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Just minutes after kicking off the New Orleans night of his latest tour, Keith Urban made a promise to the thousands gathered at the Smoothie King Center to see him Oct. 15.
"It's a Saturday night, and it's like a full moon out there," he said. "This is going to be one night to remember, I'm sure."
It was indeed, especially in light of his previous local performance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2015, which was cut short when severe lightning forced a quick finish to his festival debut set. His 2016 return, then, would not be truncated.
"We made it, and we're not playing outside for once," Urban laughed, and, with the swagger that befits his status as a rock star babe, the Australian-born musician continued on to charm his way through a night packed with searing guitar and a bit of country twang.
Leading the night with "Gone Tomorrow" from Urban's ninth studio album that lends the tour its name, "ripCORD," he and his team of four bandmates offered up a powerhouse set fueled by high energy, laughter and fun. It's clear these guys like working together, and Urban likes working for his fans.
Wearing a pair of tight jeans and a black v-neck t-shirt, Urban stood at the center of a stage dressed primarily by various lights, saving any high-production tricks for his own guitar work instead. He often addressed his audience directly, veering off the well-trod path of leading cheers to instead invite a pair of women up from the front row. They were introduced to the audience, and the entire arena became the background for their selfie.
At other points, Urban declared his guitar had gotten "too heavy," so he pulled it off, signed it and handed it to a fan. And, when the show had finally come to a close, Urban was the last one to leave the stage as he spent several minutes high-fiving fans and signing autographs even after the house lights had come up and folks headed for the exits.
They were genuine moments of interaction, all the more heartfelt because Urban took time to make them happen within the kind of massive production he fronts.
"OK, here's the deal. ... If you wanna sing, if you wanna dance, and if you wanna stand on a chair and completely annoy the people around you, this is your night," he said.
Urban led the band in "Somewhere in My Car" before singing a verse or two of "Louisiana Saturday Night." It was just one of several covers for the night, which ranged from Bob Marley to John Mellencamp and even, briefly, Eminem.
The band took on "Gettin' in the Way," "You Gonna Fly," "Blue Ain't Your Color," "Raise 'Em Up," "Wasted Time" and "Days Go By," leaving Urban to occasionally slip into meaty solos, which he'd finish by hoisting his guitar into the air as if to say, "No, don't thank me, thank this thing."
Urban's band did get a little help, though. He invited Maren Morris for a duet in the show's first half, and he brought out Brett Eldredge for a take on "Somebody Like You," which they performed at a miniature stage behind the sound booth. This secondary stage was outfitted with stationery cameras, which allowed the two singers to take turns as goofballs when both sets of their blue eyes loomed large over the screens back at center stage while they blinked at the big crowd.
Introducing bass player Jerry Flowers, Keith Urban recalled a much earlier show in New Orleans.
"We used to be in The Ranch together, and we played down here a long time ago at the Howlin' Wolf," he said. "About 12 people showed up. This is a marked improvement, and I appreciate it."
Hey NOLA.... moochoo luva!!! We had a blast. Thx ya's ALL!!!!!! - KU #ripCORDWorldTour pic.twitter.com/tMbbBIUUY2
— Keith Urban (@KeithUrban) October 16, 2016
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