Brantley Gilbert ~ Oklahoma City, OK

Brantley Gilbert's Blackout Tour came to the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, OK on February 25th. His two scheduled openers were up and comers Canaan Smith and Michael Ray. I went into this concert the opposite from most attendees. For me, it was my first time seeing Gilbert, but my fifth time seeing Smith, and my third time seeing Ray. So I knew I was in store for high energy, amazing vocals, talented bands, and endless amounts of passion. The show began with a surprise fourth artist, Brian Davis. He got the crowd warmed up and ready with "Against The World" and "I Earned This Beer." Out next was Florida native, singer/songwriter Michael Ray.

The show got off to an explosive start when Ray opened his set with his highly energetic song "Another Girl." It is one of those songs you just can't help but dance to. Then he got everyone singing along when he let loose with a perfect cover of the Big and Rich song "Runaway With You." A song he actually helped co-write. He talked with and engaged the audience at every turn. Ray kept the great times coming with "This Love" and his first number one "Kiss You In The Morning." He also sang "Everything In Between," "Look Like This," and "Drivin' All Night" from his debut album not to mention a great cover of David Lee Murphy's "Dust On The Bottle." It was a treat watching Michael Ray perform. He was so full of energy, he was practically vibrating with excitement. Ray closed out his set with his second single and current top 20 hit "Real Men Love Jesus." The show continued with the Virginia native singer/songwriter Canaan Smith.

Smith got the party back in full swing with "Gettin Into," a song from the deluxe edition of his debut album Bronco. He then went on to show off some of his smooth vocals with his song "Two Lane Road." A song about disappearing down a two lane road in order to find a little bit of peace and calm. Something I have noticed from seeing Smith live is you can feel how he puts his heart into every song each time he steps on the stage. That night was no different. Next up was his current chart climber "Hole in a Bottle." The energy level never faltered as Smith went on to sang us "Love At First", "One of Those," and "Fire." Some may not know this, but Smith actually contributed to the writing of several of the songs on Bronco including "American Muscle." The song that sparked a "U-S-A" chant led by a flag waving Smith. After that the set came to a close with his first single and number one hit "Love You Like That." However, when the last notes faded away, Smith wasn't finished with the crowd. He announced he would be out at the merchandise table signing autographs. After surviving the line to get his autograph, I made it back just in time for the Georgia native, Brantley Gilbert, himself.

Photo Credit: @Little_Bridgie

I think the perfect way to describe Gilbert is found in the very name of his newest album Just As I Am. Gilbert's set began with a song from that very album "Read Me My Rights." He kept the BG Nation up and moving with "Hell On Wheels," "If You Want a Bad Boy," and the ever popular "Dirt Road Anthem." Gilbert is a pro on how to connect with his fans and keep the energy level amazing. He was all over the stage, reaching out, and shaking every hand he could reach. I enjoy when artists tell stories before their songs and the lead into Gilbert's current chart climbing single "Stone Cold Sober" definitely had me smiling. "My Kinda Party," "That Was Us," and "My Baby's Guns N' Roses" kept the incredible night moving along. During the songs there would occasionally be photos playing on the large screen. For example during "You Don't Know Her Like I Do" and then those photos switched to ones of Gilbert and his wife. The incredibly sweet moment was followed up by one of Gilbert's number one hits "Country Must Be Country Wide." After getting everyone dancing he slowed it down with a beautiful two song acoustic performance of "Grown Ass Man" and "Them Boys." While talking with the crowd Gilbert mentioned how sometimes people will want you to change, but you need to be yourself. Once his cover of "Outlaw Women" finished, it was time for "Small Town Throwdown." He invited Canaan Smith and Michael Ray back out to cover the song with him. It was a sight to behold watching three artists with such obvious passion and love for what they do sharing the stage. That passion came though even more for Gilbert when he performed his number one hit "One Hell of an Amen." The emotion from that performance and the slide show was enough to move this country fan to tears. The show finished off with "Take It Outside," "Kick It In The Sticks," and an encore of "Bottoms Up."

Photo Credit: @Little_Bridgie

I was absolutely right about this show being packed full of high energy, amazing vocals, talented bands, and endless amounts of passion. I highly recommend trying to catch one of the remaining stops on the Blackout Tour. I wanted to say Thank You to 101.9 The Twister's The Buff Show for the amazing seats and let everyone know to stay tuned for a separate write up about the amazing bands that shared the stage with these three incredible artists!