Kenny Chesney Goin' 'Coastal" on the Des Moines River

I was surprised when Iowa was one of the very first stops on Kenny Chesney's Goin' Coastal Tour and was happy that it would occur before Keith's tour began. I had hoped my youngest daughter might be available to go with me, but things were hectic at school for her so I ended up buying a single ticket. I lucked out with a seat in the risers close to the stage (but 20 rows up) and was pleased to be seeing Kenny in an arena rather than a huge football stadium.

The show was on a Thursday night so I had to head to Des Moines after my last class and arrived about an hour before showtime. I had not even heard who would be opening the show but, what the hey, I was ready for a good time evening of sing along and island rhythms. Although it was officially spring, Des Moines was nippy with the temperatures hovering around freezing.

Although, in retrospect, I should have guessed, I didn't initially recognize the opening group. It took a couple songs before I realized that it was Uncle Kracker - he looked younger and in somewhat better shape than the last time I saw him closing Kenny's show two years ago. I wish he didn't crouch over as he sings every song, but have to admit I really enjoyed his performance of Drift Away. He and his band were on stage for about 30 minutes before they made way for Billy Currington.

Billy, being a curly head cutie with a number of popular hits, always seems to do well with the audience. I enjoy his music, but I must say there have never been any surprises or any really moving moments in the 4 or 5 times I have seen him perform. He is enjoyable, but may always be an opening act. Here is a bit of his ballad Let Me Down Easy and also his song that much of the usual audience can relate to - Pretty Good at Drinkin'Beer. Billy played for about 40-45 minutes and then it was time for Kenny.

After Billy's band's equipment was rolled away, a rectangular canvas-looking curtain decorated with Kenny's typical island beach motif was lowered to hide the stage. During this arena tour Kenny has a catwalk going out perhaps a third of the length of the arena and a crosswalk going off to the right and left about halfway down the length of the catwalk. I didn't see any signs that Kenny might "fly" into the stadium like last tour or do a surprise entry at the middle of the arena like the tour before that, so I was guessing we would first see him on stage when when the curtain was raised. As has been his habit in the past, Kenny's appearance was preceded with a little video of him and his island friends and Kenny greeting and thanking the audience for coming.

Since Kenny has a new album out, I wasn't sure how much of the setlist would be from "Go Coastal". Although I had downloaded the album, I hadn't had the chance to listen to much of it and Itunes would not let me burn a disk to take in the car with me (what is with that Itunes??!!), so I was a little worried he'd be singing mostly music I didn't know. That worry was unfounded though - although he performed about 4 songs from the new album (here is the namesake Go Coastal), most of the concert was made up of old familiar favorites (like my favorite Anything But Mine). And, in fact, if you can believe his comments to the audience, Kenny kept deviating from his setlist to include even more old favorites like Old Blue Chair. It was a pretty mellow evening all in all with lots of singing and swaying. Here's a bit of No Shoes, No Shirt. I think Kenny is moving a little more slowly than he used to (aren't we all?)but he still made very good use of all ends of the catwalk and crosswalks. He perhaps spent a little more time walking in the center of the catwalk (out of fans' reach), than I recall. Late in the show he brought Uncle Kracker back out for When the Sun Goes Down, and then brought Billy out for She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy. A good time was had by all and a satisfied audience held onto the warmth of the show as they went out into the not-quite-beach-like (ha!) Iowa weather.

I stayed in Des Moines overnight and woke to find 2 inches of fresh snow on my car! Drivers must have already packed away their winter driving skills because northbound Interstate 35 was at a standstill for about a half hour because 3 or 4 vehicles rear-ended one another on the snow-slick highway. Luckily I still made it back home for my Friday classes but wondering when the sunny warmth Kenny had teased us with will finally make it to our Iowa 'coasts'!

