Four-time Grammy award winner and former "American Idol" judge, Keither Urban brought his Ripcord tour to Salt Lake's Usana Amphitheater Thursday night. Despite the 100-degree temperature, nearly 20,000 strong showed up to hear Urban play.
"It's the perfect night, finally cooled down, it's good," he said amidst deafening cheers.
In a previous interview, Urban said that every show is about making a connection. Four songs into his set, after singing "Where the Blacktop Ends", the lights went up for Urban to look out on the crowd. He read several posters and stopped on one that read, "Been here since 7am, I want a hug."
An obliging Urban invited the teenage sign holder up to the stage and gave Maggie, from South Jordan, a hug. Sporting an Urban t-shirt and painted on arm tattoo, Urban told Maggie, "You look good in my shirt," and then held his tattooed arm next to hers. They were close to perfect matches. Maggie and Urban took a selfie on stage before she returned to the standing-room only pit and Urban continued the show.
Nearly every song saw a guitar change throughout the concert. Unique to Urban, he brought out a ganjo, a six string guitar/banjo hybrid and showed off his crazy picking skills.
"I'm a guitar player and it literally was the missing piece of the puzzle for me. Sonically, rhythmically, it just clicked, and set in a track just right." Urban has said. Curious what the ganjo sounds like? You'll hear it on the opening riffs of Urban's hits, "Someone Like You" and "Somewhere In My Car."