Country music star Keith Urban took over the New York City Ferry earlier today… and from the looks of this video, not everyone was entirely thrilled about it.
Pretty much everyone knows that public transit – as helpful as it can be – gets old quite easily. Don’t get me wrong, getting stuck in traffic in your own car is awful too. But at least you have a little privacy. With public transit, you are at the mercy of whoever else is riding it with you.
I’d argue that commuters using the NYC Ferry were treated to a surprise show by Keith Urban, but from what we hear in this video, it seems like others felt like they were burdened by it. Though I get both sides of it… how could you be upset about Urban serenading you with yacht rock songs while you are riding the ferry?
The country music singer is still promoting his recent yacht rock project – Flow State. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, it’s the perfect summer vibe record, and it features Urban and his signature sound tackling some of the best yacht rock songs that have ever existed.
This must have been a cool moment for Urban to take his yacht rock show on a literal boat (not a yacht, but it works). However, when he and his band opened it up for requests, and they got “Just The Two of Us” thrown out at them, things got a bit awkward on the ferry. Urban initially responded with this:
“‘Just The Two of Us?’ Okay. We haven’t done that in a while. This may be the second time we’ve done it.”
I suppose Urban said that to drop the expectations of their impromptu performance. He may have forgotten that, though he was on a boat, he was still in New York City. Residents there don’t give much grace, and someone in the ferry shouted back at the artist:
“Don’t mess it up.”
Was that a threat? Sure sounded like it.
Keith Urban laughed it off, and cut the tension (if there really was any) by joking that people who don’t like how they play generally just get up and leave. And after the clap back landed, the country star and his band started to get into it:
“Don’t mess it up, really? Oh, no doubt. It’s a tough crowd man. People leave if we don’t play well. So you know, the pressure’s on. Should we try it? Let’s try it.”
But as they were feeling it out, and before they could get going another ferry rider lowered the expectations even further, and exclaimed this… which really cracked Keith and his band up:
“It doesn’t have to be good.”
I’m glad they took it as a lighthearted jab… I’m not 100% that it was. The NYC resident sounded more like she just wanted them to get on with it, and like she wanted to get wherever she was going as fast as possible. Again, Keith Urban had a pretty good comeback in his holster:
“It doesn’t have to be good? Oh, you are in luck. Man, have we got a version for you.”
Urban was right… it really was a tough crowd on the NYC Ferry.
I get that artists want to try and find unique ways to bring their music to the masses. I’ll admit that I’ve never seen someone put on a free show on a ferry, so props to Keith Urban for thinking that one up. But artists do have to consider that, if they choose to do something fun with public transit, not everyone is going to be in the mood as they are in the commuting process.
Here’s the full version in case you were wanting to check it out (and determine for yourself if it was good or not):
@guyaye350 Keith Urban “Just The Teo Of Us” Live from The Hudson River Wall St/Pier 11 July 9, 2026 #keithurban #keithurbanfan #Pier11 #guyagronphotography @Keith Urban ♬ original sound – Guy Aye
