PROVO — In the video for the No. 1 smash song "How Do You Like Me Now?!" country music star Toby Keith sneaks into his high school football stadium for a surprise rendezvous with the one who got away.
He serenades her from the 50 yard line, but she doesn't seem impressed; she throws away the rose he gave her and stomps off. He just shrugs his shoulders and belts out the chorus: "How do you like me now, now that I'm on my way?"
Maybe she would have been impressed if the serenading took place at Provo's LaVell Edwards Stadium, with 60,000 fans singing along.
That's exactly what will happen this summer when Keith comes to Provo as the star of the Freedom Festival's Stadium of Fire, a Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza.
"Frankly, I'm surprised he's coming," says Darren Everitt, a student at Brigham Young University who bears a striking resemblance to Keith. "He's the hottest thing in country music right now. That's a big act."
Last year, Keith was voted male vocalist of the year by the Academy of Country Music, which also chose his "How Do You Like Me Now?!" as album of the year.
For those who don't listen to country music, Keith has also starred in a series of collect-calling commercials with former pro football player Terry Bradshaw and baseball star Mike Piazza.
Keith is no U2, the self-proclaimed greatest band in the world, but he is a much bigger draw than previous Stadium of Fire headliners such as Sawyer Brown.
He is also a lot more expensive, and his selection is a signal that Freedom Festival organizers are prepared to spend more money to fill up the stadium's seats.
Last year, the show did not sell out, which was one reason the festival barely broke even. The organization's financial troubles resulted in the elimination of some events during the festival last year and the subsequent closing of its downtown office.
Festival organizers say there is no reason to worry, though. Sponsors such as Novell and Nu Skin are back, and this year's show should be broadcast nationally on the cable news show "Larry King Live."
The festival, which costs $1.5 million, begins in March and runs through Independence Day. Nearly 500,000 people from across the country come to participate in the festival's 30 to 35 annual events.
Last week, Utah County donated $55,000 in tax money to help cover the costs of this year's Freedom Festival at Provo.
E-mail: jhyde@desnews.com