28/08/03 - OAKLAND UNIVERSITY, DTE MUSIC THEATRE, DETROIT

Review by Sherry Pettovello:
While my husband, daughter, girlfriend and I were waiting for the show to begin, one of the ushers gave me the scoop on the concert. After mentioning that Bryan came in earlier that afternoon to do his sound check, he told me it was going to be a sell out crowd therefore Bryan was told he couldn't use the b-stage because they didn't want people rushing the stage. Bummer, the b-stage was only four rows behind me and I was sitting in the first seat on the center isle!

Finally at 8:50 pm Bryan came on stage to a cheering sellout crowd! The place was packed and the lawn seats could hold no more with plenty of people standing around. Bryan walked on stage waving and smiling and started right into One Night Love Affair. Bryan and the band were dressed in very down-to-earth, of course never designer, jeans and black t-shirts! Bryan's shirt had a pair of white wings stenciled on the back.

Bryan didn't talk until song #8 Its Only Love. He said his usual opening lines ... and introduced Keith Scott. What a fantastic guitar player Keith is. Even my 12-year old daughter couldn't stop talking about how great he played.

Bryan did a beautiful job on EIDIDIFY, playing solo on an acoustic guitar.

When it was time for BWYG, Bryan didn't have the house lights turned on so that he could see ME 20 rows back, but it didn't stop me from jumping up and down screaming, "Bryan, pick me, I know the song and words". Somehow he didn't see or hear me because he picked someone out of the front row.

Because she was from Akron, Ohio, she got major booed by the DTE Energy crowd, after Ohio caused the recent huge power outage. Bryan had to calm down the audience. Bryan graciously and mercifully ended the song halfway through her boring performance.

Bryan started looking again for another person and this time I was jumping harder and screaming even louder because he should pick ME, and people around me were yelling and pointing at me, including my husband, but Bryan picked an attractive longhaired blonde from up front named Pam, who was from Michigan.

Pam came on stage to cheers and immediately bowed with flowing grace. She had the confidence and poise of a professional, taking command of her performance. Pam said that she worked in a movie theater, but she didn't make popcorn. After a brief discussion, Bryan gave her the words on a sheet of paper and she emphatically told him, "I don't need the words" and Bryan quickly answered, "Neither do I" and they both jumped into the song! Pam's performance was exciting. My husband said, "Her enthusiasm was infectious as she embellished and improvised her part with vivacious enthusiasm. The audience got caught up in the whole performance watching her on stage do her duet with Bryan Adams, wishing it could be them." Before she left the stage she asked Bryan if she could give Keith a hug and she ended up giving the entire band a hug.

From where I was sitting I could see both sides of the stage, so as Pam went off I could see Toe directing her back to the stage. Pam came back on a took another bow, then Bryan held her hand and escorted her off, talking to her for about 30 seconds. Some chicks have all the luck! Bryan grabbed another guitar and came back on.

Next he sang Please Forgive Me and then sang Heaven in an up-beat version. Not sure I really liked it, as would have liked Bryan to sing it the original way, but its' his show not mine.

Bryan and the guys took their bows and thanked everyone for coming. They left the stage, took a quick break, came back on and sang Cloud #9, Run To You (my husband's favorite so I'd like to know what he is up to) and the Best Of Me. Bryan went down in the front row and 2 lucky girls got to hug him and get their picture taken with him. When he came back on the stage he sang This Time.

When most people thought the show was over, Bryan came back on by himself to sing the first song he ever wrote, written when he was 18 years old, Straight From The Heart, another wonderful song done live with an acoustic guitar. Bryan then threw his pick into the audience and went across the stage with open arms and started blowing kisses. He thanked us for coming and said to enjoy the rest of our summer and off he went at 10:40 pm.

The best way to end this review is with Bryan's own words. Bryan did such a wonderful job with the animated movie Spirit. My husband really got into Bryan Adams and Hans Zimmer after hearing the Spirit soundtrack on CD, even buying two of them. My children's first pick for a CD every time we get into the car is Spirit, listening to Bryan's awesome words, "Here I am, this is me, there's nowhere else on earth I'd rather be .". This was my feeling at the concert!

I want to thank Bryan very much for making Detroit his only US appearance on his way to Toronto. He made a lot of Americans very happy, especially me! I think he will be back, because he said in the beginning of the show "he wasn't sure what to expect from us", but we gave him such a warm welcome, everyone was on their feet rocking the 2 hours he was on stage, I think he got the message. Great Job Bryan! We Love you, come back soon, PLEASE!!!!

Setlist:
One Night Love Affair
Rock Steady
18 Til I Die
Let's Make A Night To Remember
Can't Stop This Thing We Started
Back To You
Summer Of '69
It's Only Love
Everything I Do
Cuts Like A Knife
When You're Gone
Please Forgive Me
Heaven
Somebody
The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You
Cloud #9
Run To You
The Best Of Me
This Time
Straight From The Heart

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Thanks to Sherry and her husband Mark for the info from the show and the pictures