Keith Urban in Concert

My wife and I went to see Keith Urban last Saturday night at the Bangor Waterfront. We have gone to many shows that I was interested in, it was an easy decision to go see Keith Urban one of my wife;s favorites.

I cannot say that I was on pins and needles for the show but certainly by the time Saturday evening came around I was looking forward to the show.

When we arrived at the show we noted that the previous night's full moon was still shining bright this night. The opening act was a fellow named David Niall that my wife was familiar with, some of the songs were identifiable as hits based on the crowd reaction.

The crowd was energetic and excited. A great deal of young college age girls, high school girls, and women too old to be dressed the way they were. I joked to my wife that one wonders if these, truthfully very pretty young ladies, thought that Keith might offer them a date that night if they looked extra good. Urban took the stage and I have to admit here and now that I do not know a great deal of his songs. I have not paid much attention to country music over the last couple of years.

Still I did find out in watching the show that Urban can truly play the guitar very well. He did play the song Stupid Boy, a song I am a fan of, that features a good bit of guitar work.

The show was fine but I think what it is most important to talk about here is the way Mr. Urban treats his audience. Which was absolutely incredible. Many musicians speak well of their fans, many claim to love them and appreciate them, however I have never seen a musician be as thoughtful as Keith Urban was.

During the show Urban brought up some young girls to have a picture taken with him, he went into the crowd a few times, at one point giving his guitar to a young girl. He had a sing along during the song " I Want To Kiss a Girl" in which he brought up four folks to sing with him and engage in a singing contest. Anyone who was at the show will not soon forget the wild man. a fellow named Ryan, that he brought on stage with him. Frankly I do not think that Mr. Urban will be forgetting his visit to Maine and his new friend Ryan.

In introducing his band members he lets them each take the stage and sing a bit of a song. After hearing the three folks sing With or Without You, American Girl, and It's A Long Way to the Top ( from AC/DC) makes clear that Urban owes more to the classic rock of Tom Petty than to the traditional country of years past.

As the show ended and my wife were filing our way out I was surprised to see the members of the band, including Urban, on stage posing for pictures ten minutes after the show ended. They were speaking to individuals until, it seemed, that most folks ( in the pit) that wanted to say a word or touch a hand received an opportunity to do so.

I can take or leave the music though I think Urban has a strong sense of what makes a hit and continues to put some vibrant guitar effort into all his music. For me, however, what is the most important thing to remember is that Keith Urban, married to a movie star, has a strong sense of how lucky he is and how important it is to show genuine gratitude to the people, his fans, who make him successful.

Urban convinced me. A good singer, a great performer, a better person.