Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Keith Urban ready to take fans on carnival ride
|
Edition:
U.S.
Article
Comments (1)
Editor's Choice
Playboy founder Hugh Hefner dumped at the altar
No Derek Jeter, no problem as Yankees rout Rangers
Expletive-laced kids book parody is unlikely hit
Spelling mansion sold to Formula One heiress: report
Gay judge's California same-sex marriage ruling upheld
Mickelson eyes Open breakthough after previous close calls
Royal newlyweds take "small" entourage to North America
Comment: Muggles beware! Pottermania is back
Video: MJ goes global for his new music video
Slideshow: Quest for the Stanley Cup
Follow Reuters
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
YouTube
Read
Porn star says Representative Weiner asked her to lie
3:59pm EDT
Consumers battle weaker growth, higher prices
|
4:25pm EDT
U.S. agents slam gun sting effort on Mexico border
1:09pm EDT
Indicted John Edwards smiles in police mug shot
3:20pm EDT
Oil dives 4 percent on demand worry, dollar surge
4:55pm EDT
Discussed
131
Alabama governor signs nation’s toughest immigration law
111
Obama weighs new steps to boost jobs
67
Republicans to debate, with Romney the frontrunner
Watched
Airbus' view of flying in the future
Mon, Jun 13 2011
Obama resigns from church
Mon, Jun 2 2008
Bernanke's debt crisis warning
3:25am EDT
Keith Urban ready to take fans on carnival ride
Tweet
Share this
Email
Print
Related News
UPDATE 5-Lululemon profit and forecast robust, shares rise
Fri, Jun 10 2011
Nashville marks 40 years of country music festival
Tue, Jun 7 2011
Thai opposition's Yingluck: populist but pro-business
Tue, Jun 7 2011
Special Report: Defiance in Thailand's "red shirt villages"
Tue, Jun 7 2011
Apple's Jobs takes stage to talk iCloud
Mon, Jun 6 2011
Analysis & Opinion
India takes cue from Pakistan as Coke Studio crosses border
Philanthropy isn’t for profit
Related Topics
Entertainment »
Fashion »
Music »
Singer Keith Urban performs ''Without You'' at the 46th annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas April 3, 2011.
Credit: Reuters/Steve Marcus
By Vernell Hackett
NASHVILLE, Tennessee |
Wed Jun 15, 2011 2:34pm EDT
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Keith Urban hits the road this summer on his "Get Closer" tour with a carnival stage set befitting a country music star, but he still has memories of paying for his own props at a hardware store.
"I was putting on a show at a club in Nashville and I had no money, so I went to a hardware store and bought a couple sections of this fake white picket fence and wire to hang them from the ceiling at these odd angles," Urban said.
The 43-year-old performer, who was born in New Zealand and came to the United States from Australia in 1992, has come a long way since his three-member band "The Ranch" released their lone U.S. album in 1997. He has developed a huge following thanks to hits such as "Memories of Us," "You Look Good in My Shirt" and "Start A Band" with Brad Paisley.
Urban's 2010 Grammy-winning hit song "'Til Summer Comes Around" inspired the carnival theme of the upcoming 70-stop tour, which features a Ferris wheel equipped with a video screen and a roller coaster used to hang stage lights.
To try to make audiences feel they are in an intimate club and not a giant arena, Urban installs satellite stages and ambles through the audience to sing and give away a guitar.
"I just love getting out among everybody, even though sometimes it's chaotic. A few times I have thought, 'What am I doing out here?' There's something about the adrenaline and the electricity and being on edge and the unpredictability of it that I really love," he said.
"Part of the problem (is) when you get to this level of a show everything is so thought out, there's not much spontaneity left. Everything is predictable and you can feel it. I'm just trying to keep some moments in the show when who knows what will happen?" he said.
As Urban's current single, "Without You," climbed to the top of the country music charts, he took a break from rehearsals in Nashville to speak with Reuters.
After performing for two weeks in Australia, Urban's North American tour kicks off on Thursday in Biloxi, Mississippi, heads to Canada for 10 concerts in September, and finishes up October 15 in Minneapolis.
Jake Owen opens for Urban at the U.S. dates and The Band Perry will open in Canada.
"Jake and The Band Perry have a good spirit and they carry a good message. I like Jake's music and his vibe," Urban said. "The Band Perry is the real thing. So often today we see acts that are so packaged and formulated."
LUCKY FAN
Urban never knows beforehand who will get his guitar.
"One night I was out there and there was this little boy who was fast asleep. We were loud and everyone was screaming around us and he just kept on sleeping. Then toward the end of the song his dad kinda shook him and he opens his eyes and there I am looking at him, and the look in his eyes was priceless. I had to give it to him," Urban said.
For Urban, being onstage feels as if he is both in the present and lost in the moment.
"It's a seemingly contradictory place, but that is kind of where we are as people isn't it? We are sort of participants and observers simultaneously," he said.
The irony of the tour's title is not lost on Urban, given that it will take time away from his Oscar-winning actress wife Nicole Kidman and their two daughters.
"When I put this tour together I structured it so I'm only gone two to four days maximum, then I go home for two or three days. The only time that changed was when I was in Australia for two weeks. When I go to Canada for three weeks, I'll bring the girls up for some of that run," he said.
Urban said he is not alone balancing career and family.
"I just try to grow as person, and find that balance between a home life and work life. There are so many people dealing with that right now.
"You try to figure out how to make it happen, and I don't want to have any regrets. I believe that balance is never achieved, it's just maintained. Hopefully I can keep maintaining it."
