Blake Shelton gives voice to ‘Friends and Heroes’ in Vivint Arena show
Blake Shelton performs on Thursday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on his "Friends and Heroes Tour."
Blake Shelton is shown on a big screen performing on Thursday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on his "Friends and Heroes Tour."
Blake Shelton sings with Lauren Alaina on Thursday night at Vivint Smart Home Arene on the "Friends and Heroes Tour."
2017’s “Sexiest Man Alive” took time out of his jam-packed schedule to spend an amazing, historical, country music evening onstage with his friends and heroes in Salt Lake City.
When he’s not ribbing fellow musician Nick Jonas or trying to steal contestants away from Kelly Clarkson on “The Voice,” multi-platinum country artist Blake Shelton has been busy producing his latest album, “Fully Loaded: God’s Country,” and packing arenas on his “Friends and Heroes Tour.” That tour made a stop Thursday night to a packed house at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
With a handful of history-making country music legends, Shelton created a concert featuring a who’s who list of iconic country crooners.
Before any of the men took the stage, however, it was Lauren Alaina, former “American Idol” runner-up, who proved that country music isn’t just a good ol’ boys club.
Once Shelton took stage, kicking off the evening with “Neon Lights,” it was full-steam ahead of nearly three hours (literally less than 10 minutes shy) of current and classic country hits.
Before turning over the stage to a few of his friends, Shelton belted out a range of favorites — everything from his drinking song hits like “Sangria” to the tender “Mine Would Be You” — and then he invited Alaina onstage to join in singing the duet “Lonely Tonight.”
“Wow! She’s a good singer,” Shelton said. “It’s freaky how good she is. How could someone that good come from ‘American idol?’ If she came from ‘The Voice’ I could understand that,” he joked.
The performance of “Nobody But You” with his sweetheart Gwen Stefani was slightly disappointing as she was only onscreen and not counted among his “friends and heroes,” at least not for the Salt Lake City stop. The song, however, is a new favorite for sure.
After “Honey Bee” Shelton stepped off stage and turned the mic over to 1990s country hit maker John Anderson who performed a set of three songs including “Seminole Wind,” “Money in the Bank” and “Swingin’.”
Shelton then returned to perform four more hits including the raucous hits “Boys Round Here” and “I’ll Name the Dogs.”
Then the stage was turned over to the legendary duo The Bellamy Brothers, who performed their timeless hits “Let Your Love Flow,” “Do You Love as Good as You Look” and “Redneck Girl.”
By the time Shelton’s third hero/guest performer, Trace Adkins, appeared to perform “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk,” “You’re Gonna Miss This” and “Ladies Love Country Boys,” I had been completely transported back to three distinct times in my life. The Bellamy Brothers took me back to my early childhood when I would go to daddy-daughter dances with my dad and he would kindly let me stand on his feet while we glided over the dance floor.
Anderson’s set took me back to my college days when my roommates and I would sit around the front room cueing up all the country hits of the early ’90s. It was then when I truly fell in love with country music.
And Adkins’ songs instantly took me back to many, many nights spent with my friends during my single days living in St. George. We would go out country dancing nearly every week and loved when Adkins’ boot-stompin’ songs would come on.
Peeling myself out of my memories and back into the present I was delighted to find all three of these legends joining Shelton onstage for one final song each. It was truly a great moment for country music and the perfect piece of the evening’s melodic conclusion.
BLAKE SHELTON
”Friends and Heroes Tour”
Vivint Smart Home Arena
Feb. 27, 2020
Neon Light
All About Tonight
Doin’ What She Likes
Came Here to Forget
Sangria
The More I Drink
Mine Would Be You
Every Time I Hear That Song
Lonely Tonight
Guy With a Girl
Sure Be Cool If You Did
Nobody But You
Honey Bee
Seminole Wind — Performed by John Anderson
Money in the Bank — Performed by John Anderson
Swingin’ — Performed by John Anderson
Gonna
Home — (Michael Bublé cover)
Boys Round Here
I’ll Name the Dogs
Let Your Love Flow — Performed by The Bellamy Brothers
Do You Love as Good as You Look (Johnny Lee cover) — Performed by The Bellamy Brothers
Redneck Girl — Performed by The Bellamy Brothers
Drink on It
Some Beach
Ol Red
God’s Country
Honky Tonk Badonkadonk — Performed by Trace Adkins
You’re Gonna Miss This — Performed by Trace Adkins
Ladies Love Country Boys — Performed by Trace Adkins
Hell Right — with Trace Adkins
Hillbilly Bone — with Trace Adkins
Who Are You When I’m Not Looking (Joe Nichols cover)
If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me — Performed by The Bellamy Brothers
Every Light In The House — Performed by Trace Adkins
Straight Tequila Night — Performed by John Anderson
Austin
Encore
God Gave Me You
Performance time: 2 hours, 50 minutes