Koe Wetzel Brings Texas Grit & High-Energy Country To Bridgestone Arena [Recap]

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Koe Wetzel. Photo: Keith Matchett

Koe Wetzel brought his distinctive blend of country, rock and Texas grit to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Saturday night (Aug. 8) for his Bridgestone headline-debut, as part of his “The Night Champion World Tour.”

Wetzel opened with “Fuss & Fight,” setting the tone for a show built around his rough-edged vocals and energetic stage presence. He followed with “Good Times” and “Circus” before moving into “Forever” and “Surrounded,” keeping the momentum high as the crowd sang along.

The set continued with “9 Lives (Black Cat),” “When I’m Gone,” “Good Die Young” and “Time Goes On.” Wetzel then turned up the intensity with “Drunk Driving” and “The Man,” before launching into “Ragweed.” During the song, he shouted out Cross Canadian Ragweed and some of his favorite Texas country bands, giving the moment a nod to the artists and scene that helped shape his sound.

Wetzel slowed things down with “February 28, 2016” and “Sweet Dreams,” creating a more emotional stretch before returning to the heavier side of his catalog with “Sinner,” “Feel Better” and “Damn Near Normal.”

The latter part of the set moved between raw emotion and crowd-ready anthems, with “Creeps,” “Hurts Like You” and “Something to Talk About” keeping fans engaged before Wetzel closed the night with “High Road.”

Wetzel will continue his “The Night Champion World Tour” this Wednesday (Aug 12) in New York, with more stops in Austin, Tulsa, Salt Lake City and more through October.

Koe Wetzel. Photo: Keith Matchett

Pictured (L-R): Columbia’s Ben Maddahi, Floating Leaf Entertainment’s Jeb Hurt, Koe Wetzel, Abide by the Vibe’s Gabe Simon, FLE’s Cody Maldonado, Abide’s Carrie K and RECORDS’ Josh Easler. Photo: Keith Matchett

Madison Hahnen
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