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After 10 years of performing in front of sold-out venues all around American, country singer Blake Shelton still gets nervous – at least that what he says.
And when the 35-year-old Oklahoman gets nervous, he drinks.
Just two songs into his show at Reno Events Center on Sunday night, Shelton sipped from a black plastic cup what one could only assume was whiskey.
The sold-out crowd complied with Shelton’s boozing, and even joined him, as the 2010 American County Music male vocalist of the year played 14 songs during a 90-minute set.
Like a chatty cowboy with a few cocktails in him, Shelton showed off his forthcoming and witty personality yet still sang strongly without nerves.
He apologized early and often about having to postpone the show, which was originally set for last Wednesday. He said he was a little “nervous” that no one would show up, which required another gulp.
He also said he embarrassingly fell in love with the audience a little prematurely, which required another swig. Shelton also prefaced the song “Drink on It” and “The More I Drink” with a few more swills down the hatch.
While Shelton might be an embarrassment to sobriety, the country man certainly can hold his liquor. There was never a glitch in the performance, which covered all his 10 No. 1 hits from “God Gave Me You” to “Hill Billy Bone.”
He played an intimate solo-acoustic version of his first No. 1 hit from 2001 “Austin” and “Nobody but Me,” showing that he’s not just a 6-foot-5 red neck with a deep voice, he’s pretty damn talented instrumentally as well.
Shelton dipped into how the situation played out for him starring on the NBC show, “The Voice.” He even played his fellow-judge’s No. 1 hit “Forget You” by Cee Lo Green. He abruptly stopped in the middle of the song, though.
Shelton said he got an evil look from an audience member, and said he’d go back to rocking it country style.
The show got a little sketchy two songs before it finished. Some drunk cowboy hopped on the right side of the stage, took a left toward the center runway and right toward Shelton.
You knew it was real when you saw one of the back-up singers screaming toward Shelton to warn him, which was an impossible feat considering how loud it was.
But the fan wasn’t concerned with tackling Shelton – he wanted to stage dive.
A word to the wise, and Shelton would back me up: Don’t stage dive into an empty pit.
The dude dove into the audience and fell flat on his face. Surprisingly, he was still able to use his legs while security tossed him out.
“Y’all are crazy in Reno,” Shelton said.
And finally, Shelton talked about his love for Twitter and how his management despises it. Shelton is more outspoken than perhaps any music star.
He subtly posted this little ditty just a few hours after the show.
“I'm so drunk right now in Reno I just turned to a cop and said ‘No sir I was NOT pissing my name in the snow!!!!! I was going to poop it!!’”
God bless you, Blake Shelton.
What other people are saying...
renolaw - March 19, 2012 at 2:34 PM
Yet they cut off beer sales at 9pm. FAIL!
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