CONCERT REVIEW- KEITH URBAN

*** out of 4

I saw Country superstar Keith Urban for the first time in concert last summer in Allentown. He was great, full of energy and when I heard he was coming back to the are this summer I couldn't wait to get tickets last winter.

It was well worth the wait!

Last night's concert was at the BB&T Pavilion on the waterfront in Camden, NJ. I had only been to the Pavilion (Formerly know as the Susquehanna Center) once, back in the 90s to see Journey. I was less than impressed with the then-new facility. It seemed too sterile, especially compared to the leafy and intimate Mann Music Center, the other outdoor amphitheater in our area. o I wasn't sure what to expect.

First, it didn't rain but it was a steamy, extremely humid night. Sweltering, to be exact. There was a somewhat cool breeze coming off the water at times which was refreshing.

The waterfront has been built-up since I was last there. Most noticeable is the spanking new Sixers practice facility, located practically next to the concert venue.

We got there early, so we were able to park n Lot A, as close as we could get for accessible parking. We waited in line for the gates to open with a group of Urban fans, and they were all friendly, sociable and ready to have fun.

Once inside, we found the venue to be spacious and clean and easy to get to our seats. The sightlinewas good, and as far as accessible seats go, they offered a good view,e specially when the crowd in front stood up. Our location was Section 204, which was in back of the roof but just before the sprawling lawn way in the back.

The crowd gathered quickly and it seemed almost like a sell-out. A good mix of ages, from high school and college kids to middle-aged fans. Most were female, predictably.

Young country star Kelsey Ballarina opened the night and did a spirited 45 minute set. I wasn't too familiar with her music and all of her songs sort of sounded the same. Still, she was cheerful and warmed up the crowd for Urban.

Urban came out with lights flashing and did a few new songs from his recent album called "Graffiti U", from which the world tour is named. Most of the 21 song set was rocking and upbeat, stressing guitars, of which Urban is one of the finest around. Anyone expecting to hear pure country on this night had to be disappointed. The music was strictly rock/pop.

He did most of my favorite songs, including the appropriate "Long Hot Summer ( co-written by another favorite, Richard Marx), "Blue Ain't Your Color", "Days Go By", "The Fighter" ( singing along to a video  with Carrie Underwood), "Parallel Line", among others. The crowd. clearly Urban-ites, went nuts.

As usual, Urban was his grateful and charming self with his fans, inviting a pair of girls in the pit upstage for a chat and a selfie , a nurse  from Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown and her friend, a personal trainer).

One of the highlights of the evening was Urban's traditional ventures off-stage and into the crowd. There was a U-shaped B-stage set up in the back of the venue, in front of the lawn area. As Urban ran for the B-stage, with security following him, yours truly reached over the railing and high-fived the superstar as he quickly passed by.

On the b-stage he performed one of my favorite rocking songs, "You Look Good In My Shirt" before returning to the main stage to finish his main set. Included was the catchy rocker "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16." His encore was an acoustic version of his first hit off his first album, "For The Grace Of God", followed by the nightcapper called "Horses.'

It was a fun night, made even more enjoyable by Urban's energy and good-nature and sense of humor. Even after the last song played and the rest of the excellent band went off-stage Urban hung around and shook hands and signed autographs for fans near the stage. It was almost as if he had to be dragged away into the night. He was having fun, which allowed the fans to have fun.

On Twitter about 30 minutes later, Urban posted a thanks to his fans as he was in the backseat of a car headed for New York City, concerts in Boston and Bangor, Maine scheduled for the rest of the weekend.

By the way, before the concert I took my girlfriend to the legendary Pat's King of Steaks in South Philly for the first time. I hadn't been to Pat's in ages but used to hang out there often, chomping on cheesesteaks with my late uncle after an Atlantic City casino trip or a baseball game.

Now, maybe it's me because I'm older but somehow the cheesesteak didn't taste the same. I got mine with no cheese whiz, American cheese instead, light on the fried onions. Is the bread different? The steak seemed the same. The fries were definitely different. The cherry soda was still great.

The atmosphere around Pat's is awesome and we soaked it in on a humid Friday afternoon, eating cheesesteaks in the cool car as we watched the hustle and bustle of South Philadelphia life outside. Tourists were taking pictures of Pat's while we were there. The home of the very first cheesesteak.