Rhythm & News: Keith salutes the military, wows near-capacity crowd
Trevis R. Badeaux
features writer/music critic
The Daily Advertiser
Lafayette, LA

Tuition to Honkytonk U for Thursday's one-night semester at the Cajundome
was $40 or $60, a price many Acadiana fans didn't seem to mind for a course
that could only be taught by patriotic professor Toby Keith.
Keith toasted beer drinkers, military personnel, country legends and his
fans during the nearly sold-out performance, one of the first on The Big
Throwdown Tour II. The tour, an extension of his hugely successful 2005
tour, featured newcomers West of Nowhere and rising star Joe Nichols.

Lights went out at 9 p.m., on schedule. Keith's set began with a 10-minute
video, in which the curly-haired crooner and his pet bulldog attempted to
outwit a pair of alien fans out for autographs and a private performance.
Keith, spokesman for Ford, skillfully used a silver 2006 Ford F-150 to flee
his would-be captors.

The truck, bursting through a steel wall unblemished, formed the backdrop
for Keith's stage, which was clad with pyrotechnic devices, a 10-piece
backing band and three large video screens to keep fans in the nose-bleed
section abreast of every guitar lick, facial expression and the status of
the wad of gum Keith chomped through most of the 80-minute performance.
Fans in attendance were treated to a full-on trip through Keith's current
and previous hits, including Honkytonk U, Stays in Mexico, Whiskey Girl, I
Wanna Talk About Me, You Ain't Much Fun, As Good As I Once Was, I Love This
Bar, Who's Your Daddy?, Beer for My Horses, How Do You Like Me Now?! and A
Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action.

Keith could not hide his frustration as he struggled to hit high notes in I
Wanna Talk About Me and several other hits, his scowls broadcast on three
large video screens strategically placed at right, left and center stage.
The singer, in true professional fashion, didn't let his voice troubles
thwart efforts to give ticket holders what they paid for.

Keith and company recorded several of his latest releases at a studio in
Key West, Fla. Band members became regulars in the bars, especially in the
Miami area, Keith explained, where reggae and Latin music are staples. The
influence rubbed off, with the band performing a reggae-style take on
Keith's 1993 hit Should've Been a Cowboy that earned a non-stop, two-minute
cheer fest.

The initial set ended at 10:20 p.m. The band returned four minutes later
for an encore tribute to U.S. servicemen and women in the audience dressed
in fatigues, military dress uniforms and civilian clothes. Keith saluted
each as he performed hits American Soldier and Courtesy of the Red, White
and Blue (The Angry American).

The evening began about two hours earlier with newcomers West of Nowhere,
who hail from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The quintet's presence was a
surprise to fans, who were led to believe by radio, television and other
promotions that Scotty Emerick, the first artist signed to Keith's new
record label, or rising star Rebecca Lynn Howard, would open.

Still, West of Nowhere made the most of it, unleashing an impressive
four-song set that included Goin' to a Fire, Too Many Irons, Heavy Rain and
Get Right off their self-titled debut on Arizona-based Comstock Records.

Remember the name, folks.

West of Nowhere will be a country music radio staple in no time fueled by
solid songs based around lyrics that speak to honky-tonk regulars and the
hidden cowboy and cowgirl in even the most citified corporate cubicle
resident. The music is a wonderful blend of traditional, contemporary
country and modern pop-rock hooks that appeals to old-school fans and
today's more progressive sound seekers.

Next up was Joe Nichols, who strutted on the Cajundome stage to mad
accolades from the near-capacity crowd. The applause and whistles became
almost deafening as he opened with his hit, Brokenheartsville, and followed
the number with other hits, including his current single, Size Matters
(Someday), his first No. 1 hit, The Impossible, and Tequila Makes Her
Clothes Fall Off.

About mid-set, Nichols launched into a montage that included covers of the
Waylon Jennings hit The Dukes of Hazard, Hank Williams Jr.'s Family
Tradition, AC/DC's Back In Black and the Rolling Stone's Honkytonk Woman,
with each drawing the crowd into a full-on impromptu karaoke experience.

Nichols, despite delivering a near-flawless performance, received the most
applause and cheers from his female fans when he removed a crushed black
velvet sport coat to reveal two huge, cut, muscle-clad arms that extended
from a sleeveless black T-shirt.




Originally published February 18, 2006