Member Review: Chris Isaac

BackstagePassDirect subscriber ChrisNutt just sent us this e-mail:

Whenever there was a scene on The Chris Isaak Show where the band was playing, there was almost always a group of burly men at the front going crazy for the music. Hmm, bikers digging Chris Isaak. That's a big suspension of disbelief. He always seemed more of a mellow crooner for the ladies to me. Sure, he's from San Francisco, where some burly men aren't always what they seem, but this was still a strange incongruity to an otherwise excellent television program. How wrong I was. TV is not the live stage. In the flesh and still almost a cartoon character of California cool, the 53-year-old self-described "sparkling hillbilly" delivered a full-blown rock 'n' roll show for us fans last night. Some were burly men going crazy for the music. Women, too. He riffed on Elvis, Roy Orbison and himself, veered from unrequited love songs to full-blown two-steppin' stompers, which also happened to be about getting rejected in one form or another. Only one of the songs performed last night had a happy side, was about "requited" love, and it turned out to be a little ragtime number urging women to remember a line they can use on their husbands: "What am I to you?" Guys have been known to jump out of a moving car upon hearing that, Isaak said. He's a cut-up. Between the band's immaculate readings of cosmic country tunes, Isaak staged a hilarious standup act -- often making members of his own band the butt of his jokes. Yes, the same guys from the show were there, causing a bit of pop cultural/reality dissonance when you realized these sidemen were as famous as the star: guitarist Hershel Yatovitz, bassist Rowland Salley and the formidable drummer Kenney Dale Johnson. A real actor, Jed Rees, was hired to play Isaak's keyboard player. He wasn't there, of course, but real keyboard player Scott Punkett was, introduced as "Scott Plinkiplunkett" and publically pitied by Isaak for not really fitting in with the rest of the guys in the band. Isaak said sadly, "The only affection he will ever know is from you people, in the dark." Of the guitarist, he told the audience, "Maybe you come here tonight from the farm, and you're a little bit afraid ... I want you to think of Hershel tonight as your heifer." (The joking continued backstage after the show and even I was made a [willing] target.) Then, Isaak sprinted up to the first balcony to sing a campy version of Love Me Tender. Isaak was ironic about everything -- his look, his voice, his general Elvisness, his ridiculous suit, his band members' even more ridiculous suits -- and while admitting that you're silly doesn't make you any less silly, it's amusing for onlookers. However, when it came time to start playing, Chris Isaak was dead serious. His voice has only improved with age. He has this trademark yodel, a hitch in his voice when he switches to falsetto, which is one of the best in the business. Both his range and his stamina were impressive. The musicians were the real deal, too, playing the living hell out of Isaak's short and sweet tunes. It didn't seem like a rock show at first, his mellowest fare like Wicked Game knocked off early, and a few disconcerting lulls from generic Bakersfield filler. But this didn't last. Chris was soon duck-walking across the stage, his band deftly pounding out one old-time rocker or passionate torch ballad after another. They even rocked while seated on stools. What a truly strange and excellent band this is.

"Strange and excellent"; nice combo. Glad you enjoyed the show.

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Member Review: David Gray

Member Su Z wrote:

David Gray almost made it to the end of his show without having to tell anyone off in the audience.

But then, unbelievably, the 41-year-old British singer-songwriter caught someone loudly having a chat in or near the front row.

“This is nuts,” said Gray mid-song, while continuing to strum his acoustic guitar. “I can hear you having a conversation. You can’t wait 10 minutes until the gig is over? Just an idea.”

The lights went up momentarily and the confrontation brought cheers and applause from the rest of us who had been paying proper attention.

Backstage, he asked me rhetorically, "Why do people have to behave like such pricks?" I thought it best to just shut up and shrug my shoulders.

What could have been an uncomfortable moment seemed to just get Gray more riled up as a performer - he was a pretty passionate, animated and intense presence already - as he delivered an outstanding final song with the epic-like Nemesis, punctuated by the glowing reflected lights of a huge, disco ball behind Gray and his four-man band, all of them dressed sharply in suits, while the audience clapped along.

