September 27, 2004
Tim McGraw in Concert
We had a great time at the Tim McGraw concert in St. Paul tonight! The concert, reviewed by many news outlets in town, was my first concert in a few years (the last being an Amy Grant Christmas concert), and I was excited to be there.
Our company has a suite at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, and we were able to watch the concert from there. Opening for Tim were two country bands, the Warrenn Brothers and Big and Rich. Both added flair and a rowdy, bar-room excitement to the beginning of the show. WHile the Warren Brothers songs don't receive much airtime here in the Twin Cities, their music is good. Tim McGraw even sang a song they wrote during his set.
Big and Rich, with their brash, rock and roll country style, lit up the arena with renditions of their popular songs, including a very long version of Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) that brought the sellout crowd to its feet.
After a brief stage reset, Tim McGraw came onstage, backdropped by a dozen massive plasma screens, his eight member band, and an impressive light show. The local newspapers offered reviews noting a constant, unwavering delivery of his hit songs, but I disagree. Tim was able to control the crowd with his every move, whether changing his shirt, changing the mood with photographs taken by a friend in Iraq, or bringing the crowd to a fever pitch with chart-topping hits.
I must confess that I am a country music fan. While I still listen to a wide variety of music, more often than not I'm listening to country music. The musicians make themselves accessible (posing for photos, and signing autograpohs during the concert, inviting people onstage, and even giving people a chance to sing along with him on the mike. This is a far cry from the Areosmith and Elton John concerts I attended, where photos were strictly prohibited, and singing along was done from the comfort of your folding chair.
Anyway, the concert was great. I hope that I will be able to see Tim McGraw in concert again. Perhaps next time he'll be performing with his wife, Faith Hill.
Posted by MEK at September 27, 2004 02:14 AM