NASH BASH in Brooklyn was the place to be last night. There may have been more empty seats than filled ones, but c'mon guys, it's quality not quantity. And those of us that were there were swayin' and prayin' that Cole and the band didn't ever stop playin'.
Amongst the openers were Jana Kramer and Gloriana, but to kick it off was Michael Ray, who by the way is not all that hard to look at (and what a great way to get us in our seats). You might recognize his name from his hit song right now, Kiss You In The Morning. I hadn't heard any of the others, but he won us over with Dust On The Bottle, which is always a fan favorite.
Jana Kramer was as fierce as could be. She stunned us with some killer heels and a hott outfit, but she'd look great in just about anything. I'm sure the guys were wondering why she had to keep making them want her too. Jana was belting it out seriously hard for Love and a little AC/DC All Night Long, but to me, nothing was better than her beautiful voice during some of the slower songs. Jana, I still believe in love too.
And Gloriana's set made me wonder why they are so completely underrated (Tom, Mike and Rachel really are wild at heart). Some noteworthy songs were Can't Shake You, [Kissed You] Good Night, and Trouble, which brought everyone to their feet. I don't know why I haven't paid more attention to them, but I certainly will now (and you should too).
Cole Swindell was like something straight out of a country song. That man is a Luke Bryan in the making (from his voice to his moves) and he sure knows how to shake it alright! I'm pretty sure I said multiple times last night how adorable he is.
Of course CS played all his popular tunes: Ain't Worth The Whiskey, Chillin' It, Hope You Get Lonely Tonight (and then some). Something you may have in common, he's a big Tim McGraw and Dierks Bentley fan (but really who isn't?). BBQ Stain and What Was I Thinkin' were hits with this Brooklyn country crowd. It felt like we were somewhere between the back roads and the back row.
Not only does he put on a fabulous show, Cole is also quite impressive off the stage as well. He writes music for himself and many others in the country world (Get Me Some Of That by Thomas Rhett, This Is How We Roll by FGL, Roller Coaster by Luke Bryan - all of which he performed last night - and so many more).
Anyone else at the show would probably agree that all the worries in the world, they were gone. I mean, some drunk dude was even in the crowd yelling, "Let's get weird, y'all." Ok, not really, but I'm pretty sure there were many moments that could have only been #BroughtToYouByBeer (or maybe it was the whiskey? Who cares). Cole may not be able to fill Barclays Center just yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if he starts selling out arenas in the next few years. Thanks for letting us chill it with you, Cole :)
Some are gonna wanna carry 'round one in each hand.
Yeah, we all have a get a little crazy plan
When we break out and we go out.
#NYCountrified