I attended Thomas Rhett’s Home Team Tour on 10/5/17 in Charleston, SC. On the bill was newcomer Walker Hayes, Dan + Shay, and Thomas Rhett. County music has been hurting since the events in Vegas. I was curious to see how Charleston’s country community would respond and how the artists would react at the show.
Walker Hayes started the show. I was lucky enough to win a meet & greet prior to the show, so I was anxious to see him live. Walker was very refreshing and had great stage presence. Walker likes to rap a lot in his songs and they have great hooks; he is certainly pushing the envelope of country music, but good music is good music. He was excited to play his new song “Halloween” which was being released the next day. He ended the set with his current radio single “You Broke Up With Me.” I am excited to see what the future holds for Walker; he was very talented.
Dan + Shay were up next. I had never seen them before and didn’t really know what to expect. They did not disappoint! They were very high energy and knew how to work the crowd. Some of my personal favorites moments were their cover songs. Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love A Bad Name” and The Killers “Mr. Brightside” brought the crowd alive. I must say, I cannot wait to see them again live.
Thomas Rhett addressed the crowd and asked for a 20 second moment of silence for the victims of the Vegas shooting. I have never heard an arena full of people so quiet, you could literally hear a pin drop. Some fans prayed, some held their love ones, and all reflected on the fact that the ones who were targeted were doing the same exact thing we were doing tonight. We were seeing a concert, watching our favorite country music stars, and trying to have a good time with family and friends. As Thomas Rhett was addressing his feelings, the crowd erupted into a USA chant. I was truly moved by this experience. Country music will continue to be a part of our lives and the fans will continue to support their favorite artists. We cannot change the way we live our lives and we cannot let this one man win. Music is supposed to be a place for fun, remembering, and creating new memories.
Thomas Rhett was amazing live, he was very animated and he has a great stage presence. I had seen him twice before; once as the opener and once as the middle act. It was great to see how much he has learned on the road over the years and it was quite amazing to see how well he is doing now. If you get a chance to see the Home Team Tour this year I would highly recommend it.
– Written by guest contributor Thomas Murray
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