October 31, 2023

Byline Bank Ballroom

photos by Carmella Wiggins

Sexyy Red’s performance at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on October 31, 2023, was nothing short of electrifying. The St. Louis rapper, known for her unapologetic lyrics and high-energy performances, brought her “Hood Hottest Princess Tour” to the Windy City, and it was a night to remember.

From the moment the doors opened at 5 PM, the anticipation was palpable. Fans, dressed in their best Halloween costumes, filled the venue, ready to experience the raw energy that Sexyy Red is known for. The show kicked off at 6 PM, and from the first beat, it was clear that this was going to be a night of non-stop entertainment.

Sexyy Red took the stage with a commanding presence, immediately captivating the audience with her charisma and stage presence. Her setlist was a perfect mix of her biggest hits and fan favorites, each song delivered with the same intensity and passion that has made her a rising star in the rap scene. Tracks like “Pound Town” and “Hood Hottest Princess” had the crowd singing along word for word, while newer songs showcased her evolving artistry and lyrical prowess.

The production value of the show was top-notch, with impressive lighting and visuals that complemented Sexyy Red’s dynamic performance. The Aragon Ballroom, with its historic architecture and vibrant atmosphere, provided the perfect backdrop for the concert, enhancing the overall experience for everyone in attendance.

One of the highlights of the night was when Sexyy Red took a moment to interact with the crowd, sharing personal stories and expressing her gratitude for the support she has received. This genuine connection with her fans added an extra layer of authenticity to the performance, making it a truly memorable evening.

Overall, Sexyy Red’s Chicago show was a testament to her talent and dedication as an artist. It was a night filled with energy, emotion, and unforgettable moments, leaving fans eagerly anticipating her next visit to the city

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by Mary Andrews

This is the 45th anniversary of the Waiting for Columbus live album. The historic Rialto Theatre had a sold out crowd that was more than excited when Little Feat took the stage on a Wednesday night. The album was played in its entirety with some extended versions of many of the songs. It was a special night.

The band greeted the crowd with big smiles as they took their place on the stage behind their instruments as “Join the Band” played in the background. Their infamous “Fat Man in the Bathtub” was their first offering of a night of Little Feat bliss. Drenched in Southern rhythms, funk, jazz and rock and roll, it was a night to be celebrated. As soon as the music started, fans danced until they couldn’t stand anymore.

The band has gone through many changes since Lowell George founded the group after being fired by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. Keyboardist, Bill Payne, still plays with the present day band and is the only member who played in the original four-piece lineup.

Former musical director for the Greg Allman Band, Scott Sharrard, lead guitarist and singer, joined the band in 2020 following the death of Paul Barrere. Sharrard’s time with Allman peaked when they co-wrote “My Only True Friend” for Allman’s last solo album. Sharrard has reflected on Little Feat’s influence on him as a child.

Drummer, Tony Leone, joined the band in 2020 as well. Leone has worked with rock royalty such as the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Levon Helm, and Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead.

Fred Tackett was introduced as a man who plays guitar with a pencil. The multi-instrumentalist has performed as a band member since 1988, but he performed in the Little Feat recording sessions during the seventies.  Delaney and Bonnie’s Kenny Gradney on bass has been in the band since 1972. Also from Delaney and Bonnie’s band is Sam Clayton. The percussionist has also been in the band since 1972. There were no horn players for this show.

Many of the songs were upbeat and that kept the energy up for the band and the fans. Classic songs played included “Time Loves a Hero,” “Willin’,” “Dixie Chicken,” “Sailin’ Shoes,” and “Let it Roll.” The back screen had many visual photos showing the band in earlier days as well as the album cover art.

It was the music that had the fans in a joyous trance throughout the evening. The incredible musicianship and the treasure trove of music kept the happy crowd enraptured throughout the night.

For a set list, click here.

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Review and photos by Anita Maree

Ravinia Festival welcomed back The Beach Boys to ‘Do It Again’!

