Tom Petty describes modern country music as "bad rock with a fiddle." I do like some country. But I find most of it filled with generic songs about trucks, dirt roads, and girls in tight jeans.
Chris Stapleton is starting to change my perception. He has brought back songs with vivid lyrics, a powerful voice, and soulful guitar playing. Stapleton left a successful career as a song writer for
Adele,
Darius Rucker, and
Kenny Chesney (to name only a few ) to step out in front of the mic
I attended the second night of a sold out run at The Fillmore Auditorium. The cowboy boot wearing crowd filed into the auditorium with their Tennessee Whiskey and Strawberry Wine breath and love for the long haired, bushy beard, teddy bear shaped man about to take the stage.
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| Chris Stapleton and Morgane Hayes-Stapleton |
The band consisted of bass player
J.T. Cure, drummer
Derek Mixon, Stapleton's wife vocalist
Morgane Hayes-Stapleton, and legendary long time
Willie Nelson harmonica player
Mickey Raphael (he is so famous there were Mickey t-shirts at the merch both). The audience sang along from the beginning of his set with
Nobody to Blame to the last song of the night
. During
Fire Away, a security guard even waved his arm like a conductor when the crowd sang the chorus.
Morgane Hayes-Stapleton stated that it was the loudest a crowd has ever sang (not the best Denver, the loudest).
The most heart felt songs were when
Chris Stapleton looked into his wife's eyes while she provided harmonies that made his roaring voice even more powerful. Their duet of
You Are My Sunshine gave off a definite
Johnny Cash and
June Carter Cash vibe.
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| Chris Stapleton |
Chris Stapleton shared a story about when
Merle Haggard sent a legal Colorado substance to Stapleton's tour bus when they shared a stage. Instead of smoking it, Stapleton kept it. Making it a perfect introduction to his song
Might as Well Get Stoned.
Stapleton displayed his vocal range by singing the long introductions of his band that magically turned into his hit
Tennessee Whiskey.
When the band returned for the encore, Stapleton showed off his guitar skills with
Outlaw State of Mind. No wonder he was chosen to perform along with
Bonnie Rait and
Gary Clark Jr. for
B.B. King's Grammy Tribute
The Thrill is Gone. He has a slow raw note bending style. When Stapleton returns to Denver, it will be in a larger venue to fit more fans to sing along.
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| Anderson East |
Anderson East opened the show with a rhythm and blues set complete with a horn section and keyboard player. The Athens, Alabama native lead his band though a high energy set. His song
Satisfy Me has a J
oe Cocker/Wilson Picket vibe. The set included a soul cover version of
David Bowie's Rebel Rebel and a perfect rendition of
Van Morrison's Tupelo Honey. The tribute covers kept coming when his guitarist
The Reverend (when he speaks, he speaks the truth) preached
Prince's Dearly Beloved Sermon
from as an introduction to
Prince's I Would Die 4 U. East
will be opening for
The Dixie Chicks this summer.
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| The Fillmore Audtiorm's Sold Out Crowd |
I left the show with a little more hope for the state of country music. Maybe the truck, dirt road, girls in tight jeans generic genre is changing for the better.
See you at the next show. I will be the one drinking Tennessee Whisky. Second thought.... I'll stick to beer.
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