The 'Wild Ones' Come Out in Boston for Kip Moore

The days surrounding Halloween are always a bit crazy with the history around Salem and other communities in the Bay State. But on Friday, October 30th, the ‘Wild Ones’ definitely came out in force for a sold-out show at the House of Blues as Kip Moore rolled into town for his headlining tour with the up-and-coming Michael Ray and Joey Hyde. While the show may have been the only Boston stop of the Wild Ones tour, it also represented the annual Country 102.5 Monstah Bash, so fans and radio personalities alike showed up to the iconic venue on Lansdowne Street, decked out in a variety of costumes.

Joey Hyde was the first to take the stage at the House of Blues and this was not the first time he has played in Boston or at the House of Blues as he had previously played the venue as a bassist in another artist’s band. But this night was special for him as he would be playing his own music and he document the special moment on his Instagram page.

https://instagram.com/p/9e8WgVu905/

While Joey had a limited set for the night, he made the best of it, with only his guitar and his voice. He took a moment to address the crowd, saying, “Boston, you sound amazing tonight,” especially with great fan reaction to his song, ‘Get It On.’

As previously mentioned, many fans showed up in full costume for the Monstah Bash and WKLB would reward a few lucky fans who did so with a costume contest that included prizes ranging from gas cards to cash and tickets to the sold-out Holiday Jam, which will take place on December 10th at the House of Blues and will feature Cole Swindell. The fans chose the winners and ultimately chose two guys who were wearing shorts that were too short, wigs, and WKLB t-shirts. WKLB personalities Kevin Kennedy (who was dressed as a ninja turtle) and Hank Morse (who was dressed as Big & Rich- kinda) crowned the winners and the runners up.

Shortly thereafter, Michael Ray took the stage and it didn’t take him long to have the fans in the palm of his hand with his incredible energy, amazing voice and proclaiming to the crowd, “This is one of my favorite towns. Y’all are so badass!” His set consisted of ‘Run Away With You’ and a rousing cover of David Lee Murphy’s ‘Dust On The Bottle,’ which Michael Ray got off stage to get closer to the crowd for. But the biggest reaction from the crowd definitely came during his hit song, ‘Kiss You In The Morning,’ with the sold-out crowd singing along to every single word. Michael ended his set with his current single ‘Real Men Love Jesus,’ and as he waved goodbye to the Boston crowd, fans were buzzing about his performance, wondering when he would return to this area in the future- the goal of any opening act. Well done, Michael.

Joey Hyde and Michael Ray did their jobs in getting the crowd ready for Kip Moore, but with Kip’s popularity and following in Boston, there was a certain buzz in the air. Fans rushed to the bathroom and bar to make sure they were back in time for Kip to take the stage. There’s a special relationship between this city and Kip Moore and not the relationship where an artist just says that they love the city they are in. And if you don’t believe us, here’s an example why- Kip actually helped build a skate park in Roxbury and was at the official ribbon cutting earlier in the day before the show. Kip has played numerous shows at several venues throughout the city and he expresses his gratitude and love for the city every time. Before the majority of people in Boston had woken up on Friday morning, Kip had already sent out a tweet telling everyone to ‘get their asses ready,’ as they were on their way with a picture from an airplane.

As the first few chords of ‘Wild Ones’ blared through the speakers, the crowd got loud, just waiting for Kip to take the stage. And they wouldn’t have to wait long and as he came to the front of the stage with a drink in hand, he stepped up onto some risers and toasted the crowd, which got the crowd even louder than they had been all night. The fans would sing along to every word of ‘Wild Ones’ and that would carry over into ‘What I Do’ and ‘Lipstick.’ Afterwards, Kip told the crowd, “I look forward to this city every year. Y’all are my people. Boston is me.” The night would continue with ‘Beer Money,’ with fans singing along so loud that they actually drowned out Kip Moore at times, before Kip played a cover of Jimmy Eat World’s ‘The Middle.’

Kip continued his night with ‘I’m To Blame’ and ‘Come and Get It,’ both songs off his recent album, before playing fan-favorite ‘Back Seat’ and ‘Crazy One More Time.’ He would then slow it down as he played ‘Heart’s Desire,’ sitting on a stool with no guitar, relying on his talented band to lead the song for him. The fans were treated to a few more songs off of his recent album including ‘That’s Alright With Me,’ ‘What Ya Got On Tonight,’ and his new single, ‘Running For You.’ As Kip took a quick break for a sip of his drink, fans on the floor saw that a peer on the second level was waving a Tom Brady jersey, which of course resulted in a Tom Brady chant and Kip Moore commenting, “Y’all’s quarterback is pissed off this year!” He continued with a shout-out to WKLB, saying, “These guys have been behind me from day one, when nobody else was playing me, they played me. Y’all have possibly one of the best radio stations right here in Boston because y’all have people who play what they believe in. Give it up for those guys right now.” And to the fans, he said, “From the bottom of my heart, I truly, truly, appreciate the way you’ve treated us. Thank you.”

The night was still young and Kip still had some energy in him, and there way no way he would leave any left inside him. He would give every ounce of energy and effort that he possibly could for this crowd that sold out the show in less than an hour to see him. As his set neared it’s end, Kip would play ‘Complicated’ and another fan-favorite, ‘Dirt Road.’ Still on his stool, he would melt the hearts of every woman in attendance with the always popular ‘Hey Pretty Girl,’ altering the final lyrics with ‘Boston, Massachusetts wife…’ which got the largely female crowd screaming and hollering, just dreaming of that possibility. And after a few chords of ‘Lean On Me,’ Kip brought the energy back into the House of Blues with his smash hit, the double-Platinum certified, ‘Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck.’ Kip would leave the stage but fans knew not to move. There was no way that Kip would leave them without an encore and shortly thereafter, he appeased the crowd as he took the stage one last time that night for an encore of ‘That Was Us.’

With final goodbyes to the crowd, Kip Moore would retreat backstage for the most recent chapter in his story with the fans of Boston. For years, fans in this city and region have swarmed to venues like the Hard Rock Cafe, Toby Keith’s, Royale, the Garden among others. And each time, fans have fallen more in love with Kip Moore for his raspy voice, unquestionable musical talent, and his ridiculous stage presence. In many ways, this city is Kip Moore’s second home as fans have given him something to look forward to each time he has returned. Kip is truly the definition of an artist and performer. So thank you Kip for what you do, how you do it, and always giving us fans in Boston so much of yourself and making your show worth every penny that we pay. Until next time, Kip.

-Your ‘Wild Ones’ in Boston.