Toby Keith On TBS’ ‘Neighborhood Sessions’ Tonight!

Oklahoma is known for being the birthplace for some of country music’s most successful singers and songwriters. Artists such as Blake Shelton, Reba and Carrie Underwood all hail from the state. While many of them have left and made their new lives in Nashville, one remains just miles from where he was born… Toby Keith.

Tonight, Toby Keith teams up with TBS and State Farm for a very exciting television special, Neighborhood Sessions. The show features a concert by the man himself, along with a number of stories about the people in the community around him. CountryMusicIsLove was lucky enough to take part in the taping of the special back in September. Check out the recap of our trip below and what you will surely not want to miss tonight!

We made our way from Nashville, TN to Oklahoma City, OK, and proceeded to take a taxi through Moore on the way to Norman. We were brought to Oklahoma to help celebrate the community of Norman. TBS arrived days before to prepare for the television special to meet with some of the community leaders and others who keep the town glued together. Some were nominated by Keith himself, while others are known for their commitment to the area.

Our cabby from the airport described some of the devastation he saw after the massive tornadoes came through Moore just years ago. He, like many others, helped rebuild his community following the devastation by volunteering with the Red Cross. Without knowing why we were in town, he ranted and raved about Keith and for all he’s done for their community. He saw the superstar bring in supplies, like food and water, and help keep morale high. He praised the country superstar for all he’s done in their small town.

At five o’clock, we made our way to a local church and met up with the crowd who was invited to the exclusive event. Totaling no more than 500 people, the group boarded charter buses and made their way to Hollywood corner, a local deli that Keith owns. The tables and chairs had been cleared and the backyard was made into a beautiful scene, with a stage, BBQ (Toby has his own brand of BBQ sauce and it is AMAZING), and of course, red solo cup lights. The crowd was comprised of members of Toby’s family, friends and many of the people who had been interviewed for the special. Even former Dallas Cowboys coach Barry Switzer was there, sporting his Super Bowl ring and taking pictures with anyone who asked.

The night kicked off with two songwriters that Keith has written with for years – Scotty Emerick and Mac MacAnally. The two showed what amazing instrumentalists and songwriters they were as the crowd gathered around the stage.

By 8:30 p.m., Keith took the stage, proclaiming that most of his songs had been written within eight miles of where we stood. He played some of his hits, like “As Good As I Once Was,” “Beer For My Horses” and “I Love This Bar.”

Keith then went into a short story about the next song, saying it was he and Emerick had written weeks prior. He said that he then called MacAnally to produce and see if he could enlist the help of Jimmy Buffet’s band, The Coral Reefers, to which they obliged.

The set then continued with several of Keith’s other hits (obviously “Red Solo Cup” – which he proceeded to scat at the end of – did you know that he could do that? It was awesome!) He closed with a song he proclaimed would always be his close, “American Soldier.”

The superstar left both the stage and the crowd wanting more. As someone who has seen Toby in a number of amphitheatres, it was remarkable seeing him in a 500-person venue. Although he was in front of a smaller crowd, he was just as engaged and energetic. The crowd fed off of his personality and humor. We even spoke to a friend he grew up with, who said it’s amazing to see Toby Keith the entertainer and Toby Keith the person.

Toby Keith’s Neighborhood Sessions airs tonight on TBS at 10/9 c. This special will also benefit the Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral pediatric cancer facility, soup kitchen and shelter program Food and Shelter Inc. and local volunteer organization Serve Moore.

If you have a neighbor you want to highlight in your community, be sure to let us and State Farm know! Tag @cmilove, @statefarm and #neighborhoodsessions on Twitter or Instagram – we’d love to see your stories!

*This post was sponsored by TBS and State Farm.