As an interesting note, one of my favorite performances of the night ended up being "Can't Stop This Thing We Started," even though I wouldn't actually put the studio version at the top of my Adams singles list. It just transferred to acoustic really well.
In case it isn't clear, I would highly recommend anyone seize the opportunity to see this man in concert. He's awesome! He also played almost all of my favorites (and the only big one missing, "Friday Night in London," was definitely not expected, since it was just a b-side) and, on top of everything else, he chose to omit "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" from the show. Tell me this man isn't amazing.
Set list:
1. Tonight We Have the Stars
2. Back to You
3. Here I Am (this was the first place where I had to note a joke because it amused me so much - before this song, he had quickly mentioned that it was just him and the pianist tonight, in case people hadn't been aware that it was a no band, acoustic show. At the end of this song, during the chorus, he substituted in "Here I am / Without my band")
4. Let's Make a Night to Remember
5. Can't Stop This Thing We Started
... here's the next point where he amused me. After this song, some woman in the balcony yelled out, "I think you're sexy!" and he was like... "Is that the Nashville mating call? 'I think you're sexy!' 'I'll be right over, baby.'" And then he turned his attention back to the general crowd and was like, "Drunk and horny - just the way I like them" The rest of the night, he'd occasionally come back the joke when that section would yell again... stuff like, "Don't make me come up there." Sorry, I'm sure this stuff doesn't transfer as well second hand, but eh.
6. I Thought I'd Seen Everything
... while he was introing the next song, someone near the front got up and started walking toward the doors, and Adams started playfully harassing him, to the degree of, "Pee break, eh? No, I understand. You gotta go, you gotta go. It would have been nice if you'd waited for me to finish talking, but still..."
Now, for one of the advantages of catching him in Nashville - he's done some co-writing with country singer/songwriter Gretchen Peters. For the next song, he brought out Peters to sing and play guitar with him.
7. When You Love Someone
The next song was another Adams/Peters collaboration, and she stayed on stage to perform it with him, too. Apparently, Adams hadn't done this one live before, and after announcing that, he was like, "I'm sure I'm gonna fuck this up." She got a chance to play off him too, either here or after the song, with something to the degree of, "I've been working with this guy for over fifteen years now, and I'm still not sure whether to kiss him or slap him," to which he replied, "I'm up for both!"
8. Blessing in Disguise
Peters exited here.
9. Heat of the Night
Here, the lights came on and he surveyed the audience. Amongst other things, he noted someone holding a "will you marry me?" sign, and was like, "See, this is why I love playing America. In Canada, the women would never do this. They wouldn't have the nerve. In America, they're so forward." Not an exact quote, but the general idea...
10. Seven Spanish Angels
11. You're Still Beautiful to Me
Here, he adjusted the microphone and guitar for a new setting, and, looking up at the balcony section that kept calling him sexy etc., he said, "There, now you can't see my crotch."
12. Cuts Like a Knife
13. This Time
14. Please Forgive Me (about halfway through, he said, "I always thought this would make a great country song," and then he did a verse with a mock-country accent that was pretty damn hilarious)
15. Summer of '69
16. Walk On By
17. It's Only Love (no Tina there, but there was a Martina - Martina McBride joined him on stage for this)
During the intro to the next one, he told a story of how he'd been told to write a song for the film A Night in Heaven about a male stripper. He sang a brief few seconds consisting of these lyrics: "Pants off / You're done" and then explained that he just couldn't parlay that theme into a good song, so he instead wrote...
18. Heaven
19. The Right Place
20. Lonely Nights
21. The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You
22. Run to You
Encore
23. Somebody
24. Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman
25. Never Let Go
26. Straight From the Heart
27. All for Love (did all the parts himself)
