Saturday, February 2, 2008

Baby Tour '08 - A Review (just change the date and add the appropriate city)

If I could say something original or profound about Keith Kidman’s show the other night I would, but I can't. It’s the same friggin show as it has been since April 2007. The same jokes, although he did mention his most important act, the impregnation of the savior, but he did it very quickly. If you are really lucky you can see Keith try to be hip with the in-kids; his duet with Carrie on Umbrella makes one cringe...

Gee Keith, you were off for 45 days; couldn't you have worked on a new song? Gee Keith, you are touring with the MOST popular person in music, can't you rise to the challenge? You're boring. The music is boring the crowd gets wowed but this isn't the bunch that will walk across the street to see you again so what’s the point? Is Keith Kidman a one night stand and not an artist to follow and watch as he develops? Was the golden era for Keith Kidman the time between 2002-2005 when Keith Urban was building his following, recording interesting and intriguing music and was giving intelligent and thought out interviews? Keith Kidman is rich, middle aged and dull. It’s too bad, but its looking like it is true. Fame is a bitch Keith. You look like a tool and your performance is nothing more than a way to make more money or create an interest for the boring lackluster music that came in 2006. Yeah Keith, how about another cover song? Although if the cover on your greatest hits is any indication even that is covered in your career failure.

Here is a suggestion, go back to Oz, watch some really good bands, get that love of music that you used to have back and then write and record something vital and exciting. Then plan a tour were you have alternating set lists and a band who isn't as bored as you are and your audience is getting.

What was that Keith? You like your new married famous life hobnobbing with Sting and the tennis set? You have found balance? Well good luck with that. I am beginning to think rehab was really reprogramming and the real Keith is somewhere being restrained wanting to get out. Don't waste your time with this tour, dear consumer. People magazine will tell you what Keith is all about…you can't see it in the music any more.

18 comments:

Figaro said...

I was hopeful that we wouldn't have to experience "more of the same" with this "leg" of the Keith Urban and Carrie Underpants tour...Alive in '05/Still Alive in '06....But a continuation of the "Love, Pain and I married this Crazy Bitch tour" is not something that I will make much of an effort to see....45 days off and this is the best you can do??? Truly makes me sad....:(

maclen said...

Urban Myths, you've finally hit it exactly on the head... urban's fatal flaw is that he is now country music's version of kidman. He is repetitive, predictable and unimaginative. And it seems, just as kidman has for years now, he's simply going through the motions. The on and off schedule of last years tour was so successful in cutting his cd sales in half, why not just do it again this year...and yes, cut your live audience in half, or more probaby less than half , by piggybacking on other musicians tours...
and yes, embarrass yourself publicly by saying your "devoted" spouse will be joining you on tour, and then having even your devoted lackeys on monkeyland bickering about why she's not with you on tour, and is instead in Oz posing for the "depised and frightening Paparatz. Yeah, urban is the new kidman.

red@gold said...

I guess you didn't hear him say it WOULD be a continuation of the '07 tour? There are many who did not get to see him last year, this show is for them, or for those who just love the kick ass show he puts on. The reviews are phenominal; so it is not lacking in quality. Why you continue to "waste your money" on Keith when you don't like his peformance, and haven't since 2005 boggles my mind. Over and over the 'dislikers' of Keith keep going to his shows and coming back and complaining. Can't you take your own advise and not go?!

realitycheck said...

Footage of the duet is out where if you know where to find it. I thought it was fantastic. If you're done with Keith Urban then so be it. But why keep coming back for more when he continually disappoints you? I would have moved on a long time ago.

Tara said...

A continuation doesn't mean an exact repeat performance. Why didn't the many who wanted to see him last year see him- there were plenty of seats in the venues I was at?
USA Today and CMT just repeated what others said in the Summer of 07- A first time Keith goer would probably like it but the reviewer is saying that these audiences probably won't be back.

The duet did nothing for me at all
but Underwood does nothing for me
Keith has it in him to be the best out there live but if the reviewer is right and he is phoning it in
why should we go?

Love pain and he married that crazy bitch- thats good

Imahick said...

He is an awesome performer. But he keeps doing the same thing over and over. The Keith Urban of the past would have made a few changes ... added a new song or two ... changed the order of the setlist. This is exactly the same show as last year, right down to the smiles, and movements.

I know he has to be more rehearsed now with the big screen and catwalk...but I think he could use a new joke or something? I don't think it means he couldn't change it up a little. But that takes effort. He's coasting right now. I think the ONLY reason he is touring is because he NEEDS it...it's his fix.

Anyway, I still love his live performances. It just disappoints me that he isn't able to find a few days to come back to rehearse and put a little variety in his shows. He's too busy with Gramma to bother enhancing his career...which is just plain sad. And Gramma is too busy being afraid of the paparazzi (or afraid they won't take a picture of her) to come over to the US and tour with him and support him, like she said she would. She's a selfish b*tch.

As far as the duet, I didn't think it was bad! It's an odd choice and God knows, there are 1000 other songs that would have seemed more suitable. But they harmonized well (Keith is very good at blending with other singers and not having to be in the spot light). And the ganjo...well, I suspect Rhianna never expected to see anyone playing ganjo in her "brella" song. It was interesting...that was the only new thing ... so I won't complain about it. I just hope there are more "new" things added as this tour progresses.

realitycheck said...

