Jon Pardi Brings Real Country Music To Country Music's Mother Church

Jon Pardi headlines the Ryman Auditorium. Photo: Jon Pardi/Facebook

Fans two-stepped in the Ryman Auditorium balcony Tuesday night (Oct. 1) while Jon Pardi performed to the sold-out venue. It was a non-stop singalong for Pardi-goers as the star offered songs from his excellent new album Heartache Medication, and a string of previous hits including “Head Over Boots,” “Dirt On My Boots,” “Up All Night,” and “Night Shift.”

“You all are rowdy, I love it!” exclaimed the entertainer before launching into “Heartache on the Dance Floor.” Onstage, Pardi was having the time of his life, and in the pews, the fans were too.

The night before, Pardi performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, then flew back to Nashville for his official tour launch and the first of his two-night run at the Mother Church of Country Music. For opening night, Pardi had a few tricks up the sleeve of his pearl-button shirt. His heroes Brooks & Dunn joined the singer for the duo’s classics “Neon Moon” and “My Next Broken Heart.” Also, a seven-piece mariachi band paraded out for Pardi’s cool new song “Tequila Little Time,” which he co-wrote with Rhett Akins and Luke Laird.

Jon Pardi welcomes Brooks & Dunn during his headlining show at the Ryman Auditorium. Photo: Jon Pardi/Facebook

Pardi has a stellar knack for song selection, picking from his own strong co-writes as well as outside songs from Nashville’s upper echelon of writers. This California cowboy’s brand of neo-traditionalism is much needed-in today’s country landscape. Heartache Medication relieves fans’ ache for real country music with a perfect balance of partying (“Tied One On,” “Me and Jack”) and perspective (“Old Hat,” “Starlight,” “Ain’t Always The Cowboy,” “Love Her Like She’s Leaving”).

And Pardi reminded the crowd that picking powerful songs is nothing new when he performed “All Time High” and “California Sunrise,” the title track from his 2016 album.

Opener Riley Green showed loads of musical potential following his first No. 1, “There Was This Girl.” He had a rocking band, excellent songs like “Bury Me in Dixie,” and a captivating solo acoustic performance of “I Wish Grandpas Never Died.”

Pardi and Green are sure to have the Ryman rocking again tonight.