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Starting on the right foot

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Gov. Bruce Rauner might have called for “A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action” during his inauguration Monday, but he finished off the night asking, “How Do You Like Me Now?”

While many governors tend to settle for fancy dinners and cocktail hours, Rauner opted for a Toby Keith concert at the Prairie Capital Convention Center, featuring the country superstar’s afore-mentioned songs.

Keith started his set at 10:30 p.m. He played two songs before bringing Rauner and his wife Diana to the stage at 10:40 p.m. They shared their first dance as governor and first lady to “You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This.”

Toby was his usual awesome. Man, what a performance.

* And here’s the dance, courtesy of BlueRoomStream.com…

* The Boat Drink Caucus was in fine form last night. Best show they’ve ever done…

Opening the concert was the Boat Drink Caucus, a band of lawmakers who play Jimmy Buffett cover songs and others classics, though they’re used to more low-key appearances at Springfield taverns. Their slogan for the night was “practicing in public.”

In a nod to the tough road ahead for the new governor as he inherits a state mired in debt, the group played a well-known standard from the Rolling Stones, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

They also were joined by Blackhawks national anthem singer Jim Cornelison, who sang Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight.”

* Related…

* Well wishers greet Rauners, looking for hope, happiness and history

* Rauner gets hug from Madigan — Lisa, that is

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:14 am

Comments

“Toby was his usual awesome.” Toby and awesome are mutually exclusive. Sorry, cannot help myself.

Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:18 am
Yeah, sorry Rich, can’t agree with the Toby love, though you usually have top-notch musical taste. He’s not even real country–too glossy by half.

Comment by vise77 Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:26 am
Mean while Rauner’s friend, gathered around a magnificently set table in a dimly lit dinning room with dark wood panels, feasted on the dreams of the middle class and poor.

Comment by 618662dem Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:27 am
Jim Cornielson did “Wonderful Tomight?” Didnt expect that.

He does a swinging “Oh Canada.”

Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:31 am
The concert was great. The food was good. Everybody seemed very happy…and the Rauners served Fireball shots and King Cans of Stag beer. I’m beginning to think the love of Carhartt is real and we will all enjoy our new neighbors.

Comment by Sangamon GOP Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:36 am
What’s with the Toby hate? I like his stuff. If it’s not your cup of tea, fine. But there’s no reason to hate.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:38 am
Who on earth is expressing “hate”?

Comment by vise77 Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:44 am
Buddy Guy, too. Looks to have been a great evening. Wish I could have been there.

Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:44 am
Sorry Rich, it isn’t “hate”. Really. It just isn’t “like”.

Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:44 am
Shades of Joseph Medill Patterson and Leverett Saltonstall, how long are we going to have to see Rauner dressed like a trucker visiting “Cracker barrel?”

Comment by Under Further Review Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:45 am
Nice.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:47 am
Toby is my favorite artist. He gets a message across and doesn’t care who he ticks off. His songs tend to stick in your head quite a while after you’ve heard them.

He also puts on great concerts, and you never feel you’ve been “played” by him.

Great choice by Rauner.

BTW, he’s a pretty sharp businessman as well. I understand from an article I read about him that he’s built quite an empire of businesses, and is among the wealthiest people in the country music business.

He doesn’t HAVE to perform anymore. It’s a labor of love….

Comment by Arizona Bob Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:47 am
They also were joined by Blackhawks national anthem singer Jim Cornelison, who sang Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight.”

I will be searching YouTube for that clip after I finish reading today’s posts. Love Cornelison, but his training is in Opera, so to do Clapton should be really …interesting

Comment by Roadiepig Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:50 am
Roadie, If/when you find it, please post it. I really like that song and I remember the emotional turmoil Clapton went through when he originally sang it. I’d like to see it if you find it.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:55 am
Roadiepig–do post that here, if you find it.

Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 10:55 am
“He doesn’t HAVE to perform anymore. It’s a labor of love…. ”

He is indeed a great businessman. That said, I suspect he makes much larger profits directly or indirectly from his tours than from his other businesses.

Comment by vise77 Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 11:01 am
Guy, what “emotional turmoil” do you remember Clapton originally having over “Wonderful Tonight?” It s a love song to his wife, written when they were getting ready to go to Paul McCartneys wedding.

Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 11:01 am
Am I the only person who remembers Rod’s love of “A Little Less Talk”?

Comment by Soccermom Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 11:05 am
This was my fifth inauguration. Last night was the first time I left and thought . . . wow, that was really a great time!

Comment by Sporty41 Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 11:08 am
All I’ll say is Toby Keith ain’t my cup of tea.

I did like the Rauner’s matching dance costumes. Why do Republicans like Rauner pretend to like country music and wear boots/flannel like average working joes? It’s fake and awkward.

