Last updated May 27, 2007 5:24 p.m. PT
Brad Paisley became a country star through the cleverness of his music, whether the satirical wit of "Celebrity" or the Hallmark-card-carrying sentiment of "The World.
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BRAD PAISLEY WITH KELLIE PICKLER, JACK INGRAM AND TAYLOR SWIFT
Paisley has a strong eye for visuals, as well, and they played a key role in his highly entertaining show Saturday at the White River Amphitheatre. His striking backdrop was filled to the gills with video screens and grills, which at various times hosted Alison Krauss, his prerecorded duet partner on "Whiskey River," and celebrities such as Jerry Springer, William Shatner and Jason Alexander, guest stars in Paisley's videos.
Alexander made an inspired return appearance here, as Paisley followed his 95-minute set by shooting a video for a new song, "Cooler Online.
" The Internet-savvy Paisley -- he created the fan-friendly BradTube -- commented on the tangled Web we weave, and "Seinfeld" alumnus Alexander, wearing glasses and a cowboy hat, was perfect as an online-blind impersonation of the singer.
Newcomers Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift backed "Paisley" in the video shoot, after providing two of the night's supporting sets. The lanky Swift, 17, opened with a promising, if brief, performance that included her charming tribute "Tim McGraw" and the feisty "Picture to Burn.
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Pickler, the former "American Idol" contender, opened her similarly abbreviated set with an audio introduction by Simon Cowell calling her a "minx," although he might have judged her Saturday performance "a bit shrill."
Her signature "Red High Heels" had all the right strut, but Pickler's eagerness to entertain obscured the attractive huskiness of her strong voice.
Jack Ingram, a perennially overlooked singer, wedged himself between Pickler and Swift.
Ingram's set moved from the power balladry of "Lips of an Angel" to the delightful roots rock of "Love You."
Paisley saw the ingenuity of "Love You" and raised the stakes with "Cooler Online," his opener. His spark of humor sparkled on the slur-along "Alcohol" and "Ticks," his current hit.
"I'm Still a Guy," written by the new father "to combat the fact that you women want us to feminize ourselves," was especially pointed: "I don't highlight my hair/I've still got a pair."
Paisley also impressed with the touching "When I Get Where I'm Going," accompanied by video remembrances that included both the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre and the late actor John Ritter, and with his electric-guitar playing, robust but rarely showy.
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