Ravinia, located in beautiful Highland Park, IL, welcomed to the stage one of the most influential acts of the rock era – The Beach Boys. The band is one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful of all time, selling over 100 million records worldwide. Between the 1960s and 2010s, the group had 36 songs reach the US Top 40 charts – the most by an American band! While the band’s line-up has changed over the years, the music and unique harmonies were right on. This was their 14th season at Ravinia Festival and they were headlining both Saturday and Sunday night.

The Beach Boys are still led by co-founding member and singer Mike Love, who just turned 80 years old, as well as Bruce Johnston who joined the band back in 1965. The other bandmates include Mike Love’s son Christian on guitar and vocals, keyboardist Tim Bonhomme, drummer and singer John Cowsill, singer and guitarist Brian Eichenberger, bassist Keith Hubacher, saxophone by Randy Leago, musical director, singer and guitarist Scott Totten, and part-time touring guitarist, drummer, singer, and actor John Stamos.

The Beach Boys performed 42 songs the first evening stepping out on the stage singing “Do It Again” followed by other hits including “Surfin’ Safari”, “Surfin’ U.S.A.”, “Surfer Girl”, and “When I Grow Up (to Be a Man)”. They did a beautiful rendition of “God Only Knows” that was quite moving.

Mike Love spoke to the crowd often and recounted many stories from over the years. He spoke about when The Beach Boys met The Beatles and how close he was with George Harrison. The band then performed Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun”. John Stamos took lead vocals on “Forever”.

On stage while the band performed, was cleverly put together videos from years past. Many of the videos showcased original band members Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, along with Al Jardine sharing the stage with Mike Love. It was great that they shared some of these rare videos with their fans.

The entire night was filled with classics including their biggest hit single “Kokomo” which was a crowd-pleaser. They also performed “Barbara Ann”, ‘Good Vibrations”, “Help Me Rhonda”, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, and they closed the evening

with “Fun, Fun, and Fun”. It was great seeing the Ravinia crowd up and dancing on all the hits.

The Beach Boys music has stayed strong for all these years. They are the original all-boy band, however, this boy band was the real deal. They knew how to write songs, how to perform them on stage, and how to write catchy and danceable songs.

As their lyric say, “Don’t Worry Baby, Everything will turn out alright”….and it did

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UIC Pavilion – Chicago, IL, United States – November 22, 2006

by Dan Hargesheimer

The drama builds, the curtains draw back, and what you see in front of you resembles a circus, with strippers, freaks, and dancers, and your attention is captured from the get-go. Now that I have yours, no…wait, wait, dear studio audience, I’ve got an announcement to make: Actually those are burlesque dancers, contortionists, and ballerinas that can only be seen altogether at a Panic! At The Disco show. With so many obscure things going on during this concert, your brain approaches sensory overload, but still leaves you with an invigorated feeling after all is said and done. Each band member sports face paint and costumes of a bygone era, but keeps the music eclectic and with a new-age feel. That eclectic sound of theirs has pushed Panic’s first release, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out,” to hit platinum status back in August!

Lead singer Brendon Urie kept himself occupied during this spectacle of a show by singing, playing the piano, participating in choreographed dances, and riling up the crowd. Drummer Spencer Smith sat about 10 feet in the air atop what resembled a carousel, in front of a background that had a Broadway show crowd reminiscent of the early 20’s. While people appeared and disappeared all night long from the carousel sitting just a few feet under Spencer, and while skits were run across the stage on a minute-to-minute basis, it never took away from the overall performance of Panic! They stayed true to their ‘roots’ and even though their ‘roots’ are only a few years old, playing Queen’s “Killer Queen,” and the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” fit their unique sound flawlessly.

During a few different songs, Brendon was bombarded by burlesque dancers, much to his bandmates’ dismay. They followed him to his piano a few different times, and once climbed all over him and the piano where he was seated. Urie also took everyone into intermission while playing the piano portion of their ‘Intermission’ song–with blazing speed. During halftime, the crowd was shown a brief movie resembling a Charlie Chaplin flick featuring a midget undressing, a man picking up an old wooden table with his teeth, all while a piano interlude took you through it.

