Review: Vince Gill puts on 'informal' show at Sandler Center

By Frank Roberts

This conversation set the tone for Vince Gill's ultra-relaxing concert Saturday at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts: "This is going to be a very informal night. It will be like me visiting in your living room..."

A woman in the audience yelled out, "You can come to my living room anytime!"

Gill: "Okay, and I'll bring that jealous Christian girl, Amy Grant, with me."

His wife and his dad were oft mentioned, but m ost of the conversation centered on personal stories and backstage tales. It wasn't a typical country concert, but probably more fun than most. The concert can easily be described as, well, different. It was just Gill, with a trio of back-up musicians. He was clearly enjoying himself, a happy attitude that transferred easily to his fans.

He said he got the idea of the informal "just-you-and-me" concert from singer-songwriter James Taylor, whom he had seen doing something similar. In country music, Gill is probably one of two performers that could make this type of presentation work - country singer Marty Stuart being the other.

Gill co-hosted the Country Music Association Awards show for 12 consecutive years, chosen for the honor because of his easygoing personality, quick wit and unforced humor.

All of that, plus his unusual voice and wonderful songs, were the reasons the Saturday concert was sold out, in a lovely theater that seats about 1,350. According to an usher, there were also standing-room-only tickets.

Gill has been around since the late '70s, and about 90 percent of the audience was in the plus-50 age group. They ate up the informality, enjoying it as much as the star.

It was totally unlike his last concert tour, which featured a 17-piece band. "I went broke, and I became deaf," he said. This go-round there were no floor-to-ceiling speakers, and no fancy-schmancy goings-on such as fireworks, lots of smoke or tons of gimmicks.

There was no set program. Folks yelled out songs they wanted to hear, and Gill honored their requests.

Most of the songs were in the ballad category - some hits and some songs that never made it to the charts but were just as enjoyable.

If there was a downside it was that up-tempo was downplayed, bluegrass was just about nil, and guitar solos were minimal.

Conversation was not. There were serious moments, but for the most part the night was fun and fascinating, filled with wild tales of show-business life and a few old jokes.

Gill spent more than three hours entertaining an appreciative audience, even going past the traditional quitting time of 11 p.m. and closing up shop 15 minutes later with a new song he and his wife penned, a beauty simply called "Heaven."

The song that was the most fun was a 2004 item: "It's Hard To Kiss the Lips at Night That Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long." He indicated this is not Grant's favorite song.

Two of the musical highlights were "When I Call Your Name," and a jam session on "Little Liza Jane."

Gill, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, the highest honor that can be given to a country music artist, is one of that genre's greatest goodwill ambassadors.

His Saturday night concert was, indeed, like having a good friend drop in for a visit - a good, extremely talented and gracious good friend.