A B.S. tumbler (presumably) filled with alcohol, self deprecating humor, and a little confusion over which of Minnesota’s Twin Cities he was in was how Blake Shelton kicked off the first of his two concerts at the Xcel Energy Center. Shelton’s ability to be laid back and relatable on stage is all part of his appeal. There’re no crazy outfits or elaborate hair and make-up for him. He’s just a guy in jeans with rolled up sleeves, rambling about life and love while making a living doing what he enjoys.
Shelton’s opening act was RaeLynn, a member of Team Blake during season two of NBC’s “The Voice.” Shelton has been a Judge on the reality TV show since its start in 2011 and it has helped him reach a much wider audience. It’s also where he met his fellow coach and now girlfriend of nearly one year, Gwen Stefani.
Image: Blake Shelton kept his Xcel concert on Friday straight forward and practical with simple visuals.
After waiting in anticipation between acts, the crowd was seated but impatiently waiting for the appearance of Shelton. When the lights turned off and the opening notes to “Neon Lights” sounded over the speakers – signaling Shelton’s impending arrival on stage – screams of excitement filled the stadium and lifted cans of beer filled the air. After his first song he made a pitch to the audience that he was like them, when he gets nervous, he drinks. Shelton filled the night with both newer music like “She’s Got a Way With Words” and “Sangria” and gave nods to the past with songs like “Ol’ Red,” originally sung by country music superstar George Jones.
Shelton slowed it down mid-set by ambling down the stage, perching himself on a stool, and performing a few solo ballads, including his first hit single “Austin.” The audience sang along, and between songs he once again helped fans connect with him by talking about moms and love and playing country music for longer than some fans have been alive.
There were some extraordinarily loud moments during Shelton’s concert, but by far the loudest and rowdiest moment was when Gwen Stefani made a surprise appearance and joined Blake on stage to perform “Go Ahead and Break My Heart.” After their duet, Stefani thrilled fans and pumped up the crowd by performing her own hit single, “Hollaback Girl” while swaggering and stomping her way around the stage.
Image: Gwen Stefanie made a surprise appearance and performed "Go Ahead and Break My Heart" with Blake Shelton at the Xcel.
After two hours of singing and guitar playing, the lights finally began to dim, signaling the end of the concert. As Shelton walked to the back of the stage, his fans screamed and shouted for more. Shelton obliged, performing several more songs, including “God Gave Me You,” which had the couples in the audience holding one another and swaying back and forth before leaving the Xcel Center.
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