Photos by Andy Argyrakis

About half way through Brad Paisley’s stop at a packed Allstate Arena on the latest leg of the “Weekend Warriors” World Tour, the singer/songwriter/guitar player traded the production frills and full service bar of the main stage to move to the back of the massive room with just a spotlight and admitted his surprise at country music’s popularity in the Windy City. He then promised to dispel the myth of the genre’s frequently perceived backwoods themes, breaking into the sentimental acoustic love song “You’ll Always Be My First,” before cheekily tacking the word “Cousin” onto the chorus, attracting a hearty round of laughter that only mounted with each intentionally exaggerated wisecrack.

During “She’s Everything,” Brad Paisley invited a couple to the stage who wanted to engaged, but since he didn’t know their specific names, two pairs wound up coming forward, resulting in spontaneous “altar call” moment that was filled with several more zingers.

No, Paisley doesn’t take his stardom too seriously, but that doesn’t mean he’s casual when it comes to penning contagious tracks revolved around rockin’ guitar playing. In fact, for a little less than two hours, he blended hysterical conversations and comical visuals with expert craftsmanship that kept it mostly country alongside hints of outside influences.

Take for instance the six-piece band’s delightfully random introduction to the “Knight Rider” theme song, which helped break the ice for Paisley to pop up playing “Last Time For Everything” (from his latest offering “Love And War”) and wrap it up with a snippet of Prince’s “Purple Rain.” No sooner than it stopped, a portion of Alabama’s “Mountain Music” kicked into gear, paving the way for the virtual duet “Old Alabama” as that very band appeared on the screen.

The hits kept right on rolling (“Online,” “Crushin’ It”) as did the collaborations, such as “American Saturday Night” with opener Chase Bryant, “I’m Still A Guy” with frequent sidekick Dustin Lynch (including some selfies and scrolling through a female fan’s phone) and “Whiskey Lullaby” with guitar gal Lindsay Ell. During “She’s Everything,” Paisley invited a couple to the stage who wanted to engaged, but since he didn’t know their specific names, two pairs wound up coming forward, resulting in spontaneous “altar call” moment that was filled with several more zingers.

Paisley kept the message meaningful with “Today,” singing of holding tightly to any love worth lasting for the long haul prior to ducking out for an encore. When he returned, so did all the support acts for “Alcohol,” filled with sarcastic observations of the overserved, a mound of bluesy riffs and exuding a camaraderie that translated to one of the most joyous country packs currently on the road.

Click here for more photos of Brad Paisley with Dustin Lynch, Chase Bryant and Lindsay Ell at the Allstate Arena.

For additional information on Brad Paisley, Dustin Lynch, Chase Bryant and Lindsay Ell, visit BradPaisley.com, DustinLynchMusic.com, ChaseBryant.com and LindsayEll.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the Allstate Arena include Demi Lovato (Mar. 9); Gloria Trevi & Alejandra Guzman (Mar. 15); Lorde (Mar. 27); Winter Jam (Mar. 30). For additional details, visit Rosemont.com/Allstate/ and Ticketmaster.com.

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