Brad Paisley is quite the showman. In his first live concert DVD, Life Amplified World Tour: Live From WVU, Paisley pleases the West Virginia University crowd. Shot with 20 cameras in front of over 20,000 people on the WVU campus, the two hour show brings Paisley’s persona to audiences everywhere.
Paisley is known for his witty humor as much as his guitar playing. He opens with the drinking song, “Crushin’ It” and blows through a mostly uptempo set. The 20 track collection includes “Water,” “Perfect Storm,” “She’s Everything,” “This Is Country Music,” “Old Alabama,” “River Bank,” “I’m Gonna Miss Her” and more.
Midway through, Paisley brings out Chris Young for a playful duet of “I’m Still A Guy.” Young walked on stage unannounced during the song and began singing the second verse. While singing, the pair walked towards the crowd and even grabbed fans’ cell phones to take their own selfies out front. This was a highlight as it shows how fan-oriented both artists are.
Several times throughout the show, Paisley signed autographs and grabbed cell phones. He even scrolled through one fan’s phone poking fun at the pictures. He also joked that he hoped he returned the phone to the right person. That was a fun laugh. He also signed a guitar and handed it to a young fan and encouraged him to learn how to play it.
Towards the end, Paisley led a sing-a-long version of John Denver’s “Country Roads Take Me Home.” The song has become an anthem for WVU. It seemed like it made the fans’ night hearing this one.
The musicianship of Paisley’s band is top notch. They each had their moments and played flawlessly. I watched the show in Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, but had trouble hearing the fiddle mostly, which was disappointing. It would’ve been nice to have that mixed a bit better, but otherwise, the audio was crystal clear and sounded great!
The package is available on standalone DVD and as a CD/DVD combo. The CD only features 13 of the 20 tracks, but is a nice companion to those who want to listen to some of these live tracks in their car. This would make for Paisley’s second live CD, behind his double Hits Alive, released a few years ago.
Brad Paisley fans are going to be sure to add the combo pack to their collection. It’s a great concert from a great entertainer. The combo pack is presented in a single jewel case with a flip disc holder. The CD is on the top with the DVD on the bottom. There is no booklet as the back traycard details the release. The single album sleeve includes a pic from the show on the flip side. Either way, the draw to me is the DVD and it’s beautiful presentation.