The night began much more calmly as Gray launched the evening with the gentle-sounding First Chance, also from Draw The Line, before rocking it up with the next new song, Fugitive, followed by crowd favourite, Sail Away, from his now decade-old breakthrough album, White Ladder.


Slick lighting and loads of reverb on his vocals made for a dramatic show and some of Gray’s vocal work was staggering like the big notes he let rip during Sail Away, Ain’t No Love and This Year’s Love, while electric-acoustic guitarist Neill MacColl provided lovely harmonies during The Other Side.

Gray, who alternated between acoustic guitar and piano, was also in a downright chatty mood, like when he sat down to perform the rarity Falling Down The Mountainside.

“I’m not getting any younger,” joked Gray as he took a set alone on stage with his acoustic guitar.

A young girl in the audience yelled out: “I’m old David.”

He responded: “Congratulations. This is not a competition.”

There was also a longwinded but entertaining if slightly disturbing explanation about him writing the new song, Breathe, which involved him and some friends drinking wine and watching a Manchester United game at his house before being interrupted by two Iranian intellectuals at his front door seeking donations for their imprisoned and persecuted brethren.

Other standout songs included Be Mine, a slower-tempoed version of Gray’s huge White Ladder hit, Babylon, The One I Love, Slow Motion, and the new song Transformation.

Here's the setlist:

First Chance
Fugitive
Sail Away
Jackdaw
You’re the World to Me
Be Mine
Stella The Artist
The Other Side
Ain’t No Love
Falling Down The Mountainside
Breathe
Transformation
Babylon
Everytime
The One I Love
Slow Motion

Encore:

This Year’s Love
Nemesis

This was the first time I'd seem Gray perform. It should be obvious that it was also the first time I got to meet him and see a show from backstage. For those who have never had this experience, (like me before a few nights ago), make sure you get to do it. It's UNBELIEVABLE!

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New U2 Dates Added

U2.com reports:

Hope you caught U2 360° live from the Rosebowl, Pasadena on YouTube tonight. And now we can reveal that U2 360° is coming back to North America in 2010.

The tour will touch down next summer in Anaheim; Denver; Oakland; Seattle; Edmonton; East Lansing; Miami; Philadelphia and Montreal. U2 360° will also return for one night only in Toronto and Chicago before finishing the North American leg in New York at the New Meadowlands Stadium. On U2 360° the band currently play 22 live tracks, the first time fans have heard tracks from No Line On the Horizon, one of the best selling albums globally this year.

The new US dates are:

6 June, 2010 Anaheim CA Angel Stadium
12 June, 2010 Denver CO Invesco Field
16 June, 2010 Oakland CA Oakland Coliseum
20 June, 2010 Seattle WA Qwest Field
30 June, 2010 East Lansing MI Spartan Stadium
6 July, 2010 Chicago IL Soldier Field
9 July, 2010 Miami FL Land Shark Stadium
12 July, 2010 Philadelphia PA Lincoln Financial Field
19 July, 2010 New York NY New Meadowlands Stadium

It is possible that more dates may be added.

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Member Review: Wilco

Member Sasquatch recently told us:

They walked on stage to The Price Is Right theme yet for most of the night it seemed as if Wilco was playing Beat The Clock.

Led by Jeff Tweedy, the group's slightly curtailed but still strong two-hour show had its desired effect.

Even Tweedy mentioned how they were up against the clock early on, stating they weren't used to an imposed curfew and later joked how the catchy, crowd-pleaser Handshake Drugs would be the band's final tune just an hour into their set.

One main difference on this current tour in support of, er, Wilco (The Album) is that the sextet isn't serving up lengthy, adventurous tunes like the 10-minute Spiders (Kidsmoke). Rather, there is a bevy of shorter, crisper tunes such as I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, Either Way and I'll Fight.

But regardless of which Wilco numbers turn your proverbial crank, what is certain is the band's effortless ability to mix folk, roots, rock, country, soul and pop into enticing and endearing ear candy.

After opening with, er, Wilco (The Song), the band truly hit paydirt with Bull Black Nova off the new album which allowed Tweedy and the terribly underrated axeman Nels Cline to go off into some spacey rock realm before reining things back in.

