Danielle Bradbery at the X/ Photo by Leslie Plesser

A few more thoughts about Brad Paisley at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday night:

  • In my review, I complained about Paisley repeating too many bits from his previous tours. If you want to win entertainer of the year and you're not named George Strait, you have to change it up with every tour – like Taylor Swift does.
  • This was the third consecutive time that Paisley has played the X on a Saturday night.
  • I'm always a sucker for when Paisley takes off his hat and puts it on the head of a young kid and slips his acoustic guitar off his shoulder, autographs it and gives it to a young fan near the stage. Paisley also handed the kid a guitar pick on Saturday.
  • For his encore of "Alcohol," Paisley had opening act Chris Young and a bunch of local radio staffers onstage with him boozing it up. Last year, Paisley also had opening act Scotty McCreery, who was a high school senior who played baseball, onstage with him. I remember criticizing the appropriateness of McCreery hanging at the bar back then. At least Paisley didn't invite opening act Danielle Bradbery, 17, to the Alcohol session this time.
  • On Saturday, Bradbery showed why she deserved to win "The Voice" this summer – she has a remarkable voice. An alluring huskiness in her mid-range, the ability to wail but remain under control. However, her lack of experience was evident in her 20-minute set. She couldn't sell any of the generic originals ("Daughter of a Working Man" was lame) from her debut album, due next week. She was more convincing on a medley of country hits that she sang on "The Voice" including Jessica Andrews' "Who I Am" and Sara Evans' "A Little Bit Stronger." Bradbery, who looks like a young innocent blonde Lindsay Lohan, could also use a little help in the wardrobe department. A going-to-the-mall sweater just doesn't cut it in concert. By the by, she also sang one song at the X in September during Blake Shelton's show.
  • Young, the other opening act Saturday, was a treat, too. He showed an appealing voice with nice range, a very likable stage demeanor and an ability to sell a song – even if some of his tunes (especially "Tomorrow" and "Nothin' But the Cooler Left," which I'm sure Zac Brown would not like) were filled with clichéd lyrics.

Here is Paisley's set list from Saturday:

Southern Comfort Zone/ Mud on the Tires/ Mona Lisa/ American Saturday Night/ Outstanding in Our Field/ This Is Country Music/ Celebrity/ Then > She's Everything/ Nervous Breakdown (instrumental) > Hot for Teacher (Van Halen)/ Old Alabama/ to small stage for acoustic set: Waitin on a Woman/ Letter To Me/ Online (with band acoustic/bluegrassy)/ I'm Still a Guy Back to main stage Let It Snow snippet > Beat This Summer/ I'm Gonna Miss Her (the Fishin Song)/ Karate/ Remind Me/ Ticks/ Water ENCORE Alcohol