Top Concerts of 2009

There are all sorts of criteria to use for a top 10 list of concert tours - gross sales, size of the audience, miles logged, and the entirely subjective pleasure factor just to name a few. In no particular order, these shows rocked the Pacific Northwest over the last decade.

No matter how you measure, Kenny Chesney makes the top 10 list; he ranks #3 in Pollstar's top grossing tours of the decade. A dynamic performer who always throws some non-country covers into his show, Kenny works hard to give his audience their money's worth. His last few stops in Seattle have been at Quest Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks. His performance is tight and full of energy, and he makes sure that even fans in the furthest seats feel a part of the show.

Keith Urban had been absent from the Seattle area for a couple of years, but in 2009 he came back for a show in Tacoma. Like Kenny, Keith wants everyone in the arena to be included and he usually performs a gorgeous acoustic set on a stage placed near the back of the room. A security guard's nightmare, he also likes to make his way into the crowd several times during a show.

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have toured together, but Tim's solo performances are a little rowdier and a little less polished. He placed 42^nd in Pollstar's top grossing tours of the decade and in 2008, he played to a sold-out crowd at the White River Amphitheater in Auburn with opening act, Jason Aldean. That particular show may be remembered as the YouTube sensation where McGraw pulled a burly man from the audience because it seemed he was intoxicated and bothering some of the women near him. Of course everyone has a different version of what started it, and although McGraw pulled back his fist, the altercation between singer and audience member didn't come to blows.

AC/DC placed 35^th in the top grossing tours of the decade. After playing a show that sold out in less than 15 minutes the year before, the Australian rockers brought their Black Ice tour back to Tacoma in the summer of 2009. Even though the band was formed more than 35 years ago and the members are in their 50's (Brian Johnson turned 62 this year), they rock harder and better than a lot of musicians a third their age. Angus Young is still stylin' in his school boy uniform and the inflatable Rosie continues to hold a place of honor on the stage.

Maybe the only band to approach AC/DC in volume is ZZ Top. They've been in the area several times, but after their 2009 White River summer show with Aerosmith was canceled, the little ol' band from Texas showed up in Everett toward the end of the year. Formed in 1968 in Houston, Texas, the band still consists of the same members: Billy Gibbons on lead vocals and lead guitar, Dusty Hill on vocals and bass, and Frank Beard on drums. Gibbons likes to say the band is the same three guys with the same three chords. But what amazing chords they are!

Toby Keith places 11^th for the decade in concert gross, and has been a frequent visitor to the Pacific Northwest. Early in the decade, he was the first musician to sell out the Tacoma Dome in the venue's then 20-year history. Each show starts with a humorous short movie, and because Keith doesn't spend much time talking, the shows are chock-full of music.

Brooks and Dunn are also frequent visitors to the area and own the 34^th top grossing tour of the decade. Their shows are always a lot of fun and filled with their top hits that never seem to get old. Having announced the end of the duo, I hope the farewell tour makes a stop here.

One of Brad Paisley's first shows in the area was at the Western Washington State Fair in Puyallup. Known simply as The Puyallup, it continually ranks in the top ten largest fairs in the United States. Special guest William Shatner, Star Trek's Captain Kirk, has been in some of Brad's videos, and his appearance at The Puyallup was to perform Real, the song the two collaborated on for Shatner's 2004 spoken word album, Has Been. Brad's moved up since his fair days and recently played at the Tacoma Dome with opening act, Dierks Bentley.

Rob Thomas may still be best known for his work with Matchbox Twenty, but his thriving solo career will probably overshadow that in the future. The band made an appearance at Seattle's Key Arena in 2008 and Rob's Cradlesong tour stopped at the WaMu Theater in 2009. He sounded fabulous performing music from his two solo albums, and the expectation-shattering evening ended with a slow and funky version of Smooth, Rob's collaboration with Carlos Santana.

Road dogs, Cheap Trick, don't bother naming their tours since they never seem to take a break. Formed in 1974, except for a few years in the 80's, the band has always consisted of the same four guys. Possibly best known for the trifecta of I Want You To Want Me, Dream Police, and Surrender, the band is far from a nostalgia act. Their most recent album, The Latest, was released earlier this year. There may not be a better band to see live. While their set list is fairly constant, even after 35 years together, they don't just phone it in. They put an energy into the music that can't be matched. No one can belt out Gonna Raise Hell like Robin Zander and follow it up with a moving ballad like The Flame. It's been a while since the power pop kings have been in Seattle, but they're scheduled at the Emerald Queen Casino in March 2010.