With seven studio albums to cull material from, Wilco fared quite well with the new tracks such as One Wing, the '60s pop feel to I'll Fight and You Never Know - a musical twin of Tom Petty's Jammin' Me - which featured opener Liam Finn joining Wilco onstage.

Following the melodic yet melancholic How To Fight Loneliness, Tweedy asked the fans to provide lead vocals for Jesus, etc. which they eagerly obliged. Singing off microphone at the lip of the stage, Tweedy said the effort was "really, really, good" before diving into Hate It Here.

Supported by the rock steady rhythm section of drummer Glenn Kotche and bassist John Stirratt, Wilco rounded out the main 16-song set with the soul-rock ditty Theologians before I'm The Man Who Loves You had Cline again joyously lost in his own little feedback world while Tweedy did a few spins.

The lengthy encore featured some more gems off Summerteeth such as Can't Stand It while 1996's Being There album wasn't forgotten with the infectious, Stones-y tune Monday and Outtamind (Outta Site).

Not a sensational show, but a solid one. What raised the bar was seeing it all from backstage. Now that's something special. I've included a few photos. Use one if you like.

Like we did.

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Get Lucky with Mark Knopfler

Here's an early heads-up for virtuoso Mark Knopfler's US tour dates next year in support of his latest effort, entitled Get Lucky.

Apr 08, 10
Moore Theatre Seattle, WA
Apr 10, 10
Keller Auditorium Portland, OR
Apr 11, 10
Hult Center for the Performing Arts Eugene, OR
Apr 13, 10
Paramount Theatre of the Arts Oakland, CA
Apr 14, 10
Wells Fargo Center For The Arts Santa Rosa, CA
Apr 15, 10
Pechanga Resort & Casino Temecula, CA
Apr 16, 10
Pantages Theatre Los Angeles, CA
Apr 18, 10
Dodge Theatre Phoenix, AZ
Apr 20, 10
Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre Denver, CO
Apr 21, 10
Midland Theatre Kansas City, MO
Apr 22, 10
Fox Theatre Saint Louis, MO
Apr 23, 10
Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL
Apr 24, 10
Riverside Theater Milwaukee, WI
Apr 25, 10
State Theater Minneapolis, MN
Apr 27, 10
Michigan Theater Ann Arbor, MI
Apr 28, 10
University of Buffalo Center For The Arts Buffalo, NY
May 01, 10
MGM Grand at Foxwoods - MGM Grand Theater Mashantucket, CT
May 02, 10
Warner Theater Washington, DC
May 04, 10
Orpheum Theatre Boston, MA
May 05, 10
Count Basie Theatre Red Bank, NJ
May 06, 10
United Palace New York, NY
May 07, 10
Tower Theater Upper Darby, PA

These may be the Dire Straits frontman's only stateside appearances next year as he has a huge Euro-tour on the books.

If you've never seen Mark, you're missing out. He is one of the great guitarists of our time. Visit BackstagePassDirect to request your passes today.

Member Review: Kylie Minogue

BPD member 2By4Z writes:

Kylie came with her glamorous, sexy costumes (courtesy of Jean-Paul Gaultier); flashy, futuristic show design; and clear, high voice. Sure, her lightweight dance-pop songs aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but I've got to admit she is a fun time.

Minogue, who has sold 60 million albums worldwide over the last two decades, has never really broken through except for a few hits like a cover of Loco-Motion and her own Can’t Get You Out Of My Head.

Still, the blonde bombshell clearly knows how to command a stage and has devoted fans who responded wildly to every shake of her shoulder, wiggle of her hips, or flick of her wrist around that gorgeous face.

“Is there something in the drinking water?” she asked towards the end of the evening as the crowd was going nuts. “What’s going on? What a magical night. I feel it.”

Minogue opened the two-hour evening spectacularly, descending from above while perched on top of a glowing red skull while singing Light Years.

Her silver, corsetted outfit, which included a cone-shaped bra, was covered up by a long, flowing shredded shawl that looked like it was made out of the American flag, and suspended planets dangled on her head like a space-age crown.

