It was the end of Lee Brice’s college campus tour and it is safe to say the best was saved for last. The concert, which opened with Chase Bryant and The Cadillac Three, kept the University of New Hampshire crowd on their feet the entire night. It was the perfect day outside, only to get better inside. Fans lined the street hours before, eager to get their spots in the arena. The Whittemore Center played home to the biggest crowd on the tour, proving you don’t have to be in the south to appreciate country music.
Chase Bryant kicked the night off with his top-down, warm summer days song, ‘Wayfarer Weather.’ Dressed in nearly-all black, the energetic 22-year-old knew how to work the stage. Taking time to talk to the fans, thank the military and play several guitars, Bryant showed maturity and relaxation in front of thousands. Next up, he sang ‘Change Your Name,’ a song that is sure to pull at the heart strings of every girl in the audience. The love-stricken lyrics put sparkles in the eyes of those entranced by the words that many yearn to hear. Chase showcased his talent on several guitars, changing them after almost each song. From the pink to red and the white to gold guitar, there wasn’t a note that he couldn’t hit as he moved his way up and down the stage. Sporting a Mohawk, the rocker let his band play a number and take center stage, allowing Chase to catch a breath. The biggest singalong came with a crowd-favorite, as he covered ‘Space Cowboy,’ adding another song to his repertoire. Before long, it was time for Bryant to wrap up his segment with his latest and most popular single, ‘Take It On Back,’ a song that is deservedly-so receiving ample playing time on the radio.
Next up was The Cadillac Three to take their spots on the stage in front of big illuminated ‘T,’ ‘C,’ ‘3,’ letters. The country rock band, made up of Jaren Johnston, Kelby Ray, and Neil Mason, was here to put on a show. The trio wasted no time, as they kicked off with ‘Party Like You,’ a song about rock and roll and everything in between. With solo cups in hand, the band played their latest single, ‘White Lightning.’ The crowd was swaying right along with the long-haired musicians as they transitioned into a cover of Jake Owen’s ‘Days of Gold.’ In their rendition, Neil played a lengthy drum solo which enticed fans into an uproar of applause. As The Cadillac Three’s moment wound down, the time came for their most popular jam, ‘The South.’ Played on country radio stations throughout the States, ‘The South’ is their song that includes vocals from Florida Georgia Line, Dierks Bentley and Mike Eli from the Eli Young Band. The boys are only going to climb the ladder of success when it comes to the country industry.
The changeover phase to Lee Brice had arrived. Anticipation rose as the crowd grew restless for the main entrée. Before you knew it, Brice was running on stage, starting off with his most recent single, ‘Drinking Class.’ There were more songs like ‘Friends We Won’t Forget’ and the ever-so-popular, ‘Hard to Love,’ which the crowd knew every word to. A quite appropriate song for the crowd, Lee got the fans engaged in any way possible. With the opening crack of a fresh cold beer, the 35-year-old led into his tailgating tune, ‘Beer.’ Before the next round of songs, Brice mentioned that UNH reminded him of his Alma Mater, Clemson University. He also gave a shout out to the men’s hockey team, referencing his prior partying in the day with them. The concert began to take a slower route, as Lee talked about his earlier days. “In college, it was just me and my guitar…and my friends.” He started explaining a ballad many people have heard, called, ‘More Than a Memory,’ a song made popular by Garth Brooks and written by Brice. “I wrote this song about this girl I dated through college. I couldn’t get over this girl. One day I got a phone call. On the other end of the phone, I hear, ‘Hey Lee, this is Garth.’ And I went ‘Garth who’ (like I didn’t know). The man then told me he heard this song and he wanted to record it.” Brice sang his slow, heartbroken love song during his acoustic set, just him and his guitar. “I close my eyes and I’m right back in college.” During the acoustic period, Brice played ‘Crazy Girl,’ a song he wrote and was later recorded by Eli Young Band. It was time to continue his upbeat concert as Lee transitioned into his latest single to be released, ‘That Don’t Sound Like You.’
One of the most American country songs out there is ‘I Drive Your Truck.’ A song that resonates with many people, ‘I Drive Your Truck’ brought out the “USA, USA, USA” chants from the supporters. “I’d like to celebrate the folks who protect us.” The emotional and passionate Brice powered through the patriotic song with the help of the New Hampshire crowd. It wasn’t long till the fans were singing again, as they chimed in to ‘Love Like Crazy.’ Brice entertained the people on stage and in the aisles, earning himself the biggest ovation of the night. The concert wasn’t complete until Lee came out on stage in a UNH hockey jersey singing ‘Parking Lot Party,’ as the mostly-student clad audience danced around. One song that many knew was missing from his lineup was the common first-dance song, ‘I Don’t Dance.’ Although slower than many of his other songs and more subtle than a typical encore, it was in a very Lee Brice-fashion to come out to play that as his last number. As he sang the song he wrote for his wife on their wedding day, the feel good, melt-your-heart kind of melody closed out the perfect spring night and sent fans home whistling their favorite Lee Brice songs in their heads.
This was written by Lauren Rose, contributing writer for New England Country Music. You can follow me on Twitter here.
More photos from the concert can be found on the NECM Facebook page here.