Friday afternoon I hopped into my car and made the 9 hour drive north to Wilmington, NC. Friends were going to Chase Rice’s AM PM Tour with Cale Dodds on Saturday night, so I decided I’d go too. You know, YOLO and all of that. (Does anyone still say that?) Tropical Storm Nestor was following closely behind, so that threw a wrench into the concert schedule. Dodds’ set was cancelled, and Rice began early in hopes of beating the worst of the storm. Thankfully we were pretty much spared, other than some steady rain.
Rice sold out the amphitheater as this was a hometown for the “Lonely If You Are” singer. Even with the rain, the seats were pretty full. He and his band hit the ground running and gave us an amazing performance. His set ranged from older music such as “Ready Set Roll,” to his first #1 as a songwriter, “Cruise,” [which Dodds joined in on!] to his first #1 as an artist, “Eyes On You.” My personal favorite of the night was “Carolina Can.” It almost seemed magical as Rice sang the very personal lyrics, “…A tombstone with my daddy’s name / Now the six string dream on a crazy course / Has got my compass losing North / And I need someone to remind me who I am / Oh…” and the North Carolina crowd responded with a very energetic “Carolina can!” as the pouring rain just added to the special moment.
Due to Dodds’ set being cancelled, he decided to surprise a few fans & bring them backstage, after Rice played, for an intimate acoustic set in the green room. This alone would have made the 18 hour round trip drive worth it. Dodds is my favorite artist & a great friend, so I’ve seen MANY shows. However, this was a first. 20 people crammed into a bathroom/dressing room… The fans loved it, and Dodds did too! The smile never left his face, well except when I asked him to play a song he hasn’t played in about 4 years. What can I say, it’s a favorite! The gamble paid off and he stunned the room with his flawless performance. He ended the set with his current radio single, “I Like Where This Is Going” and then took photos and talked with everyone in the room.
These are reasons why I will always love country music. The story telling, heartfelt lyrics of songs like “Carolina Can,” and the way artists go above & beyond for their fans like Dodds did. Check out the rest of the tour dates below & catch a show if you can! I promise it’ll be one you’ll absolutely love! Stick around at the end and enjoy an incredible performance from Rice’s band. They are seriously talented!
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