On to Country Concert to See Keith Urban in Ohio

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)

CMA Music Fest - Day 3

My third day in Nashville was again, as Alan Jackson said, “hotter than a hoochee-coochee”! I was already wearing my third and last pair of comfy sandals since hot sweating feet hiking up and down Nashville hills will raise blisters even when wearing your most broken in sandals! : (  So I decided that the short walk to the one major indoor venue - the Convention Center’s Durango Acoustic Stage - was in order for Saturday afternoon. Live music, up close, in air-conditioned comfort sounded good.

A local radio station (WSM 650) was broadcasting live from the Durango Stage. On Friday I had seen mostly bluegrass bands, while on Saturday I was treated to a more mixed lineup. The Bankester Family from Missouri - 6 of them - all playing different instruments and singing were a pleasant start, singing Carolina Rain, Better Get Right  or You’re Gonna Get Left, and Keep Your Hands on the Plough. Then classic country music lady Lynn Anderson did several songs including one of her many hits I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. She and her hubby Mentor also sang that classic song Drift Away (aka Give Me the Beat Boys) which I was surprised to learn he had composed. 

Next up was an up and coming relatively new artist Elizabeth Cook who was just a pistol and whom I thorughly enjoyed. Apparently her new album Welder is getting rave reviews. For your enjoyment I captured El Camino, When You Say Yes to Beer You Say No to Booty ; ) , and Sometimes It Takes Balls to Be a Woman - do take a listen!!

I needed to get up and move a bit so decided to wander down to the Exhibit Hall. I had not been down there earlier - I had heard of the long waiting in line that was necessary to get most autographs and knew my bum knee was not up to that. But I thought I should at least see what it was all about. Well, through fortuitous timing, just as I walked through the door I heard someone say “And here they are - Rascal Flatts!”

And just several feet away from me the threesome sang us Life Is a Highway!! Of course throngs of fans gathered and you couldn’t pick your angle - but I managed to catch two-thirds of the group ( and sometimes two and one-half of them lol) on tape.

Because of the hot weather I waited until just before showtime to go out to LP Field - no need to start sweating early! I did get the in time, however, for the daily flyover by the Thunderbolts following the national anthem. God I love the delayed roar of those impressive aircrafts!!

Randy Hauser - a big, burly biker-guy of a performer - has a big voice to match his physique and immediately revved up the crowd with his hard-tocking songs. He thanked the nearly full stadium for coming out early to see the opening act. 

Billy Currington kept the audience participating with his better known hits. He is a cute guy, but I must say I felt like he needed a shave and a trim this weekend (his kinky dark curls aren’t quite as endaring as Dierks’s used to be). But I did enjoy his ser, which of course included Must Be Doin’ Something Right and God is Great Beer in Good.

I’m a big fan of the Zac Brown Band. They, like so many of the CMA Fest performers, made a special point of taking time to thank the fans for their support - not just the thousands of fans at the Fest, but all the fans who have requested and bought their music and attended the shows. They even had a very special ‘thank you’ song called “This Song’s For You”  with Zac repreatedly pointing to the audience several times as they performed it. 

I have seen this band several times when they were opening for Keith Urban last year. Tonight they did something that was new to me - a quite long instrumental number. It definitely showcased the musical skills of the band members, but I, personally, am not sure the extended guitar solos suited this particular venue - especially this hot, sweaty venue. I sensed that the audience was getting a bit impatient for something familiar that they could sing along with. They certainly got it with the very moving “Free” which was nicely melded with Van Morrison’s Into the Mystic. That song really made their performance for me!!

Martina was up next and she started out strong with Cry Baby Cry and followed that with hit after hit. She was dressed in a rather somber black, silky dress. Although some funky boots lightened the look somewhat, I thought the dress a rather curious choice for the CMA Music Fest. Martina too spent quite a while thanking the fans of country music for allowing her to pursue her dreams and do what she loves - she was very sweet and touching.

It was after midnight and I chose to end the night on that note rather than staying to see Rascal Flatts. Although I like their music, I wasn’t impressed with their live show the last time I saw them. I’m also not a big fan of the chaos, traffic and long, long bus lines that occur when the stadium empties after the final act of the night - I prefer the several hundred peopje who depart a little early and can walk right onto the waiting buses which then pull out of the parking lot with ease.