It’s a known fact by now.–I am not a country music fan. I may like a few country acts here and there, but that by no means, qualifies me as a country music fan.–However, despite this, I found myself at Keith Urban and Sugarland’s “Escape Together” tour last Friday night at HSBC Arena.

Sugarland began precisely at 7:30pm. With the dimming of the lights, the band walked out on-stage and removed umbrellas from a trunk and opened them as they lit up as Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush took the stage singing, “It’s Love”.

Together the duo delivered a passionate one-hour performance. Nettles’ southern blues vocals were soaring on the powerful ballads “Stay”, “Almost Gone” and the ever-so-moving and traditional “Genevieve”. Sugarland was especially entertaining during the sassy “It Happens” and the carefree, fun-driven “All I Want To Do”, that kept everybody dancing and singing along to the “ooo ooo ooo ooo ooos.”

Though there was never a dull moment, the crowd seemed to liven up the most during the hit “Who Says You Can’t Go Home”. Accompanied by a video on the back-drop, the song closed out with images from popular Buffalo hot-spots such as downtown Delaware and Elmwood Ave., the Anchor Bar, Chippewa Street, Shea’s, Jim’s Steakout, General Mills and of course, The Buffalo Bills. As the audience cheered, I was disappointed they included the New York Knicks and New York Yankees... and not the Buffalo Bisons or especially, the Buffalo Sabres! How could they possibly forget to include the Sabres when they were playing the venue where the team plays!

I have to say that my favorite part of their set was the multi-song medley that was performed during “Everyday America”. As the song hit the middle-mark, Nettles & Co. broke out into the chorus of Madonna’s “Holiday” and led straightaway to Nelly’s “Hot In Here”, a snippet of Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” and The Emotions’ “You Got The Best of My Love” before bringing it back for the remaining verse of “Everyday America.” It was a chance for the pair to showcase their sense of humor and versatile sense of style.

Sugarland closed their powerful set with Katrina and the Waves’ “Walking On Sunshine” which had the audience “shaking what their mama gave ‘em” once more, while members of the touring crew took to the stage with stage props and costumes (IE. Dancing Whoopie Cushion Man) to celebrate the last day of the tour.–Needless to say, by the end of their performance they must have felt as though they were in fact, walking on sunshine.

After a 30-minute set change, Keith Urban would hit the stage running to a thunderous roar from the sold-out arena crowd, appropriately opening the show with “Hit The Ground Running” and continued full-throttle into “Days Go By”.

By the third song, “Stupid Boy”, it immediately became evident that Keith Urban not only is a talented songwriter but he can also play the hell out of a guitar as he played one of the best solos I have seen in a long, long time. Urban definitely has a rocker-esque approach beneath all that man country undertone.

Urban was sure to show of his softer side, slowing things down a bit with his romantically penned “Once In a Lifetime” and “Making Memories of Us” in which he dedicated to his wife, Nicole Kidman. He continued to swoon the crowd with his single off his new album Defy Gravity, “Only You Can Love Me This Way”.

The show’s production was remarkable; five 60-foot-tall high definition video screens and a custom 3,500-foot stage that included a platform on the floor towards the back of the arena that Urban would walk through the crowd at about his half-way point during his set to play 3 songs, asking the crowd, “Who’s got the good seats now?!” while the remainder of the audience on the floor ran to get a good spot near the platform, watched from the giant video screen or frantically stood atop their seats. To answer his question, I was one of those people who “had the good seats” at that moment.

Urban also makes it a point to make sure that not only is his audience is having a good time, but his band is as well. The band frequently joked around with Keith during the show and would slide down the stage ramps, laughing it up as though they were kids on a playground. He and his band connect on a great level.–Decked out in tennis gear, Keith would introduce his band exclaiming the ball was in their court while he let them show their vocal capabilities. It was another chance for them to exhibit their charismatic and humorous personalities.

Urban seemed at his highest during the fan favorites “You Look Good In My Shirt”where he played his electrifying lit up guitar hard and fast and “I Told You So” had everybody in a heated frenzy.

Keith would slow it down one last time to sing the tear jerker “Tonight I Want To Cry”, which he sang so beautifully it had the power to move mountains. Making up for Sugarland’s forgetfulness, Keith took the stage where he spiced things up for the finale, decked out in a Buffalo Sabres jersey to sing “Better Life”. As confetti exploded from every angle, it was a perfect way to end a perfect night.

Keith Urban proved that he is more than just a tabloid star on the arm of a beautiful starlet. He is a man that has a gift of talent and showmanship and is truly, a phenomenal performer. Never once did he falter and leave his crowd bored. For his two hour performance it was constant dancing and entertainment. He didn't exactly defy gravity, but for everyone in attendance–including myself–I’m sure that it felt that he had come pretty close.