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| photo by Kelly A. Swift |
Brad Paisley has a knack for coming up with amusing songs
that tap into the zeitgeist like few others in his genre. “Celebrity,” “Online”
and “I’m Still a Guy” are key examples. During a packed concert at Irvine
Meadows Amphitheatre, the country singer/guitarist unveiled another memorable one
amidst a solo acoustic segment.
This time, it revolved around the worst kind of selfies and
featured the refrain “you oughta be ashamed.” Many audience members were
laughing hysterically by the time Paisley’s band joined him to sing the final
lines, “the internet is forever.”
The North American tour, called “Life Amplified,” launched just
a few days ago. Paisley warned about potential mistakes, but they went
unfounded. Taking the stage to the theme from “2001: A Space Odyssey,” the
musicians kicked off the 1 hour, 40-minute set with a twangy “The World,” a country
chart topper from the “Time Well Wasted” album.
There were some replays from last
year’s Hollywood Bowl gig: most of the same songs, albeit in a shuffled order; two
bars onstage where fan club members could hang out and hoist beers; a walk into
the crowd to perform at a B-stage; opening acts guesting on the same tunes ("I'm Still a Guy," "Whiskey Lullaby").
Still, a fun, well-paced concert filled with multiple hits, striking
visuals and Paisley’s always-dazzling fretwork is nothing to complain about. An
electrifying “Country Nation” (the crowd cheered loudly when sports clips on
the big screens showed an awesome catch by the Angels’ Mike Trout and a mighty homer
by teammate Albert Pujols), “This is Country Music” (with a bit of Merle
Haggard’s “Mama Tried”), “Old Alabama” (where drummer an Anaheim native Ben
Sesar and fiddler Justin Williamson got spotlights), “Beat This Summer,” “Southern
Comfort Zone” and wistful acoustic ballad “Letter to Me” were among the
highlights.
Toward the end, Paisley was joined by his duet partner Demi Lovato
for their latest single “Without a Fight.” Irvine marked the first time they’d
done it live together and the track’s sinewy, 1970s Rolling Stones-styled groove
elevated the excitement level even more. The giddy pop star noted that she was
raised in Texas, a fan of country music and that her parents were in attendance.
After a feisty fiddle-led “Online,” the main set concluded with “Mud on the
Tires.”
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| photo by Kelly A. Swift |
Tyler Farr launched his solid 45-minute opening set with the
swampy, attitude-laden rock of “C.O.U.N.T.R.Y.,” from last year’s “Suffer in
Peace” album.
The Missouri singer had no trouble getting some crowd
participation going early for his hit “Whiskey in My Water” and really gave it
his all with a wailing vocal. That also held true for the platinum-seller “Redneck
Crazy.” Yet beneath the camo-clad gruff exterior lies a passionate soul.
With acoustic guitar in hand, Farr did lines from Hank Williams and
Johnny Cash tunes and admitted to not knowing much about the legends, before
admitting “I’m only 32, but I try my best to write good country music.” He
proceeded to do a stirring take on 2012 ballad “Hello Goodbye” and an
impassioned “Withdrawals.” Farr and his rocking band capped things off with the
catchy singalong “A Guy Walks Into a Bar.”
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| photo by Kelly A. Swift |
Earlier in the evening, Maddie & Tae did a pleasantly
enjoyable 25-minute set featuring songs from last year’s “Start Here,” where
the young female country/pop duo co-penned all the songs.
Brimming from ear to
ear, they excelled most during a shrewd “Sierra,” the sweet seamless harmonies
of “No Place Like You” and platinum selling country chart topper “Girl in a
Country Song,” which takes aim at the bro country trend (including fellow
opener Farr).
My review originally appeared at ocregister.com
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