The second half of the show was as good, if not better, than the first session. When the guys came back out onto the stage, they were joined by dancers jumping rope, dancers swirling hoola hoops around their hips, and dancers playing with a large bouncy ball. After the fun and games were over with, the burlesque ladies danced in business-looking suits, but quickly ripped those off, ditched them on stage, and chased Urie around stage like a bunch of little school girls chasing their little boy crush.

During “There’s A Good Reason,” Brendon joined the ladies for a choreographed dance before getting into the ever- classic hit “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles. “Rigby” featured a slow xylophone intro, a cello that made the song sound as if the Beatles were standing on stage playing the song in their heyday, and a drum line type outro that involved all of the band members out on the front of the stage.

One of the most amusing and entertaining parts of the show was when Panic! played their hit song “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.” The song began, and a bride and groom appeared in the background on stilts. The bride’s dress draped all the way to the ground, and when the song got to the now ever-familiar part “and the groom’s bride is a whore,” a bunch of people started walking out from underneath the bride’s dress, and running away as the groom chased after them. While the skit continued and you saw the battle ensue, Panic! finished up their set in front of the sold-out crowd at the UIC Pavilion.

There was never a dull moment during this show, and their concerts get more and more intricate with every tour. It’s not often that you get to experience a show with such an extremely high aesthetic value, and one where the entertainment value blows the roof off! I can’t wait to see what rabbit Panic! pulls out of their hat the next time they make it back to Chicago!

SET LIST:

• The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage
• London Beckoned Songs About Money Written By Machines
• Time To Dance
• Nails For Breakfast, Tacks For Snacks
• Camisado
• Killer Queen
• Lying Is the Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
• (Intermission)
• But It’s Better If You Do
• There’s A Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven’t Thought Of It Yet
• Eleanor Rigby
• *(Drum Line)
• I Write Sins Not Tragedies
• I Constantly Thank God For Esteban
• Build God, Then We’ll Talk

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by Artur Meyster

Did you lose your job during the Covid-19 pandemic? You probably are feeling uncertain and anxious about what to do next. This article advises you and explains why considering a career change into tech may be the best choice for a better professional future. Stop wallowing and read on. 

Finding a Purpose

It may sound cliche, but if you lost your job, it might be a sign that it’s time to find a job that you are passionate about. Being passionate about what you do gives you a purpose in life. Also, our purpose can change throughout our life. And this year has allowed a lot of people to reflect on what they really want. 

So, you can find a new career path that aligns better with the purpose you choose for yourself. One of the main benefits of choosing a new path into tech is that many companies are working on projects that have a purpose. Also, what you do will impact society or even history like in the case of Apple.  

For example, if you want to help people, you could become a web developer and offer your services to non-profits to increase their online presence and, therefore, their reach. Or you can become a data scientist and work for companies that are creating AI software for healthcare. There are tons of options in tech to find a job with a purpose. 

Learning New Things

If you have years in your previous career, you probably already have the skills needed to do that job. It could also happen that you were already feeling bored and unchallenged before you were laid off. If you decide to make a carer change into tech, you will be learning new things constantly from the moment you make the decision. 

First, you will need to learn certain qualifications according to the profession. It doesn’t matter if you learn these skills through a university course or coding bootcamp. You will still need to learn the programming languages and logical and critical skills for each career. 

Then, when you are already in the industry, you will need to learn new things constantly. Technology develops so fast that it is still difficult to keep up. This speed will increase with AI. So, tech professionals have to learn new skills, programming languages, or software all the time so they can keep up with what is happening in the industry. 

It doesn’t matter where you work. You will probably have a variety of projects. Technology is needed in all sectors, and you could be working on a website for a nightclub one day and on one for a church the next. Even after years of experience in the industry, you will constantly find yourself on challenging tasks that you haven’t encountered before. 

