Concert Review: Jason Aldean w/Chris Young and Thompson Square
Jason Aldean’s Latest Tour is Fans’ “Kind of Party” Too!
Jason Aldean has made a name for himself in country music by consistently recording and putting out songs that strike a chord with country music listeners. That’s why twelve of his singles have found themselves sitting pretty in the Top 10 on country music charts. Seven of those singles have gone all the way to the number one spot.
Taking those hits on the road, Jason has been selling out arenas all across the country. We dropped by the Charleston, WV event to see what everyone was raving about. “Party” doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Since this tour has been aptly named the “My Kinda Party Tour” (which is also the name of Jason’s latest album, a record that has sold over two million copies), it comes as no surprise that a DJ was on hand to keep music playing all night. DJ Silver spun tunes to get the party started and the crowd dancing even through stage changes and lulls in the live action. Mixing Journey with Brooks and Dunn is just one example of the musical hybrids that kept the audience dancing in the aisles.
The live-music portions of the evening started with husband/wife duo, Thompson Square, who recently celebrated a number one of their own. They started their 25 minute set with their newest single “I Got You.” The pair seemed at ease on stage in front of a large crowd and their harmonies more than filled the crowded venue. They fit in a couple of songs from their self-titled debut album like “Getaway Car” and “I Don’t Want to Miss You” before really knocking the crowd out with their smash hit “Are You Gonna Kiss me or Not.” The twosome made the most of a short set and then met with fans at the merchandise table in between acts.
Like a few hundred other lucky country music fans, we have had our eyes and ears on Chris Young for several years now, and have seen him perform everywhere from an “Acoustic Corner” stage for a hundred people, to country fairs for several hundred fans. So the first thought when he barreled onto the stage in front of thousands of people with his first song “That Makes Me” was “It’s about time!” He wasted no time showcasing his number one hits, as “Getting’ You Home” aka “The Black Dress Song” was second on his set list.
The years of preparation for a crowd of this size was evident as Chris had no problem interacting with the fans and keeping them hanging on his every word. He and his band led the audience through a rousing rendition of “Save Water, Drink Beer” (from his latest album “Neon”) and kept the adult beverage theme going with “Beer and Gasoline.”
He slowed the pace down a little with his second song to reach number one “The Man I Want to Be,” but then picked right back up with a rockin’ rendition of ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man.” He kept the party atmosphere going with the funny “Who’s Gonna Take Me Home” from his self-titled debut album.
The deep-voiced country singer who recently decided to lose the cowboy hat, (and who wouldn’t if you had hair like that) then showcased his latest single, the sexy “You” before heading right into “Voices,” another number one hit.
Chris’ strong set came to a close with the heartbreaking ballad “Tomorrow.” It seemed a little too soon to see these talent leave the stage. His own headlining tour can’t be too far off for this more-than-worthy talent.
With two slid supporting acts, the stage had been appropriately set for the main attraction. The roar of the crowd was deafening, seconds before Jason took the stage. When the curtain finally fell and the notes of “Tattoos On This Town” filled the arena, no one in the sold-out venue was sitting in their seat.
With so many hits to play, Jason starting plowing through them quickly, and treated the audience to “Amarillo Sky,” “Big Green Tractor,” “Why” and “The Truth.” He showed no problem moving back and forth between power ballads and the more up tempo songs and kept the audience fully engaged. They knew every word to every song, a fact that seemed to overwhelm the humble singer at times.
He rocked the audience with a loud version of “Crazy Town,” before completely turning the tables on them by telling them of a visit with a young boy in the area on a previous trip to town. The sick child ultimately lost his battle but his parents and his sister were in the crowd that night and Jason dedicated the heartbreaking “See You When I See You” to them. It was a moving moment that brought more than a few tears to the audience.
Kelly Clarkson appeared via video screen to duet on “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” a recent number one for the duo and then the party continued with “My Kind of Party” and “Dirt Anthem Road.”
We’ll leave the rest of the night undocumented so there are a few surprises in store for our fellow party animals. The good news is… Jason just released tour dates for next year as the party will continue in 2012. Head to www.JasonAldean.com to find out how close this night of fun is coming to you.
The crowd just couldn’t have had a better time with these artists and the songs that have contributed to the soundtracks of our lives. However, what was even more amazing was how much the artists seem to appreciate the support and love from the audience. It’s easy to think that once singers have reached a certain level of success, they just expect the crowd to pay the money and show up. Every act on the bill made sure to mention how much they appreciated everyone paying their money to support country music. They truly sounded sincere. It’s little things like that that go a long way towards having these people show up the next time the party comes to town.