Tall and lean, wearing a white cowboy hat, frayed jeans and a white shirt, Alan Jackson [ tickets ] maintained his quiet demeanor and let the music do the talking during his Friday (8/13) show at America West Arena in Phoenix.

Jackson strolled on stage after video screens book-ending the stage showed various artists announcing the Georgia country singer as a winner at different award shows. He opened with "Gone Country," during which fans raised their beer in salute.

"Thank you, Phoenix. I'm Alan Jackson [ tickets ]," he said, much to the pleasure of the near-capacity crowd. "It's good to see y'all. Thank you for coming out on this Friday night. I'm sure Martina McBride [ tickets ] got you fired up."

Fans ate up any motion that Jackson made or any extravagant note that he sang. He let out a holler during "Itty Bitty," sending the audience into a frenzy.

His set list wavered between ballads and up-tempo numbers, with the sentimental "Remember When" laying the groundwork before he let loose on "Don't Rock the Jukebox."

His ode to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" garnered an enthusiastic response. Fans were silent as Jackson got lost in his world while singing the song. Shots of firemen raising a U.S. flag at Ground Zero brought applause and tears, while fans at the end of the song began an impromptu "U.S.A." chant.

Jackson dueted with an on-screen Jimmy Buffett on their hit "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" while the crowd of primarily women did their best to imitate the drinking scenes from the video.

The stage set-up reflected Jackson's simple persona: a line of lights, resembling jukeboxes, formed a curve at the back of the stage, while five large video screens provided backdrops.

Video clips accompanying "Where I Come From" showed hot spots around Phoenix, including Old Town Scottsdale, Alice Cooper's restaurant/bar Coopers'town and Arizona State University.

Opening act Martina McBride proved she is one of the major talents in Nashville with her near-perfect set. She oozed passion when she covered "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," a song that she called her inspiration for pursuing a music career.

"I'm livin' proof that dreams do come true," she said.

It was one of two covers she performed. Her band slipped in Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" which allowed McBride to show her rock chops and fortitude.

Tears flowed as she sang "Concrete Angel," a tale of an abused child, while the heart-wrenching video beamed on each side of the stage.

She adopted the title of her single "This One's for the Girls" as the theme of her set, which she steered toward the female sect.

"We got any happy girls here besides me?" the pixie of a singer asked with a loud, powerful voice.

McBride came across as a humble and modest during her hour-long set. She seemed genuinely touched during "In My Daughter's Eyes" as she watched video clips of her children playing

"Those are my two little kids and my one big kid," she said referencing her husband as the song concluded.

She displayed an "aw shucks" attitude as she received a standing ovation for her song "Broken Wing."

"My goodness. Thank you very much y'all. You're spoiling me rotten and I love it. That was almost worth the (vocal) cord I almost blew on that song."

The show doubled as a mutual admiration society meeting. Jackson sang the praises of McBride, while she returned the favor. In video clips accompanying "Where I Come From," McBride was seen pointing at a Jackson CD and giving a thumbs up.

"It's so great to be able to tour with somebody who you admire so much as a person and a singer," McBride said.