Review: Shelton hits emotional highs, lows

Country star Blake Shelton kicked off the first of three nights of concerts at the SEMO District Fair on Thursday with a performance that mixed his hits, classic covers and a large dose of comedy and stage banter.

Shelton's sometimes rollicking, sometimes somber set seemed to both energize and captivate a crowd of about 2,000 people who showed up for the 2007 fair's opening grandstand concert.

An upbeat tone was set before Shelton even took the stage, with radio personalities from local country station K103 getting the crowd hyped before AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" blasted through the PA. The hard rock and Shelton's "Pure BS" backdrop covered in Harley-Davidson-style flames created the impression that the performer's coming set might be a wall-to-wall fun fest.

Blake Shelton performed Thursday at the SEMO District Fair grandstand. (Kit Doyle)

In reality, Shelton's appearance was a dynamic, varied collection of music that hit emotional highs and lows and showed off Shelton's pure vocal talent and kept the crowd engaged throughout.

Shelton's stage band showed it was more than just a backing ensemble, providing a artful backdrop for Shelton's vocals -- except for a crowd-pleasing chunk of solo acoustic numbers in the middle that included one of the night's highlights, a cover of Hank Williams Jr.'s ode to rural survivalism in the face of urban decay, "A Country Boy Can Survive."

The lead guitarist came out thrashing on a Telecaster before leading Shelton into the classic Western swing-infused Bellamy Brothers standard "Redneck Girl." The song would preview other classic country covers like "Stranger in My House" by Ronnie Milsap. Shelton also worked a country-tinged version of the Van Morrison classic "Brown Eyed Girl" into his set, turning it into a medley with his own "Playboys of the Southwestern World," a song clearly influenced by the Van Morrison classic.

The covers may not have even been necessary to win over the crowd, as Shelton got great response from his newer hits like "Nobody But Me," "Don't Make Me" and "The More I Drink."

Shelton's crowd interaction definitely helped his cause. At one point he went on a several-minute pep speech and comedy routine about his Nashville bosses not wanting him to play the fair because he was too country for Southeast Missouri in which he whipped out the classic country inbreeding stereotype.

The mood of the concert swung several times, as Shelton alternated between songs like the heartbreaking "The Baby," told from the perspective of a man witnessing his mother's death, and the upbeat romp of "Cotton Pickin' Time," a tale of adolescent lust and lifelong love. And the crowd stayed with him the whole time.

If tonight's REO Speedwagon performance and Saturday night's Pat Green concert compare to Shelton's in energy and enthusiasm, 2007 will likely be remembered as an outstanding year for SEMO District Fair concerts.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182