It was a long awaited concert for three of country music’s hottest stars, as Danielle Bradbery, Thomas Rhett and Brett Eldredge entertained fans throughout the November night. The Hampton Casino Ballroom, which sold out in under two minutes, was packed for the trio, as they made their stop in New Hampshire on the Suits & Boots Tour.
After a bit of a delayed opening, Nashville’s sweetheart took the stage, her long, blonde ponytail behind her. Season Four’s winner of NBC’s The Voice, Bradbery may be young, but she has a voice beyond her years. The 19-year-old knew just how to work the crowd, getting fans ready for a night of singing and dancing. Of course, her debut single ‘Heart of Dixie’ was on the setlist, just before she broke into a crowd-favorite, Tori Kelly’s ‘Should’ve Been Us,’ bringing a little pop to the country concert. It was the relatable and comical tune, ‘Friend Zone,’ that drew everyone’s phones out to record the song.
The fans were ready for the next act of the night, Thomas Rhett. Throughout the CMT On Tour 2015 shows, Rhett and Eldredge had been switching up their rotation of who goes first, leaving an air of mystery for each show. The song that kicked off Rhett’s time on stage, ‘Anthem,’ was the ideal start to set the tone early. It was clear that the crowd was going to help the artists sing every word, proving the country die-hards were out in full force. Up next was ‘South Side,’ a song all about shaking what your momma gave you. The crowd did exactly what the song said to do, “shake it like salt, shake it like pepper.” ‘Make Me Wanna,’ ‘Goes Like This,’ and ‘Vacation,’ a new song from his latest album ‘Tangled Up’ that has everyone wishing they were on one, all played part of Rhett’s upbeat set, entertaining the Granite State. “New Hampshire, you feeling good tonight!?” Thomas said as he got the crowd riled up. “I’m standing on the same stage Led Zeppelin played on. That is crazy,” he laughed. Rhett even gave his wife, Lauren, who stood in the sound booth supporting her husband on her birthday, a shout out thanking her for all she does. Danielle Bradbery came out to join Thomas for his song ‘Playing With Fire.’ The two were so in sync that it was clearly a quick fan-favorite. Last up on the setlist was his fourth single to go No. 1, ‘Crash and Burn,’ the story fans find irresistible to hear, about another love ruined.
After another seemingly long break, it was time for the second half of the night’s duo as Brett Eldredge greeted the crowd with ‘Beat of the Music.’ Fans got a good taste of his newest album, ‘Illinois,’ right away with ‘Fire,’ singing the upbeat song on a smoky and red-lit stage. “Thank y’all for coming and supporting me,” Brett exclaimed, saying it was his second time in New Hampshire in less than two months after singing at the NASCAR race earlier this fall. “I’ve been coming up here for awhile now. I know there are a lot of girls in the crowd, so here you go,” a perfect introduction to his hit single, ‘Mean to Me.’ He laughed after, saying, “I sing a lot of love songs. I guess I’m a hopeless romantic.” It was time for his band to get a break, as Eldredge took center stage, sitting on a chair to sing ‘If You Were My Girl.’ Things soon picked right back up where they left off, and to the crowd’s delight, they were entertained with a sensual cover of Ginuwine’s ‘My Pony.’ Although his time on stage was winding down, it was clear there was still more to the show.
In the short time it took for a quick stage change, Thomas Rhett and Brett Eldredge joined the crowd again, this time together and with blue solo cups in hand. Two barstools were waiting for the pair, as they thanked the crowd again and began a conversation. It was Brett who admired Thomas and Lauren’s marriage and how he himself could find love. TR responded with a simple, “There’s a lot of girls in the crowd tonight,” which sent the women in the audience into a frenzy. “You need to find a girl who likes you for you.” The dialogue shortly turned into speaking the words of Kanye’s ‘Gold Digger,’ thus leading into the first song of an encore together. Several songs aided Rhett’s love, many of which were not in the same genre. ‘Neon Moon’ was on the list of covers, along with Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor’s latest hit, ‘Marvin Gaye.’ It was Silento’s ‘Watch Me,’ that had Thomas Rhett “whipping” and “nae nae-ing,” which the crowd ate up immediately. One song was imminent in their encore, ‘You Can’t Stop Me,’ a party tune recorded by the duo for Eldredge’s September album. It was the perfect closing to what felt like a big party with three of our closest country music friends, entertaining us for hours. Needless to say, Danielle, Thomas, and Brett are welcome back in New Hampshire any day.
This was written by Lauren Rose, contributing writer for New England Country Music. You can follow me on Twitter here.
(Photos from the Bangor, ME show)