Billy must be doin' somethin' right, and his sold out show last Friday was one way to prove it. It started with an "I" and ended with a "U" and Billy had a feelin' we were feelin' it too.
We Are Tonight, Don't It, People Are Crazy, Hey Girl... you name it, he played it. But if he was going to play anything, it had better be Good Directions - and it was clear that the entire audience agreed. Who needs backup singers when you've got two thousand country music fans singing along to every word?
To sum the night up, God is great. Beer is good. And people are crazy.
But really... We found a floor and we danced on it. We were tonight. We had lots of feelin's. We were pretty good at drinkin' beer. And yes, we enjoyed ourselves. Everyone was having fun and really, what more could you want from a concert? The only complaint I have is that it wasn't near long enough (and not just because I never wanted it to end). He let us down easy just before 10pm and only came out for a few more for the encore. It was like one minute he was telling us he was pretty good at drinking beer and the next we were watching him disappear into a cloud of dust. Sigh...
On another note - Have you ever instantly connected to an artist after only hearing them perform just once? Well, that's exactly why I must mention the incredible opener that evening, Kelsea Ballerini. This was my first time hearing her live (and honestly the first time hearing more than one of her songs). All I have to say is... She. Killed. It. Her current hit is Love Me Like You Mean It, and if you're wondering, yes, she can talk the talk and walk it. My favorite that night was a song where she compares her pain to wearing stilettos... even though they may hurt, you keep your head up high, putting on a show. All of her lyrics are so unbelievably honest and relatable. And the woman's only twenty-one!
I met her after the concert and she's just as awesome in person as she is on the stage. Did I mention Taylor Swift loves her too? Okay, let me stop because I could go on about this girl forever! I am so excited to follow her journey. She's going places. If you haven't heard of her, you need to go listen. Unfortunately not all of her music is up on Spotify, but there's more on YouTube.
Kelsea and Billy, thanks for the fabulous night. It's good to know New York City can feel a little more "country" sometimes. In the words of the man himself, thank God for good directions, and turnip greens.
Enjoy yourself, let it all hang out
And you'll know exactly what I'm talkin' about
If you come on over without a doubt
You'll enjoy yourself
#NYCountrified