Blake Shelton's always the perfect Country Thunder headliner. This time he brought a guest
Blake Shelton is beyond ideally suited to the task of bringing Country Thunder Arizona to a crowd-pleasing conclusion on a dusty Friday night in Florence.
He's a household name whose starring role on NBC’s “The Voice” is based in large part on the charismatic good-old-boy-next-door appeal that makes him such a perfect country entertainer.
He’s had more hits than any other artist set to occupy that stage this weekend.
His goofy sense of self-effacing humor is as entertaining as the singalongs those jokes and anecdotes are setting up.
Not only does he know exactly what the party needs, he’s also sitting on what feels like an unlimited supply of drinking songs to fill that need.
And honestly, who else has Gwen Stefani waiting in the wings to join him on two hit duets?
Live from Florence: Here's what's happening at Country Thunder Arizona
Shelton was 'All About Tonight' during his set
After setting the tone with “Neon Light,” a song in which the narrator is searching for salvation in “a neon light at the end of the tunnel,” by which of course he means a tavern sign, Shelton welcomed the crowd to the party.
“My name is Blake Shelton,” he said. “And I came here to Arizona for two reasons — to drink and play country music”
He did a lot of both before the set was through, following through with a hit that had to feel like something of a Country Thunder theme song to a lot of people watching his performance — "All About Tonight.”
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The set was a masterful mix of everything a Shelton fan could hope for in a show at this point in the star's career — romantic ballads, story songs, drinking songs, songs about being a country boy, and plenty of humorous anecdotes.
"I know I talks a lot during my shows," he said at one point midway through the set. "I’ve got a lot to say."
Gwen Stefani made a surprise appearance
Then he talked some more about what Country Thunder looks like to a guy like Shelton coming into Arizona for a concert.
"In the middle of the desert, literally next to a federal penitentiary," he said, "And y’all are out here raising hell like all of this is normal. It’s not. This is weird."
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It was his best of many truly entertaining standup bits.
Highlights ranged from "Honey Bee" to "Boys 'Round Here" to three of his earliest classic in a row — "Playboys of the Southwestern World," "Ol' Red" and "Austin."
But the moment that made this set feel like Country Thunder Arizona history in the making was Stefani walking out to join him on a pair of romantic duets — "Nobody But You" and "Happy Anywhere."
Highs and lows of Country Thunder: Blake and Gwen, Morgan Wallen, Maggie Rose
Blake Shelton set list
"Neon Light"
"It’s All About Tonight"
"Sure Be Cool If You Did"
"Honey Bee" "Gonna"
"Hell Right"
"A Guy with a Girl"
"Sangria"
"Hillbilly Bone"
"I’ll Name the Dogs"
"Nobody but You" with Gwen Stefani
"Happy Anywhere" with Gwen Stefani
"Come Back as a Country Boy"
"Playboys of the Southwestern World"
"Home" "Austin" "Ol' Red"
"Drink on It"
"God's Country"
"Boys 'Round Here"
"God Gave Me You"
Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Blake Shelton thrilled the Country Thunder Arizona crowd as usual
