Photos and Review by Renee Deal
Galleries: Keith Urban, Brett Eldredge, Maren Morris,
It was a gorgeous afternoon when I pulled into the parking lot at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion. The tailgate party was already in full swing. Country music was cranking on concert goers stereos while people laughed, ate, drank, played lawn games and made new friends while waiting for the Bank of NH Pavilion doors to open for the Keith Urban show. Adding to the fun was a Kubota utility vehicle full of people giving out Keith Urban bandanas to the revelers. Upon entering the facility, it was clear this was no ordinary concert venue. There was a band playing in an area outside of the main stage area, as well as a wide array of vendors offering all kinds of food and drink. I was having a great time and the show hadn’t even started yet.
First to take the stage was relative newcomer Maren Morris. Her songs have a fun country pop vibe. “80s Mercedes” is a song that makes you want to hop in the car, roll the windows down, cruise and sing at the top of your lungs. Check out “Rich” if you want to hear a country girl embracing her inner rap star… an amusing and catchy song. But the highlight of her set was when Morris picked up her acoustic guitar and sang her hit single “My Church“. Morris played a short 20 minute set, but that was plenty of time to appreciate her powerhouse vocal ability. Pick up Morris’ album “Hero” to hear these songs and more.
Next up was Brett Eldredge. Eldredge was escorted out onto stage wearing a straightjacket. He sang his song “Loose My Mind” while in the jacket, and at the end he busted out, freeing himself and sending the jacket flying. When he sang his big hit “Drunk On Your Love” he passed out roses to adoring fans. Just before singing “If You Were My Girl” Eldredge explained that he wrote the song because he had had a crush on a girl who’s boyfriend treated her terribly. The song was especially powerful because he played solo on an acoustic guitar while he sang, without the band backing him up. He then encouraged the audience to “grab someone close and keep the love thing going”. He sang his love song “Mean to Me”. Eldredge rounded out his performance with more hits including “Don’t Ya” and “Wanna Be That Song”. Check out his latest album “Illinois”. He was fantastic!
Keith Urban hit the stage in a cloud of mystery, starting his song “Gone Tomorrow Here Today” backlit by the spotlight, with only his silhouette visible. Rocking out on his 6 string banjo, Urban’s energy was instantly contagious and the audience sprang to their feet to begin a night of singing and dancing along to the music. Next up Urban played “Long Hot Summer” and “Break on Me”, one of his singles from his current album Ripcord. Four time Grammy Award winner Urban has amassed such an amazing collection of hit songs over his career, and this night we were treated to the perfect mix of hit singles along with a couple of songs from his latest album.
One of the highlights of the night was when Urban spotted a guy in the audience holding a sign saying he wanted to play one of Urban’s guitars. The guy’s girlfriend also had a sign saying it was her boyfriend’s birthday and he wanted to play Urban’s guitar. When Urban spotted them, he invited the guy up on stage. After a brief chat, Urban got audience member Rob set up with a guitar and he stood back to see what he could do. Rob started playing Urban’s song “Good Thing”. The look on Urban’s face said it all… he was amazed at just how incredible Rob was! The band quickly joined in, and Urban started singing. The audience went absolutely wild! Rob nailed it and had amazing energy on stage too! This had to be the best birthday ever for Rob. In fact, this performance has been all over the news. And with good reason!
At one point in the show Urban told the audience he was going to go visit the people in the back. So, the entire band got off stage and walked through the audience to a smaller stage that was set up in the back. They played a few songs back there and at the end Urban signed his guitar and handed it to an ecstatic fan.
Urban also welcomed Brett Eldredge back on stage for a duet, and later Maren Morris came back for a duet as well. Towards the end of the show Urban rocked the crowd with his current chart topper “Wasted Time“. As he sang and played the banjo confetti fell all around him and all over the audience. This was the last song of the night before the band headed off stage. But soon, loud cheers from the audience brought Urban and the band back on stage for 3 more songs. Before leaving the stage for the night, Urban took the time to shake hands with a number of audience members.
Keith Urban is an incredible song writer, singer, musician, performer and an all around class act. If you missed him at his stop in Gilford, NH be sure to check out his website keithurban.net for future tour dates. Catch one of his stellar performances if you can!
Keith Urban with Maren Morris and Brett Eldredge at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion – July 2, 2016
