Back-to-back Justin Moore shows. That's something that has been on my Wish List for quite a while now, and I finally got to do it last weekend in Columbus, OH, and Covington, KY!
If you have been reading my other blog posts, or if you know me personally, you know that Justin Moore is one of my favorite people on this whole planet. There aren't very many other people I would rather see in concert than him, as I think that he puts on one of the best shows I have ever seen. I was stoked to get to see him two nights in a row, especially after not getting to see him since December! What made the trip even more exciting was that I was getting to do it with a new friend of mine from Illinois, Morgan. I met Morgan through Jason Aldean, and after realizing that she was a Justin Moore fan too, we planned this trip together. We hadn't met in person prior to these shows, but we connected instantly and we had such a great time together!
The first night of shows was at a bar in Columbus, OH, called Screamin Willies. I have been here a few times before to see Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts, Eric Church, and Luke Bryan. It's a neat little bar, but it always gets pretty rowdy; however, I had never seen it as crazy as it was on this particular night. I'm pretty sure the place was oversold, as it was practically impossible to even move in there. There were people falling over and puking because they were so drunk. It was mass chaos! It put a bit of damper on the evening, but we still had a great time. We had meet and greets with Justin at around 9:45, and he was as sweet as ever. I have said this numerous times before, but I still think that Justin is one of the most appreciative artists out there today. He always puts his fans first, and I love that so much about him. Though we left a little bit early because of the crazy crowd, Justin still put on an absolutely incredible show! It was my first time seeing his new show/new setlist, and I think it's absolutely perfect. Morgan and I were singing every word to every song, even the ones that will be on his new album, and were having a great time regardless of the inconsiderate people around us. Nothing annoys me more than when the crowd is loud and obnoxious while the artist is trying to perform a personal song. When Justin began singing his newest single, "If Heaven Wasn't so Far Away", which is a song with so much meaning behind it, the crowd would not stop talking. It was to the point where we could barely even hear Justin singing. I felt bad for him, but he still blew the song out of the ballpark. It's Justin fastest rising single to date, debuting in the top 40, and I have a really good feeling that it's going to go number one! Justin also played every song off of his first album, and songs that will be on the second album such as, "My Kinda Woman", "Redneck Side", "Outlaws Like Me" (my personal favorite song, ever!), and a catchy new song called "Beer Time". It made me even more anxious for the new album! As much as I LOVE the first CD, I think the new CD is going to be ten times more amazing than the first one! I can't wait to have a copy of it in my hands!
The next day we headed down south to Covington, KY, to see the show again! We were right in front of the stage this time and the crowd wasn't nearly as disrespectful, so we really enjoyed this show a lot more than Friday night's show! The show was generally the same as the night before except he didn't sing one of his new songs by the name of "In the Bed of my Chevy", which just so happens to be one of our all-time favorite songs. Sadness! Other than that, the show was out of this world! It's hard to find an artist that has as much stage presence as Justin does. He really goes out and puts 150% into his performances every night! He is a real class act, and I can't say enough good things about him! If you haven't been lucky enough to catch a Justin Moore show yet, I strongly encourage you to stop whatever it is you are doing and look up his tour dates right now. He's currently on the road as the opening act for Miranda Lambert, and will be hitting the road with Rascal Flatts this summer. His new CD is also slated for a summer release. Make sure you keep your ears peeled for the final release date, and keep requesting "If Heaven Wasn't so Far Away" at your local radio stations!
I've known about Brantley Gilbert for a few years now, but I still hadn't had the opportunity to see him in person. When I heard that he would be playing at the Dusty Armadillo in Rootstown, OH, I knew I couldn't pass it up!
My Indiana friend, Annie, came up to see the show with me. We got in line at around 5 and there were already about 20 people in line. That's not something you see at the Dusty very often, so we were surprised, to say the least. When doors opened at 7, we made our way inside and claimed our spots up front by the stage. The crowd was very rowdy (rowdier than any other crowd I have ever seen there), filled with lots of annoying drunks and people wanting to start fights. At first we were a little frightened, but by the time Brantley came on stage, the crowd was perfect in every way imaginable, giving him one of the most incredible reactions an artist could have ever asked for.
I really didn't think many people in my neck of the woods knew who Brantley was, but his concert was the fastest concert to ever sell out in Dusty Armadillo history (and a LOT of awesome people have played here, such as Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Justin Moore, Lee Brice, Easton Corbin, etc.). Impressive, to say the least!
Brantley had one of his friends out on the road with him, so he opened up the show with a couple of his original songs, including one that he had written with Brantley. It was a guy by the name of Brian Davis, and though I couldn't really make out any of the words that he has saying (sound problems during the entire night), he had a great voice, and even kind of looked like Brantley. Haha!
