The introductory video reminded me of our very own Cavalier, riding into Scott Stadium on the back of his horse. But this was Nissan Pavilion, the horse was a Ford F-350 pickup and the Cavalier was country music superstar Toby Keith.
His tall figure emerged from smoke and lights, and 20,000 people roared. Before the audience could catch its breath, the twang of guitar echoed across the hills of Bristow, Va.
Keith and company launched into "Honkytonk U.," the title track off their latest album, with studio-quality sound. Some of Keith's hard consonants and country warbles may have been lost to crowd noise.
Also missing was the endearing strain at "but the glass won't ever be half-empty in my optimistic mind." At "I am a red, white and blue-blood graduate of Honkytonk U.," the red, white and blue fireworks more than compensated for the song's shortcomings.
"How Do You Like Me Now" showcased Keith's versatile vocals, highlighting his rougher h's and stretched vowels: "Who cooould that be siiiingin,' it's me, baby, with your wake-up caaawl."
"Stays in Mexico" lived up to the promises of his popular music video. "What happens down in Mexico, stays in Mexiiiiii...," Keith crooned, jolting the crowd with the "-co" when it was least expected.
When the crowd camera showed two girls dancing in the front row, Keith changed the lyrics of "I'm Just Talkin' 'Bout Tonight," using three people instead of two. "I'm just talking about three lonely people who might reach a little understanding," he joked, playing on the rowdy crowd's imagination.
The audience also responded well to the interactive "I Love This Bar" and "You Ain't Much Fun Since I Quit Drinkin.'"
"I Love This Bar" included a suspenseful, emotionally-charged break between the merits of Keith's girlfriend and the merits of his bar. In the studio recording, the pause lasts approximately four seconds. In previous live recordings, the crowd's cheers extend the pause to seven seconds. The pause at Nissan Pavilion was, at minimum, 30-seconds long, which gave Keith plenty of time to laugh, hold out his mic to the crowd, laugh again and shush the audience before closing, "...but I looooove this bar."
Before his two-song encore, Keith praised American troops, acknowledging soldiers in the audience from Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
"We are the good guys, make no mistake about that," Keith said after the mentioning Iraq and Afghanistan. He sang "American Soldier" and "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue," changing some words for emphasis and laughs.
Despite the meaning of "Courtesy," the words "...now this nation that I love has fallen under attack" lacked the necessary anger. And "You'll be sorry that you messed with... the U.S. of A" was already too cliché to be convincing.
Even from high-price second-section seats, the huge screens flanking the stage drew the most attention. After all, why squint at a tiny figure when you can gaze at Keith's glistening, sweaty, thirty-foot-tall face? Still, at 6'4" the strutting, bowlegged singer was not hard to follow from a distance. Keith's blond curls and sly grins kept the girls shrieking, and sparkling eyes occasionally would emerge from underneath the shadowy brim of his cowboy hat.
Keith's "Big Throwdown Tour II" includes opening acts Shooter Jennings and Lee Ann Womack and coincides with the release of his 13th album. At 44, the age in Keith's voice has begun to break through. Its softness does not come across like it did in his early career. But his current rough-around-the-edges texture undoubtedly adds flavor to his recent hits.
Notably missing from Keith's set were his older, gentler songs, including the romantic "Dream Walking" and the tortured "Ain't It Just Like You." Then again, the lesser-known, slower tunes would have compromised the set's inertia. Keith played only two songs off his new album, the opening track and the nostalgic "As Good As I Once Was."
Even the most critical fan can appreciate Keith's cocky attitude and powerful tunes. Three hours of notorious Nissan Pavilion parking lot gridlock easily is worth one of Toby's sly grins.
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