It was quite a visual as robotic-looking dancers performed below Minogue alongside a six-piece band (which was later joined by a three-man horn section) as the early momentum continued with Speakerboxx, Come Into My World and In Your Eyes.

From there, it was pretty much non-stop action in terms of constant costume changes (I lost count after six); ever-changing, slick-looking video with the emphasis on Minogue’s fetching face and form; and an increasingly scantily-clad dance corps including a scene where her male dancers pretended to wash themselves in a shower and then remove their speedos while wrapped in red towels (turned out they had a second pair of speedos on underneath).

When she’s in her campy disco diva mode, as she was during such highlights as Like A Drug, Boombox/Can’t Get You Out Of My Head, Wow, I Believe In You, a cover of Madonna’s Vogue, and Kids, she was pretty fun to watch, particularly when she performed such feats as doing the splits while her male dancers carried her on their shoulders.

Backstage, before the show, she admitted to me "Look, I'm not Amy Winehouse. I do pop. If you want pop, I'll deliver it".

That she do.

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Taylor Swift Adds "Fearless" Dates

For Taylor Swift’s fans, which at last count number higher than many countries’ census figures, new tour dates represent another chance to experience Swift’s “Fearless”-ness, as well as an opportunity for newly minted followers to see their girl in action for the first time.

The new round of U.S. dates begin with March 4 in Tampa and run through June 2 in Washington, D.C. Although venues are not yet locked down, cities and dates are available, showing Taylor playing just about every U.S. metro area on the map, including Philadelphia, Dallas, Wichita, Lexington, Moline, Newark, Fresno, Houston, Uniondale and Des Moines.

As she has before, “American Idol” finalist Kelly Pickler opens for Swift in 2010.

Here's the 2010 list:

Thu 03/04/10 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum

Fri 03/05/10 Orlando, FL TBA

Sun 03/07/10 Sunrise, FL BankAtlantic Center

Wed 03/10/10 Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center

Thu 03/11/10 Dallas, TX TBA

Fri 03/12/10 Corpus Christi, TX American Bank Center Arena

Thu 03/18/10 Philadelphia, PA TBA

Fri 03/19/10 Philadelphia, PA TBA

Sat 03/20/10 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena

Fri 03/26/10 Detroit, MI TBA

Sat 03/27/10 Detroit, MI TBA

Sun 03/28/10 Cincinnati, OH TBA

Wed 03/31/10 Oklahoma City, OK TBA

Thu 04/01/10 Wichita, KS TBA

Fri 04/02/10 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center

Tue 04/06/10 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

Wed 04/07/10 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

Sat 04/10/10 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center

Sun 04/11/10 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion At San Jose

Thu 04/15/10 Los Angeles, CA TBA

Fri 04/16/10 Los Angeles, CA TBA

Thu 04/29/10 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena

Fri 04/30/10 Columbia, SC Colonial Life Arena

Sat 05/01/10 Raleigh, NC RBC Center

Thu 05/06/10 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena

Fri 05/07/10 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center

Sat 05/08/10 Moline, IL i wireless Center

Wed 05/12/10 Newark, NJ Prudential Center

Thu 05/13/10 Newark, NJ Prudential Center

Fri 05/14/10 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Sat 05/15/10 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Tue 05/25/10 Houston, TX TBA

Wed 05/26/10 Houston, TX TBA

Wed 06/02/10 Washington, DC TBA

Taylor's been a member fave for quite some time. So we expect request volume for these to be heavy. Remember, the earlier your request, the more likely you'll be backstage at her show.

Not a member yet; join now.

Member Review: Van Morrison's Astral Weeks

Stepson28 wrote:

With roughly three dozen studio albums under his belt, Van Morrison is finally returning to one of his masterworks.

And despite the fact it wasn't played in the same running order as the 1968 record, the Irish soul singer ensured that Astral Weeks was the focal point of his show.
With a large backing band - including a small string section - Van Morrison sat behind a black piano to start the 100-minute set with some other non-Astral Weeks efforts. Northern Muse (Solid Ground), the first of several tunes that dabbled almost simultaneously in folk, blues, country, Celtic and soul, set the tone for most of the first half highlights.

