Charlotte, North Carolina - Thursday, June 18th
Opener: Sugarland
Urban's wide appeal a hit in Charlotte
By Sarah Aarthunsaarthun@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Thursday, Jun. 18, 2009
Keith Urban brought his Escape Together tour to Charlotte on Thursday night and did what he does best – a high-energy concert with wide appeal beyond the country genre.
Opening for Urban at Time Warner Cable Arena was country duo Sugarland, whose hour-long set rivaled the energy of Urban's. Lead singer Jennifer Nettles powered through 15 songs to the packed house, including recent singles “It Happens” and “All I Want to Do” as well as their 2006 hit “Stay,” performed with believable emotion from Nettles.
Many in the audience came just for Sugarland – it was the most full I had seen the arena for an opener -- but if they left before Urban took the stage, they truly missed a great show.
While Sugarland has a distinct country twang (Nettles let her Georgia roots show as she conversed with the audience, calling one woman “Honeypot.”), Urban's brand of country regularly crosses into rock territory thanks to his fast-fingered skills on the electric guitar and his guitar-heavy band. That rock-star style appeals to male fans, while the women swoon for his heartfelt ballads about love.
He provided a mix of both on Thursday, opening with the high energy “Hit the Ground Runnin'” from his latest album “Defying Gravity” and 2004's “Days Go By” before slowing things down with “Stupid Boy.” It was a formula he followed throughout his two-hour set, but he's clearly at his best with his faster-paced rock songs (I found the back-and-forth between slow and up-tempo made the concert drag a bit). Highlights included “Who Wouldn't Want to be Me” and “Somebody Like You” both of which were punctuated by his elaborate stage setup – five huge HD screens that showed every drop of sweat along his brow and a massive light show timed to the music.
Perhaps the biggest thrill for the audience came when Urban ventured into the crowd (twice), popping up on a stage toward the back of the floor (“Who's got the good seats now?” he asked nearby concertgoers who rushed the area for an up-close view) and again in the lower bowl.
He seemed genuinely grateful for his fans, and I think that's what makes his shows so successful – he cares about giving back to them whether it's giving an intimate performance to fans in the cheap seats or acknowledging that disposable income for things like concerts is harder to come by.
Before he ended his two-song encore, he took a moment to give thanks. “I know there are a lot of seriously hard times” right now, he said in a nod to the recession and the budgets many are operating under. “Thank you so much for choosing to come see us tonight.”
His final song: “Better Life.” The chorus: “Someday baby, you and I are gonna be the ones, good luck's gonna shine. Someday baby, you and I are gonna be the ones, so hold on, we're headed for a better life.”
16 comments:
HA! Even though dontlikethepez considers me a "smartass" and qoute... "people are not posting anything regarding these performances because quite frankly they are tired of certain people that are not fans of KU or have never even seen the man perform at a concert make snide smartass remarks that sometimes have absolutely nothing to do with the subject at hand." So listen up future potential commenters of Urban myths, unless you are a fan of the "KU" or have been to a live gig, you should not comment on this blog! And if you're going make comments that have nothing to do with the "subject" at hand"... stay away! And although, qoute, "negativity about him from some people during each and every topic or posting is really getting old. Not naming any names, I'm just saying......" dont be a weasel and cop out, like anti-pez here, and say it to my...well, username...i'd respect you more... I'd like to comment on kidman , but actually, for some reason, at the moment google news search is crashing my web browser! And a yahoo news search is truly useless...so I'll be back later... oh yeah, and dont forget..."worship the orb!"
...OK...just to be a smartass again, let me return to the orbs cd chart performance...after a couple of upticks on the chart, where the orb made it back to #16 a few weeks ago, this week the orb's cd is back down to #29, down two spots from last week's #27...(boy oh boy, that'll annoy the orb's "re-faithful") here's another little annoying fact, 2 cmt award winner swift's cd is at #11 after 31 weeks of release, as compared to the orbs 11 week old release at #29. Again, let me ask, why is swift opening for the mediocre orb? Personal perception of his "success" may make you feel warm and fuzzy for him and yourself...or you get a thrill watching him shake his booty onstage..or that he "appears" back on track because kidman "didnt show up for the gig you happened to be at"...but that doenst address the cold harsh reality of the facts...or the sales of cds that pale in comparison to other country stars...and again I'll be surprised if this cd can even muster a lackluster 1 mil sales...give or take a few 100 k of course. And again, that would be tangible proof of his further decline, and not a simple perception.
