Brad Paisley doesn’t need to add much luster and flash to his live shows. He has the music (including 17 No. 1 singles), his longtime band, the personality and the guitar wizardry to pack a house and throw down a two-hour show filled with modern-country hooks and hard-rock licks. But these days, depending on the venue, that isn’t always enough.
In late January, he drew a near full-house into Kansas City’s Sprint Center, and he brought with him plenty of added attractions – the same attractions he’ll likely bring Saturday to the Tacoma Dome: two heavyweight opening acts; a wildly entertaining light/laser/video show; a virtual appearance by one of country music’s biggest stars; and all those No. 1 hits and well-known songs.
Paisley is one of the genre’s better songwriters, one who can cover all the bases. He can be funny, sarcastic, patriotic and romantic – a doting lover, a good husband, lady-loving party-boy, and the guys’ guy who will pick fishing over his boyfriend duties because when it comes to love, there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
He uses his live shows to highlight another gift, one that is unmatched by few of his peers: his skills on the electric guitar. The set list comprised nearly two dozen songs, and on more than half of those, Paisley uncorked at least one furious lead, each in a variety of styles (rock, blues and one bristling surf-guitar flourish). For the most part, it was all tasteful show-boating.
He played a bundle of his hits, new and old: “Ticks,” “Celebrity,” “Letter to Me,” “Waitin’ On a Woman,” “This Is Country Music,” “The World.” He also fused the Waylon/Willie tune “Good Hearted Woman,” with one of his own, “I’m Still a Guy.” He spent a few songs at a satellite stage, serenading fans at the back of the arena. He brought out each of his opening acts – The Band Perry and Scotty McCreery, last year’s “American Idol” champ – to join him on “Whisky Lullaby” and “Celebrity.”
As if that wasn’t enough, he gave the crowd a feast of lasers, lights, photographs, stock footage and music videos, including the updated version of “Celebrity.” A virtual performance by Carrie Underwood was spectacular. She appeared out of thin air aside drummer Ben Sesar and sang “Remind Me” with Paisley. After “Water,” Paisley mounted a platform and appeared to dive head-first into an aquarium the width of the stage.
He finished his two-hour show with two party anthems, including “Alcohol,” which celebrates all that is right and wrong with drinking: “You had some of the best times / You’ll never remember with me / Alcohol.”
If any song typifies what this show was about it was “This Is Country Music,” his tribute to the world in which he has flourished under his own terms. Paisley honors legends (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty) and country music’s willingness to address any topic, from cancer and Jesus to marriage and work, drinking and death.
Brad Paisley, The Band Perry, Scotty McCreery
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Tacoma Dome
Tickets: $33.50-$71
More information: ticketmaster.com Recent Brad Paisley playlist:
• Camouflage
• The World
• Welcome to the Future
• Ticks
• This Is Country Music
• Waitin’ on a Woman
• Celebrity
• She’s Everything
• Online
• Good Hearted Woman/ I’m Still a Guy
• Then
• Letter to Me
• Mud on the Tires
• Working on a Tan
• Whiskey Lullaby
• Back to the Future
• I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song)
• Remind Me
• Old Alabama
• Water
• American Saturday Night
• Alcohol
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