Kip Moore put on a high energy show only matched by the high temperature at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis MA on June 29th. Feeding off the intense energy of the surrounding 360 degree crowd, Kip played a diverse set featuring tracks from his 3 full albums and his latest EP. His love and appreciation for his fans was present throughout the entire show and even after as he stayed to sign something for and talk with every fan who was willing to wait in line.
Jordan Fletcher opened the show with a 30 minute set, starting off with his original, ‘Cover Song.’ He quickly admitted that this was his first time in Massachusetts and that it was great to see the ocean view. He jokingly asked the crowd, “You think there are fish in there?” as he disclosed that he hadn’t had fresh fish in months. After connecting to the crowd, he delivered another original then treated the audience to an amazing cover of Josh Turner’s ‘Your Man.’ Continuing with the cover songs, Jordan supplied us with his version of Riley Green’s ‘When She Comes Home Tonight,’ a song that Jordan co-wrote with Riley and Ryan Nelson. Once the crowd heard something they were familiar and with, everyone warmed up to Jordan’s southern drawl and easy listening love songs. He then gave us a passionate performance of ‘Me On’ before rounding things out with ‘Miles To The Moon.’ Released just four months prior, the single brought out something special in Jordan, as he danced around the stage and played so hard he broke a guitar string.
The mood was set with the smell of incense in the air and a tent full of fans. When Kip Moore finally made his appearance, he immediately delivered a high energy rendition of ‘Wild Ones‘ for a ready and eager crowd. Quickly following it up with ‘Plead the Fifth,’ his energy along with the audience’s did not falter.
It quickly became clear that this show was going to be something special as the crowd roared louder and louder for each song performed. An early warning from Kip let us know, “[I] Got a long set tonight. Y’all are in for a wild time.” Radio hits and album cuts were sung back to Moore all the same. Kip beamed as we watched him do what he does best through a set of TWENTY songs. As the stage turned to face every fan in the tent it created a very intimate show. Interactions with the crowd were special and often. Just to mention a few Kip accepted and drank a beer with a generous fan, stole a woman’s phone, and danced up and down aisles.
Barely half way through, Moore expressed,”This is part of the country that always gets what we do. It’s always been nice to come to the northeast and experience the love. There is a few places I always talk about on stage and this part of the country is always one. Let’s find out what kind of rock and roll you got in your blood around here.” Next he gave us a cover of ‘Baba O’Riley’ by the Who and it was clear that rock ran deep in the veins of this crowd of country fans.
Before Kip closed the show out with an acoustic encore of ‘Guitar Man,’ he took a few minutes to create a special moment. Moore reflected on each of his band members’ personal stories before any success. Then he told his own story of not being able to afford the heating bill in his Nashville apartment and seeing his breathe while laying in his bed as a result. He explained to us, “To be here right now and see the smiles on your faces. Tonight, I can see you all enjoying it. I wrote these songs in the dark when no one knew who we were and all I cared about was these songs. I wasn’t going to play this song tonight, but I see this is a real fan base in here tonight so I’m going to play it.” He then divulged that he has a new record coming out really soon. The ‘Guitar Man’ performance immediately cued the appearance of a sea of cell phone flashlights for the second time of the night. When the song was over the band stood together to thank the roaring crowd before everyone lined up to meet Kip at the merchandise booth for a signing.
If you’d like to experience the magic of the Cape Cod Melody Tent with its turning stage and circular audience upcoming country shows include Lee Brice on July 19th, Aaron Lewis on July 29th, Brett Eldredge on August 9th, Brothers Osborne on August 22nd, and Midland on August 25th. You can get your tickets here.