Country Christmas

Swift's win shows problems with CMA

Country star celebrates birthday today

"Remind Me" video most boring ever?

Brad Paisley is one of the most entertaining people in country music. He puts on an outstanding live show, and previous videos for "Online," "I'm Gonna Miss Her" and, my personal favorite, "Celebrity" are laugh-out-loud funny. Carrie Underwood's voice may be the only thing on earth more beautiful than her smile. Put the two of them together, and they create a dynamite hit song. Unfortunately, they also create a lackluster music video.

Obviously, making a humorous video for this song makes no sense, so I understand that. I also understand that both performers are married and wanted to keep things "delicate." And I even understand the metaphor, but was walking through the desert to each other really all they could come up with? Really? I mean, that could have been part of it, but the whole thing? It's excruciatingly boring. Why couldn't they have had actors play the lovers' roles and just done cutaways of Brad and Carrie in the desert? I think it would have been a much better approach.

Don't get me wrong, "Remind Me" is an excellent song, and it's worth listening to over and over and over, I just wish the video could have provided a similar spark. To quote the great William Shatner: "The end of the song, I liked it... You know when the song ends and you come to a complete stop, I liked that."

Concert Review: Brad Paisley H2O II Wetter and Wilder World Tour

Brad Paisley's carnival/concert recently swung through the area, with stops in Darien Lake, Scranton, Pa. and Mansfield, Ma. With acts like Sunny Sweeney, Brett Eldredge, Thompson Square (special guest in Mansfield only), Edens Edge, Jerrod Niemann and Blake Shelton touring with Paisley, it would be easy to make the show all about the music. However, this wouldn't be enough for Brad, who also provides fans with a carnival prior to the main event. 

Just one of Brad's trailers.

The Water World Plaza offers a Slip 'n Slide, bean bag toss (with prizes), Captain America and Brad Paisley photo stations, Corvette and Chevy FLW boat simulators and a dunking booth. Also, if you're feeling generous, there is a Water = Hope booth and boxes to donate cell phones to soldiers. Oh yeah, and opening acts Edens Edge, Brett Eldredge and Sunny Sweeney rock the stage. All three have unique styles, Sweeney with the classic country twang, Eldredge brings a party to the stage and Edens Edge's country-bluegrass mix is outstanding (expect more on them in a later post). Opening acts are also available for meet and greets after their sets conclude.

Edens Edge

Once inside, Jerrod Niemann is the first to take the main stage, playing hits "Lover, Lover," "What Do You Want" and his latest single "One More Drinkin' Song." He also plays other songs from his excellent debut album "Judge Jerrod and the Hung Jury," as well as Garth Brooks hit "Good Ride, Cowboy," which Niemann co-wrote. Niemann's sense of humor sets the stage for two of the funniest guys in country music.

Judge Jerrod

After Judge Jerrod's court adjourned, Blake Shelton enters to roars of approval from the crowd. Blake plays old ("Austin," "Ol' Red") and new ("Honey Bee") hits, along with a medley of pop songs explaining why he is so "screwed up." Blake's shares the humor that made him a star on "The Voice," and gets the crowd all fired up for the main event. There's no doubt in my mind Blake should be headlining his own tour in 2012.

Blake drawing his biggest cheer of the night, by drinking.

After his outstanding array of opening acts, headliner Brad Paisley finally takes the stage (kind of). Brad comes out singing "Mud On The Tires" (my personal favorite Paisley song) and the hits just roll from there. If you get a chance to attend the show, be sure to count how many guitars Brad goes through (I got 11).

Does Brad play guitar better, or sing better? We may never know...

While the crowd is clearly there to hear Brad sing, he certainly provides more than just music through his giant HD video boards. Animations, music videos and crowd shots are just a few things to watch for. Brad also provides a few surprises throughout the show, from his tricky intro to his secondary stage in the "cheap seats."

Hey, what are you doing way up here?

Brad's signature wit and charm are on display throughout the night, and of course he sings and slings guitar with the best of them. And you know Brad provides a big splash at the end of the night. 

If you have a chance to make it to a H2O II date this summer, I would absolutely recommend it. The Water World Plaza, witty performers, excellent animations and... um... oh yeah, outstanding country music show why Brad deserves to be the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year.