Thomas Rhett Parties With Edmonton

The bar was open. An affordable (in these times) cover charge was paid and the crowd showed up for the Thomas Rhett “Bringing The Bar To You” tour stop in Edmonton recently. And what a party it was at Rogers Place.Downtown Saturday night can be rocking in Edmonton on most weekends. Throw in the biggest hoedown we’ve seen in quite some time and the Ice District was a buzz with plaid and denim. The floor of Rogers Place was thumping with dancers sashaying left and right. It’s no surprise as Thomas Rhett puts on one hell of show from the opening notes of “Craving You” and “Look At What God Gave Her” to his closer almost two hours later with “What’s Your Country Song.” Throw in openers Kameron Marlowe and Jordan Davis and it was an awesome party.

Kameron Marlowe kicked the night off with selections from his latest outing, “We Were Cowboys” including the title song. The only complaint I have about Kameron’s set is it was too short. The Kannapolis North Carolina native is on a trajectory seldom seen in Music City. His voice sounds like it comes from someone at least 20 years his senior. Those who were present were lucky to catch a rising star. He commanded the stage like an old Shakespearean orator. I’m looking forward to seeing Marlowe in a setting where I can catch a fuller show. His music has a rocky edge that I really like in country music which is most noticeable in “Country Boy’s Prayer.”

Next up was the affable Jordan Davis, truly a female fan favourite judging by the screams. Opening with one of his latest release, “What My World Spins Around” he launched into hit after hit for his 35 minute set. It 3was refreshing to hear a more countrified version of his older songs. His debut album “Home State” is a little too pop country for my tastes, but the versions of “take It From Me” “Slow Dance In A Parking Lot” and “Singles You Up” were a lot different than the album tracks. Those songs and his entire set including my favourite moment, “Buy Dirt” and “Fishing Spot” from his latest release “Bluebird Days.” You can check out “Bluebird Days” as of Feb 17th. More on the Bluebird later. The famed cafe plays an integral role in the show.

It was now time for the main act for a crowd that warmed up and well lubricated. When Thomas Rhett’s opening music started, the crowd went scurrying from the concourse to their seats or the impromptu dance hall on for those on the floor. Country shows are well oiled machines. They meet their time cues spot on. The intro music was long enough for everyone to be seated or get within close proximity to their seats. Then the spot lights hit the riser at centre stage as Rhett steps on the the opening chords of “Craving You.” Screams of glee coupled with singers belting out at the top of their lungs filled the air at Rogers Place almost drowning out the main event, almost.

Thomas Rhett ripped through a few high energy hits such as “Look At What God Have Her” Half Of Me” and the opener, “Craving” before stopping to take a breath and his jacket off revealing a familiar copper and blue shirt. At that point it’s time to cue the obligatory (insert home sports team) chants as he pointed to his Edmonton Oilers shirt and the crowd responded with “Let’s Go Oilers.” It may seem cheesy to some concert goers but I have noticed a change in country acts lately; many of them are actually into hockey. I mean Nashville Predators did have a playoff run a few years ago making all the way to the cup final in 2017 and are in the playoffs most years. So when a Thomas Rhett or any other Nashville act starts talking hockey, I believe they are sincere and not just pandering tot he crowd. Now when they say “Go (insert name) Go!” that is pandering, but it works, they are =in our house after all. The party is now in high gear.

The set list included a little something from his ten year career including a couple from his debut album “It Goes Like This” which allowed the crowd to get a sense of the evolution of Rhett’s sound over the years. He has gone from a traditional sound to a more country pop flavour that is present in “Center Point Road.” It’s refreshing to see that his two latest outings have a more traditional country feel. From his latest, “Where We Started” and 2021’s “Country Again” his sound has changed to something more palatable for true country fans. This set also showcased a few new songs that should be released shortly. One was his “personal” moment where he took time out to thank his wife of 10 years for holding down the fort at home with their four kids and his latest single “Angels (Don’t Always Have Wings).” It may seem like another one of those cheesy moments when the artist takes time out to thank partners at home, but again this seemed genuine and sincere. He and his wife, Lauren have known each since kindergarten, so his love shines through when he speaks about her and when he sings about her. It’s real and true.

Noticing how many people were singing along to his songs and the fact that they didn’t need prompting, Rhett took time out to shake hands, pick up phones and take selfies, and high five many of the fans within reaching distance and even shouting out to “What’s your name? … Ashley. Say Hi to Ashley everyone, She’s been singing along at the top of her lungs all night.” He then broke into “Die A Happy Man” which saw many couples swaying and dancing like no one was looking. As this song wound down he moved down the huge gap that split the floor into two sections to the back of the arena, much to the delight of the fans in rear end of the lower bowl. This was my favourite part of the show. Jordan Davis and Kameron Marlowe joined Rhett along with Rhett’s two guitar players for an acoustic moment. “We are taking you to the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville tonight. We’ve all played live there over the years. One good thing about the Bluebird is you never know what you’re going to hear. Well tonight is no different. I have no idea what Kameron or Jordan are going to give us. We promised to play one unreleased song each.” Kameron Marlowe did not disappoint with “Keeping The Lights On” from a forthcoming album. Being a lot closer this time than his first set gave us a deeper appreciation for his vocal range. Thomas Rhett took over the mic with “Feeling Country” then Jordan Davis dropped in with “What I Wouldn’t Do” which is available as of Friday Feb 17th. Back to Rhett to close out the acoustic set with an old favourite “Country Again.”

Rhett made his way back to the main stage for a few more songs and wrapped the night up with his biggest hit, “What’s Your Country Song” and an explosion of confetti. 12,500 fans then started to hit the doors and the streets of downtown Edmonton to keep the party going.

The 2023 concert schedule in Edmonton keeps on rocking. There hasn’t been a disappointing show yet this year. This was a party that many won’t forget for a long time to come. Sadly, there were a few people who over indulged and may have to rely on friends cell phone videos to help them remember. But we had a great time. The voices at Rogers Place hit 105dB at times and yes I carry a sound monitor with me, so this is factual. The tour winds it way across Canada for the next week. Catch him in Winnipeg Feb 18th, London Feb 21st, Toronto Feb 22, Montreal on the 24th and finally in Ottawa on the 25th before Rhett heads over the big pond for a few UK dates and the party picks up again in North America in May in Iowa and beyond. Info: Kameron Marlowe Jordan Davis and Thomas Rhett