Not one for idle banter, Van Morrison, 64, left the piano for good and did a rather ordinary run through of Brown Eyed Girl as the audience eagerly helped out. But it was the ensuing number Fair Play which symbolized the magic of the man and his muse.

Often leading the very attentive group with subtle hand cues and gestures, the performer took Fair Play down a rather lengthy and lovely musical road, giving guitarist Jay Berliner (who played on Astral Weeks) and fiddler Tony Fitzgibbon time to shine as Van Morrison let the song guide him and not the other way around.

Nonetheless, the draw to this particular tour is Astral Weeks. Earlier this year Van Morrison released Astral Weeks: Live At The Hollywood Bowl as a live CD and DVD. Next year a documentary entitled To Be Born Again will be released revolving around his return to this particular masterpiece.

After a brief announcement stating Astral Weeks was commencing, the musician opened with the melodic title track, often playing off David Hayes plucking his standup bass. The song was also met with some heads bobbing and toes tapping throughout the audience.

Probably the night's highlight was the middle section where the blues-tinged Slim Slow Slider found its groove early on, bobbing and weaving as Van Morrison strummed his acoustic guitar with more verve. Singing at times a bit off microphone but with a voice that rarely needs amplification, he nailed the swaying, melodic Sweet Thing which he occasionally slowed to a crawl.

The combination of Ballerina and Madame George also soared, the former met with hoots and hollers while the latter - with the song again steering Van Morrison - concluded with a standing ovation, proving it was well worth the steep price to get in.

Closing with the warhorse Gloria, Van the Man thanked the band, took a bow and exited the building before I even got the chance to shake his hand.

Rock icons!! Whatcha gonna do? Still, the show from the back was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I've got no gripes. Props BPD.

Thanks Stepson. If we could have tied him down for ya, we would have.

More great shows coming. Don't miss out on meeting your faves. Become a member of BackstagePassDirect today.

McBride and Adkins Join Forces to Shine All Night

She's one hot mama and he's a tall drink of water. His rich baritone voice can bring the house down while her soaring, unparalleled vocals lift the roof off. He's garnered legions of fans with his anthems that inspire and champion America's heroes and she's made a name worldwide as a premier female vocalist with hits that entertain, raise awareness and deliver hope.

Martina McBride and Trace Adkins are joining forces to bring you the “Shine All Night” tour featuring complete sets by both artists beginning in November and running through April 2010.

Together, country music superstars Martina McBride and Trace Adkins have created an exceptional evening flavored with boisterous revelry, sexy romance and honest reflection. With their countless hits and fan favorites combined, fans will be dancing in the aisles to "God-Fearin' Women" and "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," fist waving to the likes of "This One's For the Girls" and "Songs About Me," holding on tight with "I Just Call You Mine" and "All I Ask for Anymore" and remembering what matters most with "In My Daughter's Eyes" and "You're Gonna Miss This."

Add heartbreak with "Every Light in the House" and "Concrete Angel," a touch of vengeance with "Independence Day" and "Fightin' Words" and this event covers the gamut of emotional release.

The Shine All Night Tour, kicks off November 20th and covers 40 cities across the U.S. through the spring of 2010. Both McBride and Adkins will each perform full-length shows. In a few select cities, Blake Shelton and The Lost Trailers will be joining McBride ensuring that every night will be packed with great music and fun times -- both on stage and in the audience.

"I want fans to leave here knowing they got more than their money's worth," says Martina. "My goal is to have this on their list of memorable nights for years to come."

"I think this tour is going to give people a lot more bang for their buck," says Adkins.

The tour will also feature appearances by Blake Shelton and The Lost Trailers on select dates.

