Rhett & Co. Shine in 'Very Hot Summer'
- iAmMizz!
- Sep 21, 2019
- 7 min read
Updated: Dec 14, 2019
Friday night I had the pleasure of attending Thomas Rhett's NYC stop on his Very Hot Summer Tour. The venue, Madison Square Garden (where else). Going in I didn't know much about what I was in store for, the tickets were a gift from my girlfriend and I hadn't researched anything about Rhett's Summer tour. I've also never been to a concert at MSG (although I've been to Rangers hockey games, where the atmosphere is always electric), so I was excited... I left blown away.
Before I get to the star of the show, no pun intended, let me talk about the shows before the show. Thomas Rhett had an impressive group of opening sets in front of him (I'm not sure if this is common for country concerts, but I thought the lineup was stacked). Rhett Atkins went first and we only caught the tail end (the obvious weakest link of the crew in this one, but still a hearty country singer with personality). After that Russell Dickerson took the stage. Dickerson is just beginning to break out this Summer but already has some monster hits (Blue Tacoma, Every Little Thing, MGNO, Yours) off his second album, "Yours." These radio constants sounded really solid in person, I give the young performer some props as he stepped up and rocked his first night at MSG. His band also played Billions, twentysomething, and I believe Float with some remix type covers mixed in. Dickerson is definitely more new school country, like Thomas Rhett can be, so the second act gave a rip-roaring preview of what was to come. I wouldn't be surprised if we start hearing Russell Dickerson's name a lot more over the next couple years.
After that came Dustin Lynch! I kind of did a double-take when I saw Lynch and even asked my girlfriend, "wait you said this show was Thomas Rhett but you never mentioned Dustin Lynch was playing too?" I felt like the value of Atkins (old-fashioned country), Dickerson (rising star), and Rhett (main attraction) was all you could ask for. I mean I've been to some concerts where it's just one main band with an unknown opener, or rap concerts where the star comes out and does three or four songs before leaving unceremoniously, Very Hot Summer was neither of those. This concert had more of a keep the good times rolling type vibe, and it did. No one anywhere around us seemed to have their attention wane, or complain about the show dragging on, yet it felt never-ending (in the best way possible). When Lynch took the stage, it had the vibe of a headliner performance and little did I know we had an hour and a half of Rhett still yet to come. I will say, Lynch did not stand out as much in person as Dickerson or T. Rhett. We'll get to Thomas himself, but his vocals definitely stole the night (out of the four lead singers). I would put Dickerson second and Lynch/Atkins just behind him. I'm a huge Dustin Lynch fan though, so I was just the slightest bit disappointed in him (being nit-picky here, his sets went over really well with the crowd and that includes me... but I'm also writing this to adequately explain how impressive T. Rhett was). Anyways, Lynch followed the theme of the night and explained how he first made it to Madison Square Garden (after Dickerson had just opened up about how grateful he was to make it to the NYC mecca for the first time), but he did it a little differently. I liked this part of Lynch's set because of his stage presence and his ability to surprise us with some free covers from some of our other favorite artists. I won't say which songs, but Lynch paid tribute to Alan Jackson, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, and Dierks Bentley during Friday night's performance. He also did about eight or nine of his own songs, a lengthy set-list for someone who isn't even the headliner (like I said before I don't know if this is the standard for some concert viewers out there but for me the standard- based on past experience- is much less/worse). Included in his list of crowd-pleasers were some favorites like Hell of a Night, Where It's At, Good Girl, Mind Reader, and a heartfelt solo of Cowboys and Angels. Oh and by the way, Lynch sported a sweet cowboy hat and wielded a trusty red solo cup when needed *wink wink*.
