Lady Antebellum is one of the biggest bands in country music playing countless sold-out shows in amphitheaters across the country. So it was a bit of a surprise when it was announced that the band was taking a break, with each member of the hit-trio working on different projects. For Charles Kelley, he wanted to try his hand as a solo artist and that adventure took off from the start with a GRAMMY nominated song! And when he announced that he would bring The Driver Tour through Boston, fans jumped at the opportunity to see him live.
It was Opening Day in Boston- a local holiday for Bostonians as nearly 40,000 fans swarmed Fenway Park to see their beloved Red Sox take on the Baltimore Orioles. On Lansdowne Street, two black buses were parked outside the House of Blues and inside one of them was Charles Kelley getting some rest just hours before he would take the stage. But first, his brother, Josh Kelley, would take the stage opening the show with an acoustic and comedic set. Shortly after 8PM he would kick it off, taking the stage with his guitar and a drink in his hand. Dancing as he took to the front of the stage, Josh told the crowd, “I went to the game today (showing off his new Red Sox shirt underneath his sweatshirt). Had 7 hot dogs and a shitload of beer. I don’t know what you’re gonna get out of me. This is song is what I feel like right now.” As the crowd laughed at Josh, he began playing ‘One Foot in The Grave.’
As Josh’s set continued, so did the storytelling. It had an almost songwriter-round feel to it. “This next song has been known to get people pregnant,” he joked prior to playing ‘Masterpiece.’ Midway through the song, he broke into the theme song to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, to which the crowd applauded, yelled and sang along in approval. Next was a cover of Bruce Hornsby’s ‘Mandolin Rain,’ a song that Josh recorded a few years ago and actually peaked at number five on the charts. If you didn’t know, Josh is actually married to actress, Katherine Heigl. And he told the crowd a story when the couple was fighting and he told her, ‘it’s your move.’ The songwriter’s light bulb clicked on and he had a really great song concept and today we have the song, ‘It’s Your Move,’ which will impact country radio in a couple of weeks. After performing ‘It’s Your Move,’ Josh continued his set with ‘Georgia Clay’ and a few other songs before finishing his set with a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘I’m On Fire.’ He then told the crowd, “I’m supposed to be done but I’m gonna do one more. I did this song during soundcheck and I promised I would do it.”
One by one, Charles’ band members took the stage and their places at their instruments and as they did so, the buzz in the House of Blues increased. As Charles entered the stage from stage right, the fans screamed welcoming him to Boston. His evening began with ‘Dancing Around It’ and ‘Your Love,’ two songs off his debut album, ‘The Driver.’ After doing so, Charles addressed the crowd. “My name is Charles Kelley and I’m so happy to be back in Boston.” For most artists, it would be tough to fill out a headlining spot on a tour with only one album out, especially with how new ‘The Driver’ actually is. But for Charles Kelley, it wasn’t an issue as he also has a massive catalog of hits from Lady Antebellum and even though he was missing the other two thirds of Lady A, he would treat the crowd to these hits, the first of which being ‘Goodbye Town.’ Charles followed that up with ‘Southern Accents,’ a song that was written and originally recorded by the one and only Tom Petty! On the record, Stevie Nicks is also featured on the track but Charles made sure the crowd knew, “She’s not here so don’t hold your breath!”
You could call this show an intimate show, especially for the House of Blues. It didn’t sell-out and there were only a few hundred fans in attendance but that didn’t stop Charles from giving the same effort that he would for thousands when he plays sold-out amphitheaters with Lady A. In fact, this is what he wanted to experience. He told the crowd, “I wanted to come and play these types of venues and look people right in the eye and have a sense of discovery. I miss having to fight for the audience. When we come next year, we’ll fill this room up!” After another Lady Antebellum song, ‘Better Off Now,’ Charles performed a song off his record, titled ‘The Only One Who Gets Me,’ which Charles described as one of his favorites on the album. During the song, lead guitarist Jason Gambill (who is usually on tour with Charles and Lady Antebellum) took to the front of the stage for a ridiculous guitar solo. Charles’ response? “You son of a bitch,” he joked towards the braided Gambill.
The Eagles have been such a huge inspiration to so many artists and bands and that is no different for Charles Kelley. He next played a cover of ‘Take It Easy,’ dedicating it to the late Glenn Frey. Before the next song, Charles led by telling the crowd, “One of the first tours we ever got to do was with Kenny Chesney,” to which the fans cheered. “He’s also not here,” Charles joked. “We got close to Miranda Lambert- she was the middle slot, we were opening. When I started this solo adventure, I was doing this showcase and Miranda came and told me, ‘Charles, I’m really proud of you.’” Right then and there, Charles told Miranda he had a song that he would be honored if she sang on. She did and now we have the track ‘I Wish You Were Here’ which features some great melodies between Charles and Miranda. She also was not at the House of Blues but that didn’t stop Charles from performing it and doing a great job doing so.
Other songs in Charles’ set included ‘I Run To You,’ a cover of Tom Petty’s ‘I Won’t Back Down’ which Josh joined Charles on stage for, ‘Love Don’t Live Here,’ and ‘Lonely Girl’ which gave the uber-talented band member, Abe Stoklasa, his time to shine with an incredible solo on the saxophone while Charles took over the drums. “I got the best band in the world,” Charles exclaimed. He also performed a cover of Miley Cyrus’ ‘Wrecking Ball,’ which was masterfully done. Kelley ended his set with an awesome performance of his first single as a solo artist, ‘The Driver.’ Before doing so, however, he told the crowd, “I got a call and a few text messages and I found out this song was nominated for a GRAMMY. I asked who else was nominated. Little Big Town, ‘Girl Crush.’ I’m screwed. This is my first singe. Thank you so much for being here.” With that Charles Kelley retreated backstage but not for long.
Charles and his band would return shortly, kicking their encore off with ‘Leaving Nashville,’ one of our favorite songs off his album that pays tribute to the trials and tribulations that come with being a songwriter in Music City. Afterwards, Charles wrapped his night off in Boston with one of Lady Antebellum’s biggest hits, ‘Need You Now.’ All in all, it was a fantastic night. Did Charles probably wish that more fans came out to the show? Probably. But he made the best of it and gave the crowd who did come out the same effort that he would have given a sold out Xfinity Center. We have no doubt that as Charles continues to grow and develop this solo career that the crowds will as well. Next time Charles Kelley comes to Boston or your local venue, make sure you go! You won’t be disappointed.
For more photos from this show, click here.