Here are the 2009 venues:

Fri 11/20/09 Moline, IL i wireless Center

Sat 11/21/09 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center

Sun 11/22/09 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center

Thu 12/03/09 Colorado Springs, CO Colorado Springs World Arena

Fri 12/04/09 Wichita, KS Hartman Arena

Sat 12/05/09 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center

Thu 12/10/09 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum Complex

Fri 12/11/09 Columbia, SC Colonial Life Arena

Sat 12/12/09 Duluth, GA The Arena At Gwinnett Center

Sun 12/13/09 Birmingham, AL BJCC Arena

Request your backstage passes right away. Sign up at BackstagePassDirect.

Member Review: Pink in the Funhouse

BPD member Stella'sNoFella just this to us:

Britney's latest tour may be a Circus, but Pink's Funhouse trek is way more inspired.is touring in support of her fifth studio album, Funhouse, and the show was fun, fun, fun and then some.

Appearing from beneath a trap door on her catwalk, and suspended in the air by a cable and sporting a long orange feathered train that matched a red and black outfit of sequins and spandex, Pink made a big carnival-like entrance and kept the momentum breathlessly going from there for the next hour-and-50-minutes.

Wearing numerous skimpy costumes and performing on an amusement park-inspired set with an eight-piece band and five dancers, there really was no stopping her infectious energy powered by that thrilling, soulful voice.

She's one big, blonde, bold, brash ball of fun and athleticism.

I can't remember the last time I saw someone skip down their catwalk over and over again.

"We are here, we are so happy, are you readying to tear it up?" she said, after performing such older standouts as Just Like A Pill and Who Knew, which both prompted major singalongs everyone out front.

One of the few mis-steps was Pink's slowed down version of The Divinyls' I Touch Myself, which featured her in a black lingerie-inspired outfit and writhing around on a red couch. It was sexy but too reminiscent of Madonna's Like A Virgin schtick of years gone by.

Otherwise, Pink kicked off the night off right with a cover of AC/DC's Highway To Hell accompanied by a video of her riding a motorcyCle, lighting a cigarette and setting her house on fire.

Unlike the limp showing by Britney Spears during her Circus trek, Pink was an athletic and enthusiastic performer as she clamoured around her stage, getting in the face of her musicians and the audience as she crawled around the catwalk or dropped to her knees.

She also knew how to make fun of herself.

"How many good dancers do we have tonight? How many terrible dancers? I want to see the worst dancing," said Pink before she launched into Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely) and busted out a few nerdy moves of her own.

There was even a pillow fight staged by her four female dancers and one male dancer, all dressed in white underwear, on a leopard print, heart-shaped bed during another song highlight, So What.

Does this girl have male fantasies down or what?

Still, Pink got serious during a touching piano-and-violin version of Family Portrait and even strapped on acoustic guitar for I Don't Believe You, which saw four of her band members gather around her at the front of the stage.

Even more beautiful sounding was the harmony-heavy Dear Mr. President, a critical open letter to ex-U.S. president George Bush, which saw Pink hook up with her two backup singers, guitar player and drummer at the front of her catwalk or "our fake little campfire," as she called it.

Next up was an acoustic version of Trouble and an impressive cover of Led Zeppelin's Babe I'm Gonna Leave You before she made yet another costume change for the dramatic Sober featuring a two-person aerial trapeze act.

During the MTV Video Music Awards just over two weeks ago, Pink actually performed the girl part but a shoulder injury has prevented her from doing that more recently in concert although she did end the show with the ballad, Glitter In The Air, performing some more gentle aerial work and getting dunked in water.

She's still got guts, along with the glory. After the show was over, she came by to shake my hand (drenched though she was), share a cold soda and asked what I thought of the show.

What did I think? She was amazing.

SET LIST

Highway to Hell (Intro - AC/DC Cover)

Bad Influence

Just Like A Pill

Who Knew

Don't Let Me Get Me

I Touch Myself (Divinyls cover)

Please Don't Leave Me

U + Ur Hand

Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)

So What

Family Portrait

I Don't Believe You

Dear Mr. President

Trouble

Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin cover)

Sober

Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen cover)

Funhouse

Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover)

Get The Party Started

ENCORE

Glitter In The Air

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Member Review: Is that Bryan Adams or Keith Urban?

Member Babydoll asks:

What if Bryan Adams had gone country? He might have been Keith Urban, whose Escape Together World Tour featured something for everyone.

