South Bend Tribune (Aug. 12th 2006)

Shelton’s tour hotter’n a grill

His sweet, sexy Southern drawl adds to the allure of Oklahoma native Blake Shelton, especially as he talks about the recent heat wave and its effect on performing at open-air concerts.

"This will sound stupid, (but) I enjoy getting out there when it's really hot, sweating, because at least you feel like you did something," Shelton says by telephone from his tour bus in Missouri.

Often, Shelton performs during the heat of the day outdoors, and this month has been no exception. A stop in Kansas City, Mo., came at a time when the heat wave that gripped the Midwest was at an all- time high with temperatures in the 90s and heat indexes above 100.

"The other thing about performing on an outdoor stage: It will be a good eight to 10 degrees warmer because of all of the light," he says. "It gets pretty hot up there, but it is still a blast."

For Shelton, it's all a part of paying his dues. He's been on a grueling tour schedule, trying to kick-start a career in country music that seems, to him, to be taking longer than some of the other hot names in the genre, despite hit songs and successful album sales.

"This is a little more than I bargained for as far as touring goes. We do 140 shows a year, and we have for five years. There's artists that do more than that, and after five years, man, I don't even have a life. My life is my music and work, and that's pretty damn cool in itself," Shelton says with slight chuckle.

"It is fun, though. If you've had a couple of weeks off and you go back to do that first show, you have so much fun you can't stand it. The one thing that never gets old is that hour and a half onstage every night."

A break won't come any time soon: After his Berrien Springs appearance on Thursday, his August touring schedule includes stops in Louisville, Ky., Lincoln, Neb., and Pueblo, Colo., within three days.

Shelton first hit the music scene with the 2001 single "Austin," which set the pace for his next two albums, which included several chart-topping songs, such as "The Baby" from his "Dreamer" album and "Goodbye Time" from "BlakeShelton's Barn & Grill."

Despite his success, however, Shelton says the music industry seems slow to embrace him as an artist.

"I think I am one of those guys that is a little bit under the radar, and for whatever reason, I don't think Nashville is as quick to recognize my success ... as the fans," he says. "I am not one to win awards, and I am not one of Nashville's pets."

But he is a fan favorite. The song "Some Beach" shows his wry sense of humor. The lyrics poke fun at life's idiocies, including road rage and people so consumed with their cell phones they can't sit back and enjoy the moment.

"I love a great song, something like 'Some Beach' that's tongue- in-cheek -- just real emotions and situations people are in. Things that are far-fetched and aren't struggles people don't go through in life, I just can't relate to."

Due to release a new album later this year, Shelton says he plans to treat the Berrien Springs audience to an assortment of favorites and give a taste of what's to come.

"My goal with the fourth album is to break out of this middle phase and get to the next level," Shelton says. "I love to write, but it's not so important to me to have things I write. I know I have to live with a song for a long time before I know if I want to record it, even if I wrote it.

If it never gets old to me, then I know that it's a good song."