Paisley At Saban

This was not the first time Pam and I had seen Brad Paisley perform at the Saban Theatre.  We fervently hope it will not be the last.  The Saban is a small theatre, seating about 1,900, on the eastern edge of Beverly Hills.  We go there whenever we can, especially when Brad Paisley is performing.

The show was sponsored by KABC Radio and Peter Tilden. It benefited the Tom Sherak MS Hope Foundation.  Brad Paisley had graciously donated his time and talent for this organization many times in the past and was doing so again.  We were thrilled he was back.  The show itself was not a show in the normal sense.  There was no set.  There was no staging.  There was no band.  There was no fixed  set list.  There was no formality.  There was only Brad, an acoustic guitar and a stool.  And by any measure, that was way more than enough.

Brad Paisley is a truly gifted entertainer.   Pam and I have seen him perform in a “real” show at the Hollywood Bowl.  We loved it, and we will see him again in that kind of setting whenever possible.  Having said that, watching and listening to him in the Saban, just sitting on a stool and singing, was so much more entertaining.  It was amazing.

Not all performers are capable of putting on a show like this.  Some need backup singers.  Some need a band.  Some need staging.  Some need choreography and costume changes.  Brad Paisley doesn’t.  He has all the tools for an intimate show.  He is witty and charming.  He is an unbelievable guitar player. And he can crush it when he sings stripped down versions of his hits.

At the Saban, he played for an hour and a half or so.  During that time he sang lots of songs, kibitzed with the audience, asked for requests, and just had a good time, though I doubt he had as good of a time as we did.