On Friday, February 26th, hundreds of fans packed Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, RI, to spend the night rocking out with Parmalee. The chilly night brought a long line at the coat check and an even longer line at the bar as fans warmed up with opener, Drew Baldridge. Drew got things heated up pretty quickly, pumping up fans and setting the mood for the rest of the night. A large crowd gathered at the singer’s merchandise table where Baldridge met fans for an informal meet and greet between sets. But soon it was time to head back in as no one wanted to miss a second of the night’s headliner. The floor was packed with fans of all ages but it didn’t stop people from trying to inch their way closer to the stage. Groups of girls linking arms and spilling beers nudged their way to the front as the lights dimmed and the crowd erupted into cheers. The guys appeared one by one, each member of the band generating louder screams from the audience, the whole building was practically shaking by the time all four were on stage. “How you feelin’, Cat Country?!” exclaimed Matt as the group kicked things off with ‘You Bring the Music.’
The crowd was full of energy, singing along and dancing as the North Carolina natives rolled out hits like ‘Already Callin’ You Mine,’ ‘Back in the Day,’ and ‘Close Your Eyes.’ Fans that follow the band on social media know that the guys have been working on new music, and Friday night the group confirmed that a new single is set to be released in April or May. But the fans at Lupo’s didn’t have to wait until spring – Parmalee played their soon-to-be-released single, ‘Roots,’ and from the crowd’s reaction, this one is sure to be a hit. “It’s about staying true to your roots,” explained Matt. It’s the perfect song for a band like Parmalee, who seems to hold tight to their values and remain true to themselves. With lyrics like, ‘It don’t matter where I plant these boots, I can’t outrun these roots,’ the song delivers a strong message that you can’t escape the things that make you who you are. The song is on the slower side, but the crowd was still fully engaged – a sea of people swaying with the music. A little later in the set the audience was surprised with yet another new song, ‘Damn, I Want to Kiss You.’ The flirty, upbeat tune had the crowd dancing and feeling privileged to have heard Parmalee’s new music before the general population. The audience was now part of an exclusive club with “I heard it first” bragging rights. It was obvious that the crowed loved the new song from all the cheers and whistles that rang out as the song ended.
With the energy still up, the band brought Drew Baldridge back out to accompany them on a cover of ‘Family Tradition’ by Hank Williams Jr. “We want some crowd participation on this one!” they exclaimed, and the audience followed through. “Speaking of family tradition, you guys are the Parmalee family,” said Matt who explained how they’ve had the same four guys on stage every night since day one. “It’s a family affair,” he said before introducing his brother, Scott Thomas. “If you have a family band the rule is you must have one cousin… Mr. Barry Knox,” Matt continued, finally introducing Josh McSwain, “This is our best friend, our brother from another mother.” The crowd cheered for the band and the guys encouraged them to scream louder. The lights on stage began flashing, getting more dramatic as the sound from the audience went up. The energy was radiating throughout the entire venue, “Are y’all ready to have a good time?!” shouted Matt, of course leading into their party anthem, ‘Musta Had a Good Time.’ Fans were singing along and tossing around a giant red balloon which ended up landing on stage. Barry kicked the balloon back into the crowd as his bandmates jumped up on platforms near the edge of the stage. “Good time crowd, I love it!” the guys praised the audience for their vivacity.
The guys moved on with the set, describing a typical Sunday afternoon growing up, “If you were rolling with us back in the day, in the back of my dad’s pickup truck, you might hear something like this coming out that back window.” The guys sang the 70’s classic, ‘Midnight Rider’ with perfect harmonies. After a big instrumental break, they moved on to something a little more recent covering Ed Sheeran’s Grammy-winning ‘Thinking Out Loud.’ The crowd knew every word, echoing the lyrics back to the band. It was about time to bring the energy back up and Matt started to smooth-talk the crowd, “These Northeastern girls are somethin’ else,” he said, flashing a flirty smile as the ladies in the audience cheered. “Something we noticed, it seems to me that no matter what age they are, they all love to dance,” he continued, talking slowly and charming the girls with his Southern accent they couldn’t seem to get enough of. “This song right here goes out to all the girls who like to shake what your mama gave ya!” The group played their hit, ‘Dance,’ and not wanting to let the band down, the crowd let loose and rocked out.
The set was coming to an end and the crowd cheered as Parmalee expressed their gratitude for everyone. “Thanks so much for hanging out with us! Thanks Drew for opening! Thanks Cat Country for playing us!” Matt said. “And whoever smoking that good stuff down front, that smells good,” he added, getting a laugh from the audience. Of course, Parmalee topped the night off with the band’s first number one country hit, ‘Carolina.’ They briefly interrupted the song for a photo op, Scott hopped down from the drums and posed with his bandmates while everyone in the crowd threw up their arms hoping to make the shot, which the guys later posted on their Instagram. The song and the show inevitably came to an end. As the band waved goodbye to their fans, the audience seemed to be cheering louder than they had all night. There’s no doubt that each and every person at the show had an incredible time. The guys of Parmele, North Carolina, are always welcome to come back to Providence, Rhode Island!
For more photos from this concert, click here.