Chris Young Proves Old Pro in Oklahoma
Chris Young played to a packed house at the Firelake Grand Casino in Shawnee, Okla., which was one of his two performances last week in the Sooner State.
"Are y'all ready to have a good time out here in Oklahoma?" he shouted, after kicking off the show with 'That Makes Me,' the first track from his new album, 'The Man I Want to Be.' Tipping his black cowboy hat, Chris worked the stage throughout the night rarely wiping his trademark sexy grin off his face.
"How many of you remember your 21st birthday? Well, if you remember your 21st birthday then you didn't have a good 21st birthday!" Chris joked, before launching into 'Twenty-One Candles,' followed by 'You're Gonna Love Me' and 'Beer or Gasoline.'
The normally confident star then exercised a little self deprecation, announcing, "If you haven't heard of me, my name is Chris Young. You may be in the wrong casino! But stick around because we're going to have some fun tonight!"
After a lively start to his set, Chris slowed things down for his cover of the Keith Whitley classic, 'When You Say Nothing at All,' packing an emotional punch. He then went on to play one of his previous hit singles, 'Voices,' as well as 'Small Town Big Time,' a song off his self-titled debut album on RCA Records.
After introducing his band members, Chris then sang his rendition of 'Rainy Night in Georgia,' which he had the opportunity to record on his current album. Within the first few lines of the song, the screams became deafening as his deep voice rumbled throughout the showroom.
"She loves you!" a male fan declared from the audience as Chris chuckled. "I love her, too," Chris replied, quickly adding, "If you guys are together, I apologize!"
He then treated fans to a brand-new song, 'I Paid for This Bar,' followed by album track, 'Lay It On Me.'
After a brief acoustic set with lead guitarist Kevin Collier backing Chris, the two had a guitar duel which added fuel to the audience's fire. Chris ended with the opening bar to Garth Brooks' 'Friends in Low Places.' The crowd's deafening reaction caught the singer by surprise, as he quickly took to the microphone stating, "I think that is the first time I've ever beat him on that [competition]! It's probably just because we're in Oklahoma."
The rest of Chris' band members made their way back to the stage as he began introducing the next song. "Thank you guys so much for making this possible for me," he said. "We're selling out shows, and we're going on tour with Alan Jackson in a couple of weeks. It makes me want to pinch myself sometimes. This is the second Top 15 record of my career."
He then played the powerful title track of his latest album, 'The Man I Want To Be.' During the song's final bar, Chris removed his hat and bowed to the crowd, thanking them once again.
Chris treated his fans to a few covers during the show, including ZZ Top's 'Sharp Dressed Man' and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's 'Fishin' In The Dark.' He ended with the biggest song of his own career, 'Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song), prefacing it with a tribute to his fans. "Thank you guys, especially for this next song," Chris said. "Because of your support, I got to hang a No. 1 plaque on my wall!"
Chris' first show opening for Alan Jackson is April 8 in Estero, Fla. For a complete list of dates where Chris will be performing click here.
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