(Editing by Andrew Stern)
Entertainment
Fashion
Music
Tweet this
Link this
Share this
Digg this
Email
Reprints
We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language, all capital letters or appear to be spam, and we review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters.
Comments (1)
dibeanie wrote:
I’ll go on his carnival ride any day!
Jun 15, 2011 4:53pm EDT -- Report as abuse
See All Comments »
Add Your Comment
Social Stream (What's this?)
© Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters
Editorial Editions:
Africa
Arabic
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
Latin America
Mexico
Russia
Spain
United Kingdom
United States
Reuters
Contact Us
Advertise With Us
Help
Journalism Handbook
Archive
Site Index
Video Index
Reader Feedback
Mobile
Newsletters
RSS
Podcasts
Widgets
Your View
Analyst Research
Thomson Reuters
Copyright
Disclaimer
Privacy
Professional Products
Professional Products Support
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Careers
Online Products
Acquisitions Monthly
Buyouts
Venture Capital Journal
International Financing Review
Project Finance International
PEhub.com
PE Week
FindLaw
Super Lawyers Attorney Rating Service
Reuters on Facebook
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.
Other News on Thursday, 16 June 2011 NATO sliding towards Libyan ground war: Russian envoy
|
ACORN argues Congress lacked authority to cut its federal funds
Bodies of 104 Air France crash victims to reach Paris
|
33 OECD member nations see average unemployment rate drop to 8.1%
North, south Sudan clash before split: south army
|
Adele reclaims #1, "The Book of Mormom" skyrockets on Billboard 200 albums chart
Kuwait ruler warns against unrest, security threats
|
Congressional is the tough, shining star of the 2011 U.S. Open
Indonesia intensifies security before Abu Bakar Bashirs trial
U.S. helicopters fire on attackers in Iraq oil hub: military
|
Czech Republic declines participation in U.S. missile shield program
Gunmen kill Mexican governor's guards, leave threat
|
Airline mechanic stows away on U.S. Airways flight
Portugal president names Coelho new premier
Rocco DiSpirito hosts celebrity-filled 'Dinner Party' for Bravo
United States Golf Association awards 2018 U.S. Open to Shinnecock Hills
ADP says investigating data breach
|
Analysis: Computer security attracts venture capitalists
|
Garmin sees Navigon buy boosting European auto ops
|
Internet calls to generate $40 billion by 2015: report
|
Oscar mystery added to best picture race
|
Keith Urban ready to take fans on carnival ride
|
Zawahri takes over as leader of al Qaeda
|
Libyan rebels take new villages in Western Mountains
|
Indonesian Islamist cleric jailed for 15 years
|
Carmona helps Tribe regain first place
Violence in Vancouver as Canucks lose Stanley Cup
|
Syrians flee northern town as tanks close in
|
Greek PM to reshuffle government to push austerity plan
|
Turkish sailing team with all-female crew makes waves in Bulgaria regatta
Refugees flee Myanmar towns as fighting rages
|
New England, Toronto play to scoreless draw despite firing a combined 30 shots
Indians return to first place after coming from behind to edge Tigers
Cup O'Beans: Bruins capture title with whitewashing of Canucks
Mexican police capture suspected teenage assassins
|
China sends out patrol ship amid territorial disputes
|
Fielder could get bigger payday than Pujols in 2012
Serenas loss dooms all-Williams finale at Eastbourne; Baghdatis advances in Holland
Cabrera's third hit of night gives Indians 5-4 lead over Tigers
Seattle University to join Western Athletic Conference (WAC)
Report: Mets new minority owner could eventually take control of team
Citi says 360,000 customers hacked in May cyber attack
|
Alibaba to split, not IPO, e-commerce unit Taobao
|
RIM faces tough sell on Q1 earnings and outlook
|
HP's latest lawsuit heightens rivalry with Oracle
|
Toshiba, HP to tie up on cloud services
|
LightSquared gets more time to file GPS test results
|
Bono's Spider-Man musical still weak, critics say
|
Next Playboy has runaway bride sticker on cover
|
Charlie Sheen loses early round in Men lawsuit
|
Funk icon Sly Stone pleads not guilty to cocaine charge
|
Fran Drescher's gay husband inspires sitcom return
|
Brad Paisley is hero to sons for songs on Cars 2
|
Exiled Thaksin seeks December return to Thailand
|
Yemen gunmen stage more attacks, Saudi oil arrives
|
Iraq's Mehdi Army faces splits, wary of return to war
|
Special Report: In Bahrain, a symbol at the heart of revolt
|
Lady Gaga's meat dress heads to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
CIA website goes down, hackers claim responsibility
|
Tunisia risks controversy with travel ads
Crystal Harris covers July issue of Playboy as Mrs. Crystal Hefner
JK Rowling launches new Harry Potter website
|
Nortel delays closely watched patent sale by a week
|
Juror jailed for Facebook contempt
|
China military paper urges steps against U.S. cyber war threat
|
ROI youth magnets for global change
Jets players wrap up workouts in New Jersey, await end to lockout
Luke Donald gets hot start at U.S. Open as rain greets early starters
Formal announcement expected on Weiner status
Cottage cheese becomes call for rebellion in Israel
Infected tooth cancels George Michael appearance at AIDS charity event
At 100, IBM inventions part of daily routine
Charlie Sheen loses early round in Men lawsuit
|
Two in court over alleged plot against Joss Stone
|
JK Rowling launches new Harry Potter website
|
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights