So, here's a review from a non-country fan.

I saw the Brad Paisley tour stop today here in Fresno, California. The Paisley Party was quite a rambunctious bunch. Now, I'm not a contemporary country fan, but my dad wanted to go and I'm always down for some speed yodeling and some bluesy guitar solos.

The show started punctually at 7:30 just like my ticket stub said. The opening act was Julianne Hough and I guess she was on Dancing with the Stars... I don't watch the show nor do I regularly listen to country radio, so I was out of the loop, but her set was nice. Her bass player played a new Fender five string Precision bass. I was a bit jealous... Oh well.

The next opening act was Chuck Wicks. Once again, another country act I had never heard of. The ladies in the crowd went crazy for him, but I felt he looked like he was just going through the motions and bit worn out (probably from constant touring).

Then my second reason for going, Jewel. She had a very nice performance mixing in her late nineties hits with her new "country" songs. I really think that "Country Jewel" = Jewel + Lap Steel Guitar... but some might disagree. Right at the end she gave me what I wanted: a little taste of her "speed yodeling." It was awesome. I'm a sucker for oddball stuff like that. Yodeling and Glockenspiels and Theremins, ah my life would be complete...

Brad Paisley had quite an amazing set. His screen behind him was very sharp and it was used appropriately. Right at the beginning there seemed to be a silhouette of Paisley rising from a trap door of the stage, then BAM all the lights flash and he was magically at the front of the stage! It took me a few moments before I realized what had happened. Then later, he sang his duet song with a video and audio recording of Allison Krauss, my dad quickly leaned over to me and stated, "Wait, she's on tour with Robert Plant right now..." With Paisley standing next to the life size reproduction of Krauss, it was fairly believable. Paisley's final time shifted duet was with B.B. King on his bluesy jam of a finale. The video of King said "Streaming Live Via Satellite from Las Vegas" in the corner, although I'm sure it was a recording, Still awesome either way. I loves me some blues.

There's more stuff to it, but overall, I'm really satisfied with the concert. I had a good time and the music-tainment (highly choreographed/insanely pre-planned) was fun.

Excerpted from my blog:
http://kylelowe.blogspot.com/

Oh and watch my new video!
http://www.vimeo.com/1194690
I made the music with my new Game Boy Music Tech 2.0! Yay for 8-bit music!

Well how do I begin....The concert started punctually just as the ticket said....the sets were amazing especially for brad paisley's set....everything sounds clear and intuned....however and i say this with TRUE ANGER....THE SECURITY FOR THE SAVEMART CENTER ARE HORRIBLE, RUDE, ABUSIVE, AND UNPROFESSIONAL!!!!!.....i am a DISABLED person and i COULDNT stand for very long amounts of tijme without sitting down and then i COULDNT see....so therefore my fiancee offered to step ONE foot close to the isle and security had a FIT and THREATENED him and got in his face and i told the security guard what was going on and i was disabled and he said that's My problem and DONT come here anymore than if i am disabled....so therefore my fiancee stepped out in isle when SEVERAL other people did and AGAIN the security guard got into his face and told us to leave....When we proceeded to leave he got MORE attitude and proceeded to call BACKUP because i had TRIED to explain that this concert was my wedding gift and we paid A LOT of money....The other security guard came got into my face and my fiancee told him to leave me alone and then the security guard grabbed my fiancee by the arm and took just him into the elevator and BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF HIM LAUGHING IN THE PROCESS and then SLAMMED his head into the wall....then i came down in the elevator in which my fiancee had scratches and COULDNT move his neck but the cops that there was NO PROOF so there was nothing they could do....in advice to everyone who reads this DO NOT let this happen to you....my wedding presenjt was RUINED all because security wanted to be ASSHOLES!!!!....I am in the process of writing who is incharge of the hiring of the security co. for the savemart center and see what they can do

BRAD PAISLEY was awsome along with Chuck wiks and Jewel i dint get to see Julianne Hough, however though i got to see the main 3nd thy were great I really liked the way Brad perormed when i get were im going because it showe on the screen singers that had past away such as Elvis Presley, James Brown, Hank Williamns, Jhonny Cash, and much more.I also liked when he sung part of a song from Hank Williamns jr- A Country BOy Can Surive. There was lot more stuff Brad however though Paisey did a great show

I was actually pretty startled by Brad Paisley; in the 5-6 years since we had seen him do a great show (but with no "special effects") at the Hanford Fox Theatre, he's evidently hit it big, because the video background sets were incredible and everything was so much more polished and planned. And it seemed like at least half the crowd was singing every word of every song along with him, a slightly scary Garth Brooks-like effect. I'm not sure which kind of show I liked better -- the energy Thursday was just amazing -- something I've never experienced, but I think I liked the intimacy of the older show better; and it was easier to see the musicianship of Brad and his incredibly talented band. Hough and Wicks were OK, Jewel mostly OK, but the room was pretty dead in that section of the show compared to Brad.