The show started at 7 PM, I think Thomas Rhett took the stage around 9:30 or 9:45 if I remember correctly, and at no point was I clamoring for him to do so (now that's a concert!!). He jumped onto the scene (literally) with Look What God Gave Her, an upbeat tempo to get the fans involved immediately. After that I felt like we heard everything I could possibly want to hear, from his "oldies" that made him famous (Make Me Wanna, Get Me Some of That, It Goes Like This) to new hits from his most recent album, Center Point Road (That Old Truck, Remember You Young, Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time, and my personal #1 Rhett tune, Beer Can't Fix). He also played everything in between the very beginning and the present. To name some, we were treated to Crash and Burn, Craving You, Sixteen, Life Changes, Star of the Show, Vacation, Marry Me, Unforgettable, Die A Happy Man, T-Shirt, and possibly more that I'm forgetting. Basically every Rhett song you've ever loved beside one or two from his older albums. Thomas also did a solo dedicated to the future men that date his daughters. I could be wrong but I don't think this is on any of his albums, it had the perfect touch of emotion and humor to lure in listeners and keep them hanging on every word. That term perfect touch is how I would describe the whole set as well. Rhett's music is wide-ranging for a country singer. Sure he has honky-tonk country songs like That Old Truck or Beer Can't Fix (by the way this song was a major highlight of the night as Lynch, Dickerson, and Atkins all joined Rhett on stage in a sort of quad-et... Atkins brought the beers!). He also has the romantic couple-swaying songs like Die A Happy Man and Remember You Young. Then he has the pop hits the ladies love like Life Changes or Vacation, and the straight up country bangers like Crash and Burn, T-Shirt, or It Goes Like This. Thomas Rhett live gives you exactly what you've come to love about Thomas Rhett in studio... the balance, professionalism, spectacular musical ability and talent, pipes that sound even better in person, and constant smile through it all. All four of these guys loved being there for every second of this performance and you could feel that passion pulsating throughout the Garden. It didn't seem like a job for them (as it has for some musicians I've seen in the past), it seemed like a party, and the audience responded in kind. From adult couples to people like us in their mid-to-late twenties to teen girls screaming for a touch of each singer's hand, there wasn't a single person having a bad night (at least as far as I could tell). So yeah, don't threaten this dude with a good time, he will deliver.
Before I wrap this up I just wanted to discuss the other factors of this show besides the performers, mainly MSG itself. I once saw Zac Brown Band at Fenway in Boston. I'll admit, I was drinking a few for ZBB and didn't drink at all this Friday because of an illness (so that could of had some effect on my experience), but indoor is the way to go. I could barely hear Zac Brown from where I was sitting in the ground level seats of Fenway, the sound was completely lost in the New England air. The Garden is the exact opposite. Acoustically speaking, it is built to perfection. I felt like I was immersed in every song that was played (seated about mid-length distance from the stage), and MSG helped with that by providing a brilliant display of lighting and laser-technics (? I do not know the correct term for this) for each number. Everything seemed to go without a hitch throughout the course of the four hour show. There's also just a feel of class and quality about MSG, with every event I attend there. The food, drinks, atmosphere, cleanliness, and comfort are always top of the line. My one complaint would be the Pop/Hip-Hop and hype music the arena's DJ chose to play in between performances. To me it felt really out of place with an audience that came to see country music, but hey my girlfriend and many other women around us were loving it so I'm not sure if I was in the minority on this. I also wanted to highlight the actual bands behind the singers, especially Rhett's, who he introduced in a sort of solo sound-off for each member. These guys killed it all night, and it was cool to see each musician get a moment in the spotlight. They all shredded at their respective instruments of course, especially the saxophone player who brings a unique sound to Rhett's music. Hats off to everyone on that stage.
So would I recommend Very Hot Summer if you happen to get a chance at an October tour date? Absolutely... but I know that's unlikely unless you're traveling or happen to live somewhere they're playing next month. The real reason I wrote this article, other than to give props to an awesome date night and early birthday gift, is to highlight two things. One, if you get a chance to see a concert at Madison Square Garden, do it. Artists consider it to be one of the biggest stages in the world so you know they're always going to bring it no matter what... and like I said above, there are very few venues that do a better job than MSG as a whole. Second, Thomas Rhett is phenomenal live, and the other three were no slouches either. Even if it's a different tour that happens years from now, if you're a Rhett fan then I highly recommend getting out to see this man at some point in your life. There was even a cancer survivor in the crowd on Friday who just ended her Chemo earlier in the week, Rhett spotted her sign from the stage and gave her a moment she'll never forget. It was special to see, and if she can make it out, you can too. In the end I give the whole experience a 9.5 out of 10, with the only minuses being the minor complaints I mentioned above. 9.5!.. and I was partially sick and didn't drink or have the best week leading up to it, so that's saying something. In my particular case... my mood, my physical condition, my Friday night... it Ain't Nothing that a [Rhett Concert] Can't Fix!
Special thanks to my girl for making all of this happen! And to everyone involved with the show.
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