McGraw's "Southern Voice" Tour takes Jacksonville by storm

by Laura Janowicz
Taking his Southern Voice tour to Jacksonville Tim McGraw’s show at the Veteran’s Memorial Arena brought fans, friends and his own family out to watch him strut for this sold out crowd. Residing in Jacksonville with his Mom while attending Florida Community College for one term, Tim occasionally sat in with local bands. McGraw’s roots run deep in this southern town.
McGraw took to the stage in his signature look wearing blue jeans, a belt with a huge gold buckle, a tight sleeveless shirt and trademark cowboy hat. Supported by his longtime band, the Dancehall Doctors, McGraw powered his way through a high energy show and zipped his way through 24 songs in just over one hour and 45 minutes.
His large stage included a three-pronged runway — two smaller wings that ventured to each side of the main stage and one long wing that led into the center of the arena, affording fans with seats at the back of the house a closer look when he ventured down to their neighborhood. McGraw used the staging well, walking into the crowd during most every song, shaking hands with fans and kneeling for pictures. He sat at the end of the long runway for “Just to See You Smile,” singing directly to the fans in front of him.
Tim had a very entertaining set, which included many of his big hits, starting with “Real Good Man,” and continuing with “Last Dollar,” “I Like It, I Love It,” “Southern Voices,” and of course, “Live Like You Were Dying.” Tim’s set even included a cover of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer.”
In addition, midway through his set, McGraw performed a four-song acoustic package. He played the first two songs by himself before being joined by the Warren Brothers, Brett and Brad for “Blank Sheet of Paper” and “If You’re Reading This.” Then to a much surprised Jacksonville audience he was joined by local rock hero/legend Johnny Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd for a stellar duet of “Sweet Home Alabama” and the crowd went wild.
Supporting McGraw was Lady Antebellum, one of the hottest acts in country music today. They are currently riding the wave of their latest release, “Need You Now.” The trio of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood have come a long way in a short period of time. Over the last two years, Lady A has gone from a band trying to find its way in the business to an act that is now on the verge of headlining success.
To date Tim has won 3 Grammys, 14 Academy of Country Music awards, 11 Country Music Association (CMA) awards, 10 American Music Awards, and 3 People’s Choice Awards. Add these credentials to the high energy show and you have an overall experience that was well worth the ticket costs for concertgoers.