Concert Guy

Let me start by saying that I’m not really one to drink at concerts, it was never my thing. I started going to shows around 15 years old and couldn’t anyway, so it just wasn’t a thing. Even if I could’ve, many of the shows I went to back in the day were general admission and who wants to have to give up their sweet claimed spot at the rail to go take a piss? Screw that! But that is not the case for many. So I want to know, do people get wasted at shows because a concert is a rare event for them? Once or twice a year, got a sitter, big night out so they just can’t contain themselves?

Now with that, the FIRST time I saw Jason Aldean with the Mrs, I did have a few (a few! Not hammered) and was feeling good. This time, I was completely sober. So, how did ol’ Metal-loving, sober Rob like it?

Getting to the Venue

It took us 2.5 hours to get there but only an hour to get home. Pure shit show. Traffic coming in from both directions on the highway was completely backed up leaving those on the off ramp, actually sitting at a stand-still on the highway itself for way too long. The traffic lights in the areas surrounding the venue were widely ignored, intersections were jammed as a result, and parking was a mess. You’d think this was the first show here and they’re trying to learn how to get people in. I’ve been to this venue quite a few times in the past but this was a first for seeing this kind of gridlocked mess. But we got there in plenty of time, and were able to walk through the amateur hour parking lot so no worries.

Mackenzie Carpenter opens

Despite the name, blond hair, and similar age range, she is not Sabrina Carpenter’s sister. With that, we weren’t into her. We both thought she was super boring. Her band was fine, but she was meh. I swear she was out of tune a few times too, and not a ton of vocal range if you ask me. But she’s opening the show for a huge headliner, writing songs for others, and I’m not. So who am I? We didn’t know her songs, at least I didn’t, but she did announce the titles of most. I gotta say High Pony was my least favorite with Only Girl being a close second. So lame! Sorry. Concert Guy Rob can’t love em all.

Chase Matthew

This was a weird act for me. Because my wife likes country, I know a few of this dude’s songs. The radio songs are nothing special in my opinion, but catchy enough and he sounds like a dude in his 40s with a deep voice. So when some young, glasses-wearing nerdy dude came out, with a baseball hat instead of a cowboy hate, black deans, black t-shirt, and big ole chain around his neck I was a bit surprised. Wireless mic in hand, he had the vibes of a wannabe rapper, while the band looked like a bunch of metal-heads (my peeps), and then a country voice and sound came out.

Genre aside, the dude has energy. He was all over the stage all night, running back and forth, hyping up the crowd, telling some stories, and just really into it. He was a sweaty bastard by the time it was over. At one point, he said guys like Jason Aldean are a combination of country music and rock n roll. I don’t know that I fully agree, but it led into a rock medley of AC/DC’s Back In Black, Red Hit Chili Pepper’s Give It Away Now, a little Killing in the Name from Rage Against the Machine, and back to AC/DC for You Shook Me All Night Long.

My biggest gripe with his set is that he has a song out called All My Exes which is a duet with Lauren Alaina. When it was time to perform it live, he brought out…no one. Just her on a recording with a video in the background. This is so lame! Aldean did this last time we saw him with this Carrie Underwood duet. I wish bands would stop this. Bring out another singer or do something different. Papa Roach has a huge song that features Carrie Underwood, but they didn’t do some lame recording when we saw them last year.

Finally, Darlin‘ is a song I change when it comes on the radio because it is so annoyingly monotone and repetitive. But he made it much more lively in person, with higher notes, more range, and he mixed up the music. So that was a welcome improvement. He also played guitar for some songs, and he beat the shit out of the drums. And his guitarist, Ciaran Wilkie, was wearing a Queens of the Stone Age shirt, so not a bad performance at all.

Jason Aldean Headlines

When it’s time for Jason Aldean to come out, we get a dark stage, blue lights, and Hells Bells from AC/DC blasting. That’s three AC/DC songs tonight. He opens with Hicktown followed by Lights Go On (which was the only song I knew out of the first 4).

Looking at his previous dates, he often does 3 shows in a row, and then takes few days off. This was the 3rd show in a row and he seemed a little tired/low energy to me. I also didn’t know as many songs as I did last time. He snuck in some new ones since he’s got an album to promote, but they also went far back into the catalog. Still a good show, crowd was into it (though many were drunk so they were having a good time regardless), and a very cool stage setup. The use of moving screens, a rising platform, lights and graphics really gave the stage depth. The stage transformed for Big Green Tractor into a huge tractor (it’s a country show! They sing about tractors).

He has a song called Night Train and it is not a cover of Guns N’ Roses. Not at all! It’s just a lame country song with the same title so I was disappointed. Just thought I’d throw that out there. Anyway, he did a little bit of talking throughout the night, but he did say he’d keep it to a minimum because more talking time equals less song time. He also said there would be no encore for the same reason. Instead of walking off stage and making the crowd cheer for 10 minutes, the band can just play straight through and sneak a couple more songs in. Looking back at the 2022 show we saw, there was no encore then either, only he didn’t announce it then so it was a shock at the time. It all makes sense now.

He did plenty of his more lively songs while mixing in the softer ballad-like songs as well. If you’re a fan of his whole catalog, vs just the radio hits, I have to imagine this was pretty sweet setlist. I’m not sure if the band is the same as 4 years ago, though I believe it is, but I remember a lot more guitar solos and music breaks last time. Didn’t see a lot of that this time around except for a guitar break during Trouble With a Heartbreak.

Try That in a Small Town was towards the end of the show (though not the last song) and he did an intro talking about the ridiculously controversy that surrounded it. I think the whole place sang along to it so his fans get it even if others don’t. How this song can be controversial compared to many of the songs on mainstream radio is just crazy to me. Check out what he had to say:

Overall, they played 22 songs which ranged from first album to latest. If you were one of the many plastered attendees finding your way here, perhaps this will help you remember the night. Though for the people we saw before even going inside the venue already puking and covered in their own piss, I’m not sure you’ll remember much if you even made it inside. The lady next to me who was plastered, missed several songs getting more drinks (double fisting at that) and she was more excited about the songs Dee Jay Silver was playing in between performances. I just don’t get it. Getting to these venues is hard enough with crowd and traffic, and it’s certainly not cheap, so why get so hammered that you won’t even remember the show? Genuinely curious!

Setlist

1. Hicktown
2. Lights Come On
3. Amarillo Sky
4. Anytime Soon
5. When She Says Baby
6. Whiskey Drink
7. Night Train
8. Burnin’ It Down
9. How Far Does a Goodbye Go
10. Crazy Town
11. Big Green Tractor
12. Take a Little Ride
13. Trouble With a Heartbreak
14. Don’t Tell On Me
15. The Truth
16. Tattoos on This Town
17. Fly Over States
18. Try That in a Small Town
19. You Make It Easy
20. Dirt Road Anthem
21. My Kinda Party
22. She’s Country

Merch Lines

Not really a big thing here. No lines that make you miss the whole show like Noah Kahan. Or like the several MGM Music Hall shows I’ve been to where the lines stretch 3 levels. Perhaps the bootleggers selling t-shirts for $10 in the parking lot had something to do with it. But we didn’t get any regardless.