music

I demand a recount. Two weeks ago, the 5,000 or so members of the Country Music Association voted Kenny Chesney entertainer of the year because, frankly, he sells more concert tickets than any other country star. But if the 16,019 concertgoers who were at the sold-out Xcel Energy Center on Saturday night had voted, Keith Urban would have been the runaway winner.

Urban vs Chesney, it's no contest unless your country concert requires a trip to the islands and Mexico. Urban's concert was like a trip to 1970s and '80s feel-good rock.

On Saturday, he came across like a one-man Bon Jovi. He combined the good looks, passionate vocals, irresistible smile and rock-star moves of Jon Bon Jovi with the guitar chops of Richie Sambora (heck, he's 20 times better than Sambora and he still has his Hollywood wife, Nicole Kidman). He also played bass and piano with equal authority.

After Brad Paisley's knockout show at the Minnesota State Fair in August, I declared him the winner of entertainer of the year.

After seeing Urban, I'd have to change my vote. Paisley had more visual pizzazz, superior songs and more humor, but Urban topped him in vocals (his sweet evocative tenor suggested Kenny Loggins), energy (he has a rock 'n' roll swagger worthy of a sober Keith Richards), sexiness (he's sexier than Chesney's tractor) and guitar fireworks.

Most versatile

Urban is easily the most versatile, expansive and exciting country guitarist in concert. On Saturday, his fretwork sparkled throughout, especially on the blistering solo on "Shine." Maybe the most guitar fun was when he launched into a series of refrains from classic rock smashes -- "Life's Been Good,"Sweet Home Alabama,"Smoke on the Water,"Walk This Way" -- before launching into his own "You Look Good in My Shirt," which found him jumping into the crowd and scurrying half way up a side section to sing and rock out. It was one of the highlights of his 2 ¼-hour performance.

Urban was effective on slower tunes, too, particularly the moody, dramatic "You'll Think of Me" (performed on a small stage in the middle of the arena), the cuddly "Making Memories of Us" and "Used to the Pain," a gut wrencher from his current album, "Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing." Most of the tunes in the set can be found on his "Greatest Hits: 18 Kids," which will be released on Tuesday.

Not on the disc are the rock covers he spontaneously threw in for fun during the encore -- a solo piano version of Violent Femmes' "Blister in the Sun," a lovably loose full band treatment of Steve Miller's "The Joker" and Billy Joel's "You May Be Right."

One other thing that was totally right Saturday was the live video camera work. On a ginormous screen behind the stage, Urban projected the biggest and most electrifying live video I've seen.

Thanks to a camera that zoomed overhead like TV networks use at a baseball or football stadium, the shots got right in Urban's face. His eyes may have been glassy and blood-shot but the sweaty hair and scruffy smile spoke louder than anything I've seen at a country concert this year.

Jon Bream • 612-673-1719

Jon Bream • popmusic @ startribune.com