserved seats section and then had only those with the appropriate tickets re-enter and beefed up the security on the surrounding fences. I actually saw at least a half dozen people being lead away in handcuffs although I don’t know for sure their particular offenses (but I stayed in MY seat after that! : ).
Keith was in a black short sleeved shirt tonight and he started the evening with loose, silky hair and, I swear, he and Brian have choreographed a dual “flippage” routine (check out the video). But it was still pretty warm and humid even after nightfall, so before too long his hair was wet with sweat. The temperatures did not slow him down though - he was full of energy and used the full extent of the stage and stage side walkways like no other festival performer did. Trace did move to either side of the stage but only Keith went another 20 or 30 feet beyond either side of the stage as far as one could go multiple times during the evening as well as braving a jaunt out into what appeared to be a very drunken general admission area. He also knelt at several different points along the front of the stage to do some of his up-close guitar bits in front of different amazed fans. Gotta love him! I think Keith might have noticed some of the interactions (or arrests) between security and misbehaving revelers because he commented mid-show about “I see some questionable energy in certain parts of the crowd - everybody is here to chill out under the stars, right?” The he continued “Jerry - are you in a good mood tonight? It is a beautiful night in Ohio tonight!”
The “summer setlist” began the same: Kiss a Girl, Days Go By, Stupid Boy, and Sweet Thing. At the end of Sweet Thing Keith did a really sweet improvisation as he wandered down the walkway at stage right (my side!). Very nice! After Stupid Boy he cracked us up by reading one sign in the audience saying “There is a DUDE over there with a sign that says “Remember me in ‘03?? I still think you’re sexy!” “ A Dude!” says Keith, “or dude-ish!?” “ And now he’s holding a sign asking “Will you marry me?”!! “Too late brother!! Sorry. ” said Keith. LMAO
Before Sweet Thing Keith said it was good to be here at Country Concert - that they hadn’t been there in a long, long time. He then dedicated Sweet Thing “to Alex, somewhere out there in the crowd.” (perhaps someone from the meet and greet?)
This was a very sing-along audience so that you could really hear them chime in on many of the songs. I was surrounded by lots of guys and I was surprised to hear them singing all of the lyrics of I’m In and Til Summer Comes Around, as well as many of the tender older songs like Making Memories and Tonight I Wanna Cry. My daughter in Ann Arbor says it is because Keith really gets a LOT of radio airplay in this part of the country, but it was nice to know that guys don’t just attend to the beer-drinking and kick-your-assing type songs. : )
We got some more nice guitar improvisation after Better Half - starting out like the post-Better Half melodies that Keith played in the last tour as he made his way back to the satellite stage in arenas. But then he added a little vocal improv as well, beginning with some “Ooo na na na na’s” and then leading us in one of his echo rounds, singing
“Oh I like hanging out under the stars
It feels so good hangin’ out underneath the stars,
Yes it does....” and then began plucking out “Twinkle twinkle little star” on the guitar
(something he does for Sunday perhaps?) until he had us all singing Twinkle, twinkle.
The guitar improv then became faster paced and they ended with another hair-flipping contest between he and Brian.
Making Memories of Us was dedicated to “Those who are feeling in love tonight.”
Then Keith added “including you Jerry.” (wonder if there is some significance to these couple unusual references to Jerry...)
Several times during the show audience members screamed out a request for Raining on Sunday, but the requests went unanswered.
During band introductions, after Brian was introduced as playing all his usual instruments as well as “the bagpipes and spoons” lol, Brian did a little “Livin’ on a Prayer” tonight with great audience participation. Jerry, likewise, had good audience participation during his Ain’t No Sunshine.
During his usual thank yous towards the end of the show, Keith said that they “want to send love and prayers and deepest soulful thanks to all the men and women who put their lives on the line every day and night for us.”
The encore tonight (after a somewhat longer than usual pause for the loud applause and screams and whistles) included Tonight I Wanna Cry (on acoustic guitar with Brian), Take It To the Limit (with Keith, Brian and Jerry all sharing a microphone), and Somebody Like You, which began with a silly extra fast countdown by Keith (“One two three four five six” , included some impressive forwards AND backwards “happy” circles, (and also a “Yabba dabba do” thrown in at the very end). “You have been unbelievable tonight!” shouted Keith - “God bless every one of you!” And the same back to you and the guys Keith!
PS Keith was still a little hoarse and avoided the high notes again tonight so I am glad he has a little time off now to rest that sweet voice.)
PPS Several videoclips (like Brian's solo and Jo Dee singing her and Jerry Flowers' song are on a camera that I cannot download until I get home from South Haven, MI where 25 of our family and friends are staying)
No comments:
Post a Comment