Excellent Benefits

Another clear benefit of the tech industry is that you will have excellent benefits that go beyond a high salary. Tech professions already have wages 66 percent higher than others in the country. But the industry offers a lot of perks that have attracted a lot of professionals. The most famous is Google’s headquarters that has free massages, gyms, free food with thousands of options, and nap rooms. 

But you don’t have to work at Google to have some of these benefits. Being creative with employee’s perks has become a thing in the tech industry. Netflix offers 12 months of parental pay leave to the primary caretaker. Facebook offers conception and adoption assistance, where they give reimbursements for things like egg freezing for females. It is a matter of knowing what is important for you and finding a company that provides it. 

In Summary

Finally, if you lost your job because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the chances are that it was because your profession didn’t adapt to the remote working modality. Almost all tech professions can be done remotely, so you won’t be at risk of losing your job when a similar situation happens. 

In fact, the chances of not having a job in the next decades are very slim. The tech industry is taking over, and the only way technology disappears at the point we are now is if we disappear too. If you start learning now, you will have a new career in next year’s first trimester.

Fox Theatre, Tucson, AZ, USA, October 8. 2019

by Mary Andrews

The Big Easy came to the Old Pueblo on the first stop of the Take Me To the River-New Orleans Live tour. The tour is organized to raise awareness of the need to bring music education back to our public schools. It is targeted for middle and high school students. Take Me To The River teaches us not to lose our musical legacy. The mission of Take Me to the River is to make sure that generations coming after us know where our music came from. New Orleans is one of the most important examples of an American musical legacy.

The musical gumbo began with a short film of Irma Thomas and Ledesi in the recording studio in New Orleans accompanied by George Porter Jr. singing a new version of “Wish Someone Would Care.” 

The film was quickly followed up with “Big Chief” Monk Bourdreaux and “Big Chief” Romeo Bougere of the 9th Ward Hunters taking the stage to perform songs in their traditional Mardi Gras Indian style using a predominant percussion accompaniment. 

Both performers were wearing their Mardi Gras regalia. 

They were joined by Ivan and Ian Neville from Dumpstaphunk later in their set along on keyboards and guitar. Both performers are from one of the most famous bloodlines in New Orleans. Ivan is the son of Aaron Neville and Ian is Aaron Neville’s nephew. Both musicians are masters of New Orleans funk providing powerhouse keys and heavy guitar riffs. Kevin Truss on drums and Tony Hall on guitar and bass also joined the band.

Walter “Wolfman” Washington made a quick entrance after Bourdreaux and Bougere finished their set. Washington added a blues element to the evening with his chameleon-like guitar playing. His blend of R&B, funk, and blues is very unique. Dressed in his trademark red suit made to match his signature electric, red guitar, he has come a long way from playing a homemade cigar box guitar. Much of his personality was revealed during his short set.

The ambiance of the night changed dramatically when The Dirty Dozen Brass Band appeared for their set. The stage was filled with musicians, the smoke machines were going full force, and the mood was much like a club in New Orleans. The crowd was suddenly on their feet, dancing and gyrating to the funk sounds in the theatre. The transformation was striking. The band was ready to ‘get down.’

The band members included Roger Lewis on baritone sax and vocals, Kevin Harris on tenor sax and vocals, Gregory Davis on trumpet and vocals, Kirk Joseph on sousaphone,TJ Norris on trombone and vocals, Julian Addison on Drums and Takeshi Shimmura on guitar. Not a dozen musicians, but add the other musicians that were already playing, you had many more than a dozen players. That included two drummers and a percussionist. 

There was no setlist. The set was improvised as much as the musical arrangements. One of the musicians said that was always the way it is. Sousaphone player, Joseph, is the unofficial leader of the band and if he doesn’t like what is being played, he will change it. Tributes to fellow New Orleans legends Dr. John and Fats Domino were given with the songs, “Right Place, Wrong Time” and “I’m Walkin.’” More songs included “Fire and Brimstone” and B.B. King’s “Everyday I Have the Blues.”

