I had been looking forward to seeing Lady Antebellum live from the first time I heard "Love Don't Live Here Anymore." They were just as good as I had hoped. They started their set with "Looking for a Good Time," and closed with their Top 10 hit, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore." They really have great energy on stage, and interact well with each other. I think they're going to be around a long time.
Jack Ingram was next. I had only seen him once at CMA Music Festival, but had enjoyed the show, and he didn't disappoint here either. He started his set with "Measure of a Man," and ended with the fun "Love You," which had the audience singing along.
Kellie Pickler was next to hit the stage, and she did so, opening with her first hit, "Red High Heels." A fan tossed a red high heel up on the stage, and Kellie picked it up towards the end of her song and pointed to it and held it up as she completed the song. She then gave it back to the fan, who was in the front of the area of fans that were standing by the rail. Kellie said she would like to try out a new song on us, and sang a song called "Rocks Instead of Rice." I really like that one. It will be on her next album.
Next to perform was Luke Bryan, who started his set with "Country Man." He's not one to just stand in one spot. He moves all over the stage, and really has great stage presence. He ended his set with the rowdy "All My Friends," which had everyone singing and some even dancing along.
The show closer was Taylor Swift, who opened with "Our Song," and ended with "Picture to Burn." We were escorted out of the venue after the first song, so I only saw Taylor through the open rear doors singing her second song, but she was awesome. I really loved her stage presence the first time I saw her, and thought she really improved even more when I saw her in April. She's definitely a favorite to see live.
Well, that's all for the show. The auctions raised a ton of money, and everyone had a fantastic time listening to country music's future in these great stars. You can bet I'll be back again next year.