Another snowy Saturday night in New England did not keep Travis Tritt, or his fans, from meeting up and hanging out to sing, applaud and enjoy an amazing night of country music. Travis sang to a sold- out crowd at the Stadium Theatre Performing Arts Centre in Woonsocket Rhode Island. With a purple glow enveloping the stage set only with a single stool, a guitar and a table with a cup of something liquid in it, you could already feel the excitement from the crowd waiting for the country songster.
Wearing jeans, with sequins down the sides, worn cowboy boots and a long purple coat with sequins, on the arms, Tritt entered the stage around 8:00pm to an enthusiastic, excited crowd. Fans barely gave Tritt a chance to sit down before they were screaming and applauding so loudly it was a wonder how he could even hear himself sing. Taking a seat on the stool, guitar in hand and with his deep baritone, Tritt treated us with the first of his twenty two set song list, ‘All About the Money.’ Ending his first song and barely taking a breath, Tritt strummed the chords of his guitar going right into his next song, ‘Where the Corn Don’t Grow’ and then quickly following with ‘The Pressure is on’ and ‘I’m Gonna Be Somebody.’
Finally taking a breath and a break from the singing, Tritt welcomed us all to the show and of course the first topic of conversation was the New England weather. “There is only one word to describe this area from a guy from the south, I’m freezing my ass off, but that’s ok, cause you’re here and we are going to warm things up!” If the audience’s immediate outburst was any indication, they certainly approved of that statement.
After that crowd pleasing comment, Tritt tuned up his guitar for his next couple of songs, ‘Lord Have Mercy on the Working Man,’ ‘Best of Intentions,’ and his first single released in 1989, (which was the largest selling single released by a country artist, at that time, on the Warner Brothers label) ‘I’m A Member of a Country Club.’ Throughout the evening, Tritt sang us songs and shared stories of his family, his start in country music and his fondness for the country crooners of the past. Tritt introduced his next song ‘Country Ain’t Country No More.’ Saying, “This is a single I released some years ago. Back in the days before rap was in country music.” The more mature members of the audience applauded enthusiastically for that comment.
When Tritt first got started in the business, he had the opportunity to hang out with some of his childhood heroes such as Johnny Cash, George Jones and Hank Williams Jr., who all still influence who he is today. One of those old time country stars, who was also an actor, was Jerry Reed. Travis then performed Reed’s song, ‘500 Miles Away From Home.’
His single, which went to number two on Billboards Hot Country Songs in 1992, ‘Here’s a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares’), was met with the audience immediately on their feet and singing along to every word. Other hit songs Travis shared with us were, ‘The Whisky Ain’t Working Anymore,’ ‘It’s A Great Day to Be Alive,’ and ‘Anymore.’ Tritt was also kind enough to play for us an instrumental song he recently wrote called ‘Pickin At It,’ showing off his evident talent as an amazing guitar player. However, before he played the instrumental for us, Tritt had this to say: “I hope all of you like instrumentals but by some chance if there are those of you who don’t care for instrumentals, I want to speak to you directly and ask you please, I’m begging you, act like you do and that way you won’t hurt my feelings.” From the burst of the crowd’s cheers, even if you were one of those that don’t like instrumentals, you did tonight.
Tritt shared a story about five men that he called The class of 89.’ Five guys that had singles out around the same time. They were Garth Brooks, Allen Jackson, Clint Black, Vince Gill, and Travis Tritt, but Tritt stood out like a sore thumb because he wasn’t clean cut like those other guys. He wore leather and had long hair. He was even labeled an outlaw, which was fine with him because that meant he could be like one of his heroes Waylon Jennings. Tritt shared his feeling about how Waylon was such a huge influence him when he was first starting out in the business. “From the time I met him, until twelve years later, he and I bonded and we became close friends. I had the opportunity to learn at his feet. He was like a father figure to me and not a day goes by that I don’t think of him and miss him.” I am so glad I had the opportunity to know him and I appreciate all of the things he taught me. So if it’s ok, I would like to do a little bit of a tribute to him.” Picking the chords on his guitar, Tritt performed his tribute. These songs, a combination of, ‘Mamma Don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys’ and The Dukes of Hazzard theme song, ‘Good Ole Boys, was an amazing tribute to the country music icon.
The lights went low and a spotlight appeared on stage, reflecting a moon. Staying with the outlaw theme, Tritt performed a song called ‘Lone Wolf, a bluesy, pining song that had the audience sitting quietly, mesmerized. According to Tritt, “There has never been another song about being an outlaw like this one.”
Tritt ended his show with the song ‘Trouble,’ from his certified 2× Platinum selling album of the same name. He exited the stage amid stomping and cheering. Tritt didn’t stay off too off stage long and returned less than two minutes later for an encore. Picking up his guitar and sitting back down on the stool Tritt sang for us, ‘Long Way to Richmond,’ and the 1972 hit by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken.’ Amid the thunderous applause, Tritt thanked his fans again, and getting a little choked up, with a sincere voice said, “You have no idea what that means to me, it really does.” It was a fitting ending to an amazing evening of good old fashioned country music, and heartfelt personal stories by a man, who no doubt, is soon to be a country music icon himself one day.
Concert recap by Lorraine Frigoletto. Contributing writer for New England Country Music. You can follow me on Twitter.