Tim McGraw [ tickets ] said something interesting midway through Friday's (8/25) Soul2Soul II show with his wife, Faith Hill [ tickets ], at US Airways Center in Phoenix. Acknowledging a sign in the crowd that announced a fan's recent wedding, he said, "I only hope you're as happy as we are."

Until the first encore, they did not seem like the super couple portrayed in the media. In the opening number, "Like We Never Loved at All," the duo stood on opposite wings protruding from the in-the-round stage, most likely to accentuate the emotional and physical distance expressed in the song.

After Hill's 75-minute set, McGraw joined her once again for "Angry All the Time" and "Let's Make Love." They barely acknowledged each other during the songs, which was especially odd for a song like "Let's Make Love," which they sang while sitting on chairs with their backs to each other. Eventually, they arose to sing on different parts of the stage, and returned to their seats for the end, when Hill arched her back over the chair toward McGraw. That was the closest the two were to each other.

But the best was saved for last as the two, who last toured together five-and-a-half years ago, puckered up for a long kiss during "I Need You," one of four encore songs that included Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry."

Hill played first, highlighting the hits from her career as well as her recent album, "Fireflies." After the somber "Like We Never Loved at All," Hill picked up the beat with "Mississippi Girl." The song, which details her journey from Star, MS, to Nashville, was introduced by a clever video clip from "The Wizard of Oz," during which the characters take turns saying "Follow the yellow brick road." Blocks of yellow lights appeared on two stage runways each time the phrase was repeated.

Wearing beige sparkling pants and a black shirt, Hill kept the mood going with "The Way You Love Me" and "Sunshine & Summertime," during which the crowd sang in unison, "Do you want to party?" She earned a standing ovation for the song and responded with a few bars of Chaka Khan's "I Feel For You."

"We have four shows left and then the tour is over with. So we're going to give you all we got. Are you ready to take it?" she asked the sold-out crowd. It was the first of two sold-out shows at the arena.

For the title track from "Fireflies," members of Hill's band emerged from an orchestra pit surrounding the stage to play at the tip of the stage's four walkways, which literally reached out to the audience. She and her eight-plus-member band offered a rocked-up version of "This Kiss," which preceded "Stealing Kisses." Chandeliers and decorated curtains descended from the stage to add to the mood.

"This tour is the greatest experience for me that I've ever had," Hill explained, leading into "Lucky One." She ended her set with the one-two punch of the romantic "Breathe" and a surprisingly strong cover of Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart."

A sheer curtain surrounded the stage as Hill and McGraw returned to duet on his "Angry All the Time" and "Let's Make Love."

While the reception for Hill's set was enthusiastic, the mostly female crowd's response to McGraw and his rollicking opening song, "Real Good Man," was deafening, especially during the chorus.

After tipping his trademark black cowboy hat, he slowed things down for the weeper "Don't Take the Girl." Because the audience was nearly drowning him out, he smiled, turned the microphone upward and allowed his fans to sing: "Take the very breath you gave me / Take the heart from my chest / I'll gladly take her place / If you'll let me / Make this my last request / Take me out of this world / God please--don't take the girl." The 1992 song marked his first No. 1 track.

"I was 12 at the time," he said stoically. "How come everybody laughs when I say that? No, I just turned 39 and it's my 17th year on the road. We hope we can do it for another 17 years, or as long as I keep getting in these jeans, whatever comes first," said McGraw, known for wearing skin-tight jeans.

After "Just to See You Smile," he let out a little-known fact: He has joined the cast of "The Kingdom," a Jamie Foxx/Jennifer Garner flick about a team of US government agents sent to investigate the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East, according to IMDB.com. The movie, helmed by Peter Berg ("Friday Night Lights") and written by Michael Mann ("Miami Vice," "Ali"), has been filming in and around nearby Mesa, AZ. McGraw spent last Thursday (8/24) filming scenes for the movie, due out in spring 2007.

Continuing with the show, he served up--with a smile a country-mile wide--"My Little Girl," the first self-penned song of McGraw's career, which is featured in his forthcoming film "Flicka." After wrapping up the song, he discouraged the audience from making noise, saying the upcoming song was very emotional for him. The pianist from his band, The Dancehall Doctors, then let loose on the introduction to "A Heart Don't Forget," and fans realized the admonition was tongue in cheek.

The Ryan Adams-penned "When the Stars Go Blue" and the touching "Live Like You Were Dying" were crowd favorites--and seemed to be McGraw favorites, as well. When he mentioned the death of his father, former baseball relief pitcher Tug McGraw, McGraw pounded his chest three times. In finishing the song, he punched his fists in the air victoriously and the crowd ate it up--and did not allow McGraw to return to the music for several minutes.

"That is exactly why we do this for a living," he said in response to the crowd's reaction.