Keith 'n' Carrie
AC was home to the hottest country music double bill out there these days when the Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood “Love, Pain and the Whole Carnival Ride Tour” came to Boardwalk Hall Friday night.
Calling it a country show is a misnomer — this show rocked. Even Carrie Underwood, who opened the night, seemed determined to keep up with Urban’s rock side. She opened the show dressed in black leather with 6-inch high heels and singing the high-powered rocker “Flat on the Floor.”
As she went through her one-hour set of her hits and selections from her sophomore CD Carnival Ride, she was determined to keep the tempo loud and rocking.
This didn’t always suit her songs, especially the tender “Jesus Take the Wheel.” The backing band was so loud it was hard to hear her voice, especially in the challenging acoustics of Boardwalk Hall. However, she has certainly improved her entertainment skills since she was in town last May.
Highlights of her set included a terrific song from the new album, “I Know You Won’t,” “All-American Girl,” “Wasted,” and her encore of “Wheel of the World” and her signature song, “Before He Cheats.”
Keith Urban is in another realm when it comes to working the crowd. His set includes a jumbo video screen that covered the back wall of the Hall and featured a live digital feed with such beautiful clarity, you could count Keith’s nose hairs in the close-ups. This screen allowed the fans in the back a chance to really feel like they were up close with Urban. He also did a few songs on a stage set up in the middle of the auditorium, and he spent a lot of time walking up and down the catwalk that used to feature Miss America contestants.
Mr. Australia, the hunk from Down Under, delivered a two-hour humdinger of a show that included all of his hits, many on his current: 18 Kids CD. As befits this rock guitar god who hides in country clothing, he combined his great songwriting skills, stage presence, incredible guitar skills, and excellent vocals into an amazing presentation. Beginning with “Where the Blacktop Ends and ending with an encore of “Got It Right This Time (The Celebration),” “Better Life” and “Everybody,” Urban was a whirling dervish of rock with just a hint of country accents.
While his big-ticket rockers like “Faster Car,” “Days Gone By” and “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me” dominated, he slowed it down for several of his best love songs, with heart wrenching takes on “Stupid Boy” and “Tonight I Wanna Cry.”
To quote American Idol judge Randy Jackson, Keith Urban was da bomb.