Rising country songstress RaeLynn served as his opening act, who was able to warm up the stage for Shelton. This marked his inaugural concert in Brooklyn.
He began his set with “Neon Light,” and immediately broke into “All About Tonight,” which was a neat sing-along with the Brooklyn audience.
“Doin’ What She Likes” was a sweet vocal about pleasing your significant other, which went out to all of the men in the audience, who were dragged here by their women. He showed some attitude on “Kiss My Country Ass.” Shelton has a voice that is able to send chills down one’s spine, and he was able to accomplish that with a soothing, acoustic version of “Mine Would Be You.”
He was able to have a good time on the hilarious “Some Beach” and he kept it traditional with “Ol’ Red,” which resonated well with his male fans. An equally stunning vocal performance was his rendition of “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking.” “It’s Friday night,” Shelton reminded his fans. “You better start acting like it,” he underscored.
“Sangria” was fun and sassy, and it was great to hear him sing new material from his latest album, which included his singles “Came Here To Forget,” as well as the angst-filled “She’s Got a Way With Words.”
Although country darling Ashley Monroe may have not been present for “Lonely Tonight,” he was able to sing this duet with his Brooklyn fans, who did a good job filling in as his duet partner. He went on to offer his audience advice as a coach from The Voice, and praised their “hillbilly sound,” which was a proper segue for him to perform “Hillbilly Bone.”
“Sure Be Cool If You Did” was pure ear candy. During the acoustic segment of his show, he performed “Nobody But Me,” as well as “She Wouldn’t Be Gone,” solely with his guitar and an alcoholic beverage that was next to him. Just when one thought that Shelton could not get any better, he proved everybody wrong with his stripped-down version of “Austin,” which was his breakthrough single that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country charts, and was a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
“Drink on It” was a smooth tune, and his country version of Michael Buble’s “Home” generated a great feeling of nostalgia at the Barclays Center. He closed with “Honey Bee” and “Boys ‘Round Here,” where RaeLynn returned on stage to sing with Shelton. For his encore performance, he was able to pick up the pace with Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose” and concluded his encore with his signature love ballad “God Gave Me You.”
Whether it was during the live show or at a pre-show event before the show, the way that Blake Shelton treats his listeners and fans is absolutely extraordinary. His level of gratitude is evident, and makes them feel cherished and appreciated. He is one true southern gentleman.
The Verdict
Overall, Blake Shelton was superb at his first concert at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It is proof that this year he was snubbed at the upcoming Country Music Association (CMA) awards, since after watching him live, he deserved to be up for “Male Vocalist of the Year” and for “Entertainer of the Year,” since he does both: he sings and entertains, and does them both awesome. His music, especially his earlier hits, were the reason many fans fell in love with the country genre in the first place. His Barclays Center show garnered five out of five stars.
