Bayou Country Superfest Night 1 Review

First of all I gotta give props to the organizers of this mammoth event. The whole experience was flawless when it came to logistics. It was some of the best stage management I have ever seen. The performances were awesome also.

I thought Jerrod Nieman and Little Big Town put on good shows. Eric Church was actually the big surprise to me. I really expected a wild man on the stage and got it for a couple of songs; but also got a subdued Eric for “Springsteen” and a few others. Eric’s music was fun and flawless. I wondered if his “chill” attitude on some songs was just part of his coolness. The end result was boring. Then it was Carrie Underwood’s turn and she blew it out. She was dressed in green shorts and a black Bob Dylan t-shirt over a maroon tank top. She started the show with “Good Girl” and had the crowd eating out of her hand immediately. The girls seated behind me could not contain themselves. Her performance was flawless and her band was perfect. The show was very different from the one she did at the Cajun Dome the last time I saw her. There were no stage props and constant costume changes. This was your basic concert. It just proved that she can command the crowd without all the sideshow antics.

Then it was Keith Urban’s turn. He simply blew everybody away. He was also blown away by the crowd. He even stopped in the middle of a song to talk to the crowd and it was a very special moment. Keith underwent treatment for throat problems last year and is just getting started touring again. The crowd singing his songs caused an emotional outburst by Keith resulting in tears and euphoria. He stopped to tell the crowd how much it meant to him when they sung his songs. He is such a genuine person and you just can’t help but love him. He decided to bring audience members on the stage to sing part of “Kiss A Girl”. He asked the first woman her name and where she was from. She said her name and then said she was from Mobile , Alabama which she followed with a spirited “Roll Tide”. You can just imagine the chorus of boos from the 70,000 gathered in Tiger Stadium. The crowd continued to boo during her singing. Next up was a young man from Baton Rouge. The crowd loved him and his performance was flawless. He made us all proud. Then Keith picked one more person from the audience and wouldn’t you know it … she was also from Mobile and also got booed. Keith blew the crowd away with perfect vocals and blistering guitar play. It was easy to see why he was picked for the headliner for the Saturday performances.

The time between acts was held to a minimum. The sound was perfect. The lights and stage were awesome. The Cajun food was delicious. There was a problem with the men’s restrooms on the west side and they had to be closed. This caused a little rush at the portable toilets but it was not enough of a problem to dampen any one’s spirits. All in all it was a fantastic night in Baton Rouge. I look forward to going back tonight.