Blue Acoustic Guitar

Paisley displays common touch, killer guitar chops at Coliseum

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If Brad Paisley were running for elected office, he would have locked up an impressive number of votes during his concert at a near-capacity Dane County Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Thursday.

For nearly two hours, the West Virginia-born country star held court like a would-be candidate, shaking dozens of hands, complimenting regional cuisine (on beer-cheese soup: “Leave it to Wisconsin to take two fantastic things and make them better”) and playing up his I’m-just-like-you roots. The singer introduced a solo acoustic take on “Letter to Me,” which he performed on a small platform set amidst the crowd in the rear of the arena, by saying, “I thought I better come back here and sing to the people sitting where I used to sit (at shows).”

Though Paisley has the All-American good looks and natural charisma of an on-the-rise politician, his songs remained far removed from the growing Red State-Blue State divide. So while contemporaries like Toby Keith and the Dixie Chicks have taken well-defined stands at opposing ends of the political spectrum, Paisley appeared content to remain neutral.

Source: Wisconsin State Journal