Making the transformation from the oil fields of Oklahoma to the top of the country music charts, Toby Keith continues "Shock’n" country music fans across the nation.

Keith, whose single "I Love This Bar" sits at the top of the country music charts, brought his tell-it-like-it-is attitude to the Big Sandy Superstore Arena Saturday evening for a sold out crowd of over 8,000.

Armed with a band of over 12, the country music sensation came out on stage after a video introduction and pyrotechnics lit up the stage. Emerging from the back of a robotic-like Ford truck Keith began dancing and singing as the sold out crowd jumped to their feet, where they would remain for the entire show.

The stage set-up the came with Keith to Huntington was by far one of the largest to grace the Big Sandy Superstore Arena stage this year. Featuring two levels, the stage display was lit up well by a lightening set-up very similar to what Def Leppard and Michael W. Smith brought into the Arena on their visits.

Prior to the concert a young girl was granted a wish from the Wishes Can Happen Foundation and was able to meet Toby backstage. One of the first things the girl ask Keith was "Who’s your daddy?"

Of course Keith couldn’t leave Huntington without playing that song now. He got the crowd singing along and dancing as he began belting out the lyrics to the number one hit single, Who’s Your Daddy?".

The all-American patriotic redneck inserted several patriotic tunes into his 20 song set list, including the song from his duet with Willie Nelson.

"I don’t think there’s enough good drinkin’ songs on the radio," Keith said prior to performing the hit. "We’ve gotta live in such a politically correct world that we can’t even drink on the radio. Well we’re goin’ change all that . . . Whisky for my men, Beer for my horses."

This was the second time in 3 months that the song had been performed on the stage of the Big Sandy Superstore Arena. The other half of the duet, Nelson, performed the song during his performance in September.

Also included in the nights activities were a segment that Keith called "bus songs". The segment featured songs that he had wrote while being on the bus and never intended them to be recorded, however, they did show up on his new album, "Shock’n Ya’ll". The first of the segment was a song he wrote after seeing a Taliban newscast, entitled "Taliban Song." The song provides a humorous twist on life in the middle east. The other song in the short segment was entitled, "I’ll Never Smoke Weed With Willie Again", offering up a description of what life on Willie Nelson’s tour bus is like.

The country music superstar first caught the eye of the public when he released his first hit in 1993, "Should’ve Been a Cowboy". But after that he remained quite, performing in bars across the nation. It was in 1999 when his next big hit, "How Do You Like Me Now?!" would come – Keith hasn’t dropped off the charts since.

No way was Keith going to walk off the Big Sandy Arena stage without asking the crowd of over 8,000 just that question. As Toby began singing the first part of "How Do You Like Me Now?!" the crowd erupted proving that the country mega-star was still at the top of his game.

After the energy had been at a high in the Arena, Keith decided to slow it down briefly as he sings the opening lyrics to his hit patriotic single, "American Soldier." The air of the Arena would soon fill with American flags and lighters waving from the hands of fans. With a stage lit up with red, whit and blue colors the emotion ran wild through the Arena as Keith poured out his support for America.

Keith has had his fair share of media coverage this past year, however, none of it has hampered his successful run at becoming one of the biggest country music stars of today. Not only has the patriotic musician had a conflict with the Dixie chicks over his song, "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue," but he was also uninvited to appear on a Fourth of July TV special this past summer because of the same song.

As Keith’s guitar player blasted the National Anthem, Jimi Hendrix style, banners featuring American symbols dropped for the ceiling. During the last guitar rift a huge American flag dropped from the right hand side of the stage. With star lights reflecting off the walls of the arena, Keith sung the controversial song, "Courtesy." Fans sang along as the red, white and blue stage was lit up with pyro’s to end his hour and a half set. Keith gave the crowd of thousands one last salute as he vanished in smoke.

 

 

Editor’s note: Due to restrictions by Toby Keith’s management HNN was limited to the low quality pictures that you see in our photo gallery. The Big Sandy Superstore Arena was in no way at fault and in fact helped HNN in the photo process as usual. The low quality pictures are solely due to the restrictions that Keith’s security placed on the media. We’re sorry for the inconvenience, but please enjoy the small amount of photographs from the event we do have.