22/07/08 - VETERAN'S MEMORIAL ARENA, JACKSONVILLE, FL

Review by Steven Stanley:
The last BA show of 4 on our holiday, and after 3 other great shows this was kind of a washout - literally! We entered Florida in cyclone conditions that saw cars underwater within 30 minutes and only JUST got to the Arena in time after getting lost god knows how many times. Tonight, the venue was your standard huge Arena, akin to the ones he plays throughout Europe... it wasn't a sellout but there we're still enough people in there to make quite a noise.

(Above) Foreigner kick ass for us one last time

It wasn't quite the same without Darren & Bev there, but hell we still enjoyed Foreigner when they took to the stage. We were enjoying all their legendary songs for the last time and were really appreciating it because for all we know we may never see them again... although I'm sensing a tour reunion if they ever do the UK! It's just pure 80's cheese but it's delivered with such conviction and energy you just lap it up. Tonight because we were in an Arena we could see the whole light show... and the effects during Jason Bonhams drum solo were really cool.

In between Foreigner and Bryan we met some lovely Bryan fans called Rima and Marcos. Rima had previously seen him at Rotterdam '96... what an awesome show that was. Other people we met were a family from Wales who were nice enough... although we couldn't see anything of the gig most of the time due to the woman holding up a huge Welsh flag during the entire gig... it was rather annoying. But we couldn't be bothered to tell her to put it down, she was enjoying herself and we could pretty much guess what was happening.

We were hoping for something different from this show - and straightaway we got it... he opened with 'One Night Love Affair' and we thought "GREAT! this is gonna be awesome!" But at the end of the day it just wasn't. Don't get me wrong it was a great show and Bryan performed really well - but it was the same old jokes and the same old songs in the same old order. It just came across as really scripted and unimaginative - but thats the price you pay I guess for doing 60 odd shows. I don't mean to sound arrogant or stuck up when I say that, to be honest I was bored and I think I hit a bit of Bryan overkill... my fault not his. The other 3 shows were good because we were experiencing a totally different gig experience in amphitheatres & theatres complete with tailgate parties, hot summer nights, funny American drunks rockin out, cool acoustic sets and just a great vibe. This gig was like driving 300 miles and back to witness a show at a rainy Arena in October with a completely average 80 minute setlist. It wasn't good.

It also amazed us how Bryan had a massive '11' on the back of his stage... but never mentioned it once. How was anybody meant to know he had a new album out? '11' could have meant anything. He mentioned 'I Thought I'd Seen Everything' as a new song... but when he started to play it literally half the Arena (and I'm not joking) went to the bar. He forgot the words halfway through as well which made us chuckle bless him. It was a tad harsh on him though, but he's got some great songs on that album ('Tonight We Have The Stars', 'She's Got A Way' or 'Way Of The World') that would have got the crowds attention a lot more.

I enjoyed the last couple of songs before the acoustics as always ('The Only Thing' and 'Run To You') because I always do. There's no arguing with great rock - and no one better than Bryan when he does it. I just wish he'd do it more often. To cap off the night Bryan said "Goodnight Orlando!!!"... the Jacksonville crowd went silent!!! It was rather amusing :)

All in all though a superb tour again from Bryan - you always get the odd show you don't enjoy as much for one reason or another, it was just a shame we couldn't end on a high! Anyway, we had a week left of sun after this show so all wasn't lost! A great, great trip anyway... I like to thank Karl, Jack, Darren and Bev for the amazing company. It was just so great travelling with you guys, no one could wish for nicer people to go with - even if they did parade around in a Huddersfield Town shirt :/ For a full video review of the tour don't forget to checkout the 'America 2008' film.

Setlist:
One Night Love Affair
Somebody
Can't Stop This Thing We Started
18 Til I Die
Let's Make A Night To Remember
Back To You
Summer Of '69
Everything I Do
Cuts Like A Knife (with Jeanette from Orlando)
I Thought I'd Seen Everything
Heaven
The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You
Run To You
Straight From The Heart
All For Love

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PART OF THE 'AMERICA 2008' FILM

Pictures by Steven Stanley

We arrive at the Veteran's Memorial Arena... the biggest indoor venue on US soil Bryan has played in quite some years

Bryan on that gorgeous gold Gibson... he kicks off the show with 'One Night Love Affair'

The K-man

Foreigner's stage setup was awesome. They had the Windows '95 'space' screen saver as their backdrop (above), and while playing 'Urgent' (below) they pushed the boat out with some jumbo sized 'Comic Sans MS'! It was legend and so damn URGENT!... so motherf&^%&£$ URGENT!!!

Bryan rockin' on the Gretsch

The band waves goodbye and runs off stage..."goodnight Orlando!"