A Night Of Country That Is Not To Be Missed!

Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut recently hosted a leg of Keith Urban’s GraffitiU Tour and fans were not disappointed from the moment when the lights went down for the opening act to the moment the headliners left the stage.

Opening the show was the lovely Kelsea Ballerini from Mascot, Tennessee. The 24-year-old sensation had her first album, “The First Time” released in 2015. She followed her initial release in 2017 with “Unapologetically”. As the concert credo states, the opening band is supposed to entertain and build up the audience’s enthusiasm for the headlining act. Kelsea went above and beyond that. She left the audience wanting her portion of the show to continue. Not only does she have a voice with an amazing range, but she also has a personality as strong as her voice. She is a bubbly and vivacious performer who engages the crowd moving from side to side on stage, singing to every corner of the audience while flashing a broad smile the whole time. Many of the folks in the audience who were perhaps un or lightly familiar with Kelsea’s music undoubtedly walked away from her performance as fans of hers. You can tell she loves what she does and was appreciative of the many folks who came early to the show. Kelsea is a prime example of why you should always get to a concert early to see the opening act. You just might be seeing the next big thing!

After a seemingly brief intermission, the lights went down and the crowd roared. Keith Urban took the stage to thunderous applause as the crowd was treated to the start of a very unique show. The stage was adorned with moving video screens which showed the band, the crowd, and various backdrops throughout the show but enough about the technical aspect of the show!

Keith Urban showed why he is such a big draw in the industry and why Mohegan Sun booked him for two shows on back to back nights. His music is a blend of country, rock, and power pop which gets the audience on their feet and singing along. For his song “We Were Us” he brought out Kelsea Ballerini to do a duet much to the delight of the audience. Later in the set, during “Slow Hands” and “Lights Down Low” he gave some of his band members the opportunity to take lead on some solos as he gleefully roamed the stage unencumbered by the need to be near a microphone. After those songs, he did a duet with Carrie Underwood via the aforementioned video screens which had the audience cheering.

Keith Urban’s shows are not just great music. They are filled with audience involvement. He knows people have many options to spend their hard earned money and he goes out of his way to show his appreciation that they spent it on a ticket to his show. Keith loves when his fans bring signs to his shows. This night a fan who is a teacher had a sign stating her students told her she’d never get on stage so of course, he called her up and took selfies with her and signed her poster. Imagine the shock her students must have been in when they received the news and saw the evidence! During the last half of the set, Keith left the stage and made his way to a small stage at the back of the arena so he could connect more intimately with his fans at the far end of the venue. He then proceeded to give his guitar to one of the lucky members of the now close up audience. At the end of the show when the house lights came up, the house music started, and the band left the stage he came to the front of the stage, knelt down, and started to sign autographs for his fans rather than making a beeline for his dressing room. He knows without his fan base, he wouldn’t be where he is. He has a refreshing attitude which is a rarity in the music business today.

Even if you are not a fan of his music, do yourself a favor and go to a Keith Urban concert. I will guarantee you will enjoy yourself tremendously and walk away a fan.

Keith Urban Setlist

Review by Rich Russo & Colleen Begley

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