OK McLean you asked for name dropping and you have it...YOU!! Frankly I don't give a damn about your respect or anything else related to you or what you think. Sometimes it doesn't appear that you do that (think) very well so I hope you have a lucrative "day job" but oh wait...you seem to be the only one that is ONLINE most of the time (sort of like the loser in Brad Paisley's video regarding the same subject). There are times when what you post makes sense and I am sure lots of people have agreed with you but I do believe if the truth be known when the question was posed as to why no one is posting about performances the answer would come down to what I posted earlier...your SMARTASS remarks and snide comments. We all read this for entertainment purposes and further comment from you regarding the statement I made isn't necessary but most likely unavoidable (as I am sure you have nothing else to do and lots of smartass remarks left) so go ahead and make them if it makes you feel better and gets you through your day but in the back of your mind just remember that basically no one cares about opinions be it yours or mine because you know what they say about opinions and what they are like....well, you should know because it probably hits pretty close to target with you. By the way, as a male which you claim to be...why are YOU so obsessed with KU? Sounds like someone who is lacking in quite a few departments. As a woman, I don't mind admitting that KU is a nice looking man and yes, he is nice to look at, SO WHAT? You wouldn't have a clue how that would make a woman feel, or would you???? Sounding like maybe you do. No one seems to be following his numbers for his concerts or cd sales more than YOU! Feeling pretty manly about now aren't you? HA~ what a joke, just like you.
So, almost forgot about that orb's youtube fan video mash up...
http://www.youtube.com/user/kuyoullthinkofme
...so it seems the number of videos submitted has clapped out at 36...the same amount as when I last checked last month. Well, just call me a big ol' cynical party pooper...but that's a very pathetic number, considering youtubes truly sensational viral potential... it's just sad. It's like a political straw poll...it shows there is no enthusiam for the orb out there...no ground swelling of a robust or excited audience substancial enough to indicate that the orb can or will sell a mill of his cd as I have theorized...based on the first weeks sale being half of what his previous cd sold in it's first week...and of its weak performance on the charts. Now the tour gigs...unfortunately for the hopefuls for the orb's future preservation on the country scene, there are really no hard numbers to actually gauge the success...just a review here or there that may or may not mention, "full capacity crowds"...or was it "near capacity crowds? Will the orb make some money on the tour? of course, that's why bands tour...because as Anna, of forehead, once lucidly commented here or on her blog, the orb is not going to make any money from the cd...as it does look to be lucky to sell even a mill...but he will make money touring, why do you think he's touring for 6 fraken months? And also to sell t shirts and trinkets and baubles. Yeah wishful thinking is all nice and well, but it aint gonna sell the orb one more cd that an enemic buying audience is willing to buy.
HURRAH! RAPTURE! Thank you, dontlikethepez, for giving me your permission to post what I'd like on on this blog! Boy, now I'm really gonna post what I really feel! Although, I've already been called a "loser" for posting on this blog... by other people posting on this blog! So how many comments do YOU have to post on this blog before you consider yourself a "loser"...just saying! I'd just like to assure the mods, that just as I've eventually refrained from getting into coninued "heated debates" with the usual suspects in the pre-moderated days...dontlikethepez should really enjoy this little "meta" moment, because at this point the "argument" is already getting hysterically asinine. And I'd also like to point out that the personal "name calling"... the personal cracks on my "loserhood", based on personal or possible "unemployment" (certainly to someone from Cali where the unemployment rate is 11.5% right now) is hardly the "insulting" point as dontlikethepez might like to think).. and this quote..
dontlikethepez said...
"...By the way, as a male which you claim to be...why are YOU so obsessed with KU? Sounds like someone who is lacking in quite a few departments."
...the "homophophia" in that line is reeking in that comment... what is it, dontlikethepez, dont like "teh gay?" So....is everyone entertained by that? Now I'm the last to shrink from "robust debate", but I dont want the perception to be that I am the one who instigates "meta" wars on this blog... but I will respond...I did not call anyone a smartass for what they may have commented on the orbs live gigs...which some like to maintain... try to find a comment by me in the past month where Ive responded negatively, or bashed someone's comments for liking an orb show. What you will find is my observance, after I read this comment from cricket...
cricket said...
"I'm going!!! I'm in the sixteenth row unless I get really lucky and win a ticket upgrade from one of the radio stations. He was great when I saw him last month so I'm really looking forward to tonight. If anyone's interested I'll let you know how he was later tonight."
June 11, 2009 3:11 PM
...and when cricket didnt "let you know how he was later tonight" I commented on the next thread...
maclen said...
"Well...all i have to say about the few on this blog who were highly anticipating these live gigs of the orb...they must have been really...really...underwhelmed!"
