Koe Wetzel Rocks Sold-Out Ascend Amphitheater Show

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Koe Wetzel. Photo: Motion Theory Media

Koe Wetzel took the stage in front of a sold-out Ascend Amphitheater crowd last night (Oct. 6) for a 75-minute explosive, rock star-style set as part of his “Damn Near Normal Tour.”

Ben Burgess started the night with a set full of songs off his new album Hollywood Cowboy, set for an independent release this Friday (Oct. 11). Getting the crowd to “dance to some country music,” the album preview included “Well Worth The Ride,” “Well Whiskey,” “Bull Rider” and “The Willie.” Burgess also used his impressive vocals to cover Johnny Paycheck’s “Slide Off Your Satin Sheets,” before closing his time with the album’s title track.

Up next on the night was Tanner Usrey, who burst onto stage with “Blackberry Wine,” which is featured on the Twisters soundtrack. Keeping the momentum going, he dove into fan favorites “Take Me Home,” “Come Back Down,” “With You” and “Give It Some Time.” Usrey then brought out his friend Kinsley to help him perform “Beautiful Lies,” a duet with Ella Langley off his Crossing Lines album, where cell phone lights illuminated the venue.

“Enough of that sad stuff let’s get rowdy,” Usrey exclaimed as he dove back into his set with a cover of Killer Faces’ “Stay With Me,” before closing out with thrilling performances of “Destiny,” The Georgia Satellites’ “Keep Your Hands To Yourself” and “Guns Drugs And Allergy Pills.”

Koe Wetzel. Photo: Motion Theory Media

As the lights went out and the crowd was brought to their feet, it was time for the main event. Before hitting the stage, Wetzel played a clip of Vanderbilt University’s goal-post-carrying celebration after beating Alabama over the weekend, getting the crowd even more hyped up. Sporting his ball cap and guitar, Wetzel came rocking out on stage with “Twister,” instantly setting the mood for the night. After claiming the night as “Sunday funday,” Wetzel turned up the heat with “Fuss & Fight,” initiating smoke and fire from his stage production, before going into “April Showers.”

“I didn’t know how this record would turn out with how honest it was,” Wetzel stated in reference to his 9 Lives album that dropped this past July. “With the help of Gabe Simon, Amy Allen, Carrie Karpinen, Ben Burgess, Steve Rush… and all the Nashville legends out here and some L.A. sprinkled in, we did it though. It all just made sense.” With the crowd dialed in ready to hear the new album live, he played the title track before throwing it back to “Forever.”

Wetzel kept the nostalgia going with “Love,” slowing down the set with a spotlight shining down on him. The crowd swooned as the singer hit all the right notes on the tune he co-wrote with Parker McCollum, giving the fellow Texan a shoutout at the end. Then it was time to dial the party back up with fan-favorites “Good Die Young,” “Kuntry & Western” and “Ragweed.”

Koe Wetzel. Photo: Motion Theory Media

Already proving his top-notch-entertainer status with more show to go, Wetzel led the crowd in a group cheers before diving into “Casamigos,” The crowd sand loudly along to “Sweet Dreams,” and Wetzel continued to thrill the amphitheater with “Drunk Driving,” “February 28, 2016” and tour namesake “Damn Near Normal.”

Putting everyone in a rock star state of mind, the night was nearing an end but the party was not slowing down. From the opening chords of the next track, fans were instantly engaged for “Creeps.”

“We wrote this song in the RCA studios right down the road from here,” Wetzel said. “We all wanted a girl’s point of view on the song, so we asked Jessie Murph to come on and she absolutely killed it. Jessie, wherever you are, we love you.” Through screams and excitement, Wetzel gave a show-stopping performance of the RIAA Platinum-certified single “High Road.” To close out the night, Bailey Zimmerman ran out on stage to serve some tequila to the band, before Wetzel closed out with “Something To Talk About.”

Wetzel’s “Damn Near Normal Tour” will continue this weekend in his home state of Texas with shows in Abilene and Lubbock before finishing the weekend run with a sold-out show at Red Rocks Amphitheater.

Madison Hahnen
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