Davis called out to “the lady in the blue shirt” who was dancing in the isle to join the band on stage. She and a friend shuffled to the stage giving the crowd some of their best hoochie-coochie dance moves as the band played on. Nothing like some good old audience participation. 

The finale was, of course, Take Me To the River” with everyone returning to the stage. 

The night was loaded with the improvisational musicianship that embodied the tradition of bebop jazz, funk, and New Orleans fun.

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Tempe Beach Park, Tempe, Ariz.

February 29-March 1, 2020

by Mary Andrews

The third annual Innings Festival will be held over two days, February 29-March1 2020. The festival is produced by the same folks who produce Lollapalooza in Chicago each year. Innings Festival was created to commemorate baseball spring training and music. The first two years have been wildly successful and Innings Fest is back.

Arizona has been a popular site for spring training for professional baseball teams both in Phoenix and Tucson. It is also a destination for the first tour stop for the world’s most coveted bands in music. It seems to be a no brainer to marry the two pastimes for a festival in Ariz.

The environment was simply sublime last year with the waterfront of Tempe Town Lake on one side of the grounds and the sight of the moon rising above the water. This time of the year brings moderate temperatures that can’t be beat anywhere else in the U.S. Add some of the best music available in the air. and you have pure satisfaction.

For the passionate baseball fans, this year’s baseball legends Ryan Dempster, Jake Peavy, Bret Saberhagen, Miguel Montero, Aaron Rowand, and surprise guests will be there for baseball demonstrations, interviews, and meet and greets. Last year many fans came to the festival just for the baseball experience. 

Here are our suggestions for the no-miss musical acts that are scheduled to appear this year:

Dave Matthews Band (DMB)

Very few bands have achieved the meteoric and sustained success of the DMB. They have had worldwide fame since 1994. They are one of the best performing rock bands in existence. They are known to never play the same song in the same way during their performances. This multiplatinum-selling band never fails to thrill audiences during their performances.

Weezer

The band made its debut in the early 1990s and had multi-platinum success with their first self-titled album with hits “Buddy Holly,” “Undone-The Sweater Song, “ and “Say It Ain’t So.” Since then, the band has consistently delivered top-notch music that has resulted in worldwide albums sales topping 35 million.

Their packed, live shows have been a romp through their delightful alt-rock radio staples that have fans on their feet clamoring for more Weezer.

Portugal. The Man

The Alaskan native indie band has finally gained international recognition after nine albums. The band garnered a Grammy Award for their hit song “Feel It Still” and became a headlining act selling out venues worldwide. Portugal-The Man’s shows have been described as an intoxicating experience. The band will exceed your expectations.

ZZ Ward

ZZ Ward has brought a breath of fresh air to the blues genre since her debut album Til the Casket Drops in 2012. Ward has the sass of Etta James, the soul of Muddy Waters, and the power of Big Mama Thornton. She has had a commanding presence on stage from the beginning that translates into a festival setting as well as in an intimate club. Ward can sing any genre of music as she has professed her love for hip-hop, R&B and pop. She manages to put her skills to test on harmonica and work even more magic. 

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Jason Isbell is often pigeon-holed into the Americana genre, but he and his great band can play some down-home roll and roll as well. His live shows have been characterized as blistering, full force musical wizardry. Isbell has an uncanny ability to lyrically tap into the human emotions like no other songwriter today. His songs inspire deep reflection into our relationships and the human condition. Isbell’s show is epic and deserve many repeat visits.

Death Cab for Cutie

Death Cab For Cutie has made many appearances in the Phoenix area since they formed in the late 90s. It’s hard to pass up a chance to see them again. Their live shows showcase the band’s unconventional instrumentation, distinct vocals, and lyrical style. Their shows are mesmerizing and never grow old. 

