We hit Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted show at the Pike Peak Arena last night. Despite a major snowfall that barely let up all day and made for an interesting drive, it looked like pretty much every ticket-holder still found a way to show up.

Opener was Jake Owen. He was OK.
Then Carrie Underwood (the American Idol of 2005, for the non-country folks) did a set. She was a bit hoarse (the weather probably didn't help), but enthusiastic and did her "known" songs, and a couple more that were OK.
Finally Brad Paisley came on... and he is one of those artists who really puts on a full-blown show, fabulous show.

I first started watching Brad Paisley several years ago, when my new husband has just started getting me over my prejudice against "that twangy whiny country crap "he liked. Brad had just started to "make it" in Nashville but wasn't yet to the headliner status - and I started paying attention only because I'd seen in the "alumni notes" that he married Kimberly Williams - a fellow Northwestern alum a couple years ahead of me. (I never "knew" her per se - just kinda saw her around campus a few times after she did the first "Father of the Bride" movie, but hey, my brushes with fame are few and far between...)

But I quickly became a fan on his own merits as an artist - his music tends to be very optimistic, upbeat, intelligent, and a little tongue in cheek when it's called for. And he's got some really sweet love songs...

But the funniest part of the concert was the music that was piped in during the break between Carrie and Brad.. which seems like it *must* have been selected by Brad. Definitely choices from a fellow geek child of the 80's - a Dukes of Hazzard theme cover, Batman theme, Star Trek (Next Gen), E.T's theme, Star Wars, the list goes on... Clayton and I were humming and singing and air-piano-playing along to all of them. (while the older and younger folk -- since the crowd covered the gamut of ages and "types" -- just looked at us funny.)

Anyhow, the basic summary is that Carrie Underwood is a definite talent, she just needs a little more experience on the live tour circuit.
Brad Paisley gives a show that is well worth the ticket price if you get a chance to see him, and don't hate country music. (and even if you do hate country music, he still might be worth a try...)
And get this - you could actually understand every word he sang!