Review: Brad Paisley, Jewel

Above: Outside country music, Brad Paisley isn't as famous as some of his peers. Inside, he's larger than life. Photos by Timothy Finn/The Star

Brad Paisley isn't as well-known outside country music as some of his peers, but he's one of its reigning stars and for good reasons. One, he's second only to Keith Urban as a guitar stylist. Two, he's handsome, so the ladies turn out to see him. And three, he writes enough songs about hunting, drinking and fishing that those ladies have no trouble getting their husbands and boyfriends to tag along -- ride shotgun, you could say.

Above: Jewel serenades a crowd of fans (and lots of oglers).

Friday night, Paisley drew a crowd of about 12,000 to Sprint Center -- not much smaller than the crowd that showed up to see/hear Tim McGraw in June. Paisley brought along a few opening attractions though -- and it's not insignificant that two of them were ladies who brought out the paparazzi in the thousands of men in the house.

I can't remember the last time so many guys snapped so many photos of a performer -- the way teeny-boppers point and shoot at the Jonas Brothers. (OK I was one of them but I was just doing my job.) Those two ladies were Julianne Hough, who is famous for dancing, and Jewel, who is famous for (a) yodeling and (b) writing dainty folk songs. Both are trying to make it in the world of country music, and from the look/sound of things on Friday, both have a good shot at it.

Hough, 20, was famous before she made a record, via the show "Dancing With the Stars," where she has been one of the pros who train the celebrities. (She won the title twice: with Olympic speed skater Apollo Ono and with Indy driver Hélio Castroneves). Her TV fame has served her well. Her self-titled debut hit the country charts at No. 1 in May and is still in the Top 20.

She has the kind of voice you can hear all over country radio -- pretty and polished, with a twang -- and she sings the kind of country pop that programmers like. It helps, too, that she has hair blonder than one of Dolly's wigs and the legs of a professional dancer. She's not quite an arena performer yet; her act felt a little small in Sprint Center. But the crowd gave her lots of love, especially the admiring men/boys with cameras and especially those closest to the stage, some of whom who looked like customers at a certain "dance" club down the street (her dress was short).

The stage included three short runways into the front 20 or 30 rows that all four performers used to get closer to fans toward the middle of the floor. Paisley's set included a large video screen that stayed busy throughout his lively 100-minute set.

Chuck Wicks followed Hough. He looks like one of the Osmond offspring and he favors soft-hearted ballads like his hit, "Stealing Cinderella," a song about asking a man for his daughter's hand in marriage. It's a warm gust of sap and sentimentality, but the crowd was imbibing it, down to the last drop.

Jewel was not the official co-star of this show but the crowd greeted her like it. Thirteen years after she released her debut, "Pieces of You" (sales now exceed 12 million in the United States), she is re-booting her career by giving country music a shot. It's a worthwhile effort. Now 34 and the longtime companion to rodeo star Ty Murray, she has shed the folkie/vagabond personae for something that feels more genuine. Country music suits her and her voice, which, at times, sounded strikingly like Emmylou's when she was in her 30s.

She performed several songs off her country debut, "Perfectly Clear" (released in June), including "Stronger Woman" and "I Do," which, she said, was "for Ty." She also performed "Life Uncommon," which she dedicated to everyone in the U.S. military. But none of those songs got the reaction her older, folkie stuff did: "You Were Meant for Me" and "Who Will Save Your Soul." The sing-along on that one was as loud as any all night. She ended with some fireworks: a yodeling exhibition that showed off her range and dexterity.

Her set was a nice prelude to the main event. Paisley in way is like Pete Sampras: loads of talent but all nice guy; no grit or gristle, light on the charisma. On the other hand, there is nothing about him that feels forced or fake. And depite his regular-guy personae, he puts on a show that's as entertaining as any one's in country music.

Paisley paints his personality in three primary colors: songs that appeal to a lady's romantic heart ("You Are the World," "She's Everything"); songs that play to a guy's need to bond with his buddies ("Mud on the Tires," "Better Than This," "I'm Still A Guy"); and songs that feature comedy material, like "Celebrity," "Online" and "Alcohol." He also tosses in a ballad or two with universal themes, like "Letter to Me," which, on Friday, he sent out to any high schoolers who feel like they're going nowhere or don't fit in. (And behind him, the video screens showed all the yearbook portraits of everyone in the band.)

Above: Alison Krauss showed up virtually for a duet with Brad Paisley on "Whiskey Lullabye."

Live, Paisley gets to show off his other big talent: his guitar repertoire, which included some hard blues, wild rockabilly and dirty surf guitar. As good as he is, he is just as thrifty about showing off. None of his jams went on too long or drifted into stagnant noodling.

The video screens also imported a few guests: Little Jimmy Dickens and Bill Anderson during the "Guitar Zero" spoof; Dierks Bentley during "Celebrity"; and Alison Krauss during "Whiskey Lullaby." Jewel later came out for a live, in-person duet on "The Way Love Goes." Like Emmylou, she can render some fine harmonies.

He closed the show with two of his more amusing songs, one about drinking ("Alcohol') which featured video footage of some famous pubs and taverns around town, and one about sex ("Ticks") which featured a blond bombshell in short denim shorts. For the final encore,  B.B. King showed up in 2-D and joined Paisley for some singing and guitar-slinging on "Let the Good Times Roll" -- more proof that Paisley may not be major famous in the wide world of music, but he's well-known and respected by plenty of celebrities.