June 16, 2009 1:04 PM
...which is a crack on the orb...which I mainly do, and certainly not aimed at Cricket personally, who may or may not have loved the show, but the point is there is no proof of it either way on this blog. Ok, with my points made, just another reminder to the mods...and a promise this will be the last from me on this...and I will get back to my usual comments on the orb and kidman...as soon as google news search stops crashing my browser, that is!
So, back to the subject of the orbs career projections...and or trajectory...I've already gone through it, for at least the past 3 or 4 years commenting on the projections of kidman's film career projections and it's trajectory on online blogs, here and elsewhere. After kidman recieved her oscar in 2003, after being hailed for the previous 2 years as suddenly the "greatest actress" of her generation...I maintained it was all just a perception that resulted in her being dumped by cruise, and that it was illusionary, as the previous 10 years before the split with cruise, kidmans career was very mediocre at best. Not even an oscar nod in the 10years before the split with cruise...to suddenly 2 oscar nods...and a win... for kidman within only the 2 years after the split. Certainly, kidman's "box office" power was a joke...as it is plain now, she never had any box office power..and her films were simply box office disappointments, to outright flops to indie indifference. I never once believed in those past 6 years that kidman was going to miraculously bust out with a box office smash that would save her career and put her back on top. It never happened, and she is left scrounging in a self-"produced" (along with only 4 other producers...two bank rollers...and minus the big name studio (ie; Fox searchlight) and no distributor) indie flick, which based on her history for the past 6 years, will be unnoticed by anyone. SO we now have the orb, cd sales half of what they used to be...having been past over by other country stars who have taken the top spot in cds sales and country awards recognition. It is plain that the marriage to kidman has certaily helped in that decline, but it is true that the orb is in decline...now whether the orb is "happy" in his marriage to kidman is beside my point..but it hasnt helped his career. And I maintain that the orb has missed his shot...he will never reach the level he was...and will not achieve a higher level he looked to be on before he hooked up with kidman. Now the events and the timing on the timeline certainly show that is the case. It is not cosmic, or physic powers...it is jsut simple obsevation and plain reconition of trends that just occur in show business and has been going on for almost 100 years of showbusiness.
This whole banter is getting quite boring and pointless actually. The only thing I want to make perfectly clear is that I didn't mention anything about "gay" or even refer to ANYONE being "gay". I certainly do not question someone's "manhood" just because they might happen to be gay nor do I judge someone based on their sexual preference.
Jesus maclen - GET A LIFE!
Seriously UM, thanks for putting up this review, it IS appreciated. Wish we could all have a conversation about it, but alas, it doesn't appear that that is going to happen.
I commented in another topic about a common denominator being the catalyst for some of the nastiness around here ending in comment moderation - someone thought it was NK. NO - it is the poster who can't stop posting.
Ok...this is too much fun to let go! So, admittingly, I'm going back on my own promise...but then this site is considered "entertainment" by some...and you know who you are!
dontlikethepez said...
"The only thing I want to make perfectly clear is that I didn't mention anything about "gay" or even refer to ANYONE being "gay".
dontlikethepez said...
"You wouldn't have a clue how that would make a woman feel, or would you???? Sounding like maybe you do...
dontlikethepez said...
"I certainly do not question someone's "manhood" just because they might happen to be gay nor do I judge someone based on their sexual preference.
dontlikethepez said...
"...well, you should know because it probably hits pretty close to target with you. By the way, as a male which you claim to be...why are YOU so obsessed with KU? Sounds like someone who is lacking in quite a few departments."
..yes, people who make "implications" on a "males" obsession on a Male singer and implies that that obsessed male must be "lacking in quite a few departments" is very patently clear. So, what is the implication of women you feel are "obsessed" with kidman?
dontlikethepez...
"Feeling pretty manly about now aren't you? HA~ what a joke, just like you."
So...my possibly "feeling pretty manly" means...that I'm feeling what? Superior? Far more virile!? What? You know, when I started commenting on this blog a few years ago, and when commenters would inadvertently refer to me as a female, innocently and just assuming, I never took issue, never corrected them because it was just innconsequential to me. And then, matter of fact, Choice of NK"S forehead asked me if I was male or female and I, matter of factly, said that i was male...(choice, by the way, is also male, he also commented that fact, if anyone is interested in questioning if he is "lacking in any departments! wink wink!) When a few months ago, the sleazebag who posted a link to their new blogsite, targeting and revealing the actual names of commentors of URban Myths, and seemingly other anti orb or kidman commenters, and threatening to post pictures of these posters I reacted strongly because it was clearly an attempt to intimidate and threaten online commenters with reprisal for what they were commenting about the orb and kidman. It is clear to me what dontlikethepez was implying, and the fact that I am not in the least bit concerned with the gender, or "sexual preferences"...the nationality or religion of other commenters shows clearly where I am coming from. And simply critisizing the orb or kidman, even constantly, is not justifiable reason to reveal your personal prejudges' or implied slurs.
