Australian country singer Keith Urban managed to “get closer” as he moved through the crowd and created an intimate atmosphere during his stop at Scotiabank Place Sept. 9.
Urban wooed the largely female crowd of approximately 12,000 concert-goers as he kicked off the Canadian leg of his Get Closer world tour.
In keeping with the concept of “getting closer” Urban walked along side ramps and atop the mini stage in the middle of the arena, gingerly meeting the screaming fans as he passed by.
He went as far as to invite three guest to sing alongside him on stage : “I wanna kiss a girl/ I wanna hold her tight/ And maybe make a little magic in the moonlight” from his electrifying hit “Kiss a Girl”
Going right in the centre of the 100-level section Urban sang part of his hit ” You Look Good in my Shirt,” before signing and giving away one of his electric guitars to a lucky fan.
Urban pumped up the crowd right from the get go, opening with the popular hit “Put You in a Song” off of his newest album Get Closer
Urban eased into similar upbeats tunes such as “Days Go By,” “I Told You So,” and his current hit “Long Hot Summer.”
Urban’s stage was centred around a carnival theme, with metal rigs twisted into a rollercoaster shape and a large looped screen on the side. Backed up by his four-piece band, Urban rocked the night but slowed down for an ensemble of hits: “Making Memories of Us,” “Tonight I Wanna Cry” and his wife’s (Nicole Kidman) inspired love song “Without You.”
While Urban impressed the crowd with his extensive guitar skills during solos, he also took time to slow down.
During “Stupid Boy” he played with such raw emotion and sympathy for the character in the song who mistreated his precious better half.
Urban couldn’t help but notice the large amount of love given by his fans and the signs they made for him, reading off a few to the crowd.
Women flirted with him and he reciprocated, occasionally calling certain fans “baby,” swooning fans through the entire show. Asking if everyone was having a good time, the arena erupted with cheers and Urban couldn’t help but say how much he loves coming to Canada.
Up-and-coming family trio The Band Perry opened for the country hunk by breaking into songs such as “Hip To My Heart,” “All Your Life” and the crowd favourite “If I Die Young.”
While the acoustics were not the best at the outset, Brothers Reid and Neil, along with sister Kimberly, ended the evening well past midnight for many with a meet and greet session after the concert.
Playing a combination of both new and old hits for hours, Urban and The Band Perry are certainly welcome back to “get closer” with the nation’s capital.
