Foxwoods Hotel and Casino was home to a trio of country artists last Friday night. A much different setting for a country concert by far, the venue was filled with the dedicated fans of Brothers Osborne, Lee Brice and Chris Young as the concert went well into the Connecticut night. The Grand Theater was clad with Indian reservation-like walls, making for an authentic backdrop as the sold-out crowd waited in anticipation for Brothers Osborne to take the stage first and set the night’s tone.
John and T.J., the boys who make up Brothers Osborne, made quite the entrance, greeting the eager crowd with, “What’s up you sons of bitches!?” The audience knew from that moment on they were in for an amusing night. Going right into their deep-country jam, ‘Shoot From the Hip,’ the country buffs were swaying side to side as the five-person band opened up. T.J. was sporting a Baltimore Orioles baseball cap, the home team of the Deale, Maryland boys. With the crowd finishing up filling in the theater’s luxurious seats, the boys connected with the listeners cracking jokes about the 15 degree weather outside, saying, “This is winter to us, but probably feels like spring to you guys.” The guys played their songs like ‘Stay a Little Longer’ and ‘Let’s Go There,’ and it was the perfect start to a country rock star lineup.
The song that set everyone in the stands off was their latest hit, ‘Rum’, which rightfully so gains a lot of airtime from Sirius XM Radio, The Highway. The perfect sing-along song had the crowd out of their seats with their hands up in the air, and I was joining right with them. After the crowd-pleasing song, Brothers Osborne reminded us what it’s like to live on the road and still remain humble. “We played a few months ago in Missouri and pulled up to the show in a van. Lee Brice saw us pulling up and the whole crew was so nice, they gave us one of their busses.” As if we needed a reason to love Mr. Brice anymore. John, T.J., and their band ended their performance with a cover of Marty Stuart’s hit ‘Shape I’m In,’ before turning the stage over for a brief intermission as the suspense built for Lee Brice.
Next up: Lee Brice. Known for being an entertainer in every sense of the word, Brice took the platform to sirens and strobes lighting up the stage starting off with ‘Friends We Won’t Forget.’ You can’t have a country concert without beer, especially for Lee. With a cold Bud Light in hand, he put the unopened can up to the microphone for his fans to hear the crisp pop of opening his refreshment. He then serenaded the audience with ‘Beer,’ a song that is only complete by singing on the top of your lungs.
Brice did not fail to have every person in the crowd singing and dancing out of their seats. Next on the set list was ‘A Woman Like You.’ The loving husband gave any man listening advice on how to handle their women. “Just whisper everything,” Brice explained. “You don’t have to but you should.” Hint, hint men! The concert wouldn’t be complete without mentioning to the New England crowd about their beloved Patriots being in the Super Bowl. Brice, a former Clemson University football player, made the crowd feel like he was talking directly to them, something I would imagine is hard to do when there are thousands of people here to see you.
Fans love to hear the behind-the-scenes stories of their idols. Lee mentioned that when he wrote ‘More Than a Memory,’ Garth Brooks called him to ask to record it. “I was about to go through airport security and they made me put down my phone. I had to hang up on Garth Brooks,” Brice recalled. “I got through and called him back, letting the rest of my stuff go right off the table.” The next night, Lee Brice took the stage at Brooks’ concert in Boston, surprising the fans in attendance. Another little inside scoop the fans received, was the news that Mr. Brice is looking at ‘That Don’t Sound Like You,’ as his next single. Needless to say, I think his fans will be okay with that decision.
The emotional and always-passionate rocker gave everyone chills as he sang ‘I Drive Your Truck’ and ‘Good Man.’ After slowing it down a bit, he mixed his festive hit ‘Parking Lot Party’ with ‘Beverly Hills’ which then mashed into ‘Rude,’ and into ‘Locked Out of Heaven.’ He said his thanks and wrapped up his show, but everyone knew he wasn’t completely done just yet- there was still one song to be played. The lights didn’t go down as Brice walked off the stage, a telltale sign that there was more to come. A minute later, the piano starts slowly playing as he softly started singing the ever-popular wedding song, ‘I Don’t Dance.’ Lee Brice is truly a performer whose concerts tend to stick around in your mind when thinking of your favorite shows.
The third and final voice of the night belonged to Chris Young. His smoky, sexy voice is one that comes on the radio and you immediately know who is singing. I am not sure how it is possible, but Young sounded even better live, as he took the stage to a red and green-lit stage starting off with ‘A.M.’ Dressed all in black, Chris played some of his top hits including, ‘Voices’ and ‘Lonely Eyes,’ which is now a top-15 song in the country right now, he informed.
The Murfreesboro, Tennessee native asked the audience where the people in relationships were as he began to play his sixth #1 song, ‘Who I Am With You.’ Luckily for those not tied down, he quickly followed it up with calling them out of the crowd and dedicated ‘Aw Naw’ to the single crowd. As the hours grew late, Chris drew the crowd back in with ‘Text Me Texas,’ ‘Neon,’ and ‘Nothin’ But The Cooler Left.’
Young was loud and proud introducing his band members, giving them the credit they deserve. Before announcing his entire band to the crowd, Young played a cover of ZZ Top’s ‘Sharp Dressed Man,’ getting the crowd to sing the throwback with him. The fans shimmied their way through the romantic ballad, ‘You,’ set with a black and white music video in the background. Before ending his set, Chris promised to be back to New England and thanked everyone for their hospitality. He ended with ‘Save Water, Drink Beer,’ before leaving the stage, building anticipation for the beloved encore. Out emerged Chris, serenading the fans to the Doobie Brothers’ song, ‘China Grove.’ Before you knew it, the night had come to an end as midnight approached and the fans exited the theater into the oxygen-filled room to play some slots. On behalf of New England country fans, this was a concert that lived up to the expectations.