By Susan Lacke
It’s been two years since country music star Keith Urban toured in Salt Lake, and he promises to pull out all the stops for the fans during his return this week. The ripCORD World Tour, in support of Urban’s ninth studio album, will showcase a new style of music for the seasoned singer-songwriter.
In ripCORD, Urban moves away from the bouncing beats of past albums and toward a new fusion of music. Collaborating with writer-producers from pop, R&B, and techno, Urban created a diverse, rhythmically nimble album to set country music on its ear.
Though Urban will still shred on guitars and gango (a guitar-banjo hybrid), the tour is an opportunity to showcase new ways of making music. In addition to a traditional backing band, Urban’s stage will feature “The Phantom,” a mixing board that plays drum loops and samples from other songs in real time. This eclectic combination of music will be employed for both his new music and in revamps of his number-one hits, including “Somebody Like You,” “Stupid Boy,” and “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16.”
The ripCORD World Tour tour stops at USANA Amphitheatre on Thursday, July 21. Doors open at 6 PM, with opening acts Maren Morris and Bret Eldredge taking the stage at 7:30. Ticket prices start at $29.50.