I think that we should drop the personal assaults and concentrate on the subject.
Keith is doing fine right now, as long as he is able to focus on his music and not have to paint Nk's toe nails or be her water boy.
If he does paint her toe nails, just don't tell me about it. Let him do that in private.
I just want to know that he is his own person and not compeletely dominated by NK. I want him to be in control of his career. I loved that he actually dressed as a normal musician at the CMT awards instead of like a banker, as he does when he is with NK at these events.
I am hoping that this trend continues. I don't care if he is married to her, but he needs to keep the focus on his music and not how willing he is to sacrifice his own interests for hers.
Imahick said...
"I think that we should drop the personal assaults and concentrate on the subject."
Yeah, as do I Imahick, but as become evident that the orb's fans who do not like comments criticizing him, will personally attack me for being a smartass and for posting negative comments...etc... I'm certainly going to respond to it. So, you get my point? Now I just read your comment, Imahick, giving your postive opinion on where you think the orbs career is right now...and of course, based on my comments, I disagree with them, but... I observe "blog courtesy", and I didnt respond to your comments now or in the past with, "The orbs career is in the toilet, why dont you stop being a flighty pansy and stop commenting that he is doing well so often!!?? Yes, I'm courteous, but I will respond to others who make personal statements directed at me. And by the way, Imahick, I dont think your a "flighty pansy!"...unlike others who may call you that if they disagree with you.
I don't have a problem with you disagreeing with me, MacLen! Variety makes the world go round.
I think his career has taken a hit, it was obviously not on the upswing. But I think he's trying to turn it around and if he can keep NK out of it, I think he may be able to do it. Time will tell.
Yeah, you make valid points, imahick, and I respect them, I just may not agree with them, but I will not make an insulting comment toward you for posting them. You believe he's trying, but I truly believe kidman's absence from the scene is simply because her career is over, and she's very very desperate to revive it! She's got her film at the moment, supposedly she has that trip on behalf of the UN that was announced for this summer, I'd be very intentive to notice if that even does come about...last I heard from the news cycles, the word was that she'd join the orb in concert when he reaches OZ in Dec! At the moment, he has only 5 dates in dec... over one week...now of course the cynic in me cant help but point out that that is hardly "going out on tour" with the orb. If that does turn out to be true, a week...5 live shows in over 6 months time? That is hardly worth "rehauling" the orb supposedly did to the tour bus to accomdate his family. And of course, from the beginning, I considered that just a simple "PR gimmick" for publicity's sake to imply it was going to be a happy family tour! Yeah, we shall see.
I think she will head to the stage next- perhaps London
OH...I totally agree that NK is a bit worried about her career and I bet she's hoping this is going to be that artsy film that gets her her second Oscar. It's all about the accolades. I think she's quite insecure and needs alot of positive acknowledgement.
I don't really think she ever intended on being on tour with Keith ... if she shows up at six shows I'll be surprised. But of course, they have to promote that image of the supportive wife, don't they?
I heard she might be with him when he is in Canada in September. He said that in an interview. I guess we'll see. It is going to get pretty tough to keep that max. of five days apart promise if she doesn't get her butt out on the road with him. But I'm sure that somehow he'll make sure they meet that requirement, even if it kills him. It seems like he's pretty committed to that, even though NK doesn't appear to make much of an effort.
Tara said..
I think she will head to the stage next- perhaps London
----------------------------------
Perpahs that's why is is looking at property in London....
CHARLES MIRANDA
June 19, 2009 02:50pm
NICOLE Kidman has been looking for a paparazzi-proof home in London to add to her already-extensive real estate portfolio.
It has been revealed the 41-year-old star had been looking at a home in a gated mews with a porter and high security in Belgravia in the centre of London, popular with movie and sporting stars.
The tiny two-bedroom home looks little more than a front door and a window but has been extensively redeveloped with a majority of the home dug underground.
She had agreed to buy the luxury home, on condition it was redeveloped to her own plans and specifications, which included a large theatre-like room, but the deal fell through.
It was redeveloped anyway and is on the market now for more than $24 million.
Developer Alan Waxman told Confidential Kidman had been ready to sign as the buyer but he refused to say why the deal collapsed.
When in London, the Kurbans usually stay at the five-star Buckingham Gates suites, where her favourite chemical-free Sodashi spa centre is located.
Her entourage who stay with her in London usually include a PA, a nanny, her New York-based personal trainer and a no nonsense London-based ex-Paratrooper who acts as Russell Crowe's close personal protection when he is in the UK.
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25659610-5012985,00.html?from=public_rss
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