There is much more that the Innings Festival has to offer. If your taste is more Southern rock, Whiskey Myers will be in your lane. Nikki Lane fills the spot for country fans. Catch Big Head Todd and the Monsters for your blues fix. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is a great alt-rock band. There truly is something for everyone’s musical taste at the Innings Festival. 

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September 21nd & 22 featuring: Citizen Cope, Mt. Joy, Nikki Lane, Justin Townes Earle, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, John Moreland, Kristin Hersh

by Melodie Cody

There are few things better than attending an inaugural year of a music festival. Last year’s Holler on the Hill music festival at Garfield Park in Indianapolis, Indiana was one of those festivals. Garfield Park was established late 19th century, making it the oldest city park in Indianapolis and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The park is situated on the Southside of Indianapolis bordered by residential areas and small businesses. 

The 2018 inaugural two-day event was a great mixture of well-known and lesser-known musicians. The festival had three stages, one being the amphitheater built in the 1920s, renovated in the 1990s, with reserved seating and plenty of grassy space surrounding it for lawn chairs and blankets.

So many things to like about the first year. Placement of the stages as there was no music bleed between performing artists. Food and beverages were provided by various vendors. My personal favorite was the Hippie Tots! If you have never had Hippie Tots, then it is just one more reason to attend this festival. Tickets to the event were reasonably priced. Getting in and out of the venue was convenient, security checks were competent and fast.
The 2018 Line up included; St Paul and the Broken Bones, Moon Taxi, Hayes Carll, Colter Wall, Amanda Shires, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Jamestown Revival, John Paul White, Katie Pruitt, and many, many more.

Looking forward to the second year of Holler on the Hill, scheduled for September 21st and 22nd. Two days of music, food, beverage, merch, and people-watching in a beautiful setting. Whoever thought we would have a music festival in Indy? So glad we do! Great big THANK YOU to Garfield Park, MOKB and all the Sponsors.

The 2019 Lineup;
Citizen Cope
Mt Joy
Nikki Lane
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
Justin Townes Earle
Murder by Death
John Moreland
Kristin Hersh
American Aquarium
Red Wanting Blue
Lilly Hiatt
Will Hoge
Mipso
Susto
Katie Pruitt
Briston Maroney
Erin Rae
The Wild Reeds
Brent Cowles
Motherfolk
Patrick Sweany
Left Lane Cruiser
Neighbor Lady
Joshua Powell
Psst… There are late night shows, located at several venues around Indy, for those that just can’t get enough music during the actual festival. Enjoy!
After Hours Lineup
Whiskey Wolves of the West
Vincent Neil Emerson
Isaac Rudd & The Revolvers
Jesse Malin
Cody Ikerd & The Sidewinders
Heaven Honey
And more to be announced

by Christopher Alo

Congratulations are for NYDM who recently held a successful two-day festival here in Poughkeepsie, NY at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center. This was NYDM’s 15th anniversary and they picked an incredible way to celebrate. The festival attracted hundreds of the most die-hard attendees from every corner of the country, all of whom seemed to enjoy the festivities. There were vendors selling everything from t-shirts and CDs to metal jewelry and collectibles.

Of course, the main reason most people were there was the music. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see every band that I wanted to, but I did catch as many as I could over the weekend. On day one I was able to watch sets from Never Say Die, Enrage, Whiplash, Carnivore AD, Toxik and Possessed. On day two I was able to see sets from Hexe Krieg, Wrath, Dehumanized, Attacker, Sabbra Cadabra, Morpheus Descends, Bloodfeast and Leeway. NYDM put together a festival with a stacked lineup!

I have to say, after going to see so many metal shows at the Civic Center over three decades; it was beyond cool to see acts like Leeway and Possessed up on the big stage.

I was completely surprised by how much I enjoyed Carnivore AD. The three-piece tore through the best material off of Carnivore’s two classic records like “Predator” and “Angry Neurotic Catholics”. I’ll be honest, I was completely skeptical before they played, but after their extremely powerful performance, I was completely won over.