Rauner may own a ranch, but he ain’t no cowboy. He’s a Dartmouth education North Shore Wasp. He shouldn’t pretend otherwise.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 11:13 am
===he ain’t no cowboy. He’s a Dartmouth education North Shore Wasp.===

Meh. I am a reasonably successful Lake Springfield Wasp and I love country music. Even own a pair of cowboy boots. Used to wear them to the Capitol on occasion.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 11:18 am
Rich, I’m confident that you’re authentic. I have my doubts about politicians like Bruce “Baron Von Carhart” Rauner.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 11:22 am
Lighten up 47th ward. It is music, it was great fun and well done. By far the most memorable Inauguration evening in recent history. The Boat Drink Caucus killed it as well.

Enjoy it for what it is for five minutes.

Comment by Searchingfortruth Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 11:22 am
47th–you should just accept that people don’t neatly fit in boxes. Some “working joes” love to get all dressed up and go to the opera for instance and some “north shore Wasps” enjoy the comfort of jeans, flannel, and country music.

Thankfully, we still have sports –where people can come together and are generally accepted as true fans regardless of their incomes or where they happen to choose to live.

Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 11:25 am
“47th–you should just accept that people don’t neatly fit in boxes. Some “working joes” love to get all dressed up and go to the opera for instance and some “north shore Wasps” enjoy the comfort of jeans, flannel, and country music. ”

I’m a hick from Southern Illinois who loves opera even though my first real, adult-level kiss from a girl came on the bed of a pickup truck while listening to “Free Bird” along the edges of a corn field at night. So, yeah, good reminder/point.

Comment by vise77 Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 11:36 am
===Wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 11:01 am:

Guy, what “emotional turmoil” do you remember Clapton originally having over “Wonderful Tonight?”===

Sling, when I’m not responding to you, I’m an emotional sap. I love this song. I love Clapton. I actually got to see him do an acoustic set at Buddy Guy’s many years ago, sponsored by the label with only 180 people in attendance. It was a great and memorable experience. He chatted during the performance about confronting and beating addictions and his great reward was being able to truly enjoy the real and meaningful experiences in his life. It was a real life changing kind of experience. If Roadie can find it, I’d love to hear Jim C’s version of it. Eric Clapton is at his best with these kinds of songs.

Don’t let my sappiness encourage you. I’ve still got barely enough game for you. lol

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 11:36 am
The BDC was fantastic. Only complaint is they didn’t play Walking In Memphis, which I requested several times. Buddy Guy was unbelievably good and still has it after all these years. He was also the coolest person in the joint last night. Not the biggest Toby Keith fan in the world but I forget how many hits the guy has and he gave a really solid performance. The whole event was the perfect amount of Springfield weird.

Comment by Alex P. Keaton Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 11:53 am
Please enjoy the opening act, comprised of some of those corrupt lawmakers I was telling you about!

Comment by horse w/ no name Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 11:54 am
Guy, I’m sure you and Eric had a nice chat. But he was still way loaded at the time he wrote the song, The song references getting loaded.And he’s been divorced from the lady for quite some time.

Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 11:57 am
Did Buddy use his normal language about politicians? It’s not the kind allowed on this blog.

Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:15 pm
No chat with him Sling. I was lucky to just be there. Glad you were there to see he was “loaded” when he wrote it. You probably corrected his spelling. Can’t a dude just love a song man?

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:42 pm
Bruce said “the reality is that concert tickets for Toby Keith, they generally sell for that or more.” So if the ticket prices weren’t too high, why couldn’t Toby Keith sell out a show that only holds 5,000 people, when he normally performs for crowds much bigger? Is it the political thing, Rauner, something else? There must be some reason Toby Keith couldn’t draw at least 5,000 fans, if price isn’t the reason.

Comment by Say It Ain't So!! Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:42 pm
===So if the ticket prices weren’t too high, why couldn’t Toby Keith sell out a show===

They weren’t too high for Toby, but they were too high for Spfld. People in this town are just not accustomed to paying that much money for a concert, even with free food and booze.

It’s why we can’t have shows like this.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:47 pm
==- A guy - Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:42 pm:==

A guy, Patti Boyd herself writes that at the time of writing the song Clapton was drinking two bottles of brandy per day and needed alcohol every 4 to 5 hours.

Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 1:22 pm
=== Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 1:22 pm:

==- A guy - Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 12:42 pm:==

A guy, Patti Boyd herself writes that at the time of writing the song Clapton was drinking two bottles of brandy per day and needed alcohol every 4 to 5 hours.===

Kinda like talking to you. lol

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 2:05 pm
Why even read what Patty wrote. Slinger was there.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 2:07 pm
Guy, I was just curious as to what “emotional turmoil” you recalled from a happy song. I’ll just chalk it up, again, to you really not having an understanding of the words you use.

Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 2:11 pm
===So if the ticket prices weren’t too high, why couldn’t Toby Keith sell out a show===

I imagine the NCAA Football Championship game kept some people home too.

Comment by Holdingontomywallet Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 6:56 pm
618662dem: Get over it!

Comment by Macoupin Minority Tuesday, Jan 13, 15 @ 8:22 pm
$125 was all inclusive. Food, booze and a solid concert. Cheaper than Cardinals’ Champios Club!

Comment by Diego Wednesday, Jan 14, 15 @ 7:31 am