CONCERT REVIEW: Chase Rice @ The Stone Pony

You have a lot to live up to when playing at one of New Jersey’s most iconic venues, The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, and on August 25 on their Summer Stage, Chase Rice delivered.

The energy both on and off the stage was infectious and the crowd stayed put until the very last second of the show. Singing every word along the way, Rice gave us a little bit of everything with “50 Shades of Crazy” off of Ignite the Night, and “I like Drinking, Cause It’s Fun”, off of Dirt Road Communion.

He broke away from his originals with a medley of covers and genres such as “Smoke A Little Smoke” from Eric Church, to the rock and roll hit, “Pour Some Sugar On Me”. He gave us some classic country, with “Dust On The Bottle” and rounded things out with Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin”, all which were well received by his fans.

Next up was his current single, “Everybody We Know Does”, which was released back in June to country radio, and a song that proves Rice is continuing to grow as an artist. This piece is lyrically strong and Rice sings it proudly.

He slowed things down and reminisced about his hometown with “Carolina Can”, named “Jack Daniels and Jesus” one of his most favorite songs he has written, and set the mood with “Gonna Wanna Tonight”. All which happened before truly heating things up with “Ride”, when he brought one lucky fan on stage for a personalized and memorable performance.

Chase Rice could not let us go without the wildly successful, “Cruise”, and a performance, which kept the energy high. Like most artists, Rice took some time to introduce his band. One by one, he gave them each a moment in the spotlight letting them shred their instruments as he belted out Blink 182’s, “All The Small Things” and “What’s My Age Again”, which he nailed.

He closed the show with his smash hit, “Ready Set Roll” and spent a generous amount of time signing autographs and greeting fans. As I took a look around, I noticed not a single person had even thought about heading to the door.

Chase Rice is a stellar performer with the stage to audience interaction we love to see at concerts. He knows how to make a connection with his fans and keeps us invested for the entire show. Rice is heading out on the road on his Everybody We Know Does Tour, which is set to kick off in September. If he comes through your town, be sure to clear your schedule, and if not, who doesn’t love a road trip?

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