Brisbane Concert Friday 11th March 2011!!!!

[michelle23]

From the very first second Alan Jackson took the stage to the very last second he walked off we were mesmerised by this amazing man. The crowd loved every single second and the atmosphere remained on a constant buzz of excitement the whole 2 hours that we had the priviledge of listen to him sing.
I sang along to every word of every song, I laughed at some of the stories he told and I cried when he sang one of my all time favourite songs "Remember When".
The whole night was simply the best and Im sure I speak for all Aussies when I say we cant thank Alan Jackson enough for touring our country so that we could see him sing the songs we have been listening to and loving for what seems like forever <3

[bluesman]

So glad you enjoyed seeing Alan in concert, Michelle23! He is one of a kind, isn't he! So glad he's taking his music to Australia & the rest of world so that everyone can get the chance to see & hear him!

Carol

[katluvsaj]

Michelle, thanks for your review.  Glad you had a wonderful time - how could you not!   There is nothing like the first time you see Alan walk out on that stage - it's magical!

[Kanaloa]

Michelle, thank you so much for the warm review of your experience at Alan's concert.   He certainly can hold your attention and you have to laugh and sing along.   Remember When is my favorite song also and wish it would come back again on the charts.   Blessings to you and all Aussie fans.

[Jeri_MS]

From the very first second Alan Jackson took the stage to the very last second he walked off we were mesmerised by this amazing man. The crowd loved every single second and the atmosphere remained on a constant buzz of excitement the whole 2 hours that we had the priviledge of listen to him sing.
I sang along to every word of every song, I laughed at some of the stories he told and I cried when he sang one of my all time favourite songs "Remember When".
The whole night was simply the best and Im sure I speak for all Aussies when I say we cant thank Alan Jackson enough for touring our country so that we could see him sing the songs we have been listening to and loving for what seems like forever <3

Michelle,
Thanks for a wonderful review! So glad you got to hear"Where Were You", it's one of my favorites also.. He puts his heart
in this song..I cried when I heard it my first time & still tear up each time. we did all those things mentioned here, in that song.. It's in the Library of Congress.
So nice to read where Alan is so loved and appreciated in your beautiful country Australia! Such nice and friendly people.
I'm sure Alan feels very loved and  he got a great reception, so did the Strayhorns I'm sure.
Thanks for your great review and send it in to President Of the AJ FanClub Cindy in Email, subject -REVIEW.. The Email Address is in your Newsletter.Congrats and Thanks for your kind words about Alan.. I have seen Alan and the StrayHorns many times but each time I enjoy it and have never gone to a Concert where I didn't enjoy it! Take Care and Thanks,
Jeri_MS  an AJ Fan from Florida!

[michelle23]

thanks for the replies everyone....i would have gone to the 3 brisbane shows if i could have got tickets

[Summertime]

Great review Michelle.

sorry about my late review & the length of it lol but I hope I captured most of the night for you all.

OMG – wow Alan Jackson may be a country music superstar but he has just “rocked” the socks off Australia!!  We had waited patiently, reading the reviews from other countries/towns/ festivals etc and counting down the years/months/days til it was our turn.  (We know a thing or two about patience as we’ve been waiting a little while for AJ to visit lol)

Then here he was in our country, wowing audiences & gaining new fans along the way, but still we had to wait cause Brisbane was the last stop on this Aussie tour.
 
WOW, today is the day - not too long to wait now Brisbane, I hope you are ready cause Country has come to town!!!

(I didn’t attend the Thursday night gig but from most reports it was fantastic)  

So Friday night is here – the local opening acts were pretty good but hey let’s face it we were here to see the man himself!  People are already gathering around the stage, I have 2nd row seats but fans are coming from the back of the arena so I scramble to the stage as well.  I feel for the people in the front row but Alan Jackson is in town so I gotta get the best vantage point I can as I may never get this chance again.  The lights go down & the screens light up, and the show begins woohoo!

As we read the story on the screens the Strayhorns enter & get set to play before the crowd goes wild when we recognise the “Gone Country” tune & the screams become even more deafening when we catch a glimpse of that Small Town Southern Man about to walk on stage.   I can hardly hear when he starts talking into the mic in that irresistible southern accent and in reality he could have said anything cause I stood there mesmerised.  I/We had dreamed of this moment for so long, for the day that Alan Jackson stood in front of us and sang those songs that we had played over and over again!!  There he was in his trademark hat, cowboy shirt & ripped jeans and for nearly two hours he did what he came to do – to sing & play us his brand of country music!!
He worked his way thru many of his hits & in his own words they may be “simple songs” but they strike a chord with everyday people and that is why they are popular.  He explains the meaning behind some songs & gives some insights into his career etc.  All of the people at the front of the stage are singing along and taking it all in – many scramble for the guitar picks that Alan throws out into the crowd!  Woohoo, I caught one and I fist pump the air like I had just won the lotto lol.