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Brad Paisley setlist: Mud on the Tires, Better Than This, You Are The World, Wrapped Around, She's Everything, Celebrity (with Dierks Bentley via video)/Guitar Zero, Mr. Policeman, In the Jailhouse/A Country Boy Can Survive/I'm Still A Guy, Write a Letter, I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song), surf-guitar/bluegrass instrumental, Whiskey Lullaby (with Alison Krauss via video), The Way Love Goes (with Jewel), When I Get Where I'm Goin', Online, Alcohol. Encore: Ticks, Let the Good Times Roll (with B.B. King via video).

Comments

[Clint]

Awesome show! My wife was asking why so many pictures of Juliane Hough but then none of Chuck Wicks. Hmmmm

[Scorp]

Fantastic review Tim.
Excellent night of music.
Only thing I would have liked more would be to keep the bill to just Jewel and Brad.
Several more songs added to Brads set list would be a definite plus.

Two People Fell In Love, We Danced, He Didn't Have To Be, Little Moments, Who Needs Pictures, Time Well Wasted, Out In The Parkin' Lot.

No way did I think he wouldn't even be playing his current radio single, Waitin' On a Woman.

I captured several videos. They will be on youtube as soon as they finish uploading.
www.youtube.com/EStTramp

[Jeff Cooke-Hough Head #1]

Nice review. I'd have bought the ticket just for Julianne (as I did when she performed here with Miranda Lambert & James Otto). I don't get where people keep referring to her "twang" but, hey, to each their own. I'd like to see Paisley ("still a guy" but always Paisley), and I'm not all that familiar with Wicks yet (other than the rumors that he's hooked up with MY girl). I like Jewel but nobody is a bigger fan of Jewel than Jewel. It was a fun review, though, and sounds like it was a great night. By the way, did you happen to get any pictures of that "short skirt"? Ahem....

[Gary Dean Ash]

Did you video Whiskey Lullabye ?

[Tim Finn]

I did get a short-skirt shot but it's flawed. I'm working on fixing it ... (I swear some of those guys up front must have up-skirt shots.) I shot the video screen of Alison Krauss, not a video. ... JH's "twang" isn't hillbilly hard, but it's there. ... And I thought Jewel was as humble as I'd ever seen her. (That includes a show at Sandstone where she paused to read some of her godawful poetry.)

[Scorp]

I did, but only part of it. Recored some entire songs, and only parts of others.

The ones where I only caiught part, I just tied them together. I just titled it 'Brad Paisley Sprint Center Kansas City 8/01/2008', because I'm so creative. Anyway.....it has Whiskey, That's The Way Love Goes, Online, Alcohol, & Ticks.

The full songs I got were Jewels You Were Meant For Me, I Do, and Chime Bells (yodeling)

Brads songs that I got were, The World, She's Everthing, I'm Still a Guy, and Throttleneck (instrumental)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0nJE5UeaiE

[Penny]

Did you compare him to Pete Sampras because his wife, Kimberly Williams, used to be Pete's girlfriend?

[Pat]

Wish I could have been there to see Jewel...she's fantastic!

[Tim Finn]

I didn't know that about his wife. Funny coincidence.

[Angie]

GREAT Show!! This is definitely one of my favorite concerts I've ever been too. Only disappointed that Brad didn't sing "Little Moments" but "Let the Good Times Roll" was , for my b/f and I , the highlight of the show. It was quite irritating that it seemed like a lot of the crowd wasn't enjoying the scorching last number. Brad should have walked on over to The Blue Room and put everyone their to shame. It was FANTASTIC .

[mankvill]

Nice review! I thought it was kind of odd to hear about Jewel opening, seeing as I don't really think of her as country. Fantastic job, though. :)

Check out my blog for all metal news in and around Kansas City! ;)

[Scorp]

"but "Let the Good Times Roll" was , for my b/f and I , the highlight of the show. It was quite irritating that it seemed like a lot of the crowd wasn't enjoying the scorching last number." ~ Angie

if you check out a few of the videos i got, there were times when the crowd was SO loud and into it, yet during the final song, when the band is completely roadhousing, 99% of the crowd was just standing there. I looked around and thought.....are you people alive at all? I know it wasn't a song a lot of people were familiar with, but the band was on fire.

[Scorp]

I took some pictures

http://s262.photobucket.com/albums/ii92/Music_Mans/Brad%20Paisley/?action=view&current=97767d42.pbw

[Scorp]

it's not letting me add the 'and' symbol &

view(and symbol)current=97767d42.pdw

[Dezzrt_Rider]

Country music sucks.

[Tim Finn]

I just noticed a lot of people doing what they usually do around here when they think it's close to the end: walk out (instead of waiting for the last song to end).

[heyscorp]

hey Scorp: your photobucket album is asking for a password.

[Scorp]

"hey Scorp: your photobucket album is asking for a password."

email me and I will send you the link, trying to post it here isn't working

scorpio102364@yahoo.com

[elizabeth evans]

country musice is good muscie because they have good songs, but my most famous singer is Brad Paisley.

[Ashley Byars]

MY FAVORITE SINGER IS BRAD PAISLEY...I LOVE HIS MUSIC!! HE'S AN AWESOME WRITER AND SINGER! I ALSO LOVE KEITH URBAN AND AFTER SEEING BOTH IN CONCERT I'M SORRY BUT BRAD COMES SECOND TO NO ONE..HE'S BETTER THAN KEITH. HIS CREATIVITY IS BEYOND ANYONE ELSE'S...WHO ELSE COULD HAVE CAME UP TO THOSE QUIRKY LINES TO THE FISHIN SONG OR I'M STILL A GUY?? KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK BRAD UR DOING GREAT!!!!!!!!