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| Blake Shelton - Photo by Jessica Blankenship |
Sunday night was sizzling in Corbin, Kentucky at the Arena with Blake Shelton, Chris Young, and Steel Magnolia. Fans of all ages took part of the concert that was mixed with a full range of emotions.
Starting off things was Steel Magnolia, winners of the 2nd season of CMT's "Can You Duet" television show. The country duo newcomers had perfect chemistry with their vocals and overall performance. During their short set, they performed hit songs including "Keep On Lovin You" and "Ohh La La." Josh Jones even joked that he didn't realize that the first KFC was there in Corbin. This was also their last show on tour with Blake Shelton. In the end, they proved to be hotter than a pepper sprout while singing the Johnny and June Carter Cash classic, "Jackson."
Following up their performance was Chris Young, a fellow television talent show contestant, winning Nashville Star several years ago. Young's set was heavily reliant on ballads more than faster tunes. However, it showcased his abilities as a songwriter and vocalist. Young was proud to announce that his latest single, "Tomorrow," will be #20 on the Billboard Single Charts after just being released a month ago to radio. Fans were up screaming and cheering as he sang "Getting You Home (The Black Dress Song)." Chris Young's set list included: "Voices," "The Man I Wanna Be," and a cover of "Fishing in the Dark."
The moment Blake Shelton appeared on stage during his opening number, "Hey," fans were on their feet for his entire set. Even for it to be a tamed Sunday night the fans got into the music and Blake himself was having a great time. Throughout his set, Shelton would interact with the crowd with several conversations with audience members. He even joked wondering why he was asked to be picked to co-host the ACM Awards with Reba McEntire in a few weeks.
Sitting at the end of the right catwalk, fans were treated with an intimate acoustic performance setting. Blake would perform emotional renditions of "Nobody But Me," "Don't Make Me," and "Austin," as fans sang note for note. His set included "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking," "Some Beach," "All About Tonight," "Kiss My Country Ass," "The More I Drink," "The Baby," and "Playboys Of The Southwestern World." Shelton played tribute to Conway Twitty with the classic, "Goodbye Time," that he made as his own hit.
The biggest surprise came while singing his hit single, "Home" as Miranda Lambert appeared from the right side of the stage into the crowd to sing. She would also perform Trace Adkins portion of "Hillbilly Bone."
Closing the night, Blake Shelton performed an encore complete with "Ole Red" and followed up with "East Bound and Down" by the legendary Jerry Reed. Overall, Blake Shelton's blend of new and old style country music proved as to why he is Male Vocalist of the Year as well as a Grand Ole Opry member.
Overall, the fans of southeast Kentucky got what they paid for - great entertainment from today's new generation of country music artists.
