Entertainment

December 11, 2009

Bryan Adams at the F.M. Kirby Center - CONCERT CAPSULE

WHEN/WHERE: 8 p.m. Wednesday at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts

THE SHORT WORD: Accompanied by little more than his own acoustic guitar and a piano, Bryan Adams brought fresh life to his old hits Wednesday as he brought his “Bare Bones” tour to the Kirby Center. “Hope you got the memo about tonight,” he said early in the set, “because this is the band” as he pointed to himself and pianist Gary Breit. Old favorites such as “Summer of ’69,” “Run to You,” and “Somebody” never sounded better.

THE HIGHLIGHTS: Adams played nearly all of his hits, including those mentioned above plus early favorites “This Time” and “Lonely Nights.” Other highlights included “Cuts Like A Knife,” “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,” and a rocking version of “The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You,” with Adams attacking his guitar and breaking a string. New song “You’ve Been a Friend to Me” sounded just as good as the old favorites. Adams closed the show with his holiday song, “Christmastime.”

THE SURPRISES: Adams displayed a wonderful sense of humor throughout the evening, as he added exaggerated twang to “Please Forgive Me” (“This would make a great country song,” he said), and told a story about the inspiration behind his big hit “Heaven” (a forgettable movie about a male stripper).

FAST FACTS: Adams released his first album in 1980, and became an international star in 1983 with his third album, “Cuts Like a Knife.” The Canadian-born singer-songwriter hit the Hot 100 27 times between 1982 and 1997, topping the charts four times with “Heaven,” “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,” “All For Love” (with Rod Stewart and Sting) and “Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?” His latest album, “11,” was released in March 2008, and his latest single, “You’ve Been a Friend to Me,” is from the film “Old Dogs.” Adams is also an accomplished photographer, whose work has appeared in magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair and Esquire.

THE CROWD: The attendance figure was not available.

UP NEXT: The next concert at the Kirby Center is Michael McDonald on Friday, Dec. 18.

-Brad Patton

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