Keith Urban.Photo: John Shearer
Keith Urbankicked off his second Las Vegas residency show last week, but he’s letting fans live in the past. While performing 2010’s “Without You,” footage from Urban andNicole Kidman’sJune 2006 weddingflashes on an oversized screen, giving fans a glimpse of the nuptials without needing a “save the date.”
“I wanted to do it in a very organic way and find the right song,” he told PEOPLE exclusively. “It was really more about choosing to do that song, ‘Without You,’ and how that felt like the right time for that.”
Urban, of course, got permission from his wife to air “just a little bit” of video from that day.
“I don’t know if that’s her favorite song, but it was the right one for the footage,” he said.
Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman at the Oscars.Arturo Holmes/Getty
Throughout the nearly two-hour show, Urban performs many of his most well-known hits, but he throws in some songs that he hasn’t played in over a decade. The set list was a bit of a moving target, as it took him three months to settle in on because he often made changes.
“I couldn’t believe I remembered the words. I probably haven’t sung that song since I was 16,” he told PEOPLE. “I have a sick memory for song lyrics. It’s ridiculous, like, pretty ridiculous. I literally will not have played a song in 20 years and I’ll pick up a guitar and start playing it and the words just come. I’m literally going, ‘How do I know these words?'”
“But I’ll lose my car keys just like that,” the CMT-nominated artist continued while snapping his fingers. “So it’s selective memory.”
Keith Urban.John Shearer
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For Urban’s sake, here’s hoping he doesn’t lose his keys, as it would affect his favorite post-show activity.
“I love driving, and almost everywhere I go I’ll rent a car so that I can drive myself everywhere,” he said. “I especially love driving after a gig. If it’s just a little hike to wherever I’m staying, it’s heaven to just be in the car on my own after a show. It’s really nice coming off a stage with such an intense, rowdy environment to then immediately be in a car with something calm playing, or just some Ray Charles or something just completely chill.”
He added, “I like the quiet isolation.”
The dichotomy between Urban’s post-show calm and his on-stage presence is startling, as there’s nothing quiet about his Vegas show.
The country star has added eight new performances to his residency schedule. Dates now include the below and may be purchased online atticketmaster.com/keithurbanvegas.
March 2023: 15, 17, 18
June 2023: 16, 17, 21, 23, 24, 28, 30
July 2023: 1
November 2023: 1, 3, 4, 10, 11, 15, 17, 18
source: people.com
