Keith Urban’s Surprise Chicago Show Heightens Anticipation For Upcoming Album

Keith Urban is accustomed to performing in massive venues packed with thousands of fans, but on Monday, July 8, he treated his Chicago fanbase to an intimate show at the city’s local honky tonk, Carol’s Pub. 

The country singer was in town as a headliner for the NASCAR Street Race that took place over the weekend and decided to stick around an extra day to host this surprise concert. He announced the news via social media just a few hours before tickets became available, meaning fans had to act fast as capacity was extremely limited. 

“CHICAGO !! bring your WILDSIDE to @carolspub tonight,” he wrote in his post, referencing his newest single “Wildside.”

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At 6:30 PM, the bar/venue opened its doors and excited attendees quickly made their way inside to claim their spot. Urban took the stage at approximately 8 PM and performed for two and a half hours. To say it was a night to remember would be an understatement as he and his bandmates made it their mission to bring high energy and fun to the intimate setting. 

Urban started with a solo acoustic performance of his 2011 hit, “Long Hot Summer,” before his four band members slowly joined him in finishing out the delivery strong. It was clear that there was no pre-determined setlist as the country star casually conversed with his bandmates in between songs and asked the crowd multiple times, “What do you want to hear next?” 

Throughout the entire night, fans took turns requesting a mix of hits and deep cuts spanning his entire career, including “Somebody Like You,” “Days Go By,” “Stupid Boy,” “Brown Eyes Baby,” “Wild Hearts,” “One Too Many,” his first-ever No. 1 single, “But for the Grace of God” and more. While Urban happily delivered these tunes, he also took the opportunity to cover a few classics that evoked a massive sing-along.

Rising artist/musician/entertainer Maggie Baugh frequently joins Urban on stage and his appearance in Chicago was no different. She stood beside him playing various string instruments in addition to stepping in as the female voice on several of his collaborative tracks – “Drop Top” feat. Kassi Ashton and “The Fighter” with Carrie Underwood. 

Interlaced with his fan favorites were tracks like “Straight Line,” “Messed Up As Me,” and “Wildside,” all which will appear on the Australian singer/songwriter’s forthcoming new album, High. 

There was no high-end production used for this show and it definitely wasn’t missed as Urban made up for it with stand-out vocals and a slew of epic guitar solos. What made the night that much more special was the moments when he took a break from singing to share the stories behind his songs and memories from his trips to Chicago over the years, including the writing session with Richard Marx that led to the creation of “Better Days” for 2003’s Be Here album.

After rounding out the show with his final song of the night, the four-time GRAMMY winner thanked his team and Carol’s Pub for putting together the last-minute show and also shared his appreciation for the room full of fans who rocked out with him on a Monday night. 

“We’ll be seeing you very soon. God bless,” Urban said before walking off stage. 

This memorable chi-town appearance only heightened anticipation for his next project, arriving on September 20, 2024. As his first new album in nearly four years, High is expected to take listeners on a journey through an array of styles and themes across the 12 tracks.

In a recent social post announcing the release date, Urban explained that this full-length project is the result of a record he started in 2022 that was never completed. 

“It’s 40 minutes top to bottom, and is completely expressive, true, honest and is so much more of what I actually wanted to say when making that scrapped record. I hope these songs bring you joy, levity, some new understanding, energy, and escape!”

High Track List: 

“BLUE SKY” (PRELUDE)
STRAIGHT LINE
MESSED UP AS ME
WILDSIDE
GO HOME W U (WITH LAINEY WILSON)
CHUCK TAYLORS
DAYTONA
LOVE IS HARD
HEART LIKE A HOMETOWN
LAUGHIN’ ALL THE WAY TO THE DRANK
DODGE IN A SILVERADO
BREAK THE CHAIN

For those who didn’t get the chance to catch the Chicago show, there will be plenty more opportunities to see Keith Urban on the road this year. To see a full list of upcoming dates, click HERE.