The show moves into an intimate mode with Alan and The Strayhorns taking a seat for the next few minutes.  This gives Alan the opportunity to introduce the band who are all equally welcomed by the audience.  They start off this set with the Zac Brown Band collaboration “As She’s Walking Away” and they have a bit of fun with it.  I am surprised by how many people sing along with this song, awesome!!   They then sing snippets from some of Alan’s older songs but some of his biggest hits – it was a stroll down memory lane and we all loved it.

Then it’s back on their feet and Alan says it is time for some “Goodtime” songs – yay the crowd started screaming cause we knew what was coming.  This was my cue to grab my sign and I was ecstatic when Alan looked directly at me, pointed at my sign and directed the camera guy my way.  I was so excited that I did not even notice I was on the big screen until people around me started waving & tapping me on the shoulder to say hey that’s you on screen lol.  I was away with the fairies cause Alan Jackson looked at me hahaha!!

We were nearing the end of the concert as Alan rolled out some of the crowd favourites including It’s Five O’clock Somewhere, Chattahoochee & Where I come which brought cheers from the audience as we watched the big screens showing local landmarks.  The biggest cheer was saved for when they showed a statue of Wally Lewis who for our overseas friends is a retired Rugby League player who was loved & idolised by most Queenslanders!!

Before we knew it Alan was thanking us all & saying farewell but we stayed put and chanted cause we knew there would be an encore.  The guys all came back on stage & sang Mercury and another song but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was cause Alan was busy throwing picks out into the crowd and signing anything that was pushed in his direction.  I was lucky enough to get a signature & another guitar pick so I was in heaven!!  

I loved the entire show from start to finish and couldn’t believe that it was over so soon!  I particularly loved hearing the live versions of Where Were You & Remember When, the emotion was so evident & took the songs to another level.

I was hoping he would sing “designated drinker” but realise he just has too many songs to choose from that if he sang every song that people wanted to hear then he would never leave Australia hahaha!
Thank you Alan for taking the time to come to our beautiful country, we know we are a long way from anywhere so appreciate you & The Strayhorns for visiting us.  PLEASE COME AGAIN!!!!

[Denise66]

OMG, I saw Alan in Brsibane on the 12th of march and it was totally amazing, a dream come true. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for him to come on stage and when he did, i just wanted to scream, but nothing would come out of my mouth,and then he started to sing and i started to cry. i was overwhelmed. But it didn't take long and i was singing and dancing and having the time of my life, i didn't want it to end. If he comes back i WILL be going again. Just love him so much.
                              Denise Masters...

[Jeri_MS]

Denise 66,Summertime, Michelle23
Thanks so much for all your reviews! They are so Great! such fun to read and  touching also.

I am so happy for you and that Alan got to visit your wonderful Country. He said "the people
were very welcoming" or something of that nature. he really enjoyed your enjoying his Music! His reception
there was Great! you people must be very nice, making him feel so welcomed..He loved the birds and Rural areas, he said.

I'm sure Alan will go back one day, he really seemed to love it there and said How beautiful
it was..
Take Care all of you & come back & post anytime. It's fun to talk about Alan and what he is doing.
You in Australia have been wonderful Fans and I'm sure Alan feel this and his Band also!
God Bless, Jeri_MS  from Florida!

[suem]

thanks for the wonderful reviews!  So glad Alan could make his Aussie's fans happy and love him as much as we do here in the states!
It's so cool to sit back and see how much Alan's music is loved and appreciated world wide.  That's good music when it can speak to people everywhere.
Take care all.  Happy you had a wonderful time!

[bluesman]

Thanks, girls, for your fantastic reviews! It is so wonderful to hear your excitement and your joy at seeing Alan for the first time!  It is such a wonderful experience! His comments on his webpage about your country & the people tells you that he will be back!! God bless you all!!

Carol

[Denise66]

Hey Summertime, the other song he sang at the end was  "Great balls of Fire"

[kimberly]

Hey Summertime, the other song he sang at the end was  "Great balls of Fire"

I think what you meant was SEVEN BRIDGES ROAD
Alan sang 2 songs after the encore song MERCURY BLUES when he surprised his fans by singing ZEVEN BRIDGES ROAD and a small line of Sissy's song which ends up with the line "don't worry about me"

He sang for almost 2 hrs that Friday night...

[dizzydean]

I always love to hear him sing Seven Bridges Road
that is something he doesn't sing very often at a concert.
I am so glad that you all enjoyed all the concerts I never
been to a bad one of his yet.
Kimberly I sure hope you are having a wonderful vacation
sounds like you have a lot planned while you are there...
And you got to see Alan while you were there.Sounds
like Alan really enjoyed him self while he was there.

[Denise66]

Hey Kimberly, On the saturday Night he only sang Murcury and then great balls of fire