|
|
|
Keith exciting, exhilarating and entertaining |
|
|
Written by Review Patty Stewart
Special to The Citizen
|
|
Monday, 06 October 2008 |
Toby Keith wowed a sold-out CN Centre crowd Sunday. (Brent Braaten)
Related Items
No related items found
There were plenty of fireworks at Sunday night’s Toby Keith concert. Between the dazzling pyrotechnics and the on-stage star power of one of country music’s biggest artists, the sold-out CN Centre crowd got more than their money’s worth.
The tall Oklahoman took the stage with one of his newer tunes, She’s A Hottie, complete with his Easy Money Band - a solid brass section, a superb female back-up singer, guitars, drums, keyboards and percussion. While Keith made sure to promote his soon-to-be-released CD, That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy, he also played many of the hits which have made him a superstar.
High Maintenance Woman, I’m Just Talkin’ Bout Tonight, Whiskey Girl, Talk About Me, Who’s You’re Daddy, Could’ve Been A Cowboy, I Love This Bar, Let’s Get Drunk and Be Somebody - the chart-topping tunes just kept on coming all night long.
A multi-media approach to the evening helped make for an even more complete concert experience, with the giant projection screen behind Keith cued to play videos and other film clips that accompanied the music. This addition made a song like I Want to Talk About Me all the more fun, with audience members singing along, aided by the lyrics splashed across the screen.
At six feet, four inches, Keith has a formidable stage presence. Dressed in a grey plaid flannel shirt, blue jeans and the signature straw Western hat with the custom-crushed brim, the singer seemed to connect immediately with the adoring crowd. His voice was in fine form, with the familiar vibrato hitting the right notes.
He didn’t spend a whole lot of time talking, other than to acknowledge the outstanding P.G. welcome, and to promote his upcoming movie, Beer For My Horses. The film is based on a song Keith recorded with his pal, Willie Nelson, for the 2002 mega-hit CD, Toby Keith Unleashed.
It’s also the title of his new movie due out later this fall. Keith wrote the screenplay and also stars in the production.
Keith kept the pace throughout the night, choosing to concentrate on his string of upbeat, many times comical, hits. Only a handful of ballads were chosen, and that seemed just fine with the rowdy crowd.
Perhaps the best part of the show came with the finale - Keith’s defiant, post-September 11 tribute to the red, white and blue.
The man is unabashedly patriotic, and he called out to the audience to remember there’s nothing wrong with loving your country, whether it is the red, white and blue of the USA or the red and white of Canada. As he launched into The Angry American (Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue), Keith flipped his US flag covered guitar to show the crowd the big, red maple leaf on the back. The projection screen glowed with the American flag and then the Canadian flag. Confetti bombs shot out over the CN Centre crowd. Rarely have such high production values been seen at a concert in Prince George.
As a writer who has been reviewing shows at CN Centre for more than six years, I must say Keith’s Bigger and Badder show was the most exciting, exhilarating and entertaining I have ever attended.
Two stand-out BC-born country newcomers opened up for the mega-star. Jessie Farrell, a lively, young red-head with a penchant for country-pop tunes revved up the crowd with a few of her songs. Best of Me and Fell Right Into You were the highlights of the short set.
Sandwiched between the newcomer and star was a former Kitimat boy - Aaron Pritchett. Considering the reaction to his set by the CN Centre crowd, Pritchett is well on his well to Keith-like stardom. Let’s Get Rowdy and Hold My Beer were the best of the popular young singer’s set.
 |
|
Last Updated ( Monday, 06 October 2008 )
|
|
|
Who's Online
We have 198 guests and 9 members online
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed
