TOBY KEITH, Delta Center, Saturday.
Toby Keith may have a new fan.
She comes in the form of my friend, who, when asked to accompany me to Keith's Saturday night concert at the Delta Center, responded with, "Toby who?"
But, being a good sport, she agreed to go. And she apparently enjoyed herself, because after 10 hand-clapping, foot-stomping songs, she turned to me and said, "I'm having a lot of fun, Angie. Maybe I'm a redneck."
Perhaps.
Not that being a redneck is anything to be ashamed of. Keith himself enticed the crowd with the promise of some "redneck songs" before launching into crowd favorites "You Ain't Much Fun (Since I Quit Drinking)" and "As Good as I Once Was." (Keith was recently nominated for a Grammy for the latter, in the category of Country Male Vocal Performance.)
And nothing says redneck better than the title of Keith's upcoming album, "White Trash With Money," from which Keith played his soon-to-be-released single, "Get Drunk and Be Somebody."
Saturday's performance was part of Keith's "Big Throwdown II Tour," which kicked off earlier this month in Portland, Ore. Those who saw Keith at the Delta Center in November 2004 — part of the inaugural Throwdown Tour — saw a similar high-energy, pro-country, pro-USA tour.
True to his patriotic form, Keith closed the night with two of the songs that helped make his a household name in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and Iraq war — "American Solider" and "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)."
Like its first incarnation, the Big Throwdown Tour II is strictly a U.S. tour, Keith said, noting that France could not handle what he would bring to the country. "Paris, Texas, maybe," he joked.
But also true to form, Keith kept fans on their feet all night with a collection of the songs that have kept him on top for the past decade, from recent hits "Honkytonk U" and "Stays in Mexico" to older favorites "Country Comes to Town" and "Who's Your Daddy?"
Clad in his typical blue jeans and straw cowboy hat, along with a truly hideous blue button-up shirt with red, white and brown flowers, Keith reminded his fans Saturday night why he'll continue to top country charts for as long as he wants.
And, for that matter, why he'll never cross over into other musical genres like so many country stars have done lately. After all, there's little room on the pop stations for songs about drinking whiskey and smoking marijuana with country legend Willie Nelson.
But that's OK with Keith and his Utah fans crowded into the Delta Center, who will clearly support the straight-talking star all the way to the bank.
And who knows, maybe my friend will even be one of them.
E-mail: awelling@desnews.com