For the homegrown talent from the Hudson Valley, I definitely want to mention Morpheus Descends and Hexe Krieg. Both bands put on fantastic and engaging performances, I think I had to pick my jaw up off the ground while watching both of them. I could go on and on about the NYDM Fest at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center, but I’ll just say that it was an incredible event and if you were there, you witness something very special. I’m hoping that NYDM can do future shows like this at the Civic Center because if they do, I will certainly be there!

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Singer/songwriter Chris Young is one of Tucson’s favorite performers. It was little wonder that his AVA Amphitheatre show was a sellout after he headlined the Oro Valley Music Festival in September. His “Raised On Country tour” has been wildly successful this year since its launch in May. The tour celebrates his newest album release of the same name. Tucson was thrilled to see a totally new show with Young’s new hit song, “Raised On Country.”

Young has a talent for picking a great opening band with his headlining tours. His choices have ranged from Chris Jansen to LanCo, and Morgan Evans. The Canadian export, Lindsey Ell, was the opener for this show and Young once again got it right. It has been a long, tough road for Ell and she finally hit gold with the song “Criminal.” Her exuberance and high energy make her a sure thing as an opening act.

Ell captivated the crowd with vocals and axe skills as she danced across the stage. Ell gave a heartfelt and passionate performance whether she was singing country, blues or popular music and did it extremely well. She immediately noticed five and six-year-old fans in front of the stage and gave them a big ole country welcome. It was an unforgettable moment for the fans.

Ell has been booked at several Country Thunder Festivals over the last two years. She can be seen at CT in Wisconsin and in Alberta. She is a force to be reckoned with.

The rest of the evening was left for Chris Young and his fans. The 32-year-old from Murfreesboro, TN released his eighth studio album, Raised On Country this past January. The set started with his stand-by hits, “Hangin’ On” and “Getting’ You Home.” That set the energy level that persisted throughout the 90-minute set.

There weren’t any gimmicks surrounding Young, just a guitar, and his one of a kind voice. His stage presence is comfortable. His band is superb. Everyone performs with true artistry. The set list spanned Young’s entire career with a few covers and surprises thrown in for good measure. Young set up the show by saying he was not going to completely stick to the setlist.
Young added the song “Text Me Texas” a special request from the audience. The other song added to the set was Keith Whitley’s “When You Say Nothing at All.” This was a solo, gut-wrenching performance done with only his acoustic guitar. Young likes to keep his shows “flexible.”

Young introduced his new song, “Drowning,” as a song that’s really, really special to me for a lot of personal reasons, as well as it’s just a different topic that I haven’t really touched on in any of my records before. “ The song was about the death of one of his best friends.

The energy level stayed high all night with frequent sing-a-longs, plenty of screaming and huge rounds of applause. The energetic fans sang along to almost everything Young had to offer.

Vocally Young didn’t miss a beat. He has a warm, husky voice and he is a charismatic performer. When you add that big smile he flashes frequently into the mix, fans know they are at the right place at the right time.

Lindsay Ell reappeared on stage briefly to hand Young his next guitar. Young remarked, “I didn’t expect that to happen.“ Young is not the only one who can surprise everyone. Anything can happen at a Chris Young show. It’s very clear that anytime There is a Chris Young show in Tucson, his fans will be there holding a beer.
Chris Young set list:

1. Hangin’ On
2. Gettin’ You Home
3. Lonely Eyes
4. Losing Sleep
5. Who I Am With You
6. Text Me Texas
7. Hold My Beer
8. Raised on Country
9. I’m Comin’ Over
10. When You Say Nothing at All
    (Keith Whitley cover)
11. Voices
12. Sober Saturday Night
13. Think of You
14. The Man I Want to Be
15. Drowning
16. Papa Loved Mama
    (Garth Brooks cover)
17. You
18. Save Water, Drink Beer
19. Tomorrow
    Encore:
    Aw Naw

Come check out Mary Gallery for the night.

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Lindsey Ell Website | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter | Instagram |