Lindsey, Hayley, Kelly, & I did a bit of partying Saturday night.  This party didn’t have anything to do with alcohol (the drink), though.  We were in Tulsa, OK for the Paisley Party Tour 2009 featuring Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, & Brad Paisley.

Overall, the concert was definitely a great one.  While this didn’t top Garth Brooks or New Kids on the Block, it is definitely high on my list of best concerts ever.

Darius Rucker opened the night.  For those that might not know him, he was the lead singer of the 90′s band Hootie & the Blowfish.  Darius released a country album in 2008 and had a #1 single with the song Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It.  Beyond that song & his Hootie & the Blowfish songs, I didn’t know anything else he sings.  This made me a little skeptical about whether or not I would like his portion of the concert.  I was very pleasantly surprised.  He kept us very entertained and I felt like I knew the songs, even if I didn’t.  He played his #1 hit and a song that I’ve heard several times on the radio since the concert called It Won’t Be Like This for Long.  The audience got a big kick out of a song called Drinkin’ & Dialing from his album.  He closed his set with the Hank Williams Jr hit Family Tradition.  I personally thought this was a good song for him to sing.

“Country music singers have always been a real close family but lately some of my kin folks have disowned a few others and me.  I guess its because I kinda changed my direction.  I guess I went and broke their family tradition.”

That line of the song made me think about Darius.  While I don’t think Hootie & the Blowfish’s music is very different from country music, Darius still made a pretty big leap to where he is now.  Based on his album’s hits so far, I would say that leaped has worked out just fine.

Stay Tuned: Look for two more blog entries – one about Dierks & one about Brad – coming in the next 24 hours or so.  (I’m hoping to get them all posted in the next 2 or 3 hours, actually.)