At 10, Brantley hit the stage, and it was non-stop energy from the time that he took the stage until the time that he left, about 2 hours later. Again, there were a lot of sound problems, and I could hardly make out a lot of the words that he was singing because the bass was too loud, but he still put on one of the most incredible live shows that I have ever seen, and, hands down, the best show I have seen at the Dusty! He played songs such as, "Hell on Wheels", "Saving Amy", "Take it Outside", "Kick it in the Sticks", "My Kinda Crazy", "Dirt Road Anthem", and "My Kinda Party." The crowd knew every word to EVERY song, and they belted the notes out at the top of their lungs. Brantley was overwhelmed by the crowd reaction, constantly thanking us for "being so awesome" and supporting his music, and even said we reminded him of friends back home. I can't imagine how great Brantley must feel after a show like that. After singing "Dirt Road Anthem", with the crowd yelling every word right back to him and swaying their arms side to side with the music, Brantley said that he WOULD be back to play at the Dusty again. I always said that the Dusty is one of my favorite places to see a concert, and this is why! The audience will never let the artist leave without making them feel like they need to come back!
After seeing Brantley's live show for the first time, I must say that I am officially hooked. His albums don't do him justice. He sounds so much better live than he does on his albums! Also, being the songwriter fan that I am, I truly believe that Brantley has an uncanny ability to put words to paper in a way that very few country artists out there are able to do today. He has been through a lot in his short life, and all of his experiences and memories are written in songs that just about every person can relate to. He writes songs from the heart, and hearing those songs live (especially songs like "Saving Amy" and "Picture on the Dashboard") makes you connect to them even more. With all of the God-given talent that this man has, I don't think "My Kinda Party" (recorded by Jason Aldean) will be his only number one single.
Besides Brantley being the incredible performer that he is, he has one of the most talented backing bands that I have witnessed with my own two eyes. At one point during the show, Brantley left the stage to let his band show us what they were made of, and they definitely did not disappoint! Each guy is a talented artist in their own right, so when you get them all together to create music, it's bound to blow your mind! I strongly encourage you to see a Brantley show as soon as you possibly can! He won't disappoint you. Also, if you have been living under a rock and still don't have either of his albums, do yourself a favor and go purchase them NOW! Your ears don't want to miss out on all of this greatness!
For a guy who doesn't get much radio play at all, people all over the world are starting to take notice to Brantley and his music. I think it's just a matter of time before he takes this world by storm, and I, personally, can't wait for it...
Last weekend I went to go see country singer Jason Michael Carroll at the Dusty Armadillo in Rootstown, OH. I have mentioned this place in some of my previous blog posts, but for those of you unfamiliar with it, it's a very small bar basically out in the middle of nowhere. It's probably my favorite place to see a concert, however, because the crowd is always so into the show and the artists really feed off of that energy to put on some amazing live shows!
I hadn't seen Jason Michael Carroll in concert since June of 2010, and even then he only performed a couple of songs because it was during CMA Fest week. I have always thought that we put on a great show, but his performance really blew me away on Saturday night. I went with one of my co-workers named Cathy and a friend that I have known for a couple of years now (whom I met from the Rascal Flatts fan club), Mandy. Cathy doesn't go to many country concerts, but she was really excited to finally see a show at the Dusty, and I really think she had a great time.
Jason played for two hours, singing all of his top 20 hits such as "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead", "Livin' Our Love Song", "Alyssa Lies", and "Hurry Home". He also played a number of songs off of both of his CDs that weren't singles, a couple of covers, including an absolutely breath-taking version of George Strait's "I Can Still Make Cheyenne", and, on top of that, he sang about 5 songs off of his new album that he is currently working on. All of them sounded fantastic and made me even more anxious for some new music from him. Below is a video I found on YouTube of one of my favorites that he sang called "Numbers": I think it's incredibly unfortunate that, after all of these years, Jason is still playing small bars and clubs in little podunk towns. Don't get me wrong, it's obvious that he loves what he does, and you can tell that he absolutely loves playing live, regardless of where it is. However, I think Jason has one of the most incredible voices in country music. It is raw and natural, and it has the ability to capture your attention the moment you hear him sing. Also, though he isn't much of a songwriter, he knows how to pick great songs. Each song that he picks tells a story, and I find them all very easy to relate to. They are fun and energetic, emotional and powerful, heartfelt and sincere. It's obvious that he picks the songs that he picks because he has an emotional connection to them, and he hopes to share that connection with his audiences. On top of all of that, I think Jason is one of the most down-to-earth, and, hands down, the nicest country musician I have ever met. He doesn't have a mean bone in him, he always puts his fans first, he's respectful, honest, funny, and kind. He has a heart of gold, and his smile is absolutely contagious. Besides being such a wonderful performer and singer, his personality makes it hard not to love him. I think that, by now, Jason should be playing in arenas to much larger crowds. He definitely has the talent to do it. I just wish that other people would see that. I hope that he continues to only see more success as the years go by. Regardless, I will be right behind him, supporting him along every step of the way.
If you haven't seen Jason Michael Carroll in concert yet, I strongly suggest that you do. His ticket prices are cheap and he definitely puts on a killer live show! You can also purchase both of his albums in any store that sells CDs near you (Best Buy, Walmart, Target, etc.). They are worth the money!
