"Go or Don't Go"- Concert Edition

Brad Paisley is one of a dwindling number of country artists creating music that can be identified as "country" by the casual music listener. Most current country acts are so watered down that they are practically unrecognizable as country. Maybe that's why the genre is in a bit of a slump right now. Paisley's Sunday concert at the Post Gazette Pavillion is an excellent example of this phenomenon.

The first opening act of the evening was Julianne Hough, better known for her unfortunate pairing with Adam Carolla on the most recent "Dancing with the Stars." She really should stick with dancing. I supposed that she's no worse than, say, Kellie Pickler, but then we're really lowering the bar, aren't we?

Next up was some guy named Chuck Wicks. I restrained myself from uttering my usual opening-act comment, "Who's this loser?" As expected, Chuck also failed to impress me. There was not the slightest shred of evidence of "country" in this guy. He didn't even wear a cowboy hat. His greatest hit seemed to be a poor man's "Butterfly Kisses" (again, I'm lowering the bar.) Most of his other material seemed to very reminiscent of the 1980s Top 40 rock. I swear one of his songs sounded like it could have been a Knight Ranger power ballad. As a side note, Carrie also questioned the masculinity of his choice of pants.

Then came the biggest of the opening acts - Jewel. For whatever reason, she has decided to "go country." Not that this is a bad thing, but it seemed like an usual fit for her. None of her new material was very memorable to me. She did make an attempt an an old-fashion ballad reminiscent of Loretta Lynn or Tammy Wynette, however her vocal style seemed out of place on the song. Speaking of vocal style, she seems to have a strange annunciation problem. I found it difficult to understand her lyrics most of the time. And in case you didn't hear the first time that she was popular, she's from Alaska and she grew up very poor. And her dad writes cowboy songs. And she yodels. Putting all this aside, it's undeniable that she has a very unique, powerful voice. I was pleasantly surprised that she she sang her non-country hits, and they were certainly nice to hear again.

On to the headliner - Brad Paisley. Although Brad is a contemporary country artist, it's clear that he's grounded is classic county. His amazing guitar skills are closely matched by his clever songwriting talent. Of the many notes that he effortlessly played Sunday night, I didn't hear a missed one... and I was listening for them. He also seems to a have a great sense of humor about himself and his fame; always giving a nod to his influences and heroes during his shows. Having said all this, it's puzzling to me that the acts that were chosen to open for him were quite the opposite this philosophy. Hopefully the next time around, his tour will be a bit more cohesive and authentic for true country fans.