Concert Review – Jason Aldean’s “Wide Open” Tour
If you follow along on our Twitter page, you already know that last night we caught Jason Aldean’s most recent stop on his “Wide Open” tour. What a show it was… from beginning to end, the fans who packed in Gilford, NH’s Meadowbrook US Cellular Pavilion were on their feet, singing and dancing along to a night filled with good music and entertainment.
David Nail opened the show for Jason and admittedly, this crowd was way more knowledgeable about David than I was. Sure, we post about him often and I like both of his radio singles, (“Red Light” & “Turning Home”) but aside from giving his album the initial listen-thru and following along our mutual love of baseball through David’s Twitter, I haven’t paid a whole lot of attention to him. Until now. As David was about to take the stage, I realized that I may very well have been the only one in the venue who was missing out… usually reserved for the headliner, the seats were already filled with fans in anticipation of David’s set. The crowd loved him, and it didn’t take long at all for me to become a fan myself.
Listening to David sing is an absolute treat… he has a sound that is very much his own, a pure voice that really touches you when he sings. Although refreshingly absent of the traditional country attire (no cowboy hat, big belt buckle or even some twang in his voice,) listening to David sing made me confident that the sound of country music is safe in the hands – and voice – of this newcomer. The only downfall that I could see in his set was his lack of showmanship, which will no doubt come with more time spent on the road. While David’s connection to the crowd was surprisingly obvious for a newer artist, it would have been nice to see him come out from behind the microphone stand a bit more and interact with the crowd. His appreciation and kindness was there for the crowd was certainly present, so I have no doubt that with all the miles he’s putting in on the road, the rest of his show will certainly develop. After a standing ovation from the adoring crowd, it was clear that David had done his job of getting this crowd ready for Jason Aldean.
Jason took the stage to an absolutely adoring, near-capacity crowd of 6,300. From the split second that he took the stage until the final note was silent, this crowd was on their feet in admiration of someone who is surely becoming one of country music’s biggest stars. Although it’s easy to see that he’s a talented guitar player and a great singer, it was obvious to me that Jason’s true calling comes in the form of being an entertainer. He had this New England crowd hooked as soon as he mentioned his performance at last week’s Beckett Bowl, giving props to our beloved Josh Beckett and Boston Red Sox. Hit after hit, he connected with the audience and seemed in as much appreciation of them as we were of him. He was high-energy, constantly running around the stage while playing the guitar, shaking hands with the fans down front, and even taking “gifts” from a few female fans (although he did draw the line when one fan tried to give him her underwear!)
It had been a couple of years since I’d seen Jason live, so I wasn’t quite sure what songs he incorporates into his live show. Of course there are the crowd favorites like “She’s Country” and “Big Green Tractor,” but one of my favorites was a song that never made it to country radio. Before acoustically singing “Asphalt Cowboy,” Jason explained that he wished it could’ve been a single as he thinks it would’ve been a big hit, but it never quite got there. The lack of radio play didn’t matter to me or to the rest of the crowd… we all soaked up the sight and sound of Jason alone with his guitar on stage singing one of my favorite songs.
Jason took a brief break from running around the stage to let us know of what’s in store for him in the coming months. A new single, “My Kind Of Party,” is due at country radio next week, with a new album coming in November. He’ll also appear on a hunting show along with Luke Bryan this fall that will air on the Outdoor Channel. Much to the crowd’s delight, it looks like we’ll have plenty of Jason Aldean throughout the fall. (You can keep up-to-date with the latest info about the new music by signing up for e-mail alerts or following the news section on Jason’s website.)
If you have the opportunity to catch either David or Jason at a show soon, absolutely do it! David has a refreshing voice with a fun demeanor that will quickly turn you into a fan, and Jason’s live show will absolutely convince you that he is the future of country music. As fans, I think we can expect to see Jason playing to sell-out crowds for many years to come!
To view more pictures from last night’s show, check out our Facebook page.
