Current Release: April 28th, 2009 | Vol. XXX Iss. 10

Photo By Korinda Rusinyak

Brad Paisley in Concert

By Eric Miller

ermiller@vwc.edu

For Brad Paisley,  Alcohol isn t a bad thing at all. In fact, it scored him one of the top five country music singles of 2005 and landed at number 28 on the Billboard Top 100. And Aug. 31, thousands of Paisley fans gathered at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater, waiting with beer bottle in hand, for the all but infamous line  some of the best times you ll never remember with me. But what they got, they re sure to remember, at least until his next concert. Wesleyan s own Lina Green, associate dean of students, was one of those fans present. In fact, she was there two years ago when Paisley first performed  Alcohol and she remembers that.

Around 7:30 p.m., the Amphitheater came alive as up-and-coming country singer Julianne Hough, best known as the two time winner of Dancing with the Stars, took the stage. Her enthusiasm, mixed with stylish dance moves, energized the audience as she performed her most recent hit  That Song In My Head and a few other favorites that had launched her into the business. Next up was country star Chuck Wicks, who kept the show going with songs off his latest album. Former pop idol Jewel rounded out the opening acts, touching on both her older songs and the newer country releases.

Then, for all those that were there solely to hear him sing, the moment had come. The crowd cheered as Paisley came into view.  I like Brad Paisley because my husband likes him, she said.  He thinks he wrote every song for him. While that might not be entirely true, Paisley does have a very likeable persona, one that carries into his songs, which seem to reach out to everyone. One of the most memorable songs Paisley performed was  When I Get Where I m Going, a moving piece which he used as a tribute to leaders and inspirations like JFK, Elvis, and his own grandfather. Pictures of 9/11 and Columbine were also included in a montage that played on the stage s giant screen.  I m Gonna Miss Her presents a man s decision between spending a day with the lady or going fishing, one Green said she can relate to. Other upbeat numbers included  Celebrity,  Online and  Mr. Policeman. The beautifully written  Whiskey Lullaby and the nostalgic favorite  Letter To Me were a few of the slower but crowd-pleasing melodies that were performed. It s hard to tell exactly what made the night such a success. Was it the lyrics that could relate to everyone present or the deep, soothing voice that sang them? Or was it Paisley himself, and his charismatic personality? I admitted to Green that I actually wasn t really that a big of country fan. She turned her head and looked at me.  Oh, you will be, she said.