In his 11th appearance, Paisley still ‘Crushin’ It’
A Brad Paisley show at RodeoHouston is as reliable as fried Oreos and overpriced carnival rides.
The country superstar’s 11th time on the revolving stage wasn’t much different from his previous performances. Lots of hit songs and humor, sweet ballads and selfies.
And it was, as always, one of the season’s most engaging shows and a marvel of fan interaction.
“We’re heading towards 20,” he told the Saturday night crowd of 75,000. That number was slightly bested only by Luke Bryan and Willie Nelson.
He kicked off with “Crushin’ It” and “American Saturday Night,” a pair of songs that reference the weekend and margaritas. He also worked RodeoHouston into the lyrics.
Paisley was offstage and at the guardrails during “Online” and “I’m Still a Guy.” He strolled down the line of visibly delighted fans, frequently grabbing phones to snap selfies.
“You can’t be 21,” he said to a fan who tried to give him a beer.
“Nice shirt,” he told another. He even read text messages from someone who handed him a locked phone.
He bounded back on stage for sweet ballad “She’s Everything” and a lively run through Asleep at the Wheel’s “Miles and Miles of Texas.” Pounding drums anchored “Ticks.”
Paisley was back offstage, this time at the opposite end, during “Old Alabama.” He wailed on his guitar for frenzied fans pressed against the guardrail.
He ran through romantic ballad “Then” and cheeky tune “I’m Gonna Miss Her” while circling the arena and giving a steady stream of handshakes and high-fives.
He even stopped to flip a fan’s camera for a selfie. (“Turn it around.”) And never missed a beat.
“I know there’s a lot of stuff you could have done tonight besides stare at my ugly face,” he quipped.
That’s nonsense. Every fan in the stadium would have likely stayed and sang along well past midnight.