Urban lights a fuse with fans at Rogers Arena
Country star’s music is pure party, but he also impressed with smooth musicianship and set list
Keith Urban
Wednesday night | Rogers Arena
Keith Urban’s appeal always went well past the traditional hats, buckles and boots crowd. I know some rabid indie rockers who made the show at Rogers Arena Wednesday night.
In the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted all of the above are women who consider the 47- year- old’s Light My Fuse tour nothing less than an invitation to get their drink on and drool.
They weren’t alone. With five giant screens backstage and two on the sides, no one lacked for close- ups of the star from Whangarei, New Zealand rocking the crowded house.
Opening with a bit of banjo noodling, it didn’t take long until the hits started. Long Hot Summer and Put You In A Song from 2010’ s Get Closer pack arena power ballad riffs worthy of any classic rock era crew. The first of many singalongs followed the first of many, many blazing solos from Urban and his other two guitarists. Slick doesn’t begin to describe the presentation.
Eat your heart out American Idol. Not to mention every custom guitar shop around.
The procession of custom guitars, electric banjos and the like paraded through on nearly every song was impressive. Hard to imagine that there is much difference in the tuning between the songs. But sometimes you need the right axe to get that consistent radio- single sound.
It wasn’t until six songs in that the crowd got to hear something from his latest release, last year’s Fuse. Somewhere In My Car is a modern pop/ country/ rock track and was the obvious last burner before ballad time. Stupid Boy from 2006’ s Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing — a. k. a. the Wedding album — had quite a few tears flowing.
No doubt, Urban took to
He knows how to play the crowd as he did when Kayla was pulled onstage and sat down in a recliner so she could be serenaded by the song of her choice.
Nashville at just the right time. Music City back in the ’ 90s was looking for an act unafraid to embrace as many of the modern pop conventions as the country world could handle. His sound is so shimmering and anthemic, Bono could sing it. The degree of twang, if any, makes the Eagles sound like they flew in from hillbilly- ville rather than the Hollywood Hills.
It isn’t hard to see how the man could’ve had an alcohol issue. His music is pure party. Plus, he knows how to play the crowd as he did when Kayla was pulled onstage and sat down in a recliner so she could be serenaded by the song of her choice. Nice. Makin’ Memories indeed. Some fans this morning will have somewhat clouded ones of the fun last night. But for most, the fuse got lit and burned for 30- odd songs that will be back in heavy rotation for a while.