Long-time fans were happy to hear hit singles such as Somebody Like You from 2002's Golden Road and Days Go By from his 2004 best seller Be Here, as well as tracks from his latest CD, Defying Gravity.

Urban's ability to blend country and pop with a rock and roll spirit has garnered him a huge crossover audience, although the lack of traditional roots in his music means he can sometimes come across as a little too slick and polished, and in the case of his ballads, pretty bland.

But live, Urban's songs sound more dynamic and electrifying, partly because he is a supercharged entertainer and one heck of a guitar player. Seeing him from backstage is such a unique experience. I'd never been in the back for a show before. It's F'n awesome!

Of all the current guitar-slinging country stars -- Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley etc. -- Urban is certainly the most gifted player of the bunch.

His fleet-fingered finesse is thrilling to watch.

Urban can be a show off, but it's tempered by an expressive grit and a bit of rock and roll raunch.

Wearing jeans and a red and white plaid western shirt, a constantly smiling Urban paraded back and forth across the stage and onto the protruding catwalk, encouraging the crowd to sing along.

Backed by a smoking-hot five-piece band, which included veteran Nashville guitarist Chris Rodriguez, Urban was laid-back and playful. There were a few corny staged moments, but the group still looked as if they were genuinely having fun.

The basic stage set up made it easier to focus on Urban and his band, and there was more of a light show coming from the flashing bulbs of cameras and Blackberry phones in the audience than on stage.

Urban doesn't have the strongest voice in country music, but it works for him. It came across crisp and clear to the delight of his devoted local fans.

His two-hour display of complimentary traits (handsome, talented, good singer, smart songwriter, decent guitarist) come together for a common cause (to make women melt) was as country as the average Bryan Adams concert, which is to say it was only country accidentally, and just as filled to the brim with romantic homilies.

Urban and his capable band opened with the upbeat Hit the Ground Running -- basically a warning that he won't take "we're through!" for an answer -- segueing gracefully into the slightly less upbeat Days Go By (a reminder that life is short) and then into the downbeat ballad Stupid Boy, an admonishment of some former cad boyfriend she's better off without.

Later came Once in a Lifetime, with its telling line, "Don't fear it now, we're going all the way," before getting into all the stuff about having kids and growing old together. This remains one of the best pick-up lines ever penned. The man is a master.

Small countrified trappings like a largely inaudible mandolin player who looked like Nikki Sixx or the fact everyone was wearing blue jeans did little to detract from the essential '80s-rock, balls-to-the-walls, Bryan Adams-ness of the evening.

All that was missing was a man singing about his first real six-string he bought at the five and dime in the summer of '69. Keith Urban was two years old in 1969, although the trusty "six string" appears in one of his best-loved songs, Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me, not being played until his fingers bled, but with his girlfriend, "across her pretty knee."

Much has been made of Urban's prowess on the six-string, but again he is less a real "picker" like Brad Paisley than a basic rock guitarist. At one point, he copped his best Eddie Van Halen solo and sang at the same time. You don't hear that every day.

Urban was also unafraid to take the spotlight to himself in several songs, holding 14,000 fans in rapt attention with only his voice and strumming guitar -- on heartrending love ballads, mainly.

The more obvious romantic stuff got the biggest response, of course, including a late evening rendition of You Look Good in My Shirt while draped in a Canadian flag. Real crowd-pleaser, that one. Basic message of the song: Sure, we haven't worked out our problems yet, but the sex is awesome, so let's keep trying.

Taking the metaphor to music: Keith Urban still hasn't come up with a song I'm going to remember two minutes after it's over, but his showmanship is so amazing that maybe it doesn't matter.

F'n awesome indeed. Get your dose of F'n awesome. Join BackstagePassDirect today.

Fame Kills Cancelled

Kanye West and Lady Gaga's highly anticipated tour is over before it even began.

Just days after announcing dates for an ambitious joint show that was to kick off next month, the tour was cancelled without any explanation.

It was to kick off Nov. 10 in Phoenix and was scheduled to run through at least January.