I dont think anything new he does on this tour will be enough for some.

maclen said...

Tara said...
"A continuation doesn't mean an exact repeat performance. Why didn't the many who wanted to see him last year see him- there were plenty of seats in the venues I was at? "

Tara, you make the best and most lucid point here... the fans who may have wanted to see his show and decided not to, had obviously plenty of opportunity on his last very spotty first leg of this so called continued tour. And continuing it to start this year in only 7600 seat capacity venues... and for a double performer headliner seems to be aiming pretty low. Its certainly not going to help the already played out Love, Pain cd, or the even less popular GH's cd. Looks like its simply to have a reason to do something, anything. But if he really was doing it for the so called "neglected" fans, he would have returned to the euro gigs he had canceled twice before. But then I can understand... the US is a little farther away from OZ, and that would make alot of normal sense.

doublewide said...

Urban Myths, you've finally hit it exactly on the head... urban's fatal flaw is that he is now country music's version of kidman. He is repetitive, predictable and unimaginative.

nail....head, maclen, as usual. it's all very sad, really. i won't be seeing him on this tour. i'll spend my money elsewhere.

maclen said...

Yeah Doublewide, and you are not alone. I think with urban milking his last real cd, which came out Oct or Nov. of '06? I wouldnt expect very much from his next album... if theres another one... between these non meaningful mini gigs, the demanded attention to the old ball and chain, the material will no doubt be lackluster and certainly recycled.

maclen said...

...also meant to add, DW, it seems urban recorded on a song for nelly furtado's next album...it looks like he's hoping to form a part time musican for hire gig... you know, to fall back on when his ride is over.

banbotox said...

maclen-seems like he has done many duets this year.
Here's a suggestion Keith...record a duets album with you as the backup singer. You already have a few tracks recorded and it won't take a lot of effort on your part to cut a few more.
I guess his savior has given him the comfort to slip into mediocrity and not give a lick... Such a tremendous waste of talent.

TexasCourtJester said...

I have not, and I will not, see this tour because I didn't like the Love, Pain Album. I'm still urked he didn't rerecord music for the "Hits" album too. If he can't bother spending any time working on an album for me why should I spend my time attending a concert filled with music I like less than his previous work.

IF there is another album (he may to busy raising a baby to record), if I like the new album, and if he tours close to me I'll think about attending the next tour. However, I don't expect to see him in TX any time soon and I'm not leaving the state to see him.

maclen said...

Well, I think urban would have been well advised to have been concious of what lenny kravitz's involvment with kidman did for his flailing music career... absolutely nothing. I seem to recall after their, what, 6 month fling back in late '03 that basically just got kravitz a few tabloid headlines, kravitz released a cd in early '04, after it was over with kidman. Not surprisingly, his cd went nowhere and tanked...and no singles of any note. He's got a cd coming out tommorrow, which will do probably just as badly.
Now as for urban's current state, a simple check over at billboard.com... underwood actually has two cds at #6, Carnival Ride, which so far has sold 2 mill... and her previous album, Some Hearts at #12, which has sold an unbelieveable 6 mill cds. Meanwhile urbans Love, Pain cd, of course has fallen off the charts, with about only 1+ mill sold, and his Greatest Hits cd is at # 13, and has sold only 500 thousand cds. Its very clear what billing for this double bill tour is, and urban is the clear weak link... and is surly not a keen observer, or is clearly not one to learn from recent history of kidman's non existant influence... in popularity, or for t shirt sales.

maclen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
doublewide said...

yeah, maclen, i'd give anything if she had hooked lenny.....then keith wouldn't be in this mess. she has scared the heck outta the man's muse....she's nowhere to be found.

of course, she is enough to scare the living daylights out of anybody or anything.

he has a very small window of time in which to regain a foothold, or i fear he will be lost forever....

you're completely right about the pairing with underwear...he is the weak link, as far as sales go.

Imahick said...

I think that the purpose of the co-headlining tour was to expose Keith to Underwood's very large audience, in order to augment his falling popularity. He is dynamite when you see him live. Carrie is as exciting live as watching paint dry.

She needed someone with substance to tour with and he needs her popularity to fill venues and hopefully sell CD's. It seems like an odd pairing, but I actually think it's pretty smart. Of course, the money is made in touring. So...this could be financially successful for them, also.

Kendra said...

Talk about uninspired... that's what you'll get from a musician who pushes buttons and makes 'hit songs' just because the fans want them.

Keith Urban is an artist. Let's let him decide how fast or slow his art will come to be. Some of the greatest works of art in history took a very very long time to make. Have any of you considered he's not a push-button monkey that can be fed a few quarters and will start playing great new songs?

Art and creativity are a part of the soul. Give it time.

And PLEASE. Leave Sting out of this. He's a man truly artistic, brilliant, intelligent and sometimes very very slow to make new music. But it's always worth the wait.

Personally, I hope Keith Urban gives himself some time to find the brilliance of things like The Ranch. Or his 1991 Australian album. Or "Used to the Pain" or "I Told You So."